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Ramblings of a Short Man

Category Archives: Gadgets

Apple threatens to brick unlocked phones?

24 Monday Sep 2007

Posted by Thai Bui in Gadgets, Technology

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Apple

A lot of buzz today around Apple’s announcement that a future update may cause “irreparable damage” to the device.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t much about hardware (definitely not devices), but I find it incredibly unlikely that a software hack of any kind can permanently damage a device. Maybe Apple won’t do it for you, but there has to be a way to wipe your device back to the its factory software/firmware.  I’m sure it’s something that Apple engineers did all the time while developing the iPhone.

So is Apple bluffing?

I don’t blame them for it (I’m sure they’ll make more from their cut of AT&T’s monthly fee than from the device itself).  But can you imagine the level of the screaming if Microsoft did something like this?  As far as I know, unlocked Xboxes still work…

Update: Ahhh, the drama continues.  The incredibly insubordinate iPhone Dev Team has smacked down Apple, and is releasing a fix to revert the iPhone back to its original state.  We all knew it wasn’t that hard.  The only question is whether Apple will try to take these guys down…

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Run your nasty keyboard through the dishwasher

14 Thursday Jun 2007

Posted by Thai Bui in Gadgets, Technology

≈ 1 Comment

Heard a great feature on NPR on the way to work this morning. A reporter ran nasty keyboard (we all have one) through the dishwasher, and despite warnings from Microsoft and Logitech, the keyboard works.

I gotta try this.  I’ll post my results if I get around to it.

I want a Microsoft Surface!

30 Wednesday May 2007

Posted by Thai Bui in Gadgets

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Microsoft, Surface

The coverage is everywhere and the demos are fantastic.  The technology is not the most important thing here; it’s actually been out a while and in use (I’ve been drooling over it for a while).

The important thing today is that Microsoft is taking it, productizing it, and moving their marketing muscle behind it.  MS has always said they want to move into the home but the only real success they’ve had is getting users to buy desktops for the home.  Their other products, like Media Center, haven’t been successful.  No one wanted to buy a $1000 set top box and no one wanted to set it up.  MS (or one of their partners) should have just sold a preconfigured appliance (like a Tivo).

The amazing thing MS has done is turned this “Wow”-inducing technology into a $5,000-$10,000 product. That price point is well within the range necessary for early adoption at businesses (as is their plan) and seems like it will be well within the range for early home adoption a few years after.

Surface’s biggest challenge for getting into the mass-market home is also it’s biggest advantage. There is no analogue to this appliance/device/gadget/piece of furniture.  Is it a better computer?  Not exactly.  Is it a better coffee table?  Yes, but not what people expect in a coffee table and much more expensive.  Consumers understood how a plasma/LCD TV for $2000 was a better TV.  People understood how a $400 Tivo was a better VCR/Cable box (though that took a little while for people to get).  It’s going to take a good while for consumers to understand why they should plop down $2000 (if they can get it to that price) after they get past the “Wow” factor.

Then again, there’s no competitor. Users didn’t want to buy/set up a Media Center PC because Tivo was better, easier, cheaper at what people wanted to use it for.  There’s no comparison here, so MS has some time to develop the killer apps for the consumer.

Whatever they come up with, I want one.

More stuff we don’t need but really, really need

19 Monday Jun 2006

Posted by Thai Bui in Gadgets, Technology

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But how can I buy one?

PayPal Mobile

22 Wednesday Mar 2006

Posted by Thai Bui in Gadgets, Mobile, Technology

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Now that’s cool! Like Russell Beatie says, it’s not that exciting to do person-to-person transactions (though the 20-somethings I know who text message all day long may disagree), but PayPal and eBay have the reach to do something really exciting to allow you to buy stuff:

Anytime you see Text to Buy next to something you want to buy—on a poster, in a magazine, at an event—you can securely order the item by text message. Use your phone to buy items like CDs, DVDs, books, electronics, accessories and much more.

Q: Where will I see these Text to Buy ads?

A: Look for Text to Buy in magazines and newspapers, on TV, billboards, posters, websites, and elsewhere.

Very, very simple. Very, very cool.

Whoa, awesome!

24 Friday Feb 2006

Posted by Thai Bui in Gadgets, Technology

≈ 1 Comment

Coolest. Thing. Ever.

I’m not kidding.  I want this.  (I know I’m behind the times on this, but I just found it.)

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