Shared posts

17 Oct 16:49

Statistical models can predict a Kickstarter’s success within 4 hours

by Casey Johnston
The Markov predictor's accuracy over time, using only the timing of financing and backer info.

Kickstarter has become the Internet’s prime vector for Cinderella stories, catapulting pet projects to fame and burying would-be entrepreneurs in more logistics and minutiae than they were ready to handle. There are many different degrees of success on Kickstarter, but when broken down to a binary yes/no score, a group of scientists have found that they can predict with reasonable confidence whether a project will succeed or fail within the first four hours of its launch. Their method is based in part on its social media reception, according to a paper presented early in October.

Three researchers at the Éccole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne created statistical models fed with both funding data and discussions on Twitter. The data set was pulled from over 16,000 Kickstarter campaigns that had raised a collective total of $158 million; approximately half of them failed.

The scientists collected Twitter data by searching for the word “kickstarter,” then matching tweets to the Kickstarter project using URLs included in the tweets. They also culled information from each project’s “Backers” page to get a list of what users pledged money, and how much they had pledged collectively. The second step was time-intensive, so the authors only completed it every two days.

Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments


    






17 Oct 16:34

First trailer for 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' shows Wes Anderson at his most precious

by Jacob Kastrenakes

Wes Anderson films may all look eerily similar with their diorama-like sets, careful symmetry, and saturated colors, but it's hard not to enjoy the filmmaker's precision, dry humor, and quirky stories. The first trailer for his next film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, has just been released, and it includes all of the Anderson tropes that you might hope for. The film follows a concierge at a hotel in Europe, who gets mixed up in a mystery of murder and theft. There are secret codes, quick zooms, and eccentric characters with a stellar cast to back them all up, including Anderson standbys like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. The film is set to open in theaters on March 7th of next year, and you can watch the trailer below.

Continue reading…

16 Oct 23:54

Buried In the Healthcare.gov Source: "No Expectation of Privacy"

by timothy
realized writes "The Obamacare website Healthcare.gov has a hidden terms of service that is not shown to people when they sign up. The hidden terms, only viewable if you 'view source' on the site says that the user has 'no reasonable expectation of privacy regarding any communication or data transiting or stored on this information system.' Sadly, the $634 million dollar website still does not work for most people so its hard to confirm – though when its fixed in 2 months, we should finally be able to see it." Note: As the article points out, that phrasing is "not visible to users and obviously not intended as part of the terms and conditions." So users shouldn't worry that that they've actually, accidentally agreed to any terms more onerous than the ones they can read on the signup page, but it's an interesting inclusion. What's the last EULA you read thoroughly?

Share on Google+

Read more of this story at Slashdot.








16 Oct 13:54

Cost of Healthcare.gov: $634 Million — So Far

by timothy
First time accepted submitter Saethan writes "Healthcare.gov, the site to be used by people in 36 states to get insurance as part of the Affordable Care Act, has apparently cost the U.S. Government $634 million. Not only is this more than Facebook spent during its first 6 years in operation, it is also over $500 million above what the original estimate was: $93.7 million. Why, in a country with some of the best web development companies in the world, has this website, which is poor quality at best, cost so much?" That $634 million figure comes from this U.S. government budget-tracking system. Given that this system is national rather than for a single city, maybe everyone should just be grateful the contract didn't go to TechnoDyne.

Share on Google+

Read more of this story at Slashdot.








15 Oct 17:37

Bake Soft, Perfectly Sized Cookies in a Muffin Pan

by Melanie Pinola

Bake Soft, Perfectly Sized Cookies in a Muffin Pan

If you prefer your cookies soft and round, rather than spread out into one giant layer, just bake the cookies in a muffin pan.

Read more...


    






12 Oct 21:06

Charlie Stross: Why Microsoft Word Must Die

by timothy
Andrew

Wow, I never knew there'd be so much hate for MS Word.

Jeremiah Cornelius writes "Rapture of the Nerds co-author Charlie Stross hates Microsoft Word, worse than you do. Best of all, he can articulate the many structural faults of Word that make his loathing both understandable and contagious. 'Steve Jobs approached Bill Gates... to organize the first true WYSIWYG word processor for a personal computer -- ...should it use control codes, or hierarchical style sheets? In the end, the decree went out: Word should implement both formatting paradigms. Even though they're fundamentally incompatible... Word was in fact broken by design, from the outset — and it only got worse from there.' Can Free Software do any better, than to imitate the broken Microsoft model? Does document formatting even matter this much, versus content?"

