iPhone 4 antenna libel: should Apple sue Consumer Reports?
July 13, 2010
The trumped-up iPhone 4 antenna controversy has now spread to Consumer Reports, with the publication revoking its iPhone 4 recommendation after “additional testing” of the product. The fact that Consumer Reports couldn’t find anything wrong with the iPhone 4’s antenna the first time around merely serves to show what a farce the whole thing is, as the magazine’s testers proved that there’s no “antenna issue” under normal usage in their initial tests, and only went back and did additional “testing” after the geek headline writers misrepresented the specific non-natural finger pattern they’d discovered which could slightly lessen signal strength under certain circumstances. Consumer Reports apparently then went and repeated the same specific finger pattern, found that they could replicate the non-issue, and like so many other reckless technology journalists, libelously labeled it a defect.
Nevermind that Consumer Reports destroyed its own credibility on the matter in doing so; if an issue doesn’t exist in real world usage and can only be evoked in a theoretical scenario that someone told them to try, labeling it a “defect” automatically makes your publication a joke. And nevermind that Consumer Reports, largely forgotten by the mainstream here in the twenty-first century, sold out by taking a desperate swing to try to get back in the game which will backfire in the eyes of the mainstream. The real question here is that with the application of the word “defect” to the iPhone 4 antenna being an obvious act of libel, should Apple sue Consumer Reports and other similarly out of control publications in order to get them to cease intentionally publishing false information about the iPhone 4? Make no mistake: Apple would win. Eventually. After years of legal proceedings, during which the geek headline writers, who despise Apple already, would make the legal proceedings their lead story. It would only serve to give geek technology journalists (and all technology journalists are geek technology journalists) more ammo when it comes to their increasingly creative ways of carrying out their own agenda of attempting to punish Apple for making products that aren’t geeky enough for their personal tastes. And it would bring even more attention to the iPhone 4 antenna story, which deserves none.
Then again, Apple may eventually have to do something to silence the libel coming from these clowns. Or Apple could just wait it out. Geek technology journalism is dying by the day here in 2010, as the mainstream has learned to completely ignore what the geeks have to say about consumer technology; it’s why you see one prominent geek having a public meltdown after another this year. It’s why you see geeks leaving the Apple platform (and good riddance) even as Apple’s products continue to increasingly conquer the mainstream. If one geek leaves the Apple platform and a thousand non-geek users take his place, that’s a double win for the mainstream, because if nothing else, it means that geek headline writers just might stop writing about Apple altogether – meaning that the libel, which is currently served up in a nonstop fashion, would go by the wayside (after all, you can’t falsely claim to have miraculously found an “antenna defect” on a product that you don’t even use).
This is separate from the question of whether Apple should sue journalists for knowingly publishing trade secrets (Apple did this in the past, lost, and looked bad doing so) or whether Apple should sue publications who buy secret prototypes from someone who claims to have found it in a bar. Actually, the fact that there’s not (yet) been a lawsuit against that particular publication suggests that Apple may well have decided that taking journalists to court – even journalists who steal their prototypes and/or intentionally libel their products – may not be a particularly smart way of going about things after all. But how to deal with all the libel, then? Interestingly enough, and serving as yet more evidence that geek headline writers really are being ignored by the mainstream these days, the nonstop libel written about Apple products hasn’t stopped Apple’s products from becoming major mainstream successes. Perhaps Apple’s best course of action is simply to allow these geek clowns posing as journalists to ruin their own reputations one libelous article at a time.
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Tagged: antenna, Consumer Reports, geeks, iPhone 4, journalists, lawsuit, libel, sue
Thursday, July 15, 2010
iPhone 4 antenna libel: should Apple sue Consumer Reports?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Android based Cruz Reader and Cruz Tablet coming in August
Prepare yourself people, the tablet/e-reader wars are about to heat up. Virginia based Velocity Micro announced their new “Cruz” line today, consisting of the 7″ color Cruz Reader, the 16:9 Cruz Tablet, and the kid-friendly Cruz StoryPad. The most interesting part? The entire Cruz product line runs the Android OS.
A kid friendly e-reader? That actually sounds like a brilliant idea. The Cruz StoryPad provides a kid friendly, drop resistant, multimedia based platform to “help your child read, learn, and interact using a simple and intuitive touch interface”. The StoryPad has a 7-inch screen, simplified navigation, and pre-installed content. Available in pink, blue, or green, the StoryPad will have and MSRP of $149. A bit steep, but as a parent, I think it’s an excellent concept.
Next we have the Cruz Reader. Yes, it’s another e-reader, this one has a 7-inch screen, 800×600 full color touch screen navigation (going for the magazine market), built in wifi, and a full web browser. Because it’s based on the Android OS, it also comes with a built in dictionary, notepad, calendar, alarm clock, contacts list, and “other useful apps”. MSRP on the Cruz reader is $199, pushing into a rather difficult price point. We’ll see what happens in August though.
Finally we have the Cruz Tablet, again featuring a 7-inch screen, 800×480 capacitive display, and built in wifi. Keep in mind the entire Cruz line runs Android, so you can reach your own conclusions about what exactly you’ll be able to run on the thing. It does come with 4GB of built in storage, with an 8GB SD in the box for pictures of puppies, or kittens, or your favorite car. MSRP is $299, and again, the entire Cruz line will be available this coming August. Can they compete with the other products out there? Time will tell, and we’ll definitely be trying to get one to review.
