The Deal of a Lifetime on a Dell Netbook!

I like to save money on a new PC as much as the next guy, but I’m not crazy at the strategy taken by many direct sellers these days–the one that involves there always being multiple sales and “instant rebates” and special offers and upgrade deals designed to get you to Buy Now! I’d much rather than pricing was less of a game and more of a straightforward transaction in which computer companies simply set reasonable everyday prices for their wares.

But even by normal standards, this offer from Dell that just arrived in my inbox is kinda silly. See if you can spot the absurdity:

Yup–Dell is trying to lure me to plunk down my money with a Special Offer of $4 off. Which, if you ask me, shouldn’t be dignified with an exclamation point. Even though it reflects just how cheap netbooks and other laptops have gotten: Back in the days when garden-variety notebooks went for $1500 and up, there wasn’t a soul on the planet who would have been tempted by a discount of four bucks. For a $400 machine, though, maybe such a price cut willl seal the deal in some cases–Dell obviously thinks so.

I wanted to do the math on what sort of discount $4 is percentage-wise, but it’s impossible: I don’t know whether to use the $503 price or the $399 one. Come to think of it, I  also can’t quite tell if the $4 discount is part of the $104 “Instant Savings,” or is in addition to it.

Which brings me back to my initial gripe here. Please, Dell…and everyone else who plays this game…just tell us how much the freakin’ computer costs?

Hey Apple, You Don’t Own My Contacts

Allow me to vent here for a second. As you may have read in my recent post about Mac products at Target, I have been in the midst of reloading things for my attempt at installing Windows 7 on the MacBook Pro. This included a wipe of OS X for good measure, which has been giving me some trouble anyway.

Part of that wipe took out my calendar and contacts–I knew I forgot to back something up, and that was it. Not to worry, though: I had them on my iPhone 3G, too. I could just merge them back on my first sync with my freshly-wiped and speedier MBP, right?

Not so fast.

I did not renew my service with MobileMe when it expired last December. Little did I know that once you sync once with the service, Apple all but owns your information.

Continue reading this story…

Google: The Web is Dangerous! All of It! Bwahahahahahahahahahah!

And here I thought that the Zune December 31st bug would have no rivals as the most memorable computer glitch to come along in eons. Nope: This morning, Google’s malware-detecting feature decided that all Web sites might be dangerous, and flagged them as such in search results. By all Web sites, I mean all of them. The entire Web. Even Google itself (image borrowed from the BBC):

Google honcho Marissa Mayer explains what went wrong in a blog post (with the excellent title of “‘This site may harm your computer’ on every search result?!?!“: A simple “/” accidentally got added to the list of sites that the company uses to spot potentially dangerous destinations. That led the search engine to think the entire Internet was malware.

Simple understandable human mistake; colossal, colossally bizarre implications. Fortunately, the end result was more amusing than anything else. Or so I hope at least–I wonder if any Google users panicked this morning, even briefly?

Google Needs Knols! Good Ones, I Mean!

My friend Andrew Leal points out to me that Google is trying to beef up its Knol user-generated reference work by promoting it on some of the most valuable real estate on the Web: At the moment, a Knol promo is running right below the search box on Google.com:

The last time I looked at Knol in depth was almost five months ago. Back then, much of it was an embarrassing hodgepodge of outdated Wikipedia plagiarisms, self-promoting gobbledygook, and religious tracts. I see that Google has redone the Knol home page since.  But the first entry I checked, the first one returned when I searched for “Sarah Palin,” is still a ripoff of Wikipedia’s Palin entry–a bizarrely obsolete one that says there were rumors that John McCain might name her as his vice-presidential running mate, but it didn’t happen due to an ethics probe against her. (I’ll spend some more time with Knol in its current state and let you know whether it seems to have progressed much overall.)

Google is also running a contest to encourage submission of high-quality Knols, with a $1000 cash prize. Good idea, but the competition is called Knol for Dummies. Looks to me like part of the problem with Knol is that too many of its authors are dummies already…

Ma.gnolia: To.ast?

As Wired’s Epicenter blog is reporting, users of the venerable social bookmarking service Ma.gnolia are getting an ominous message from founder Larry Halff when they head to the site today:

Service disruptions aren’t shockers (even when they involve companies far larger than Ma.gnolia). Permanent data loss, however, is not so common–but it’s what Halff seems to be preparing users for the possibility of. There are no details yet as to what happened, or why Ma.gnolia can’t just restore a backup to give users their bookmarks back; I’m not even sure if Ma.gnolia knows. But for the sake of the service and its users, I hope that it recovers and that all data is recovered.

I’m not a Ma.gnolia user, but I have an awful lot of important stuff salted around the Web at services large and small: Google Docs, Zoho, Remember the Milk, Apple’s MobileMe, my various finance-related accounts, and a whole lot more. If any of it went offline for hours at a time when I needed it, it would be inconvenient; if it just disappeared, it could be a major pain. (But not a total catastrophe: I have digital or paper backups of any information that’s essential and irreplaceable. I think.)

