Battle between Google and Apple keeps getting more interesting, especially in the mobile arena. On the one hand several analysts liken the iOS vs. Android race to Mac vs. Windows in the 1980’s; claiming that when it comes to grabbing market share, iOS walled garden approach is no match to Android’s openness. On the other hand, Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility’s has led several to believe that tight coupling between smartphone hardware and operating system will help Google compete more effectively against Apple.

It took me less than a minute between hearing a song and buying it. Arguably it could have been even faster were I using all Apple gadgets (rather than a mix between Google’s and Apple’s for example), but it’s still a significant improvement over how long the same process would have taken a few years ago.

Remember when Google Buzz made its debut and how the media and Buzz users were in a frenzy? The usage was high, and the product was thus hailed as a Facebook killer. While I was fairly impressed by the overall strategy underlying the product, I didn’t think it would spell the death of Facebook or Twitter. What I, like many others, didn’t see was that the fall of Buzz would be even more rapid than its rise.

This raises questions over the prospects of Google+. Does it have better chances of thriving or will it too not survive?

Recently, Steve Ballmer has been under a lot of fire. To be fair, Microsoft’s inability to ease investors’ concerns and raise MSFT’s stock price is not Ballmer’s fault alone. Microsoft is facing disruptive innovations — in areas as mobile, cloud computing/virtualization/web-based applications and OS’es) driven primarily by Google and Apple. — at a scale that would be hard to counter for anyone at the helm of a giant like Microsoft.

I have contemplated “cutting the cord” for a long time. Today I actually did it; I canceled the Comcast cable service. I thought I’d share my experience and the journey I have gone through while getting here. Is cutting the cord really worth it? Let’s find out.

I have been a Comcast customer for a long time. Unlike many others, I have had no major issues with the customer service. Cable service itself is pretty decent. Comcast (and I am sure, most other cable or satellite providers) does a very good job at distributing more than enough channels than you’d need. Even with Digital Starter package, you get a fairly nice selection of movies, news, and other channels. Moreover with their TV Everywhere/Xfinity offering, they are at least trying to be more innovative.

I have been trying Google’s +1 for the last few days. Not surprisingly I also tried Bing’s search to compare it against Google’s to see who offers a better social search experience.

On the surface, Google’s +1 seems like a smart move: While it is not meant to counter Facebook or Twitter the way Buzz was supposed to, it is clearly a direct response to Facebook’s Likes, which, in addition to Facebook itself, can be found on several third party sites. Google’s +1 also has an added advantage of showing up in Google ads thus potentially further strengthening its advertising ecosystem.

Many people expect that Amazon will soon enter the burgeoning tablet arena increasingly dominated by Apple. While few expect the rumored Amazon tablet to be a viable threat to the iPad’s dominance, many think that it could earn a comfortable niche in the middle tier of the market. I, however, disagree with most analysts.

Recently there has been much debate over whether Groupon’s model is sustainable. Moreover, several writers including Michael Arrington of TechCrunch have suggested that Groupon has no network effects. While I can’t say whether the rumored valuation of $25 billion is justified or the seed of another tech bubble, I am here to challenge both the above arguments.

Many developers of mobile or web-based apps face this formidable challenge: How to jump- start an app that requires a network of users. If your app derives its utility from the network of people using it, it is critical that there be a simple way for your users to grow their network. By following a few of my guidelines, you can save some effort in creating functionality for network building. This effort can be better invested in the core functionality of the app.