From the official press release:
Velocity Micro® Announces a Family of Android™ based color E-readers and Tablets
Cruz line launches with 7” color Cruz Reader™, 16:9 Cruz Tablet™ and kid-friendly Cruz StoryPad™
Richmond, VA – July 13, 2010 – Velocity Micro, the premier builder of premium, high performance desktop computers, notebooks, and peripherals, announces the debut products from a captivating and affordable line-up of Android powered mobile devices. Taking e-readers light-years past e-ink, the Cruz Reader features a sleek design, touch screen display, and tons of multimedia features. The Cruz Tablet offers the same multimedia capabilities as the Cruz Reader with more storage and a multi-touch screen. Perfect for kids, the Cruz StoryPad offers a touch screen, interactive content, and intuitive interface. Best of all, the Cruz line starts at just $149.
“Since 1992, Velocity Micro has been dedicated to building remarkable consumer electronics,” said Randy Copeland, President and CEO of Velocity Micro. “With the development of the Cruz line, we were able to take those enthusiast sensibilities and package them for the mainstream consumer to create a product that’s not only amazing, but affordable as well.”
At under one pound and about a half inch thick, the $199, 7” Cruz Reader goes everywhere you do, making it perfect for students, avid readers, frequent flyers, and techies. Additional features such as video playback and web browsing provide a much richer experience than traditional e-ink readers at a more reasonable price than a tablet.
Key specs and features include:
· Crystal clear 4:3 ratio, 800×600 full color touch screen display – ideal for viewing ebooks and magazines, plus web pages and movies
· Google Android Operating System
· 802.11b/g wifi and full Web browser support
· High res video and high quality audio playback with no proprietary content restrictions
· Built-in Dictionary, Notepad, Calendar, Alarm Clock, Contacts, Games, and other useful apps
· Built in accelerometer, tilt activated
· Enough built in storage for hundreds of books
· USB and SD card slot for upgradable storage, including a 2GB SD card
· Up to 10 hours of use and over 24 hours of standby time, with a replaceable battery
· Access to over 2 Million ebooks via included Borders E-book library portal application
· Access to the Cruz Market™, an open content portal for downloading apps, magazines, and videos from a broad array of content providers.At $299, the Cruz Tablet offers a truly mobile experience at an affordable price, finally giving consumers an Android-based tablet alternative.
Spec and feature upgrades include:
· 7” 16:9 ratio, 800×480 capacitive display – great for viewing widescreen video
· 802.11n wifi for faster wireless connectivity
· Integrated microphone for voice recording
· 4GB of built in storage with an 8GB SD card in the box for additional storage of high res photos, video, and musicRounding out the Cruz line, the $149 Cruz StoryPad packs tons of multimedia features into a kid friendly, drop resistant package, letting children read, learn, and interact using a simple and intuitive touch interface. Features include:
· 7” 4:3 800×600 full color touch screen display
· Simplistic and intuitive navigation
· High res video and high quality audio playback
· Preinstalled audio book content – reads classic stories as the child follows along
· SD card for additional storage
· Available in pink, blue, and greenThe Cruz Reader and Cruz StoryPad will be available from most major retailers and direct from Velocity Micro in August with the Cruz Tablet following on September 1st. For more information or to sign up for e-newsletter updates, visit www.CruzReader.com.
Microsoft Integrates Facebook into Outlook
Microsoft Integrates Facebook into Outlook
July 13th, 2010
By Sara Inés Calderón 1 Comment » On the heels of a recent Facebook Pages integration with Docs.com, Microsoft has again Facebook-ized its products by allowing Outlook users to access the social network from their email inboxes with the new Outlook Social Connector.
Mashable reported that Microsoft has integrated both Facebook and Windows Live Messenger into Outlook’s 2003 and 2007 versions via a new plugin, which will also allow integrations for MySpace and LinkedIn.
Facebook and Microsoft reportedly worked in tandem to ensure the plugin worked well. One privacy-related feature is that the plugin will only pull information from email contacts connected to a Facebook account. In other words, if you and most of your friends use Outlook primarily at work but have a personal email attached to your Facebook account, you may not see as much Facebook-related information with the Outlook Social Connector.
The new integration gets information live from Facebook, allowing users to see profile photos and news feeds of contacts in their Outlook inbox as they are published on Facebook. So, for example, when you’re reading a friend’s email in Outlook you will also be able to see their status updates, photo uploads, posts, and other activities.
Users may not, however, Like posts or update statuses, for example because the plugin only pulls information from Facebook. That’s in the plans eventually, according to Mashable, but for now the only thing Outlook users can publish to Facebook from their inboxes are friend requests.
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Saturday, July 3, 2010
3 Lessons HP Hopefully Learned From The iPad
The HP webOS Slate is one-step closer to the market now that HP officially owns Palm. It has a real chance to be the iPad-alternative of choice when it launches later this year. Hopefully HP engineers and designers have been taking notes about the iPad from the beginning because even though the iPad is selling like Girl Scout cookies, it’s far from perfect.
The Apple branding alone is part of the successful launch, but HP is, well, HP and a major player in the consumer market with deeper distribution channels than even Apple. If any one company can stand up to Apple in the tablet space, it’s HP — but only if they take advantage of learning from Apple’s mistakes and success.
