512 Pixels

Andy Lintner has put together “If It Was My Home,” a neat little site that lets users put an overlay of the Gulf oil spill over their hometown via Google Maps. It’s a great way to visualize just how expansive the damage is.

If you are’t familiar with @BPGlobalPR on Twitter, you need to be. It was setup as a fake PR account for BP, a company that you may have seen on the news recently:

Here are some of my favorite tweets from the account:

• • OMG This isss ridciulsus. playing a drinking gamee where we drink a shot everytme we seeee an oily birdddd!!! LOL! so wasted!!11
• • We are very upset that Operation: Top Kill has failed. We are running out of cool names for these things.
• • What a gorgeous day! The ocean is filled with the most beautiful rainbows!
• • If Top Kill doesn’t work, we’re just gonna toss a giant “Get Well Soon” card into the gulf and hope for the best.
• • Sadly we can no longer certify our oil as Dolphin Safe.
• • Catastrophe is a strong word, let’s all agree to call it a whoopsie daisy

Hopefully it is easy to see why the account has become very popular, very quickly.

Today, Leroy Stick, the man behind the account spoke out. In a piece over at Street Giant, Stick outlines why he started the fake BP account and offers the company some advice:

Do you want to know what BP should do about me? Do you want to know what their PR strategy should be? They should fire everyone in their joke of a PR department, starting with all-star Anne Womack-Kolto and focus on actually fixing the problems at hand. Honestly, Cheney’s publicist? That’s too easy.

[…]

You know the best way to get the public to respect your brand? Have a respectable brand. Offer a great, innovative product and make responsible, ethical business decisions. Lead the pack! Evolve! Don’t send hundreds of temp workers to the gulf to put on a show for the President. Hire those workers to actually work! Don’t dump toxic dispersant into the ocean just so the surface looks better. Collect the oil and get it out of the water! Don’t tell your employees that they can’t wear respirators while they work because it makes for a bad picture. Take a picture of those employees working safely to fix the problem. Lastly, don’t keep the press and the people trying to help you away from the disaster, open it up so people can see it and help fix it. This isn’t just your disaster, this is a human tragedy. Allow us to mourn so that we can stop being angry.

The best part about the whole thing is that Stick is taking his message far beyond Twitter. @BPGlobalPR is selling “BP Cares” t-shirts and donating all of the profits to healthygulf.org.

HP CEO Mark Hurd has retracted his “we didn’t buy Palm to be in the smartphone business” comment from yesterday.

Here is HP’s revised stance, via Engadget:

When we look at the market, we see an array of interconnected devices, including tablets, printers, and of course, smartphones. We believe webOS can become the backbone for many of HP’s small form factor devices, and we expect to expand webOS’s footprint beyond just the smartphone market, all while leveraging our financial strength, scale, and global reach to grow in smartphones.

My Pre Plus feels just a little less abandonware-ish today.

Matt Buchanan has written a great piece over at Gizmodo about MobileMe and Apple’s overall problem with iTunes being the center of so many of their services:

A minute after I pull any Android phone out of the box for the very first time, it’s loaded with all of my contacts, emails and voicemails. It took some people hours to setup their iPad.

Which speaks to a more fundamental problem with the iPad and iPhone, that they cannot exist completely independent of a desktop computer, the thing they’re supposed to be replacing. Fantasies of handing your parents an iPad, a very simple computer that’s easy to use and handles most of the things they want to do, like browse the web, send email and share photos, are dashed by this very simple fact. It’s mind-boggling, because it seems so obvious that the only big computer to which an iPad should connect is a server rack somewhere in North Carolina.

The whole “connect to iTunes” solution is archaic. I almost never sync my iPad with my iMac, and I know one day that I’ll regret it. Which is crazy, since my Android and WebOS are reliant only on the cloud.

Gruber breaks down AT&T’s new data packages.

Jason Snell:

I don’t think the company needs to stop controlling what apps get in the App Store. All Apple needs to do is add a new feature, buried several menu items down in the Settings app, that mirrors the one found on Android devices: an option that lets you install Apps from “unknown sources.” If a user tried to turn this option on, they’d get a scary warning about how these sources couldn’t be trusted, and that they may lead to instability, crashes, loss of data, you name it. Scary stuff.

