Kobo eReader Available for Pre-Order
Not the most glowing review Borders has posted to highlight their new Kindle/Nook-esque ereader. Inauspicious marketing launch.
…Kobo is considerably cheaper than other eReaders. The design aims to make eReading more accessible to book lovers. – The Wall Street Journal
Court Says Internet Filtering in Public Libraries Not Censorship
Terrible news for freedom of information for the public. As much as we may find some content distasteful, filtering in public libraries kickstarts a dangerous trend that impacts those who use their library as their only access to the internet.
ongoing by Tim Bray · HTML5 and the Web
Bray is so centered on this issue. I need to dial down my own rhetoric on the subject. He says clearly what takes me far too many words to describe vis my feelings on Flash.
What’s not to like, then? Well, the user experience, which in my experience is fourth-rate for anything but games; No “Back” button, feaugh. And of the course the fact that it remains essentially proprietary.
So, I use a Flash-blocker every day, and I am not a friend of Flash inside Google, but none of my arguments have anything to do with being part of the Web, or not.
From Jason Rosenthal’s email to network creators this afternoon:
As long-time Network Creators, you no doubt already see the value of Ning. We intend to focus our efforts 100% on meeting your needs and building the features you’ve requested. The phasing out of free services won’t happen until July, and we’ll be providing those who can’t join us with a clear migration path at that time.
Well. It’s good to know that now, after years in service, they’re going to start meeting our needs.
All snark aside, I think this is probably a good move for the company as the reality of the Free Market Culture sets in and more and more organizations realize it’s time to, you know, make some money. Ning has been a terrific tool for many of my clients, but once you hit the ceiling on functionality, you’re locked up. API access is coming, apparently, which is good for developers, and more flexibility in custom designs, too.
Which is all great. But I just got off the phone with the owner of a terrific Ning network looking to move the site and all his members to a new platform in the wake of all the changes and the deteriorating service over the last year. And he is already a paying customer.
I hope they can pull it together and that the new premium model isn’t a day late, dollar short.
Cause migrating networks is a massive pain.
Yes, I’m exactly the sort of person who reposts links to things like “The Zombie Table.” You shouldn’t even have to ask.
Behold, the Zombie tested and victim approved Safe Bedside Table. Getting rushed by flesheaters? No problem! The Safe Bedside Table has a removable leg that acts as a club and a top that doubles as a shield for self-defense.
Is H.264 a legal minefield for video pros? – CNET News
With all the hoopla around video codecs, both open and closed source, here’s a bit of reporting covering MPEG LA terms around what is poised to be the next great standard on the net, h.264. Why does this matter? Because of patents, someone has to pay when I produce a video for a client which is later sold. And there are always patents. This story certainly goes a long way to ease my own concerns over royalty payments to patent holders, particularly the last part, emphasis mine:
“Realistically, it’s unlikely that a consumer who unwittingly plays a video clip from an unlicensed source is going to be pursued by MPEG-LA or by patent owners. The legal framework for patent damages is different than it is in the copyright area, so you’re not likely to see lawsuits against ordinary consumers, like some of the highly publicized suits filed by the RIAA [Recording Industry of America] in the United States,” Homiller said.
Another way where professionals can get off the hook for payments is if the video is broadcast for free over the Internet. Earlier this year, MPEG LA extended through 2015 a provision that means streaming H.264 video over the Net requires no royalty payments as long as anyone can see the video without paying.
Microsoft confirms, kills Courier in one fell swoop
Yup, predictable. From Engadget:
It seems, however, that things just didn’t manage to take shape, and word was handed down very recently that the incubation period had reached its conclusion – sans product – and resources would be directed elsewhere.
As a final note, I still love my currently-available-in-stores iPad.
What Would Nick Denton Pay For These Things I Found In A Bar
I think this is the first thing I’ve posted about the lost iPhone. I was going to swear that I would make this the last thing I’d post on the lost iPhone too, but as the story goes on, it’s getting almost too interesting not to share. In the mean time, this is too good not to pass on.
How Much do Music Artists Earn Online? [INFOGRAPHIC]
This about hits my assumption that sticking with the independent route hits the sweet spot. More important is keeping a balanced portfolio and avoiding exclusives. Other artists out there seeing the same?
(thanks @CurtSiffert)
From Jobs missive on Flash today:
Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind.
Of course, Adobe is going to make a great product for authoring in HTML5 and so on, because a great-big-non-trivial-part-of-the-business exists to do that. But by saying this out loud, Jobs just guaranteed that Adobe will be resentful the whole time.
Reason #1,248 that Ze Frank is a classy guy.
On FiveThirtyEight: Double Down by the Numbers: Unhealthiest Sandwich Ever?
No, no it’s not the most disgusting thing you could eat today, but it’s still tremendously disgusting. Insofar as it’s a reach to find anything surprising here, I suppose I’m chewing on the point that the Big Mac is, in fact, less disgusting than the Double-Down.
26 Percent of Wired’s Mobile Traffic Comes From the iPad
Predictable, given the audience of Wired.com. Doubly predictable given how great browsing is on iPad with your fingers.
Absolute dead-simple staple of my work. Transmit 3 is absolutely unparalleled. I pulled the trigger on Transmit 4 before I’d even launched it.
It’s been over two weeks that the iPad has been on the market in the US. I’m writing this post on the iPad, in fact, in a moving car on the way to Canyonville, Oregon for a lovely weekend at the casino with the wife and family. Cause, nothing says ‘vacation’ like the Seven Feathers for a family that doesn’t gamble or drink much.
As a strange aside, take a look at the Seven Feathers on Google maps; there is a crazy proximity to the cemetery right at the edge of the parking lot. I’m not much into the occult, but I saw Poltergeist.
I have read what I have to imagine now amounts to all of the iPad reviews. I’ve read the early ones calling the iPad a silly also-ran in a soon to be saturated market. I’ve read the reviews calling the thing an oversized iPod touch. I’ve read the ones calling it a game-changer, a magical tool that will change the way we live, raise our children, tame lions, and ride bikes. As much as I’ve been longing to get a few words out on the device, I didn’t feel like I would be able to add much to the discussion without actually — you know — using it for a while. So, here we are. Two weeks in and I think, now, I have something to say.
