Apple’s iOS 5 is the sincerest form of flattery
Apple has an unimpeachable reputation as an innovator. But nothing is created in a vacuum. From the famous adaptation of the by-then well-established (among techies) “windows” concept to its late entry to the MP3 and smartphone market, Apple has judiciously built off other people’s ideas – as others have richly done with Apple’s.
Journalism, activism and the challenge of objectivity
While covering an Occupy Wall Street planing meeting about a month ago, I learned that the professor sitting next to me was helping coordinate with protestors in other countries. “I’d love to talk to you about that,” I said. “Great, can you help us out?” “Oh I can’t get involved,” I explained. “I have to…
Amazon Channels Apple At Kindle Fire Launch
[Fast Company] The founder and CEO paced across the stage before a massive screen displaying the company’s achievements in recent years–skyrocketing sales of media and a heritage of innovative, beloved gadgets. Steve Jobs? Could be. Or it could be Amazon front man Jeff Bezos. [Read Amazon Channels Apple At Kindle Fire Launch]
Make Your Smartphone Smarter
[Wall Street Journal] We love our iPhones and Androids. And “we” doesn’t just mean tech geeks. Virtually all Americans (kids too) have mobile phones. And 40 percent of them have smartphones. That number keeps growing—fast. And tablets (read: iPads) are multiplying like bunnies. But there’s a problem for gadget lovers: We’re not very original. It’s…
A Web-Fomented Protest On Wall Street Is Louder Online Than Off
[Fast Company] A modest, recession-inspired demonstration grabs plenty of online attention. Is the future of activism more digital than physical? Fast Company goes inside the Sept. 17 OccupyWallStreet demonstration in New York (and follows reactions online) to find out. [Read the rest on Fast Company]
Android Is Having A Cinderella Moment
[Fast Company] For years, the Android smartphone operating system stood as the neglected stepsister aside the iPhone’s radiant, beloved iOS. Tens of thousands of suitors–app developers including large corporations and rising creative talents–hurried first to build something for iOS phones. Only belatedly, if at all, would they build something for Android devices. [Read the rest…
Dashboard Your Life
Tame the tangle of bills, finances and frequent-flier miles by visiting only a few websites instead of 20 [WSJ] They tower ominously, mocking our lax responsibility. They are the stacks of bills, account statements and frequent-flier updates. Even going paperless doesn’t solve much. Those envelopes are simply replaced with clots of emails that co-mingle with daily…
The Search For What Clicks In The New Digital Singles Scene
[Fast Company] Online dating startups are using quirky concepts, and emerging technology—from facial recognition to geolocation—to challenge traditional predecessors like Match.com and eHarmony. Where’s the love and where’s the money? [Read the rest of The Search For What Clicks]
The Agony of Consensus
For the past week I’ve been following an activist movement with the very heady goal of trying to occupy Wall Street (a la Tahrir square in Cairo) on September 17 to demand – well, something that treats regular folks better. Their model for action is a “general assembly,” a form of extreme democracy based on…
Cairo on the Hudson
If America is to follow the example of Egypt, Spain, and Greece, the protest has to go to Wall Street, not Washington. So says a collection of mostly young organizers planning a Tahrir-Square-style occupation of the New York Financial District, starting on September 17 – and lasting months. They are talking thousands of people, tents,…