Editorials | Gear Diary

Editorials December 21, 2010

I Always Feel Like … My Apps Are Watching Me!

A few weeks back I ordered two things from different online vendors, one for my brother and the other for my parents. I used an email address I rarely use, an account on which I only get a few spam messages a week. Naturally within hours I had received a months’ worth of junk email! One vendor was sending me messages directly advertising their own stuff … but aside from them I was getting tons of other sales messages. Some of those messages were related to the purchase I made from the other vendor and others were classic ‘wide-casting’ spam…

eBooks, Editorials December 21, 2010

What’s the Future of eReader and Fictionwise?

B&N bought Fictionwise/eReader almost two years ago. In that time we’ve seen the NOOK become a hit, and B&N turn eReader’s digital rights management into the default system for their own branded store. Meanwhile, Fictionwise and eReader are shambling around like zombies; still going through the motions of selling books but without any fanfare or bells and whistles. A year ago eReader and Fictionwise were still selling ebook readers, and while I thought it was an odd plan at least they were doing something! With the advent of the “agency model” for pricing, Fictionwise’s membership plan disappeared, dropping a discount…

eBooks, Editorials December 19, 2010

Google Books Versus Independent Bookstores

Setting aside the chorus of yawns that Google’s eBookstore was met with, there was one area that generated some positive attention. Google was partnering with “indie” booksellers to power their eBookstores, so stores like Powell’s in Portland, OR didn’t need to build out their own stores or cede the market entirely to Amazon and B&N. Sounds great in theory. But it turns out the reality isn’t as rosy. The way Google books works is that partner booksellers set their own prices. But an independent bookseller doesn’t have the margin flexibility of a B&N or Amazon, so their prices are trending…

Editorials, Game Diary December 14, 2010

Caveat Emptor: Have You Had Payment Issues with Gameloft?

Image courtesy of CreStock A couple of weeks ago I posted about the Gameloft Advent Calendar, which planned to offer all sorts of deals throughout the month. I have frankly not paid that much attention since the first couple of days, but Joel recently pointed me towards a post at phandroid that caused me concern: it talks about someone getting charged FOUR TIMES while trying to buy a game from Gameloft. There are three reasons this is a concern: I don’t ever want to recommend something that results in someone getting cheated out of money. Gear Diary folks saw first-hand…

Editorials December 14, 2010

Why I’m Keeping the HTC EVO 4G

I’ve never been shy about admitting my Apple fan-boy status. When it comes to mobile phones the iPhone has become my be all end all. The truth is, although I’ve sampled a few other mobile handsets since the release of the first generation iPhone, I’ve not owned anything else for any extended period of time. As long as I’m being totally truthful here I also have to admit I’ve become a little bored. Not bored with the iPhone hardware as much as the software it’s running. Yes, I’m a little bored with iOS. As stupid as it sounds it’s just…

Editorials December 11, 2010

Things That Make You Go “Duh?!?!” The iPad Edition

One of the things I love is when something is spread throughout the Blogosphere that is just common sense. You know, those tidbits of news or rumor that you hear and you just think, “Well Duh????” Two that have been floating around today really caught my eye. The first… Did you know that the iPad two will likely be thinner, lighter and have two cameras??? I know… I know… Shocking. I mean… It isn’t as if Apple has constantly been working to make their notebooks thinner and lighter, or they have added cameras to devices after the first or second…

Editorials, Events, Music Diary December 10, 2010

Music Diary Notes: Spotify Gives Up US Launch for 2010 … Will Anyone Care When it DOES Arrive?

