Author Archives: Tarun

Link: iPhone 5 Mockup →

Dan Frommer says it best: It looks awesome. And if you ever needed an example of how extensive, over-the-top, and lucrative the Apple rumors-chasing game has become, here you go.

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Link: The Growing User and the Perennial Beginner →

Lukas Mathis: The two goals — simplicity and depth — are at odds. Adding depth also adds complexity. So, what should you do? Go for depth, or go for simplicity?

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Cutting the Keyboard

With tablets becoming a popular computing tool, Tarun muses the concept of cutting the keyboard from devices we use everyday. Do we need a keyboard as a primary input? Will virtual keyboards be the standard in 10-20 years? Continue reading

Posted in Android, Apple, Features, Google, iOS, Lion, Mobile | Tagged , , | Permalink | 1 Comment

Link: The Real-Name Debate →

Interesting points on how having a consistent, real-world identity on the internet is almost forced as the standard on the internet, which is a turnaround from how the internet first looked: It seems to me that the larger issue in … Continue reading

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Link: Jacqui Cheng on Google+ →

While this post does point out some good features of the service (circles, privacy), it doesn’t explain why I should begin using it regularly. The advantage of posting more than 140 more characters is also the service’s main problem — … Continue reading

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Link: The Trends and Challenges of the Touch Panel Industry →

Interesting look at different panel types used in popular tablet PC devices. Most important to note is the chokehold that Apple has on this industry. Via Digitimes: Many large cellphone brands such as Apple an HTC have been requesting for … Continue reading

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Link: Let’s Turn This Around →

Lukas Mathis: So let’s turn this around. Nobody has ever told me exactly why the patent system is doing any good. In fact, there is more and more evidence that it costs a lot of money, but is not doing … Continue reading

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Link: The Most Promising Tech CEO Since “Steve Jobs” →

Steve Milunovich, an analyst for Merrill Lynch: The auto industry might change more in the next 10 years than the last 100. Electric vehicles represent a new category that Tesla could lead given that new entrants tend to win when … Continue reading

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Link: Mark Cuban’s Fixes to Patent Laws →

Software patents are the biggest mess of the patent system, since many believe there is no firm definition. While patents do force innovation, they also are unwieldy at best and always have such broad scope that it is difficult to understand … Continue reading

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Link: Dropbox Killer →

Arnold Kim: Apple has decided to move this one-to-one over to iCloud and is automatically signing up MobileMe users to the 20GB (+ 5GB free) tier plan in iCloud at no charge. We previously detailed the iCloud additional storage pricing … Continue reading

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Link: iPhone as a Primary Gaming Platform →

Definitely the direction things are going. Keep in mind the major console producers’ (sans Microsoft) missteps as of late.

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Link: Muve Music & Cricket Mobile →

Here’s an idea: Take a phone that can’t be as “smart” and allow users to opt-in to a 10/month subscription to an all-you-can-listen music service. Sounds lucrative on paper, but the question is how this service will do in practice. … Continue reading

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Link: Just a Fad →

Shih’s comments amplify a crucial difference between companies that are innovating (Apple and Google) and companies that are sticking with what they know (like his own): Commenting on Apple bringing tablet PC and smartphone products into the PC market to … Continue reading

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New & Noteworthy

Weekly Download has been featured in the iTunes New & Noteworthy directory, so I wanted to take this time to say thanks to all our listeners. Remember to give us some feedback on the iTunes page to show your support … Continue reading

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Link: Automated Tagging via Physical Features →

The use of face detection software isn’t new, but the idea of using social media as a way to datamine these features seems scary: The software, called “suggested automatic tagging,” lets Facebook users assign digital name tags to people in … Continue reading

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Link: Wireless Charging Demo →

This is the wireless charging concept previously patented by Apple a month ago. The company created a demo video using an iMac charging a keyboard, mouse and tablet simultaneously.

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Weekly Download #7: Facebook and Design, Robots, Technology and Intelligence, Bing, Zune, Apple TV

This week’s show is a day early because of a certain concert that a certain co-host is attending. We talk Facebook and their recent efforts to beef up their design team; robots taking over the world; technology and its correlation … Continue reading

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Link: When Patents Attack Android →

This anti-competitive strategy is also escalating the cost of patents way beyond what they’re really worth. Microsoft and Apple’s winning $4.5 billion for Nortel’s patent portfolio was nearly five times larger than the pre-auction estimate of $1 billion. Fortunately, the … Continue reading

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Link: Here We Go Again →

Like the Roman Empire, Apple eventually should decline. That’s a pretty safe statement — whatever goes up, must come down. Apple is no exception. Apple may be at a peak, but they do not necessarily have to have a marked … Continue reading

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What Apple TV Should Be

Apple TV has always been considered a “hobby” for the firm. What should Apple TV be for the mass consumer market? Tarun discusses the relationship of streaming, instant content, and the future of Apple TV. Continue reading

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Link: State of the Internet →

I am absolutely in love with infographics like these. It is especially awesome that this page uses no Flash. Here’s one statistic I was shocked to learn: While the Internet has an amazing reach, it still has room to grow. … Continue reading

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Link: Browser Usage and IQ →

Opera and Camino users scored the highest. But here’s the kicker: There was a clear indication from the date that the subjects using any version of Internet Explorer ranked significantly lower on an average than others. Of course, if IE … Continue reading

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Link: WLAN via LED Lighting →

The overall appeal is obvious: the lights can apparently be modified to suit networking at little cost and with only minor adjustment, and can be used in places where traditional radio or wired networking is less feasible, such as in … Continue reading

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Link: Completing the Robot Trifecta →

First, Foxconn is going to replace their workers with robots. Next, Reverend Bit was programmed to conduct the first marriage ceremony ever by a robot. Now, Robots are going to be our waiters. And you thought we were trying to … Continue reading

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Link: Reverend Bit →

John Connor unavailable for comment.

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