Samsung stock tumbles despite record profit

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Samsung shares tumbled almost 4% on Friday as the company pre-announced record second-quarter earnings that still missed analysts’ sky-high consensus.

It’s true that I don’t like Samsung’s blatant copying of Apple products, but I really do hate Wall St. too. It’s wrong for any company to see their stock tumble because analysts were wrong in their forecasts. It’s happened to Apple when they reported record profits and now Samsung. Analysts should be downgraded, bot the companies delivering record profits.

States criticize Google for selling ads for illegal products

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In a letter sent to Google, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt complained about Google’s practice of placing before some YouTube videos advertisements for pharmacies willing to sell percocet and oxycontin without a prescription.

I imagine illegal products pay a high price for Google ads. It should be interesting to see how Google squirms out of this one.

Irish government will not hold inquiry into Apple tax practices

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An Irish parliamentary committee has voted against hauling in representatives from Google and Apple to answer for their tax affairs in the country, after the firms were accused of using Ireland as a base for their aggressive tax planning.

Good, they shouldn’t. Ireland is offering Apple—and other companies—lower taxes so they will move operations there. That’s smart business for any country. It’s up to all the other countries to ask themselves why they are taxing so much.

BlackBerry execs to face tough questions from investors

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BlackBerry (BBRY.O) will likely face tough questions about its future at its annual meeting on Tuesday after dismal quarterly results last week triggered a 28 percent plunge in the Canadian smartphone maker’s share price.

Seriously? Now you ask the tough questions?

Identifying fake images on Twitter

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A recent paper presented by researchers from the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, IBM Research Labs and the University of Maryland found that it was possible to identify tweets containing fake Sandy images with up to 97 percent accuracy.

Clearly some images are fake, but in breaking news situations like Hurricane Sandy, fakes are often spread as real images.

Codename Prometheus

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Experience designer Aral Balkan has revealed plans to create an open platform that competes on user experience in the consumer space.

This is a huge undertaking.

Simplicity

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In the last year, there has been a push for simplicity in our household. While it has mainly been driven by yours truly, I have to give most of the credit to none other than our realtor for getting me in the mindset of reducing everything we use down to the bare necessities. It started with one question: ”Do you really need all these computers running?”

I suffer from this too.

Kicked out of Nirvana and Soundgarden and then became a member of the Army Special Forces

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Jason Everman has the unique distinction of being the guy who was kicked out of Nirvana and Soundgarden, two rock bands that would sell roughly 100 million records combined. At 26, he wasn’t just Pete Best, the guy the Beatles left behind. He was Pete Best twice.

Then again, he wasn’t remotely. What Everman did afterward put him far outside the category of rock’n’roll footnote. He became an elite member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, one of those bearded guys riding around on horseback in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban.

What a great, but crazy story.

The Loop Magazine free article: Designing Apps for Everyone

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Charles Perry wrote an article for Issue 5 of The Loop Magazine about the importance of accessibility in apps. This is an important subject, so I wanted to make it free for everyone to read on the Web.

You can also preview the other articles on The Web site too. The entire issue can be downloaded for iPhone and iPad from the App Store with a free 7-day trial.

The Loop Magazine Issue 5

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In this issue, Bryan Irace looks at how iOS apps could share data in ways that would make the experience much better for users; Seamus Bellamy talks to real-life sideshow performers; Nathan Snelgrove imagines the possibilities beyond the touch interface; Charles Perry talks about the importance of accessibility in apps; and Dave Mark helps you get started in developing apps for iOS and Mac.

You can download The Loop Magazine from the App Store and start your free 7-day trial.

Amplified: The Eliminator

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Jim and Dan discuss the closing of Google Reader, page views and the role of advertisement on websites versus RSS readers, listener trust, the logic behind curating your RSS feeds, a guitar fit for a son of a beard, and more.

Sponsored by Host Gator (use code DANSENTME for 30% off), Hover (use code DANSENTME for 10% off), and Mail Chimp.

Prince of Persia on iOS July 25

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Continue the age old saga of a wanderer who was born a Prince! The wanderer returns, in search of his unknown past on a journey to redefine his future. Prince of Persia The Shadow and The Flame is a pick up and play, smooth adaptation of an epic classic easy to handle but challenging to master. Play as the Prince who must battle the odds again to save his Princess and kingdom on a journey that will pave the path to his origins.

Android “master key” leaves 99% of devices vulnerable

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The Bluebox Security research team – Bluebox Labs – recently discovered a vulnerability in Android’s security model that allows a hacker to modify APK code without breaking an application’s cryptographic signature, to turn any legitimate application into a malicious Trojan, completely unnoticed by the app store, the phone, or the end user.

Malware, adware and now a master key. The security trifecta.

Samsung acquires Boxee

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An earlier report by The Marker, an Israeli Web site, said that Samsung purchased the start-up for $30 million. In a statement, a Samsung spokeswoman would confirm only that Samsung had acquired some employees and assets of Boxee but did not disclose how much it had paid.

Oh well.

A Steve Ballmerism

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Steve Ballmer:

How many of us have gone to a meeting with somebody who brought a tablet and then when it comes time to actually take notes, writes them down on pencil and paper. Or can’t get at the spreadsheet…or try to use it in terminal emulator mode…or take [a long time] to set up and turn their tablet into something that approximates a PC.”

Steve, let me be clear: shit like that doesn’t happen with people that have an iPad. If you see it happen, maybe it’s because they are using a Surface.

Bold Poker 2.0 for iOS

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Bold Poker replaces your deck of cards and delivers a classy, meticulously designed experience that looks and feels pro. Forget about taking turns shuffling and let Bold Poker be your professional dealer.

This is such a great idea and really well done.

Boston University sues Apple

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Boston University wants a ban on the sale of a wide variety of Apple products and the company’s profits from the last few years — all because of a patent filed for in 1995.

Skyhook: Google bad mouthed us to Apple

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In its court filings, Skyhook claims that “Having apparently disparaged Skyhook’s technology to Apple, Google proceeded to then launch the same Wi-Fi based location technology by infringing Skyhook’s patents.

That can’t be true, that would be evil and Google’s not evil. Right?

Apple hires former Yves Saint Laurent CEO

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“We’re thrilled to welcome Paul Deneve to Apple,” spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said. “He’ll be working on special projects as a vice president reporting directly to Tim Cook.”

Special projects, eh.