Cast your mind back to the ancient time that was this August and you’ll recall Eric Schmidt telling you, with no lack of pride, that 200,000 Android phones were being sold each and every day. Skip past Steve Jobs’ snide remarks about what’s included in that tally, and fast-forward to today, where Andy Rubin is blowing minds with the latest, very nicely rounded, total: 300,000 daily activations. Yes, in spite of being the most fragmented thing this side of our 10-year old hard drives, the Android OS just keeps growing at an exponential rate. So Steve, any comment on today’s data? Were they counting it wrong?
Cast your mind back to the ancient time that was this August and you’ll recall Eric Schmidt telling you, with no lack of pride, that 200,000 Android phones were being sold each and every day. Skip past Steve Jobs’ snide remarks about what’s included in that tally, and fast-forward to today, where Andy Rubin is blowing minds with the latest, very nicely rounded, total: 300,000 daily activations. Yes, in spite of being the most fragmented thing this side of our 10-year old hard drives, the Android OS just keeps growing at an exponential rate. So Steve, any comment on today’s data? Were they counting it wrong?
Yesterday an old friend posted on Facebook: “XXX dislikes craft stores (and all stores for that matter) that say, “no nothing Hannukah in here – we are a Christian store. We only celebrate Christmas.” Nice.” How old is this friend? I used to babysit her and her brother when they were kids. She still lives in our hometown, Columbia, Md. Columbia is a fantastic place to grow up. It is often rated one of the best cities in which one could live, along with neighboring Ellicott City. Columbia is a planned city, and a progressive city. It is zoned to be integrated, in terms of socio-economics, and most schools have a racial and religious mix that is far more diverse than the rest of the country. It is the sort of place I’d like to raise my own children, and the open-minded upbringing I had in Columbia certainly shaped my worldview for the rest of my life.
So, I was shocked when I read that statement. I commented on her status update, telling her I was dumbfounded, and asking which store it was. She replied in a personal message, not on the more public Facebook wall. The store was a Hobby Lobby. It was new to the area. I’ve seen them down here in Dallas, but I’ve never been inside one of them. Not that I was avoiding them, I just never had any reason.
Now, before I continue, let me clarify why I think this statement is a problem. I have no issue with stores that don’t carry Hanukkah-themed items. I almost prefer it, even though I celebrate the festival. Hanukkah is a very minor holiday in the Jewish religion. It’s more an excuse to give presents and eat potato pancakes than an actual religious ceremony. It is not, as my doctor down here in Dallas recently suggested, the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar. It’s not even in the top five.
The reason I have a problem with that statement is precisely because I don’t care if a store sells Hanukkah gear or not. I have no problem with stores that are focused on a single holiday. If you celebrate Christmas, I’m sure Christmas Tree Shops is a wonderful store to fit your needs. If there’s a customer looking to conveniently fill a need, there can be a store built for that customer. That’s capitalism, not religion. If you want to open a store that focuses on Christmas; or Eid al-Fitr, the feast at the end of Ramadan; or Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights; or any other holiday, more power to you. I might not shop there, unless you’re selling something that interests me. I certainly wouldn’t have any problem with such stores.
Why would a store need to clarify its “No Hanukkah” policy? First, to attract a clientele who are not only interested in a shop with Christian values, but who are also interested in a shop that excludes Hanukkah. After all, does Christmas Tree Shops broadcast their lack of Fourth of July paraphernalia? Of course not. Does Best Buy have to tell you it doesn’t sell flags for Bastille Day? No, because Best Buy does not care about attracting customers who shop based on their distaste for the French. But Hobby Lobby apparently wanted to make sure that customers knew they would not find Hanukkah iconography inside.
Second, Hobby Lobby wanted to make sure that anyone looking for Hanukkah supplies would shop for them elsewhere. There are no such supplies at the store. No boxes containing the exact number of candles needed for the eight nights of lighting progressively more candles. No dreidels or menorahs. No decorations with Hebrew lettering. I wouldn’t claim that Hobby Lobby hates Jews, but when I heard this, my first thought was that I would not feel welcome at a Hobby Lobby store.
