July 12, 2010
THE ROLLOUT PROBLEM
There is an interesting consequence to the development of a global population obsessed by technology: it’s become very difficult to introduce a new service and have sufficient capacity for it to start successfully.
It’s nothing new. Back in 2004 online gaming service Steam crashed repeatedly in the first few days after Half-Life 2 was released. In 2006 Google had to suspend signing up new accounts for its web site hosting service due to heavy demand after it introduced a new web page creator. In 2008 Microsoft underestimated demand for Photosynth, a service for linking photos into […] continued
July 2, 2010
KINDLE DX UPDATE
The Apple iPad has been out for a while and it’s become clear that it may fill a niche for some people as a way to read magazines and newspapers, once publishers finish work on the apps and set reasonable prices.
Serious book readers have discovered, though, that an iPad is a terrible way to read books. The backlit screen is bright and glossy and so reflective that it can be used as a mirror, which is attractive at first but seriously tiring for the eyes after a few minutes. It’s virtually impossible to read outdoors on an […] continued
June 10, 2010
DROPBOX, ANDROIDS, AND SECURITY
Previously:
Sync Files With Dropbox
Dropbox for iPad, Android
Almost everyone should take a look at Dropbox, the service that syncs folders and files among your computers and mobile devices. If you have more than one computer (home/office/notebook) and you haven’t started using it yet, then go read about it and get started! I’m going to highlight a security issue but that shouldn’t discourage you from using it for all the things it does so well – just keep an eye on all of your tools with security and privacy in mind.
Dropbox has released apps […] continued
April 9, 2010
TEMPTED BY SMARTPHONES
Here are a few sentences that stuck in my head about how the iPhone’s App Store helps convince some people that they want a smartphone.
“[Y]ou might think 1,000 apps should be plenty to fit everyone’s needs, but then you misunderstand how the iPhone’s App Store contributes to Apple’s success. In short, 100,000 apps is a really, really long tail, and in that tail everyone can find one or two goofy, niche apps that they really like. And when they find those apps—my dad loves the bubble wrap and the Bible translations, my wife loves the
[…] continued
April 8, 2010
SMARTPHONE UPDATE
These are the first looks at screens from the HTC Incredible, a Verizon phone that will go on sale at Verizon stores and Best Buy on April 29. Verizon has not acknowledged the existence of the phone or made any official announcement about its release but the most active forum thread about the new phone has people reporting every conversation with a loose-lipped Verizon employee, every blurry photo of an inventory sheet, every mockup of an advertisement – more than 25,000 forum messages in the last few weeks. It culminated today with a leak […] continued
March 21, 2010
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
The new little device in your pocket knows where you are – and that’s the next thing that’s going to change the world. Location will be the most important thing that happens in technology this year, and in the long run it will likely be as significant as the rise of social networks in the last few years. You might not be part of this yet but don’t underestimate it!
For some people, this is hardly news. iPhones and Android phones have featured built-in GPS for a long time. Even basic GPS functions are constantly improving; Google announced another […] continued
March 17, 2010
KEEPING UP WITH SMARTPHONES
Back in the old days – say, six months ago – buying a smartphone meant signing up with AT&T for an iPhone (and sighing at AT&T’s shortcomings), or settling for something less capable from another carrier. Things are changing fast – here are a few random highlights.
Google’s Nexus One phone is only available online, sight unseen, for the unsubsidized price of $529, or a subsidized price of $179 through T-Mobile. It was just released in a version that can be used on AT&T’s network, and word is that a Verizon-compatible model will be delivered shortly. Click the […] continued
March 8, 2010
iPAD ASPECT RATIO
UPDATE 03/12: Okay, move along, nothing to see here.
A commenter pointed out there are two versions of the iPad commercial on YouTube, identical except for the shape of the iPad. Apparently the commercial that aired was the one that consistently shows the square iPad.
Compare two pictures at the five second mark of each video – one from the YouTube video named “iPad TV Commercial – 2010 Oscars,” and the other from the video I looked at named “Apple iPad TV Ad [HD].”
I don’t know why the second video exists, and I don’t know why the […] continued
February 15, 2010
WINDOWS PHONE 7 SERIES
If you read gadget sites like Engadget or Gizmodo, then you already know that the world changed today when Microsoft unveiled the “Windows Phone 7 Series,” the next generation of its software for cell phones and a serious attempt to break up the iPhone monopoly on cool handheld devices. Readers of those sites found out that western civilization has finally reached its fruition and mankind is likely to evolve into a higher form of life.
The attention span on those web sites runs about three weeks, so chances are they’ll be distracted by something else shiny […] continued
February 9, 2010
MICROSOFT FLOUNDERS
Windows 7 is a staggering achievement. Microsoft delivered exactly the right product at the right time and will completely dominate desktop computing for the foreseeable future.
Microsoft shows no signs of being able to do anything similar in any of the other areas that will be important to consumers and small businesses in the next ten years.
At some point in the next few months, Microsoft will roll out revamped versions of its Windows Live family – Hotmail, Messenger, Skydrive, and the main Windows Live portal. Some screenshots have leaked but very little information has been […] continued