That’s right,  because after announcing iCloud, Steve Jobs’ Grand Design – Master Plan will be accomplished in all its means and Apple will never be the same as we knew it before.

“From a garage to the clouds” could be a good way to pitch Apple’s irresistible ascension to change the world and all the business that have come across its path.

iCloud will end this path by delivering the ultimate change in our digital life style: the end of computing and software, and the beginning of the “Internet as everything” where all kind of digital services will be available and chargeable with online payments.

See ya on the cloud!

iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. The road ahead is tempting and amusing, whatever are your expectations, go further as long as you can.

But today, on January 24th, once a year, take a rest to stop and look back to the road done and where you come from.

I bought my first Macintosh (an LC with the latest Mac System 7) in 1992. Since 1984 it was my only desire and I had to wait 8 years to get enough money to afford one (I was still a student at the time and I could only count on myself financially).

It was my first computer: never had one before (I preferred abstinence than to go with a x86). And since then my life changed.

This is where I come from.

And today, in the praise of the greatest invention of all times, on the mark of the 27th Birthday of the Macintosh, let’s wish Steve Jobs, one of the Macintosh inventors, to get well and return soon to steer us along the path to digital happiness.

But I’m wondering how long the car dealer job will be required. Already online sales are on a surge.

He responds that most people are unwilling to buy online; expecially if the car is second hand: they want to “touch it” he will reply.

Well he’s an experienced dealer and I guess he knows what people think and want.

But what if cars become commodoties with electric engines and few specifications to read at? Just like nowdays PC that you buy or customize online piece by piece at Dell?

Instead of a processor, a video card or a Hard disk you choose a model, how many doors, 3 or 5, colours and few other options and you submit your order with a click.

Not such a big deal…

My brother argues that it won’t be so simple to change people percepition and behaviour. And anyway fuel combustion engines are not disappearing any soon.

Is he right or wrong?

Comments are welcome.

So now we’re talking about war between the two giants for the last stand in the mobile computing market.

But my dear fellows I believe that this is just a battleground and not the whole war that is going to be fight on several grounds. One battleground, perhaps the most strategic for the final victory, will be cloud computing and the deployment and access to web services (software as a platforms).

This is going to be the ultimate battle and mobile computing is just a tactical battle of this war but not the main story that still has to written.

Stay tuned.

Yes, because they are going to invent something new that doesn’t exist yet.
A whole new paradigm with a new business model annexed.

The whole tablet business is going to be something different than we might expect.
Please forget about the hardware (that indeed will be engineered with innovation in mind) and let’s focus on the OS side.

Of course that will be the Mac OS as in the iPhone and that matters a lot.

But if I can add my piece of speculation, and by the way today is xmas and I will consider it as a little gift from you, here is how I imagine the whole thing:

The web is a platform, cloud computing is the way to go propelled by a software is a service (web apps) business model.

Google, in this new game, is leading and Chrome OS is its next move to sublime a perfect business model.

Jobs is too smart to ignore all this and to passively assist to the shift from desktop software to web apps in favor of Google’s kingdom.

So the Mac tablet or whatever is going to be called is going to be a “port” to the cloud where content and web services are king (latest business deals with CBS and Disney are a demonstration, pending interest in QUATTRO is another).

The underneath OS is going to be the real suprise: I expect to see Jobs pull out another rabbit from his hat (Mac OS X 10.7 Clouded Leopard???).

Apple has secretly (I like to image it…) developed a new version of his OS designed for the tablet and aimed to use web apps downloadable from the Apple store or deployable directly from the cloud.

Os mine just a fantasy consequence of my holidays drinking or a clear and present challenge that Apple is going to deal with in 2010?

For the moment my best wishes of a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Which is Rome’s best kept secret?

Il mio gelato naturale di Ermanno di Pomponio, Via Luigi Poletti 2 Roma.

.

update: New location @ Via Luigi Poletti 2 Roma

Mr. Ermanno’s ice cream shop is invisible. No signs or visible elements help you identifying the place. The address is the only key: via Romeo Rodriguez Pereira 170, Rome (the shop has moved to Via Luigi Poletti 2, Rome).

