January 5, 2013

MG Siegler:

We all know the “four horsemen” of tech: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. These are the companies that pretty much everyone agrees will shape the foreseeable future of the tech sector. In some circles, that list makes waves for who is not included: Microsoft. But any rational thinker (meaning those outside of Redmond or anyone who hasn’t made a career as a .Net developer) knows that Microsoft simply no longer belongs on that list.

But that doesn’t mean the list is perfect. In fact, I do think there’s an omission that’s becoming a glaring one: Samsung.

MG makes some interesting arguments about why Samsung should be the fifth horseman. There is no doubt the company is huge and has a lot of resources, but for me the question is can Samsung predict what consumers will want before they know they want it.

That’s one of Apple’s greatest strengths. They’re working on products we don’t even know we’ll want yet, but when they’re released, we have to have them.

This is pretty much how all Canadians do it.

It was a musician’s worst nightmare.

At least that’s how Dave Schneider, guitarist and singer for Hanukkah-themed rock band The LeeVees, described it when his guitar—a 1965 Gibson ES-335—got jammed in an elevator by baggage handlers at a Detroit airport.

Such a sad story.

coin With all the silly talk in the US of a “Trillion Dollar Coin”, you might not know that the Canadian Mint actually produced the world’s first million dollar coin in 2007.

It is 99.999% pure gold bullion, weighs 220lbs and, even though the face value is one million dollars, it’s actually worth over $5.3 million dollars now.

The coin have been certified by the Guinness World Records to be “the world’s largest gold coin” and the Canadian Mint has sold five of them. Aside from this gigantic coin, other notables like the Rare 50p coins UK hold a magnetic allure for coin collectors, captivating them with their unique designs, limited mintage, and historical significance. Each rare 50p coin tells a story, whether it commemorates a notable event, celebrates a beloved character, or honors a cultural icon. The scarcity of these coins adds to their appeal, as collectors eagerly hunt for elusive pieces to complete their collections. The thrill of the chase is palpable, driving enthusiasts to scour through pocket change, visit coin fairs, and engage in online forums to uncover hidden treasures. Furthermore, the fluctuating values of rare 50p coins add an element of excitement, as collectors monitor market trends and anticipate potential investment opportunities. Beyond their monetary worth, these coins serve as tangible artifacts of British history and culture, offering a glimpse into the nation’s heritage with each intricate design and finely crafted detail. For coin collectors, rare 50p coins represent not just a hobby, but a passion fueled by curiosity, nostalgia, and the pursuit of rare and valuable artifacts. If you want to own one yourself, you can Buy rare coins Garden City NY here.

Nimitz-class Gizmodo:

Here’s a rare sight: four out of the ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers—the largest warships ever built—plus an Enterprise-class carrier docked together. They are resting at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, which coincidentally is the largest naval base in the world. Look at all that engineering and firepower. And it’s only half of the Nimitz fleet!

Wow…if you’ve never seen one of these carriers up close, this picture might not mean much but trust me – this is truly an awesome display of military might!

One important thing that I’ve noticed is this – I wasted a ridiculous amount of time on a site that I couldn’t wait to leave. Since I’ve stopped visiting, I’ve actually noted that I have more time in my day.

I still contend that Facebook is a great network for personal relationships — keeping up with old friends and the lives of people we care about. It’s not something pros really get much out of though.

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody

Animal is funny as hell.

A person’s cultural fit is becoming more important all the time.

There is no way you can read this and not laugh. NO WAY!

Thanks to EZPR for sponsoring this week’s RSS feed on The Loop.

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Compressorhead robot band performs Motorhead’s Ace of Spades

January 4, 2013

Windows 8 review: The thing blows

It’s a long video, but very well done.

Wired:

With all the technology hailed from the show floor at CES, it is inevitable that some of it will never materialize. CES always generates some vaporware, and 2012 was an especially good year. Here, then, is a look at the stuff we were promised at CES 2012 and continue waiting for.

Keep this in mind as Wired, CNET, The Verge, et al announce their “Best of CES Awards” next week – the majority will be for products that will likely never see the light of day.

“Paris, City of Light” time lapse

I am a complete sucker for these time lapse videos and this one is incredibly well done. It helps the subject matter is one of the world’s great cities – Paris.

That’s a shit load of taxes.

Does anyone need a 15,000-foot landing strip? How about a place to assemble rocket ships? Or a parachute-packing plant? An array of aerospace tracking antennas? A launchpad?

Make us an offer, says NASA, which is quietly holding a going-out-of-business sale for the facilities used by its space-shuttle program.

Gizmodo:

The US has a love affair with imperial units: height in inches, milk in quarts, weight in pounds. You name it, and it’s measured in imperial. The only problem? Imperial is dumb. So let’s cast of those shackles and join the rest of the world by embracing units that make sense. Let’s go metric, once and for all.

Why make the move? A (metric) ton of reasons.

What do you think? Should the USA “go metric”? I’ve been “bi-measuring” since I was a kid and am (mostly) comfortable with both but there’s no doubt metric, with its factors of ten, is much easier to deal with.

I agree totally with Harry Marks on this.

John Gruber on how he went about creating a Retina favicon for Daring Fireball.

Doctor Who gets the metal treatment

Yes, this is how it’s done.

Kubrick:

Does I. B. M. know that one of the main themes of the story is a psychotic computer?

I love the one person who expensed his trip for a job interview.

Horace Dediu looks at the time it took for smartphones to reach 50 percent of the market and estimates when he believes it will reach 80 percent.

Interesting to say the least, but I think the comment about the list on Coudal.com sums this up for me.

In order to use the SDK, you must first agree to this License Agreement. You may not use the SDK if you do not accept this License Agreement.

This sentence alone already violates freedom 0, the freedom to use the program for any purpose without restrictions.

Oh Google.

Where the hell does something like this come from?

Best Buy said some of Wal-Mart’s promotions, including a deal on the iPhone 5, had a measurable effect on its profits due to a price-match guarantee that requires the retailer to match the price of competitor’s ads. Best Buy said it lost about $65,000 in profit the day Wal-Mart’s promotion first ran on Facebook, because it was compelled to match Wal-Mart’s advertised $150 price, even though it concluded that Wal-Mart didn’t actually have a sufficient number of iPhones available.

Here is a cached version of the article.

Jacqui Cheng for Ars Technica:

Apple has declined to publicly comment on the issue and won’t explicitly confirm the reason for the bug. But numerous developers experienced in the complicated world of calendaring have stepped up with their observations and the overall consensus has converged on the ISO week date.

Much respect to Tyler Kirk for everything that he’s accomplished.