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Apple is taking over the world, one iStore at a time. It started wth iTunes Store and skyrocketed with the App Store. Now some of us are waiting with curiosity and anticipation of the iBook Store. Apple announced the new Apple iPad to  were many praises and pauses across the web. We’re waiting to see if Amazon Kindle’s ebook reader crown is something the Apple iPad might look better in.

The Apple iPad

The iPad stands at:

• 9.7 inches, .5 inches thin, and 1.5lbs
• Multi-touch
• Holds up to 64GB of flash storage
• Powered by Apple’s very own 1Ghz Apple A4 chip
• 10 hour batter life / 30 days standby time
• Starting price: $499 (Kindle starts at $259)

It also runs just about every iPhone app available for download. Yes, iPhone apps! There’s 140,000 of them and you might be looking forward to curling up with the iPad and a few faves. That is unless you’re Amazon.

The iBook Store

What’s the deal with Amazon? Not only did Apple release a new device, but a new ebook app directory called iBook Store. The iBook Store will allow for browsing and purchasing of books directly from the iPad. It will support ePub formatted books, which is are supported by the Sony Reader and Adobe Digital Editions for desktops. It makes the iPad one of the biggest potential competitors for the Amazon Kindle, which really had no competition up until now. Apple also enlisted five large publishers to join in on the world domination:

• Penguin
• Harper Collins
• Macmillan
• Hachette Book Group
• Simon & Schuster

Suites like iWork have been completely revamped for the iPad and iPhone app developers will be allowed to take advantage of the extra real estate. The event begs the question, will the Amazon Kindle survive?

Apple iPad VS Amazon Kindle

There’s no denying that Apple is encroaching on Amazon’s grounds with iBookstore and the iPad. Apple is playing catch-up in field of ebook readers, but they already have an advantage considering the platform that the iPad is built from. The transition is a natural one for iPhone owners. Plus, the iPad would probably get picked up more often than the Kindle on looks alone. If iBookstore spreads to the iPhone the Amazon Kindle will be in serious trouble.

But Amazon has firm following of die hard Kindle owners. Plus, almost everyone goes to Amazon to buy books at discounted prices. If we’re going by Apple’s music model, ebooks might be dirt cheap. Cheaper or on par with the $9.99 cost of most Kindle downloads.

Look, I only want to know one thing from you:

• Will you even buy the iPad?

What started off as small talk last year is now being heard loud and clear in social media and technology circles. Mobile technologies are not only taking over your average joe’s life, they’re taking over the business industry too. Things started to heat up in 2009 with Brightkite. Now we’re watching the explosion of location-based mobile services, wireless mobile internet devices, and app stores and more spill over into businesses.

The mobile business trends and products I’m going to tell you about are technologies that are popping up like popcorn and everyone’s hungry for them. Just look at how Facebook and Twitter have become standards on nearly every mobile platform. From smartphones to cars made by Ford, mobile technology is changing lives in ways that affect your business. They are becoming a must have tool and product for businesses to adopt in their day-to-day social media strategy. Here’s a look at the mobile business trends and products that you don’t want to be out of the loop about:

Location-based Mobile Services

Are you checking in? If you’re not, you’re doing a horrible disservice to your friends and the places you love to visit. How many times have you called someone while you’re out only to find out that you just missed one another? Location-based mobile services like Foursquare, Brightkite, Gowalla, and even Waze are helping businesses make connections. Take Foursquare for example. Foursquare is changing the world and reinventing how a customer loyalty program really works. Their services can help improve almost any business’ customer service ratings.

So why would you want folks checking into your business on these services? You separate the newcomers from your those you love your services. If your business is smart you’re keeping track of these folks. They’re  not just a regular of your business. According to Foursquare, they’re the mayor of your business! Would you turn down the chance to talk to the actual Mayor of your city if she came into your store? Didn’t think so. The same should apply to the mayor of your business on Foursquare. Just ask Intel, Bay Area Transit, Metro Newspaper, or Guidewire Group’s VP of Community Strategy & Engagement, Carla Thompson.

