The Brooks Review

Category: Links

  • Why Mixel Requires Facebook Login

    Khoi Vinh on why Mixel went with requiring a Facebook login:

    >But to sum up quickly: the reason we use Facebook login is that it lets us build the Mixel community around real names. This is by far the most important element of Facebook for us, and the document explains why.

    That seems like a cop-out of an answer to me. The fact is that you can build the same type of community around real names and completely leave out any other social network. I understand completely what he is trying to say, but assuming that Facebook names are any more “real” than names anywhere else on the Internet is a bit naive.

    I don’t like this explanation one bit, and perhaps the decision is for the best with Mixel, but I just don’t see Facebook helping in any other way than spurring more users.

    The fact is, as a user, it is just easier to sign in with your Facebook login than it is to register for yet “another new service.” If the Mixel folks just came out and said: “Look, using a Facebook login really helps grow our user base fast and helps to encourage people to share it on Facebook — thus getting us more users — that’s why we use it.” I would have been fine with that, because it seems more honest to me.

    There’s also a [more in-depth](http://mixel.cc/about/facebook-login), but equally unsatisfying Q&A on the Mixel site about their use of Facebook logins.

  • The Relationship Between Readability and Instapaper

    A nice response from Instapaper’s developer Marco Arment on the fact that Readability pivoted and became a direct Instapaper competitor.

    I honestly don’t see Readability being a huge concern for Instapaper because Instapaper is the better service and has been for a long time. ((Though, that could change.))

  • Google Announces Google Music

    I was a part of the beta and never used it. They do have some compelling new features for Google+ users and some neat sounding exclusive concerts thing (we will see how that works).

    Should be interesting.

  • AOL Launches “AIM Preview”

    Speaking of things that look like other things…

  • ‘Stop Complaining, Make Something’

    Marcelo Somers:
    >Occupy Wall Street (and all the associated movements) completely defies what is amazing about today. I hate it because it’s sending young people every wrong message. Instead of inspiring the youth of today to create amazing things that add value to the world, it’s inspiring them to complain.

  • Where Is Microsoft’s Office for Tablets?

    Quentin Hardy:

    >By delaying Office, a bigger product segment by revenues than Windows, Microsoft is denying itself revenue. It also appears to be allowing competitors to gain ground.

    This should be surprising, alas it seems to be the norm at Microsoft.

  • HP Folio 13 Ultrabook

    HP’s first ‘ultrabook’ is quite possibly the most boring notebook I have seen.

  • Evernote Pivots, Clones Readability

    [What the hell is going on today](https://brooksreview.net/2011/11/readability-pivot/)?

    Also, relatedly, what exactly is the strategy at Evernote. They started as a note taking app, then PDFs, photos, a quiz thingy (Peek), now a Readability plugin? I don’t get it.

    Evernote [says](http://www.evernote.com/about/corp/):

    >Our goal at Evernote is to give everyone the ability to easily capture any moment, idea, inspiration, or experience whenever they want using whichever device or platform they find most convenient, and then to make all of that information easy to find.

    So how to [Peek](http://blog.evernote.com/2011/11/02/evernote-peek-gets-virtual-cover-now-available-for-all-ipads/), and now Clearly, fit into that vision?

  • Europe Bans X-Ray Body Scanners Used at U.S. Airports

    Looks like Europe has a clue, Michael Grabell:
    >The European Commission, which enforces common policies of the EU’s 27 member countries, adopted the rule “in order not to risk jeopardizing citizens’ health and safety.”

    That’s a smart move. What’s really stunning to me is this bit from TSA spokesman Mike McCarthy:

    >“Since January 2010, advanced imaging technology has detected more than 300 dangerous or illegal items on passengers in U.S. airports nationwide.”

    Given the amount of people being scanned, 300 seems like an incredibly small number to me — almost like TSA is over stating the threat. Given that 50% of the scanners installed at U.S. airports are expected to cause cancer in a small percentage of people that pass through them, well, 300 seems very small.

    I do like what the UK does, as Grabell points out:

    >The United Kingdom uses them but only for secondary screening, such as when a passenger triggers the metal detector or raises suspicion.

    That seems like a much more reasonable security protocol.

  • Readability Pivots, Clones Instapaper

    If I described to you a service that was very well designed and allowed you to save articles you read on the web for later reading on devices such as your iPhone, iPad, and Kindle. What company would you, an educated technophile, assume I was talking about?

    What if I said the apps on iOS were fantastic ((Supposedly, I cancelled my account so I won’t be trying them.)) , that the service is essentially free (though with premium upgrades) and had an API that allowed it to be used by other services (like Twitter apps and Reeder)?

