Category: News (Page 101 of 130)

Sony Ericsson Claims To Change The Way You Listen To Music Forever

September 15, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

We can pretty much guarantee this latest marketing campaign from Sony Ericsson will end in all sorts of fail. It starts with a web campaign, apparently called “Put Your Ears In Control.” The site features a goofy looking animated character with just one sentence across the screen:

Come back here on the 21st of September to see how the way you listen to music changes forever.

I know this sort of language isn’t exactly rare in the tech world, but give me a break. Forever? Hell, changes? This would have to be something truly radical to make the kind of impact the webpage suggests. I literally have no idea what Sony Ericsson could be talking about. Even if Sony put all the power of the Walkman behind whatever device will probably be launched, it still wouldn’t change much, and most certainly not the way I listen to music or the forever of that hobby.

Check back on the 21st for more of me mocking Sony Ericsson for making ridiculous statements about an underwhelming device.

Music, News

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Google Fast Flip Lets You Preview Your News

September 14, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

Today Google launched an experimental news service aimed at making news more digestible. Called Fast Flip, the service is basically a visual replacement for Google News, which aggregates stories from all over the web. Fast Flip displays those stories visually, giving the reader a look at what’s through the link.

This is one of those rare Google products I can see myself using every day. Most of the company’s announcements are interesting, falling into that “kinda neat” category that I go dig through when I’m extremely bored. This, though, could easily become the place I go first for news. In a way it’s like the Twitter of the news scene. Granted, things aren’t quite as immediate, but that’s something I appreciate. I don’t mind finding out, like I did tonight, that Patrick Swayze has passed away when it’s been edited once or twice, instead of “OMG PATRICK SWAYZE ILL MISS U <3.”

You can take a look at Google’s newest project at fastflip.googlelabs.com.

News, Websites

iPhone MMS Getting Sporadic Activation

September 13, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

Reports are showing up all over the web today that iPhone MMS has been activated seemingly at random for many users. September 25th is supposed to be the official launch date, but users from locations as saturated as Manhattan and as far-flung as Iowa have reported MMS support on a variety of carrier and OS configurations.

This isn’t exactly a surprise. One of AT&T’s major concerns with MMS activation for a phone that has become the most popular camera on Flickr is network load. A slow and steady roll-out is basically a silent beta test – a way for users to get an experience they’ve been waiting for earlier than expected and give AT&T the network feedback they need. If this hadn’t been such a long time coming, I’d be inclined to say the carrier did something right.

Apple, iPhone, News

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Palm Rejects Its First App

September 12, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

In its bid to compete with Apple, it looks like Palm will be embracing even the worst of business practices. Despite an already meager offering in the App Catalog, Palm has banned its first application, NaNplayer.

The problem came when Palm noticed the app using an undocumented API call. It’s actually a call already used by the integrated music player to create playlists, but its not something Palm wanted to see in third-party apps. In a response after the media got wind of the story, Palm’s Developer Community Manager said the API was scheduled to change in future versions of WebOS so current apps shouldn’t rely on it.

I suppose that makes some sort of sense, but why not let the developer know and encourage them to make the switch instead of enforcing the change through rejection. If the API is going to break playlists, wouldn’t it do the same in Palm’s current app? And if Palm can write a way to migrate those playlists couldn’t NaNplayer’s developers do the same?

Regardless of the what-ifs, NaNplayer’s developers have said they’ll be going the homebrew route with their app, a decision Palm apparently supports. I suppose that’s better than suggesting homebrewing is illegal.

Apps, News

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Facebook Lite Is Like An Answered Prayer

September 11, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

Facebook rolled out a new feature yesterday that just might restore my faith in the service. I’ve long hated Facebook, and that hatred only grew as the site became more “feature-rich,” that is to say a much bigger pain in my ass. Luckily, I finally have some respite from all the requests for Mafia and Texas Hold ‘Em: Facebook Lite.

Originally intended for use in countries where broadband is sporadic or even nonexistent, Facebook Lite offers a slimmed down version of the social service, removing all the extra applications and goodies in favor of a much more utilitarian user interface. You get the bare bones, nothing more. I love it.

Facebook had this to say:

We decided to roll out Facebook Lite in the U.S. to give users a simple, expedient alternative to facebook.com, and hope that it will fill this need. While the majority of our user base is outside the United States, we’re always working to enhance the new user experience even in markets where facebook.com is easily accessible. We have also found that people who are new to Facebook tend to be most interested in a simpler experience, focus on establishing their network of friends and communicating with them by writing on their walls, sending messages, and looking at pictures. We have introduced the Lite site with these new users in mind.

I might actually log in more than my typical twice a month. You can check out the new service at lite.facebook.com.

Source: TechCrunch