Book worms and tree huggers rejoice as another eBook option has surfaced. This newest development is making home on RIM’s popular Blackberry line of devices. Brought to you by Fictionwise, Barnes & Noble’s online eBook reader service, the eBook app will allow you to browse B&B’s free catalog of books online as well as all [...]
What if AT&T never carried the iPhone..what if the iPhone never existed?
Book worms and tree huggers rejoice as another eBook option has surfaced. This newest development is making home on RIM’s popular Blackberry line of devices. Brought to you by Fictionwise, Barnes & Noble’s online eBook reader service, the eBook app will allow you to browse B&B’s free catalog of books online as well as all [...]
The way Apple and AT&T have handled themselves, the control over the various iterations of the iPhone, as well as other entities such as the app store signals to me that Apple and AT&T are not here for the customer but merely to make money. (Shocker…I know). It is by no means a new revelation in my mind, but one that I hoped over time, as Apple became more and more entrenched in the mobile market, and as AT&T garnered more negative attention, things would loosen up. Sadly that hasn’t happened. So what exactly is all of this anger and resentment about?
On device app stores while still all the rage are now coming off of their peak. Last summer with the arrival of the Apple App Store, several manufacturers and companies including RIM, Google, and Nokia just to name a few announced plans for their very own app stores. Carriers, the gatekeeper of the data pipe naturally want in on this extremely lucrative market. There’s only one problem, the innovation and features that keep customers happy and constantly purchasing never came from “the network” (carrier branded stores). Look at the small app centers that carriers have run for the last decade, from AT&T to Verizon to T-Mobile. You could access these pathetic excuses of WAP shopping goodness from practically any phone…but who actually did? I know I didn’t. The app selection was abysmal at the absolute best and apps and services were often overpriced. That isn’t exactly the best combination if you ask me. So, now that the App Store hoopla is starting to die down, who is trying to break in and steal the spotlight multiple months late?
When you’re in a hurry and have to leave someone a message on their voicemail, you want to do it right this second, not 15, 20, or 30 seconds from now. Another reason for the quick message is not only because of time constraints but more importantly to save a few pennies. Those precious seconds you’re stuck on the phone listening to some stupid recording when you could be yapping away yourself costs against your minutes, and if you’re over your minutes they go on your bill as nasty overages. Pretty shady huh!? But there is a hope for us mere mortals yet.
The Mobile Rak by New PC Gadgets allows you to easily stow your digital devices up out of the clutter that is your desk while presenting it to you in a convenient fashion. No longer will you have to dig though a plethora of wires trying to find the end of a different wire or worse yet your device!
Those of you who value sound quality and don’t just settle for the stock ear buds will be pleased that Apple’s new In-Ear headphones deliver awesome performance for the money. While they won’t please super critical audiophiles, the population between average Joe and the super critical will definitely enjoy Apple’s latest.
The glossy “Aqua” style of Tiger and Leopard isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. iLeopard will appeal to those users by toning down the gloss and glare giving Leopard a new, darker lease on life.
If you are the type of peson who finds the Blackberry shortcuts merely adequate or even insufficient for your needs, you my friend have an addiction. An addiction that modern science and medicine cannot cure. So what is a person to do? You could always set time limits for your Berry usage. You could give it up all together (thought that is a bit extreme). Lastly and more importantly, you can make use of a great little tool…”ShortcutMe”, an amazing, easy to use shortcut application that allows you to set practically limitless (as there aren’t /that/ many BB apps) shortcuts. So what exactly can you do with shortcut me? How can this shorcut app make your life with your Berry even more productive and easier?
Old time gamers who remember the old Sim City 3000 and who have Apple’s latest Jesus phone will feel a bit of nostalgia with EA’s latest release. Sim City for the iPhone is an enveloping enjoyable experience that is sure to entertain for hours on end.
The highly customized, tuned, and expensive Alienware style can now be had for you berry. Give it that sleek “stellar” look that is out of this world!
Those in the market for a fresh premium BlackBerry theme have another option today with LineUp. While the basic layout is radically unique, the colors used throughout show that the designer, Brandy R. over at Artistic-Me have quite the eye for good design. The theme which is available in either a bottom dock or plus style will cater to most users’ needs. LineUp is available for 8900, 9000, and 9630 devices for $6.99 from Artistic-Me.com.
AppleBerry is quite possibly one of the coolest and best looking OS X Leopard themes for the Blackberry Storm. With a dual dock at the bottom coupled with a unique “touch strip” in the middle of the screen that when touched, lauches the application screen. You can’t go wrong with AppleBerry.
