The 404 395: Where we get to reboot Motherboard
Radioshack is trying to be cool again by renaming itself "The Shack."Too easy when it comes to jokes.There's no way that we're going to hang out at "The Shack."For a matter of fact, the only reason we can think to really go to Radioshack is if we needed something random, like a cable or a transistor.Further down the show, we find out that scientists think women are getting hotter because of evolution.Apparently, attractive women tend to breed more, but for some reason or another this has no effect on men.We're ugly as ever.Natali testifies to this when she looks at Jeff and Wilson.A recent graduate of Monroe College in the Bronx decided to sue her school after her information technology degree proved pretty useless in this economy.While we don't know the details of the situation, this can't be good for art school.Perhaps students will get disclaimers when they get Bachelor of Fine Arts or anthropology degrees?We finish the show with some iPhone app updates.The new OS 3.01 has beefed up Wi-Fi connections in addition to its SMS fixes, but it still doesn't discount Apple's move to block Google's Voice app on its App Store.The Palm Pre gleefully still holds onto its Google Voice app.Finally, Steven Spielberg announces that he will be remaking the Jimmy Stewart classic "Harvey."Why?Didn't Hollywood see what happened to the remake of "Miracle on 34th Street?"EPISODE 395PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayiPhone OS 3.01 fixes SMS vulnerability and even some Wi-Fi changesScientists say women are getting hotter because of evolutionRadioshack to become "The Shack"Student sues school because she can't find a jobPalm Pre gets Google Voice app while the iPhone version disappearsSteven Spielberg remaking "Harvey"Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarNatali Del ConteWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupNatali Del ConteJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Married with iPods, Part 1- I hate your music
Married with iPods, Part 1: I hate your music
Back in the CD era, it was easy to keep my wife's music collection separated from my own. We kept my CDs on one side of the shelf and her CDs on the other side, and the few CDs we both enjoyed would sit somewhere in the middle. The territorial lines were easy to maintain, and for the most part, music was never an issue in our house.In the MP3 era, however, everything's become more complicated. We have a central home computer that hosts our collective iTunes music library. Unfortunately, the CD shelf system we've relied on for years doesn't translate on the computer. Her Tori Amos and Fiona Apple are right up next to my Squarepusher and Black Keys, and our iPods don't include a "his and her" music feature.Need a way to filter your family's egregious music taste from your iPod? Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.Granted, we could have made separate user profiles on our PC with individual iTunes music libraries, but that would make it hard to share the music we have in common. (Editor's note: stay tuned for more on this approach, next week.) We also considered setting up our iPods to manually sync music instead of syncing automatically, but neither of us have the time to carefully groom our iPod's music collection and the extra step of manually ejecting our iPods each day can be a pain. We just want our shelf back.Fortunately, I found a solution that worked for us. By setting up a couple Smart playlists, we made iTunes intelligent enough to reliably keep the worst parts of her music collection off my iPod, and vice-versa. Unlike typical playlist techniques, which create lists of music you enjoy, the beauty of this system is that it works off the music you hate--which is much more fun. If you're interested, I've put together a step-by-step slideshow on how it's all done.If you've got your own method of maintaining peace with multiple iPods and a communal iTunes music library, help us all out by sharing it in the comments section.Read part 2 of Married with iPods
Back in the CD era, it was easy to keep my wife's music collection separated from my own. We kept my CDs on one side of the shelf and her CDs on the other side, and the few CDs we both enjoyed would sit somewhere in the middle. The territorial lines were easy to maintain, and for the most part, music was never an issue in our house.In the MP3 era, however, everything's become more complicated. We have a central home computer that hosts our collective iTunes music library. Unfortunately, the CD shelf system we've relied on for years doesn't translate on the computer. Her Tori Amos and Fiona Apple are right up next to my Squarepusher and Black Keys, and our iPods don't include a "his and her" music feature.Need a way to filter your family's egregious music taste from your iPod? Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.Granted, we could have made separate user profiles on our PC with individual iTunes music libraries, but that would make it hard to share the music we have in common. (Editor's note: stay tuned for more on this approach, next week.) We also considered setting up our iPods to manually sync music instead of syncing automatically, but neither of us have the time to carefully groom our iPod's music collection and the extra step of manually ejecting our iPods each day can be a pain. We just want our shelf back.Fortunately, I found a solution that worked for us. By setting up a couple Smart playlists, we made iTunes intelligent enough to reliably keep the worst parts of her music collection off my iPod, and vice-versa. Unlike typical playlist techniques, which create lists of music you enjoy, the beauty of this system is that it works off the music you hate--which is much more fun. If you're interested, I've put together a step-by-step slideshow on how it's all done.If you've got your own method of maintaining peace with multiple iPods and a communal iTunes music library, help us all out by sharing it in the comments section.Read part 2 of Married with iPods
