tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91433410166064730742024-03-08T11:04:37.459-08:00Autistic DisdainOCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-58110139515663562452010-11-05T08:26:00.000-07:002010-11-05T08:32:27.794-07:00Autistic Disdain is movingThings that are fun: writing about (and making fun of) gadgets and tech.<div><br /></div><div>Things that are not fun: wrestling with Blogger software while managing a bunch of other WordPress blogs that all work nicely.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, Autistic Disdain is moving to http://autisticdisdain.wordpress.com . I'm going to see what I can do about migrating all of the old posts over as well. Hate to leave them behind.</div><div><br /></div><div>See you folks on the other side!</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-87846662595420953892010-11-05T08:04:00.001-07:002010-11-05T08:19:05.364-07:00U.S. Cyber Command Achieves 'Full Operational Capab-....Wait, We Have A Cyber Command?!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TNQdE6EpjJI/AAAAAAAAAM0/yydptRywq4c/s1600/ussybercommand.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TNQdE6EpjJI/AAAAAAAAAM0/yydptRywq4c/s320/ussybercommand.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536081812090621074" /></a>File this under "Stuff That Probably Sounds Cooler Than It Is", but <i>apparently</i> the U.S. now has a Cyber Command. A sub-department of the DoD. Their responsibilities? "Directing activities to operate and defend DoD networks." So, um....sweet?<div><br /></div><div>According to the DoD <a href="http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14030">press release</a> on the subject, the new Cyber Command....does stuff. Like, um...."transitioning personnel" and defending our networks. My guess? China's been back-tracing some stuff and, as it turns out, we don't really have a Cyber Pohlice. Until now that is!</div><div><br /></div><div>It is unclear if this new Cyber Enforcement Agency Power Go! will be handling issues on the home front (they won't) or if they'll stick to more boring stuff like handling the regular attempts by foreign powers to invade our government's military secrets from secure network facilities (ok yeah, that one). Suffice to say, Google finally won't be the only ones <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5449037/google-hacked-the-chinese-hackers-right-back">on the offensive</a> against foreign cyber invasion.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-68249174658800907582010-11-02T19:45:00.000-07:002010-11-03T15:20:06.768-07:00T-Mobile Claims Title of Largest 4G Network, Pisses Off Everyone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TNDZgHFG9kI/AAAAAAAAAMs/-vNQYOSpz10/s1600/fourofthegeees.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TNDZgHFG9kI/AAAAAAAAAMs/-vNQYOSpz10/s320/fourofthegeees.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535163087717856834" /></a>Not content with <a href="http://autisticdisdain.blogspot.com/2010/10/t-mobile-is-enemy-of-nerds-everywhere.html">annoying pedantic nerds</a>, T-Mobile has decided to go and piss off Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T by claiming they now have the nation's largest 4G network. Verizon and AT&T are stuck retorting with PR statements nobody cares about, since they can't reply with counter-ads since they have no 4G network of their own to advertise yet. Sprint keeps hawking the Evo.<div><br /></div><div>Of course, competing carriers aren't the only ones T-Mo is pissing off. The ITU, which is kinda like the FCC for the UN but not really, is in the business of regulating all of the other acronyms the UN hasn't already used up. And they've determined that "4G" can only apply to <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/21/itu-lays-down-law-wimax-2-lte-advanced-are-4g-everyone-else-i/">WiMax2 and LTE-Advanced</a>. Why? Screw you. That's why.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, T-Mobile's just hung the sense of it and started putting out <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/03/t-mobile-starts-up-4g-ad-campaign-by-poking-a-stiletto-into-atandt/">ads twisting the knife</a>.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-50428720613817714702010-11-02T16:39:00.000-07:002010-11-02T19:12:34.899-07:00Google Apologizes For Getting All Up In Your Gmail By Getting All Up In Your Gmail<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TNDDLa9hVLI/AAAAAAAAAMk/2hD8bbiR2KU/s1600/shitgooglebricks2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TNDDLa9hVLI/AAAAAAAAAMk/2hD8bbiR2KU/s320/shitgooglebricks2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535138543021675698" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><i>"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">Google rarely contacts Gmail users via email, but we are making an exception to let you know that we've reached a settlement in a lawsuit regarding Google Buzz" </span></i></span><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">I know. You feel bad. But I really just don't want to talk to you. I broke up with you because you were creepy and went snooping through my email. That was a huge invasion of privacy. I don't want you to apologize. I want you to leave.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><i>"</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><i>Shortly after its launch, we heard from a number of people who were concerned about privacy."</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">I know. You've made great progess. I'm glad you've got into rehab. But that doesn't change what you did. So please. Just leave. I want to move on with my life.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><i>"</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><i>The settlement acknowledges that we quickly changed the service to address users' concerns. In addition, Google has committed $8.5 million to an independent fund, most of which will support organizations promoting privacy education and policy on the web."</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">You're not going to win me back. Please. Go away. Leave my house or I'm going to call the police.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><i>"</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><i>This mandatory announcement was sent to all Gmail users in the United States as part of a legal settlement"</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; ">Alright. Fine. Then go back and tell your sponsor you've fulfilled your duties or whatever. I'll say "I forgive you" or whatever I need to do to get you to go. Just please. Go.</span></div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-22434027326682876502010-10-28T07:19:00.000-07:002010-10-28T08:05:22.818-07:00T-Mobile Is The Enemy Of Nerds Everywhere<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TMmHc3KH6VI/AAAAAAAAAMU/Ge2xxg0dzWo/s1600/fourofthegeees.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TMmHc3KH6VI/AAAAAAAAAMU/Ge2xxg0dzWo/s320/fourofthegeees.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533102547113863506" /></a>The phone pictured to the left? That is the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G. Four. Gee. How many Gees? Four. What are there four of? The Gees. Four.<div><br /></div><div>Gee.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, what those Gee's mean is anybody's guess. 4th generation of something? Sure I guess so. I mean, HSDPA+ is, technically an iteration of the more common-place HSPA technology that T-Mobile uses for their 3G data. And yes, HSDPA+ is faster. And yes it does have <i>two</i> whole extra characters! One letter and one <i>symbol</i>. Seriously. That plus? That's like adding flames to the front of your car.