August 2, 2013
TV Reporters having a bad day ∞
It’s annoying as hell, but damn it’s funny.
Larry, Darryl and Darryl
Easily one of the funniest bits on TV.
How to Have a Crappy Time with Wine ∞
The world of wine is unnecessarily complicated. Bottles are identified by exact percentages of specific grape varietals except for when they’re labeled according to where the grapes were grown regardless of where the winery is, or by the village name within the wine region of origin, or by how long the wine was cellared before its release… you get the point. It’s no wonder some people give it all up and just drink Heineken… Jim.
This issue’s free article from The Loop Magazine.
FBI can turn on Android phone’s mic remotely ∞
The FBI develops some hacking tools internally and purchases others from the private sector. With such technology, the bureau can remotely activate the microphones in phones running Google Inc.’s Android software to record conversations, one former U.S. official said. It can do the same to microphones in laptops without the user knowing, the person said. Google declined to comment.
Thanks Google.
Samsung TV cameras hacked ∞
The flaws in Samsung Smart TVs, which have now been patched, enabled hackers to remotely turn on the TVs’ built-in cameras without leaving any trace of it on the screen. While you’re watching TV, a hacker anywhere around the world could have been watching you. Hackers also could have easily rerouted an unsuspecting user to a malicious website to steal bank account information.
I don’t even know how to express how creepy this is and how thankful I am that I’m not using a Samsung TV.
Feds propose remedy for Apple e-book price fixing ∞
Apple Inc deserves a five-year ban from entering anticompetitive e-book distribution contracts, and should also end its business arrangements with five major publishers with which it conspired to raise e-book prices, federal and state regulators said on Friday.
Google Glass banned from the Moto X event ∞
This is the second time Google has banned Glass from one of its own events. They also banned Glass from its shareholder meeting in June.
Typographic beard guide ∞
This is funny.
WSJ’s ridiculous claims about Apple retail ∞
The Wall Street Journal has proven it can find fault with just about anything—this time it’s Apple’s retail operation. WSJ says that Apple retail—one of the most successful and different operations in the world—is suffering.
But then they have lines like this:
Sales at Apple Stores in the recently reported third quarter slipped to $4 billion, down slightly from a year earlier…
Most retailers would love to “slip” to that.
It [Apple] raked in $5,971 per square foot in 2012, up 17% from the $5,098 per square foot the year before, according to retail consultancy Customer Growth Partners. By comparison, Tiffany & Co. had sales of $3,453 per square foot in 2012, and popular yoga-clothes retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc. pulled in $2,464 per square foot last year.
Why not worry about Tiffany?
I wonder how much Microsoft makes per square foot? I know that’s a silly question for WSJ to ask.
Samsung oozes slime ∞
Samsung’s marketing company is trying to buy off StackOverflow forum posters.
Waiting to bash Apple ∞
John Gruber had a great post today about how the media jumps on stories that reflect poorly on Apple. I agree wholeheartedly with his points. It’s like the mainstream media are waiting with bated breath for the slightest mishap so they can bash Apple. A lot of times, they are just plain wrong.
Meanwhile Google left an I/O problem in its Nexus tablet for a year and nary a mention from the press.
The Loop Magazine Issue 7: Why I Buy Vinyl ∞
In this issue, Michael Dalrymple talks about why he collects vinyl albums instead of buying music from iTunes; Brenda Singer shows you the ways to ruin a perfectly good bottle of wine; Chris Domico’s kid came up with the perfect game idea; Bill Lonero counters arguments that music should be free; and as a developer, what Kevin Hoctor does means something, as it should for all of us.
You can get a free preview of all the articles online and subscribe to the magazine for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. You also get a free seven-day trial when you download the app.
Matthew Modine offers free chapter from the Full Metal Jacket Diary iPad app ∞
Matthew Modine is now offering a FREE download of the COMPLETE FIRST CHAPTER of his award-winning “appumentary!” This preview immerses you in Matthew’s private life as he first learns about the film, receives the script in the mail, and meets Stanley Kubrick for the first time.
I have this app and it’s amazing. If you want more from Matthew, you can also check out his Web TV channel.
