January 2012
148 posts
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Out With A Bang
For the past couple of days, I’ve been thinking about what I should write as my “goodbye 2011” post. I find myself doing this every year, with no clue what to write. Do I list my “top” posts (if so, do I do it by traffic or by more subjective means)? Do I list my achievements for 2011? Do I do predictions for 2012?
I’m gonna keep it simple and thank everyone...
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Anonymous asked: I want to buy my mother(who isn't tech savy) a tablet. I thinking of getting her a KindleFire but was curious on if you can recommend a few more that I can look into before I make my choice?..
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Anonymous asked: I was reading your post about Apple's 2011, and I was surprised by the sheer number of articles you had linked in there. I've always wondered, how do you and the other TechCrunch writers keep track of all these posts, especially those that are from several years in the past?
December 2011
105 posts
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Backtrackery →
Following up on yesterday’s news, Verizon has decided not to charge their ridiculous $2 fee to those wanting to pay their bills online or via phone.
Good save. But I’m with Harry McCracken:
When Verizon says it won’t charge $2 for online payments, it’s saying it’ll get $2 out of you in some less obvious manner. Some victory.
— Harry McCracken (@harrymccracken)...
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The 100 Slots →
I’m surprised Apple’s system (or lack thereof) for app testing has lasted this long without a major overhaul. At some point it seems like Apple has to acquire TestFlight or build their own version.
As Jessica Vascellaro points out, the developer test account system was sort of arbitrarily set up:
Apple picked 100 believing it was a big enough sample for most companies, but still...
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Shameless Siri Rip-Off Hits Android Market →
But it doesn’t contain a middle finger, so it’s fine.
Update 12/31: Pulled in the most open way possible.
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Goldfinger
Apparently this middle finger thing has touched a nerve.
I honestly didn’t intend all of this to be some free speech debate, or a discussion about why Google still doesn’t understand social. I was just mildly annoyed and found it a bit ridiculous. But these things tend to take on lives of their own. So it goes.
Before I shut up about this and attempt to get actual work done, I did...
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Andy Rubin Didn't Delete "Open" Tweet, Twitter...
the definition of open: “mkdir android ; cd android ; repo init -u git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/manifest.git ; repo sync ; make”
— Andy Rubin (@Arubin) October 19, 2010
A couple days ago I noted something odd: Andy Rubin’s first tweet, the one in which he gives the “definition of open” (for Android) was gone. Given that Rubin had just...
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With "Open" Arms →
Chris Ziegler of The Verge was finally able to clarify (via a source, presumably within Google) what Google means exactly when they give Android activation numbers. Essentially, it’s when you activate Google services on the device.
In other words, Kindle Fire, Nook, etc, don’t count as Android devices by this metric. Seems a bit odd, no? Android is an open ecosystem, but Google only...
Apple will not release iPad 3 at Macworld or CES →
Other things Apple will not be releasing at events they don’t put on this year include:
iGun
The iPad 4, 5, 6, or 7
Apple Ham Radio
The Kraken
Apple+
The iPhone 5, 6, 7, 8, or — get this — 9
Apple Petting Zoo
BioDome 4
An Android phone
Their blow out Q1 earnings
Puppies
Actually, maybe puppies. Sources cannot confirm or deny this.
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Two Buck Chuck →
I give AT&T a lot of shit (and rightfully so for jackassery moves like this). But it’s important to remember that their main competitor, Verizon, is also a sleazy carrier. Today brings the perfect example of that.
The largest carrier in the U.S. is apparently about to start charging a $2 fee if you pay your bill online or over the phone, sources tell Droid Life. Yes, they’re...
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Amazon's December Kindle Sales: Somewhere Between...
This is beyond ridiculous now. Amazon continues to feel the need to boast — and it seems understandably — about their Kindle sales. But they continue to refuse to give actual sales numbers to back up the boasting.
The latest press release says that “Throughout December, customers purchased well over 1 million Kindle devices per week.” For you non-math majors, that means Amazon has...
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Roger Ebert On Why Movie Revenue Is Dropping →
The popular argument nowadays is that the movie business is tanking because the majority of movies suck. But that’s not really true. Sure, many big, Hollywood movies suck. But for each of those, there are a few smaller, independent movies which are great. In fact, as a whole, I might argue that quality is better than it ever has been thanks to technology greatly driving down the cost to make...
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Justin Williams' Use Of Social Networks →
I find myself largely in a similar boat with Justin Williams in terms of how he uses the various social networks out there.
His thoughts on Path strike me as something I’m hearing a lot now amongst the people I know and/or follow:
Path: I never used the original version of Path, but I love using the new version as a way to give my closest friends and family members an inside look into my...
