An open letter from Steve Jobs recently ruffled quite a few feathers. While we’re all tinkering with our new iPads and waiting patiently for the release of iPhone OS 4, let’s take a moment to ruminate on what the Grand Poobah of Apple has to say about Flash. What does it mean? And while this is an open letter, just how open is his mind?
The gist of what Jobs says is that Flash is a relic. It drains the battery of mobile devices. It’s not good for multi-touch operation. Its performance, reliability, and security are not-to-be-trusted. It’s a proprietary system. It’s an unnecessary third party layer of software that comes between the platform and the developer.
You can read the full letter, start to finish, here.
Obviously, Jobs has his motives. He scolds Adobe for their “closed system” from his glass house. He’s even garnered a surprising ally in Microsoft’s Dean Hachamovitch. He’d like us all to believe that HTML5 will prevail in the end. He’s been accused by Adobe’s CEO of attempting to create a “smokescreen” and accusations that are “patently false.”
Next up? Looks like an antitrust investigation is inevitable.
The web is afire with buzz about the latest 3D TV news this week.
Discovery Communications Inc., Sony Corp., and IMAX Corp. are planning a joint venture to unveil the first ever U.S. television network dedicated to full-time 3D programming. Also, Disney’s ESPN announced plans to launch their own 3D network this year.
Will 2010 be the year of 3D? Some say no. Some are holding their breath to see what this week’s Consumer Electronics Show reveals.
Either way, you can say bye-bye to standard def and bunny ears, hello to HD and 3D. And whatever happens, we’ll be watching.
Jokes about deaf people? No! The Holocaust? Gasp! Feminine hygiene and incest? Say it ain’t so!
It would appear the folks at Microsoft failed to do their research before signing on to a much hailed sponsorship of a Family Guy variety show. The tech behemoth behind the newly launched Windows 7 yanked the plug on the deal upon seeing the content and realizing the nature of the show’s jokes didn’t quite “fit with the Windows brand.”
Now, we realize the tech geeks over at Microsoft have been busy launching a new operating system and making a series of embarrassingly awkward videos. But they’re not exactly living under a rock. Family Guy is well-known for its specific brand of crude humor attacking dysfunctional Americana. And it has been on the air for 10 years, give or take.
Remember the one where Mike installed a pay phone inside the Brady house to teach the kids about fiscal responsibility? My, how times have changed.
Well, forget Crisco and Carol Brady—Florence Henderson is a woman of the modern age. Or so she’s selling.
Her just-launched FloH Club is a tech-support hot line for older adults who want to become more comfortable with the whole world wide web thingy. The plans and services range from $25 to up to $250 for an entire year.
Everyone knows that Florence Henderson is capable—shoot, the woman handled six kids with panache and made fried chicken like nobody’s business. What’s a little tech support?
There’s been much talk recently about Apple’s approval process for its App Store. Many have attacked the apparent irregularity with which Apple either approves or denies submitted apps. Or, in some cases, approves then yanks them.
Apple has stayed mum on the subject, offering little to no explanation on the process—until recently. With a little nudging from the FCC, Apple was forced to explain the reasoning behind the rejection of Google Voice. Apple’s response on Friday went a little like this:
“Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it. The application has not been approved because, as submitted for review, it appears to alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone’s core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail.”
Read more about the Apple app approval saga here, here, and here. Really, can we squeeze in any more words that start with “app”?
An interactive video player in the pages of a magazine can’t be cheap. So will readers respond? CBS and Pepsi are hoping so, with an exciting promotion to hype their fall lineup. A paper-thin video player will be inserted into the pages of the Sept. 18 issue of Entertainment Weekly loaded with video content touting CBS’s fall shows.
Perhaps if you want your message to jump off the page, you gotta make it creative. This innovative approach comes at a critical time for CBS who is battling (along with other networks) a ratings erosion due to increased digital options.
Much like HDTV was coming ten years ago, 3D will make it’s way into our homes eventually as well. In fact the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers announced its standards program began looking into 3D content delivery over cable networks back in February.
Gizmodo gives us a primer on the basics here, but more new stuff keeps popping up every day.
Nothing to do with unborn babies, and everything to do with one-upping Nintendo’s Wii. The idea is to completely get away from game controllers in general and let those with an Xbox 360 and a large enough living room start flailing around to control their video games. Two tiny cameras and an infra red sensor will track your movements and translate that into gameplay:
But an even more interesting use of the technology comes in the form of Project “milo” from Lionhead studios. An artificial intelligence system that rides that fine line between amazing and creepy.
Keeping abreast of all the latest advancements in technology and science can sometime make your brain hurt. Like from wrapping it around the following concept:
Scientists have harnessed the power of microscopic bacteria to actually push other tiny little things around… down there… in the microverse. Think of this as harnessing a few thousand tiny little horses as opposed to building a tiny little car (nanobots)
from the article:
“Canadian researcher Sylvain Martel has developed a ultra tiny machine that can be propelled and steered through a swarm of 3,000 bacteria.
The tiny device, which measures just 300×300 microns, contains a solar cell, communications circuit and sensor. By sensing pH levels and sharing them via electromagnetic pulse to a connected computer, researchers were able to control magnetically-influenced bacteria to precisely relocate their machine to seek out an environment of higher pH.