Share on Google+

Read more of this story at Slashdot.








11 Oct 13:52

Microsoft said to work on technology to replace cookies, track across Windows, Bing, and Xbox

by Dante D'Orazio

The third-party cookies used by advertisers and their agencies to track web browsing activity are under attack. Browsers like Firefox and Internet Explorer try to block the years-old technology with "Do Not Track," and now internet behemoths are looking to replace cookies with their own tracking technologies. The newest entrant, according to Ad Age, is Microsoft, which sources say is working on a technology that could track users across Windows computers, Bing, Internet Explorer, Windows Phone devices, and Xbox consoles in order to serve highly targeted ads.

Microsoft said in a statement to the website that "We agree that going beyond the cookie is important. Our priority will be to find ways to do this that respect the interests of...

Continue reading…

10 Oct 23:37

More From Don Marti About Why Targeted Ads are Bad (Video 2 of 2)

by Roblimo
The intro for yesterday's video interview with Don Marti started out by saying, "Don Marti," says Wikipedia, "is a writer and advocate for free and open source software, writing for LinuxWorld and Linux Today." As we noted, Don has moved on since that description was written. In today's interview he starts by talking about some things venture capitalist Mary Meeker of Kleiner Perkins has said, notably that people only spend 6% of their media-intake time with print, but advertisers spend 23% of their budgets on print ads. To find out why this is, you might want to read a piece Don wrote titled Targeted Advertising Considered Harmful. Or you can just watch today's video -- and if you didn't catch Part One of our video conversation yesterday, you might want to check it out before watching Part 2.

Share on Google+

Read more of this story at Slashdot.








10 Oct 19:27

iPhone 5c production reportedly slashed amid weak demand in China

by Jacob Siegal
iPhone 5c SalesReleasing an overpriced iPhone 5c in China looked like a disaster waiting to happen, and a recent report seems to indicate just how much damage the misstep has caused. Insider C Technology reports that Apple has decreased average daily production of the iPhone 5c from 300,000 to 150,000 units — though those figures seem a bit odd — as sales continue to plummet and gray market prices drop to meet the meager demand. Gray market traders buy iPhones all around the world for subsidized prices and then smuggle them back to China to sell at a slightly lower price than official retailers and wireless carriers. Typically the gray market price for a popular product would only amount to limited savings, but the iPhone 5c is currently available for a 30% discount (or more) through less-than-legal channels. C Technology points out that Apple's price for the iPhone 5c is 4,488 yuan ($727 USD) but on China's popular online marketplace Taobao, prices are as low as 3,000 yuan ($490 USD). iPhone 5s sales have remained consistent, but reports like these are signs that the 5c might have been a failed experiment in China.
10 Oct 19:23

Brand engagement: the cruel subversiveness of 'Monopoly Empire'

by Adi Robertson

What do children love? Brands.

Well, that's at least what Hasbro thinks they love. Since July, it's been selling Monopoly Empire, a shorter edition of the original game that replaces physical real estate with its cultural equivalent. At release, Coca-Cola (which once had its own version of the game) had snapped up Broadway, Samsung had spent enough to take up residence at Park Place, and Yahoo, eBay, JetBlue, Beats Audio, and others rounded out the board. You can play as a carton of fries, a bottle of Coke, and an Xbox controller. It can be played in 30 minutes, and is apparently designed for a younger audience. It may be the worst special edition Monopoly game ever. It may also be the best.

Continue reading…

08 Oct 21:55

The Instagram Diet: Looking at Pictures of Food Curbs Appetite, Study Finds

by David Becker

foodphoto1

Believing the world cares what you had for lunch may still be a symptom of narcissism, but a recent study seems to indicate that it could at least be a useful form of narcissism.

The study, which was conducted by marketing researchers at Brigham Young University, found that the more time people spend looking at pictures of food, the less interested they become in actually eating that same foods. Results were published recently in the Journal of Consumer Psychology.

Researchers had 232 subjects look at pictures of common food items. One group spent the entire time looking at sweets, while the other looked only at photos of salty foods. Afterwards, both groups were given salted peanuts as a snack.

As it turns out, those people who had been looking at salty foods enjoyed the peanuts much less than those viewing sweets.

