From the always-proper Economist: The iPhone’s notification panel, with its imitation linen effect, was not descended from an object that was once made of linen. The switch that, say, allows you to switch an iPhone into Airplane Mode is not an on-screen replacement for what used to be a physical switch. In the early days of … Continue reading A Metaphor, Not a Skeumorph
Virtually the entire internet is speculating talking about what Apple will roll out in its hotly anticipated – and badly needed – refresh at WWDC 2013. I could repeat all the claims about OS X 10.9, iOS 7, Mac Pros, and Retina Macbook Airs. Instead, I’ll just link you to Justin Williams’s CarpeAqua, which provides … Continue reading WWDC
The new Samsung Galaxy S4 is so powerful complicated, it has an Easy Mode – the rough equivalent of the big-button jumbo remote control you’d buy for your parents as a joke when they turn fifty. Apple has an easy mode too. It’s called iOS. Continue reading The Next Big Thing, Simplified
This morning’s Times article on dangerously high levels of pollution in China presents an interesting contrast with much of the country’s other, hands-on policies. By virtue of being a Communist state, China owns – outright or in part – and regulates virtually every major national sector. China Mobile? State owned. Phone maker ZTE? Formed from the ribs of state organizations. PertroChina? You betcha. What these degrees of ownership and oversight mean is that, obviously, Beijing plays favorites with homegrown enterprises, and will squeeze or sanction any foreign firms that don’t play by its rules. The Party knows that it has a large consumer base, and it uses that fact as a fulcrum in ensuring that corporations like Disney don’t depict subversive content, Google filters its search results, and Apple provides upgraded customer service. In fact, the latest Apple charge seems strongly government-instigated, demonstrating that if you can’t join ’em (at least in a venture), you might as well beat ’em. Continue reading “Selective Regulation”
Twitter is gearing up to imminently release some sort of music recommendation service, thanks to its recent acquisition of We Are Hunted. It’s hard to tell what exactly the service will offer, but it may not directly compete with heavyweights like Spotify, Pandora, or the upcoming Apple radio service – opting instead to serve as … Continue reading Social Singing
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.
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.
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
There is a fascinating article in The New York Times that explores the increasing level of coordination between Hollywood studios and Chinese censors. The studios – like all other industries – want access to China’s vast population, which has newfound disposable income and a greater desire for Western entertainment and material goods. But the Chinese government rigidly filters what elements make their way into theaters, generally censoring extreme sex scenes, religious criticism, and lukewarm sentiments about China itself. These limitations are unsurprising, given the government’s ban on pornography, wariness of religion, and repressive maintenance of a positive national image.
Silicon Spatula 