Always Wireless Internet

The Verizon MiFi (amazon affiliate link) was my favorite device at CES this past January. It’s a wireless hotspot running on the fast Verizon Wireless network. The MiFi is the size of a credit card and connects up to 5 devices (my iPhone and iPod Touch never worked). I was on the internet everywhere:

• at my neighbor’s house
• in a hotel
• at a restaurant where wifi wasn’t free

What was I doing? Just about everything I can think of. I really pushed it to it’s limits with downloads, video streaming, and more. Yes, I know about the data caps Verizon has, but this is a great tool to have if you’re workshifting as Chris Brogran calls it. Mobile usage dominated 2009 and will continue to grow in leaps. The MiFi is only the beginning and Verizon is leading the push for excellent wireless coverage everywhere. Clear is another wireless internet provider expanding the limits of wireless internet.

Application Stores & Marketplaces: There Are A  Lot Of Apps For That

You cannot deny the convenience of applications stores on your mobile devices. That convenience is about to move past mobile devices and into mobile PCs.  Application stores are quickly become an industry trend. We have:

• Intel’s AppUp Center for netbooks
• Acer’s app store for Windows, Android, and Chrome OS.

I”m excited about these stores and look forward to digging into them in the future. I can see people quickly catching on to new apps and trends on the web if companies can keep their app stores up to date.

Mobile Web Optimization

You can blame streaming for the mobile broadband surge. If your site isn’t mobile web friendly version, then you need help. Your site needs to compatible with popular mobile devices. Here are the facts:

• Facebook’s mobile web usage tripled in 2009.
• The mobile internet market will be twice the size of the desktop internet in the near future.
• Have you read about the 34% spike of mobile web usage fueled by women, teens, and seniors alone?

You’re wasting a great opportunity if you’re not on this train. There are plenty of free and easy ways to accomplish mobile web optimization. Take a look at SheGeeks.net on your iPhone or maybe Chris Brogan’s iPhone app for better examples.

Stay Tuned!

Today’s rapidly adapting offerings of smartphones are empowering these mobile movements  by making GPS a near standard these days. Ford is doing the opposite as I noted earlier.  App markets are patiently waiting for companies to finally “get it” and for developers to make a switch.  But there’s still some issues to work out here. These tools are meeting the growing needs of everyone. It feels like we’re learning them, but really, they’re learning us. As we use them we find just how convenient they are to providing better service. You can’t lose. You just have to keep up, which is easy if you’re subscribing to SheGeeks and following me on Twitter.

Last summer, there was a big pow-wow between Google and Apple over the Google Voice iPhone app. It didn’t get approved, but Google found a quick work around by optimizing Google Voice for mobile browsers to make a web app. This had major limitations that prevented use of the best features in Google Voice. There’s still no iPhone app for Google Voice, but Google’s latest update brings the features you’ve been waiting for.

What Is Google Voice

Google Voice is a great service that everyone with more than one phone number should use. It allows you to:

• Use one number for all of your phones
• Get voicemails automatically transcribed via email or sms
• Block unwanted callers
• Manage your calls and contacts

Typical phone offerings, but all of this can be done right from the web….for free! You can also choose which of your phones all calls should be directed to. Now your friends and contacts can stop calling 3 different numbers just to reach you. Most calls made through Google Voice for free and international calls are cheap.

As you can see, Google Voice has plenty of perks. If you don’t have an unlimited phone plan Google Voice can save you a ton of minutes. All you need to do is dial your Google Voice number, enter your password, press #2, and enter the number you want to call. This is very tedious and a process that the GV app would’ve solved all. Despite Apple’s destruction, Google found a worthwhile solution with their web app.