I posted on Twitter: “Hobby Lobby in my hometown has sign: “No hanukkah here, we are a Christian store.” Guess I’m not welcome there, will never shop there, ever.”
See the logical mistake I made? It’s a doozy.
My friend said that she “dislikes craft stores that say . . . “. The emphasis here is obviously mine. I assumed she had read this on a sign. It wasn’t a person who had said this, it was a store. When you talk about a person, you use the pronoun “who,” not “that.” “That” refers to an object or a concept. I believed she had read a sign out in front of the store that made this proclamation about Hanukkah.
My original tweet was retweeted more than most tweets I write. Some interesting people picked up on it and passed it along. Some of those people tried to get the attention of major national news organizations. I figured I would get the jump on this story, so I called the store personally to check my facts.
I talked to a manager named Tom who told me that there was no such sign. He sounded suspicious, but probably because I had identified myself as a writer with SlashGear.com. It is best to be suspicious when a reporter calls. Tom referred me to the corporate Web site for Hobby Lobby. Smart move. The corporate site has no corporate phone number or email address for press inquiries. You have to send a letter by post. If you don’t know what that is, it’s an archaic way of delivering messages written on paper in slow-moving trucks. Replies can take days, and it costs actual money to send mail.
His denial made me curious, though. If he was denying the sign, I figured, then it must have been taken down, or it would be soon after he hung up. I hoped to find a camera phone picture of the sign. At the least, I wanted to verify exactly what the sign had said.
So, I wrote to my friend. I told her the manager had denied ever having such a sign. Her response? “No sign. What a person told me.” That person was dressed better than the rest of the staff, who were wearing aprons while she was not. She was giving staff members directions and instruction. According to my friend, she “looked like a manager.”
I was wrong. I got my facts wrong. I implied too much from what I read on Facebook. My tweet was inaccurate, and now it is circulating. I could delete it, but I cannot un-say it.
I still believe my friend and what she heard. In a way, this is not as bad for Hobby Lobby. After all, a printed sign, even handwritten, appears to be a corporate policy set in stone. But in some ways, this is worse. This might have only been one store manager, but it was a store manager with the nerve to look another person in the eye and exclaim “We are a Christian store. We only celebrate Christmas.” That’s obnoxious, but it’s not a corporation being obnoxious, it’s a manager with a flawed sense of customer service.
I never suspected this was Hobby Lobby corporate policy. I always figured this was the act of a rogue employee. But I am sorry for making the assumption that I made. When I discovered my mistake, I wrote on Twitter: “I’m chalking this up to a lone employee mistake. They are aware they’re being watched. Case closed.”
What are the lessons learned? As a reporter, I know better. I need a second source or more specific verification, like a photo, before I write a story. Once a story is out there, riding the ether, it cannot be reigned in easily, if at all.
Also, do not assume that everybody uses perfect grammar. Not everybody was an English major, you dolt.
How would you like to win yourself an Xbox gaming bundle, an Xbox Live gaming bundle, or a Plantronics GameComm 777 Headset? I know I would. To win, all we’ve got to do is put our most extremely amazing game faces on and take a photo – Plantronics are looking for photos taken all around the world of people who show real “gaming fanatic” spirit, they’re looking for all walks of life! Starting TODAY (November 29, 2010) and going through Friday December 10, all participants are encouraged to take an in-action photo of themselves that showcases how and where they game.
To submit your photo, first take it, prepare a short explanation of why your face is representative of today’s gamer, and send it out via Twitter to @plantronics with the hashtag #gameface! Check out these freaking amazing prizes!
Prizes (subject to change):
• 1st – Xbox 360, Kinect and PLT X95
• 2nd – Xbox Live “Minute Gift Cards” and PLT X40
• 3rd – PLT GameCom 777 7.1 with Dolby Surround Sound
And remember, you’ve only got a short while to submit, so get to it!
