You might already know that Google purchased Android for $50 million in 2005 after Danger co-founder Andy Rubin just asked them for an endorsement of it. But did you know that Google feared Windows Mobile? Yep, that one, Wired’s large top-to-bottom Android feature (with awesome art) reveals. Google thought Microsoft had beat it to mobile—it had a swiftly growing platform, tied to Microsoft’s ends. Google, on the other hand, was having its apps, like mobile Picasa, shot down by carriers who wanted to extort users to do the same thing Google offered for free.
That’s just one reason it needed Android. Unlike Windows Mobile, which is all tangled up with Windows, Android’s totally centered the web—where people naturally go to Google. While Android vs. iPhone is shaping up to be the new Windows vs. Mac (or open vs. closed), the iPhone actually proved the thesis that easy mobile net access is really easy access to Google: Christmas Day, the iPhone, “fewer than 5 percent of all smartphones worldwide, drove more traffic to Google than any other mobile device.” By making Android all about net connectivity and giving developers a common platform to develop for hundreds of phone, the bet is that even with tons of third-party apps, it all comes back to Google. The web is the platform as much as the actual code-y bits.
Naturally, handset makers fear losing their brand in the hype, even as Google argues it means they don’t have to waste time on the OS, but can concentrate on hardware and their own proprietary apps. (Course, if you’re of the mind it’s all about software now, then Google’s argument is funky bunk. Hardware will matter maybe as much as Dell vs. HP—maybe that’s a lot to you, maybe not so much. Besides, has HTC really had an identity in the first place?) Motorola is actually betting massive, putting the original team behind the Razr on its Android phones, hoping it’ll be a path to newfound glory.
Even if it (or anyone else) succeeds, ultimately they’ll still just be a cog in the Android machine. By the same token, even if Android itself bombs out, as long as it forces open access to the web, Google still stands to rake in the rewards. [Wired]
Camouflage Brick Covers Up Ugly Satellite Dish, Reveals Bad Judgment Satellite dishes are design disasters. Looking at the main façade of a city apartment complex and seeing a line of dirty gray disks poke out of windows like plastic mushroom outgrowth is a double depresso shot of gadget neglect and…
Satellite dishes are design disasters. Looking at the main façade of a city apartment complex and seeing a line of dirty gray disks poke out of windows like plastic mushroom outgrowth is a double depresso shot of gadget neglect and bad design aesthetics.
You might know “futurist” Syd Mead from his design work on geek friendly movies like Blade Runner, Tron and Aliens—but in his most recent work he envisions a future city by the name of Doha, Qatar. Naturally, his work speaks for itself, but I have to admit that it stands in stark contrast to the bleak world of Blade Runner. Maybe he has become more optimistic as the years have passed. Oh, also, Joel’s interviewing Syd soon and I’m sure if you’ve questions, he’ll ask them for you. [Syd Mead via PSFK via Treehugger via Boing Boing Gadgets]
This headline is lifted straight from the article at SeattlePi, because that’s really the story here. Back in January, the news site covered the story of Charles Walling, a new owner of a Vista equipped Personal computer. Like many, his printer…
This headline is lifted straight from the article at SeattlePi, because that’s really the story here. Back in January, the news site covered the story of Charles Walling, a new owner of a Vista equipped PC. Like many, his printer wouldn’t work because Dell hadn’t released Vista drivers for it, so Walling tried to install his XP drivers. You can guess what happened.
This is a clear case of user error, but what happens next elevates the story from the normal helpline frustration tale. Because of the story, Walling got a visit from Microsoft’s Windows “test manager for documents and printing”, Tom White.
It turns out that the XP driver had squirreled files away in all sorts of hard to reach places, meaning the new Vista drivers from Dell wouldn’t work, either. This is still Walling’s fault, though, right? Maybe, but the retired Seattle warehouseman is no personal whizz, and the fact that a Seattle newspaper is even running a story like this indicates that this might be a symptom of a wider problem.
