As much as I sometimes want to dislike Apple for its secrecy and king-of-the-mountain attitudes, the company continues to capture my imagination. I may have to admit that Steve Jobs and company are just that good. Take today’s announcements for example. I am super delighted by the news about Apple TV and the new iPod Touch. I want one of each, and I want them right away.

The Apple TV box looks so cool. It’s about 4-inches square, and Apple says it is silent, cool to the touch, and uses very little power. The little box wouldn’t take up much room on my TV stand, and I would have instant access to Netflix, YouTube, and iTunes rentals. HD TV shows now cost 99 cents each, a price I would actually be willing to pay.

All these new options for connected TV make my cable subscription seem more and more antiquated. The Apple TV box is $99, about what I pay each month for cable TV. A Netflix subscription is about $9 per month. I have to imagine thousands of other people are feeling the same way, and even if they aren’t leaving cable in droves right now, the wheels have to be turning in their minds about how they can hook up their boob tubes to the Web.

All these technology advancements have me thinking cable companies will move to a la carte pricing for channels. This has seemed nearly inevitable for a while, but I haven’t seen any movement on this front from the cable companies, so maybe they will wait until they are absolutely forced to make a change. It’s anybody’s guess how soon that will be. But Apple TV would seem to be a step in that direction.

General Electric just paid $230 million for Attenti, an Israeli company that makes people-tracking devices for criminal offenders and Alzheimer’s patients. It was only a matter of time before the big guns realized the wide-open opportunity that exists in M2M. M2M is a segment fed from the top by big chipmakers, but otherwise populated by a big crop of small companies and severable business units of big ones. (Examples of “severable” include Kyocera’s decision to disband its M2M business unit last year and Siemens’ 2008 spin-out of Cinterion, since acquired by Gemalto.)

Together with the mobile operators, the M2M value chain is chasing one of the fastest-growing consumer markets of all time. This value chain has built a multi-billion dollar global industry, and connected consumer devices will propel 25%+ growth in the segment for some time. New technologies such as the iPhone and Twitter are deteriorating barriers to entry (MIT uses Twitter to collect device status information), and all-IP networks will erode barriers even further as connected devices become managed assets within a network rather than “phones” activated through mobile operator switches.

The existing M2M value chain stands to get run over, unless they position themselves to partner with or be acquired by large consumer-facing brands. Some companies in the space are more ready than others to play with the big boys. Now is the time for M2M companies to tighten down their product set and make sure their management team is up to the task. Expect to see more big players entering the game, soon.

The CEA recently put out some research on the electric vehicle market. The portion of the research that really caught my eye was the list of perceived disadvantages some people had when it came to purchasing an EV: running out of battery power on the road; lack of charging stations; and limited mileage. But I wonder just how honest people are when it comes to answering these surveys.

I didn’t see the questions as they were asked, but I imagine that participants were given a set of questions with some multiple choice answers—perhaps even a box to fill in ‘other’ responses. If so, I wonder how many filled in something about EVs lacking that coolness factor. I’m not what you would consider a ‘car guy’ but do have many friends who are. They are the guys in their garage during the summer constantly tweaking their cars; talking about how fast their cars go; and salivating when they hear the sound of a loud engine on the road.

Quite honestly, I just couldn’t picture many of my ‘car guy’ friends getting excited about an EV. I could only imagine the look of disappointment when they opened up the hood to find they couldn’t rebuild the engine. And they would need some pretty keen hearing to hear an EV hum by on the road.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to EVs. I think they definitely have a place in today’s car market, and quite frankly I think they are highly necessary given the high cost of gas and the move by society to become more energy efficient. I just think there is a demographic out there—a sizable one at that—to which automakers might not ever get on board with the whole EV movement. Maybe that’s just my opinion, but I am sure it is on the minds of automakers. Maybe automakers jut factor this portion of the market out of their estimates right off the bat.

I haven’t perused the entire App store for an app that made a loud roaring engine noise for your EV, but I am pretty sure one exists. Maybe that can bridge the gap between EV and car guys.

For the first time, I am seriously considering getting an ereader. I know, they have been out forever now, and I definitely will not qualify as an early adopter. I have been trying not to think about making the switch, because to me, it feels like abandoning old friends for the slick, popular, new kid on the block.

You see, I love everything about books, from the way the paper smells, to the crisp flick of a page turn, to the thrill of sneaking a quick peek at the end of the chapter to see how it turns out. I like the way my favorite books get dog-eared and open easily to my favorite sections.