Blackberry users who like to show a tad bit of flare and sophistication will find idBerry’s latest theme, MacBerry, to be quite the flare flinging theme. This eye gusher features a top “dock”/bar with 8 user customizable icons and a bottom dock with 5 fixed icons. The cool part with the bottom dock is that they are modeled after iPhone icons (cool if you’re into that sort of style I guess). Even cooler is that flipping between each bottom dock icon will automatically change the wallpaper. A nice touch indeed. I wish I had a Bold or 8900 to try this theme out on because it sure looks pretty sweet. I’m curious to see how it performs and if that slick bottom dock controlled wallpaper flipping action slows down the devices at all? (Feel free to let me know.) $6.99 and a trip to the Berry Review Store are all you need. Get downloadin’!
Take your Blackberry to the next level with Robotika, a unique “build-your-own” type of theme that allows you to custom build a robot on the homescreen depending on the user chosen icons on the homescreen. With over 35 parts to choose from, Robotika will surely enjoy an extended stay on your Berry as he shows off to all.
Bikers who appreciate and enjoy the added company of aother breathing body when on cross county bike rides will truly come to appreciate this latest test of sidecar innovation. Why lug around a dinky little sidecar that looks like a leech attached to your oh so dear motorcycle? Instead, pack something that will truly turn heads and thrust you into the “cool” club.
Forget practicality and convenience, this one off custom purse/bag will look stylish, set yourself apart from the rest of civilization as a geek, and manage to not break the bank. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for your back. This old battle worn Sony TV has gained a new lease on life. Instead of spending the next millennium sitting in some dump leeching toxins into the ground, this TV will instead come back to life as a very handy, very loved bag.
Everyone needs some humor in their lives. That is where the Lego Guy Crash Test Dummy T-Shirt (whew!) comes into play. Impress your friends by providing them with countless encounters of laughter that will never grow old.
We’ve all been there, you’re at some social gathering/party and you can’t remember where you sat your beer down. Normally such travesties mean endless minutes searching frantically for your beloved beverage. Often times, someone else has claimed it, or you find it next to some questionable people with shifty eyes. Such people and scenarios often leave you nervous opting to instead abandoned your trust friend and search out for a new one. But what if you could find your beer faster by “calling” it?
TV’s have been in mens restrooms for years. While they vary from the tiny 13 incher in the corner to the monstrous 60″ plasma on the wall, they all have one common flaw: you have to actually advert your eyes from the task at hand to watch. Something that isn’t always possible or safe. However, some truly visionary individual has created one of if not the best piece of gadgetry for a pub…
If there’s one thing about Mac fanatics it’s that they love eye candy. That love spreads to others areas than just the immediate Mac operating system. For those Mac readers who want to give Google Reader a bit of Leopard flare this how-to is just for you.
If you have an unlocked WiFi enabled Blackberry and want to use it with T-Mobile’s UMA service, you’ll have to take a few extra steps than your locked brethren. Come inside to get your device up and running quickly and easily.
Everything in life can assume multiple roles. Technology and gadgets often have very short life cycles and are always being replaced by newer, faster, and smaller products. When the unfortunate time comes and your hard drive fails, instead of throwing it away, do something useful with it…make it a clock!
Book worms and tree huggers rejoice as another eBook option has surfaced. This newest development is making home on RIM’s popular Blackberry line of devices. Brought to you by Fictionwise, Barnes & Noble’s online eBook reader service, the eBook app will allow you to browse B&B’s free catalog of books online as well as all [...]
The WSJ is one of the most widely read and highly regarded newspapers in the world. Because of their global success, the subsciption costs that are required to read said paper don’t deter many as it is again a very established and well respected newspaper. As far as actually spreading news and getting the word out there, having subscription costs and paywalls aren’t exactly the greatest method for Google popularity or subscribers as the people receiving the subscription payments are the only real beneficiaries. In order to be more indexable by Google, a sweet little back door is now open allowing anyone and everyone the ability to read any WSJ article online for free. While more technologically less intelligent people won’t ever stumble upon this wonderful backdoor, I’m letting you fine people know about it in order to “spread the open flow and movement of news”. Want to know how?
The internet is different.
It produces different public spheres, different terms of trade and different cultural skills. The media must adapt their work methods to today’s technological reality instead of ignoring or challenging it. It is their duty to develop the best possible form of journalism based on the available technology. This includes new journalistic products and methods.
The internet is a pocket-sized media empire.
The web rearranges existing media structures by transcending their former boundaries and oligopolies. The publication and dissemination of media contents are no longer tied to heavy investments. Journalism’s self-conception is, fortunately, being bereft of its gatekeeping function. All that remains is the journalistic quality through which journalism distinguishes itself from mere publication.
The internet is our society is the internet.