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is it 4G? Eh. Who cares? Well, nerds for one. "Well, techniiiically, it's only a 3.5G tech, because it's theoretical bandwidth isn't as high as WiMax and especially not LTE."</div><div><br /></div><div>Let me tell ya', there's few things as attractive, in marketing as "3.5G". Mm-mm. Nope. I mean, remember what I told you about symbols? The point in three-point-five? That's kind of a symbol! And that means awesome. Plus 3.5G has an extra number. Not sure why they're not calling it 3.5G to be honest. But I guess they felt simpler is better.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"But it's imprecise! It's only going to cause user confusion in the long-term!"</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Shut up nerd.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-77473446301570419772010-10-26T13:18:00.000-07:002010-10-26T13:56:53.946-07:00The New Nook Is Going To Crush You With Awesome<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/10/bn-nook-2010-0129-rm-eng.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 398px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/10/bn-nook-2010-0129-rm-eng.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>This is the new, color Nook. And this woman? She is terrified of it. Look at her. She is taken aback by the mind-boggling vastness of it's potential. She is positively floored. Or about to be.<div><br /></div><div>Do you understand? Do you <i>get</i> just how unbelievable this new Nook is? <b><i>I DON'T THINK YOU DO.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>It's magnificent. Unbelievable. Positively flabbergasting. Mesmerizingly ostentatious.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's like....</div><div><br /></div><div>....whoa.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-30114674902463940202010-10-12T07:33:00.000-07:002010-10-12T07:48:37.102-07:00This Dress Is Like The Matrix, Less Evil, More Messy 2-Year-Old<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R06oTwsABQ0?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R06oTwsABQ0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />I don't think this needs any other commentary.<div><br /></div><div>Except maybe: Whaaaaaaaa-?</div><div><br /></div><div>And: The heeeeeeck?!</div><div><br /></div><div>And also: Dude, I'm gonna get one for my girlfriend.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-7363739115591368552010-10-03T13:39:00.000-07:002010-10-03T14:12:00.486-07:00The Apple Store Trolling Chronicles -- The iPad is a Big iPod Touch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TKjtT6wQovI/AAAAAAAAAME/XVm3a5VWXB8/s1600/applemath.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 160px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TKjtT6wQovI/AAAAAAAAAME/XVm3a5VWXB8/s320/applemath.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523925869414884082" /></a>In today's edition, the new iPods are the center of attention. Specifically, what about that fancy new iPod Touch? What's the difference between it and an iPhone?<div><br /></div><div><i>"Basically, the phone part. And, there is a little bit less memory. It's only got 256MB to the iPhone's 512MB. So, it's really closer to an iPad."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>As an aside: if you have constant access to WiFi, or a decently priced WiFi hotspot plan, you could make do with an iPod Touch instead of an iPhone. That WiFi hotspot plan was also the Apple Store rep's idea.</div><div><br /></div><div>But this "It's closer to an iPad" thing intrigues me.....So, what's the difference between an iPod Touch and an iPad?</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Well, basically, the size. It's bigger, so, you know, you can put your whole hand on it. Basically, it's a computer......"</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>I'm sorry, I just wanna make sure I'm getting this clear. The difference between a $300 iPod Touch and a $600 iPad* is that it's bigger?</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Yeah, basically."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>And, you know, the cameras.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Well, yeah, the cameras, too. So, you couldn't say, do video chat with an iPad. Or take pictures. Or video.</i>"</div><div><br /></div><div>But it's bigger?</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Yeah."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>K thanks!</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, I asked him if I could get the iPod Nano any bigger. <i>"Well, it comes in 8GB and 16GB-"</i> No, I mean....bigger. That screen is tiny. <i>"Oh. No. That's as big as they come."</i> Thanks again!</div><div><br /></div><div>* -- Compare 32GB, WiFi-only models. The iPod Touch starts at $230 for 8GB and the iPad WiFi model starts at $500 for 16GB.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-47843145712418966572010-09-29T10:17:00.001-07:002010-09-29T10:47:12.242-07:00PCs Are Undead, Baby, PCs are Undead<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TKN5ojDTgRI/AAAAAAAAAL8/8AJl2K68O_Q/s1600/imapczombie.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TKN5ojDTgRI/AAAAAAAAAL8/8AJl2K68O_Q/s320/imapczombie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522391305597190418" /></a><br />As you are surely aware, the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5301401/so-long-desktop-pc-you-suck">desktop</a>, the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5640716/is-the-notebook-dying">notebook</a>, and the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5532511/netboooks-are-dead-baby-netbooks-are-dead">netbook</a> are all <a href="http://autisticdisdain.blogspot.com/2010/05/iphone-is-dead-baby-iphone-is-dead.html">dead, baby, dead</a>. The death of a technology proven, of course, by <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/20/comscore-googles-android-surpasses-microsoft-in-us-smartphone/">any given chart that contains a negative number</a>, disregarding context. That being said, some new conflicting evidence has cropped up in Canada, contesting these <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5651160/laptop-and-desktop-sales-up-a-surprising-25-and-30-each">claims of death</a>.<div><br /></div><div>NPD reports that Canada is seeing a rise in PC sales. 20% for laptops and 30% for desktops. Surprising given that nobody uses PCs anymore. With something like 4 million iPads sold, pretty much everyone has them by now, so Canada is at a loss to explain why PC sales are rising.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I'm not. Clearly, the dead laptops and desktops are now joining the ranks of the undead. And frankly, it makes perfect sense strategically. With so many different events that are set to destroy this world--alien invasion, Armageddon, 2012, the return of whatever Scientologists are waiting for, the new 3D Star Wars movies--it's only logical that two of the most hotly anticipated end-of-the-world scenarios would team up for a joint venture: the zombie apocalypse and the robot uprising. Think of it as the Hulu for the end of life as we know it.</div><div><br /></div><div>This fall, all Windows wants to do is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOlznuyPOeM">eat your brains</a>*.</div><div><br /></div><div>*-- Well, ok, so that part is nothing new.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-51617620395880252102010-07-12T21:19:00.000-07:002010-07-12T21:58:10.876-07:00We Will Never Be Free: 74 Percent of Work PCs Have Cheap Bosses, Run XP<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TDvtjprkgsI/AAAAAAAAALc/fK5vRu5M82I/s1600/XPSpace.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TDvtjprkgsI/AAAAAAAAALc/fK5vRu5M82I/s320/XPSpace.