Category: mobile

  • New iPhone pricing proves consumers are idiots

    There’s lots of fascinating research about just how truly horrible consumers and investors we all are most of the time. The field of behavioral economics has produced much scholarship along these lines. Princeton professor Danny Kahneman won the Nobel Prize for economics in 2002 for his research showing in essence that people make radically different…

  • Ah Europe, land of cell phone greatness

    The phone is ringing, it’s 4 a.m. Who do you want answering that (mobile) phone? Me, of course. I’m in London, however, so your 4 a.m. is what we like to call 9 a.m. here in England. I’m on a sort of mini-holiday over here enjoying the many beautiful sights, unusually fine weather and amazing…

  • What to pack in your computer bag?

    Dan Frakes has an awesome piece over at Macworld’s “Mobile Mac” blog today about gadgets and junk that he carries around with his laptop. I hadn’t seen Kensington’s rechargeable Portable Power Pack for Mobile Devices before. Only $60 and 3.5 ounces for 14 hours of additional VIDEO playback on my iPod? Sounds like I need…

  • John Markoff needs a new job or at least a new beat

    Ever know someone who got laid off or otherwise had an involuntary job change mid to late in their career and ended up feeling re-energized and renewed at their next job? Happened to my dad, thanks to Newt Gingrich becoming Speaker of the House, but that’s another story. It’s that time for New York Times…

  • Reclaiming an ancient PocketPC as a web browser

    Cleaning out the attic closet recently, I came across an ancient Casio PocketPC that I must have bought six or seven years ago, the Cassiopeia E-115. It’s a cute little device featuring a smallish, color touch-screen and compact flash card slot. My son was immediately interested in reclaiming it but we couldn’t get it to…

  • Ignore the static: Kindle is great for reading

    Wow, the new electronic book reader from Amazon, Kindle, sure is getting a lot of absurdly misguided and factually incorrect criticism. My fingers are getting sore from responding to such a tide of disinformation in comment boxes scattered across a zillion web sites. Just this morning, I’ve been writing a lengthy comment to a Kindle…

  • Don’t rush out for an iPhone (really)

    (Updated 6/21) With the release of the undeniably super-cool iPhone just around the corner, I have a plea for gadgetistas everywhere: Please don’t camp out, queue up or generally make a fool of yourself on the evening news in front of an AT&T wireless store next week. Like I’ve said over and over, there’s no…

  • Curious Aaron solves iPhone voice-over mystery

    It was driving me a little crazy — no, make that A LOT crazy. Couldn’t sleep, couldn’t focus on reading the paper, couldn’t think about washing my hair in the shower — WHO was the voice behind Apple’s compelling new iPhones ads? You know the one where the guy is watching “Pirates of the Carribean”…

  • He marched in the animals, two by two

    …And he called out as they came through Hey Lord, I’ve got green alligators and long-necked geese Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord, I’m so forlorn I just can’t find no unicorns. Ah, the Irish Rovers and The Unicorn Song. Brings back fond memories of rainy…

  • Sprint USB Modem Smacks Down Verizon

    (Updated 3/28) As I mentioned the other day, I just passed my two year anniversary as a customer of Verizon’s wireless broadband service. I decided to try Sprint’s competing service since it costs $20 less a month (I can’t add a voice line to the same account). Well, the Sprint Novatel Ovation U720 modem arrived…