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Leica Sofort 2June 13, 2024
Grand Seiko SBGX261February 23, 2023
Casio Duro MDV-106 Re-ReviewDecember 15, 2022

Recent Articles

  • How Apple Could Kill Google’s Holiday Buzz

    Listening to Dan Benjamin and John Gruber the other day (Talk Show Episode 2) really got me to start thinking about all the market share bull between the iPhone and Android phones. It is mostly a meaningless market for consumers – mind share matters more – but investors pay attention to these metrics and that…

    Listening to Dan Benjamin and John Gruber the other day (Talk Show Episode 2) really got me to start thinking about all the market share bull between the iPhone and Android phones. It is mostly a meaningless market for consumers – mind share matters more – but investors pay attention to these metrics and that affects stock prices. All the analysts seem poised to give Google a win this coming holiday season, expecting Android sales to eat into iPhone sales and finally tame the ‘beast’ that is the iPhone and Apple.

    I however think it would be dead simple for Apple to completely and utterly kill Android sales come this holiday season. This is a simple two pronged attack that they need to wage.

    Prong #1

    The iPad needs to come in swinging – it is already wildly popular at a price point of $499 – so imagine how people would react if in September Apple announced a new lower price. Say $100 off each model, they did this with the original iPhone (though that was because of a subsidy from AT&T) and I think they may do it again here. Often Apple will price high in case it doesn’t sell well, and by all accounts the iPad is a smash hit.

    Lowering the price by any amount would make it that much easier to swallow for all those parents looking for gifts for their students and gadgets for dad (and mom). It would also squash any price point that Android and Microsoft would be able to come out with – $399 for and iPad, I would buy another at that price.

    Prong #2

    This is the dirtiest tactic and I would love it if Apple did it. Come september they need to hold a special press event – that this event they announce that the iPhone is coming to all major U.S. carriers (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile) and roll out will begin immediately. The key here is that the phone does not have to be immediately available, just available on one carrier – say T-Mobile as that would not require any new hardware (I think).

    Do you really think many kids will be asking for an Android phone for Christmas if they know that patience will net them an iPhone? I think this would be the first time we see patience in teenagers.

    This approach does not come without risk – Apple would have to be able to ship phones for all the carriers no later than January to keep from being creamed in the press and minds of consumers.

    Buzz Killed

    Even the announcement that the iPhone would be coming to T-Mobile (a carrier not many people care if it is on) would hurt Android sales. Such an announcement would serve to fuel the fires of bloggers, and journalists that just maybe an iPhone on Verizon is imminent. That alone should be powerful enough to humble the sales of Android.

    The Google Block

    This of course could all be blocked up by Google if they decide to play dirty. They could try to tell carriers that if they sell the iPhone then they can’t have Android phones (not likely). They could force vendors to cut prices, roll out massive new updates, or innovate.

    Of course for every play that Google can do, Apple can do as well.

  • Engadget’s BlackBerry Torch review

    I can’t decide which of these lines sums up the review from Joshua Topolsky better: …instead the company is just treading water with its offerings. …since RIM is keeping up with the Joneses. Both work.

    I can’t decide which of these lines sums up the review from Joshua Topolsky better:

    …instead the company is just treading water with its offerings.

    …since RIM is keeping up with the Joneses.

    Both work.

  • Why I Miss The Blinking Red Light

    Mike from Wad City: On the iPhone, the taskbar does not include any such information. Instead, I need to unlock it to see what’s come in, unless I pay for an extra app to prod me with pop up notification windows that still require effort to parse. Except for you know that blue box that…

    Mike from Wad City:

    On the iPhone, the taskbar does not include any such information. Instead, I need to unlock it to see what’s come in, unless I pay for an extra app to prod me with pop up notification windows that still require effort to parse.

    Except for you know that blue box that pops up to tell you about all the missed calls and text messages – semantics.

    I used to have a Blackberry (8100?)the first thing I did was turn off that light. To me Blackberries are kind of like PCs they both have a bunch of blinking crap that is completely unnecessary.

  • On How Google Wave Surprisingly Changed My Life

    Max Klein: But in general, if you are collaborating with people and you have not tried Google Wave, then you are perhaps missing the greatest thing to happen to small web based businesses since Dropbox. This may be the only instance where I have heard of someone actually using Wave in a productive manner. I…

    Max Klein:

    But in general, if you are collaborating with people and you have not tried Google Wave, then you are perhaps missing the greatest thing to happen to small web based businesses since Dropbox.

    This may be the only instance where I have heard of someone actually using Wave in a productive manner. I thought from day one that Google was in trouble for the simple reason: I knew no one on Wave. Klein should check out Basecamp and Campfire though, they may fill the role nicely.

