T-Mobile, in many respects, has its back to the wall. It did not carry the iPhone until this week. Its 4G network still lags behind those of Verizon and AT&T. And one year ago, AT&T dropped its $39 billion acquisition plans, in light of opposition from the Justice department. And its relatively small hold on the US phone market has meant that the T-Mobile still lags among the big four phone carriers.
The New York Times featured an article today discussing recent back and forth over computer graded essays. There seem to be many critics: “Let’s face the realities of automatic essay scoring,” the group’s statement reads in part. “Computers cannot ‘read.’ They cannot measure the essentials of effective written communication: accuracy, reasoning, adequacy of evidence, good … Continue reading Claims About Computer Graded Essays
Guess which firm and founder fits the following example:
A once-dominant company, brought to its knees by competition from Apple and Amazon, is faced with dropping sales, a sinking share price, and angry shareholders. In walks the silver-haired founder of the company, who volunteers part of his reduced, if still substantial fortune, in order to buy the company and save the brand.
I recently rediscovered Apple’s 2008 commercial for the original Macbook Air, and was surprised to find that it packed the same visual, emotional appeal that it did five years ago – even in the post-PC, iPad-centric era.
If Twitter partners with Amex to take on eCommerce, you can be sure that Facebook will make its own effort, too.
Yesterday, I bought a $25 American Express Gift Card for $15. The neat thing is, I did it on Twitter. I’m not sure if this sort of selling is necessarily going to be the next big thing in eCommerce, but it is certainly a compelling development in how Twitter – which recently raised the per-day cost of its “Promoted Tweet” to $200,000 – is seeking to monetize its product. Similarly, Facebook is experimenting with a ticket purchase option for some events, demonstrating Social Media’s interest – and need – to expand from simple advertising platforms to facilitators of consumer engagement – and purchases.
Yesterday, Disney announced that its profit dropped to $1.36 billion on $11.34 billion in revenue, reflecting a dip in the company’s margins, despite growing revenue. I found the earnings report fascinating in that it reflects the company’s profound diversification into non-film endeavors: the movie division booked only $234 million in profit, representing only about one-fifth … Continue reading Disney and Diversification
In light of the screenshots of the new Chrome OS, I figured that it’d be worth publicly positing, that if given the opportunity again, Google would probably have chosen to make Chrome, and not Android, their mobile OS.
Netflix’s new series House of Cards is a clear attempt to craft a show to rival broadcast favorites like AMC’s Mad Men or HBO’s Game of Thrones – or anything HBO has produced, for that matter. While many broadcast networks seek to produce reality television, talent contests, or chipper comedies, cable networks – most especially the aforementioned three-letter networks – have hollowed out a niche in high quality programming that focuses on character development and period set-design, achieving a result closer to film than traditional television. And in most ways, House of Cards is a fitting entrant to the ranks.
The blogosphere is all abuzz with the announcement of RIM Blackberry’s new OS, and, naturally, reviews of the both the device and the company’s future abound. Check out The Verge’s generous take, below: And, in perfect complement, BGR’s perspective. As someone once said, “everything is relative. Even Blackberry reviews.” Continue reading Everything’s Relative in Tech-land
Silicon Spatula 