January 2012
36 posts
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Comparing phone sizes →
Haven’t linked to this, so I figured I should before I forget. Unfortunately it’s down now.
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Telkomsel and XL Axiata begin selling iPhone 4S in...
Today Indonesia’s Telkomsel and XL Axiata will begin selling the iPhone 4S. In a departure from past pricing plans, this time each telco has markedly distinct packages and even different pre-paid costs. Additionally, there is approximately a 10% increase over the cost of past iPhones while in the US it has remain the same since 2008 for every iPhone model.
Previously outright cost of iPhone...
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How the US lost out on iPhone work →
This incredible investigative report by the New York Times takes a look behind the scenes on why Apple outsources its manufacturing work to Chinese companies and workers.
The company held out for as long as it could to maintain manufacturing within US borders but eventually caved in and in 2004 shut down its last US plant in Elk Grove, California, which was making Macs. The former plant now...
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MPAA chairman Chris Dodd threatens to cut funding... →
“Those who count on quote ‘Hollywood’ for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake,”
This is an incredible statement from a...
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The Pirate Bay press release on SOPA →
Brilliantly written and this paragraph at the end is precious
Some facts (years, dates) are probably wrong in this press release. The reason is that we can’t access this information when Wikipedia is blacked out. Because of pressure from our failing competitors. We’re sorry for that.
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Hollywood drops support for Obama for siding with... →
Hollywood drops its support for Obama? Maybe they need to update their business models like when the movies went to home projectors and then to televisions, then to video cassette tapes, optical discs, and now digital stream/downloads. It’s technology. Adapt and make money off of it, or attack and be hated, reviled, and abandoned by the consumers. These Hollywood big guns keep making...
Limits to being on social networks
On the internet you’ll easily find me on Path, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Instagram, but I’m not sure if I can manage yet another social network.
Instagram is already being neglected although I still check it from time to time, Facebook has been off my radar for a while, and I’ve even reduced my time on Google+, no longer as active on it as I used to be six months ago. I...
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When choice becomes overwhelming →
Choice is good, but being flooded with a barrage of options will only confuse consumers. There is a point at which choice becomes overwhelming and actually detrimental. Ever been to a fancy restaurant where they preset the table with three different kinds of spoons and forks each and two or three knives? Ever seen the range of cars on Toyota Japan’s website? Not only does it become...
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New Google accounts now integrate Gmail and G+... →
Not sure what the big fuss is with Google’s new account creation. When you create an Apple ID, you can use that for iTunes, iCloud, Apple Discussion Forums, and product registrations. When you create a Live email account with Microsoft, you get XBox live account, SkyDrive, device registration, etc. So when you create a Google or a Gmail account, it makes sense to have all Google’s...
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Thoughts on Siri →
Tim Bajarin for Time:
Indeed, it’s pretty clear to me that Apple has just scratched the surface of the role Siri will play for them in driving future revenue. At the moment, we are enamored with its ability to enhance the man-machine interface. But that’s just the start. Siri is actually on track to become the first point of entrance to “search” engines of all types tied to major databases...
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iPhone 4S coming to Indonesia's Telkomsel January...
Today Telkomsel revealed on its website that it will be bringing iPhone 4S to Indonesia on January 27. While the release seems rather late, it’s worth noting that the 4S did not make its world debut in the US until mid October, much later than in previous years in which Apple launched its new iPhone models in the middle of the northern summer.
Indonesia’s release dates of the...
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Breaking down Yahoo's announcement of Jerry Yang's... →
The whole thing is just precious, hilarious reading. Go and read it.
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Boom. Samsung to merge Tizen with bada →
Elizabeth Woyke for Forbes:
Bada/Tizen could eventually power a lot of Samsung products, but the transition will take time. Kang said Tizen will probably find its way to “at least one to two” Samsung devices this year. ”Tizen will not become Samsung’s main operating platform anytime soon,” he added.
“anytime soon” in the mobile world means within a year. In two years, who knows....
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Singapore Looking to Sell Camera-less iPhone 4S →
Who would want to buy them? Apparently Singapore’s national servicemen. The military has guidelines regarding electronic devices and that includes the restriction on camera-equipped gadgets. Seems that it is often the case that military personnel would use one phone for personal use and another during active duty.
Taking out the camera from the iPhone clearly is an unsanctioned modification...
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Nokia's Lumia 800 vs N9 →
Posting it here since I seem to be referring to this chart quite often. Will update it with the Lumia 900 as soon as more details are available.
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Android fans wouldn't understand this reasoning →
M.G. Siegler
I hate Android for the same reason that Severus Snape hates Harry Potter — the very sight reminds me of something so beautiful, that was taken from me. Except it’s worse. It’s as if Harry Potter has grown up to become Voldemort.
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Samsung could show off Tizen-based phone at MWC in... →
I can’t believe I forgot about Tizen, the MeeGo offshoot that Intel and Samsung had been working on since September after Nokia practically abandoned MeeGo to join the Windows phone camp. This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about in my earlier blog post.
Looks like Tizen is far enough in its development that Samsung is said to be ready to show it at Mobile World Congress next...