Dell wields chart for Apple laptop comparison
Dell wields chart for Apple laptop comparison
A couple of things need to be pointed out quickly: The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros are made from metal, and the Dell Studio is mostly plastic.This can translate into a significant aesthetic and durability difference for some consumers.Also, graphics chips are not specified.The MacBooks come with Nvidia GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics, switchable with Intel Core i series graphics.The Dell Studio is spec'd mostly with Intel graphics (both older Core 2 and new Core i series graphics).At the upper end of the Studio 15 lineup, Dell uses the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics chip and an ATI chip for the high-end Studio 17.It may be the case that these higher-performance ATI chips are used in the Studio 15 and 17 shown in the chart, as they are both pricier configurations shown with 1GB of graphics memory.(Dell did not respond immediately for comment.) Clarifications aside, the chart says more about Apple than Dell."This is a classic Apple story," saidBob O'Donnell, an analyst at IDC."A pretty stark comparison, but it's been true for a long time. A lot of the mainstream notebooks these days are being sold for $500 or $600. Yet the cheapest MacBook is $999.It's not uncommon to see 50 percent price deltas," he said. All of this is very good for Apple, according to O'Donnell. "Their share of the PC market--about 5 percent--hasn't changed dramatically.On the other hand, you can show that Apple pretty much owns the consumer retail laptop market over $1,200. That's the reason their stock has done so well, and the reason that they're so profitable. They've carved out a very nice niche at the high end." And Mac OS X versus Windows 7?"Apple can justify huge price premiums because people pay for the experience of the Mac OS," O'Donnell said.Other distinctions between the MacBooks and Studios are the six color choices for the Dell Studios versus no choice (silver) for the MacBooks, andWindows Live Essentials versus iLife, respectively.Another notable difference: the Dell Studio 17 comes with a Core i7 processor versus the i5 for the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Apple did not respond immediately for comment.
A couple of things need to be pointed out quickly: The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros are made from metal, and the Dell Studio is mostly plastic.This can translate into a significant aesthetic and durability difference for some consumers.Also, graphics chips are not specified.The MacBooks come with Nvidia GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics, switchable with Intel Core i series graphics.The Dell Studio is spec'd mostly with Intel graphics (both older Core 2 and new Core i series graphics).At the upper end of the Studio 15 lineup, Dell uses the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics chip and an ATI chip for the high-end Studio 17.It may be the case that these higher-performance ATI chips are used in the Studio 15 and 17 shown in the chart, as they are both pricier configurations shown with 1GB of graphics memory.(Dell did not respond immediately for comment.) Clarifications aside, the chart says more about Apple than Dell."This is a classic Apple story," saidBob O'Donnell, an analyst at IDC."A pretty stark comparison, but it's been true for a long time. A lot of the mainstream notebooks these days are being sold for $500 or $600. Yet the cheapest MacBook is $999.It's not uncommon to see 50 percent price deltas," he said. All of this is very good for Apple, according to O'Donnell. "Their share of the PC market--about 5 percent--hasn't changed dramatically.On the other hand, you can show that Apple pretty much owns the consumer retail laptop market over $1,200. That's the reason their stock has done so well, and the reason that they're so profitable. They've carved out a very nice niche at the high end." And Mac OS X versus Windows 7?"Apple can justify huge price premiums because people pay for the experience of the Mac OS," O'Donnell said.Other distinctions between the MacBooks and Studios are the six color choices for the Dell Studios versus no choice (silver) for the MacBooks, andWindows Live Essentials versus iLife, respectively.Another notable difference: the Dell Studio 17 comes with a Core i7 processor versus the i5 for the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Apple did not respond immediately for comment.
