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Monthly archives for August, 2009

Google chances to create the real IPhone alternative

Aug20
2009 Leave a Comment Written by hotrao

Gina Trapani at Smarterware reports that John Gruber at Apple gives some hints on how Android can become a real option to the Iphone (full story at http://smarterware.org/2862/one-way-android-can-become-viable).

On a technical point of view I agree on indications given, but, please, remember that is not only a problem of “techiness”.

Is mainly a problem of business approach: people in the world like the Iphone because represents something more than a phone, it’s a trend (but yes it’s good and lovely to use it).

People love IPhone at the point that they could not care less (or opt out for another phone) for a telephone without mms for more than a year. And after Iphone 3gs has been released they will continue to choose Iphone.

Seems to me that people at big G are thinking of applying the same strategy (means philosophy) that worked well for everything at Google also to mobile approach: sorry, but I think is not the way (or at least is not completely) that will drive Android to success.

Technology is an enabler, but, in this case is only a part of the game.

This comment as a post also at http://smarterware.org/2862/one-way-android-can-become-viable/comment-page-1#comment-878

Posted in behaviour, communication, Economy, Tech - Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Useful programs

Aug20
2009 Leave a Comment Written by hotrao

If a program is useful, it must be changed.

Anonymous

Posted in Quotes - Tagged , ,

Blogging under nickname means freedom not anonimity

Aug19
2009 Leave a Comment Written by hotrao

Ron Schenone at Lockergnome and John Timmer at Ars Technica write two articles on  the fact that Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Joan Madden Monday ordered Google to reveal the real identity under which lies a blogger that offended a model called Liskula Cohen   (full articles at http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2009/08/18/judge-to-google-give-up-bloggers-name/ and at http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/08/court-offers-guidelines-on-when-to-unmask-anonymous-posters.ars).

I think that is a fair decision: writing under a nickname is an opportunity that should not exceed in using this as a barrier for offending someone.

Each one of us has a different reason for writing under a nickname, from being too famous to being scared of something or someone, from being shy to being worried of something.

But none of this reason entitles to use this anonimity as a mean for expressing something that we would not say with our real names.

This comment as a post also at http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2009/08/18/judge-to-google-give-up-bloggers-name/#comment-188727 and at http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=50009562&f=174096756&m=912004401041&r=389009401041#389009401041

Posted in behaviour, communication, Tech - Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

God and programming

Aug19
2009 Leave a Comment Written by hotrao

If God had intended Man to program, we’d be born with serial I/O ports.

Anonymous

Posted in Quotes - Tagged , , , , ,

Google users more loyal than the others

Aug18
2009 Leave a Comment Written by hotrao

Emil Protalinski (http://arstechnica.com/authors/emil-protalinski/) at Ars techinca reports of a survey that, based on US data only, states that Google users do more searches and are more loyal than the others (full article at http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/08/google-users-more-loyal-than-bing-and-yahoo-users.ars).

This doesn’t surprise me, because of how much is Google pervasive: when you start using the features available, is like working on a sort of integrated desktop, and so it’s easy to:

1. be scared of loosing all those integrated features and start using separated providers (that could be better taken one by one but cannot offer a unique service suite)

2. Start “Googling” around and so make some “unuseful” searches.

This commeent also as a post at http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/08/google-users-more-loyal-than-bing-and-yahoo-users.ars?comments=1&comment_id=372009201041

Posted in Economy, Tech - Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Mind backup

Aug18
2009 Leave a Comment Written by hotrao

I haven’t lost my mind; it’s backed up on tape somewhere.

Anonymous

Posted in Quotes - Tagged ,

Bing vs Google 2nd round

Aug17
2009 1 Comment Written by hotrao

Matt Hartley at Lockergnome asks the question if Google should be scared by Bing (full article at http://www.lockergnome.com/web/2009/08/13/bing-should-google-be-worried/).

In my opinion the answer tho this dilemma is no. Though I agree Google isn’t responding too quicky (or not responding at all), remains by far the most used search engine, with a market share quite similar to a monopoly.

The world is changing and is changing fast, but no more than a month ago we were discussing on Google monopoly and now we are discussing if Bing could represent a threat.

Bing is an opportunity (on consumer side) an investment (on Microsoft side) and a phenomena to watch in order to understand where market is going (on Google side).

But I won’t be surprised if Google won’t move for a while and then make a sudden disruptive move (remember Android…).

This post as a comment also at http://www.lockergnome.com/web/2009/08/13/bing-should-google-be-worried/#comment-153136

Posted in Economy, Tech - Tagged , , , , , , ,

Death as an interrupt

Aug17
2009 Leave a Comment Written by hotrao

Death is a nonmaskable interrupt.

Anonymous

Posted in Quotes - Tagged , ,

Advanced bugs

Aug16
2009 Leave a Comment Written by hotrao

Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature.

Anonymous

Posted in Quotes - Tagged , ,

Academic books going digital? What a pity!

Aug16
2009 Leave a Comment Written by hotrao

John Timmer at Ars Technica informs us that “The American Chemical Society found that most subscribers to its academic journals no longer want the print version, and the group’s VP of Web strategy says it’s only a matter of time before print fades away completely.” (full article at http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/08/publisher-were-somewhere-on-the-road-to-pure-digital.ars).

It’s a problem we are dealing from some time: love it or leave it, going completely digital is a matter we have to face, escpecially for the “high end” users such as scientist, tech addicts, power users,…

But in my opinion, though a reduction in paper use is really auspicable and welcome, digital media should be an add on to traditional paper printing.

Personally I like the feeling coming from the touch of a printed book, the smell of ink and other sensations that are not part of digital editions.

The use of digital also brings some opportunities (pay per read for example) and some threats (back up of data, availability, storage,…).

I also think printing scientific books is an effective way for helping developing countries with no or little technoloical infrastructure.

It’s a matter of personal feeling, but I’ll be very sad the day no printed books will be avilable.

This post as a comment also at http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=50009562&f=174096756&m=703006790041&r=357002890041#357002890041

Posted in behaviour, communication, Economy, Tech - Tagged , , , , , , ,
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