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Why Android Tablets Failed →
Jason Hiner for Tech Republic:
If we look at actually tablet usage, the numbers get really ugly for Android. Recent reports (like this one from ComScore) that track web traffic from tablets show that the iPad accounts for 95% of tablet traffic in the U.S. and 88% globally. That means that either Android tablet sales to paying customers are much lower than previously reported or the people who...
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Samsung could be a threat to Google
Today’s Monday Note by Jean Louis Gassée sparked an interesting thought and possibility that Samsung is gaining a serious upper hand in the Android world and could use it as leverage against Google. Now why would Samsung do that?
At this point, Samsung probably wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the relationship with Google, after all, it’s selling tons of Android phones...
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Fighting Content Piracy →
From Jakarta Globe:
Business models should be based on customer demand and an understanding of what is technically feasible - not a desire to maintain existing models or cash flows. In other words, you need to adapt the map to the terrain - you cannot change the terrain to suit the map.
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Holo or Bust →
Holo is the name of the new interface for Android, introduced in version 3 (Honeycomb) and refined in version 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Apparently Google wants this made widely available across every Android device running ICS because since debuting in 2008, the interface for Android devices had been a mixed bag.
Every manufacturer pushes its own look, its own style, over the stock Android...
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RIM to license BlackBerry to HTC, Samsung, others? →
Seriously?
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Lack of innovation adoption led to SOPA →
The entertainment industry has always been about protecting its revenue, never about the consumers.
The introduction of new technology is always disruptive to existing markets, particularly to content/copyright owners whose sell through well-established distribution channels. The incumbents tend to have short-sighted goals and often fail to recognize that more money can be made on new platforms...
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The multitasking bar in iOS = browser history →
Fraser Speirs:
you do not have to manage background tasks on iOS. The system handles almost every case for you and well written audio, GPS, VOIP, Newsstand and accessory apps will handle the rest.
There is almost absolutely zero need to manually kill the apps listed in iOS’s multitasking bar as it’s not a list of active apps but a list of recently used apps. It’s no different...
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Microsoft bids farewell to IE 6 →
Even its creator can’t wait until it goes away completely. If you’re still using IE 6 (or even IE5 -shudder) time to take a look at your browser policy and follow the lead. The world has moved on to far better things, if you haven’t, what’s taking you so long?
So as we kick off 2012, we call on the rest of the world – make it your new year’s resolution to end IE6
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$190 USB cable from Vertu →
Some gems in the post from Rob Beschizza at BoingBoing:
Vertu has long specialized in calculator-display brickphones that look like dragon poo rolled in gemstones
Though the company’s future is uncertain—Nokia is reportedly trying to offload it—Vertu still understands the communication needs of oil wives and drug dealers better than anyone
Here’s the cable....
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Clopen →
Danny Sullivan’s piece on how Android isn’t really open as far as consumers are concerned.
Damning paragraph:
A big reason behind this mess is that Google doesn’t actually sell the Android operating system to consumers. If it did, it would probably care more about ensuring customers (because that’s what they would be) were covered from start to finish.
My expanded thoughts on this...
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About Nokia N9's Photo Sharing
The N9 has the ability to take excellent photos of various sizes and resolutions up to 8 megapixels. It even has built-in white balance adjustments, filter options, as well as exposure and ISO settings which is more than can be said about built-in camera applications on other mobile platforms. There is little to complain about the N9’s photographic credentials. Except when it comes to...
December 2011
20 posts
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With "Open" Arms →
parislemon:
Chris Ziegler of The Verge was finally able to clarify (via a source, presumably within Google) what Google means exactly when they give Android activation numbers. Essentially, it’s when you activate Google services on the device.
In other words, Kindle Fire, Nook, etc, don’t count as Android devices by this metric. Seems a bit odd, no? Android is an open ecosystem, but Google only...
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If Twitter is the backchannel of life, Path is the...
I’ve been so hooked on Path, it has managed to replace Twitter as my go to app every morning.
I love the private sharing feature it imposes on its members and I have no qualms rejecting sharing requests from people I know simply to limit my spread of updates. It’s not like I’ve left Twitter. My primary presence is still on Twitter but for a lot of personal updates, Path really...
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WatchClutter is killing media
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BlackBerry 10 won't arrive until end of 2012 →
Engadget reports:
The company’s co-CEO,Mike Lazaridis, reports that, due to a critical chipset that’s not expected to be available in production quantity until mid-next year, we’re unlikely to see a BlackBerry 10 device emerge until late in 2012.
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BlackBerry 2012: "Charming, Whimsical, and Fun" →
Todd Wood, SVP Industrial Design, Research in Motion:
Giving us a glimpse at what is to come, Wood tells us where the latest design workshop for 2012s models was held. This time, rather than the classic scenery of Italy, the design workshop session was in Malmo, Sweden. The latest words for the experience? “Charming, whimsical, and fun” according to Wood suggesting a very different direction...
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Google Currents adds to interface inconsistencies... →
Lo Min Ming, former UX designer intern at Google:
The reason why there are such differences in these Google apps is that the designers in each of these teams know that Android design is ugly. They all want to change the standard popup design. They want to change the icons. They want to tweak the style. Both the Currents and Google+ team clearly wanted a more flat look compared to the more 3D...