Elliott C. Back:
>I’m personally convinced that eBay hates its sellers, an ironic proposition that seems to undermine its primary business model of creating an online marketplace.
He’s not alone. I used to sell on eBay all the time and stopped once they made it nearly impossible to leave negative feedback on buyers — eBay caters to the buyers thus forcing sellers to take on more risk. I refuse to buy and sell on eBay because of this.
If I am reading this correctly, then since Monday Go Daddy has lost 72,354 domains despite reversing? ((See the bottom of the link post for clarification.)) thier stance on SOPA yesterday.
Well done Internet. Well done.
John Gruber commenting about the long term software updates on Android devices versus iOS devices:
>One company clearly has more respect for its customers; that company is also clearly more successful. If you don’t see the connection, go ahead and keep your head in the sand.
He’s talking from a relationship built by giving a long support cycle through OS updates, but let’s not forget the [trust and respect Apple shows at its retail stores](http://whowritesforyou.com/2011/12/19/it-feels-like-trust-the-apple-store-app-and-self-checkout/) too.
I have been getting a few emails from people wanting to see my Smart Alec bag by Tom Bihn on me, here are a few shots for those of you asking.
>Shawn and Ben talk about board games and holiday plans before discussing writing on the web and the business that surrounds it. They also answer several listener-submitted questions about publishing a website.
Thanks to our sponsor: [Instacast](http://affiliate.vemedio.com/itunes/app/420368235/bbsponsor).
Doesn’t matter if you care about SOPA or not (you should) because Go Daddy is a pretty crappy registrar. I use [Dynadot](https://www.dynadot.com/) (use referral code: 6J7g8FT6q6p6S7F and I get a kick back), but I hear [NameCheap](http://www.namecheap.com/) is popular these days.
Update: GoDaddy has [withdrawn support of SOPA](http://thenextweb.com/insider/2011/12/23/go-daddy-chokes-on-the-internets-vitriol-pulls-support-for-sopa/). Still don’t use it.
Sounds like Brett Kelly and I agree here:
>Simplifying ones life/tools/garden/thing is an incredibly popular pastime these days. I won’t dig into why I disagree with much of this movement (which I do, believe me), but I do want to point out that perpetually trying to pare down the list of tools you use can be a serious barrier to getting actual work done or actually making actual things.
By the way, `clutteredmac.com` is availible because an [empty desk](http://www.macsparky.com/blog/2011/12/22/wainy-days-and-zen-desks.html) doesn’t [always make](http://512pixels.net/steve-jobs-minimalist-workspace/) for a productive desk.
File this under: a case that looks cooler than it probably is once you get it.
His review is definitive in my mind. It is the best Galaxy Nexus review I have read and very comprehensive. Here’s his statement on 4G usage and battery life:
>Think about that. If you’re on a road trip and want to use the 4G LTE network to provide you with driving directions, your drive had better be shorter than 4 hours because *even when plugged into a car charger, the battery will not last.*
That’s a pretty solid statement on what 4G will do to battery life and something that every potential buyer **needs** to know.
Now let’s compare and contrast Blanc’s assesment with [Joshua Topolsky’s review of the same device](http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/16/2638466/galaxy-nexus-review-verizon-lte) on 4G and battery life. Here is the most damning thing Topolsky says about battery life:
>Even though the battery life takes a clear hit, I don’t think it’s necessarily a dealbreaker on this phone.
So if you buy the phone that Topolsky is reviewing you take a moderate battery hit with 4G on. If you buy the phone that Shawn Blanc rigorously tested you get a phone that sucks down battery power like it is going out of style — one that is almost not useable while charging with a low powered car style charger.
The problem: both reviewed the same damned phone.
In response to my [earlier slaying](https://brooksreview.net/2011/12/failure/) of Topolsky many have said that we should have “no bias” in reviews, or that a “good reviewer” presents the case for the reader to decide. Topolsky tried to write the no-bias-you-decide review. Blanc wrote a review with opinion, facts, and bias (since it is from a perspective of never using Android and being an iPhone lover).
Which review do you think is more accurate just given these battery life statements alone?
David Sparks:
>Version 1.1 is out now and records both sides of Skype calls.
That’s choice.
MG Siegler writing about the potential consequence to Google of having Android be an “open” platform if Amazon strikes a default search deal with Microsoft:
>This would mean that Google would be making essentially nothing off of each Kindle Fire, even though they created the platform on which it runs. And this matters because the Kindle Fire is poised to be the most successful Android tablet — it may very well be already.
I am actually very surprised that Bing isn’t already the default search engine — my guess is Amazon wanted to sell millions of tablets to gain a better negotiation position, which is really smart.
Charles C. Mann:
>What the government should be doing is focusing on the terrorists when they are planning their plots. “That’s how the British caught the liquid bombers,” Schneier says. “They never got anywhere near the plane. That’s what you want—not catching them at the last minute as they try to board the flight.”
What a great run down of how pointless most TSA regulations really are.
A nice run down of the crazy things the Seattle Police have been doing by Curtis Cartier. A series of events, mind you, that led to a DOJ investigation and finding of:
>Among the findings are that SPD violates the constitution in one out of every five times that officers use force, that “discriminatory policing practices” are used on minorities, and that citizen complaints are routinely ignored.
Even if you aren’t from the area the sheer stupidity of some of the actions are worth the read. [This article](http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2011/12/iphones-vs-the-police.html) makes more and more sense everyday.
Erik Sherman for CBS:
>But the company keeps getting broad and fundamental patents on basic smartphone features. And its latest, granted today, is another doozy: the ability to swap to an app while maintaining a phone call.
Seems like something that shouldn’t be patented. Curious though, before the iPhone did any other phone allow this?
Thinking back I don’t recall ever trying to do this on another phone before the iPhone.
Sarah Perez:
>Half of the revenue of the 200 top grossing apps are now freemium apps in the iPhone App Store, says Distimo. In the Android Market, that figure is even higher: 65% are freemium.
I hate freemium apps.
This is a good analysis of why so many awards are just stupid. Moreover it gets at the heart of what I have been talking about these past few days with regards to writing and *The Verge*.
Tim Chesney:
>Imagine if Ben Brooks wrote for The Verge. It wouldn’t take many Android-is shit-and-so-is-this-phone reviews before you just wouldn’t bother reading it. That’s why someone like Ben probably isn’t suited to a site like The Verge. It takes a special kind of person to really take each gadget at face value and actually get excited by the possibilities and weigh each of its merits.
Essentially the argument being made is that I am not suited for *The Verge* because I *have* an (admittedly strong) opinion?
The lack of opinion on *The Verge* **is** the problem with *The Verge*.
Now Chesney may argue that he likes *The Verge* the way it is now, but that simply doesn’t jive with the majority of the responses I am seeing to my post.
Color me skeptical. I sold my Fire so I can’t test this — I’ll wait for Marco to chime in. Having said that — I don’t think a perfectly working Fire is worth the money or time wasted trying to use it.
The title of this post is from *The Atlantic* co-founder Francis H. Underwood. This is an interesting article about how the publication turned itself around, but I thought this bit by Lauren Indvik was particularly relevant today:
>It’s The Atlantic‘s tradition as a “platform for voices” that makes it a natural fit for the web, says Bennet, who became editor-in-chief of the magazine at the age of 39. “We’ve never had a coherent ideology or a consistent sound the way a lot of publications do,” he says. “To some people’s minds that’s been a weakness in print. But strong individual voices get heard on the web.”