What’s New With Google Voice for iPhone

The latest update to the Google Voice web app can make calls through your Google Voice number from your iPhone. The Google Voice web app has been redesigned to look more like Gmail and Google Calendar in Safari. Aside from the new makeup, you can:

• Send SMS to friends
• Dial a number
• Playback voicemails

Yes, all of this can be done right inside your mobile web browser. The only serious downside is that you can’t access your phone’s contact list. Google Voice has a separate contact list you can manage and it’s stored in the cloud (or the internet).

Image Credit: TechCrunch

Access Google Voice Via iPhone

You can access Google Voice by heading to http://google.com/voice/m on your iPhone. GV will also be available for Palm Pre/ Pixi owners. The new version of the Google Voice web app is being rolled out today. So don’t panic if you can’t see the new features right now. They’re coming!

If you’re a new owner of the Motorola Droid or Google Nexus One, then your research for a twitter Android app has led you to king Twidroid. Twidroid is featured in the viral Youtube video Nexus One: “Web meets phone” and has been downloaded over 400,000 times. Twidroid’s crown might be fitting, but Seesmic for Android still packs a punch that you don’t want to miss as a great twitter Android app.

Motorola and Android: A Powerful Mobile Network

Previously, I noted Seesmic for Android as one of 24 reasons to buy a Droid. The Motorola Droid (Amazon Affiliate) stands out by itself. Time’s named it their Top Gadget Of 2009 and it’s stats are impressive:

• 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen (480×854 WVGA resolution)
• Google Voice App
• Facebook Contact Synchronization
• Voice Recognition
• Advanced Google Maps App
• 5 Megapixel Camera
• 16GB SD Card included

The Android Market has a great selection of starter apps, a growing developer community, and the Android OS is amazing. It’s easy to see why Droid gained 1.44% market share less than a month after launch. However, my favorite app about the Droid was Seesmic for Android.

Seesmic for Android Shines

As apart of Seesmic’s first venture into the mobile apps, Seesmic for Android packed a punch right out of the box. Uploading Youtube video’s via the app was a plus! A month after launching, Seesmic released an update that supported lists, twitter search, and trends. The update notifications on Android blew the iPhone’s push notifications out of the water. Bundled with Verizon, Seesmic for Android handled my mobile lifestyle like a veteran.

What’s Missing From Seesmic

Everything that glitters isn’t gold and Seesmic for Android is by no means perfect. I’m spoiled by Tweetie 2 which lets me start my timeline were I previously left off. Seesmic goes straight to what’s new, which is a hassle when trying to catch-up on older news or reread tweets after a restart. The app also doesn’t support multiple accounts. There’s no Seesmic widget for the homescreen, while Twidroid has two of them.

Why You Need To Have It

Seesmic is right up to par with other free twitter android apps. With an easy to navigate interface, advanced media sharing features, and trusted brand to back it, Seesmic is well on it’s way to success in the Android environment. Let’s hope they can continue their success with the impending release of their iPhone app and a few more tweaks to their Android App. Subscribe to SheGeeks to make sure you don’t miss the reviews!

Seesmic is wiggling itself out of a tight spot to become the number one Twitter client for everyone, not just early adopters. Not only does Seesmic have to compete with Tweetdeck’s desktop domination of 12.58% share of users (3.76% of folks on Twitter use Seesmic), but also against Tweetie’s 8.29% mobile domination. It’s an uphill battle that Seesmic’s new client, Seesmic Look, is already handling very well.

Seesmic Look

Aimed at mainstream Twitter users concerned with what’s trending, Seesmic Look gives you a TV Guide look with a tablet feel for diving into Twitter. With nice large fonts, and an emphasis on search and filtering, Seesmic Look is delicious eye candy of real-time information. You can sort tweets by time and name or play them in slideshow presentation style. All of Twitters new features including:

• Retweets (Automatic)
• Lists (Edit and delete options)
• Photosharing (Tweetphoto only)
• Link Shortening (TinyURL only)

New tweets indicators are sprinkled in just the right places. Spelling checking is a feature, but you can’t add new words. “Seesmic” doesn’t register as a correct word (suggests “seismic”). On a brighter side Seesmic Look does come with two themes: Dark and Light. This is obviously nothing compared to TweetDeck’s customization options.