7886106492_e76e615076_z

One of the lead researchers explains that viewing pictures of food makes your brain feel like it has already experienced eating that thing. So when they presented the peanuts to the salty group, their brains immediately responded with a “been there, ate that” reaction.

“In a way, you’re becoming tired of that taste without even eating the food,” BYU marketing professor Ryan Elde told The Star. “It’s sensory boredom — you’ve kind of moved on. You don’t want that taste experience anymore.”

One implication is that Instagram and Pinterest could become effective dieting aids, suggests study co-author Jeff Larson. If you have a weakness for a certain type of belly-buster, hashtag search it and look forward to feelings of mild nausea if you spend enough time staring at your photo feed.

(via The Star)


P.S. Keep in mind, another study found that snapping a photo of your food at the table before you eat might actually make it taste better. So if weight loss is your goal, browse through pics before you go out.


Image credit: Cupcakes and Smartphones by sea turtle and Instagrammer by Blyzz

08 Oct 20:29

What Developers Can Learn From Healthcare.gov

by Soulskill
Andrew

Abinadi, you wanna go manage healthcare.gov? ;)

An anonymous reader writes "Soured by his attempt to acquire a quote from healthcare.gov, James Turner compiled a short list of things developers can learn from the experience: 'The first highly visible component of the Affordable Health Care Act launched this week, in the form of the healthcare.gov site. Theoretically, it allows citizens, who live in any of the states that have chosen not to implement their own portal, to get quotes and sign up for coverage. I say theoretically because I've been trying to get a quote out of it since it launched on Tuesday, and I'm still trying. Every time I think I've gotten past the last glitch, a new one shows up further down the line. While it's easy to write it off as yet another example of how the government (under any administration) seems to be incapable of delivering large software projects, there are some specific lessons that developers can take away. 1) Load testing is your friend.'"

Share on Google+

Read more of this story at Slashdot.








08 Oct 16:50

Measure Two Distant Points With a Water Tube Level

by Eric Ravenscraft
Andrew

This is brilliant!

Measure Two Distant Points With a Water Tube Level

Hanging pictures or shelves requires a degree of precision if you don't want things to look weird. If you're having a hard time measuring in a space, a water tube level can help.

Read more...


    






08 Oct 12:59

Salmonella outbreak infects hundreds in the US amid government shutdown

by Vlad Savov
Andrew

Yay for govt shutdown!

public health alert has been issued by the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in relation to chicken produced at three Foster Farms facilities. Some 278 reported cases of Salmonella Heidelberg infections have been linked to poultry coming from those farms, affecting people in 18 states. The bulk of those are in California, which is the main distribution area for the chicken in question, along with the states of Oregon and Washington.

What's unusual about this outbreak — described as "still ongoing" by the FSIS – is that it's taking place during a self-imposed US government shutdown. The US Department of Agriculture website that hosts the health alert is only partially available "due to the lapse in federal government...

Continue reading…

08 Oct 12:58

Gamers committing war crimes should suffer 'virtual consequences,' says Red Cross

by Rich McCormick
Andrew

I am dumber for having read this...

The International Committee of the Red Cross has confirmed that it won't prosecute gamers for participating in pretend war crimes, but that doesn't mean it wants to leave the topic alone. The Committee has released a statement in which it outlines its desire to collaborate with videogame developers to show the consequences of a player's actions if they engage in virtual torture, the harming of civilians, attacks on medical personnel, or anything else covered by the Geneva Convention.

It stopped short of clarifying quite what these consequences should be, suggesting only that "game scenarios should not reward players for actions that in real life would be considered war crimes." On the other hand, the ICRC feels players found...

Continue reading…

08 Oct 12:54

Administration Admits Obamacare Website Stinks

by Unknown Lamer
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "The WSJ reports that six days into the launch of insurance marketplaces created by the new health-care law, the federal government finally acknowledged that design and software problems have kept customers from applying online for coverage. The website is troubled by coding problems and flaws in the architecture of the system, according to insurance-industry advisers, technical experts and people close to the development of the marketplace. Information technology experts who examined the healthcare.gov website at the request of The Wall Street Journal say the site appeared to be built on a sloppy software foundation and five outside technology experts interviewed by Reuters say they believe flaws in system architecture, not traffic alone, contribute to the problems. One possible cause of the problems is that hitting 'apply' on HealthCare.gov causes 92 separate files, plug-ins and other mammoth swarms of data to stream between the user's computer and the servers powering the government website, says Matthew Hancock, an independent expert in website design. He was able to track the files being requested through a feature in the Firefox browser. Of the 92 he found, 56 were JavaScript files... 'They set up the website in such a way that too many requests to the server arrived at the same time,' says Hancock adding that because so much traffic was going back and forth between the users' computers and the server hosting the government website, it was as if the system was attacking itself. The delays come three months after the Government Accountability Office said a smooth and timely rollout could not be guaranteed because the online system was not fully completed or tested. 'If there's not a general trend of improvement in the next 72 hours of use in this is system then it would indicate the problems they're dealing with are more deep seated and not an easy fix,' says Jay Dunlap, senior vice president of health care technology company EXL."