Ereaders scared me because I didn’t want to give up all these things. But I have realized that what I actually love—far and away beyond anything else—about my favorite books are the words. The words that make up the story are what are important, and reading those words takes me to a different place where the vehicle holding the words no longer matters.

However, it was reading the specs for the Kindle 3 that forced me to actually consider an ereader as a purchase. This thing sounds cool. It holds 3,500 books, more than my bookshelves ever could. It’s 21% smaller than the second-generation Kindle, and 15% lighter, but the reading screen is the same size. The weight factor especially appeals to me, having just returned from a trip to Cancun where my husband I both lugged along large tomes for beach reading. Anything that can cut down the weight in my carry-on bag is fine by me.

Finally, the new Kindle prices of $189 for the Wi-Fi + 3G, and $139 for Wi-Fi-only are reaching a point I can live with. I may still wait to see if prices fall further, but I think an ereader is probably in my future.

Amid all the news lately about price slashing in the ereader market; automotive companies trying to one-up each other with in-vehicle systems; and the latest smart meter projections, it’s easy for some other product announcements to get lost in the mix, if you will.

For instance, one that hit the market about two weeks back was the release by Samsung of the ST80 Wi-Fi enabled camera. To me, connected digital cameras seem to fly under the radar when it comes to connected devices. But these things are pretty cool, if you ask me—and a natural introduction to connected devices for some reluctant consumers, but I will get to that in a minute.

People love to take pictures. Don’t believe me? Go anywhere these days and you will see someone taking a picture of something. And given all of the online photo sharing Websites popping up, people love sharing their pictures too. So what better than to get a device that essentially gives you the best of both worlds—picture taking and picture sharing—right in the palm of your hand?

Going on this device alone, they seem rather reasonably priced too. My photo-savvy friends are paying hundreds of dollars for cameras, and the Samsung is priced just under $250. Not too bad for a device that lets you do things like take a picture, upload it to the Web, email photos and videos to friends, if you ask me. You can’t tell me that even those that merely dabble in cameras as a hobby would not be willing to shell out $250 for a device that is unlike any other camera they have owned.

And I think that is where some of these companies are missing the mark when it comes to connected devices. Promote this to the world! I would bet not too many people are aware of these types of products. I think most consumers just need to become aware and that is precisely what we are trying to help out with here at Connected World.

What do a Prius and a workout routine have in common? On the surface, not much, but I’ll help you make the connection.

I had a great conversation this past week with an old friend from the homebuilding space. We talked about energy efficient technologies and what factors would propel homebuyer demand, which we both agreed was a bit lacking. The conversation drifted to her husband’s Prius and the dashboard inside this vehicle which keeps track of just how energy efficient he drives on a daily basis. To her husband, he looks at it as a challenge to beat his most economic drive each and every time. It’s just natural to become competitive.

We both agreed that perhaps this is the thing most needed when it comes to connected home technology. Perhaps homeowners would be more prone to conserve energy if they had some in-home dashboard that told them you saved ‘x’ amount of energy today—or even better, you saved ‘x’ amount of energy as compared to your neighbor, who saved ‘y’ amount of energy today. I know that there are systems like this out there, but are homeowners really aware of them? I doubt it.

It got me thinking about my own little challenge with technology these days. Anyone that has been following this blog knows that I am training to run my first 5k this September and am using a connected fitness device, which develops my workout program and monitors my results.

One of the things my connected device keeps track of during each workout is my fastest mile time on average during that particular workout. Following my first workout in which my average was around 12 minutes (I know, I know, marathoners are scoffing at me right about now) per mile, I wasn’t feeling too proud. Bu then again, I was only beginning.

But following my next workout where my average time dropped only slightly, I began to get a bit perturbed. How can I not be making better progress, I thought? There has to be something wrong. Am I starting to question my virtual coach? Will I get frustrated to the point that I ignore my coach the next time? My competitive juices stared to flow, and in any case I am beating my time during my next workout.
Dare I say that I am looking forward to my next workout?

I was just sitting at my desk today minding my own business when this new research conducted by Latitude landed in my inbox. At first I was going to hit the delete button, but something caught my eye. Candidly, I was a bit intrigued by some of the findings it revealed about food. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit I think the study has some merit.