Here’s a grim prediction: At some point, some big-name Web service with a lot more users than Ma.gnolia will crash just as spectacularly as it did today, and it’ll turn out that its backup practices were a lot less conscientious (or at least foolproof) than everybody assumed. I hope I’m wrong, but I wouldn’t bet against my instinct in this case…

Microsoft: One Windows 7 Release Candidate’s Enough

It’s probably inappropriate of me to squawk that the posts over at Microsoft’s Engineering Windows 7 blog often bury important stuff in thousands of words of inpenetrable, unadorned text–the blog is aimed at developers, not simple folks like myself. Windows 7 chief Steve Sinofsky has a 2500-word post today and for me, at least, the key tidbit is something that Sinfosky never quite states explicitly: Microsoft plans to release only one Release Candidate test version of Windows 7 before wrapping up development of the OS and shipping it to PC manufacturers and users. That would seem to suggest that the company thinks that the upgrade is in solid shape, and that it’s far more likely to ship it surprisingly soon than surprisingly late.

I still can’t quite believe there’s a chance you’ll be able to buy Windows 7 in the summer of 2009. But perhaps Microsoft will be done with the OS by then, so that PCs bearing it will be on store shelves comfortably in time for back-to-school sales.

Sinofksy says that Microsoft is currently looking at all the feedback it’s gotten from Windows 7 beta testers and figuring out what changes it can reasonably implement. I mostly like W7–it’s already the version of Windows I use most often–but there are a few things about it that I sure hope Microsoft refines, such as the confusing way HomeGroup networking doesn’t seem to let you explicitly change a PC’s HomeGroup, and assigns each HomeGroup a password which you can’t change.

It’s no surprise that Sinofksy has no news in his post about when the Release Candidate will arrive, or when Microsoft expects the final version to show up. As usual, every rational Windows user should have the same take on such matters–which is to hope that Microsoft errs on the side of moving slowly and carefully and releasing an OS that works well right out of the box. (You gotta wonder whether anyone in Redmond ever kicks him or herself for not having worked on Vista for another six months, especially after the company missed the 2006 holiday season anyhow.)

A Pleasant Surprise: Mac Software at Target

I may have missed the boat completely here and its been there a while, but while I was shopping my local Target for blank DVDs (so I can finally get around to installing Windows 7 on my MacBook Pro) I came across something I didn’t expect.

Sitting there all by their lonesome were several copies of Parallels 3.0 for Mac for $79.99 (although yes, we’re now at 4.0, which was released in November of last year). They were almost lost in a sea of Windows software, but yes, they were there. This surprised me–while I’d expect the software to be available at electronics retailers, I wouldn’t expect it here.

After all, those shopping in Target are likely not there to buy technical software like Parallels. Also, the stereotype of the Mac user is more affluent than what may be considered the “average” consumer for a Target or Wal-Mart type discount establishment. Who needs Mac software other than us techies? The Mac is still just an elite club…right?

Not anymore.

Even just a year ago, it would have been unheard of to see Mac software (or heck, hardware for that matter) anyplace but from Apple itself or its then considerably smaller network of Apple Authorized Resellers.

Now, with the Macintosh experiencing somewhat of a rebirth through the ‘halo effect’ of first the iPod and now the iPhone, jumping on the Apple bandwagon is in vogue.

Big name retailers like Target are much more cautious in deciding what gets put on their shelves because shelf space is at a premium. Everything must make money–they cannot specialize in one thing because consumers expect them to carry everything.

In other words, this means only a select number of products from each category make it onto the shelves. For Parallels to convince Target that it is indeed worth it speaks volumes to the Mac’s newfound retail power. Here’s hoping that this isn’t the last piece of Mac OS software to make it to Target.

So I’m curious. Where are you all finding Mac software and accessories where you haven’t before?

How Much Do You Need Windows 7?

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I’ve said that I kind of like the preview version of Vista’s replacement that I’ve been running, off and on, for a few months now. Continued exposure to it on multiple machines hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm. But with it looking possible that 7 will ship by the middle of 2009 or so, I’ve begun to think about the advice I may give once the OS is on store shelves and loaded on new PCs. The most interesting question for every Windows user about a new version of the OS, after all, is “Should I get it?”

I know I won’t give an all-encompassing yay or nay–I’ll make different recommendations for different types of people. Consider the musings below a pre-alpha stab at the tips I may give in a few months, although I reserve the right to come to different conclusions once I’ve used versions of Win 7 that are closer to the final product.
Continue reading this story…

The Loneliness of the Early Adopter

I’m an Early Adopter. I like to be among the first to try out new products and services. If you were looking for me on the Rogers Technology Adoption Lifecycle—the bell-shaped curve that’s a favorite of product managers—you’d find me on left side of the curve, just after the truly courageous Innovators but before the onset of the rabble of the Early Majority. (Image below from Wikipedia.)