Share on Google+

Read more of this story at Slashdot.








08 Oct 12:53

Turning mugshots into models: We have some fun with Facetune

by Mike Wehner

Facetune is currently one of the most popular purchases on the App Store, due in no small part to its ability to drastically alter your selfies. You can tweak just about every aspect of your portraits, from smoothing skin textures to tweaking tones; you can even go as far as altering the shape of your face. In short, it's a rather powerful tool.

Today, I decided to have some fun with a few photos of people at their worst. Where do people look their worst, you ask? In mugshots, of course!

I snagged a few shots off of Muggn (which obtains the photos via public records) and loaded them into Facetune. Some required more work than others, and I'm not claiming to be a digital wizard when it comes to photo manipulation, but I think we can all agree that the app did a rather respectable job cleaning up many of the scars, teary eyes, tattoos and wrinkles that marred the original photos.

Fabulous, aren't they?

Turning mugshots into models: We have some fun with Facetune originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 07 Oct 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
07 Oct 12:36

Open Letter

Andrew

haha, the hover text is so good.

Are you ok?  Do you need help?
06 Oct 23:32

Beautiful Underwater Panoramas are Being Used to Help Scientists Save Coral Reefs

by DL Cade

panoreef1

Stunning, breathtaking, gorgeous, take your pick, any number of adjectives would work to describe the world’s coral reefs. But, sadly, another word would work as well: disappearing.

As a combination of climate change, overfishing and pollution is slowly destroying the reefs, one project is using panoramic imagery to catalog what’s happening and help the scientific community come together to solve this problem before there aren’t any reefs left to save.

The project is called the Catlin Global Reef Record, and it was launched last month by the Catlin Seaview Survey. Here’s a quick intro explaining what exactly the Global Reef Record hopes to do:

Using their special underwater rig, the Global Reef Record is tasked with cataloging the world’s reefs in 360° panorama. All of the images and videos they put together are freely available to anybody that comes by and visits the website, and the hope is that everybody will see this and push policy makers and environmental organizations alike to do something to save the reefs.

The record is not just for scientists. It is for everyone, from policymakers to the general public. For the first time in history, ocean change will be made plainly visible for all to see — we are working with partners to ensure that the images in the record are revealed to as many people in the world as possible.

And that’s gonna be a lot of images too. According to Co.Exist, by the end of 2014, the Record will have photographed approximately 300 coral reefs. Here are just a few of the photos they’ve taken thus far:

panoreef13

panoreef14

panoreef15

panoreef16

panoreef17

panoreef18

panoreef19

panoreef2

panoreef3

panoreef4

panoreef5

panoreef6

panoreef7

panoreef8

panoreef9

panoreef10

panoreef11

panoreef12

You can see a lot more beautiful (and perhaps sad) imagery by visiting the Record’s website here. All of the photographs they’ve taken can be searched by looking at either the Maps or Data sections of the website.

Additionally, if you’d just like to look through some interactive 360° panoramas without having to go through the process of selecting a reef, head over to the Catlin Seaview Survey’s Google+, where you’ll find a selection of gorgeous photospheres to browse through.

(via Co.Exist)


Image credits: Photographs by the Catlin Seaview Survey

05 Oct 01:49

Owner of Battery Fire Tesla Vehicle: Car 'Performed Very Well, Will Buy Again'

by timothy
cartechboy writes "The Tesla Model S fire that, to date, is either electric car Armageddon or 'no big deal' has been fun Internet theatre combined with a dose of crowd-sourced battery-pack pseudo-expertise. Now the actual car owner (and Tesla investor) weighs in with his take, which is, basically, 'nothing to see here and yes, I can't wait to get back into a Tesla.' Owner Robert Carlson wrote an email in response to contact by Tesla's vice president of sales and service, Jerome Guillen, saying he found the car had 'performed very well under such an extreme test. The batteries went through a controlled burn which the Internet images really exaggerates.' Carlson had no comment on the guy who videoed his car fire, who is now Internet infamous for shooting video in portrait mode." You can read Elon Musk's take, along with Carlson's correspondence.