  • WikiLeaks must be stopped

    Marc A. Thiessen: With his unprecedented release of more than 76,000 secret documents last week, he may have achieved this. The Post found that the documents exposed at least one U.S. intelligence operative and identified about 100 Afghan informants — often including the names of their villages and family members. A Taliban spokesman said the…

    Marc A. Thiessen:

    With his unprecedented release of more than 76,000 secret documents last week, he may have achieved this. The Post found that the documents exposed at least one U.S. intelligence operative and identified about 100 Afghan informants — often including the names of their villages and family members. A Taliban spokesman said the group is scouring the WikiLeaks Web site for information to find and “punish” these informers.

    I honestly can’t say that I disagree with the sentiments in this article – it is walking a fine line between freedom of the press and national security. I doubt though that many view WikiLeaks as ‘the press’ especially when it’s leader says things like this:

    He recently told the New Yorker he understands that innocent people may be hurt by his disclosures (“collateral damage” he called them) and that WikiLeaks might get “blood on our hands.”

  • T-Mobile USA loses 93,000 customers in 2nd quarter

    Peter Svensson: In total, T-Mobile lost 93,000 customers, ending the quarter with 33.6 million. Ouch. They may not last long as a U.S. carrier – I can’t think of the last time they did anything relevant.

    Peter Svensson:

    In total, T-Mobile lost 93,000 customers, ending the quarter with 33.6 million.

    Ouch. They may not last long as a U.S. carrier – I can’t think of the last time they did anything relevant.

  • Maybe? – Google and Verizon Near Deal on Pay Tiers for Web

    Last night The New York Times reported the above story – I didn’t have time to read it so I had not posted it. A migraine set me off to a slow day today and with 5 hours of meetings I could only follow along on Twitter. So here is the story, last night The…

    Last night The New York Times reported the above story – I didn’t have time to read it so I had not posted it. A migraine set me off to a slow day today and with 5 hours of meetings I could only follow along on Twitter. So here is the story, last night The New York Times said:

    Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content’s creators are willing to pay for the privilege.

    Which is so very clearly against Google’s Net Neutrality stance, and their mission statement of ‘Doing no Evil”, which by Google’s own admission such a thing would be, and should be viewed as ‘evil’. Google’s public policy Twitter account then tweeted:

    @NYTimes is wrong. We’ve not had any convos with VZN about paying for carriage of our traffic. We remain committed to an open internet.

    At which point it would seem the whole thing should be over, but Google was apparently offended, as was Verizon because TechCrunch got a couple of quotes from them both denying the story.

    Everyone seems to be stuck on the fact that Google is denying, and should they be trusted and yadda yadda yadda, but who gives a crap about that. The bigger question here is where the hell did The New York Times get this information, why was it not vetted, and where does this leave the Times’ integrity?

  • Android Predicted To Surpass iPhone By 2012

    If you want to know why I think this estimate is bull, take a listen to the recent episode of The Talk Show where John Gruber explains why all this market share data is irrelevant.

    If you want to know why I think this estimate is bull, take a listen to the recent episode of The Talk Show where John Gruber explains why all this market share data is irrelevant.

  • AP struggles to define what AOL does

    The AP via NYTimes.com: The Internet company AOL reported a loss of more than $1 billion for the second quarter on Wednesday because of charges for a decline in its share price and the sale of properties like the social networking site Bebo and the instant messaging service ICQ. If you ever have to describe…

    The AP via NYTimes.com:

    The Internet company AOL reported a loss of more than $1 billion for the second quarter on Wednesday because of charges for a decline in its share price and the sale of properties like the social networking site Bebo and the instant messaging service ICQ.

    If you ever have to describe a company as an “Internet company” then you know said company is doomed.

  • Simplifying the experience

    Minimal: Apple makes it easy for people like my mother to buy a computer without feeling stupid. They make it easy by having fewer products (quality vs quantity), having products names that are easily recognizable and easy to remember (do you know what the Dell Latitude E5400N is?) and finally they have a website that…

    Minimal:

    Apple makes it easy for people like my mother to buy a computer without feeling stupid. They make it easy by having fewer products (quality vs quantity), having products names that are easily recognizable and easy to remember (do you know what the Dell Latitude E5400N is?) and finally they have a website that makes it easy for your to understand the differences between the models and pick the one that is best for you.

    Marketing departments take note.

  • In Japan, Living Large In Really Tiny Houses

    Some very cool design and thoughts. I have been to Japan twice now, and each time I am amazed by how small everything is, yet I never feel cramped. Each time I come home from Japan I felt like I needed to purge some stuff because I have too much clutter in my home that…

    Some very cool design and thoughts. I have been to Japan twice now, and each time I am amazed by how small everything is, yet I never feel cramped. Each time I come home from Japan I felt like I needed to purge some stuff because I have too much clutter in my home that is twice the size that a family of four would live in. Be sure to check out the slide show (it is flash though).