Being an early adopter means that sometimes I’ve been left in the lurch when a product or service I adopted early failed or was pulled inexplicably from the market. Were you also a user of Pownce, Yahoo Photos, or Google Notebook? Everything has a natural lifecycle, of course, and I have to expect that some of the products I (perhaps too eagerly) embraced will not survive. Since I’m an early adopter, I’m likely to see more products and services fail than other people, who are a bit more conservative and are located farther to the right on the Rogers curve, maybe in Late Majority or even Laggards.

Recently, however, we’ve seen some products seemingly abandoned by their creators. These vendors have just stopped talking to their customers. As you might guess, this is a bad sign. I compare this to a relationship. Early on, your boyfriend or girlfriend tells you everything about themselves—what they like to eat, their favorite songs, their dreams and the minutiae of their daily lives. Later, if things aren’t working out, you’re lucky to hear if they decide not to show up for a date.

I eagerly purchased the Dash Express last year, an innovative device and service that brought two-way Internet connectivity with live traffic reporting to mobile GPS. Recently however, Dash announced it was discontinuing sales of the Dash Express device to concentrate on licensing their application and service to unnamed device manufacturers. The last post on their blog is dated November 3, 2008. There’s been a flurry of comments asking for more clarification, but Dash has kept mostly mum. I hope for the best but am expecting that soon I will have to select another GPS for my car.

Dash, are you stuck in traffic somewhere?

I use GrandCentral for my business phone number. Their service was extremely promising: a VoIP solution that gave you a number of great services and one phone number in the area code of your choice that could be forwarded almost anywhere. When Google bought them, I thought they would be around for a while. But their last communication on their Web site is dated April 22 of last year saying they are “working hard every day on the next great version of GrandCentral and a ton of cool new features.” Then, nothing.

GrandCentral, you never call.

I haven’t heard from Dash or GrandCentral that they’re pulling the plug, but I’m bracing myself for the news. If good products like Pownce, I Want Sandy, Stikkit, Yahoo! Photos, Google Notebook, and Jaiku can be cut, how do I know what will be next? GrandCentral promised me a phone number “for life.” Truth is, I never really believed that. I still have the checkbook from a defunct California bank that promised me “free checking for life.” They neglected to say that they meant their life.

These are tough economic times and I have to expect that even my favorite vendors will be cutting back on less-than-successful products and services. I understand. I just wish that you would talk to me sometimes, just to tell me what’s going on with you and that you’re still OK. I’ll just sit here by my computer or phone, waiting for your tweet or call or e-mail or SMS telling me we can be friends, even if, you know, we’re not actually together anymore. If you called, you’d probably say that it’s about you, not me. That’s OK. I’ll understand, really I will.

Senate Passes DTV Delay Bill Again

The Senate has passed a slightly modified version of the bill it passed last week, bringing in compromises from the House and sending it back to the lower chamber for a second vote. As with the first one, the switch would be delayed to June 12. It is not clear whether this modified bill will be enough to pass the House: the last bill failed to get the needed supermajority for “fast track passage,” 258-168 (see Steve Wildstrom’s comment below for an explanation). The earliest the bill could be taken up is Monday, a little over two weeks before the transition is to take place.

More Futuristic Tech Nostalgia: The Home PC, Circa 1969

While I was checking out the 1981 report on Internet newspapers that I (and half the world) just blogged about, I came across this clip–supposedly from 1969–which not only predicts home computers in general but also the Internet, multi-monitor machines, Webcams, online shopping, online banking, and desktop printers, among other things. (Dad even has three PCs on one desk for no apparent reason–just like more than a few geeks do today.)

It’s a little bit Jetsons, a little bit Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, and surprisingly accurate in its predictions…even though the computer setups look like microfilm machines crossed with tabletop radios, and mom keeps her keyboard off to the left for no apparent reason. I’m not sure who made this and why, but I’m impressed…

Microsoft Patent Transforms Smartphones into PCs

Watchful eyes have caught a Microsoft patent application for a souped-up smartphone cradle that displaces the PC for connecting to networks, peripherals ,and storage. Smartphones have become nearly as powerful as desktop computers were just a few years ago, and it makes sense for Microsoft to leverage their capabilities in an innovative new way.

The docking cradle plays PC and interfaces between smartphones and peripherals, handling drivers on the smartphone’s behalf and interpreting commands sent to and from it. To accomplish that task, the cradle has an embedded operating system, and contains its own CPU and memory.