Share on Google+

Read more of this story at Slashdot.








04 Oct 23:36

OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet: To protect and to serve

by Steven Sande

OtterBox has been making protective cases since 1998, making the company the great-granddaddy of the entire huge smartphone/tablet case market. The company announced a new member of the family yesterday, introducing the Commuter Series Wallet (US$44.95) for the iPhone 5/5s.

We've been seeing a lot of different wallet cases lately, many of which are more wallet (think leather) than protective case. OtterBox has taken the protection of the Commuter Series cases and merged it with a slide-out drawer-like back that can hold up to three credit or ID cards and one folded bill.

Like the other members of the Commuter Series, the Wallet wraps your iPhone 5 or 5s in rubbery silicone that is then surrounded by a tough polycarbonate shell. The screen is covered with a stick-on screen protector (it leaves space for the Touch ID-enabled home button of the iPhone 5s), so your preciousss is going to be in good hands while living in the Commuter Series Wallet.

There's a silicone door that covers the Lightning port, another one that covers the headphone jack, and soft buttons that cover the volume toggle and power switch. Installing the case is a piece of cake, although it takes some muscle to take it back off.

Once the case is on your iPhone 5, you can rest assured that whatever you put into the wallet "drawer" is going to stay put. It makes an audible "click" when shut, and requires a bit of pressure to open. I can verify that two credit cards and a driver's license fit into the case snugly, but I had no cash with which to check out the "one folded bill" claim...

If there's one negative I can find with the Commuter Series Wallet, it's that it's somewhat difficult to get cards out -- a small ramp on the bottom edge of the drawer would have made it a bit easier to slide cards out. As it is, you have to kind of pick them out with your fingers.

The Commuter Series Wallet is available now from OtterBox in black and glacier (white hard shell with gray silicone), and will soon be available in primrose (pinkish hard shell with light gray silicone). The case weighs just 2.0 ounces (56.7 grams), not bad considering the level of protection it provides. Unsurprisingly, it's a little thick at .71 inches (1.8 cm), but when you consider that the case can eliminate the need to carry a separate wallet, that's not a real issue.

Check out the video below for a demonstration of the Commuter Series Wallet Case, and then read on for a chance to win one of these cases.

Conclusion

With the Commuter Series Wallet for iPhone 5/5s, OtterBox has entered the case wallet market with a bang. The case provides the excellent drop protection that the company's line is known for, and provides a convenient and secure way to carry an ID card and some credit cards.

Pros

  • Reasonably priced for a high-quality protective product
  • Very lightweight
  • Positive feedback on the drawer mechanism insures that your cards remain safely stowed
  • Excellent build quality

Cons

  • It would be nice if the cards could just slide out with pressure from a thumb; as it is, they must be picked out of the drawer one by one.

Who is it for?

  • The iPhone 5/5s owner who is looking both for the protection of one of OtterBox's Commuter Series cases and the convenience of not having to carry a separate wallet

Giveaway

Here are the rules for the giveaway:

  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  • To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
  • The entry must be made before October 8, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • One winner will be selected and will receive an OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet valued at $44.95
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Loading...

OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet: To protect and to serve originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
04 Oct 15:10

Lake of doom: deadly waterway calcifies any animal that dares to dive in

by Katie Drummond
Andrew

wow, this is wicked.

Sometimes, truth is indeed more terrifying than fiction. In what could easily make for prime horror film fodder, a renowned photographer has captured stunning images of wildlife calcified by the caustic waters of a deadly Tanzanian lake.

Nick Brandt, well-known for his photography of East Africa's natural landscape, came across Tanzania's Lake Natron during his travels. And as his ensuing photos demonstrate, this isn't any ordinary body of water: the lake is named for a mineral (natron, often referred to as sodium carbonate decahydrate) whose presence gives Lake Natron a remarkably high alkaline content. With a pH that ranges from 9 to 10.5, and water temperatures that can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the lake is so inhospitable that...

Continue reading…

03 Oct 13:21

'Métastasis' is a 97 percent pure 'Breaking Bad' remake

by Rich McCormick
Andrew

Need more Breaking Bad? speak Spanish? Here's your answer!

