Linked List: August 31, 2011

Wednesday, 31 August 2011

The New Windows Explorer 

Apple and Microsoft are heading in very different directions, UI-wise.

U.S. Files Complaint to Block AT&T, T-Mobile Merger 

Bloomberg:

The U.S. Justice Department sued to block AT&T Inc.’s proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile USA Inc., saying the deal would “substantially lessen competition” in the wireless market.

My Head Hurts Just From Reading the Headline of This One 

Brian Caulfield, “Why The Undead $99 TouchPad Might Portend The iPad’s Doom”:

So is there a future for Apple in the tablet business?

Hmm. Maybe?

iTunes’s Skip Feature 

Great tip from Chris Breen: using iTunes’s skip data to set up smart playlists that omit tracks you’ve skipped.

Samsung Launches Series 7 Aluminum Laptops 

Looks familiar, can’t quite put my finger on what these remind me of.

Why HP Is Making More TouchPads 

Philip Elmer-DeWitt:

But the only reason I can think of for HP to start manufacturing new TouchPads for sale at that price is the one suggested Tuesday by Taipai-based Digitimes.

It seems no one was more surprised by HP’s announcement that it was pulling the plug on the TouchPad than its upstream suppliers, who according to DigiTimes’ sources are suddenly suffering from component overload.

James Gosling Leaves Google 

That didn’t last long.

Apple Should Kill Off the iPod Touch 

VintageZen:

First, if the low end iPhone sold, without a contract, for around $200-300, it would be in the same price range as the iPod Touch, and would draw the same buyers. However, it could potentially draw in many more buyers with the fact it could also be used as a phone by simply putting in a sim card. It would be a dream device for many that want to simply use ‘pay as you go’ plans and don’t want to be locked into a 2 year contract. Apple probably also has the clout to make a data plan option, a la the 3G iPad, so that you could simply buy a months worth of data on your iPhone, without even having a voice plan. It could basically be the 3G iPod, with the added benefit of you being able to make it a full fledged iPhone if you desire.

I concur with this logic. It makes sense in a lot of ways for Apple. Simpler product lineup. It would even help with “smartphone market share” numbers — iPod Touches are dark matter in such comparisons that only count “phones”. Plus, I don’t recall seeing (or hearing privately, myself) any rumors about a new iPod Touch for this fall. The only downside I can think of is that iPod Touches are a lot thinner than any iPhone released to date.

I don’t know that any U.S. carriers would be willing to offer a data-only plan, though. I know it would be popular, but the mobile carriers aren’t stupid. Down that path lies the end of their business model of selling phone time.