A lot of ink is given to people who are saddened by their technology—but what of technology that is saddened by US? I defy you to come up with a sadder, more woefully imprisoned gadget than Zooey Deschanel’s new iPhone. Zooey’s iPhone screaming into the void: “I DIDN’T SIGN UP FOR THISSSSSSSSS!!!”
Tech
Posted inTech
Are Comments Bad for Business?
This Animal New York article by Joel Johnson has been hitting all the usual bloggy suspects this week. It suggests that comments are bad for business. Facebook and Tumblr and Twitter and other social media has taken the place of the online community-building that blog comments used to foster, Johnson argues. (Although people keep trying […]
Posted inBooks
DOJ’s E-book Pricing Lawsuit: What’s at Stake?
This morning, the Department of Justice sued Apple for e-book price fixing. Slate has more information, and The Verge does a great job of explaining what the lawsuit’s all about: Although Apple is listed as the first defendant, the bulk of the case is really about the publishers involved: Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, and Simon […]
Posted inTech
Instagram Bought By Facebook
Instagram just announced: Today, we couldn’t be happier to announce that Instagram has agreed to be acquired by Facebook…It’s important to be clear that Instagram is not going away. We’l be working with Facebook to evolve Instagram and build the network. We’ll continue to add new features to the product and find new ways to […]
Posted inPuppy
Dog Texting? Now I’ve Seen Everything
Check out the hilarious new tumblr, “Text From My Dog.” Here are a couple of examples: Much more dog texts here. Via!
Posted inTech
Are You Sure You Want Those Google Goggles?
As Paul shared with us the other day, Google is developing a wearable replacement for your smart phone: They’re smart glasses that do internet searches, calendar reminders, texting, video chat, navigation and more. However, are you sure you want these things? Remix artist Jonathan McIntosh reveals a dystopian Google Goggle future with his remake of […]
Posted inTech
Google’s Project Glass in Action: Would You Wear Google Glasses?
Ready for the future? Check out this concept video for something Google is working on under the title “Project Glass.” They’re smart glasses that do internet searches, calendar reminders, texting, video chat, navigation and more. Here, watch this: Photos of the glasses can be found over at Engadget. What do you think?
Posted inTech
Farewell, Sweet Razr
R.I.P. A week ago, I was one of these people. If I was calling or texting (or sexting), it was being accomplished via a scratched up Motorola Razr V3 that I’d been using for something like five years. No, I was not ashamed. The old thing still fit neatly in my pocket, slim, unobtrusive, a […]
Posted inTheater & Performance
Foxconn, Apple, and Daisey: A Beautiful Lie?
Foxconn, the Chinese electronics manufacturing behemoth, has promised to sharply curtail working hours and increase worker pay, after an investigation by the Fair Labor Association found numerous examples of the company violating Chinese law and industry codes of conduct. The investigation came at the behest of Apple, after the iPhone maker came under intense criticism […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Today in News That Surprises No One Who Has Been Inside a Movie Theater in the Past Five Years
The Hollywood Reporter has the shocking news that kids these days like to send their iTexts and read their Twitters… even while watching movies. Nine of 10 respondents view social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook as a new form of entertainment, and more than half say social media sites are important tastemakers in determining […]
Posted inTech
Slate on “The Little Coder’s Predicament”
Slate has a really fascinating article this week in which writer Annie Lowrey decides to take a month to learn how to code—entering the coding world as a novice presents her with a conundrum known as “The Little Coder’s Predicament” (essentially, it’s hard to find an entry point to coding now that the days of […]
Posted inTech
Microsoft Has a Device That Can Translate Your Voice into Another Language, in Almost Real Time
Holy fucking shit: Microsoft Research has shown off software that translates your spoken words into another language while preserving the accent, timbre, and intonation of your actual voice. In a demo of the prototype software (starts around the 12 minute mark), Rick Rashid, Microsoft’s chief research officer, says a long sentence in English, and then […]