Monday, April 27, 2009

Facebook is NOT Twitter


I don't think it's hyperbole when the folks at Techcrunch say that Facebook and Twitter are now at war. I do think that the stage has been set for quite some time - each company has made sufficient progress that they have now collided. There is no going back.

What can we take away from the latest news?

Twitter has experienced meteoric growth for two reasons IMO:

1. Simplicity -- everything about Twitter is easy, as you'd expect from an interface with 140 characters,
2. Brilliantly executed developer strategy -- the developer API is similarly simple; integration is easy.

Facebook is decidedly *not* simple, but I'm sure they are very, very jealous of all the third-party Twitter applications that have been created over the last few months.
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Eight Reasons Your Next Computer Should Be a Mac


Ready for some real, and practical, Mac advantages? Here are a few reasons to consider making the switch.

Contrary to Microsoft marketing honcho David Webster's snarky recent assertion, Macs aren't "washed with unicorn tears" -- at least as far as I know. However, lots of extremely rational reasons exist to choose a Mac running OS X over a Windows PC. Macs can leave you happier and more productive than you would have been if you'd bought a Windows system, and feeling you got good value for your money even though a Mac is never the cheapest option.

I'm no hidebound advocate for the supremacy of Macs in every instance -- the last two computers I've bought have both been Windows laptops, and I cheerfully and sincerely wrote an article called Eight Reasons Your Next Computer Should be a PC to accompany this one. But when friends toss the eternal "PC or Mac?" question my way, these are the points I bring up in favor of the Mac. They're listed rough order of their positive impact on your everyday computing experience as I see it.
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Google’s Schmidt Joins Obama’s Tech Team


Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google Inc. , and Craig Mundie, the chief research and strategy officer of Microsoft Corp. are the top tech dealmakers named to the president's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, or PCAST.

Before joining Google, Schmidt served as chief technology officer for Sun Microsystems Inc. and later as CEO of Novell Inc.

Mundie, a 39-year veteran of the computer industry and the co-founder and CEO of Alliant Computer Systems, is responsible for directing Microsoft's long-term technology strategy, a role filled by co-founder Bill Gates until his retired from day-to-day operations last year.
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Seagate Replica Complete PC Backup System, as good as Apple’s Time Machine?


Could the Seagate Replica finally be the product that might convince you to back up all your data? It’s so convenient, you almost forget it’s there. It backs up your entire operating system, all your files, everything on your PC, and does it invisibly.

The only problem is, the largest Replica drive available is 500GB (for $200, the 250GB model is $130), and if you have a lot of photos and videos, that drive will be filled up quicker than you think. Still, trying to make a PC-based backup system that’s as easy as Apple’s Time Machine is commendable. Let’s hope this is the first of many.

Apple iPhone Apologizes for Baby Shaker


Baby Shaker, a $0.99 application has been removed from the iTunes App Store after many apologies from Apple.

The premise of the game is that the user must endure the wailing baby’s cries for as long as possible before shaking the iPhone/iPod Touch to make the baby stop.
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Samsung Android Google Phone I7500 Unveiled


Samsung has unveiled its first Android smartphone the, Samsung I7500. The specs are perfect for T-Mobile because it uses HSDPA 1700, the band for T-Mobile. It is a touchscreen only phone with a standard headset jack, GPS , Bluetootth, Wi-Fi, and AMOLED display.

The display is the very clear 3.2" AMOLED is a full touchscreen. It has WiFi connectivity, giving users access to Google Mobile services and full web browsing.
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Windows 7 Premium to Support Windows XP Mode (XPM)


Apparently Microsoft has learned a few lessons from some of their many Windows Vista fiascos. In a move that appears aimed at backwards compatibility, some versions of Windows 7 will include a virtualized Windows XP mode.

Dubbed Windows XP Mode, or XPM (formerly known as Virtual Windows XP or Virtual XP, VXP) will ship alongside the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) in May and then in its final version with Windows 7's own ultimate release
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