Important Date(s):
· Submissions begin – November 29
· Submissions end – December 10
· Judging – December 11 – 15
· Winners announced – December 17
If the name UberTwitter sounds familiar, that’ll be because it’s one of the more popular mobile Twitter clients, accounting for 10 million tweets each day from BlackBerry users around the globe. And now it’s also available on the iPhone. Citing the “growing dominance” of Apple’s one-device-to-rule-them-all mobile platform, the UberTwitter crew has decided to expand its offering with a new open beta, which is available to download now. The major distinguishing feature being touted is something called UberView, which allows access to links within tweets without exiting the app or opening up a new window within it. Looks a pretty slick idea, but there are still some early issues to be ironed out — as with all beta iterations — and a final v1.0 should be ready to do battle with Twitter’s official app by the middle of December.
TiVo has launched a companion app for iPad, which turns the Apple slate into what the PVR company describes as “the world’s ultimate remote control.” Compatible with the TiVo Premiere and TiVo Premiere XL boxes, the free app includes full control over recordings and live TV, an on-screen program guide, scheduling and social networking integration.
Video demo after the cut
For instance, using the new app users can send out Facebook or Twitter messages about the currently playing show. There’s also Season Pass and one-time recording control, together with the ability to search across TV shows, movies, actors or directors available through both broadcast and broadband from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand and other services.
Finally there’s background information on actors and shows, all of which can be viewed without pausing playback and without shifting your TiVo into picture-in-picture. More details in the video below.
Press Release:
TiVo Announces Companion App for iPad
App Combined With iPad Creates the World’s Ultimate Remote Control
With the TiVo app for iPad, you can search, browse, explore and share your favorite entertainment all without interrupting whatever is playing on your TV.
TiVo’s best in class user interface is coming to a small screen near you. Get a sneak peek of the TiVo Premiere app for iPad.
ALVISO, CA — (Marketwire) — 11/22/2010 — TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), a leader in advanced television services, including digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced a powerful new TiVo app for the iPad. The app will be available for free from the Apple iTunes App store in the coming weeks. The TiVo® Premiere App enables you to search, browse, explore and share your favorite entertainment all without interrupting whatever is playing on your TV. Since the app works in tandem with what you are watching, iPad is now the ultimate remote control and companion device for TiVo Premiere users.
By bringing its best in class high-definition user interface to iPad, TiVo has created a true two-screen TV experience. TiVo Premiere users will get access to a full set of TiVo capabilities on iPad, providing a richer TV viewing experience for both live TV and Internet video while kicking back on the sofa. Plus, users will also be able to schedule and manage their DVR recordings while on-the-go.
The TiVo Premiere App for iPad includes:
Gesture based control — Take complete control of all recordings, even dragging forward and back through a show with a simple tap or swipe
Start watching what you want — Launch a recorded show, live TV or streaming video with the swipe of a finger
Program guide — Browse your full-screen TV program guide without interrupting TV viewing
Schedule — Schedule one-time recordings and Season Pass recordings from the device at home or on-the-go
Get more from your shows and movies — Explore cast and crew and other recommendations of your favorite shows without interrupting the big screen
Search — Search for all of your favorite TV shows, movies, actors or directors across both broadcast and broadband from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, and more
Share comments with your friends — From within the TiVo Premiere App, comment and share your thoughts to Facebook or Twitter about the show you are currently watching
“We’re bringing TiVo’s innovative user interface from the TV directly to your fingertips, taking your TV viewing experience to a whole new level,” said Jim Denney, vice president and general manager of product marketing for TiVo. “The new TiVo Premiere App takes our best in class user-interface and brings it to iPad’s stunning, high-resolution display and innovative Multi Touch interface. There’s no better example of TiVo’s passion for innovation and focus on ease-of-use than the TiVo Premiere App for iPad, and no better reason to give the gift of TiVo this year.”
The TiVo Premiere App will be available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. Users must have a TiVo Premiere or TiVo Premiere XL box and an existing account with TiVo.
To learn more about the app visit www.tivo.com/ipad.