Dell signals larger Android tablet troubles
Dell signals larger Android tablet troubles
"There's a bit of a haze over some early launches," Thode said about the U.S. tablet market."I don't want to criticize competition too much, but I think the [Motorola] Xoom has had mixed success because it launched before its time. The channels were confused, the pricing was confused," he said. That sentiment is similar to criticism leveled by Nvidia's CEO about the Xoom launch last month.Thode continued. "Our view is rather than try to rise above that noise--or worse, add to that noise--it is better to go get some traction in a market that will be a larger market.China will clearly be the largest tablet market in the world in a very short time." And Thode believes the U.S. consumer isn't ready yet.The Chinese consumer "is much more savvy" about tablet adoption he said.Richard Shim, an analyst at DisplaySearch, agrees. "The problem is that you have to educate the consumers about the experience," he said.Consumers are used to comparing PCs based almost solely on specifications, i.e., price-performance--while tablets have more subtle distinctions based on the tablet's overall "experience," Shim said. "Apple has had such success in that market because it has been able to hold the hand of the consumer and walk them through the experience," he said. All of the tablet confusion in the U.S. also raises bigger questions about the actual size of the tablet market stateside. Though Apple has clearly succeeded, it's possible that most of the consumers who want a tablet already have one--the iPad.And the potential for a lot of demand beyond Apple just isn't there yet, at least not in the U.S.
"There's a bit of a haze over some early launches," Thode said about the U.S. tablet market."I don't want to criticize competition too much, but I think the [Motorola] Xoom has had mixed success because it launched before its time. The channels were confused, the pricing was confused," he said. That sentiment is similar to criticism leveled by Nvidia's CEO about the Xoom launch last month.Thode continued. "Our view is rather than try to rise above that noise--or worse, add to that noise--it is better to go get some traction in a market that will be a larger market.China will clearly be the largest tablet market in the world in a very short time." And Thode believes the U.S. consumer isn't ready yet.The Chinese consumer "is much more savvy" about tablet adoption he said.Richard Shim, an analyst at DisplaySearch, agrees. "The problem is that you have to educate the consumers about the experience," he said.Consumers are used to comparing PCs based almost solely on specifications, i.e., price-performance--while tablets have more subtle distinctions based on the tablet's overall "experience," Shim said. "Apple has had such success in that market because it has been able to hold the hand of the consumer and walk them through the experience," he said. All of the tablet confusion in the U.S. also raises bigger questions about the actual size of the tablet market stateside. Though Apple has clearly succeeded, it's possible that most of the consumers who want a tablet already have one--the iPad.And the potential for a lot of demand beyond Apple just isn't there yet, at least not in the U.S.