Who Should Use Seesmic Look

According to Twitstat, Seesmic Look is already ranked as the 46th most popular Twitter client gaining just 0.19% share less than 5 hours after launching. But who are these users? Seesmic Look is aiming for mainstream and TechCrunch says Seesmic Look is for the Oprah Crowd. Yet, after a quick Twitter search for “Seesmic Look” I’m inclined to disagree about who’ll actually use it.

There seem to be more techies promoting the service for starters. Though Seesmic founder Loic LeMeur let Robert Scoble know in advance that power users might hate Look, I feel there are some benefits for power users in Look’s layout and filters. For example, over the next week I’ll be using Seesmic Look for monitoring my private Twitter lists. I find Twitter’s UI cumbersome for not only keeping up with my lists, but managing them.

Reading my lists in Seesmic Look is easier on my eyes. The design of Look is better suited for me to digest the information from my lists quickly. Look also puts important list management actions right at my finger tips. I have to do a bit of scrolling and too much clicking on Twitter’s site.

Seesmic Look Q&A

Check out Scoble’s post which includes reasons why Seesmic Look doesn’t add up. For those that have tried Seesmic Look, please share your thoughts on the following:

• Do you think Seesmic will take off with mainstream users?
• What uses can you find for Seesmic Look?
• Who can benefit the most from using Seesmic Look?
• Is this Twitter client really necessary?

I’m a huge fan of Drop.io, a real-time sharing, presentation, and collaboration service. Earlier this year, Drop.io released Conference.io, which offers more flexible features for sharing media with crowds. However, I use Drop.io more than not for sharing files with family and friends and for tech support in some cases. Because of this, I was excited to run across the Dropme.it Adode AIR app.

What Dropme.It AIR App Can Do

Dropme.it is really simple app: just drag and drop a file and have it automatically (and rather quickly) upload to the Drop.io service for sharing. Dropme will display the shortened URL for you to share with others after the upload is finished. You can cancel an upload in progress, queue multiple files at once, or even upload a folder to share.
       

A Beautiful AIR App

The Dropme.it AIR app has a clean, clutter free, and gorgeous interface. It doesn’t get any prettier than that. This means less time for you to spend worrying about the little stuff, and focusing on a beautiful app that does it all for you. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and most options for uploading images are nicely displayed in the app.
          

App Improvement Checklist

My only wish for Dropme.it is to display a little more information about my uploads and also store a backlog of them. Once you close the app, the shortened URLS are no longer available via the app. When file transfers get out of hand, users can benefit from a better way to manage them.

What if you accidently upload a file? A delete option in the app for mishaps would be nice. Heading to the url seems to be the only way to solve these problems for now. 
        

A Must Have Tool For Web Workers

All in all, I think Dropme.it is a great tool for any web worker, not just Drop.io users. If you’re looking for a quick way to share files with others, look no further than Drop.io. Be sure to add Dropme.it to your desktop tools for web working using Drop.io. You won’t regret it!

Last week I went out with a few friends to see Avatar 3D at the iMax. It was an amazing movie, aside from the 3D technology, that really captured the power of community. Not just the good ones, but the bad ones too. Most importantly, Avatar captures how to join a community simply by being seen.

Why You Need An Avatar On Twitter Right Now!

Would you speak to someone without a face? Of course not. So don’t expect others to talk to you if they can’t even identify who you are. It makes it easier to remember people when you have a face to go with that name. For some, it’s even easier to remember faces more than names.

Here’s what you need to do right now:

• Go to your Twitter Settings
• Upload your avatar
• Tweet about it!