    You would probably guess I am talking about [Instapaper](http://www.instapaper.com/), but in this case we are talking about Readability. Because Readability has gone out and decided that trying to get people to pay publishers when they read their articles is too hard and that being a middle man in that transaction isn’t that effective at improving the bottom line.

    But what’s the difference, why choose Readability? I have no clue because while the service touts on their blog that it is free, [CNN’s Mark Milian scoops](http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/15/tech/mobile/readability-iphone-ipad/):

    >The free version of Readability will limit users’ inboxes to 30 articles each, and they won’t be able to access links saved in their archive folders until they pay the $5 monthly fee. Sending an inbox full of articles to a Kindle will also require a subscription.

    *Sounds fantastic.*

    It could turn out that Readability has figured out some magical way for making the “Read Later” crowd yearn to pay them, but with Instapaper being free for everything except search and a one-time iOS app purchase (of $4.99, what you would have to pay monthly to Readability) they are going to be hard pressed to win over users.

  • PROTECT IP Act Breaks the Internet

    The Protect IP Act / SOPA is not the solution for anyone by “big media” — it’s not something that’s “good”. Let’s shut it down.

  • This 28-Year-Old Is Making Sure Credit Cards Won’t Exist in the Next Few Years

    Ben Milne in response to a question from interviewer Alyson Shontell:

    >The biggest difference between ideas like this and a PayPal — and PayPal is a phenomenal idea, Square is too — is that those are built on top of networks like Visa and Mastercard. We’re building our own.

    At $0.25 per transaction, no matter the amount, you better believe this is a serious competitor to Square, Visa, PayPal and others.

  • What the Vaio Z Says About Sony’s Little Design Problem

    Easily the best article I have read in a while. Don’t believe me?

    Rob Beschizza:

    >It’s as if Sony was using Helvetica before almost everyone else, then switched to Arial when the world followed suit.

    Then, later:

    >But Sony rarely iterates, even when it’s onto something good. Everything is a one-off. It treats a billion-dollar business the way a microbrewery treats ales with silly names.

    This article is not only spot on about Sony, but about Apple too.

  • Siri Awareness and Downtime

    Interesting, looks like Apple may have solved [this problem](https://brooksreview.net/2011/11/siri-down/) of when to notify the user of downtime.

  • Amazon Item of the Week: Jawbone ERA Headset

    The best bluetooth headset I have ever owned. I love this thing. (Note: I have tested this and it has not survived the washing machine and dryer. Even with the standard rice treatment.)

    Also comes in [Midnight](http://d.pr/JpzV), [Smokescreen](http://d.pr/sCOj), and [Silverlining](http://d.pr/594K).

  • ‘Greater “Choice” for Wireless Access Point Owners’

    Peter Fleischer, Global Privacy Counsel for Google:

    >We’re introducing a method that lets you opt out of having your wireless access point included in the Google Location Server. To opt out, visit your access point’s settings and change the wireless network name (or SSID) so that it ends with “_nomap.” For example, if your SSID is “Network,” you‘d need to change it to “Network_nomap.”

    MG Siegler in [response](http://parislemon.com/post/12830433289/you-want-me-to-do-what-to-my-what):

    >That’s great — 99% of the people who will want to do this will have absolutely no idea what any of the above paragraph means.

    Not only that, but we should not be required to make our SSIDs look like crap in order to protect our privacy.

  • Web Browsers and the RAM They Use

    Safari after loading two pages in two separate tabs used just 77.3 MB of RAM, Chrome (for the same task) used 206.9. Chrome may load pages a touch faster, but it will more handily impact the rest of your computing speed. Great test.

  • Finding the Anonymous Blogger

    Andy Baio on tracking down an anonymous blogger:
    >So, how did I do it? The unlucky blogger slipped up and was ratted out by an unlikely source: Google Analytics.

    Pretty interesting, had no clue there was a way to reverse lookup Google Analytics.

  • ‘Time to Web’

    MG Siegler (yes I am linking to this post twice) comments on why competing on specs is dead:
    >My MacBook Air doesn’t have the specs of a brand new HP PC laptop — but it still feels faster. Maybe it’s OS X, or maybe it’s the solid state drive. Point is, consumers don’t and shouldn’t care. They care about which machine will boot faster and which will be easier to navigate. Time to web matters.

    That last line is crucial, and for most could probably restated to “time to Facebook”.

  • Jack Dorsey’s Twitter & Square Work Schedule

    Paul Sawers:
    >Whilst weekends are a little slower for Dorsey (he hikes on Saturdays), it’s interesting to note that his Monday-Friday routine is applicable to BOTH companies – after 8 hours at Twitter, he literally walks 2 blocks to put in another 8 hour shift at Square.

    This is not sustainable, no matter how hard Dorsey tries.