Author Archive | Harry McCracken

The World Probably Doesn’t Need slotMusic

Posted by Harry McCracken on September 22, 2008 at 7:24 am

Music is about to get microscopic. Flash storage kingpin SanDisk is launching slotMusic, which it calls an “innovative, new physical music format.” Actually, what it is is DRM-free albums sold on MicroSD cards, along with a USB adapter. According to the New York Times, the albums may cost $7-$10 apiece; according to GigaOm, the format will launch with 29 (count ’em!) albums. SlotMusic has the support of major labels EMI, Sony BMG, Universal, and Warner, as well as physical music behemoths Best Buy and Wal-Mart.

SanDisk presumably sees slotMusic (whose site, incidentally, barely mentions SanDisk) as an opportunity to sell millions more flash cards a year. For consumers, though, I’m not sure if the format passes the “why?” test. Here’s SanDisk’s pitch:

“slotMusic cards enable consumers to instantly and easily enjoy music from their favorite artists without being dependent on a PC or internet connection. Users simply insert the slotMusic card into their microSD-enabled mobile phone or MP3 player to hear the music – without passwords, downloading or digital-rights-management interfering with their personal use.”

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Okay, Podcaster Wasn’t a Weird Aberration

Posted by Harry McCracken on September 21, 2008 at 4:55 pm

Here’s an apparent second example (this was the first) of an iPhone application I’d like to use–one which makes it easier to use multiple Gmail accounts in Web-based form, rather than in Apple’s Mail app–being refused access to Apple’s App Store on the grounds that it duplicates functionality in an Apple product. To quote the rejection letter MailWrangler developer Angelo DiNardi received:

“… Your application duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application Mail without providing sufficient differentiation or added functionality, which will lead to user confusion. …”

Confusion? As a Gmail user, I understood DiNardi’s explanation the moment I skimmed it. Wouldn’t it make sense to let real people determine whether they’re confused by the purpose of his program?

In addition, Apple apparently criticized DiNardi’s app because there’s no way to edit a Gmail account once it’s been entered; you have to delete it and start over again. Possibly a fair point that would be reasonable to bring up in a review of said application. But Apple has okayed more than its share of schlock for the App Store, so it’s not entirely clear why it’s suddenly playing design critic with an app that serves a clear and useful purpose.

Let’s recap Steve Jobs’ explanation of why Apple might reject an iPhone app from last March:

No mention of there being anything offensive about doing something similar to Apple; nothing about apps being nixed because they’re not the most fully realized incarnation possible of an idea.

I’ve said it before and I’ve said it again: An App Store in which third parties aren’t allowed to tread too closely to Apple’s own programs is one that’s vastly less interesting–and one that’s likely to stunt the development of what can be and should be the most exciting mobile platform to date.

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Windows 7 Starts to Come Into Focus. Slowly.

Posted by Harry McCracken on September 21, 2008 at 12:40 pm

Okay, enough about Windows ads. Let’s talk about a far more important topic: Windows itself. Windows 7–the working name for the next version–to be exact. According to no less an authority than Steve Ballmer, it’s supposed to ship in late 2009–but this is Microsoft time we’re talking, so let’s say early 2010.

Microsoft has had shockingly little to say about W7 so far–more about that in a moment–but details are starting to leak out. This blog, for instance, has a bunch of screen shots from what it says is an early version of the OS–Windows 7 M3 Build 6780, to be exact.

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Google Talks Like a Pirate

Posted by Harry McCracken on September 19, 2008 at 10:34 am

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a holiday that dates only to 1995 but which is as beloved on the Web as any day of the year. Among the examples of the celebration going on all over the planet is Google Pirate–a new version of the search engine with an interface that, arrr, be in pirate-talk, matey. (Okay, that’s all the talking like a pirate I’m going to do today.)

It’s a good example of the Bizarro Googles I wrote about a little while back. And here’s an image, in case you’re too busy forcing your enemies to walk off the plank to click through and check out Google Pirate for yourself:

I don’t mean to be a party pooper, but I’m worried that Talk Like a Pirate Day has jumped the shark–there’s an interesting image!–since it’s hard for a holiday to remain quirky and culty when it’s been embraced by big companies such as Google. May I suggest that we all concentrate our efforts on making sure that Don Martin’s National Gorilla Suit Day receives the attention it deserves next January 31st?

