The Brooks Review

Year: 2010

  • Apple Makes It Easy To Opt Out of iAd Slurping Up Your Personal Details

    Apple is batting .500 today on privacy issues.

  • Adobe Launches Flash 10.1 For Mobile

    Stan Schroeder:

    Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that users will actually be able to install it right away. Flash 10.1 will be immediately available for phones using Android 2.2 (or Froyo), but that version of Android hasn’t been deployed to devices yet.

    It’s almost like saying here is the keys to the car you will buy in five months.

  • Counter Point on Marco Arment’s ‘Rambling about Verizon’

    Marco Arment said this morning:

    Every month without a Verizon iPhone costs Apple dearly in marketshare and mindshare. The longer they wait, the lower their chances to reclaim the difference.

    I’m guessing a CDMA Verizon iPhone will be available within 6 months.

    While I don’t 100% disagree with the thought that Apple will release a Verizon iPhone (6-months seems too soon to me though) – I 100% disagree with Arment’s notion that Apple needs Verizon in order to maintain market and mind share. All Apple needs to increase their market/mind share in the U.S. is to not be AT&T exclusive.

    I would think that as soon as Apple legally can we will see the iPhone on T-Mobile. The network is relatively the same as AT&T’s and iPhones have been working on T-Mobile for quite some time now. ((Source)) Just getting the iPhone on T-Mobile is going to win over a ton more people – those that just hate AT&T.

    It would be at this point when Apple will be in hard negotiations I would guess with both Sprint and Verizon. Apple most likely wants the iPhone on all major U.S. carriers – I think Verizon is putting up a little bit of a stink, wanting control of the product. This is where Sprint comes in, should Verizon not be willing to capitulate to Apple at this point I would look for Apple to take the iPhone to Sprint. Sprint and T-Mobile need the iPhone more than Apple needs them.

    T-Mobile has not had a ‘must have’ phone since the Google G-1, and Sprint has the HTC EVO, but it is getting hammered in the reviews. ((Mainly for poor battery life, the rest of the phone seems to be great by most peoples accounts.)) All this means is that it would be easy for Apple to get either carrier to do their bidding, or at least easier than it is to get Verizon to do so. ((Based off the success of the DROID line of phones.))

    Either way, I think T-Mobile is the next carrier not Verizon.

  • Apple also Sent me This

    I also received this note from Apple on the order for my Wife’s iPhone:

    Dear Customer,

    We were unable to complete the authorization process for your iPhone order. As
    a result, we had to cancel your iPhone order. To complete the purchase of your
    iPhone, please visit an Apple Retail Store or an AT&T company-owned retail
    store.

    This was not good news – it explains why Apple cancelled her iPhone order. I ordered this on my Alaska Airlines Bank of America card, which as of right now has an available credit limit of $12,500 – which is still apparently not enough for them to allow me to buy an iPhone 4. Now this is clearly a screw up on Bank of America, but instead of it being no big deal I get to wake up at 5a and go stand in a pre-order line – assuming I get my iPhone on the 23rd.

    (For those curious I paid for my iPhone with my business card – a perk for sure as it always is approved.)

  • iPhone 4 To Be Delivered Early?

    Last night – I along with other pre-orderers – received the following email from Apple:

    Dear Apple Store Customer,

    You recently received a Shipment Notification email from Apple advising you that your iPhone has shipped.

    This email is to confirm that your delivery will occur on June 23rd. Although Apple and FedEx tracking information may currently indicate a later date, you can check the FedEx website the morning of the June 23rd to track your package to your doorstep.

    In the event that you will not be available to accept delivery on June 23rd, it may be more convenient to use our pre-sign delivery option by visiting our Order Status website at http://www.apple.com/orderstatus.

    Sincerely,

    The Apple Store Team

    When Apple initially sent me tracking info it said it would show up on the 23rd, however this not being my first time with Apple launches I knew that to be false and that it would be here on the 24th. It now says it will be here on the 24th – but Apple is telling everyone we get it a day early. If true I am really happy, however if this is not true then I am confused as to why this email went out.

  • Will Google’s Newspass save serious journalism?

    I seriously doubt it.

  • Apple Now Collecting Your Location Data

    From Apple’s privacy policy:

    To provide location-based services on Apple products, Apple and our partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device. This location data is collected anonymously in a form that does not personally identify you and is used by Apple and our partners and licensees to provide and improve location-based products and services. For example, we may share geographic location with application providers when you opt in to their location services.