The point that Vista, despite being rather better than it is given credit for, was botched from top to bottom. Microsoft delivered late, but I think the third party manufacturers are more to blame. Greedy vendors saw the opportunity to instantly make whole swathes of products obsolete, and they did it. They also stuck Vista stickers on underpowered hardware and in this case, Dell even refuses add an XP uninstaller to its Vista driver downloads, citing “bandwidth” as a problem.
This crap happens with Macs, too – my Canon scanner is useless on my Intel Mac – but Mac users tend to be geekier and understand these things. Microsoft needs to play some hardball with vendors if this isn’t to happen again in Windows 7.
Budfits are just what we like in an invention. Easy, cheap and solving one single problem, apparently very well. These snap-on earpieces fit Apple’s earbuds and stop them from falling out of your ears. I use my iPod while cycling,…
Budfits are just what we like in an invention. Easy, cheap and solving one single problem, apparently very well. These snap-on earpieces fit Apple’s earbuds and stop them from falling out of your ears.
I use my iPod while cycling, and I’ve enough wax in my ears to keep the candle-maker next door in business. This is a perilous combo as I’m forever jiggling the ‘buds into place, whilst careening in and out of busy traffic. The $9 clips will probably safe my life.
Sometimes it’s nice to just sit and consider exactly why you don’t do so many of the things that you don’t do. (That’s why I don’t tie my nipples to doorknobs! Of course!) This is a useful exercise that the guy behind Portable Gaming Solutions has apparently never tried. As a result, he’s offering to convert your perfectly functional Xbox 360 into a strange-looking laptop for more than the cost of the original console.
Ben Heck’s previous efforts reflect a great deal of ingenuity and were skillfully executed. The results were interesting, but mainly as a feat of engineering and design. PGS will do a similar mod for anyone who is willing to cough up the cash, but the end product is more functional than it is attractive. And by functional I mean, well, it functions. To give the company credit, though, you can still connect to external displays and the prospect of (giant, hulking, hot) in-car Xboxing, which PGS claims is possible, is somewhat exciting. See the video below. [PGS via Engadget]
You know the old joke that 99% of statistics are made up on the spot? The reality is somewhat worse: 100% of statistics can be skewed any way you like. The buzz this day is that 91% of Japanese don’t want…
You know the old joke that 99% of statistics are made up on the spot? The reality is somewhat worse: 100% of statistics can be skewed any way you like.
The buzz today is that 91% of Japanese don’t want to buy an iPhone, which makes it look like the WonderBrick is going to flop in Japan. But let’s take a look at the survey itself. First, the sample size was just 402. Four hundred people in a country of around 127 million people. 402 “members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service“, according to the blog “What Japan Thinks”. The distribution of age was skewed to the high side, with the majority of respondents in their 30s (43.5%) and 40s (34.8%).
But the survey was taken on the 5th and 6th of June, several days before the iPhone 3G was even official. So, if these people represented the average Joe, and not the geek crowd, they might not even have known about a Japanese iPhone. Worse, the iPhone question was apparently tacked onto the end of this survey, which was actually about “mobile phone battery changing”.
Let me say that again. After a bunch of questions about swapping out batteries, you’re then asked if you would buy a phone with no user swappable battery. A phone which, at the time you’re asked, doesn’t exist. I’d probably say “no” to that, and I plan on buying a 3G iPhone.
We weren’t sure that this day would ever come. Even when we spoke with John Landino (Phantom Development Consultant) at CES, he wasn’t sure the day would ever come. Today, I got an email from him.
That’s right Mark; we have sold a product:) and booked a dollar…what is the world coming to?