  • Wave Goodbye To Google Wave

    Michael Arrington: And while the service has many, or at least some, passionate users (including TechCrunchers), it “has not seen the user adoption we would have liked,” says Google. Not surprising.

    Michael Arrington:

    And while the service has many, or at least some, passionate users (including TechCrunchers), it “has not seen the user adoption we would have liked,” says Google.

    Not surprising.

  • 6-4-3 or How I Spend My Day

    This morning when I was packing up to leave and subsequently riding the elevator I started to think about how much I use each device (Mac, iPad, iPhone) and I estimate that I use the Mac on average 6 hours a day M-F, the iPad for 4 hours and the iPhone for 3 hours. I…

    This morning when I was packing up to leave and subsequently riding the elevator I started to think about how much I use each device (Mac, iPad, iPhone) and I estimate that I use the Mac on average 6 hours a day M-F, the iPad for 4 hours and the iPhone for 3 hours. I don’t know what all this means just yet, but there is something to be said about this break down.

    1. The Mac (aka Desktop) is not dead – I still use it the most.
    2. The iPad is less than half a year old and I almost use it as much as a ‘regular’ computer.
    3. The iPhone is not as essential to me as to many others.

    On the weekends you can throw those numbers out the window, it probably looks more like 3-6-3 (Mac-iPad-iPhone) unless I am out and about then you can scale down the iPad use and scale up the iPhone use.

    Astounding to me that I spend more time on inexpensive mobile devices than I do on expensive ‘mobile’ devices (e.g. Macbook Pro).

  • Dish to kind of stream live TV on iPad, other devices

    Sounds really cool until you start reading the details. Basically they are tying in with a SlingBox (or similar device) to allow the streaming, meaning someone changes the channel at home your channel is changed as well. In addition to buying the device for your TV you have to pay another $10/mo for ‘multiple DVR…

    Sounds really cool until you start reading the details. Basically they are tying in with a SlingBox (or similar device) to allow the streaming, meaning someone changes the channel at home your channel is changed as well. In addition to buying the device for your TV you have to pay another $10/mo for ‘multiple DVR service’. Lame.

  • Feds admit storing checkpoint body scan images

    Note that this is not airport scans, but scans at a courthouse in Florida store by the U.S. Marshals. What is interesting is that the TSA said there was no way to store the images and now are saying that the machines can store the data but that they “usually” turn it off when they…

    Note that this is not airport scans, but scans at a courthouse in Florida store by the U.S. Marshals. What is interesting is that the TSA said there was no way to store the images and now are saying that the machines can store the data but that they “usually” turn it off when they are installed in airports. What a crock of…

  • Apple iPad art: paintings created using Brushes, ArtStudio and Sketchbook Pro apps

    That takes talent. [via DF]

    That takes talent. [via DF]

  • Accountant Hiring Simplified

    Great tips, be sure that you need an accountant though. Most people can get by with someone who just takes care of the tax prep at the end of the year, asking them questions along the way. For most freelancers I would guess that spending an hour a week in your accounting software of choice…

    Great tips, be sure that you need an accountant though. Most people can get by with someone who just takes care of the tax prep at the end of the year, asking them questions along the way. For most freelancers I would guess that spending an hour a week in your accounting software of choice will be sufficient – giving the necessary information to a tax accountant when the time comes.

  • What’s the Best Way to Block a Number from Calling My Cellphone?

    Great suggestions – my solution to blocking telemarketers and exes is to add them all to one contact, aptly named “Ignore”. I also set that contact to have a custom ringtone that is nothing but silence.

    Great suggestions – my solution to blocking telemarketers and exes is to add them all to one contact, aptly named “Ignore”. I also set that contact to have a custom ringtone that is nothing but silence.

  • iPhone4 Retina Wallpaper Pack

    Some of the best and most beautiful iPhone wallpapers you can get. (nice desktop wallpapers too)

    Some of the best and most beautiful iPhone wallpapers you can get. (nice desktop wallpapers too)

  • Skyhook Will Take the Location Battle to Court

    Stacey Higginbotham: As opposed to deep information on a person that a service like Foursquare can provide, Skyhook can offer a breadth of information about an entire city’s movements. Morgan claims he has information on 100 million users and can get it regardless of the app they might use. Does the above concern anyone else?

    Stacey Higginbotham:

    As opposed to deep information on a person that a service like Foursquare can provide, Skyhook can offer a breadth of information about an entire city’s movements. Morgan claims he has information on 100 million users and can get it regardless of the app they might use.

    Does the above concern anyone else?