It wasn’t long ago that Apple and Google were allied against Microsoft and the broader market. The marriage of the two Silicon Valley giants was torn asunder by Google’s ingression in the mobile market with Android. The former confederates went their separate ways with Google CEO Eric Schmidt leaving the Apple board. Now it’s on like Donkey Kong between the three tech behemoths – and cloud computing is a new frontier in the ongoing war.

In the enterprise space cloud is less remarkable than its most vehement proponents would have you believe. The IBMs and Microsofts of the world have established metrics, case studies and methodologies for how it’s done. And, as IBM CEO Sam Palmisano said in a meeting with press at Armonk, New York Yesterday – this cloud stuff is “nothing new”. He’s seen it all before. In the consumer space things are different, however, and here I include small business.
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Rana June Sobhany believes she may be the first iPad DJ in the world. While I’m sure there are many DJs experimenting with the iPad, she may well be the first to have used such a setup for an entire set.

I remember buying my first set of Technics SL 1200 turntables and a cheap Behringer mixer ages ago and learning to DJ on that. Since then I’ve tried a number of more modern hardware alternatives – starting with CDs, then looking at computers and even iPod mixers. Nothing compared to my turntables. Will the iPad change that? I think not.

But when it comes to live production, which is more of what Rana is doing, then the iPad undoubtedly offers some advantages, especially given the low price of software for the device when compared to their hardware equivalents.

Before the launch of the Apple iPad many potential uses were postulated for the device. The most prominent of these was in publishing as people perceived new applications and media delivery to tablet devices that would impact on the world of magazines and newspapers. Movies, textbooks and social networking were all correctly predicted to be the kind of things that the iPad would be good for. But few guessed that the device would mean big things in the world of music. (more…)

I just received the following release from Vodacom. I’m in a flat spin at work today, so I’m giving it to you as is – please excuse the PR guff:

From 1 April, Vodacom’s iPhone customers no longer have to wade through a long list of voicemails messages by calling 121 to get to the really important one that confirms that new job appointment or bond approval or marriage proposal…

Vodacom’s Visual Voicemail is a South African first voicemail management service for iPhone users, which enables customers to view their voicemail messages in a list format, including the number and time a voicemail came through, the same as with SMS or email messages. (more…)