Linked List: October 2, 2012

Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Jerry Seinfeld writes a letter to the editor in the NYT.

MG Siegler on Feature-Creep in Chrome ★

MG Siegler:

But again, I’m worried that’s changing. And it seems to be changing for a silly reason: feature-creep. It seems like Google is adding stuff to Chrome just to add it. It’s as if they feel like they can’t do nothing feature-wise, so they come up with junk to shove in there, slowing Chrome down in the process.

Wonder if that’s related to Chrome’s seemingly stalled market share growth?

Stop-Motion Lego Dr. Strangelove ★

How can I not link to this?

Ex-Nokia Team to Launch New Phone Based on MeeGo ★

Sven Grundberg, reporting for the WSJ (paywall circumventing Google search)

A group of former Nokia Corp. employees has raised €200 million ($258 million) from a variety of telecommunications-industry players to introduce a new mobile operating platform based on discarded Nokia technology, and the group will unveil a new phone next month.

Finnish start-up Jolla Ltd. made waves earlier this year when it announced its intention to use Nokia’s MeeGo operating system as the basis for a new line of mobile devices. Nokia abandoned the system last year in favor of using Microsoft Corp.’s Windows system, but allowed Jolla and other companies access to the technology.

Jolla’s code name for its new MeeGo-based system is “Sailfish.” Further details about the new phone aren’t being disclosed at this time.

Well, good luck. I mean it.

Web Browser Market Share Numbers ★

September numbers from Net Marketshare for “mobile/tablet”:

iOS: 64 percent
Android: 21

Still the biggest mystery in the market share world is why web usage numbers are so out of whack with device sale numbers.

Pew Survey Pegs Android U.S. Tablet Market Share at 48 Percent ★

They’re including the Kindle Fire as “Android”, and the survey was conducted before the Nexus 7 shipped. Color me skeptical, given that these numbers seem out of line with other market share indicators, but perhaps things are changing:

Now, just over half, 52%, of tablet owners report owning an iPad, compared with 81% in the survey a year ago. Android-based devices make up the bulk of the remaining tablet ownership, 48% overall, dominated largely by the Kindle Fire. Two in ten, 21%, own a Kindle Fire, 8% the Samsung Galaxy, and the rest, a mix of others.

If the Kindle Fire and Galaxy Tab combine for 29 percent, that leaves 19 percent to be split among the also-ran Android tablets.

ABC News Tracks Missing iPad to Florida Home of TSA Officer ★

Megan Chuchmach, ABC News:

Ramirez produced the iPad only after ABC News activated an audio alarm feature, and turned it over after taking off his TSA uniform shirt. His explanation for the missing iPad in his home was that his wife had taken it from the airport.

“I’m so embarrassed,” he told ABC News. “My wife says she got the iPad and brought it home,” he said.

Moments later, his wife appeared at the door to say she had found it and “no told my husband.” Asked how that was possible given that ABC News tape showed him handling the iPad at the security checkpoint, Ramirez shut the door and has not responded to questions since.

Just shut them down.