Back in 2008 when Asus launched the EeePC they created a whole new market, the Netbook. We had reached a stage where we could put enough power into a small enough package to surf the web, do basic word processing and still make it affordable. However I am not sure Netbooks still have a place, the world of technology moves so fast and is ruthless with its cast offs. Tablets offer everything a Netbook offers in a more convent package.

When Apple introduced the MacBook Air it was compared endlessly to Netbooks but labelled overpriced and over lavish. The irony is that nearly every PC vendor at CES unleashed what they are calling “Ultrabooks” i.e. a MacBook Air. A similar pattern happened with the iPad, it was compared to Netbooks and labelled woefully under powered and limited in comparison. Yet now any company serious about developing consumer electronics has a tablet in the works.

Something Apple seems to be very good at is guessing where the market is going, but that has also been their downfall. They love to adopt new technology, some time too early. The reason the Macintosh wasn’t as successful as first hope was down to the fact Apple got its timing wrong. It contained technology that was too expensive for the mass market at the time. A similar situation occurred with the Newton. The idea was there but the world was not. Hardware just wasn’t good enough to do the things they wanted at the price they were aiming for.

Moving from Netbooks to tablets and Ultrabooks have we just traded one device for two? I don’t think so, people are going to be using an Ultrabook as a laptop replacement and a tablet as a Netbook replacement. If anything this shift highlights how differently people use the devices. Now the market is creating products that work for that task instead of adapting existing products.

There has always been one type of photography that I was never any good at, that being Urban/Street photography. I find it really awkward to walk around a town with a camera around my neck and take photos. You get really strange looks and some people get really protective and automatically assume your trying to take a photo of their child to use in a inappropriate manner. I would just like to point out to those people that if you let your child out in public dressed like that then why is a photo any worse than the people on the street seeing them like that?

Back to the topic in hand, one of the things I struggle with is having the confidence to take photos out on the street. What makes this odd is as a tourist I am happy to whack out my camera on the street and take some photos of people, but back home it just feels a tad odd. When I went to Hong Kong this summer I was very comfortable bringing my camera around with me, but when I went to London in December I felt a little silly. However I really wanted some shots of London and decided to take my camera with me almost everywhere. I am really glad I did, I got some really nice shots and it really boosted my confidence of getting out and taking photos of people.

The shot above is one of my favourites, mostly because the girl in the orange hat and red jacket pops out from the crowd of black and blue jackets. The lighting in from the Christmas display gives the background some interest too. I used this Cold Cream Preset as a starting point and then played with the curves, black point and saturation to achieve the final result.

There’s a lot of potential for a plethora of exciting products from Apple this year. Its thrilling to know they could be announcing so much. To give you an idea of what is due for an update there is…

Aperture

Aperture is due for an update this year, especially since the launch of Final Cut X. I expect Apple to bring Aperture into line with the style and approach used there. There is also a lot of scope for improved filters and plugins in Aperture.

iWork

iWork is probably in most need of an update, it hasn’t seen a major change since 2009. The whole suite needs to push forward with iCould integration and improve its fit and feel in OSX. We have seen effects in Apples keynotes that aren’t in the public version of their Keynote software for a few years now; we know they have something in the works. A likely release date for the new iWork could coincide with Mountain Lion.

Mountain Lion

We all know that mountain Lion is coming to the Mac this year. Hopefully smoothing over the rough edges of Lion and adding some new features. What has been announced looks great, I am hoping Apple have a couple things up their sleeve still to release as part of Mountain Lion.

iPad 3

With all the recent talk we know that they will release the iPad 3 in the near future. Potentially with an A5X chip and retina display. Buying an iPad is something I have been contemplating for a long time, but I think I can last until the 4th iPad before I will need to buy one.

iPhone 5

This again is a given, I think people would revolt if they didn’t. The real question is when; do they stick with their new timing to replace the yearly iPod updates that are now non existent, or do they go with Junes because the iPhone could do with a leg up on its competition soon. I suspect they could fall back to June leaving October/September free for a possible Apple TV like device.

Apple TV

At the turn of the year there was a huge amount of talk as to what Apple is planning in the TV space. I don’t think anyone is under the delusion that they won’t enter the TV space. How they do and with what advantage we will have to wait to see. I wouldn’t expect anything on this front until late in the year. In order to get this to work Apple needs to partner with TV providers and revamp the iTunes store. Its all about getting more content onto the TV easily.

Airport/Time Capsule

If anything I would hope they will update them with the new WiFi ac standard and larger Time Capsule offerings. However I want more, some kind of iCould integration would be a nice start.

Mac Pro

All of the Desktops are looking tired, none more than the Mac Pro. With the removal of the XServe from the line up I could see Apple turning the Mac Pro into a rack mounted solution that also works as a standalone. If nothing else Thunderbolt is a must after all this is a computer aimed at professions and they are the most likely to use Thunderbolt.

iMac, Mac Mini and MacBook Air

For these Mac’s I can’t say I feel like much will change bar speed bumps and maybe a few features trickling down from the future MacBook Pro’s. I am not convinced Apple will go with a 15″ Air simply because I think they see it as a defining feature that helps separate the lines. I can see them dropping the Air as well, simplifying their naming strategy to make it clear to consumers how the line up works.

MacBook Pro

This is something that I have been paying special attention too. I feel significant change can be expected here, starting with a new design bringing it inline with the styling of the MacBook Air’s. Another MacBook Air feature I would hope to manifest is the dropping of the superdrive and a SSD as standard; although I would be placated if the super drive could be replaced with a second SSD or HD. Apple are giving some serious hints that they are heading towards pumping up resolutions in their products and I don’t think the MBP will be any different. Along with USB 3.0 and the new ac WiFi standard getting data on and off a MBP will see a speed boost. I feel it would make sense for Apple to drop the 13″ model to help differentiate the product lines.

I think that will cover most of the bases but we shall see…

This shot is from my holiday in Anglesey during October. I know the family that own the house and had been asked by one of them to take some photos of it. I had taken a couple, but they are best described as lacklustre. The place is beautiful, but when the sky is grey and your looking at a white house it just looks a little dull.

I had to come up with a plan to take some interesting shots with an overcast sky. I tried to think of way that I might get some really nice light on the house or something. It wasn’t until I went out to put the dogs out one evening that I realised that the house glowed from all the inside lights. By this time it was getting quite dark, I rushed upstairs and brought out my camera, tripod and remote trigger. Set the camera up and took some long exposures, experimenting with the timing. I also did some different angles, this is may favourite as you get the most windows.

It was seriously windy when I was taking these shots and keeping the tripod steady was quite a task especially when I was struggling to say still myself. That’s what makes a photo, the adventure in taking it.

Over the last few months I have been trying to get better at PHP. I thought the best way to do this was to come up with a project to create. Oh Interesting is it, essentially it acts like a virtual pinboard for you to store text, links, pictures and videos.

There is still a lot of work I want to do on it and it may not be 100% stable in all browsers. For these reasons I thought I would launch it into a private beta. All you have to do if you want to try it out is head over to Oh Interesting and signup for the beta.