Google+ marketing is a simple arrow

Google+ gets a big marketing push from the Google search home page. The simplicity of using a simple arrow is fascinating, though a colleague found it distracting. Tweet

 

Adobe Edge and the Future of Flash

Information Week has an article about Adobe’s new tool for animation with web standards development: Why Adobe Edge Says Nothing About Flash’s Future http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/webdev/231300020 I think “nothing” is a declarative statement that’s flawed. The title should be “Why Adobe Edge Says Nothing About Flash’s Immediate Future” to be more accurate and flexible to unpredictable developments. JavaScript has replaced a number of things people relied on Flash for, because JavaScript engines are a part of browsers that each browser development team has control of. Flash Player can’t be improved on by... Read full article →

 

Google Music

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-music-to-stream-20-000-songs-for-free-launches-at-i-o-la/ Maybe I’m less visionary on this, but I’ve never thought “Boy, I wish I didn’t need to use my local storage for more music.” Could be I just don’t have a huge music library, but more likely, it’s nice to cloud-store content and not need to keep managing what’s synced or downloaded locally. Maybe it’ll be nice to stream my library from anywhere, freeing up local storage for apps, but being someone who lives in a data-capped world, usage needs to be watched. I imagine Verizon will join the... Read full article →

 

Cable TV providers should be worried

In all the iPhone 4 hoopla, I missed the announcement that Netflix is launching a “free” (with subscription) iPhone app this summer to go along with their iPad one. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an Android app in 6-12 months, if they can work out a deal with Verizon, the biggest Android device service provider. There will probably be a paid Hulu service to compete pretty soon. It’s interesting that the paid subscription of Netflix has become a huge disc/stream content distributor, while TV networks like NBC and Fox... Read full article →

 
 

The longterm goal of the iPad

Apple doesn’t intend to replace the laptop. It’s meant to be a new hybrid computer product that appeals to someone who doesn’t need a traditional operating system, with menus to search through to find commands, just to get done 90% of what we all do with a computer. Windows XP/Vista/7 tablets have all been the computer equivalent of a Gamecube game with Wii waggle tacked on, and not developed for motion controls. Most early Wii games were gimmicky, not fully-realized motion/pointer controlled. Apple is applying a few new approaches to... Read full article →

 

Goodbye clog-prone scroll ball

Just got one of these from Apple. I still think Logitech makes the best mice on the market, but this feels like a nice upgrade over the Apple (formerly Mighty) Mouse. Ars Technica review: http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2009/11/you-win-some-you-lose-some-a-review-of-apples-magic-mouse.ars Tweet

 

Apple’s weakest product may finally be getting an upgrade

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/10/02/apple_plans_mighty_mouse_makeover.html The multi-button Mighty Mouse has been a mixed bag. The sleek design that hides the impressive functionality of four zones of separate interaction is ultimately set back by the scroll ball at the top. Most professionals I know recommend a Logitech mouse that’d more customized for ergonomics and extended use. Unfortunately, even the average user is paying a premium for a MIghty Mouse, and it’s a rare Apple product that doesn’t lead its class. Desktop Mac users know this all too well: the scrollball rolls and the window doesn’t... Read full article →

 

Are the Beatles clinging to CD release for corporate spite?

So tomorrow’s iPod-centric Apple event won’t be including the Beatles coming to iTunes on the day the remastered CDs come to retail. Apple Corps (The Beatles) has fueded with Apple Inc (formerly Apple Computer), so you have to wonder if this is a continuation of that. I would think this isn’t some silly way of preventing Apple Inc from making money on Beatles music, considering the post-Beatles music by John, Paul, George and Ringo is available on iTunes. Do the artists (and their estates) have less control over their single-career... Read full article →

 

Google enters the netbook OS ring

Google announces development for open source Chrome OS for netbooks That sound you hear is Microsoft and its third party support sweating (even just a little). The dominance of the market share is splintering further. Let’s see: Google is #1 in search, RIM’s Blackberry OS is probably #1 in mobile OS, with iPhone, Google Android and Palm Pre’s WebOS getting good reviews and growing fast, Microsoft IE is the #1 web browser, but continuously losing market share, and Windows is still #1 desktop/laptop OS (this is based on what I’ve... Read full article →

 

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