We might've all waved goodbye to Walter White, but we can still say buenos dias to Walter Blanco. There's a Spanish language version of Breaking Bad in production, Sony Pictures Television says, and it's called Métastasis.

Métastasis is set in Colombia, and looks to ape Breaking Bad's plotline. Walter Blanco is a cancer-stricken chemistry teacher who starts cooking methamphetamine to pay for his family's well-being with small-time dealer Jose Miguel Rosas. Even the nomenclature is similar: Rosas is Métastasis' Pinkman, Hank is now Henry, and Blanco's wife is Cielo, a direct reference to the 'Sky' in Skyler. First shots from Métastasis show Blanco in the same pose and state of undress as White way back in the pilot episode of B...

Continue reading…

02 Oct 04:02

Valve files 'Half-Life 3' trademark in Europe

by Andrew Webster

Last week Valve made a number of major announcements with regards to its plans to take over your living room, but there was one other reveal that gamers were hoping for: the official announcement of Half-Life 3. And while that never happened, Valve did recently file for a "Half-Life 3" trademark in Europe. There's not much to glean from the trademark, which was filed on September 29th, other than the fact that it's a video game from Valve, but the HL3 name alone is sure to excite fans of the series.

Continue reading…

28 Sep 17:49

Symbols

by DOGHOUSE DIARIES
Andrew

I'm pretty sure I know all these symbols. The symbol in the bottom-left corner is the only one I'm not sure of.

Symbols

Which affords you a lifetime supply of ‘being an awesome person’. Were there any critical ones we left off? Let us know on Facebook.

28 Sep 17:48

FAA panel formally recommends loosening in-flight electronics restrictions

by Nathan Ingraham
Andrew

it's about freakin' time.

Earlier this week, anonymous sources told The New York Times that a special United States Federal Aviation Administration panel would recommend to the agency that it loosen its restrictions on passengers using electronic devices during take-off and landing. Now, according to the AP, that panel officially recommended to the FAA that it let airline passengers use their smartphones, e-readers, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices essentially uninterrupted during flight. As reported earlier, electronic devices could be freely used as long as they were in airplane mode with Wi-Fi turned off during takeoff and landing — so no phone calls and no internet, but otherwise all of the restrictions that exist today would be eliminated.

...

Continue reading…

26 Sep 13:40

Samsung exec admits Galaxy Gear smartwatch 'lacks something special'

by Sharif Sakr

Samsung exec admits Galaxy Gear 'lacks something special'

In an unusual bout of frankness, a Samsung official has acknowledged that the Galaxy Gear smartwatch lacks, you know, whatever the Korean is for je ne sais quoi. As reported by the Korea Times, the unnamed official said:

"We've acknowledged that our Gear lacks something special. With more investment for user interface and user experience, Samsung devices will be better in terms of customer satisfaction."

We're not sure if the source of the quote is Samsung's VP of strategic marketing, Lee Don-joo, but this exec is quoted in the same Korea Times article as saying that the watch is "definitely receiving a warm response" and that improvements would stem from software tweaks and the hiring of new UI experts, rather than from the development of a whole new device. He described the Gear as part of Samsung's drive to create new categories of "wow product" and, in virtually the same gasp, he also reiterated that Samsung would launch some sort of heavily curved -- or perhaps even partially bendable -- smartphone in Korea next month.

Correction: We originally attributed the "something special" quote to Lee Don-joo, but it's not clear whether he or another official is the source of it. We've contacted Samsung for its side of the story.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Samsung

Comments

Via: Unwired View

Source: Korea Times

24 Sep 19:57

Are Early Upgrade Smartphone Plans Worth It?

by Eric Ravenscraft
Andrew

man, that is a lot of money for cell phones... but it's so worth it.

Are Early Upgrade Smartphone Plans Worth It?

T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and now Sprint all have an "early upgrade" plan that lets you upgrade your phone more often than every two years. But are those plans worth the cost? We break them down and find out.

Read more...


    






24 Sep 19:56

The iPhone is doomed, and it always has been

by Mike Wehner

Every single version of the iPhone to ever be released has been doomed. In fact, some of them were so doomed I'm surprised we even acknowledge their existence anymore. Apple needs to just give up before the company has to start selling coffee mugs from its headquarters just to turn a profit.

Wait, Apple already does that? My god, it's happening.

