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      Samsung announces yet another mobile OS

      November 10, 2009 /

      samsung-badaToday Samsung announced that it was entering the open mobile operating system business with a service called “bada.” It’s still unclear as to the plan for the system, but we at least know that it’s not for smartphones. Yes, Samsung has designed a feature phone OS with its own SDK to lure in developers. And by “lure” I mean attract so few developers that the plan is scrapped for a stripped-down version of Android in the next year or two.

      There are precious few details about the operating system. The press release tells us that the word bada means “ocean” in Korean, which “was chosen to convey the limitless variety of potential applications which can be created using the new platform.” Awww, your optimism is so adorable, Samsung. Really, that’s about all we know. The rest is coming in December, which is when Samsung will release the SDK. Wait – an SDK release just a month after the OS is announced? Are you watching this, Palm? Hmm?

      Mobile, News

      Photoshop app for Android now available

      November 10, 2009 /

      android-photoshop-appRemember that free Photoshop app for the iPhone? Adobe’s finally released a version for Android, roughly a month after the iPhone version became available.

      It’s basically the same app, though with a few differences for both better and worse. For starters, the Android version displays the phone’s entire photo library within the application. With the iPhone version you have to go through an extra step to select your photo. Not a huge difference, but it’s nice.

      On the flipside, the Android version doesn’t have the pinch or twist functionality for straightening out your pictures. The feature is still there, just as a menu item instead of the multitouch. Again, not a big deal, and frankly the Photoshop app probably won’t be the pivotal factor if you’re deciding between the two platforms. For either OS, it’s a nice app.

      Apps, Mobile

      Twitter lands shitmydadsays a TV show

      November 9, 2009 /

      shitmydadsays-twitterIf you haven’t heard of the Twitter account “shitmydadsays,” you should check it out. Written by a guy named Justin Halpern, the site is supposedly just what the account name suggests – a running list of anecdotes from this guy’s grumpy old curmudgeon of a father. According to the bio on the account, Justin says, “I’m 29. I live with my 73-year-old dad. He is awesome. I just write down shit that he says[.]” Things might change around the Halpern household, though, unless Justin is in desperate need of new material for his TV deal. Yes, the Twitter account has turned into a TV deal for Halpern.

      The deal for the show came from CBS, with Warner Bros. set to produce. Halpern is actually going to write the show, and will be working with Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. I’m still so shocked I feel like I should rewrite the whole thing to see if it makes any more sense. The weirdest part is that the account doesn’t even have that many followers. Sure, it’s grown exponentially, but exposure on sites like TechCrunch will do that. But 700,000 followers = TV deal? CBS must really like the content.

      Maybe that’s the part that isn’t so surprising, and actually turns out to be kind of reassuring. I think Halpern’s funny – damn funny, in fact – so it’s kinda cool to see a network pick up something with a little potential. Now, if we could just get them to stop cancelling shows like Arrested Development.

      Source: TechCrunch

      Lifestyle, News

      Yes, Australia, there is an iPhone worm

      November 9, 2009 /

      Rick Astley.There’s a worm spreading among jailbroken iPhones in Australia that makes one hilarious modification. The virus changes the iPhone wallpaper to a picture of Rick Astley. Luckily for those who have picked up the bug, there is no malicious code involved. It’s just a stunt by a 21-year old who hopes to get a few laughs and get people to get a little more serious about phone security.

      “The virus itself is not malicious and is not out to hurt people. It’s just poking fun and hoping waking people up a little,” said the creator, who lives in Sydney. For those of you who are unaware, jailbroken phones can be accessed using the password “alpine” for SSH control. If you don’t change the password upon jailbreaking, anyone with a little tech savvy can add or remove files to/from your iPhone.

      Luckily for you, the fix is really simple. Just load up Cydia and get the MobileTerminal app, and then use the “passwd” command to make the necessary change. And do it now. Rick Astley may seem harmless, but he’s just a gateway drug to much more serious problems.

      iPhone, Mobile, News

      Verizon lays into AT&T with new 3G ads

      November 8, 2009 /

      Island of misfit toysAT&T might have done well to keep quiet about Verizon’s “map for that” ads. Since bringing a lawsuit concerning the original commercial, Verizon has launched three more ads, all bearing the same message: AT&T’s network sucks. It’s not that the message is anything new, but AT&T has made it clear that network quality is a pressure point, and now Verizon’s going to squeeze.

      The new ads will likely air all through the holidays since they’re all about Christmas. In one the iPhone ends up on the island of misfit toys, not fitting in until it shows its new friends the AT&T 3G coverage map. That one works on two levels, digging at AT&T and reminding Apple that Verizon still really wants the iPhone.

      The second ad turns the naughty gift from coal into AT&T’s network, and the third features a man having a Blue Christmas (yes, the song runs in the background) until he walks home to find a festive red package sitting on his front porch.

      The last two ads sound like the usual competition bashing you see in any industry, but that the commercials have so much truth behind them makes them devastatingly effective. Talk to anyone with an iPhone and you’ll hear about AT&T’s crap network. Apparently no one has mentioned to Big Blue that fixing their network would solve all kinds of problems, the least of which is this new ad campaign.

      iPhone, Mobile, Video

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