Category Archives: Current events

Find me at TheAppPlanet

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Looking for a blog? It’s unlikely there will be one here for a while.

The project keeping me the busiest is my site, TheAppPlanet. Apps are transforming our computing experience on mobile devices and tablets. Mobile apps are creating a lucrative industry, and this topic deserves in-depth, serious coverage that many sites just aren’t doing.

I soon hope to tweak my home page to function as a portfolio for showcasing my writing platform. For daily content about apps for iOS and Android check out TheAppPlanet or find it on Twitter or Facebook.

A World of Apps

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The app stores just keep coming. Google launched its Chrome web store today, promising to bring the simplicity of finding apps to your web browser.

There are already some excellent apps, like The New York Times, Springpad and TweetDeck. The bigger story is that we are entering an era dominated by apps. It isn’t just our mobile devices: web browsers, computers (think the forthcoming Mac App Store) and televisions have an app storefront. Continue reading →

A Declaration

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IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Continue reading →

The iPhone has a Compass – Do We?

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Gizmodo’s now infamous expose of the next-gen iPhone is one of the hottest and most controversial tech stories to hit in a while. Some even cheered Gizmodo for landing the ultimate scoop – getting their hands on an iPhone prototype from the ultra-secret Apple.

But then reality hit. We learn that Gizmodo paid $5,000 for the phone from someone who found it at a Silicon Valley bar. Its unfortunate owner apparently left it behind. Instead of giving it to the police or making a more concerted effort to give it back to Apple, it was sold to the highest bidder. This was after the Apple employee was identified through a Facebook app and the phone was remotely wiped by Apple. All clear evidence that the phone was property that should have been returned.

So this is what we have come to. If something comes into your hands that isn’t yours, resort to the playground ethics of “finder’s keepers.”

This is why when someone returns money that is not theirs or engages in some other act of unforeseen honesty people are shocked. Too many share the view that if the world is ruthless and cutthroat, then we should be too.

There is an old saying about how each of us needs to have a moral compass to serve as a guide when we face such situations. Unfortunately we have another case where it just didn’t work. Maybe there’s an app for that.

The iPad Verdict

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This is me padding my web site analytics from the Apple Store.

Being a thinking person means I am not an ideal Apple customer. I couldn’t accept at face value the iPad was as “magical” as advertised, so I went over to an Apple Store today to try it out. Just like many, I have very mixed feelings about it, and much to think about before deciding to buy one. There’s a gazillion reviews on the web already, so I will not be writing one. I’m offering a few impressions from a tech enthusiast who is pondering whether to purchase an iPad.

Pros

Apple’s hype over the iPad comes closest to its grand hyperbole with Safari’s web browsing capabilities. It really is a joy to peruse the web by tapping, pinching and swiping. And the display is just gorgeous – so much so that looking at a MacBook Pro screen afterwards was a disappointment. I could easily see myself lounging on the couch, patio, or bed with an iPad.

My biggest surprise was how pleasant the iBooks app was. I wasn’t necessarily in the market for an eReader, but I could see myself buying books, especially to have with me while travelling. The app is just gorgeous, and the page-turning animation is quite cool, even though it is just for show.

Some of the preloaded apps were amazing, and really show the potential that developers will have with the iPad. Plenty of specifics and app reviews are out there, so I will just say that I expect that there will be plenty of amazing apps to come, given that there are already over 1,000 on day one. (This also may mean I’ll be plenty busy at AppCraver.)

Probably the iPad’s biggest compliment was that I just didn’t want to put it down. It really is a fun device to use.

Cons

I think the iPad’s criticisms hinge on the word “fun.” Once you get past the fun, there are gaping holes and crippling weaknesses that kept me from walking out of the Apple Store with one (and yes, they still had some in stock).

I have been surprised at how much the lack of Flash support and multitasking are downplayed in other reviews. Yes, HTML5 will probably eclipse Flash eventually, but it will be a while. I don’t really miss Flash on my iPhone, because it’s a phone. But on what is supposed to be a different kind of computer, there are plenty of places on the web where videos have gone missing. For example, on a Nexus One you could watch the NCAA Tournament from the browser, yet would need to pay $10 for the iPhone/iPad add for the same privilege. This artificial pay wall created by Apple is quite irritating. Continue reading →

What Tiger Didn’t Say

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Tiger’s scripted mea culpa hasn’t exactly received rave reviews. But most commentators haven’t talked about a glaring omission from Friday’s statement.