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493245367248257730" /></a>Engadget <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/12/microsoft-says-74-percent-of-work-pcs-still-use-windows-xp-exte/">reports</a>, grudgingly, that Microsoft has announced they are extending to corporations an upgrade amnesty, saying they will allow corporations to exercise "downgrade rights" for new machines they purchase with Windows 7. For those unfamiliar, "downgrade rights" are defined as "those rights, endowed by one's creator, to rollback to old operating systems like Windows XP, and generally be an old fogey and curmodgeon".<div><br /></div><div>I am, of course, paraphrasing.</div><div><br /></div><div>That being said, currently, according to Microsoft, 74% percent of corporate machines run 4-5 year old hardware on Windows XP, a nine-year-old OS. To keep all of these up-to-date on the latest operating systems is an impossibility. Even if those updates <i>didn't</i> come with a hefty price tag. And yet, old software is a breeding ground for malware, not to mention inefficiency which, on a corporate scale, could cost more than upgrading.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what's the solution?</div><div><br /></div><div>There is none. Sorry folks. Getting 100% of the corporate world to use the current version of Windows would be less likely than getting Israel and Palestine to quit fighting over a tiny patch of dirt at the nexus of three of the largest continents in the world, or getting me to understand half the items on a Starbucks menu.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-20551970390975383962010-07-07T17:55:00.000-07:002010-07-07T18:17:49.537-07:00HuluPlus Comparison Chart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/597/whatyougetwithhuluplus.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 800px; height: 3438px;" src="http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/597/whatyougetwithhuluplus.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Here's a comparison chart of Hulu, HuluPlus, and Netflix. Some notable tidbits:<div><br /></div><div>-- Free Hulu doesn't have too much in the way of full seasons, but they're not without their gems. Especially older shows like Highlander and Doogie Howser. Though, putting Doogie Howser behind a paywall would be as cruel as requiring a subscription to Xbox Live just to play that Netflix Streaming you already pay for on your TV.</div><div><br /></div><div>-- HuluPlus does offer an impressive library of back episodes, but it does get bested more than once by Netflix' library. Though, apparently Netflix' interest in maintaining an impressive television show library starts to taper off after shows that start with B, with a serious prejudice to Cs.</div><div><br /></div><div>-- While I'm fairly certain it did not affect the data presented here, while collecting data, some shows were added or removed from the listing on the <a href="http://www.hulu.com/plus">promo page for HuluPlus</a>. It is entirely possible that the data here may be incorrect by time I submit this article.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, since this is <i>supposed</i> to be a comedy blog.....</div><div><br /></div><div>.....buttfarts.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-71268884048690831622010-06-28T10:21:00.000-07:002010-06-28T10:25:09.600-07:00Super. Mario. Live. Wallpapers<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2g58o9w0bg4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2g58o9w0bg4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><div>I'm not even going to make fun of this. This is just too amazing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some things are sacred.</div><div><br /></div><div>Action starts around 0:40. You can download the package <a href="http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=710647">here</a>. </div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-11814969150898065102010-06-23T19:46:00.000-07:002010-06-24T08:36:34.932-07:00YouTube Adds Vuvuzela Fea-BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TCLILRys7jI/AAAAAAAAAKk/4exFhTmDOew/s1600/youtubevuvuz-BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TCLILRys7jI/AAAAAAAAAKk/4exFhTmDOew/s320/youtubevuvuz-BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486167392170864178" /></a>In honor of the WorldZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Cup, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oXZLeKqcnk">YouTube</a> has rolBZZZZZZZZZZZZled out a feaBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZture for manyBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ of their vidBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ eoBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZs. The abiBZZZZZZZZZZlity BZZZZZZZZZZZ to enableBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ a constBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZant trackBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ of vuBZZZZZZZZZZZZvuBZZZZZZZZZZZzeBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZla. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ<div><br /></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><div>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</div></div><div><br /></div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-40425329880917141362010-06-09T12:01:00.000-07:002010-06-09T12:01:00.245-07:00Dear Fox: Stay Out Of My Gadgets<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TA7eK3rFzjI/AAAAAAAAAKY/IjxZCzeHCek/s1600/gtfomyinternets.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TA7eK3rFzjI/AAAAAAAAAKY/IjxZCzeHCek/s320/gtfomyinternets.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480562074881216050" /></a>I don't know much about politics. In fact, I think after the last year or so I know far <i>more</i> about politics than I ever cared to. Call it social pressure or just becoming an adult, but suddenly things like foreign policy and economy aren't just empty words. They're empty words rambled about by empty heads. But you know what? Maybe I'm just not educated. So I'll stick to doing what I normally do. Calling out liars for being liars, even if I don't know what the truth is.<div><br /></div><div>And that's always been my position with Fox. The level of intentional idiocy, misdirection, or misunderstanding spouted as wisdom at this network has always astounded me.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>But OC, </i> you cry, <i>if you don't know anything about politics or business, how can you say they're wrong?</i> To which I'd reply, a.) I hadn't told you I don't know much about business, where did you hear that? And 2.) I never said I know they're wrong. I said I know they're liars. There's a difference. A liar can tell you the truth in such a way that you walk away misinformed. An honest person can be wrong, and you'll still come out of that conversation wiser. Of course, I can only ever really tell that folks at Fox are liars by inclinations. Instinct. They use suggestive cues to lead you down a pre-defined mental path. I don't know, concerning the subject matter, how they're wrong, except that they act like a sleazy car salesman, or the player I knew in high school who sweet-talked girls into having sex with him, then left them when they were at their most emotionally vulnerable, several hundred miles from home, with no family, about to be homeless.</div><div><br /></div><div>*ahem*</div><div><br /></div><div>......But then, every once in a while, I get a gem like this where Fox decided to venture into <i>my</i> territory. Technology. Cell phones, computers, the internet. And almost without fail, any time they mention tech, there's something seriously wrong with their reporting. Today's venture? <a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2010/06/08/apple-faces-attack-androids/">iPhone vs. Android</a>. As an unashamed fan of Android (though I can be fair when the iPhone deserves credit), I was outright dismayed that Fox was covering this "battle" I'd been following since before the G1 came out.