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What If Apple Shifts From "Fuck You" To "Fuck You,... →
Peter Burrows’ Bloomberg report points out something that’s largely been overlooked the past several months: the opposite approaches that Microsoft and Apple are taking with Android.
Microsoft is aggressively going after Android partners with the intention of forcing them to license Microsoft’s patents. Right or wrong, this effectively destroys the Android “free”...
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Why Buy The Cow For $1.2 Billion When You Can Get... →
VentureBeat’s Devindra Hardawar reports not only that HP was trying to sell webOS for $1.2 billion (the same price HP paid to get all of Palm just last year), but that Facebook was one suitor they met with.
While Hardawar cites a source saying that this deal “was practically laughed out of the room”, I wouldn’t totally put the idea of webOS and Facebook to bed.
Back in...
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"Superphones" →
Idea for Microsoft: whenever you decide on something brand-related, you should pause — then pick something that’s the exact opposite of your initial thought.
Also, the bigger problem remains. If the “Superphones” are coming in Q4 2012, they’re going to run headfirst into dozen of Android “Superphones” and likely one big “iSuperPhone” — which...
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Analyst: Device And Content Choice Key To Apple... →
As opposed to what, exactly?
I personally think the key to iTV success will be the sales figures for Altoids next year.
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About The Finger →
Last night when I posted about my outrage over Google taking down my middle finger profile picture I was being a bit facetious. It was a little annoying, sure. But I found it more humorous because it seems to be a silly policy with a lot of gray area that will be hard to enforce (and time shouldn’t be wasted enforcing it). I also didn’t like that Google removed my picture without...
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The Definition Of Open Is... Missing
Update: Stand down everyone, Twitter simply lost the tweet then restored it!
A few minutes ago, Android chief Andy Rubin sent out his 6th tweet. A milestone. Never mind that they’re all self-serving promotion with Rubin never responding to anything or really giving anything in the way of context. They’re all awesome. Kudos.
But wait. I thought this was his 7th tweet…
That...
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Dear Google+
Earlier today I noticed something funny. My Google profile picture — the picture associated with my Gmail account, my GChat account, my Google+ account, etc — had vanished. A bug? Nope.
It turns out, Google — without telling me — went into my account and deleted my profile picture. Why? Because I am giving the middle finger in it. See: above.
While ridiculous prudish, I figured this was...
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Fuck You, Pay Me. →
James Kendrick has an interesting idea to combat Android fragmentation: charge users to get updates.
I’m reminded of Steve Ballmer’s thoughts about Android being “free”. I’m also reminded of a drug dealer: “first taste free”.
Bottom line: this will never happen. Even if it did, how would that $400 million be divided? The OEMs would probably fight about...
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"They are capitalists." →
Ed Bott has this right.
The Android update (or lack thereof) fiasco isn’t really about getting users to buy new devices. Carriers actually don’t want users to get new devices — that’s a cost for them. Nor is it evil or nefarious. It’s just reality. The carriers and OEMs don’t want to deploy resources to work on these updates, so they don’t.
Worse, it’s...
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The Windows Phone Problem In Three Words: Way Too...
Earlier today, Charlie Kindel, a former Windows Phone GM, posted some thoughts on why Windows Phone hasn’t taken off. Essentially, he blames Microsoft’s model pressuring both OEMs and carriers — so much so that neither really wants to push the platform.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I largely agree with his criticisms of Android. He believes Google’s platform has completely laid...
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Howdy, "Partner"
Yesterday, in response to my post about the intrigue behind the new Google/Mozilla search deal, Peter Kasting, a founder member of the Google Chrome team, took to Google+ to respond. It’s a good response that you should read. And the comments are illuminating as well.
But it doesn’t change anything that I wrote.
As David Ulevitch (who I quote in the original article) points out in...
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Tech News Today 399 →
And if you’re in the mood for more of me on TWiT, I was also on Tech News Today on Thursday.
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iPad Today 77 →
I was on TWiT’s iPad Today with Sarah this past week and got to wear a dumb Santa hat — all for your viewing pleasure on this fine Christmas.
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The Herding Of Cats →
Tom Krazit gives a good high-level overview of where the Android alliance now stands. The key blurb:
The second is that the humble organization once known as the Open Handset Alliance appears to have no real function. Instead of moving together on new standards as members of technical organizations tend to do, handset makers and carriers continue to dictate the advancement of Android based on...
Anonymous asked: Are you planning to start techcrunch 2.0 with Mike,..? Actually as a reader I am waiting for something big. Btw your posts on parislemon have got more interesting and candid. Seems like you write here with no pressure to write the best which is making you write the best...!