Most users will never find that setting. Many who do will be loath to turn it on. But by putting it there, Apple immediately shuts up every single claim that the iPhone isn’t open. (Just as iPhone OS 4’s multitasking feature is debatably not “true multitasking,” no doubt many tech insiders would immediately howl that allowing unapproved apps isn’t truly “open,” but I don’t think regular consumers would notice.)

Brilliant.

Every year as WWDC approaches, the Apple rumor mill spins up and starts suggesting that the iPhone will be announced for additional carriers in the US.

The obvious carrier in question is Verizon. Just as large as AT&T, Big Red’s 3G coverage and voice quality far surpass AT&T is many regions. In fact, the most recent rumor — just out this morning — claims that Verizon is testing iPads on their network.

Verizon would benefit immensely from an iPhone, without a doubt. The number of AT&T customers who stay with the carrier just for Apple’s handset has to be staggering. People are ready for a change, and Verizon’s reputation — and service to back it up — keeps some AT&T customers with their eyes on the door.

As an additional perk for Apple, Verizon’s focus (and customers) would likely shift away from RIM and Android handsets. Right now, the Droid and Droid Incredible are the best phones Verizon sells. I’d bet that would change if there was an iPhone display in the stores.

The immediate red flag is that Verizon uses CDMA phones that are incompatibly with GSM networks used by AT&T and most carriers around the world. An AT&T iPhone isn’t different internally than one sold at O2 or another overseas company. Apple would have to build a different device just for Verizon.

While that may not be a big issue if Apple can sell enough CDMA handsets, it’s worth thinking about.

If they were to offer the iPhone, Big Red could find its network overwhelmed with data, just like AT&T has. Verizon prides itself on the robust nature of its network, but iPhone users consume much more data than other smartphone owners.

It is doubtful that any carrier would have done better than AT&T did when the iPhone first arrived. My issue with AT&T is that network upgrades have been very slow to take shape.

All of this discussion about iPhone exclusivity has just been speculation for a long time. However, AT&T has recently made some policy changes that seem to indicate they are afraid of losing iPhone customers.

First, on May 22, AT&T announced the cancellation fee for the iPhone would be doubling to a total of $325, reduced $10/month until contract is completed. While this isn’t outrageous (Verizon charges $350), it is twice what the company used to charge. A high termination fee often is enough for people to stick with their current carrier for the length of their contract.

The other shoe dropped this morning when AT&T announced a overhaul of their data plans for the iPhone and iPad. The changes are a mixed bag. They are removing the “unlimited” plan for future customers — capping data at 2GB/month. Additionally, they are flipping the switch on iPhone tethering for $20/month, which coupled with that data cap, isn’t ideal.

Why not charge $30/month and allow tethering and unlimited data? In my opinion, those data caps seems to be a compromise AT&T designed to protect its network, which is already fragile.

It’s clear that something is happening at AT&T. The data changes go into effect June 7 — the day of Steve Jobs’ keynote at WWDC. Why pre-announce it? Bigger yet, not let Steve announce it last night at D8?

Someone mentioned to me this morning that AT&T may be trying to save face after Jobs cut off a question about tethering the iPhone at D8 last night. I don’t see that being a big enough reason to pre-announce something that was scheduled to be unveiled at WWDC, less than a week away.

AT&T hasn’t changed much about the iPhone plan since 2007, so two major changes in two weeks is weird. Considering WWDC is just around the corner, AT&T may have gotten spooked about the iPhone’s exclusivity. They have a lot to lose if someone else offers the iPhone. Do I think that I’ll be able to buy an iPhone and put it on my Verizon plan later this summer? I’m not sure. By gut says no, but my my brain is starting to think yes.

Not too shabby.

Update: The timing of these announcements seem weird to me. Why not let Steve announce it on-stage at D8 last night? And why are the changes going into effect June 7? I still don’t really think an non-AT&T iPhone is coming, but this sure makes me wonder why AT&T is trying so hard all of a sudden to keep iPhone customers happy.

From d8:

When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks. But as people moved more towards urban centers, people started to get into cars. I think PCs are going to be like trucks. Less people will need them. And this is going to make some people uneasy. The PC has taken us a long way. They were amazing. But it’s changes, vested interests are going to change. And I think we’ve embarked on that change. Is it the iPad? Who knows?

Notice the past tense. As Jason Snell tweeted:

In Steve Jobs’ world, the PC is already fading away.

Engadget has a liveblog chugging away right now.