Dell- Android tablets will outshine iPad, eventually
Dell: Android tablets will outshine iPad, eventually
Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell believes Android tablets will eventually overtake Apple's iPad as the dominant force in the slate market, according to an interview published today in The Wall Street Journal."Not tomorrow. Not the next day. But again, if you look at 18 months ago, Android phones were like, 'What is that?' And now there are more Android phones than iPhones," Dell said in response to a question on the possibility of Android tablets beating iPad sales. "I don't see any reason why the same won't occur with Android tablets."Admittedly, Dell has a vested interest in seeing that happen. His company currently offers both 5- and 7-inch Android tablets, known as the Streak. He also pointed out in the interview that Dell will continue to double down on Android.Of course, Dell didn't say exactly when the shift might occur in tablet market dominance. Right now, Apple's iPad is easily overshadowing the competition. According to research firm IDC, Apple owned 83 percent of the tablet market last year, and IDC expects the company to control between 70 and 80 percent of the tablet market this year.That further evidences the trouble Android is having establishing a beachhead in the tablet market. The Motorola Xoom, which launched in late February, has been gathering dust on store shelves. Deutsche Bank said recently that only 100,000 units of the device have been sold so far.It's a similar story for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which launched last year. Samsung said earlier this year that it shipped 2 million units of its tablet worldwide, but it acknowledged in an earnings call with investors in January that the "sell-out wasn't as fast as we expected."Even so, tablets are catching on in a big way. IDC said earlier this year that it expects 50 million tablets to ship in 2011 alone.For his part, Dell acknowledged that the uptick in demand for tablets over the past year has been somewhat surprising."I'd say [the] rapid rise of the tablet," Dell said in response to the Journal's question on what has surprised him most over the past several years. "I didn't completely see that coming."
Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell believes Android tablets will eventually overtake Apple's iPad as the dominant force in the slate market, according to an interview published today in The Wall Street Journal."Not tomorrow. Not the next day. But again, if you look at 18 months ago, Android phones were like, 'What is that?' And now there are more Android phones than iPhones," Dell said in response to a question on the possibility of Android tablets beating iPad sales. "I don't see any reason why the same won't occur with Android tablets."Admittedly, Dell has a vested interest in seeing that happen. His company currently offers both 5- and 7-inch Android tablets, known as the Streak. He also pointed out in the interview that Dell will continue to double down on Android.Of course, Dell didn't say exactly when the shift might occur in tablet market dominance. Right now, Apple's iPad is easily overshadowing the competition. According to research firm IDC, Apple owned 83 percent of the tablet market last year, and IDC expects the company to control between 70 and 80 percent of the tablet market this year.That further evidences the trouble Android is having establishing a beachhead in the tablet market. The Motorola Xoom, which launched in late February, has been gathering dust on store shelves. Deutsche Bank said recently that only 100,000 units of the device have been sold so far.It's a similar story for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which launched last year. Samsung said earlier this year that it shipped 2 million units of its tablet worldwide, but it acknowledged in an earnings call with investors in January that the "sell-out wasn't as fast as we expected."Even so, tablets are catching on in a big way. IDC said earlier this year that it expects 50 million tablets to ship in 2011 alone.For his part, Dell acknowledged that the uptick in demand for tablets over the past year has been somewhat surprising."I'd say [the] rapid rise of the tablet," Dell said in response to the Journal's question on what has surprised him most over the past several years. "I didn't completely see that coming."
Defense Dept. reportedly in deal for more than 600K iOS devices
Defense Dept. reportedly in deal for more than 600K iOS devices
The U.S. Department of Defense plans to purchase more than half a million iOS devices, according to a new report.Citing "well-placed sources," Electronista says the government plans to purchase 120,000 iPads, 100,000 iPad minis, 200,000 iPod Touches, and 210,000 iPhones as part of an effort to update and mobilize its technologies. As for the timing of such a deal, Electronista suggests it would happen following the current sequestration.Apple declined to comment on the report, and the Defense Department did not immediately return a request for comment.Last month the Department of Defense announced that it was dropping its exclusive contract with handset maker BlackBerry and opening up its communications networks to others, like Apple and Google.Related storiesDefense Department opens contracts for Apple, GoogleBlackBerry 10 deemed not secure enough by U.K.Defense Department drops exclusive contract for BlackBerryThe Department uses more than 600,000 mobile devices already -- 470,000 of which are BlackBerry -- with another 41,000 made by Apple and 8,700 running Google's Android platform. Last October the organization said that it plans to ramp that up to 8 million devices. The move, which remains unconfirmed, comes on the heels of the UK government's electronics clearance unit deeming Blackberry 10 to be not as secure as previous versions of the platform -- a blow for the Canadian device maker that first released the softwarein late January after delays.
