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      MacFarlane and Borstein scare Microsoft away

      October 27, 2009 /

      I’m not sure what Microsoft thought Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein would put together for the Windows 7 sponsored Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show, but apparently it was something very different from typical Family Guy fare. After viewing the show’s taping session, Microsoft execs pulled the plug on the special event.

      “We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of Family Guy, but after reviewing an early version of the variety show, it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand,” said a Microsoft spokeswoman. In this case (as with just about every episode of the show), “creative humor” meant jokes about deaf people and Holocaust jabs. Is anyone surprised?

      The endorsement drop didn’t kill the show, though. Fox will still be airing the special event on November 8th as part of an all-MacFarlane night of television. Hopefully the new sponsor will actually look at some of MacFarlane’s work before considering a deal.

      Source: Variety

      microsoft

      Storm 2 available October 28th

      October 27, 2009 /

      Blackberry Storm 2.Verizon made a quiet little announcement yesterday – the Blackberry Storm 2 will be out tomorrow, October 28th. The news follows a year of leaks, so it’s not much of a surprise. It’s odd, though, that Big Red is so nonchalant about the release. The original Storm wasn’t quite the hit it was supposed to be, but the Storm 2 is supposed to have fixed most of the original problems.

      Part of the Storm 2’s problem is that it’s been almost universally panned. The GPS is supposedly awful and the Blackberry OS 5.0 has a tendency to reset spontaneously on the 9550. There’s also the fact that the Blackberry OS continues to age while systems like the iPhone OS and Android are doing a better job of growing alongside the devices they support.

      As for positive additions, the Storm 2 finally adds WiFi and makes a big improvement on the original’s touchscreen. The Storm 2 will run $179.99 on contract after a $100 mail-in rebate.

      Mobile, News

      Study shows $600 as critical price point for Apple tablet

      October 26, 2009 /

      Apple Tablet.Mac addicts are almost proud to spend hundreds of extra dollars when it comes to buying a computer, but an Apple tablet might not just be for Mac nerds. The general expectation is that Apple’s tablet will be like the iPhone or an iPod, bridging the gap between the diehards and the average consumer. With the average consumer, though, price becomes more important, and as a recent study by Retrevo suggests, $600 might be the break point.

      According to Retrevo, 68% of Mac users would be willing to spend over that $600 point on Apple’s tablet. In fact, 41% are willing to break $800 for the device. That hangs in line with what we know about Mac users’ spending habits. PC folks, on the other hand, aren’t so easy to persuade. Granted, there are still armies of them willing to pay premium dollar for the Apple brand, but not nearly as many by percentage.

      From the survey results, it looks like 36% of PC users would consider spending over $600. Strangely enough, only 16% would spend in the $600-$800 range, while 20% were willing to break the $800 mark. Still, that leaves a huge base of people dreaming sub-$600, a price that I just can’t imagine we’ll see.

      Apple, Computers

      Swine flu app puts panic in your hands

      October 26, 2009 /

      HMS Mobile Swine Flu app.It’s hard to say just how I feel about the new app from Harvard Medical School, called the Swine Flu Center. On the one hand, it’s certainly important to keep the public educated about H1N1. As a national emergency level virus, people should know what they’re up against. Are outbreak maps on our phone the best way to do that? Maybe not.

      The new application is part of Harvard Medical School’s mobile initiative to get people educated about current medical issues. At $1.99 it’s pretty cheap, and certainly has a lot to offer. The app has videos, diagnostic tips, prevention tips, and an interactive symptom checker.

      As with any interactive medical tool, make sure you’re talking to a physician before making rash decisions. These are guidelines, people, guidelines. Let’s not freak out.

      Source: TechCrunch

      Apps, iPhone, Mobile

      Get TiVo on your PC for $69.99

      October 25, 2009 /

      Nero LiquidTV.PC DVR systems can be a pain to setup, and often require several trips back to Best Buy or your electronics store of choice for the components you forgot or didn’t know you’d need (you do have a tuner, right?). The Nero LiquidTV serves up everything you need to make your PC into a DVR system worthy of living room status.

      For $69.99 you get a tuner, a USB IR receiver, TiVo software, a TiVo remote, and a one-year subscription to the service. That last part is really the one letdown for the package. After a year you’ll be paying $99.99 to continue your service. If you don’t need cable and just want to pull down your PBS for recording, Nero’s system comes with a radio tuner. It doesn’t have a great antenna, but I’m sure you could find a way to fix that little problem.

      As for the software, it’s essentially just what you’d find in a TiVo set-top box. You don’t get any of the extras, like photo viewing or a music player. It does what you need, but again, the yearly subscription fee kinda sucks.

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