In no part of the speech did Tiger give any kind of declaration of love for his wife. Given that all indications are that she is slipping away, it is a bit curious. He talked plenty about marriage, selfish behavior, irresponsible actions, and tons of apologies.

Sure, Tiger is super private, doesn’t want to discuss his marriage and probably is not comfortable with getting all touchy feely in public. That is perfectly understandable. But given that he has more mistresses than major championships one would think he could give just a tiny shout out to how much he loves his wife and hopes to stay with her.

Unless he doesn’t. In that case, it indicates at least one potential factor to all the bad behavior.

Most of this is really not our business and has received entirely too much press coverage. But Tiger’s handlers are not serving him well if they want to keep him scripted and in control of all access. If Tiger wants the public to trust him again, he needs to do a lot better job of convincing the public what he means.

The Sarah We Never Knew

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Sarah Palin speaks at a 2008 rally (Photo by Derek Walter)

When Sarah Palin took to the stage at last year’s Republican National Convention, she gave the best speech of the week and single-handedly resurrected John McCain’s fledgling campaign. At the time, I wrote a glowing review while blogging the convention for The Fresno Bee (I’m even ashamed to admit I used the phrase “Sarah Barracuda”).

During that week Palin seemed like the perfect vice presidential candidate to complement McCain. The buzz was that she was a popular, conservative governor who had worked with Democrats and fought corruption. The message was complete. It was the Reform Ticket.

Fast forward to last weekend. Palin’s speech to the tea party gang was simplistic, cliche-ridden, and just downright bad. Not to mention she ought to think twice about criticizing President Obama’s use of  a teleprompter given that she opts for a Sharpie. She had no issue sharing the stage with other buffoons like Tom Tancredo.

I have to believe that any ounce of Palin’s well-spoken deliveries or talking points were the result of the McCain campaign team. No wonder they muzzled her. If the Sarah we have now was acting like this back then, McCain would have lost by another 50 electoral votes. Continue reading →

Oh Google, You Own My Soul

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An industry has grown up around  fearing intrusion into our lives. The unease is that Big Brother and his all-seeing eye shall invade our movements and personal information.

So should we fear the same from Google? For example, depending on how extensively you use Google services, our overlords from Mountain View may have all of your e-mail, documents, photos, credit card information, voice mail transcripts, and a street view of your house stored on their servers. I am a pretty heavy user myself. I am typing this post from Google Chrome, with tabs open to my Google Docs, Wave account, and Gmail.

I suppose this should frighten me. It certainly does for some. And when you consider the totality of data the company may have on each of us, not to mention stored search information, it could unhinge anybody. Continue reading →

A House Divided

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We are in a sad state of affairs when the President of the United States announces plans to speak to school children and everyone’s first reaction is to line up into their requisite partisan camps.

It didn’t help when one of the Department of Education’s recommended activities was for students to write a letter detailing how they could help Obama. Yet even this overreach was not worthy of the paranoia exhibited by the Glenn Becks, Rush Limbaughs, and other inhabitants of the Land of the Stupid.

Some have argued that they feel the President should not be playing the role of wise sage or moral teacher. There may be a dash of over sized ego in our ubiquitous President, but I am inclined to give him a pass as the contents of the speech are nothing to be alarmed about. We also should keep in mind that much of the public’s desire to elevate the President goes back to the founding of the Republic. It was George Washington who was known as, “His Excellency” and, “the man who unites all hearts.” FDR’s Fireside Chats soothed a nation at war, and there is no shortage of conservatives who have an altar to Reagan above their mantle. Rightly or wrongly, the President carries considerable force and influence in our country.

Partisan debate is often good for a democracy, but hyper-partisan toxicity never is. During the later part of George W. Bush’s term the environment wasn’t that different than what Obama is experiencing: there was nothing Bush could say to avoid being roasted daily by critics.

Abraham Lincoln spoke of how a house divided against itself could not stand – arguing the nation would either condone slavery everywhere or nowhere. I fear the same kind of splintered nation over partisanship. We will either remember the better parts of our Republic, the miracle of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, or continue to slide into jaundiced factions who have little to say to each other; but much to scream.