I love webOS, and it looks great on the Touchpad. I wouldn’t mind getting one to play with one bit.
Category: General Tech
The ‘Herpes of Tablets’
While I was attending WWDC last week, CNN said the PlayBook was the “herpes of tablets.” Apparently the news organization was trying to return the PlayBook to RIM and got no response.
CNN thought so little of the PlayBook that they would pull it out when really bad products were sent to them and say, “But at least it’s not as bad as the PlayBook!”
Dropbox Etiquette
But when you share files via Dropbox, you’re sharing what many people consider to be their most personal living space. Dropbox is wonderful, but there’s a slippery slope from collaboration Utopia to file frat house. Be a good Dropbox roommate.
‘Your Data is the Computer’
This is the new world that Apple is creating. Where your data resides, the device you use to access it, how it is saved, where it is saved, how to manipulate it, how to back it up, how to recover if you make changes to it that you did not intend, all will be things you don’t have to think about.
Your data will be available to you on any device you own. It will be left exactly as you last left it. You can open it in any application that it is able to open it. Should your computer crash, do not fear, your data is safe. And when you get a new machine, simply log into it and all of your data will be there in short order. Buy a new Mac, a new iPhone, and new iPad, simply log in and the data will be there too.
Two New Elements Added to Periodic Table
They exist for only seconds at most in real life, but they’ve gained immortality in chemistry: Two new elements have been added to the periodic table.
The elements were recognized by an international committee of chemists and physicists. They’re called elements 114 and 116 for now — permanent names and symbols will be chosen later.
You’re not likely to run into any of this stuff. Scientists make them in labs by smashing atoms of other elements together to create the new ones.
Tennessee Law Bans Posting Distressing Images to the Internet
A new Tennessee law makes it a crime to “transmit or display an image” online that is likely to “frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress” to someone who sees it. Violations can get you almost a year in jail time or up to $2500 in fines.
The Tennessee legislature has been busy updating its laws for the Internet age, and not always for the better. Last week we reported on a bill that updated Tennessee’s theft-of-service laws to include “subscription entertainment services” like Netflix.
Nintendo, Are You Even Trying?
In a bizarre twist to an otherwise exciting news day, during an interview today just following Nintendo’s showing of its new Wii U system and games, company honcho Reggie Fils-Amie told GameTrailers that the sizzle reel of games shown today were not actually from the Wii U. Instead, when asked if they were from PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, Reggie replied “Absolutely, because we’re talking a year away from when the console will launch.”
On Nerds and Beta Software
I was chatting with Aaron Mahnke this morning about some things concerning iCloud and iOS 5 and I had a thought:
Beta is stressful.
I am not an app developer, by any stretch of the imagination. Programming is the one part about computers that I just don’t understand.
But I do have access to a developer account. So both my iPad and iPhone 4 are running beta software at the moment.
‘A Fashion Accessory’
Zach Epstein at BGR, on the HP Veer 4G:
In the end, I’m having a hard time figuring out who HP built this phone for. It’s obviously not for power users, so to think of it from the perspective of a tech savvy smartphone lover is a waste of time. Is it for tweens and teens? Maybe. AT&T’s $15 smartphone data plan makes this phone a great affordable option for parents looking to save some money but still get a cute and capable smartphone for their child. Is it for high school or college students? Possibly. Affordability is still a huge factor with that demographic, and the Veer can can definitely keep up with a fast crowd, though the lack of apps could be more of an issue here. Is it for young professionals? That’s doubtful. WebOS is strong where productivity and PIM are concerned, but the tiny display on the Veer 4G is not good at all when it comes to email and other text-heavy functions.
Motorola CEO: Open Android store leads to issues
HP Open to Licensing WebOS
3-D Fizzling Out?
Brooks Barnes at the NY Times:
Studio chiefs acknowledge that the industry needs to sort out its 3-D strategy. Despite the soft results for “Kung Fu Panda 2,” animated releases have continued to perform well in the format, overcoming early problems with glasses that didn’t fit little faces. But general-audience movies like “Stranger Tides” may be better off the old-fashioned way.
Fun fact: Seeing a film in 3-D makes me quite sick to my stomach. I really hope it is a passing fad.