Category: Links

Very neat service.

[via Swiss Miss]

Kevin Fox on Android phones:

When a phone ships with kitchen sink apps and those with overlapping or unclear functionality, the user feels like they’re using someone else’s tool and, yes, they can add to it and customize it, but a large portion of users will still feel there are places inside their own phone that are fuzzy to them because they either don’t have a use for the functionality or simply don’t understand it.

[via DF]

What a great summary by Matthew Ingram on GigaOm – all we know is that some rich people met and talked about stuff, and when Michael Arrington (of TechCrunch) showed up they didn’t say ‘hi’, even though they are his friends. Somebody is getting un-friended on the Facebook machine later.

So Apple sells only 17 million of the 600+ million phones sold in total. Yet they take 39% of the total industry profits. That is insane to say the least.

MG Siegler:

The San Francisco Business Times recently began a project to document wireless dead zones in the Bay Area. It’s a good idea; they have a simple form any user can fill out to give the address of the dead zone, explain it a bit if they choose, and name their service provider. So far, they’ve accumulated quite a bit of data — over 500 data points. The best part? As far as I can tell, every single one of the dead zones is on AT&T’s network.

Marco Arment has a blog post up today on his site announcing is departure from Tumblr. In the post he states that his “independent career has offered a lot of opportunities” that he hasn’t “had the time to take full advantage of.” To me that says he will be doing Instapaper full-time but perhaps not. I wish Marco the best in his new endeavors and can only hope that means more cool stuff is on the way.

Good stuff. I wonder if IE9 will change this.

Austin Seraphin recounting his experience buying the iPhone:

I continued to excitedly ask questions, as did my Mom. “Can he get text messages on this?” she asked. “Well, yes, but it doesn’t read the message.” the salesman said. Mom’s hopes sunk, but mine didn’t, since I understood the software enough. “Well, let’s see, try it.” I suggested. She pulled out her phone, and sent me a text message. Within seconds, my phone alerted me, and said her name. I simply swiped my finger and it read her message: Hi Austin. She almost cried. “Leave it to Apple.” I said.

This link was passed around over the weekend and I never had the time to sit down and devote to reading it. I did so today and what a truly great read. It is so hard to imagine life without one of our senses, let alone without the gift of sight. Seraphin does an amazing job and probably gives the best review of a piece of technology I have ever read.

Reading the part about him exploring his yard using an app that reads him colors was amazing. It all reminded me of a story that my Grandfather told me about his dad. When his dad first got hearing aids he would sit on his porch tearing newspapers because that sound, of tearing paper, was something that he loved and it just amazed him that he could hear it again.

Michael Arrington:

Specifically, Facebook wants to integrate deeply into the contacts list and other core functions of the phone. It can only do that if it controls the operating system.

I have no doubt that they want this information and more. I have no doubt they have thought about and are exploring what they could do with their own phone platform. I do doubt that there is a huge interest in a Facebook phone and further doubt that one would be better than the likes of Windows Mobile let alone iOS. I am however fully prepared to eat those words if needed.

Dave Caolo:

Today, I strive to do whatever I’m doing, and only that. Nothing else matters in that moment.

A really great read, I love the passage from Vonnegut.