Hands free calling on your iPhone from your Mac ∞
This looks very cool. You can also record your conversations, which is great for interviews. I bought it.
July 31, 2013
Google’s Nexus 7 battery claims are shit ∞
Katherine Boehret for WSJ:
Another drawback: In my test, the new Nexus 7’s battery life was underwhelming. Compared with the same battery test of the iPad Mini and first Nexus 7, it fell short at just six hours; the others clocked in at 10 hours and 27 minutes and 10 hours and 44 minutes, respectively. Google claims the battery life can last over nine hours, but the company tests it in Airplane mode (Internet connection off), with screen brightness set to 44% while playing video. I keep Wi-Fi on in the background and screen brightness at 75% while playing video.
Seriously Google? Who would use a tablet without Internet turned on? I understand that companies do things to make battery tests look better for them, but this borders on outright lying. Apple usually underreports its battery life, leaving its customers pleasantly surprised.
Taylor’s new mahogany guitars ∞
I usually go for the lighter woods, but these look nice.
PR Protip: How to handle criticism in a review ∞
Love the review, Danielle. It’s a fair assessment and completely factual. I’m truly thankful that it was you who wrote it, and wouldn’t even think of requesting you change a single letter.
The comments from the game’s supporters are definitely disheartening. It’s ok to not like a game based on an art style, and Polygon is allowed to score the game however they feel necessary. It goes through multiple levels of editing before it’s fully approved, and they’re entitled to their own, informed opinion of the game.
I urge you to please respect the Danielle’s/Polygon’s opinion and then form your own instead of trying to force your opinion on them.
Atlus PR handled some criticism of their new game like pros, admonishing their fans to dial it back after they went a bit rabid on the reviewer.
JCPenney is having credit problems ∞
Insiders speculated that CIT got skittish after getting a peek at Penney’s financials, which have been deteriorating as the department store scrambles to recover from a botched turnaround bid under former CEO Ron Johnson.
I was thinking about leading an investor buyout, but we’re waiting for the company to send us a 70% coupon first.
Via Mark Gurman
Amplified: Six Hours and It’s Dead ∞
Jim and Dan discuss the relationship between consumer and content, the Chromecast, the rumored September 6 iPhone announcement, new Nexus 7, waterproof Samsung phones, why Bob Mansfield left the Apple Executive Team, and Microsoft’s 900 million dollar Surface RT loss.
Sponsored by Shopify and Shutterstock (use code DANSENTME7 for 30% off).
Obama should veto the ITC iPhone, iPad ban
We have less than a week before an order from the International Trade Commission takes effect, banning the sale of iPhone 4 and iPad 2 in the United States. President Obama can veto the order, but he has to do so this week, before the August 5 ban begins.
The ITC is banning the Apple devices because of a patent suit brought, and won, by Samsung. Unlike federal courts that can levy hefty fines against companies that infringe patents, the ITC basically has one weapon at its disposal—bans on importation and sales.
In theory, I have no issue with products that infringe on patents being banned, but this case is different—it’s more than just a simple patent. Samsung won the case using a standards essential patent, an industry-type patent that I believe shouldn’t be recognized as the basis for a sales or importation ban.
Fortune Senior Editor, Roger Parloff, does a good job of explaining the standards essential patent:
To ensure interoperability among technological devices made by different companies, standards making bodies — like the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, or ETSI, which is the one pertinent to this particular dispute — decide to solve certain technical challenges in certain ways. While they try to use the best engineering solution available, often the competing approaches are equally good, and the final decision is a bit arbitrary.
To have one’s patented solution selected is obviously a great boon to the patent-holder — a windfall, really — since all manufacturers now have no choice but to license that rights-holder’s patent if they want their products to be interoperable within the pertinent technological ecosystem. That much is unavoidable. But once the standard is set, there’s a danger that a greedy rights holder can go on to seek a second windfall, too. Since he now has manufacturers over a barrel, he may be tempted to demand outrageous prices for licensing his SEPs, all out of proportion to what their worth would have been in the absence of their having been incorporated into an industry standard.
There should also be clear guidelines moving forward on when the President should veto an ITC exclusionary ruling. Here’s a good list from Randal Milch, executive vice president of public policy and general counsel of Verizon Communications:
When the patent holder isn’t practicing the technology itself. Courts have routinely found shutdown relief inappropriate for non-practicing entities. Patent trolls shouldn’t be permitted to exclude products from our shores.