It’s good to see the $129 Phantom Lapboard finally released, a tale that started back in 2004 finally finished—expect the sky to fill with winged pigs shortly. [Phantom]
I’m not a large Olympics fan, but NBC is partnering with digital content provider Wavexpress to provide some pretty remarkable coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games. Dubbed “Olympics On the Go,” Vista Media Center users will be able to schedule their favorite summer events to download automagically to their Personal computers or laptops (through TVTonic). Clips will come in “up-to-HD quality,” meaning that at least some of the downloads will be good enough to be worth watching. And it’s all free. The only catch seems to be that there’s no mention of Zune syncing, but what good is synchronized swimming on such a small screen anyway?
Wavexpress to Provide Internet Video Download Service for NBC’s Coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games
Free Service to Grant Media Center Users the Capability to Download Content During NBC’s Coverage of the Beijing Olympics, August 8-24, 2008
NEW YORK – June 23, 2008 – Wavexpress, a provider of broadband media technology and services, majority-owned by Wave Systems Corp. (NASDAQ: WAVX), has been selected by NBC Universal, Inc., to develop, host, and support a service for viewing NBC’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Microsoft’s Windows Vista Media Center. The announcement was made today by Perkins Miller, Senior Vice President, Digital Media, NBC Sports and Olympics, and Michael Sprague, President of Wavexpress.
The “NBC Olympics on the Go” service will take advantage of Wavexpress’ TVTonic World wide web video service to grant Media Center users to watch channels of NBC’s coverage of Olympic events in up-to-HD quality on the go on their laptop. The free service will enable viewers to watch NBC’s extensive coverage of the Beijing Games on a sport-by-sport basis, with channels designated to match the hundreds of events included in the Games. Users can simply sign up for the channels they’re interested in, and the service will automatically synchronize NBC’s video clips as they become available, so viewers will have a fresh slate of Olympic content to watch on their morning commute.
“This service will provide a fantastic viewing experience for Olympic fans with Windows Vista Media Center,” said Sprague. “They can choose their favorite sports, from diving to water polo to gymnastics, and extended coverage is automatically synchronized to their Personal computer in the middle of the night. With a laptop, they will get a high-quality video experience to view on the train, the plane, or in the college quad.”
“As we prepare to broadcast the Beijing Olympic Games, we are committed to reaching as many viewers as possible,” said Miller. “Our partnership with Wavexpress will enable us to reach viewers seeking high-quality in-depth coverage of the wide range of sports that make up the Olympics. The service will especially appeal to fast-paced fans who want to catch up on their favorite sports offline.”
You might already know that Google purchased Android for $50 million in 2005 after Danger co-founder Andy Rubin just asked them for an endorsement of it. But did you know that Google feared Windows Mobile? Yep, that one, Wired’s large top-to-bottom Android feature (with awesome art) reveals. Google thought Microsoft had beat it to mobile—it had a swiftly growing platform, tied to Microsoft’s ends. Google, on the other hand, was having its apps, like mobile Picasa, shot down by carriers who wanted to extort users to do the same thing Google offered for free.
You might know “futurist” Syd Mead from his design work on geek friendly movies like Blade Runner, Tron and Aliens—but in his most recent work he envisions a future city by the name of Doha, Qatar. Naturally, his work speaks for itself, but I have to admit that it stands in stark contrast to the bleak world of Blade Runner. Maybe he has become more optimistic as the years have passed. Oh, also, Joel’s interviewing Syd soon and I’m sure if you’ve questions, he’ll ask them for you. [
Sometimes it’s nice to just sit and consider exactly why you don’t do so many of the things that you don’t do. (That’s why I don’t tie my nipples to doorknobs! Of course!) This is a useful exercise that the guy behind Portable Gaming Solutions has apparently never tried. As a result, he’s offering to convert your perfectly functional Xbox 360 into a strange-looking laptop for more than the cost of the original console.
We weren’t sure that this day would ever come. Even when we 
I’m not a large Olympics fan, but NBC is partnering with digital content provider Wavexpress to provide some pretty remarkable coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games. Dubbed “Olympics On the Go,” Vista Media Center users will be able to schedule their favorite summer events to download automagically to their Personal computers or laptops (through