If Microsoft were to try and turn this patent into a product, has several options to choose from for the cradle’s embedded OS. In one bucket, there is the Windows XP embedded family, and Windows CE 6.0 based offerings in the other. That does not include Microsoft’s .NET Micro Framework, which is developed by a separate product group.

In my view, the cradle could serve as an onramp for the Windows ecosystem, and entice laggards that would otherwise be reluctant to buy a computer to invest in a smartphone. It would also advance portability, because anyone with a compatible smartphone could conceivably dock their devices with the cradle and be up and running within minutes. Personal preferences and files could also be synchronized via Web services.

Should Microsoft follow through, it might create its own cradle, but will probably license the design out to hardware partners. The latter strategy would allow for a variety of phones to be supported.

Activision Looking for “Bullshot” Artists

Every once in a while, a video game publisher will be outed for producing doctored screenshots of a popular title. There’s usually some sort of outcry, followed by assurances that this happens all the time, and eventually we forget about the whole thing.

So even though I’ve definitely heard of this phenomenon before, I was shocked to read today that Activision is actually looking for someone to create these “Bullshots.” In a job posting for “Art Services Screenshot Associate,” one of the listed duties is to perform “advanced retouching of screenshots and teach skills to others as needed.” You might want to cast a skeptical eye when images surface for the next Wolfenstein, Call of Duty and James Bond titles.

Previous games to flaunt doctored images include Killzone 2 (pictured above, can you guess which is retouched and which is from the actual trailer?), Red Steel and Madden ’06, with Web comic Penny Arcade claiming the term “Bullshot” after seeing the latter example. Coincidentally, GamePro published a nice feature on the subject earlier this month.

If history repeats itself, we should see the latest news brushed away by publishers and apologists. “It isn’t any secret that many publishers touch up screenshots before sending them out to the public,” IGN explains in its coverage of the story. “If a game doesn’t look snazzy enough in its current form, digital artists can make sure you and I don’t get the ‘wrong idea’ about an upcoming game.”

For my part, I’ll make sure to remember these examples when looking at any screenshot I see from here on, because this is ridiculous.

Make it Stop — More Tech Jobs Slashed

Since my last post mid-month, we’ve seen some acceleration in tech layoffs, and the overall jobs picture continues to look poor. Another 588,000 applied for initial unemployment benefits overall this week, which was worse than experts had forecast. The continuing rise of unemployment claims indicates the recession continues to intensify, and we’ll get a solid picture Friday when gross domestic product (GDP) numbers are released. So, who’s on the chopping block this week? Time Warner has announced it would cut 700 jobs, which would be about 10 percent of its workforce. SAP will be taking a similar route, cutting about 6 percent of its workforce during the year, which would amount to about 6,000 jobs. Sprint Nextel has the deepest cuts that we’ve seen: about 8,000 jobs or 14 percent of its workforce. With the deterioration of the financial position of the consumer, and confidence continuing to fall — there still appears to be no clear end in sight to the downturn, which means companies will continue to layoff at alarming rates well into 2009.

New Gen iPhone Likely on Its Way Soon

Some developers have been taking notice of a strange new device type showing up in their website access logs, and it looks to be evidence of a new iPhone model. A developer told MacRumors that he had begun seeing the device type “iPhone 2,1″ in his ad-serving reports for his iPhone-based applications.

Why is this important? This is the structure that Apple uses to identify it’ products. For example, the first iPhone is referred to as “iPhone 1,1″ while the 3G is “iPhone 1,2″. The Cupertino company also has used the naming convention for the iPod touch, where the initial version was referred to as “iPod 1,1″ while the heavily redesigned model was dubbed “iPod 2,1″.

In other words, whatever this new iPhone model is, it’s likely a drastic revision to the current device. What could be different? Speculation points to multi-core CPUs and GPUs, and you’d think they’d do quite a bit of work to start taking care of the memory issues that ever more powerful apps are struggling to deal with.

(God knows the phone still crashes for the littlest things when it’s pushed too hard, and that’s very annoying, no?)

The Newsstand That Spawned Microsoft Will Live On

Good news for Bostonians, traditionalists, and computer-history junkies: Out of Town News, the 54-year-old newsstand in the heart of Cambridge’s Harvard Square, won’t be closing after all. The kiosk that sold Paul Allen the copy of Popular Electronics that inspired him and Bill Gates to found a company called Micro-Soft has a new tenant that has signed a five-year lease to operate it as a newsstand.

In 2009 and beyond, Out of Town is an anachronism–the Web is the biggest “out of town newsstand” imaginable–but it’s a happy one, and one of the last remaining old-school merchants in Harvard Square. (I’m still grappling with the ugly fact that the wonderful independent bookseller Wordsworth died four years ago and that the store that claims to be the Harvard Coop is in fact an uninspiring Barnes and Noble.) May Out of Town live forever–or at least for as long as there are magazines and newspapers and people who want to buy them.

(Photo by Flickr user afagen)