Web-based platforms like social networks, Wikipedia or YouTube have become a part of everyday life for the majority of people in the western world. They are as accessible as the telephone or television. If media companies want to continue to exist, they must understand the world of today’s users and embrace their forms of communication. This includes basic forms of social communication: listening and responding, also known as dialogue.
The freedom of the internet is inviolable.
The internet’s open architecture constitutes the basic IT law of a society which communicates digitally and, consequently, of journalism. It may not be modified for the sake of protecting the special commercial or political interests often hidden behind the pretense of public interest. Regardless of how it is done, blocking access to the internet endangers the free flow of information and corrupts our fundamental right to a self-determined level of information.
The internet is the victory of information.
Due to inadequate technology, media companies, research centres, public institutions and other organisations compiled and classified the world’s information up to now. Today every citizen can set up her own personal news filter while search engines tap into a wealth of information of a magnitude never before known. Individuals can now inform themselves better than ever.
The internet
changesimproves journalism
Through the internet, journalism can fulfil its socio-educational role in a new way. This includes presenting information as an ever-changing, continual process; the forfeiture of print media’s inalterability is a benefit. Those who want to survive in this new world of information need a new idealism, new journalistic ideas and a sense of pleasure in exploiting this new potential.
The net requires networking.
Links are connections. We know each other through links. Those who do not use them exclude themselves from social discourse. This also holds for the websites of traditional media companies.
Links reward, citations adorn.
Search engines and aggregators facilitate quality journalism: they boost the findability of outstanding content over a long-term basis and are thus an integral part of the new, networked public sphere. References through links and citations — especially including those made without any consent of or even remuneration of the originator—make the very culture of networked social discourse possible in the first place. They are by all means worthy of protection.
The internet is the new venue for political discourse.
Democracy thrives on participation and freedom of information. Transferring the political discussion from traditional media to the internet and expanding on this discussion by involving the active participation of the public is one of journalism’s new tasks.
Today’s freedom of the press means freedom of opinion.
Article 5 of the German Constitution does not comprise protective rights for professions or traditional business models. The internet overrides the technological boundaries between the amateur and professional. This is why the privilege of freedom of the press must hold for anyone who can contribute to the fulfilment of journalistic duties. Qualitatively speaking, no differentiation should be made between paid and unpaid journalism, but rather, between good and poor journalism.
More is more – there is no such thing as too much information.
Once upon a time, institutions such as the church prioritised power over personal awareness and warned of an unsifted flood of information when the letterpress was invented. On the other hand, pamphleteers, encyclopaedists and journalists proved that more information leads to more freedom, both for the individual as well as society as a whole. To this day, nothing has changed in this respect.
Tradition is not a business model.
Money can be made on the internet with journalistic content. There are many examples of this today already. Yet because the internet is fiercely competitive, business models have to be adapted to the structure of the net. No one should try to abstain from this essential adaptation through policy-making geared to preserving the status quo. Journalism needs open competition for the best refinancing solutions on the net, along with the courage to invest in the multifaceted implementation of these solutions.
Copyright becomes a civic duty on the internet.
Copyright is a central cornerstone of information organization on the Internet. Originators’ rights to decide on the type and scope of dissemination of their contents are also valid on the net. At the same time, copyright may not be abused as a lever to safeguard obsolete supply mechanisms and shut out new distribution models or license schemes. Ownership entails obligations.
The internet has many currencies.
Journalistic online services financed through adverts offer content in exchange for a pull effect. A reader’s, viewer’s or listener’s time is valuable. In the industry of journalism, this correlation has always been one of the fundamental tenets of financing. Other forms of refinancing which are journalistically justifiable need to be forged and tested.
What’s on the net stays on the net.
The internet is lifting journalism to a new qualitative level. Online, text, sound and images no longer have to be transient. They remain retrievable, thus building an archive of contemporary history. Journalism must take the development of information, its interpretation and errors into account, i.e., it must admit its mistakes and correct them in a transparent manner.
Quality remains the most important quality.
The internet debunks homogeneous bulk goods. Only those who are outstanding, credible and exceptional will gain a steady following in the long run. Users’ demands have increased. Journalism must fulfil them and abide by its own frequently formulated principles.
All for all.
The web constitutes an infrastructure for social exchange superior to that of 20th century mass media: when in doubt, the “generation Wikipedia” is capable of appraising the credibility of a source, tracking news back to its original source, researching it, checking it and assessing it — alone or as part of a group effort. Journalists who snub this and are unwilling to respect these skills are not taken seriously by internet users. Rightly so. The internet makes it possible to communicate directly with those once known as recipients — readers, listeners and viewers — and to take advantage of their knowledge. It is not the ‘know-it-all’ journalists who are in demand, but those who communicate and investigate.