Let’s face it, food is a big part of all of our lives. I know I spend an inordinate amount of my income purchasing groceries each week feeding my three children and they always remind me there is never enough food in the pantry. Not sure how that’s possible since my grocery bill always seems to go up and my purse always seems to have a little less cash. What’s more, if my kids aren’t raiding the pantry they seem to be asking me for more money to go to another fast-food haven. All of this leads me to another dilemma. I continue to find myself struggling to uncover new ways to keep my children away from the junk food and more focused on healthier life styles. Even our government wants to send the “Fat Police” to record our children’s BMI (body mass index). Apparently, our government is concerned that our children aren’t eating properly and they are overweight. (But having our government record our BMI is a discussion for another time.)

For this discussion, with M2M technology, we can now track and trace our eating habits. Thus, improved access to information can impact our daily decisions about the foods we eat, which in turn can result in better eating habits and ultimately better health. I hate to admit it, but I too am a fast food junkie. I eat poorly, since I am always on the run. So anything that can help me better select quality products when I’m grocery shopping, I’m all over it.

And this research indicated there are lots of people just like me that will use their smartphones and mobile apps to help them make better food selections. Not surprisingly, Latitude says consumers see that mobile devices can impact their everyday lives – playing an even greater role in making their lives healthier, with more sustainable in-store decisions about food. Checking labels was a manual process, but now, with connected devices, shoppers can make better decisions about ingredients, product selection, and so much more.

Moving forward consumers are hoping food selection will be tied to store coupons, store displays, and even restock dates. Connected devices and apps will help individuals who have illnesses that must know the ingredients of the products they consume. These are individuals with ceIiacs, diabetes, or other food allergies, let alone those consumers who are just trying to eat healthier. I know I can use all the help I can get.

Nine weeks. That is the amount of time between now and September 18, the day I am scheduled to ‘Run Amuck.’ That’s right, as of this past Wednesday evening, I am officially registered to run in my first 5k, which in case you haven’t been following this blog, includes extreme conditions like obstacles, barriers, and mud pits.

I called my brother last night with the news. He was ecstatic—so much so that a part of me doesn’t quite believe he plans to run in this race with me. It would be just like him to convince me to run in such an event just to see if I would take the bait with no plans to do so himself. I’ll keep my eye on him, but only on the days I’m not training.

So, how does one who is not accustomed to running in such a race plan to condition himself in such a short matter of time? I figure 27 workouts should do the trick. Why 27, you might ask? Because that is how many are suggested by my connected fitness device based on my criteria to dedicate two days a week to the plan. I love the fact that my digital trainer cannot judge me when I say that I only want to work out twice a week. The truth is I will most likely slip in a third day on occasion, just to make my progress look better, but I don’t need to put that in the official plan.

The system allows you to customize a workout plan, but it just so happened to have a preprogrammed routine for running a 5k. I’m not a personal trainer, but my ‘UK Female’ workout coach is, so I figured I’d leave it up to “her.”

Tomorrow is my ‘Assessment’ workout. 12 minutes of increasing speeds every two minutes on the treadmill; that sounds simple enough. However, I’m looking at what it has planned for me by week two and I might regret my decision to ‘Run Amuck.’

I’ll admit that sometimes aspects of technology give me the creeps. In particular, I’m uneasy about geolocation tools that can identify and broadcast my location via social media. By nature a private person, I don’t particularly thrill to the idea of my whereabouts being shared with others, even my online “friends” or “connections.”

Apparently I’m not alone. Internet-security firm Webroot did a survey of smartphone users, and found that many of them are concerned about the privacy risks of sharing location data. Yet that fear isn’t necessarily stopping them from sharing.

Webroot found 55% of people who used geolocation tools are worried about their loss of privacy, and 45% are very concerned about letting potential burglars know when they’re not at home. Women are more worried than men, with 49% saying they are highly concerned about letting a stalker know where they are, versus only 32% of men.

However, 29% of users admitted to sharing their geolocation with people other than their friends, and one in nine said they had used a location-based tool to meet a stranger, either digitally or in person.

There seems to be a disconnect between people’s fears and what they are actually doing. I grant there are many benefits to sharing location, such as meeting friends, playing games, earning rewards, and staying connected in a world where we are increasingly isolated from each other. I see the value of broadcasting my location to my social media networks, but for me, the risks generally outweigh the rewards.

But there are ways to make sharing location data safer, and it often involves using some common sense. Webroot says people need to make sure their personal information is only shared with their real friends and to never accept friend requests from people they don’t know. Perhaps all geolocation users just need a refresher course in Stranger Danger.