In case you haven’t heard of it, Spotify is a free-or-paid subscription music service that works differently than something like Slacker or Pandora in a few ways. First off, you can immediately stream whatever song you want from their massive library of publisher material. Next, the service integrates with your existing music to form an extended library available for immediate listening online even when you’re away from your home PC. But one of the biggest things about the service is the social aspect – sharing playlists of stuff you love with others is a form of music discovery that has…

Editorials December 8, 2010

The Death of the Synthetic Green Laser … Long Live the Native Green Laser

If you have heard of Corning Incorporated, it might have been for CorningWare, Corelle or Pyrex dishes in the past; perhaps for the glass on that big screen TV; or even as the ones behind Verizon’s FTTH (Fiber to the Home) initiative; or possibly you knew it was behind the catalytic converter in your car; or maybe you know about Gorilla Glass in so many phones and tablets. But you probably don’t think of Corning as a laser company. Yet one of the big ‘cool tech’ stories from last year, the Microvision SHOWWX projector that was going to offer the…

eBooks, Editorials December 7, 2010

Is Google eBooks a Bestseller or a Bargain Bin Book?

Google eBooks are here! They’ve been rumored for months, and everyone’s been expecting great things. Are they the best thing since sliced bread, or are they just another me-too offering? Let’s look at the good and the bad, and what it might take to really make an impact in today’s ebook market. The Good: -Digital rights management: While it’s disappointing that DRM is still necessary, at least Google is using Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). This is the same quasi-universal standard supported by the Aluratek Libre, the Kobo Readers, Sony Readers, even the NOOK. In fact, the only major device that…

Editorials, Vehicles & Gear November 28, 2010

Volt, Leaf, the EPA and the Future

It is almost time to pack a bag to head down to Austin, Texas for a full evaluation of the new Chevy Volt (recently named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year) and in doing a little prep work online I notice EPA fuel economy ratings for it and the Nissan Leaf EV have been released along with new stickers and classifications by the governing body. The two vehicles are similar in size but vary in styling and technology. Leaf will only run on electric power ¬ once the battery pack is done, you’re done until you can get to a…

Editorials November 26, 2010

SHHHHH…. Don’t Tell Them But Joey and Talia Are Getting an iPad

It seems everyone wants an iPad. Oprah loves her’s… and so do the 270 audience members who each got one last week. Mayor Bloomberg loves his. And the President signed yet another iPad… Yes, the iPad is the “IT” gift this holiday season and a number of survey’s show that it tops kids’ “most wanted” list this year. Now it was only last spring that my niece and nephew each got an iPod touch. Talia likes hers… Joey… well let’s just say Joey and his uncle share the same obsession with iOS devices. What they don’t know… and please don’t…

Editorials November 23, 2010

Guess Who Buys More LCD TVs Than The US? Nope … Try Again … Sorry …

It is Russia. That is right – the same Russia that was in economic ruins for the entirety of the 90’s and most of the new millennium. For contrast, in the US flat panel TV sales are stagnant in terms of numbers, and plummeting in terms of dollars according to recent reports: In terms of dollars, U.S. sales plunged 15.4 percent from the same month a year ago. That reflects the sharp price declines that are pushing prices of some low-end models below $200. October also saw the number of LCD TVs sold in the United States decline by 7…

Editorials November 20, 2010

Android and Netflix: a Gear Chat

Was reading through the articles on Netflix late arrival to Android and came across this post over on ZDnet. The author’s headline sates that Netflix is not out for Android because of the dreaded platform fragmentation. We had a gear chat about it, but first let’s include a quote from the official Netflix blog post: We regard Android as an exciting technology that drives a range of great devices that our members could use to instantly watch TV shows and movies from Netflix. We are eager to launch on these devices and are disappointed that we haven’t been able to…

Editorials November 19, 2010

Verizon to Customers- If You Don’t Read the Fine Print (and Read Our Minds) That’s YOUR Problem

Ever heard of the “bait and switch”? Of course you have. That’s the game in business that advertises one product and then, when it is not available, pushes you to buy something else. In almost every case the “something else” costs more and offers less. It is certainly not the most consumer-friendly approach… to say the least but it works for the bottom line. Well, Verizon might not be playing the “bait and switch” game but they certainly have found their own way to screw customers. Here’s the story- Our friend Joel Evans bought a Samsung Tab from Verizon and…

Editorials November 19, 2010

Why Is Apple Letting the iPad Sell at TJ Maxx and Marshalls for $100 Less?