</div><div><br /></div><div>To start with, the claim that <i>"Disappointingly, the new iPhone (due June 24) doesn't use faster 4G service"</i>. Listen, I now own an Evo, and I can tell you, yeah, it's great having the option. But if you were actually expecting 4G service on an iPhone this year, you are out of the loop. AT&T's LTE network is not prepared for a 4G phone until at least 2011 (same as Verizon). Sprint is currently the only one with a 4G (abeit, WiMax) network ready, and will be at least until the end of the year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then there's this: "<i>Even Jobs faced service problems during his presentation on Monday." </i></div><div><br /></div><div><i></i>It would take nothing more than having seen the keynote or reading <i>any</i> article about it to know that the iPhone demos were not being done over AT&T's network, but rather a WiFi signal. You're heavily implying that AT&T was the cause of the data disruption (given that this sentence comes right after you describe AT&T's network as "beleaguered"). Now, I love a good AT&T jab as much as the next non-AT&T user, but come on. Where it's due, please.</div><div><br /></div><div>But then, the worst of it all.....you mentioned the Garmin phone. The <i>Garmin</i> phone as one of the hot new Android handsets. And why? <i>"It combines the best of a standalone navigation device with the best of a smart phone."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>*sigh*</div><div><br /></div><div>You are officially unqualified to comment on smartphone issues. You cannot possible pit the Garminfone against the iPhone 4 and expect to not get laughed off your blog. Especially when you're touting it's navigation powers, when any Android handset comes with built-in turn-by-turn navigation <i>for free</i>. Admittedly, the Garminfone has offline-maps in its favor, but it's not worth going back to Android 1.6. You know what Android 1.6 is, don't you? No? Oh that's right, you just started paying attention to Android last month.</div><div><br /></div><div>And the cherry on top?</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"It's also anticipated that Verizon will debut a 4G phone within the next few months"</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>When dealing with Fox, I generally find there's a couple different categories information falls into. Sprinkling of Truth, Misdirecting Half-Truths, and Damn Lies. This is a Damn Lie. Verizon has specifically stated they will not have a 4G phone at <i>least</i> until 2011. As I stated earlier, neither Verizon nor AT&T has the LTE network ready for a 4G phone. And when they do, we gadget nerds will know about it long before you do. Unless you define "the next few months" as "next year", you are simply flat out wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>So please. Stop trying to report the gadget news. You really suck at it. And I'm getting tired of having to correct you every time I talk to my friends who end up reading your drivel.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-3665807342385976272010-06-08T16:59:00.001-07:002010-06-08T17:03:32.276-07:00Proof the iPad is Magical<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TA7ZgdMvuTI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/A4Jzh8BGU8o/s1600/ipadgirl.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/TA7ZgdMvuTI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/A4Jzh8BGU8o/s320/ipadgirl.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480556948173601074" /></a>A hint for all you up-and-coming ladies-men out there: If you require a mass-manufactured device to get a girl's attention, you are already doing it wrong from the start.<div><br /></div><div>A tip for all the ladies: If the most interesting thing about a guy is his iPad, raise your standards.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-67459352379452195032010-05-27T00:14:00.001-07:002010-05-27T00:40:16.608-07:00The New Face of the Modern Gamer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S_4b8zs1LiI/AAAAAAAAAKA/0pRKmcq5L2o/s1600/newfaceofthemoderngamer.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S_4b8zs1LiI/AAAAAAAAAKA/0pRKmcq5L2o/s320/newfaceofthemoderngamer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475844928413445666" /></a>According to CTA this is it. Nevermind the crappy Photoshop job. And nevermind the mildly attractive/intimidating model CTA used to demo the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/wii-weighted-gloves-turns-gamer-into-virtual-badass-actual-outc/">Wii Weighted Gloves</a>. And yes, she is intimidating. But not because she's physically fit or apparently enjoys a good boxing match. But rather because she has the cojones to be photographed wearing the gloves. A fashion statement that simultaneously says "I am a person who enjoys being physically active" and "I am allergic to sunlight."<div><br /></div><div>Then there's the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/25/cta-debuts-wings-for-wii-we-beg-them-to-stop/">Wings for Wii</a>. An accessory that you can attach to your arms while playing games like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji2hLJ_gqOU">Bird's Eye Bull's Eye</a>, for the Wii Fit. A game that requires you to flap your arms to maintain lift while you, a man in a chicken suit, flies from one precarious inexplicable ledge in the middle of an ocean to another.</div><div><br /></div><div>In their defense, adding wings would increase your drag, making it more difficult to flap, and thus giving you an ever-so-slightly better work out than without the wings. On the other hand, you look retarded.</div><div><br /></div><div>But if you look at this woman and think "Man, I hope I can be that cool when I grow up," then may I interest you in the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/18/wii-rowing-machine-aims-to-sculpt-abs-achieves-belly-laughs-vi/">Wii Rowing Machine</a>, the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/22/wii-football-controller-brought-to-life-by-cta-digital/">Wii Football Controller</a>, the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/19/ctas-bowling-ball-for-wii-comes-with-giant-wrist-strap-zero-li/">Wii Bowling Ball</a>, or the <a href="http://drphil.com/">Wii Therapist</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>*Note: Wii sports are not an acceptable substitute for physical activity, Dr. Phil is not an acceptable substitute for real counseling.</i></div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-35782348087642793972010-05-25T18:02:00.001-07:002010-05-25T18:49:09.051-07:00Pixel Zombies: I Take Back Everything I Said, Stick With the iPhone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S_xzzL7VK_I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/thT1GD7-Tqs/s1600/340x_zombieandroid.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S_xzzL7VK_I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/thT1GD7-Tqs/s320/340x_zombieandroid.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475378570187844594" /></a>Oh, what's that? You're surprised? After all my Android talk. After positively <a href="http://autisticdisdain.blogspot.com/2010/04/giz-finds-iphone-giz-gets-raided-i-just.html">drooling over the Evo</a>, why would I tell you to stick with the iPhone? One word: <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5547346/witness-a-zombie-outbreak-on-your-androids-wallpaper">Zombies</a>.