The Perfect Holiday Gift
Holiday pricing for TiVo Premiere and TiVo Premiere XL boxes makes it even easier to give the one gift that will keep on giving the best of TV, movies, Web and music all year long. For a limited time, TiVo Premiere is available for $99.99 with a one-year commitment of $19.99 per month — a $200 upfront savings.* TiVo Premiere XL is available for $299.99 with a one-year commitment at $19.99 per month.**
*Compared to TiVo Premiere $299 MSRP.
**Promotional offers for TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL expire December 31, 2010. See tivo.com for offer details, terms and conditions.
Hey gang, welcome to this week’s edition of the SlashGear Week in Review! This is the last edition before Thanksgiving in the US, so if you celebrate the holiday have a great one! We put up our review of the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Tab this past Sunday. We figure that the Tab has more flexibility in some areas than the iPad but has an overall rougher feel.
A rumor popped up early in the week that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X7 and X7 Mini smartphones would be coming in Q1 2011. The X7 is said to have a 4.3-inch screen and the X7 mini sports a 3.5-inch screen. Intel is getting serious about open-source with the announcement that MeeGo developers will get a free IdeaPad S10-3t. The free tablet for devs will likely spur more to try to work with the OS.
Early in the week the Nokia E7 clears the FCC. The E7 has a QWERTY keyboard, runs Symbian^3 and packs in a 4-inch AMOLED ClearBlack display. We posted up our Holiday Gift Guide Monday and it’s packed with all sorts of cool gear. There should be something for everyone on this list and it’s really packed.
Facebook added a new messaging system on Monday dubbed the Modern Messaging System. The system is interesting, but caused a few issues after its implementation. A really cool remote control for your TV turned up early in the week that is called the Pillow Universal Remote Control. The remote costs about $30 and has the remote built into a throw pillow. The only downside is if you sleep on the thing you may end up with some weird channel on the TV.
EviGroup unveiled the new Paddle Pro tablet computer that runs Windows Home Premium and an Intel Atom N450 CPU. The tablet has strange head tracking tech that lets you control the mouse cursor with your head movement. Proporta unveiled a new case for the iPhone 4 with a battery inside called the TurboCharger Back Pack. The case promises to recharge your iPhone fully one time.
The Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid notebook was rumored to go on sale on the 23 of the month. The cool tablet is convertible with a screen that flips around rather than twisting. The entire Beatles catalog landed on iTunes after years of fans waiting for the tracks to hit. Among the offers is a $149 box set with music, video, and lots more content.
Microsoft has sold a huge amount of Kinect units in the first ten days. According to MS, it moved a million units over a bit more than a week. A crazy expensive new SSD card that fits into the PCIe slot launched this week called the WarpDrive SSD. The thing sells for $11,500 and has up to 1,400MB/s of throughput.
Panasonic unveiled a gigantic 3D Plasma this week that measures 103-inches. The massive TV has a price as large as the screen at $102,000. A teen selling conversion kits to turn the iPhone 4 into the long anticipated and delayed white iPhone 4 has been hit with a legal threat. The teen sold $130,000 worth of conversion gear after coverage and ended up being accused of selling stolen goods.
ThinkGeek landed a really cool alarm clock this week that looks like a Star Wars Lego minifig. The clock can be had in Storm Trooper or Darth Vader guise for about $30 each. A leaked photo surfaced mid-week that claims to be a shot of a white iPhone 4 for Verizon. The device has the Verizon logo in the left corner and has a different antenna design and no SIM card cover.
An interesting concept phone surfaced this week that used both AMOLED and eInk tech inside. That would give the best of both worlds with color LCD for video and the eInk for reading. It seems a story that made the rounds this week was from a paper known for misquoting folks. The original story had Apple’s Woz saying Android would beat the iPhone, Woz quickly clarified that iOS is the best.
The Dell Inspiron Duo was fingered with an official launch date on Thursday. The tablet/netbook will land in early December for $549 and will run Windows 7 and an Atom N550 CPU. An awesome accessory for the iPad surfaced called the Magic Pinball. The accessory turns your iPad into a pinball machine for $79.95.