    This is not good, in fact Apple needs to clarify this section – 4 sentences is not enough to make me feel comfortable about what Apple is doing with my location data.

  • On Governments Getting into the Ad Game

    It occurred to me today when I read about how California is considering new license plates (digital ones) that when the car is stopped they would display ads – what occurred to me is that governments can be a lot like newspaper companies. Bear with me for a moment.

    In publishing we have the infamous ‘paywalls’ where content providers put all the good juicy content behind a login page that requires you to buy a subscription. Often times owning a subscription though does not mean that you get content free from ads – the subscription price alone is not enough to pay for the production of the content.

    So let’s go back to governments and this digital advertising on license plate idea. You have to pay to license and register your car (tabs, plates, taxes, etc.) and then once you do that you get a plate that will then show ads. Hmm sounds familiar.

    This brings more than just paywall problems to rise – what about taste, endorsements, or moderation? If CA does this, then would they allow strip clubs, or porn to be advertised on the license plates – surely they would not. That in itself represents the government limiting free speech, does it not? What if the government had been running ads for Bernie Madoff, would they be sued by citizens who expected them to fully vet each advertiser.

    This is all just concept at this point, and I am sure there are some very smart people in the tech heavy California that will point out these obvious problems. Still – it makes you think – should the government be allowed to sell advertising on license plates? I would think not.

  • Amazon Cuts Price of the Kindle

    Priya Ganapati:

    Amazon has cut the price of its Kindle e-book reader to $190 from $260 earlier. Amazon’s move comes in response to Barnes & Noble’s price cut on the Nook earlier Monday.

    This was bound to happen, kudos to Amazon for reacting so quickly – the profit is in the books not the device. Unlike the Nook however I suspect the Kindle to be around for a while yet. Look for the death of the Sony eReader soon though.

  • Swype Reinvents Typing on Touch-Screen Phones

    Jenna Wortham:

    Mr. Kushler, who is chief technology officer of Swype, estimates that the software can improve even the nimblest text-messager’s pace by 20 to 30 percent.

  • iOS 4 Now Available to Download

    Servers are a bit slow – well worth it though.

  • Apple: Facetime Videos Won’t Use Your Cell’s Minutes

    That’s the difference between Apple making the decision and AT&T making the decision – or if you prefer Wi-Fi only versus Cell Network access.

  • In California, license plates might go electronic

    Robin Hindery:

    The device would mimic a standard license plate when the vehicle is in motion but would switch to digital ads or other messages when it is stopped for more than four seconds, whether in traffic or at a red light. The license plate number would remain visible at all times in some section of the screen.

    In emergencies, the plates could be used to broadcast Amber Alerts or traffic information.

    First showing ads when you make a person pay for taxes on the vehicle is egregious. Second, allowing for broadcast of Amber Alerts is pretty cool.

  • Aggressive B&N Cuts Nook Price By 23 Percent; Adds $149 WiFi Edition

    I would also add that this is a ‘limited’ addition, as I doubt this will still be on sale come next year.

  • Using iPad as a: Google search

    Google suggestions are always great. [via DF]

  • How The World Spends Its Time Online

    If you hate infographics don’t click the link.

  • Verizon To Reprimand, Fire Employees Who Try To Save Customers Money

    Carey Alexander:

    Verizon vehemently denied that they would actually fire CSRs for offering proactively customer service, but they defended ripping off unsuspecting customers. Their reason? “We don’t want customers to go over their usage every month, and then call us looking for credits every month.” Way to trust your loyal and beloved customers, Verizon.

    What I can’t figure out is why this still surprises me.

  • First iPhone 4 Camper Shows Up One Week Before Launch

    I have to find that guy that told me I was crazy for spending 10 hours getting two iPhone 4’s pre-ordered.

  • Acid Test for Cellphone Usability

    John Gruber:

    Here’s the test. Take some normal people, where by “normal” I mean people who have never heard of TechCrunch or Daring Fireball. Give them brand new still-in-the-box iPhone 4’s and HTC Evos. Now ask them to make a video call to one another. With the iPhone 4, they’re going to be able to do it. The only thing that’s technically confusing about FaceTime is that it only works via Wi-Fi (I think many people have little understanding of the difference between Wi-Fi and 3G data — at least insofar as why a feature would work over one but not the other).

    Exactly, I call it the ‘Mom Test’ – as in if my Mom can figure it out with no help from me – then that makes it easy to use.

  • Build Your Own Tablet for $400

    Why? An extra $99 will buy you an iPad – much larger, assembled, ready to go. Why bother with this for $400?