I am truly sad we won’t see this again.
Category: General Tech
Shawn Blanc, on the HP TouchPad
As a tech writer it was great to be able to use and live with the TouchPad for a while. There are many things I appreciate about webOS, and I’m glad I was able to spend some time with a non-Apple device for once. But, alas, the TouchPad is far less likable than I expected it would be. As it is I would not recommend it to anyone I know — even my friends with webOS phones.
Space Shuttle History
This is an amazing set of photos. These make me sad that my kids aren’t growing up in an era with such an exciting space program.
Of note, I was born the day this photo was taken.
[via Shawn Blanc]
Rubenstein Compares webOS’ Position to that of OS X’s in 2001
Former Palm boss and current HP executive Jon Rubenstein, in a letter to employees, concerning the HP TouchPad’s mediocre reviews that pointed out how sluggish the TouchPad can be at times:
It’s hard to believe these statements described MacOS X - a platform that would go on to change the landscape of Silicon Valley in ways that no one could have imagined.
The similarities to our situation are obvious, but there’s also a big difference. Like David Pogue, our audiences get that webOS has the potential for greatness. And like me, they know that your hard work and passion, and the power of HP’s commitment to webOS, will turn that potential into the real thing.
WordPress for webOS
WordPress for WebOS is the first Open Source WordPress app to have a full visual editor, making it easier than ever to format your text, add links or embed media into your posts and pages.
I can’t wait until this makes it to iOS.
[via Shawn Blanc]
HP TouchPad Reviews Roll In
The TouchPad is far from perfect — really, not even close right now. Still, there is DNA here that is amazing, and deserves to be given a second look. What HP has done in just a year with webOS is commendable, and if the fixes for some of these big, ugly bugs come as fast as the company is promising, the TouchPad could be the contender everyone over there thinks it is.
Jedi Management
Francis Tan, describing my new favorite infographic:
If your startup is getting ready to expand but you have no idea how to handle your newly hired underlings, take it from those who have navigated galactic asteroid fields, staged rebellions against empires and mastered the art of the Jedi Mind Trick.
On Android Tips
Mobile phones that run Google’s Android operating system come in various shapes, sizes and features, unlike Apple’s iPhones. And while iPhone buyers are limited to AT&T and Verizon service, Android phones are also available from Sprint, T-Mobile and Boost Mobile, where a data plan can cost as little as $35 a month.
But despite the variety of Android phones, and of carriers, there are a lot of useful features common to all.
Happy Birthday, Sonic
I’ve been thinking about that little guy all day. Video game characters have changed so much these days — we admire them from a distance in the same way we admire celebrities. It was different with Sonic, he was as close as you wanted him to be. He was alive, part of your life on and off screen — and to some degree, he still is.
Sonic may be 20 years old, but he’ll never be old in my eyes. That is exactly why I still play the same port from 1991, and enjoy it just as much now as I did when I was a child.
OmniFocus for iPhone v1.10
Hello, Forecast mode.
Instapaper Server Taken by FBI
So the FBI now has illegal possession of nearly all of Instapaper’s data and a moderate portion of its codebase, and as far as I know, this is completely out of my control.
Due to the police culture in the United States, especially at the federal level, I don’t expect to ever get an explanation for this, have the server or its data returned, or be reimbursed for the damage they have illegally caused.
Tech Being Used to Fight Rape in Africa
My brother’s non-profit helped raise funds for this excellent project.