From Electronista:
Microsoft revealed the pressure it feels from the iPad today as it has posted an open call on Facebook for a study of iPad owners. The Windows developer’s User Research team hopes to have two-hour focus groups at its campus between July 16 and July 21 asking owners how they use the Apple tablet. It didn’t provide any particular clues as to the direction of the research.
While I was home visiting my parents a few weeks ago, my father unearthed another gem from his archives – the manual from my grandmother’s 1963 Ford Fairlane.
There was a brief moment back when my grandmother still drove, that I got to ride in this vehicle. I still remember the red vinyl seats that my legs would stick to when I was in shorts.
When she moved out of Queens and in with us in New Jersey I asked my father if we could put the Fairlane in our driveway. He said no because unfortunately the engine had seized. It was beyond repair.
Today, almost half of all airline tickets are sold online. But for many people, finding the right flight at the best price is a frustrating experience; pricing and availability change constantly, and even a simple two city itinerary involves literally thousands of different options. We’d like to make that search much easier, which is why I’m pleased to announce that today we have signed an agreement to acquire ITA, a Boston-based software company specializing in organizing airline data, including flight times, availability and prices.
It’s getting scary how hungry Google is for information. It seems there’s never an industry they it doesn’t make sense to be in for Google. Search, news, email, maps, office applications, blogs, video, web browsers and most recently, their own competitor to Facebook. Check out their product page.
When you get as big as Google is getting, staying true to the don’t be evil mantra is impossible.
MacNN: Nokia exec “obsessed” with retaking lead from Apple, Google
Nokia’s new Mobile Solutions head Anssi Vanjoki today launched a renewed effort to improve Nokia’s standing in smartphones. He acknowledged that the company had lost its technical lead but said he was “obsessed” with getting the company back to the top spot.
I’d recommend he become obsessed with designing a great product, not “getting back on top”. If he does that, he might find his company in a better position in the market.
There’s room in the market for more than iPhones and Androids. I’d love to see Nokia get their mobile act together, but I’m not confident they can.
via Flickr set Old Auto Ads
This was the first thing that popped in my head when I saw my coworker Victor‘s mouse:
I’m just waiting for a little Batman to bust out of the mouse on a little mouse wheel Bat Bike and drive across my keyboard.
NYTimes: The Evolution of the World Cup Ball
My favorite? 1962’s “Mr. Crack”
Cisco plans an Android-based business tablet:
…will offer multiple networking capabilities, keyboard and mouse support, and the ability to do videoconferencing. Cisco says it will cost less than $1,000, or about the same as an iPad. The Cius will come with a front-facing high-definition video camera that can record 720p video at 30 frames per second and a 5-megapixel camera at the back that can capture high-quality video and still images. Users will be able to engage in live video calls [most likely via WebEx] when the tablet is docked or being held. Some units will be available this fall, though general availability is not expected until early 2011.
This is what I hate about the tech press. Outside of the subtitle, no where in the original article that Slashdot is paraphrasing do they mention the iPad. Everyone loves to instigate a good fight don’t they?
“Hey Apple, Cisco was talking about your mother.”
Next big headline will be something along the lines of, “Cisco Declares Tablet War on Apple”.
Someone also needs to mention to Slashdot the iPad is a consumer product, and what Cisco has announced is a business product, so unless Cisco plans on integrating media consumption and gaming applications, I don’t see competitive factors (Unless, and this is crazy talk, the iPad also appeals to business people).