<div><br /></div><div>I thought that Android's open market was a welcome reprieve from Apple's walled garden of the App Store. With no rules on content and minimal technical restrictions, it ought to be a utopia of innovation, right? <i>Wrong.</i> What you're seeing to your left is a screen grab of a live wallpaper (introduced in Android 2.1, currently available for most major Android handsets) demonstrating a zombie invasion. Red dots represent zombies, green dots represent civilians, and blue dots represent <i>zombie hunters</i>. Madness!</div><div><br /></div><div>I've learned my lesson. I thought that I wanted openness. But now, my home screen has become invaded by starving-mad meat sacks feasting on the flesh of mortals. Now I have to fear that handing my phone to a friend or family member may get them bit and turn them into a seething, bleeding, ravenous monster.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I hear what you're saying at this point. "Well, gee golly gosh, Mr. Disdain. That sure sounds like an awful lot of trouble to get into. I sure don't wanna go gettin' Ma or Pop bit with my telephone device." To which I will respond with a.) what the heck is Theodore Cleaver doing shopping for a smartphone? But more importantly: I'm just getting started.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you drop an icon on to your home screen, this acts as a nuclear bomb. That's right. A <i>nuclear bomb</i>. Governments all over the world are attempting to limit the use of such weapons of terrifying power, and Google, per their custom, wants to give that kind of power to the average user. For free*. No sir. Not me. I do not accept the responsibility!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Unfortunately</i>, I've already pre-ordered my Evo, so I have no choice but to receive my 2.1 Android device that contains a security hole so big, you could drive a zombie invasion through it. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>*-- Well, technically, the wallpaper is $1 in the Market. And technically Google didn't make the zombie app. Though supporting the nuclear weapons API in the OS was a hugely irresponsible move on their part so they are just as much to blame.</i></div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-87187421986998699862010-05-13T13:39:00.003-07:002010-05-13T13:49:58.009-07:00On Piracy and Theft<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S-xlWndtu5I/AAAAAAAAAJw/qGAEzscRLds/s1600/pirate_nun_02.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S-xlWndtu5I/AAAAAAAAAJw/qGAEzscRLds/s320/pirate_nun_02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470859086573452178" /></a><br /><i>[Editor's Note: Normally, we don't post stuff this serious. Trifling about with morality and right and wrong? Pshaw. We much prefer to sit back and make fun of people and companies that do silly things, make silly things, say silly things, or are silly things. But Offical-As-Of-Now Guest Writer Odin asked to be reposted. And his article has a picture of a nun with an eye patch. And if you think about it, the old lady with a scarf analogy is kind of funny. I mean imagine her face when some punk runs up and steals her scarf but, WHOAAA! It's still in her hand too! Whahahaha! *ahem* But I digress. Anyways, here's his post, originally published </i><a href="http://frommuninn.blogspot.com/2010/05/on-piracy-and-theft.html"><i>here</i></a><i>.]</i><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size:13px;">Lets get this straight. Piracy is not theft and theft is not piracy.<div><br /></div><div>Sure enough the two are related concepts but it's wholly inaccurate to classify one as the other. While in the eyes of the law they are both crimes, piracy is one that average people are more ready to commit. Why is that? Namely it's because they don't see the harm in it. If you steal an old ladies purse then that old lady no longer has her purse. Where is she going to put her knitting now? Reasonable people feel guilt over performing such actions and often go crazy from the clickaty-clack of the knitting needles echoing throughout their conscience.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, if you were to take an exact copy of her purse then she still has somewhere to put her knitting and you'd have half a scarf. Everybody wins. Except of course now you'll never buy her scarves at the weekly jumble sale and she won't be able to afford that trip to Florida any more. Of course most people don't think that far ahead so they'll live quite happily with their ill-gotten gains free from guilt and those pesky haunting knitting needles.</div><div><br /></div><div>Theft basically boils down to the removal of value. You take something valuable and someone else no longer has that value. It has been irrecoverably (unless they arrest your thieving ass) removed from the system. With piracy though the original value is never removed. What changes is the potential levels of value. And unlike theft piracy can actually result in a gain of value for the victim of the piracy. This I believe is the biggest factor that differentiates piracy from theft, it can actually have a positive effect on value.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lets revisit our old friend the old knitting lady for some scarf themed examples of the three potential effects of piracy:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>1. Negative potential value</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>This sadly is likely the most common form of piracy and is generally why it's considered theft as well as an all round bad thing. Take Mr Bastard now. Mr Bastard would normally purchase a scarf from the dear old lady but upon finding out he can receive a magical scarf duplicate ends up not doing so. In this case a potential sale existed but then was lost due to piracy. The old lady has lost potential value. And she is sad.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>2. Neutral potential value</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Probably the second most common form. Take Mr Apathetic. Mr Apathetic would never consider purchasing a scarf from the dear old lady. However he will take a copied one for free. If he couldn't get it for free though he wouldn't purchase one. Here no potential sale existed in the first place so there is nothing lost, nothing gained. It's still not morally correct but the victim has technically lost nothing. The old lady has lost nothing, gained nothing. She is knitting.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>3. Positive potential value</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>What's this? Positive piracy? Surely not! Piracy is a bad dirty crime for thieving bastards I hear you cry. But consider the case of Mr Unconvinced. Like Mr Apathetic he never considered a scarf purchase. However upon trying a free copy of it he comes to the realisation that he really likes it and pays the old lady her due. Here this is a sale that previously didn't exist in potentia but was created through piracy. The old lady has actually gained value from this. She is off to Florida.</div><div><br /></div><div>This isn't an endorsement of piracy nor is it showing that it's morally acceptable. It's merely an illustration that it's more complicated than simple theft and how the two actions should be considered independently of each other. It's not such a black and white concept.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unlike this Jolly Roger I'm knitting.