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Windows’ Life Without Walls Print Ads: Handsome! Unconvincing!

Posted by Harry McCracken on September 19, 2008 at 9:45 am

Good news! We’re now officially awash in new Windows ads. Not only are the first commercials in the second phase of TV spots out, but Microsoft has posted some new ads that will show up in print publications. It’s no surprise that these ones are a bit more explicit about Windows as a product line, compared to the almost-entirely-emotional print ads. I can’t imagine anyone having the sort of violent negative reaction to the print campaign that some people had to the first TV ads, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun picking them apart in excessive detail.

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Good God, I Sort of Like Microsoft’s New Windows Ads

Posted by Harry McCracken on September 18, 2008 at 11:10 pm

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday morning, the assumption was that we were going to get more Microsoft ads involving Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, and that they were probably going to be just as annoying as the first ones. Then we learned that the Seinfeld ads are over for now and that Microsoft was moving on to ads which respond directly to Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign.

The first new Windows commercials are up, and after Bill and Jerry, they feel like a breathe of fresh air. (Then again, ads for HeadOn–apply directly to the forehead!–would feel like a breathe of fresh air after Bill and Jerry.) Who knows–maybe Microsoft was engaged in some sort of evil-genius strategy that involved beginning with weird, annoying spots so that the real ads would look that much better when they started.

Here they are, after the jump:

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Um, Pardon Me, But You Seem to Have Borrowed the Amazon Logo

Posted by Harry McCracken on September 18, 2008 at 12:54 pm

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’re one of the few regions of the country that’s got choice when it comes to cable TV and cable broadband. There’s a great big company that does it–Comcast, I think they’re called–but a little company called Astound is also in the game. I’m used to seeing Astound trucks around town, carrying this non-descript logo:

But I just saw one of the company’s trucks zip by, and it carried an all-new logo. Which looked like this:

I can’t imagine anyone seeing that and not thinking what I thought: “Good God, that looks almost exactly like the Amazon.com logo!”

The smiley-below-the-name idea is nearly identical. The typefaces are very close. The use of orange is similar. And the names of the two companies aren’t exactly radically different. They’re about as close as two logos can be without being the same logo.

In fact, they’re so eerily similar that I wondered if Amazon had bought Astound. Nope, as far as I can tell: Astound is part of something called WaveDivision Holdings.

I’m not a trademark attorney, but I do know this: If I were Amazon.com, and Astound’s logo isn’t somehow used under license, I’d be nonplussed. In fact, I might get all frowny over it:

Looking on the bright side, though, if the companies ever merge, the rebranding would be a cinch. Here, I’ll do it for ’em right here and now:

Or, conversely:

That was easy…

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Yahoo! It’s Music, Right in Yahoo!

Posted by Harry McCracken on September 18, 2008 at 11:00 am

Okay, now this is cool: When you search for a musical artist or group using Yahoo Search, you may get a box at the top of the results that lets you listen to songs—full songs, not samples, and without leaving the search results. It’s done through a partnership with Rhapsody, and you can listen to up to 25 free songs a month, no registration or other heavy lifting required.

Here, for instance, is what I got when I searched for The Doors:

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Harry, Elsewhere on the Web

Posted by Harry McCracken on September 18, 2008 at 9:20 am

Just a quick note on some places you’ll find me other than Technologizer:

–I just launched a new blog! It’s called McCracken on Media, and it’s aimed at folks like me who are riding the bucking bronto that is the media business in 2008 and beyond. I plan to share much of what I learn as Technologizer grows there, so if you’re into behind-the-scenes stuff, please visit.

–I also guestblogged recently for the American Society of Business Publication Editors on some early lessons from the Technologizer experience.

–And I’m part of a conversation going on at Anita Campbell’s Small Business Trends on entrepreneurial experiences. Here’s a post on technology that’s been unexpectedly helpful. Here’s one on achieving profitability. And here’s one on defining moments.

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