Nick Projects

If you follow any of the tech blogs you have probably heard that apple has banned all moderately arousing straight content.  Gizmodo posts that they pretty much have left it wide open for gay content though. Which pretty much proves what I have always thought about apple products.

Actually,  this issue does illustrate why I despise most of Apple’s new product line up.  Apple basically told a bunch of developers that even though they went through the rigorous process of getting an app approved to be on the app store and agreed to bend over for apple’s revenue share agreement;  their apps were no longer good enough because apple doesn’t like them.  When the Iphone first came out I had conversations with developers I know about how the app store was oppressive,  they argued that their phones ran much better because code was inspected and conformed to quality standards.  While I didn’t agree with this I could at least respect the logic.   No more, Apple pretty much proved that if you use a device they produce they are going to dictate exactly how you use it and can change its mind on a whim.  What’s next,  will you only be able to put Itunes downloads on Ipods?  Will apple have the rights to read your emails?  Will apple remove face book if it signs a deal with MySpace?

Who knows?  Sorry all you suckers who bought Iphones!!

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I have been following a story about the author’s guild trying to force the kindle to remove text to speech capabilities from the kindle E-reader.  Saying that the audio license is different than the written license.  The problem is that Amazon isn’t distributing an audio version of the book.  It is distributing the book and the user’s are making an audio version once they receive it,  in real time.  This is like saying that a mother who reads to her children at night should have to pay for the audio version of Harry Potter in addition to the written copy of the book because she is distributing an audio version. I hope the courts tell the Guild where to stick it.

In fact I think Amazon should argue that all digital material should be required to distribute audio licenses with the material as a concession to vision impaired individuals who would otherwise not be able to read books.  Amazon would need to add some screen reader capacity to the kindle to really sell this but then the courts would be forced to side with the blind or the rich.  Tough choice there!!

- See the original story in Tech Crunch.

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Recently there was an article on Forbes about how the GPS industry is getting hammered.  Basically,  cell phones are providing much of the same functionality and most people who own GPS systems won’t upgrade.  I agree with both of these points which is why I would like to throw out some ideas for the failing GPS manufacturers everywhere so they can build some better tools for the world to have.

Forbes Article

First:

Dump the idea of buying a GPS device,  instead think car companion. I need a GPS for 3 things: Finding places that I haven’t been before, Finding things along the side of the road when I’m traveling, Getting traffic updates.  My GPS doesn’t actually provide the third function  and I don’t care enough to upgrade it.

(more…)

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I’ve been following several people on twitter for more than a week now and have concluded that twitter is a great idea that pretty much doesn’t work.  Here’s the problem:

Comments only make sense in the context of other comments.  When I reply to one friend’s post everyone else following me sees the reply.  Of course that makes no sense unless you are looking at the post I’m replying to.

I suppose for one way communication,  entities that don’t have enough content to populate a blog or a blog woth visiting often it is a good thing.  But for dialogue; it is like eaves dropping on a skitsofrenic.

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