</div></span></div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-92024920291768000552010-05-11T19:46:00.000-07:002010-05-11T21:28:43.221-07:00The iPhone is Dead, Baby, the iPhone is Dead<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S-ot9p9zueI/AAAAAAAAAJo/OtwL7N_V9ww/s1600/ultamatashoedown2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S-ot9p9zueI/AAAAAAAAAJo/OtwL7N_V9ww/s320/ultamatashoedown2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470235234655255010" /></a><br /><div>Compiled to the left is a totally in-context, <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5532511/netboooks-are-dead-baby-netbooks-are-dead">not at all disingenuous chart</a> of data that shows, definitively, that the iPhone is dead.</div><div><br /></div><div>Compare. Between October 2009 and January of 2010. The iPhone experienced only a 0.3% increase, while the Android platform experienced a 4.3% increase. Whoa! Then, between November and February, a <i>whole month later</i>, the span is now that the iPhone saw -0.1% increase (that's negative), while Android saw 5.2% increase.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nevermind that "increase" is poorly defined, that the time frames are disingenuous, and that the source method is obscure or unreliable. Here's the point. If you were to draw a line from the right corner of the green column to the right corner of the purple column for the iPhone, the line goes downhill. But if you do that for the Android columns, they go <i>uphill</i>. Clearly, Android is the winner!</div><div><br /></div><div>This is in line with what NDP <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5535502/android-surpasses-iphones-sales-for-q12010">recently posted</a>, stating that Android sales, according to customer surveys because that's how you measure sales, for the first time exceeded iPhone sales. According to the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/comment/22700126">Diazian Growth Principle</a>, slow growth, approaching zero, means that a product is dead. If that is not enough proof, look at the third column. The iPhone's "Aliveness" column is currently at 0, indicating a ton of deadness. While Androids' alive level is over 9000!</div><div><br /></div><div>The only logical conclusion that we can come to is that the iPhone is dead. Nevermind that, even if Android is currently accelerating at a rate faster than the iPhone, the iPhone OS still has a larger install base. Nevermind that the Android app market, yet another way for mobile OSes to measure their epeen, still lags behind Apples. And nevermind that the two, though bitter rivals, compete for almost entirely different customers since the iPhone is limited to exclusively AT&T, and any halfway decent Android handset is limited to almost anything <i>but</i> AT&T. Nevermind all of that. Listen. The iPhone is dead.</div><div><br /></div><div>One might tend to think that it would be reasonable to assume that Android has a chance of overtaking the iPhone in terms of market share in the future, though not presently. And that same one might believe that both are good mobile OSes and that the competition coming up in the year to come is exciting for both sides and that neither is showing any sign of <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5526756/hey-jon-pass-the-magic-mushrooms">calling it quits</a> any time soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>That "one" can tell it to <a href="http://gizmodo.com/comment/22704184">Morgan Stanley</a>. Let go.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-78011468052673038422010-04-27T08:58:00.000-07:002010-04-27T09:04:10.259-07:00Blackberry Releases Confusing Ad For 6.0<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S9cJo_uxb4I/AAAAAAAAAJA/Fq2xHFjEmCQ/s1600/torso.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S9cJo_uxb4I/AAAAAAAAAJA/Fq2xHFjEmCQ/s320/torso.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464847272744415106" /></a><div>Blackberry is currently still sitting at the top of their field right now, with more mobile users than any other platform, including the iPhone. Yes, seriously. But any business owner could tell you, stagnation leads to ruin. And while Blackberry has the most users <em>now</em>, (and in fact, they're showing more increase than Apple in <a title="Comscore report -- Nov-Feb" href="http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2010/4/comScore_Reports_February_2010_U.S._Mobile_Subscriber_Market_Share/(language)/eng-US" target="_blank">recent months</a>), they need to stay competitive if they want to keep ahead of the game. But how do you get new users when you're already entrenched in the business space, but don't appeal in the slightest to average consumers?</div><div><br /></div><div>People in suits dancing, of course!</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm honestly not sure what I'm supposed to make of this ad. For the first minute, we see a woman who is very professionally dressed dancing around while using her holographic* Blackberry. Though I honestly can't tell if she's a successful businesswoman, or just dressed nicely while she works her retail job at a store in the mall.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then BusinessMan Dan shows up. And he seems to be genuinely concerned about the positioning of his cufflinks. He fiddles with his tie, cufflinks, or wristwatch no fewer than five times. So if you're a vain, obsessive-compulsive business type, this phone might be for you. But then, you knew that already, didn't you? Well shoot. Who is this ad targeting then?</div><div><br /></div><div>Then the high schooler shows up.</div><div><br /></div><div>This high school kid, who appears to have a full-beard mind you, dances around in front of a set of lockers. Because, you know, that's what high school kids do these days, I guess. He clearly enjoys all of his Facebooks and Twitters as he dances about. This further solidifies the already concrete media perception that a.) social networks are only for kids, and 2.) that adults (like BusinessMan Dan) should do things kids like. Like use Blackberries. Or something.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, I guess the whole point here is, if you're a successful business type, or a kid who's been held back one too many times, or an ambiguous sexy lady, then Blackberries are for you. They can do everything you want from a phone! Provided everything you want from a phone is email, Twitters, and now....music.</div><div><br /></div><div>*-- Note: Blackberry not actually holographic. Because that would be seriously killer.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-59448227951034174182010-04-26T14:52:00.001-07:002010-04-26T15:10:11.006-07:00Giz Finds iPhone, Giz Gets Raided, I Just Want My Evo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S9YLMEEjdgI/AAAAAAAAAI4/0BUAyiQoJuo/s1600/ahhhaaaaahhh.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S9YLMEEjdgI/AAAAAAAAAI4/0BUAyiQoJuo/s320/ahhhaaaaahhh.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464567499739854338" /></a><div>A while back, Giz outed Apple's new <del>ice cream sandwich</del> <a href="http://autisticdisdain.blogspot.com/2010/04/im-either-hungry-or-i-want-to-fight.html">iPhone</a>. That was pretty cool. It has a front-facing camera.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just like my Evo.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then they were talking about Gray Powell or something. Apparently this guy lost the phone I guess.</div><div><br /></div><div>I wouldn't lose my Evo.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then there was something about "did Giz steal the phone"? I guess buying stuff that doesn't belong to someone can get you in some legal trouble.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's ok. I'll buy my Evo fair and square.</div><div><br /></div><div>And now there's something about one of the Giz editors getting raided. And now everyone has a legal opinion or some such. Some folks are <i>totally shocked</i> by this. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm totally shocked by the Evo.