But don't take my word for it, let's look at all of the extremely well-thought-out arguments as to why each new iPhone was going to flop... until it didn't.

iPhone - 2007

  • It doesn't do 3G - What is this, the dark ages?
  • It's locked to AT&T - Wow, Apple, way to kill your not-even-good smartphone idea before it even got a chance.
  • The camera sucks - No flash? Almost zero options? What a joke.
  • No picture messaging - My brother needs to see this burrito I'm going to eat.
  • No removable battery - Has Apple learned nothing from criticisms of the iPod?
  • No physical keyboard - Smartphones are supposed to have physical keyboards, that's just a fact of life.

iPhone 3G - 2008

  • Still locked to AT&T - Apple must have sold its soul to the devil.
  • No video recording - A brand-new iPhone, still no video recording. Is this a joke, Apple?
  • Can't use it as a 3G modem - Once again, Apple falls behind the top-of-the-line smartphones.
  • From metal to plastic - Why would you ever thing switching from brushed aluminum to plastic was an "upgrade?" The ugliest phone on the market just got uglier.
  • Same camera - This camera was trash in 2007, and it's even trashier trash in 2008.

iPhone 3GS - 2009

  • Still locked to AT&T - Seriously? This is getting a little ridiculous.
  • Videos suck - Apple finally added video, it's a shame the quality is abysmal.
  • The name sucks - What the hell is a 3G S? And is it 3GS or 3G S or 3Gs? Confusing the customer is going to lead to lost sales, Apple, mark my words.
  • No tethering (at launch) - We're now on our third iPhone and Apple still can't figure out a way to get tethering to work.
  • It looks the same - When people buy a new smartphone, they want it to look different. Nobody with an iPhone 3G is even going to care about this one.

iPhone 4 - 2010

  • Still locked to AT&T (at launch) - Someone at AT&T must have some great blackmail on Apple's bigwigs.
  • Antenna issues - Well, that's it for the iPhone brand. Nobody is going to buy a phone when there are videos online showing that just holding the thing causes it to break. Bye bye, Apple!
  • It's a 4, but not 4G - Apple is just trying to trick us into thinking this is a 4G phone. Don't be fooled! Boycott!
  • The cameras still suck - They added a front-facing camera? Who even makes video calls? The rear camera is only 5 megapixels, and what's this weird green tint to my photos? Fail.
  • The new design is horrible - Phones are supposed to be sleek, not boxy. How am I supposed to slide this into my pocket?

iPhone 4s - 2011

  • Same old design - Apple is so far behind in the screen size game they'll never be able to catch up
  • Siri is lame - Apple bet on the wrong virtual horse here, and Siri is going to lose.
  • Battery life is horrible - If I can't go three days without charging my phone, I'm taking it back.
  • Still no 4G - 3G is, like, *so* yesterday.
  • No NFC - Near-field communication is the future, and Apple will be left behind.

iPhone 5 - 2012

  • Screen size, again - A measly half inch? That's what you give us for waiting half a decade? That's it Apple, I'm never buying one of your phones again. Ever.
  • Design is unchanged - It's just a taller 4S, which was just the same as the 4. I'm not buying the same phone for a 3rd time.
  • The Lightning cable - Great, now all my old iPhone charging cords are useless. People will see through Apple's game. They'll go bankrupt for trying scam smart consumers!

iPhone 5s & 5c - 2013

  • Two models - Splitting your market in half? Nice move, Apple, the end is surely nigh.
  • Screen size, again - These things are puny compared to Android phones, who would even want one?
  • Colors are dumb - The iPhone 5c is just a regular iPhone 5 with a fancy plastic back, and the iPhone 5s only gets that ugly gold color added? It's like Apple doesn't even care any more.
  • Touch ID is pointless - Who even locks their phones these days? My phone is always in a safe plac... where'd my phone go?
  • iOS 7 is confusing - Where'd my cute little wooden newsstand go? That's it, I'm switching to Windows Phone.

See what I mean? Apple's iPhone has always been doomed. It's just a good thing that being doomed has never stopped it from selling in record numbers.

[Image credit: magic_quote]

The iPhone is doomed, and it always has been originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
23 Sep 13:43

Alternate Universe

Andrew

This is EXACTLY how I feel about all seafood.

As best as I can tell, I was transported here from Earth Prime sometime in the late 1990s. Your universe is identical in every way, except for the lobster thing and the thing where some of you occasionally change your clocks for some reason.