Linked List: August 11, 2010

Wednesday, 11 August 2010

‘Words’ 

What a wonderful short film by Everynone. (You’re checking Devour every day, right?)

Another Intriguing Engadget Scoop: Sony Ericsson to Introduce Android 3.0 Gaming Platform 

Joshua Topolsky:

The device is described as cross between the Samsung Captivate and the PSP Go — in other words, it’s a landscape slider with game controls in place of the typical QWERTY keyboard.

Why would Sony work with Google on this, though?

Josh Topolsky on the Upcoming Apple TV 

Interesting scoop:

Apparently the box won’t be capable of handling (or enabled to handle) 1080i or 1080p video. Instead it will only push out 720p clips. The word — and cause for much internal debate, we’re told — is that this has something to do with the A4’s inability to crank on higher resolution content, but we don’t see how that’s possible considering the iPhone 3GS could play back full HD video. Furthermore, the device will be getting apps and presumably an App Store entry, though it’s unclear if there will be cross-pollination between iPad and iPhone / iPod touch offerings and new Apple TV applications.

And he says it’s going to be renamed — or re-renamed — “iTV”.

Marc Hedlund’s Wacky Google/Verizon Net Neutrality Theory 

Marc Hedlund:

Let me propose a total grassy-knoll/two-shooter conspiracy theory so you can talk me out of it. What if Google agreed to Verizon’s stance on wireless net neutrality in order to keep Verizon from making a deal with Apple for the iPhone?

Crazy theory, but these are crazy times.

Alpha Dog of the Week: Steven Slater 

Well-deserved accolade from Stephen Colbert.

‘Subject: Hey Jerk’ 

Larry Ellison sends an email to Fortune’s Philip Elmer-DeWitt:

Adelyn Lee went to jail for a year for falsely accusing me of sexual harassment. Why did you leave that out of your story you scum bag? Let me guess … your job is telling half-truths. Fortune Magazine must be very proud of you.

Apple Responds to FutureTap Regarding Ripped-Off App UI Appearing in Patent Application 

Ortwin Gentz:

So the use of the Where To? screenshot is not an offense in any way but merely an illustration that apps such as Where To? could make use of the invention. We feel honored over this mention and appreciate that Apple is looking into a proper attribution of the screenshot. In retrospective, I can say we wouldn‘t ever have considered the story alarming had the screenshot included a short attribution notice.

‘Why Google Became a Carrier-Humping, Net Neutrality Surrender Monkey’ 

Ryan Singel for Wired on Google and net neutrality. The most damning bit is this quote from Google’s own weblog, back in 2007:

The nation’s spectrum airwaves are not the birthright of any one company. They are a unique and valuable public resource that belong to all Americans. The FCC’s auction rules are designed to allow U.S. consumers — for the first time — to use their handsets with any network they desire, and download and use the lawful software applications of their choice.

It’s not that Google is worse on net neutrality than other companies with a stake in the mobile phone game. It’s that they made such a show of being better, of being on the side of the public interest — before they had a big stake in the game.

Apple Releases iOS 4.0.2 Update; Fixes JailbreakMe.com Exploits 

iOS 3.2.2 for the iPad, too. I recommend upgrading to these quickly.

Pretty good turnaround time from Apple: less than two weeks since the exploits were unveiled.

The EFF’s Review of Verizon and Google’s Net Neutrality Proposal 

Cogent analysis by Cindy Cohn.

Johnny Carson’s ‘Tonight Show’ Digitized for Searchable Database 

Matea Gold, reporting for the LA Times:

Carson Entertainment Group, which owns the archive of the late-night host’s 30 years on “The Tonight Show,” is set to announce Wednesday that it has digitized all 3,300 hours of existing footage from the program and created a searchable online database for producers and researchers.

The library will initially be available just for professional clip-licensing purposes, but the company also plans to release 50 full-format shows on DVD and post a rotating series of historic clips for public viewing on http://www.johnnycarson.com/.

Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac Still Doesn’t Support Hebrew 

Also: worst URL ever? (Thanks to Joe Clark.)

Update: They’ve changed the URL.

Pencil Tip Micro Sculptures by Dalton Ghetti 

Amazing work. (Via Jason Zimdars.)

Glenn Fleishman Interviews Susan Orlean Regarding the iPad 

Two of my favorite writers talking about one of my favorite devices.

Lex Friedman Cautions Against Allowing Safari Extensions to Auto-Update 

He posits that a developer could write an innocuous extension, wait for it to get popular, then publish an update to the extension with nefarious privacy invasive features.

Jonathan Mann’s ‘Ballad of Steven Slater’ 

Another, even better song about America’s newest folk hero, this time from Jonathan Mann (the “song a day” guy whose “iPhone 4 Antenna Song” was played by Apple at the start of the Antennagate press conference).