</div><div><br /></div><div>4G data. WiFi sharing. 720p output. Android 2.1 and all that entails. The Sense UI. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sorry dudes. I could hardly care less. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some drooling over Evo pictures to do.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-35853025625675471082010-04-22T11:32:00.000-07:002010-04-23T16:51:26.819-07:00Screw the Iphone... The Story we Should be focusing on; Is Steve Jobs among us?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/riotgrll137/Untitled-2.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 589px; height: 331px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/riotgrll137/Untitled-2.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Currently there is some outrage over this week's <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5522139/help-steve-jobs-strike-back">photoshop contest</a>; "Help Steve Jobs Strike Back". Apparently this is a way of admitting guilt? Or something... But the real thing we should be worrying about is that doesn't it seem suspicious that Frucci would go out of his way to help SJobs out? I'm sure this week has been a stressful one for him, and his creativity is probably a little burnt out. Having people pour in suggestions on the best way to retaliate is exactly what he needs. But how did he acomplish this? Simple. Mind control on Frucci; one of the least likely suspects. If it was Jesus Diaz, we all would have caught on ages ago, but Frucci mainly provides us with Lul'z... ensuring that he slips under the radar when it comes to the deep stuff. We all need to be on guard in these coming days and weeks, who knows what will happen when SJobs reveals himself...Jasminehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548698085244696418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-23268770126723769942010-04-19T11:45:00.000-07:002010-04-19T12:11:08.328-07:00Possible New iPhone Evokes Strong Imagery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S8yqA5eyg4I/AAAAAAAAAIg/5_2rRih4g28/s1600/fourth+iphone.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S8yqA5eyg4I/AAAAAAAAAIg/5_2rRih4g28/s320/fourth+iphone.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461927380500251522" /></a><br /><div>So, today the big hubbub is that Gizmodo managed to get their hands on what is very likely to be <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5520164/this-is-apples-next-iphone">the next iPhone</a>. And I admit, I like it. The design actually doesn't look too bad. At first I thought this was due to the fact that it reminded me just a little of some HTC phones with solid angles, sharper edges, etc. But no.</div> <div><br /></div><div>It didn't hit me until a few hours after I saw it why this iPhone's design struck such an emotional chord with me. Was it the functionalist, industrial masculinity, expressed perfectly through glass and metal and unapologetic angles, in a powerful phone that's remarkably streamlined? It's all of that, yes. But it's also the fact that aesthetic is rendered black with a light-colored midsection, which is why it taps into something deep and profoundly affective from my childhood:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S8yqt4aPhiI/AAAAAAAAAIw/BykI2SWyWzo/s1600/icecreamsandwich2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 290px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S8yqt4aPhiI/AAAAAAAAAIw/BykI2SWyWzo/s320/icecreamsandwich2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461928153306859042" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's practically cheating. I can't not love the design of this phone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, if you're not like me and, let's face it, that would probably be <a href="http://autisticdisdain.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-hate-this-friggin-sandwich.html">good for your health</a>, you may not realize that the preceding paragraphs are a direct parody of matt buchanan's impressions of the Droid's design when, during his review, matt discovered the Droid is the phone <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5396168/motorola-droid-review">Batman would use</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which leaves us only one, very important question:</div><div><br /></div><div>Who would win in a fight? Batman, or an ice cream sandwich?</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-51265129822497050302010-04-13T18:30:00.000-07:002010-07-15T18:28:43.460-07:00I Hate This Friggin' Sandwich<div>I am a man of few, yet very specialized accomplishments. I once fashioned a waterproof canister out of a flashlight casing for my video camera before going white-water rafting. I can do that thing where you roll a quarter over your knuckles. I can solve a 5x5x5 Rubik's cube. And I, along with two other skilled cart pushers once pushed 102 shopping carts at once. Blocked a lot of traffic that day. Yet I am defeated by this sandwich.</div><div><br /></div><div>First, let me introduce you to the KFC Mother Flippin' Heart Attack In A Box. Otherwise known as the KFC Double Down. And no, it's not missing the bun. That slab of fried chicken? That <i>is</i> the bun.</div><div><br /></div><div>Recently, the head experimental chef for Kentucky Fried Chicken was out walking in the woods when suddenly a wormhole appeared from nowhere and sucked in both the chef and the chicken sandwich he was carrying. When he came out on the other side, The buns had become fried chicken, the fried chicken had become a couple strips of bacon and a slice of cheese, and the chef had become a bowl of spaghetti with spicy meatballs and vomit sauce. Surprisingly, they both tasted roughly the same.</div><div><br /></div><div>For reasons I cannot possibly even fathom, this sandwich has been making it's way around the tech sphere which is why it ended up here of all bloody places. When challenged by some person on the internet to eat not one, not two, but three of these horrible monstrosities, I had no choice but to accept. Or maybe I'm just an idiot. Not really sure. Still can't think straight. My brain is swimming in salt and grease.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am actually <i>proud</i> to say, I only made it through one and a half of the three of these boxes of salt and grease that I brought home. Honestly, the first one wasn't that bad. I had originally called many of my online cohorts pansies for becoming squeamish after just one. Friends, I recant my statement.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pause for even a moment, and the salt flavor begins to marinate your tongue. When I took the first bite of the second sandwich, it was a gag fest. The cheese, by this point, was little more than a flimsy piece of weak rubber filled to the brim with salt and grease. I was hungry enough to continue eating. I was not stupid enough to do so.</div><div><br /></div><div>I thought I was up to the challenge. I thought I could handle it. But no. No, I can not. And I'm actually glad I failed, to live another day.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not the healthiest eater around, but I'm better than this. Lord forgive me, I repent.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9143341016606473074.post-31368974483740030872010-04-08T13:11:00.000-07:002010-04-08T14:17:36.863-07:00For iPhone 4.0, Apple Mixes It Up, Copies Everyone Including Themselves<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S75FAePHtaI/AAAAAAAAAIA/ZIlSLpo7PmY/s1600/iphonex4.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aB-redt27Zk/S75FAePHtaI/AAAAAAAAAIA/ZIlSLpo7PmY/s320/iphonex4.