Choosing An Avatar for Twitter

You should always add an avatar to the social profiles you create. Avatars are important for establishing your reputation in web communities. People need something they can I identify you with. For me, it’s my mohawk in my avatars. People are able to immediately spot me at conferences and the first thing they mention is my mohawk on Twitter versus my mohawk in person. To top it off, it matches my personality. The tone you get from my avatar is the same tone you get from me in person. Excited! Not to mention it flows with the tone of my tweets (@corvida).

Go through your photos and find one picture that really expresses what someone might see when they really look at you. Think about these questions on your quest:

• What’s your tone in person?
• How about your attitude?
• If they met you right how you act?

If you’re using social networks for business, people love seeing a photo of the real you with a little personality. If you’re a designer, your company’s logo would make a great avatar. Use a logo that showcases your companies skills and services within the design. If you’re avatar looks like spam (and your tweets), you might as well beat it kid.

I See You: Twitter Avatars, Avatar, and the Na’vi

Just as Jake Sully was an outsider to the Na’vi in Avatar because know one knew him, you will look like a virgin on Twitter without an avatar. Twitter avatars help to establish your reputation. Seeing your avatar next to great tweets helps build your credibility. They allow people to see you for YOU.

Twitter Avatar Checklist

• Make sure you stand out. My mohawk and baby face do the job.
• Make it consistent across most of your social profiles. I would hope you don’t have multiple personalities, so one picture should be enough.
• Use a photo specific to your community interests. See third paragraph of Choosing An Avatar For Twitter.

Need some inspiration a little more visual inspiration? Take a look at 100 extremely creative Twitter avatars. See you in the comments!

The Rundown:

1. It Works Right Out Of The Box
2. Beautiful OS Design
3. Verizon Network
4. Growing App Market
5. Google Maps Integration
6. Loud Speakers

Brownie Point: 16GB SD included

Price with Verizon: $200 (new contract)
Amazon: Too low to display on Amazon (affiliate link)

What’s The Big Deal About The Motorola Droid

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been in an intense obsession over the Motorola Droid. I received a review unit courtesy of Verizon Wireless in Atlanta and haven’t put the Droid down since. Considering all the hype it received over the holidays and the sheer brilliance of the Motorola Droid commercials, I couldn’t help being curious and some of my Twitter friends couldn’t hold their curiosity either. But why? Well here are the facts:

7.Droid gained 1.44% market share by November 11, 2009, or less than a month after it’s launch date of Oct.30.
8. Top Gadget Of 2009? DROOOOID
9. Google Voice Integration
10. Facebook Contact Synchronization
11. Speech Recognition
12. Seesmic Twitter App
13. Made by Google
14. Physical Keyboard
15. Megapixel Camera

The list is endless people. I put the Motorola Droid to the test last week at CES by using it as I would use my iPhone. I walked around as a proud Droid user and my iPhone stayed in my pocket the majority of the time thanks to a great number of apps for the Android platform including Foursquare.

What Can YOU Do?

I would use the Droid to:

16. Check into Foursquare like a junkie
17. Play Youtube videos
18. Send out Tweets with Seesmic for Android
19. Search for background info on companies right from the homescreen
20. Look up directions to parties
21. Check emails
22. Download a song that a friend had been searching for, for 3 years!
23. Make calls via my Google Voice account
24. Play music in my hotel room

I generally let it manage the bulk of my activities for the time being. I enjoyed being free of lugging my heavy Dell Studio 15 and exploring the showroom floors. Verizon’s network coverage was great the majority of the conference. I even had to switch from my iPhone to my Droid on a few calls, but did have issues every now and again. It begged the question of whether Verizon’s network could handle what AT&T is struggling pathetically with.

Sweet Droids Or A Beautiful Nightmare

The funny thing is, I experienced this same scenario last March when I spoke at SxSW using my iPhone 3G. As I prepare for another year of speaking and networking at SxSW10, I’m pressed to decided which phone would be the most beneficial to have. As a user of Google’s web services, the integration that Droid provides is leagues away from the iPhone. Google Maps on the Droid is the best thing since iPod connectors in cars. The Android platform really gives the iPhone a run for it’s money, at least until you talk to the Android developer community. But that’s another story for tomorrow.

