You may not know it, but your gadgets have a hidden agenda. Think about the electronics you own. No doubt there's a digital music player such as an Apple (AAPL) iPod or a Microsoft (MSFT) Zune. Then there's a smartphone—perhaps an iPhone or a Droid that sports the Google-inspired Android operating system (GOOG). For games, your family may have an Xbox 360, Sony (SNE) PlayStation 3, or Nintendo Wii. For books, there's the Kindle from Amazon (AMZN), among others. When the iPad hits stores on Apr. 3, you'll want that, too.
Each device contains its own widening universe of services and applications, many delivered via the Internet. They are designed to keep you wedded to a particular company's ecosystem and set of products.
A battle looms, and it's not about selling new gadgets—it's about using devices to lock you into a content ecosystem. In an ironic evolution of the World Wide Web that once promised consistent access to all of the globe's information, corporate giants are now striving to wall off sections of content and charge you for access.
Apple's Issue with Adobe's Flash
The Internet is splitting into a series of content portals. The front door is your iPod. Consider some of the current gadget trends:
• iPad versus Flash. When Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled his sexy tablet in January, it soon was clear that the iPad wouldn't support Adobe Systems (ADBE) Flash software. That might seem a remarkable oversight, since Flash supports most videos on the Web—until you realize that Jobs might prefer you to pay for videos at his iTunes store.
• Kindle in Color. On its Lab126 career board, Amazon recently placed ads in search of engineers who have design expertise in color LCD screens and Wi-Fi. The listings suggest Amazon may be planning a color upgrade for its black-and-white Kindle, which after all, is a handheld salesman for all things Amazon.com.
• Microsoft's mobile makeover. Microsoft is also preparing to revamp its operating system. The software maker will put Office business applications, Zune music, and Xbox games on your cell phone. Because if you want tunes or tools, you really should buy them through Microsoft, right?
The list of snares is long. Roku video players link to Netflix (NFLX) movie rentals. Your home DVR box ties into your cable company's film library. Twitter has a dedicated Peek device. There are even rumors that Facebook may build its own phone. It seems that if you make money from selling content, the best defense is a gizmo offense.
make way for "the Splinternet"
Ask Google. New online pathways bode ill for Google's $23 billion search advertising business. Google search ads, you see, work best on big computer browser windows, and all those push-button apps on tiny cell phone screens bypass its search engine. In response, Google spurred the creation of its own mobile operating system, Android. Use an Android-powered device such as Motorola's (MOT) Droid and voila: Booting up Google search is a breeze.