Tim Bray, Android’s Compatibility Program Manager:

Literally before the close of business on the same day we announced Android (4:46pm to be precise), I saw the first article about Android “fragmentation.” The first day wasn’t even over yet, and the press had already decided that Android would have a “fragmentation” problem.

The thing is, nobody ever defined “fragmentation” — or rather, everybody has a different definition. Some people use it to mean too many mobile operating systems; others to refer to optional APIs causing inconsistent platform implementations; still others use it to refer to “locked down” devices, or even to the existence of multiple versions of the software at the same time. I’ve even seen it used to refer to the existence of different UI skins. Most of these definitions don’t even have any impact on whether apps can run!

Because it means everything, it actually means nothing, so the term is useless. Stories on “fragmentation” are dramatic and they drive traffic to pundits’ blogs, but they have little to do with reality. “Fragmentation” is a bogeyman, a red herring, a story you tell to frighten junior developers. Yawn.

This “shrug it off” attitude is concerning. Android is fragmented the numbers don’t lie. It’s inevitable when you have a platform built by multiple vendors. Right now, there are 3 major releases of Android in the wild — 1.6, 2.0 and 2.1. Each has different API sets and features. Software that runs on some phones doesn’t run on others, and while the Android Market filters out non-compatible software, it makes for a broken experience. Telling a friend with an older phone about a sweet new app can lead to jealousy and frustration for both users.

In many ways, Android is like Windows. Software written by one company running on countless companies’ hardware has been Microsoft’s model since the beginning.

Unlike Windows, Google allows companies like HTC dig deep into Android and customize it how they see fit. Android is far more open than Windows. PC makers can add stuff on top of Windows (hello, bloatware), but Android handset makers can alter Android itself. The difference is a big one.

Fragmentation is a by-product of being open.

But openness isn’t the only thing that leads to fragmentation. Even the iPhone platform — with hardware and software both built by Apple — suffers from feature fragmentation based on the age of the device. Original iPhone owners can’t currently send or receive MMS messages, and wont be able to install OS 4 when it is released later this year. Only the iPhone 3GS and the next iPhone will be able to fully take advantage of OS 4’s multi-tasking.

Age-based fragmentation is inevitable. Apple gracefully depreciates older devices. Android owners don’t often get such an easy let down, however.

The biggest reason behind all of this is that Google doesn’t handle the software updates itself. Google announces and posts new code, but leaves implementation up to carriers and handset manufacturers.

HTC is one of the worst at pushing out updates. Their Sense UI takes a long time to update, leaving their phones a version (or more) behind phones running stock Android. For instance, the Hero is just now getting bumped to 2.1, even though it has been out for months and 2.2 is around the corner. And that is just on Sprint. Cellular South Hero owners have no update in sight.

The pace of Android itself isn’t the only factor in fragmentation. Hardware manufacturers are pumping out new phones at a neck-break speed, leaving every “top Android device” in the dust of another device just months later. The Droid enjoyed a dominant position for a very short window before the Nexus One was announced. The only reason the Droid is still so popular is that it is the best non-Sense Android device on Verizon, as the Nexus One never made it to Big Red.

A simple fix would be to slow down Android releases, and force manufacturers to guarantee updates for a certain time period after a phone is discontinued or replaced. At the very least, that would make the depreciation of handsets a lot more even across the board.

I don’t see Google implementing any sorts of rules about this, though. Which is really too bad. Unless they do, consumers will continue to be at the mercy of carriers and handset makers who want to sell more devices.

And that isn’t good for anyone.

Adobe:

Adobe Systems Incorporated has unveiled a new digital viewer technology that enables print publishers to bring stunning digital versions of their magazines to life. This new publishing software was developed with input from Condé Nast’s WIRED magazine, a publication that recently debuted a digital edition for Apple iPad, utilizing the new digital viewer technology. WIRED’s June issue Reader application, now available through the Apple iTunes App Store, is built using Adobe’s digital viewer software.

This is an interesting step for Adobe, considering all of the “Apple vs. Adobe” talk surrounding Flash. That said, this serves as a reminder that Adobe — at the end of the day — cares more about getting its product out there and in use than about another company’s motives and actions.

Technology-wise, the InDesign-to-iPad workflow is pretty neat, but needs some fine-tuning. Even with it’s problems, this is a big step toward a seamless paper-to-digital workflow.