When the patent holder has already agreed to license the patent on reasonable terms as part of standards setting. If the patent holder has previously agreed that a reasonable licensing fee is all it needs to be made whole, it shouldn’t get shutdown relief at the ITC.
When the infringing piece of the product isn’t that important to the overall product, and doesn’t drive consumer demand for the product at issue. There are more than 250,000 patents relevant to today’s smartphones. It makes no sense that exclusion could occur for infringement of the most minor patent.
There’s a lot of talk that Obama shouldn’t veto the ban because a president hasn’t stepped in to veto an ITC decision since 1987. However, it’s also important to recognize that this is the first time the ITC has issued a ban based on a standards essential patent.
Apple and Samsung will continue to argue if the other is negotiating in good faith over the patents, but that’s not an issue for the ITC when the fight includes standards essential patents. There has to be a different remedy for that.
At this point, it seems clear that President Obama has to do the right thing and veto the ban.
FileMaker discontinues Bento ∞
FileMaker, Inc. is increasing its focus on FileMaker Product Line software. Thanks to the ease of creating iPad and iPhone solutions, our customers’ use of FileMaker on iOS is growing rapidly. Our increased focus will create an even better experience for these customers.
As part of our sharpened focus, we will stop further development of the Bento consumer products.
Bad news for Bento customers. Bento’s been around since 2007.
The Wii U is the Surface of game consoles ∞
Nintendo’s Wii U console sold only 160,000 units worldwide during the past three months, with the company blaming a lack of first-party releases for the poor performance. Software sales for the system were just 1.3 million units.
It enrages me that we live in a world where Nintendo makes game consoles and Sega doesn’t.
Yes, I’m a Dreamcast fanboi for life. Sue me.
Zynga sues “Bang with Friends” ∞
The company “selected the name ‘Bang With Friends’ for its casual sex matchmaking app with Zynga’s game trademarks fully in mind,” according to the complaint. The application’s name infringes Zynga’s trademark covering games such as “Words With Friends” and “Chess With Friends,” according to the filing.
I do not think of Zynga when I see “Bang with Friends.” Case dismissed.
Engineer Kevin Churko on getting a great guitar sound ∞
Kevin has done some great guitar recordings in the past including some Ozzy records. He also talks about using the Sonnox plug-ins, which I’m a big fan of too.
July 30, 2013
MIT could have done more to help Aaron Swartz ∞
Reviewers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said on Tuesday the school could have taken steps that would have reduced pressure on Internet activist Aaron Swartz such as taking a public stand against his controversial prosecution.
It’s too bad it takes such a tragedy for people to realize that.
Microsoft sells 1.7 million Surface tablets… in 8 months
Microsoft made $853 million in revenue from the Surface and sold an estimated 1.7 million devices in eight months, according to GeekWire. That’s less than the $900 write-off the company took on the Surface two weeks ago.
Let’s put this in perspective:
- Apple sold 3 million iPads in three days last November
- Apple sold 14.6 million iPads in the last quarter
- Apple sold 57 million iPads since Microsoft began selling the Surface
Sucks to be Microsoft.
Nexus 7 did not outsell the iPad in Japan ∞
Using BCN’s bogus research, Google claimed the Nexus 7 took a higher percentage of the Japanese market than the iPad. Except BCN forgot to count one important source—it’s too good for me to ruin the surprise.
Video ads coming to Facebook ∞
Zuckerberg said last week that he’s sensitive to how users react to advertising in general. He plans to limit the amount of ads people see to about one for every 20 updates. That would comprise about 5 percent of a user’s news feed.
Why do I think people won’t like these.
Bungie founder wants to reinvent shooters for iPad ∞
These days, [Alex] Seropian is losing a lot of sleep. He founded Industrial Toys with the idea that tablets were the future of video games.
He believes your iPad is the perfect venue for shooters like Halo: the style of game his team perfected on PCs, then rebuilt for consoles. And he’s making a game he hopes will prove it.
If there’s anyone that can do it, it’s Alex Seropian.