History Often Writes Itself Backwards

This is an interesting article, but it makes a very huge assumption, though a powerful one for the sake of kissing Steve Jobs' boots. The article assumes that whomever was first out of the gates was clearly the one who "figured it all out".

This is very short-sighted. Most of these technologies take years to develop. So, even if a phone comes out a year or two after the iPhone, chances are that one company did not learn from the other, but that two companies were working on the same technology simultaneously and one happened to work faster.

The same thing happens in Hollywood. Someone pitches the idea for a movie (let's say a movie about an asteroid which is about to hit the Earth)... they pitch this idea to several studios. Neither of these studios buy the original script, but commission their own people to write a similar one. Suddenly, two (or three) movies come out with the same basic theme. Whichever one hits theaters first is considered the "original" and whichever ones were scheduled to be in theaters later are considered "copy-cats"... when in reality, all were "inspired" by the same source, which rarely gets glory or credit.

In Apple's case, they did not invent touch screen technology and they did not perfect it. They also did not "figure out" how to make it work well for a phone. The reality is, there were other talented engineers who were working on the problem of touch screens. They solved these problems and, suddenly, Apple and many other companies license (or rip off) this technology and then start running for the gates. Apple reaches the gates first, and everyone high-fives Steve Jobs. Those who make it to the gates next are said to have "copied Apple". It's a pretty sad process to watch, and an even sadder process to see the confused media twist the story around by connecting dots that really aren't there.

What Apple is truly successful at is marketing and PR. People forget that they failed with the Apple Newton, Mac TV, and a series of other Apple flops. Yet, eventually, Apple convinces the world that they invented the mp3 player by renaming it iPod. Next, they will convince the world that Apple TV didn't really flop by renaming it iTV. If they keep throwing that same noodle at the wall over and over again, eventually they'll get their strongest fanatics to gobble it up, then everyone can say they are leading the way.

in reference to: Marco.org - A smartphone retrospective (view on Google Sidewiki)

+1 For Misleading Titles

5 in 5 PC/Mac applications pose potential privacy threat: report

in reference to: 1 in 5 Android apps pose potential privacy threat: report (view on Google Sidewiki)

Dailymotion - T-SHIRT WAR!! (stop-motion music video) - a Arts video

Amusing video.

Dailymotion - T-SHIRT WAR!! (stop-motion music video) - a Arts video

Awesome

Nicely done site.

in reference to: http://www.rpgnexus.org/ (view on Google Sidewiki)

Microsoft Has Lost Its Way

This is exactly why Microsoft is so far behind these days. They focus on trying to "beat Google" in terms of the time to release features, instead of simply focusing on the user.

In fact, the recent zero-day flaw in Internet Explorer was known by Microsoft since September of 2009 and the patch for this security vulnerability was only released yesterday.

So, for four months the majority of the world was vulnerable to computer attacks while Microsoft spent three months feverishly trying to beat Google in implementing Twitter into their search engine. Really, Microsoft?

in reference to: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14242473 (view on Google Sidewiki)

We Are At War With Warmongers

Cheney is just a warmonger. He is essentially saying, "We are at war with bad people." Well, I'm sorry Cheney, but bad people are going to continue to be here forever in some form or another. So, as long as you focus on intangible things such as "terrorism", you will think we are forever at war. You might as well set the threat level to RED and toss out all of the other colors for eternity. What way of life is that, really? Cheney wants the terrorists to win because he wants us to be terrified. Terrorists only win when we change our way of life to accommodate their actions.

Cheney considers us to be at war with intangible ideas such as "terrorism". Obama understands that we are at war with tangible groups such as Al Qaeda.

in reference to: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/31054.html (view on Google Sidewiki)

Bias is Fun

Under the Obama administration, one al-Qaeda terrorist gets onto a plane and tries (but fails) to blow up his underwear. Due to this, Obama gets an "F" for protecting Americans. Number of Americans who died in that incident: 0.

Under the Bush administration, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. Due to this, which grade should Bush get for protecting Americans? Number of Americans who died in that incident: 2,973.

It seems to me this guy is grading on an extremely skewed curve. It looks like everyone gets an "F".

in reference to: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyharnden/100020934/barack-obama-gets-an-f-for-protecting-americans/ (view on Google Sidewiki)

Delayed Perception

This ignores the fact that the economy is dynamic and often slow moving. Actions taken today might not be felt for generations.

So, do you have models which prove that actions taken from 1920-1950 were not that which was responsible for the economic climate felt from 1950-1980? Perhaps actions taken from 1950-1980 are directly responsible for what we are feeling today? And, perhaps actions taken today will be felt 20 or 30 years from now by future generations.

in reference to: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/07/reagan-reagan-reagan/ (view on Google Sidewiki)