Word came last night that the 16GB WiFi iPad would be available in limited quantities at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. At first many of us assumed it would be a refurb. Even still, $399 would be a full $50 less than Apple sells refurbs so it would be an awesome deal. Now it seems that the units coming to the stores are new. New iPads for $100 less than they cost at Apple? or Best Buy? How can that be? Seth Weintraub over on 9 to 5 Mac Apple Intelligence has an interesting post on why this might be. Among…

Editorials November 18, 2010

Digging Deeper Into the Notion Ink Adam; Android Done Right or All Just a Dream?

Image courtesy of Notion Ink Time after time our hearts have been broken by empty promises for a newer better tablet. We all know NOTHING has even come close to comparing to the mighty iPad in terms of tablets and slates. The Samsung Galaxy Tab recently was released, and it is probably the only tablet in existence that someone could even compare to Apple’s offering. But as an Android enthusiast I can agree its refinement (so far) has proven less than worthy. We still have a few weeks yet to go this year and a whole bunch of promises to…

Editorials, News & Features November 18, 2010

Are We Seeing the Politicization of EVERYTHING?!?

It seems like the role of the internet ‘mob mind’ as political force has been everywhere lately, from Carly’s brilliant post on the power of the social internet, to the follow-up on TechCrunch showing the likely death of Cooks Source, to the pressure mounted on the TSA scanning systems (aka: Door 1: porn scanner, Door 2: sexual assault, Door 3: exit from airport) showing up as protests over the systems have ‘gone viral’ and entered into congressional hearings. I am not going anywhere so serious with this … This image is not from some Tea Party web site, not from…

Editorials November 14, 2010

Shape-Up Shoes Shocker: They Don’t Work!

Here’s a news flash for everyone who’s looking for a quick fitness fix: there isn’t one. There is no magic equipment, no special pill, and definitely no pair of super sneakers that are going to get you in shape or zap away the weight. It takes watching what you eat and getting your butt moving! Of course, if you look around your local mall, every athletics store is touting some form of “toning shoe” that promises better muscle tone in your legs and back, and all you have to do is wear them! The first time I saw the shoes…

Editorials November 12, 2010

Random Cool Video: In Case You Wondered Why So Many People Love Glee

At the end of last season my family started watching Glee, and we have been fans ever since. I wouldn’t call us ‘Gleeks’ since we miss episodes here and there and will watch other things in the same time slot on occasion – but we enjoy the show and look forward to it each week. This week’s episode was particularly good for a few reasons: it touched on homosexuality in a sensitive way, also looking at bullies and bullying, preconceived notions based on appearance, and other stuff. Oh, and there was the normal wall-to-wall array of high-energy songs and dance…

Editorials, Game Diary November 10, 2010

How Much Gaming Should $1 Get You?

I recently did a review of a series of $1 iPhone Apps, and in that article I struggled a bit with assessing the value proposition of those games. After all, over the last decade iTunes has successfully trained us that $1 is pretty much a throw-away in terms of value. You are lucky to find a song for that much at iTunes or Amazon, most stuff in the vending machines at my work costs more, and forget about getting a cup of even basic coffee for $1 anymore! But still I was concerned … just what is fair to expect…

Editorials November 10, 2010

Is Slamming Your Boss on Facebook a “Protected Activity”?

If you work for a major company, there’s a good shot somewhere in your employee handbook is a prohibition against blogging, Facebooking or Twittering about your employer. Most companies take a dim view of employees taking their internal grievances to the masses, no doubt distrusting how quickly viral news spreads around the web. Of course, the flip side is that what employees do on their own time with their own computer is free speech, and that’s the heart of a major employee rights case before the courts. According to the New York Times, an employee at an ambulance company had…