Section: Audio, Video, Communications, Computers, Gadgets / Other, Features, Originals, Columns, Who's On Crack
Welcome to this week’s episode in which we explore moves in the tech world that seem suspect in their motivation. Some of these can only be fueled by Crack. Here are this week’s nominees:
- Courier to hit shelves in 2011?
- BlackBerry’s ugliest baby
- Radio Shack too good for Palm?
- Swashbuckling adventure: Man and iPhone vs. World
Microsoft answer to iPad next year?
“Please hold for the next available Microsoft alternative, wait time is approximately 365 days.” Awesome. Gadgetell’s Hunter Clark brings us this gem from the New York Times, “Microsoft engineers have talked about getting the Courier out by early 2011, though no firm decision has been made to sell the product.”
So if they get it out by early 2011, they might no sell it? Will they give it away for free? Maybe he meant this is all speculation. Hunter thinks the timing might be right: “if Microsoft can launch the Courier right when the iPad becomes old news, they might have a shot at taking the market by storm with this wild and whimsical device.”
Personally, I think Hunter is waay off. I think Apple doesn’t intend to let the iPad become old news. Just like the iPhone, I suspect we’ll see modifications that make folks return to the streets in the nighttime to line up to buy the next one. And in typical Microsoft fashion, they’ll be releasing something made to compete with what Apple had out last year. Fine, strike Microsoft, and replace with Windows Mobile?
That BlackBerry baby sure is ugly
Please tell us this is a joke. Please? Our own Editor, Robert Nelson brings us what could be the most painful phone to look at. As with most babies, no one wants to tell the parents the kid is the Broomhilda of babies, Nelson skirts the issue, “no word on an actual release, but due to the CDMA nature, it can be expected to arrive with either Sprint or Verizon here in the US or Bell and Telus up in Canada.”
Here is the straight dope: BlackBerry has no alibi. Maybe this clamshell has a nice personality? Was the stick used to beat this made of Canadian hardwood? I wouldn’t touch this phone with a ten foot stylus.
Is BlackBerry really catering to the niche that relishes flip-floping their RAZR shut with that satisfactory *snap*? “The Berry that Flips”? Just nailed that business call? Flip your phone shot, you hot dog! These thing isn’t even real yet and already I hate it.
Radio Shack kicks Palm to the curb
Like yesterdays burnt out light bulbs and whatever else is in Radio Shacks trash, Palm devices (the Pre and Pixi) have been shown the door. Exit, stage left. Adios amigos.
Is it more than just clearing some room for more Android flavors? More free phone fare? Or is in eager, almost giddy anticipation of new Palm devices? No, it’s none of those. Maybe the Shack was tired of being called out by Jon Rubenstein for doing a crappy job pushing Palm phones over everything else.
Our Sue Walsh gives us the deets: “Sprint has announced that Radio Shack will soon discontinue sales of the Palm Pre and Pixi. They'll be replaced with two new devices. A Sprint spokesman says they are likely to be a BlackBerry and a messaging phone. The company isn't worried-they say it's all normal business procedure.”
Well I am worried. Sprint was the go-to partner for Palm. Now the go-to partner is saying, it’s not you, it’s me routine? It’s the “I am just going out with BlackBerry as friends.” I’ve heard it before and I don’t like where this is head. Palm needs a new trick and fast.
And finally: one man, one iPhone, 7 days.
Favorite Who’s on Crack whipping boy Jake Gaecke wrote up a little piece I think should be mandatory reading for youngsters around the world. In his post, we follow young Jake’s epic quest: to survive in the wildernerss of Orlando, Florida with only his wits and an iPhone. Just peek at these moving selected quotes:
“it's not the most tech friendly place. I've come to expect every hotel and restaurant I'm at to have free WiFi available, but not Walt Disney World. “
” if my mom and sad think it's useful, you might want to give it a try. ” (sic - that means he said “sad” when he meant “Dad” and I am an ass enough not to be kind and change it for him)
” The whole time I had no idea where I was, but I knew I was going the right way.”
“We're both pretty addicted, but neither of us went through any withdrawals and the only Internet we had was on the iPhone”
“I was on my honeymoon”
See what I mean? The epic struggle between the elements, cunning wildlife aiming to thwart Jake’s quest, his approved App Store coming through time and again to…hold up. Did he say Walt Disney World?
Alright, so it was really: one man, one iPhone, 7 days, a Magic Kingdom, and a new wife our dear Jake was surviving. Big congrats to Jake for getting hitched. But, my friend, as married folks everywhere know, surviving what comes after the Magic Kingdom is the real test and there isn’t an app for that. From all of us at Who’s on Crack, congrats again and best of luck!
Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile
Take that cell phone store employees! You’ve been stupidly selling other phones instead of Palm’s Pre or Pixi (available in Plus sizes as well). What is wrong with you?
That’s Jon Rubenstein’s take on Palms dismal performance. But fear not, Palm is moving forward, as an independent company if it must. However, Mr. Rubenstein did admit the company must look at takeover offers and consider every opportunity to license webOS to other makers for scale.
"If there's an appropriate strategic relationship or business deal that makes sense to us then of course we would license webOS because obviously the more scale we get the more the benefit there is to us."
Is there a company out there willing to pay for an OS (remember, Android is free) to put on some new hardware? I am not sure Palm would find takers but it’s an interesting idea. Maybe HTC?
HTC would be a longshot at this point as word comes this morning that HTC is out of the running for Palm’s Next Top Takeover Contender. Lenovo now remains as the favorite. But that isn’t stopping Palm from talking about a rosy future, chock full of sweet devices.
Mr. Rubenstein claimed Palm is working, “"fast and furious on new handsets". "We do have a strong pipeline of products in the future." Near future? Distant future? We’re coming up on the one year anniversary of the launch of the original Palm Pre and that would make a great time to launch the next version device for webOS. Will it happen?
Read: [FT]
Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Those waiting for the Eee Pad may like this latest bit of news. According to Asus CEO Jerry Shen, the Eee Pad will receive an official introduction during Computex which is scheduled to take place from June 1 through June 5 and will be available for purchase in Q3 of 2010. But to add a little more to that timeframe, according to component makers, it should be available sometime in late-July. The downer here is that the Tegra-based Eee Pad is expected to be priced somewhere in the $500 range. It was noted that it will come in at around $479 - $510, and that is “after telecom bundling.” That said, they are still expecting to ship 300,000 units in 2010.
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