An opaque sliding glass door barriers the inside view of his shop from the eyes of people passing by.

Ring the bell and the door will slide open letting you. Mr. Ermanno will welcome you in a nice and elegant shop framed with awards, quality certificates and pictures testimonying his 3 generation family’s history of ice cream makers in Civitavecchia.

Mr. Ermanno is the first generation to establish a shop in Rome after 30 years of making “gelato” in Civitavecchia.

Let’s talk about Mr. Ermanno’s art: il gelato naturale is, an unique and delicious, natural and organic, ice cream for real lovers and passionates about gelato.

Nothing in Rome certainly compares to Mr. Ermanno gelato. And I’m ready to bet too that you have never tasted something better in all your life. His gelato is amazing from the first spoon you take (no ice cream cones, just cups are served).

Chocolate, Pistacchio, Nocciola, Crema, Croccantino ai frutti di bosco are the most common flavours you’ll find all year long.

The secret of his gelato? Really simply: Mr. Ermanno total committment to quality.

He uses only organic and first class ingredients as biodynamic milk and cream, nocciole (nuts) from the Langhe, Piedimont or Pistacchi from Bronte, Sicily or just the best qualities of cocoa as Amedei, Toscano black, Domori o Chuao.

His committment to quality could even appear, to the eyes of a first time visitor, excessive and even paranoic. Dare not ask for panna on top of your ice cream….otherwise at your risk!

Said that also to alert you that your cup of ice cream will be carefully weighted before handed to you. Exactly as in an expensive grocery store where you buy products as caviar or truffles. The price of a cup of ice cream is, indeed, another indicator of the extreme quality involved in his product: 50 euro per Kg.

So it may sound absurd paying almost 5 euro per a cup of ice cream but after tasting it you’ll understand why you’ll never care…

Open from 12 AM to 10 PM. Closed on Tuesday,

I enjoyed the new album and I quote it as their best in a long time. All tracks sound as well played and produced: rock songs with a good balance between guitar and all the “enotronics” (pad, effects, loops, etc…). Drumming and voices are also well arranged and enjoyable to listen to.

————————-

Juanuary 14, 2008

Apple CEO Steve Jobs today sent the following email to all Apple employees:

Team,

I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

Steve

Is the electric engine its natural replacement?

Today opens in Detroit the North American International Auto Show, for sure less exuberant, due to an USA car industry on the edge of bankruptcy, but certainly inspired by a new hope for change brought by the forthcoming Obama’s presidency.

Car makers are betting their future. GM, Ford and Chrysler are announcing an electric vehicle between year 2009 and the end of year 2010.

They will start testing the market by producing a limited amount of cars the first year.

It, infact, remains unclear whether consumers will be comfortable with the idea of buying an electric car, or whether these vehicles will priced to compete with comparable gas-powered models. The Chevrolet Volt, for example, is expected to cost around $40,000.

Most of the prospective electric models need to be charged for several hours to cover a day’s worth of driving. The advent of smaller, more advanced lithium-ion batteries is allowing the car companies to develop electric cars with better autonomy and that look, feel and handle much like conventional vehicles due the smaller dimension of the batteries.

But lithium-ion batteries suppliers are mostly nased in Asia so American auto executives have warned that without homegrown suppliers, the country could potentially become as dependent on Asian-made batteries as it is on oil from the Middle East and elsewhere.

But what will determine the market is not going to be how far your battery can go, but how far your infrastructure is spread so power is available.

But this is another strory.

So do humans dream of electric cars?

Well that day has come. And it is time to believe that change can happen.

Change is happening indeed.

And due to Obama’s victory America will gain again that international respect that deserves.

The world needs America and needs that hope that everything is possible when people are unite. World needs change too: less wars, less polution, less starvation, World needs more democracy, more wealfare spreaded across poorest nations like Africa.

So Let’s Go Change the World, by attending a March.

You can view the details of this event at any time by going to:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gsxyqf

Attending:
Saturday, November 8 – 3 hours

Time(s):
Saturday, November 8 from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Location: Trajan’s Column (Piazza Venezia)
Trajan’s Column/Colonna Traiana
Piazza Venezia
Rome, Italy 00184
Directions:
center of Rome