The U.S. Department of Defense plans to purchase more than half a million iOS devices, according to a new report.Citing "well-placed sources," Electronista says the government plans to purchase 120,000 iPads, 100,000 iPad minis, 200,000 iPod Touches, and 210,000 iPhones as part of an effort to update and mobilize its technologies. As for the timing of such a deal, Electronista suggests it would happen following the current sequestration.Apple declined to comment on the report, and the Defense Department did not immediately return a request for comment.Last month the Department of Defense announced that it was dropping its exclusive contract with handset maker BlackBerry and opening up its communications networks to others, like Apple and Google.Related storiesDefense Department opens contracts for Apple, GoogleBlackBerry 10 deemed not secure enough by U.K.Defense Department drops exclusive contract for BlackBerryThe Department uses more than 600,000 mobile devices already -- 470,000 of which are BlackBerry -- with another 41,000 made by Apple and 8,700 running Google's Android platform. Last October the organization said that it plans to ramp that up to 8 million devices. The move, which remains unconfirmed, comes on the heels of the UK government's electronics clearance unit deeming Blackberry 10 to be not as secure as previous versions of the platform -- a blow for the Canadian device maker that first released the softwarein late January after delays.
Court- Workers can sue Apple, Google, others in wage dispute
Court: Workers can sue Apple, Google, others in wage dispute
Apple, Google, Adobe, Intel, and other companies will have to battle a class action lawsuit from around 60,000 disgruntled workers.Late Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld last October's ruling by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh that paved the way for a lawsuit against companies accused of conspiring to fix wages by agreeing not to poach employees. The appeals court's decision affirms the right of the workers to pursue their lawsuit as a group, according to Reuters.If successful, a class action lawsuit can saddle the defendants with a higher penalty than if each of the plaintiffs sued individually. In this case, the tech companies could find themselves collectively hit with up to $9 billion in damages.The accused companies had appealed Judge Koh's decision last year, calling it "manifestly erroneous," according to Reuters. Specifically, they argued that the claims against them involved employees with 2,400 job titles at seven different companies and that even the plaintiffs didn't allege that the total hiring of workers was affected.The case originated in 2011 when a small group of engineers sued Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, accusing them of conspiring to hold down salaries and vowing not to hire employees away from each other. The companies named in the suit, with the exception of Lucasfilm, had already settled in a Department of Justice investigation in 2010 by promising not to enter into any further nonsolicitation agreements.
Apple, Google, Adobe, Intel, and other companies will have to battle a class action lawsuit from around 60,000 disgruntled workers.Late Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld last October's ruling by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh that paved the way for a lawsuit against companies accused of conspiring to fix wages by agreeing not to poach employees. The appeals court's decision affirms the right of the workers to pursue their lawsuit as a group, according to Reuters.If successful, a class action lawsuit can saddle the defendants with a higher penalty than if each of the plaintiffs sued individually. In this case, the tech companies could find themselves collectively hit with up to $9 billion in damages.The accused companies had appealed Judge Koh's decision last year, calling it "manifestly erroneous," according to Reuters. Specifically, they argued that the claims against them involved employees with 2,400 job titles at seven different companies and that even the plaintiffs didn't allege that the total hiring of workers was affected.The case originated in 2011 when a small group of engineers sued Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, accusing them of conspiring to hold down salaries and vowing not to hire employees away from each other. The companies named in the suit, with the exception of Lucasfilm, had already settled in a Department of Justice investigation in 2010 by promising not to enter into any further nonsolicitation agreements.
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