A Lack of Interest

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Amy Gahran at CNN:

Even though the Internet has become a key tool for accessing services, getting an education, finding jobs, getting the news, keeping up with people you know and much more, one in five U.S. adults still does not use the Internet at all, according to a new Pew report.

Why? Mostly they’re just not interested – not in the Web, e-mail, YouTube, Facebook or anything else that happens online.

From the report:

More recent research by the Pew Internet Project has shown that among current non-internet users, almost half (48%) say the main reason they don’t go online now is because they don’t think the internet is relevant to them—often saying they don’t want to use the internet and don’t need to use it to get the information they want or conduct the communication they want. About one in five (21%) mention price-related reasons, and a similar number cite usability issues (such as not knowing how to go online or being physically unable to). Only 6% say that a lack of access or availability is the main reason they don’t go online.

Ads Coming to Facebook Feed [Updated]

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Ed Oswald, PCWorld:

Get ready for advertising in your Facebook news feed. The company has launched Facebook Offers, which aims to bring Groupon-like deals to users of the social networking site. Facebook will roll out the functionality to page owners gradually over the next few months.

I hope no one is surprised by this. Facebook is free to use because advertisers pay for views.

Update: According to The Next Web, this has actually been around for several months.

Farewell, Shuttle Carrier Aircrafts

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Robert Pearlman at Space.com:

Now an iconic craft in its own right, with more than 800 flights in service to NASA, the original of two SCAs will embark on the first of its final ferry flights next week. Known as NASA 905, referring to its tail number, the 747 will deliver space shuttle Discovery to Washington, D.C. on April 17 for public display by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

That ferry flight will be followed a week later by another, carrying the jet’s original passenger, the test orbiter Enterprise, to New York for the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Finally, this fall, NASA 905 will bring shuttle Endeavour to Los Angeles for the spacecraft’s exhibition at the California Science Center.

Seriously, is there anything more badass than a 747 with a space shuttle strapped to its back?

On Bad Advice

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John C. Dvorak, back in 2007:

What Apple risks here is its reputation as a hot company that can do no wrong. If it’s smart it will call the iPhone a “reference design” and pass it to some suckers to build with someone else’s marketing budget. Then it can wash its hands of any marketplace failures.

It should do that immediately before it’s too late. Samsung Electronics Ltd. (US:SSNGY) might be a candidate. Otherwise I’d advise you to cover your eyes. You’re not going to like what you’ll see.

Why is iCloud Free?

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With the recent purchase of Instagram by Facebook, there has been a lot of chatter online about free services.

It all boils down to something pretty simple. If you don’t pay for a service, you will either:

  • See ads
  • Be sad when the service is bought or folds

The reality is that free services can’t run forever without one of those two things happening. In the case of Instagram, the service was bought by a company that offers a free-to-users-but-with-ads service. (It just so happens the service is disliked by many nerds, hence the outcry online.)

Where does iCloud fit in to this? iCloud isn’t backed by piles of VC money, nor is it paid for by ads. Does that mean that it will go away one day?

Surely not, because iCloud is the exception to the rule.

Unlike the iTunes, iBooks and App stores, iCloud has no way of making money directly. It’s a big, bold red line on the books. But Apple made and gives iCloud away because it makes their hardware more desirable.

While Apple considers itself a software company, its hardware is what pays the bills. It uses its software to sell its hardware.

iCloud makes iOS devices and the company’s online stores easier to use. iCloud makes it easier to spend money within the Apple ecosystem.

Why would Apple ever charge for that?

Update: Tons of people have been telling me iCloud isn’t free for all users. I do understand that some people pay for more storage space, but my guess is that most users don’t have that need. (In fact, I pay for additional storage, but I have three devices tied to my account.)

Is Social Media Making Us Lonely?

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Stephen Marche at The Atlantic:

Social media—from Facebook to Twitter—have made us more densely networked than ever. Yet for all this connectivity, new research suggests that we have never been lonelier (or more narcissistic)—and that this loneliness is making us mentally and physically ill. A report on what the epidemic of loneliness is doing to our souls and our society.

Apple Releases Flashback Removal Tool

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Apple Support:

This Java security update removes the most common variants of the Flashback malware.

This update also configures the Java web plug-in to disable the automatic execution of Java applets. Users may re-enable automatic execution of Java applets using the Java Preferences application. If the Java web plug-in detects that no applets have been run for an extended period of time it will again disable Java applets.

Good on Apple for handling this so quickly.