A really cool stop light concept surfaced late in the week that uses the colors we are used to and an hourglass design to show how long the light has left before it changes. The concept is cool but in the real world, the lack of other lights would cause some issues for the colorblind. Call of Duty: Black Ops is selling like crazy. The game made $650 million in 5 days. That is a crazy amount of money had better than most of the big Hollywood films.
Apparently Google tried to buy Twitter at one point for the tidy sum of $4 billion. That offer was turned down, as was the first offer of $2.5 billion. Sony Ericsson’s CEO has admitted that the company is in talks with Microsoft on using Windows Phone 7 in its line. However, the strict spec and software limitations mean adoption is an off chance according to the CEO.
A new iPad rumor has surfaced that has a world version of the iPad with a multi-mode GSM/CDMA modem hitting in 2011. I wonder if this would be the version that gets that carbon fiber case that surfaced in a patent app from Apple. If you are a photography geek that want’s to show just how geeky you are we found the perfect bracelets for you. The Lens Bracelets look like the focus ring around a camera lens.
I’m not a fan of video game soundtracks, but there are many hard-core game geeks out there that are. If you really like the Red Dead Redemption sound track and have a record player you can get the games soundtrack. You need that record player because the soundtrack is only on red vinyl. Thanks for reading this week’s edition!
Muhahaha! Four, BILLION, dollars. Yes, mister Powers, if you believe a lovely story from Yahoo Financial News you’ll know that earlier this year Google thought through the notion of buying the entirety of Twitter for somewhere around $2.5 billion US dollars. Their offer didn’t end up being officially announced, but apparently it did go down. But that’s not the end, according to YFN again, Twitter felt insulted! And Google offered more.
Instead of the initial $2.5 billion, Google came back with an offer around 3 months ago of $4 billion USD. Of course, Twitter again flipped it’s beak and turned it’s tailfeathers toward the big G. Apparently Microsoft tried the same thing, and was also turned down with feathery butts too.
Twitter today rolls out a new feature for those who keep their phone in their purse or pocket – imagine that! – and want to make sure to get important tweets “even when [they're] not looking at Twitter at the moment. Stay sucked in! Now whenever someone on Twitter you follow mentions you, you’ll receive an instant notification. You know what that means? Conversations in real time. This feature will at first be available on SMS and on the latest version of Twitter for iPhone (available for download now.)
Notifications for Twitter Messages will also be available for Twitter for iPhone as it already is for SMS and Twitter for Blackberry. Soon this feature will also be available for Twitter for Android and Twitter for Windows Phone as well. To turn this all on, just go to twitter.com/devices and check the boxes under “text message notifications.”
Just today, corporate vice president and chief operating and financial officer of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business mister Dennis Durkin addressed attendees of BMO Capital Markets Digital Entertainment Conference in New York. He said unto them: 40 percent of the members of XBox live are using their time on the console for activities other than gaming. In that number are people using Netflix, listening to music using Zune and Last.fm apps, and clicking around and updating their Twitter and Facebook. NOTE: for your edification, I note that Durkin was only speaking about humans.
Durkin noted that these members who are, for whatever reason, not using their XBox 360 to play games, are still using their console an average of three hours online a day. It’s as if, I think, they’re using them like, stay with me here: a computer! “What we found is the core gamer might be the person who brought the console into the house, but as you widen the choices of content, it broadens what people can do with the system,” noted Durkin.
He also had a bit of a note on the Kinect: “Everything we’ve been shipping has been selling,” citing GameStop and Toys”R”Us reports telling of sellouts. He also mentioned the always frightening (to me) prospect of advertising on the console, speaking specifically on figuring out their audience: “It’s hard to track though with a controller-based system,” Durkin said, “Kinect brings a really interesting opportunity as it relates to that. Obviously with Kinect, it has facial recognition, so we can cater what content we present based on who you are.” Severely creepy.
