Linked List: July 20, 2012

Friday, 20 July 2012

How to Prepare for Google’s Acquisition of Sparrow 

Get ahead of the curve.

Procreate 

My thanks to Procreate for sponsoring this week’s DF RSS feed. Procreate is an excellent illustration app designed specifically for the iPad. It blends traditional and digital media with over 45 finely crafted brushes, an incredible smudge tool, and a gallery with artwork stacks.

Procreate is a serious tool, and seriously awesome. It’s top-tier in the “yes, the iPad is for creation” example category. Get it today on the App Store for just $4.99.

We’ve Seen This Movie Before 

Roger Ebert:

That James Holmes is insane, few may doubt. Our gun laws are also insane, but many refuse to make the connection. The United States is one of few developed nations that accepts the notion of firearms in public hands. In theory, the citizenry needs to defend itself. Not a single person at the Aurora, Colo., theater shot back, but the theory will still be defended.

Speaking of a Lower-Priced Prepaid iPhone 3GS 

Matthew Panzarino:

The iPhone 3GS is now being offered for $180 on India’s Aircel carrier, with a postpaid commitment of just $55 for a year of unlimited data. That makes the total cost for the phone $236, which is one of the lowest we’ve seen for an iPhone anywhere.

Google Acquires Sparrow 

Congratulations to the Sparrow guys, I guess, but this gives me The Fear for Sparrow’s future. Hope you like Apple Mail.

Update: The Verge confirms that there will be no new features developed for Sparrow.

Benedict Evans on the Disparity in iPhone Market Share Between the U.S. and Europe  

Been meaning to link to this keen analysis from last month:

Hence, an American can only save 10% over two years by getting a ‘free’ smartphone over an iPhone. In the UK, the iPhone is 160% more expensive than the cheapest smartphone offer.

The Other Thing Is, Mark Penn Isn’t Even a Well-Regarded Pollster in Politics  

Jonathan Chait, back in 2010:

In any case, Penn’s whole career is basically a long string of massaging, manipulating, or ignoring the data in order to produce the conclusion that his own preferences are popular. It’s a very, very good thing that he isn’t in the West Wing right now.