The Droid isn’t perfect. The Android App Market is still growing, but no where near the numbers Apple is doing. The keyboard could really use a facelift or some botox (seriously). Exchange support is an extra $15 per month. Nokia still makes the best cameras and Google needs to pay attention. Battery life is sub-par (as always) and the OS is buggy. Taking a screen capture with the Droid requires a computer science degree. Here’s a look at how the Droid stacks up against the iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre, and MyTouch3G:

Image Credit: BillShrink

Answer This:

• What do you think is missing to really push the Motorola Droid above the iPhone?
• Would you consider trading in your phone for a Droid?
• Is the Verizon network a blessing or curse for the Droid?

As a first timer at CES this year, I was hoping to be like a kid in a candy store drooling over products that others have yet to touch and experience. I imagined walking into the LVCC and dropping my jaw, following by a ton of drool. New mobile devices, laptops, and a host of innovative gadgets for me to be the first to experience. CES seemed like a dream come true in theory. The reality of it was more like something out of Alice in Wonderland.

Disclosure: I’m attending CES as a member of the press and as an Intel Insider courtesy of the great folks at Intel.

CES Day 1 Recap

For starters, the LVCC is a huge convention center. It seems to be 3-4x the size of SxSW. Due to it’s size, it made for a lot of confusion and not just for conference attendees. I was falsely directed to the wrong places numerous times by CES staff (unsurprisingly). Apparently, they knew just as much as everyone about the setup of the exhibitions.

The Core Of Innovation at CES

When I finally had a chance to explore the showroom floor, I was beyond disappointed. It seemed the only real innovative technology being demoed were Intel’s new lineup of Core processors. The Intel Core processors are amazing advances in computing and the demos around the Intel booth showcased the power and uses for these processors in a very innovative fashion especially with the Cube (video below).

Beyond that, I’d seen the showcases of laptops and mobile accessories. To be quite frank, I saw nothing that I hadn’t already heard about, or seen, before coming to CES. The 3D technology displayed in Sony games and Samsung’s TV’s was eye-catching, but nothing I haven’t seen before CES. I thought this is where innovative consumer technology was supposed to be demoed. Was I already ahead of my time before CES?

I’d like your help thinking otherwise. If you know, can you point me in the direction of the real innovation happening at CES?

Being an Intel Insider has been a great experience that’s going to get even better starting tomorrow. If you’ve been living under a rock, or in different parts of the web, then you may have missed your train for one of the biggest consumer tech events of the year: International CES! Yes, the CES.

CES is any gadget geek’s dream come true. Hundreds of showcases of the best and latest technologies coming from the biggest electronic makers in the world. Intel will be previewing some great things coming to a computer near you. I’m looking forward to all the eBooks that will be revealed and accessories for mobile devices. My family wants to hear about what they can expect to add to their entertainment centers. So, this will be a packed 4-day event of electronic heaven. Thank you Intel!

What I want to take from CES is an idea of where technology is headed this year. I hope to have a general idea of what technologies are hot going into 2010, why they’re so important, and what changes they’ll bring about for consumers. This will be my first year attending CES and I’m very excited about it! I’ll be armed with my Dell Studio 15 (courtesy of Intel), Creative Vado HD, iPhone 3G, MiFi, and Motorola Droid (review units courtesy of Verizon) to keep you updated on the latest surprises and treats. So, be sure to subscribe to SheGeeks and follow me on Twitter (@Corvida) for the latest on what’s in store at CES this year.

If you’re also attending CES, leave a comment on what you’re looking forward to at CES this year. Whether it’s an event or product, I’d love to hear what’s got your attention this year! Stay tuned everyone.

P.S. If you’re thinking of pitching me for CES, read this excellent post by Cathy Brooks on how to do so effectively: Dissed by Santa, So Suggesting Resolutions Instead. Trust me, you’ll save yourself a headache later ;)