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Pay To Stay
I’ve been thinking more about Google’s renewal of their search deal with Mozilla for Firefox. It’s fascinating on a few different levels. Most notably: Google is committing close to a billion dollars to bankroll a browser which is a rival to their own browser.
Why?
Well, on the surface, they do get something out of the deal — something quite substantial. Firefox is a browser...
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mcmex asked: Did you see that even on the flagship Galaxy Nexus Hulu+ just dropped support even though the app was working perfectly?
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AT&T's Unlimited Data*
*at the slowest, shittiest speeds they can possibly provide
If you live in a big city like New York or San Francisco, I can’t imagine why you’re still using AT&T. Seriously, just switch to Verizon, it’s wonderful. But millions are sticking with AT&T and as a present this Christmas, they’re getting flaming bags of shit sent their way.
I’ve had at least a...
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The Other Side Of Choice →
I fully agree with this editorial by Chris Ziegler calling for the Android OEMs to stop making so many phones each year. His intro:
The seed for this editorial was planted in my brain the day that the HTC Amaze 4G was released on T-Mobile 120 days after its predecessor, the Sensation 4G. It bears repeating: one hundred and twenty days. Even now, it makes my head spin.
If I had bought the...
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ferretmochalatte asked: after having the first galaxy s, i will never another samsung phone again or a droid that is not a flagship phone because of carriers negligence for Android OS OTAs. It is the exact reason why developers stray away from Android because it is so fragmented across PSPs
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Samsung: no ICS upgrade for Galaxy S and Galaxy... →
Downside: 10 million-plus Android users getting screwed.
Upside: TouchWiz is living up to its name.
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A Note From HBO, But Not From The Future →
Jeremy Toeman responds to my letter to HBO (to let me pay for HBO Go without requiring that I pay for cable). He makes a number of solid points as to why the economics simply will not work right now.
But the keywords are “right now”.
I have no doubt that HBO is in no hurry to walk away from their cable partners who not only send them billions, but handle all the logistics (collecting...
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700,000 Daily Activations Isn't Good News →
Amit Runchal has a slightly different take on Andy Rubin’s revelation from two days ago that Google is now activating 700,000 Android devices a day. Says Runchal:
But as far as I can tell, the 700,000 number isn’t good for Android. It’s bad. It means that Android activation growth has slowed dramatically, by almost a factor of three.
Bonus points for calling out the ridiculous AllThingsD...
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Louis CK: Live at the Beacon Theater →
12 days, 1 million dollars.
And Louis C.K. details exactly what he’s going to do with the money. Most of it will go to charity with good chunks going to his staff and to pay back the costs of the production. As for his cut:
That leaves me with 220k for myself. Some of that will pay my rent and will care for my childen. The rest I will do terrible, horrible things with and none of that is...
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Most Popular* →
*based on things other than popularity
Yesterday, Facebook made waves by revealing that a game called Gardens of Time was the “most popular” game on their platform in 2011. The only problem? It’s total bullshit.
Only after Josh Constine called them out, did Facebook highlight the fact that “most popular” didn’t actually have much to do with number of people...
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Study: Apps Are For Android, Games For the iPhone →
A shitty title and an overall crap study/post. If the iPhone was as poor of an environment for game development as Android is, I suppose the title would be: Apps Are For Android, Apps Are For iPhone.
Point is: yes, games dominate the top apps in the App Store. But they would on Android Market as well if developers could make money the same way they do with games on iOS. But they can’t yet,...
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Google Triples Their Firefox Pay To Keep Microsoft... →
Looks like the thought that Bing could step in as the new Firefox benefactor weren’t far off the mark at all. In fact, Microsoft tried to make such a deal happen, Kara Swisher reports.
Ultimately it didn’t happen for one reason: money. At $300 million a year (with a minimum three-year contract), Google is nearly tripling their annual payments to Mozilla to keep Microsoft away.
Also...
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Anonymous asked: What kind of envorionment do you prefer when writing? When are you most productive? Do you write things in your head then sit down and input them or do you sit down and write from zero? Thanks for your time. I enjoy your writing very much.
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Anonymous asked: Where do you buy your eyeglasses?
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Fuck Me? No. Fuck You.
This morning, Microsoft made waves with a big move: they’re pulling out of CES. Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s head of communications, made the announcement on the company blog, noting that this year’s CES (which is in a few weeks) would be the last one featuring both a Microsoft keynote and even a Microsoft booth.
Like Apple before them, Microsoft apparently decided to move on from...
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Apple's 'Complete My Album' Feature Drops 180-Day... →
Interesting. I had had no idea this limit even existed in the first place. There are probably some songs I have from years ago that I’d like to get the entire album.