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457875672838419874" /></a><br /><div>The iPhone 4.0 OS was revealed today. Soon the iPhone 3GS as well as whatever new iPhone comes out this year will be able to take part in Steve Jobs' grand vision for all the new, revolutionary, totally never-seen-before features of the iPhone 4.0 software. What completely unbelievable, probably patented features can you look forward to? Well, let's take a look at them one-by-one and see which companies retroactively copied Apple.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>-- Multitasking</b></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><i>What it is</i>: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre">I</span>t's finally here. Probably the single most-requested feature and most criticized flaw of the iPhone OS. Apple is finally giving you multitasking. Sort of. I mean, they're going to let certain things run in the background. Seven things in fact. Like audio. Or local notifications. Whatever the heck that means. Of course, one might ask, "Well isn't this kind of a gimped multitasking?" Well, I can't think of anything else you might need background processes for. And <i>obviously</i>, if you or I can't think of it, then no one on the entire planet will ever come up with an idea for something outside these seven categories. This makeshift, jury rig of a repair job on a usually-single-tasking system is obviously perfect.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Where it comes from</i>: Android and WebOS (Palm), obviously. Both of these platforms have multitasking built in. Palm has the prettiest interface with their card-like window manager. Android has a workable-but-not-quite-gorgeous solution with an alt-tab like app switcher. Apple picked the uglier of the two to rip off. For some reason.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>-- Folders</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>What it is: </i>For the past three years, Apple has operated under the assumption that, despite having over 150,000 apps to download from, you would never ever need to organize your homescreen. Because you see, the iPhone isn't for the nerds. It's for the average user. And the average user has a metric crap ton of icons just scattered all over their desktop in a sleek, intuitive way. But you nerds wouldn't shut up. So now you get folders. You can create a folder, which looks like a regular icon. Except you can put other icons inside it. So you can sort of organize your icons. Instead of having a pile of app icons, you can have a pile of folders. Besides, there's nothing users like more than having to organize their desktop every time they download an app.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Where it's from: </i>Every computer you've owned since the 1980s. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>-- Unified Inbox</b></div><div><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div><i>What it is</i>: If you have ten billion email accounts like I do, chances are you don't want to check all of them individually. Unless you're a sadist. Are you a sadist? May I interest you in Windows Mobile, then? Anyways, back on track. Yes, the iPhone is now capable of merging all your email into one inbox. So....cool huh?</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Where it's from: </i>Blackberries, the Palm's WebOS, Android (2.0 and up). Pretty much every smartphone that was capable of figuring out people might not like different apps for each individual email account. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>-- iBooks</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>What it is: </i>Now, finally, the iPhone has the ability to read ebooks. Nevermind that it's been capable of reading ebooks since the kindle app. Or that some apps are nothing <i>but</i> individual ebooks. This is <i>totally different</i>. Because these books? They're from <i>iTunes</i>. Which, as you know, only comes with awesome. Except for when iTunes sucks. Like on Windows.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Where it's from: </i>This one's my favorite. In addition to copying Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all the other publishers of ebooks and ebook readers, Apple is also copying <i>themselves</i> with this one. Not only has the iPhone been able to read ebooks, but the iPad came with iBooks built in. though the iPad will also be getting this upgrade in the fall. So the iPad will be upgrading to get iBooks support when, before, they only had iBooks support. Gah, I love this friggin' upgrade.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>-- Custom Wallpapers</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>What it is: </i>You heard me.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Where it's from: </i>The early-to-mid 90s, I think?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>-- Game Center</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>What it is: </i>An online meeting center for gamers. Similar to Xbox Live. In all seriousness, this sounds pretty cool. The iPhone/iPod Touch have been great for games and an online meeting place, point system...um....whatever you gamers use Xbox Live for, heck I honestly don't really know. It sounds great.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Where it's from:</i> Xbox Live and/or PlayStation Home, of course. But if you think "well, it's the first time <i>one a phone</i>", think again. While it's not out to the market yet, and yes Apple will be the first to put it in consumers hands on a phone, Microsoft already announced Xbox Live integration for <del>Windows Phone Super Mega 7 Ultra Power</del> <a href="http://autisticdisdain.blogspot.com/2010/04/rip-windows-phone-7-series-jokes-2010.html">Windows Phone 7</a>, which is due to launch by the end of this year. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>-- iAds</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>What it is:</i> It's advertising. It's ads inside your phone. While certain other app markets prefer to let developers find their own in-app advertising solutions (even if they're <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5401044/google-buys-admob-secures-strength-in-mobile-advertising">owned by the same company</a>). But Apple wants to bring the kind of ease and integration to your mobile advertising experience that you've come to expect from their products. With the iPhone 4.0 upgrade, you can expect to see in-app ads on free apps, paid apps, ridiculously over-priced apps....all kinds of apps! Because Apple knows, above all else, that what you, as a consumer, can never get enough of, it's ADS. And it's certainly not to get back at Google over something petty*.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Where it's from:</i> The most obvious comparison is to Admob. Though it's hard to say that Apple is copying them in this regard. While the company is now owned by Google, Admob provides ads to Android phones and iPhones alike. But what the hey? We don't want to spoil a perfect score over a technicality do we?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>INNOVATION!!!1ONE</b></div><div><br /></div><div>So there you have it. Another year of Apple playing catch up. Admittedly, they did better this year than they did last when they only added MMS and copy and paste and a friggin' compass. But all in all, Apple's done it again. Revolutionizing the world by bringing their products up to par with all the "inferior" products that have had their "new" features for years.</div><div><br /></div><div>*-- Unless you count this little tidbit as petty: <i>"We tried to buy a company called admob, and Google came in and snatched them from us."</i> -- Steve Jobs during the Q&A session.</div>OCEntertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10131891622114301434noreply@blogger.com0