It's kinda remarkable to me that no one at Google has thought to redirect google.com/drive/ to drive.google.com.

Is it just me?

The Federal Aviation Administration is believed to be re-examining the rules which prohibit the use of electronic devices during takeoff and landing.

According to the New York Times, the FAA plans to conduct tests to see  whether there's any danger of new devices affecting the operation of the plane.

However, the mandated test procedures are so thorough that there's real doubt as to whether devices could be approved before they're completely out of date.

via tgdaily.com

The blurb I got in e-mail that linked to this story misspelled the word "fortunately" in the following sentence... "Unfortunately, it looks like cellphones will still be off the list." See how they accidentally put the letters "Un-" in front of the correct spelling?

If there's just *one* convenience I absolutely do not need at any point in the future, it's the person behind me able to shout into their cellphone during takeoff and landing. {Shudder}

Some days you've really gotta love the Internet. Considering I'm paying like $2 a blade for a razor I bought who knows how many years ago... I'm in. I'll be checking this out later today.

Update 3/20/12: Although I signed up back on March 6th, apparently everyone else did, too, so DollarShaveClub has hit delays. I'm supposed to get my razor and blades in the next week or so, even though I was charged back on the 6th. Hmm. Hope this works. 

Does *your* presidential candidate have his own iPhone 4/4s case?

They're American-made...

• If you have an Apple TV, you’ll love this: Now you can project whatever is on your Mac to your TV, wirelessly. Yes, the iOS feature called AirPlay has now come to the Mac. Think slide shows, classroom demos, YouTube videos, Netflix movies — with one click, it’s all on your TV, at 720p hi-def resolution, instead of only on your little Mac screen.

Loving this idea of bringing Apple TV into the fold, especially considering how many silly little dongles I have to buy every time we upgrade MacBooks and think of playing a movie or show from iTunes... but it makes me think: I'm really surprised that Apple TV isn't a bigger deal than it is.

Of course, I also DON'T HAVE an Apple TV (Roku instead), so maybe it hasn't been compelling enough even for me. The idea of the Apple TV being a hub for all your other digital stuff seems smart though, so maybe that will sway me. (Hint, it won't be tough.)

The rest of it... by which I mean making the Mac more iOS like? Sure, why not. Now that I've got my iPhone, I'm on board for the switch. (Doh... except that InDesign CS2 won't run on Lion or later, so I'm still stuck at 10.6.8. Oh well...)

Anyone else see some some iOS laptops coming in Apple's future? If they're converging one way, I wouldn't be surprised if they converge the other way, too.

Yahtzee.

All I know is that I'm loving mine after ten days, and I remain impressed with the fact that C Spire was able to get the iPhone as a regional carrier. For all the success that Google is having getting its Android OS into the marketplace (and it's having tons) it's clear that the expanded availability of the iPhone was critical to its own growth. Having used both, there are some nice features on each, but there's something the it-just-works nature of the iPhone (including for calls, since I'm not on AT&T) that makes it very appealing this go around. I'm actually answering my phone!

Am I tempted? I'll admit to being tempted. Am I stupid enough to pay $240 over a year in order to get a $99 Nook for free? Sure, I'm that stupid.

I think this is a clever promotion. The truth is, I'd love to sit down with the New York Times on Sunday mornings and look things over; I might even check it out on other mornings with my coffee if it were this convenient.

Will I get that experience from the Times on a Nook? I don't know. Perhaps I'll regret it a month into the subscription.

And if I didn't already own books in the Kindle eco-system (what is this world coming to?) it might be a double-no-brainer.

But, still... I'm tempted.

It couldn't let this pass without remarking on it -- it's amazing that it was only the beginning of this year that the announcement was made that Verizon would also carry the iPhone -- and it was suddenly offered by *two* different carriers, after years of just plain-ol' AT&T.

Less than a year? That feels like forever ago.

Since that date (Jan 11, 2011), the iPad 2 has been announced, the iPhone 4s is out and available with three major carriers and C Spire in Mississippi, Steve Jobs has died, Siri lives on... a crazy year. Apple disappointed investors with only $28 billion in revenue in fiscal Q4 and remains, I think, the world's largest company by market-cap.

Weird year.

Looks interesting... a little like Siri for poor people (like me). As I continue to contemplate Google for Business, things like this look more and more appealing.

Samsung (005930.KS) only entered the smartphone market in earnest last year, but its sales have skyrocketed thanks to a sleek production system that rapidly brings new products to market. Apple (AAPL.O) introduced its first iPhone in 2007.

"In the handset division, Samsung has no real rival models to challenge its products except for the iPhone 4S. Apple and Samsung will continue to dominate the market in the fourth quarter," said Kim Hyun-joong, a fund manager at Midas Asset Management, which owns Samsung shares.

I'm always fascinated to face yet another example that I'm utterly average. The competition has come down to a Samsung Galaxy S or an iPhone 4s for me now, particularly since CSpire claims the iPhone 4s is coming.

Why would I *not* get an iPhone? Me? Such an Apple dude?

The only reasons I'm coming up with are (a.) price and (b.) screen size.

I'm probably getting the iPhone, although I don't yet know the dates, data plans, etc. for rollout. But if I can keep my cheap smartphone plan and get an iPhone for $200 at the most (maybe even less with a phone trade-in credit?) then I'm there.

But the Galaxy S remains tempting... it does seem to be a well designed phone, good screen size, maybe more comfortable for typing...

We'll see.

Worth Ave. Touts iPhone Insurance

TWICE Staff -- TWICE, 2011-10-18 10:06:00 EDT

Stillwater, Okla. - Worth Avenue Group is encouraging new iPhone 4S users to consider insuring their devices rather than purchasing an extended-warranty plan.

The full-service CE insurance provider, based here, claimed some iPhone warranties can leave consumers unprotected and potentially responsible for hundreds of dollars in replacement costs should something happen to their devices.

 "Most iPhone owners are unaware of just how much it will cost them each time they have some sort of accident," said Aaron Cooper, marketing director of the 40-year-old firm. "Unfortunately, a warranty only protects you the first time. If it happens again, you either purchase a new warranty and pay the deductible or spend the money buying a new phone."

Approximately 37 percent of iPhones are damaged annually, the company said, with many owners experiencing at least two or more incidents related to human error. Cracked screens, theft and water damage are among the iPhone's top claims categories.

Unlike an extended warranty, insurance can be purchased at any time and there is no limit on the number of claims that can be filed in one year. Coverage for the iPhone 4S through Worth Avenue is $89 per year with a $50 deductible, compared, for example, with AT&T's extended warranty program through Asurion that sells for $84 a year with a $199 deductible.

Worth Avenue Group also provides accidental damage and theft coverage for iPads, laptop and desktop computers, TVs, digital cameras, PDAs and other CE devices. Licensed in all 50 states, the company is underwritten by A-rated Hanover Insurance and has serviced thousands of customers and more than 2,000 schools nationwide. For more information, visit www.worthavegroup.com.

 

Might be looking into this when Ms. D. finally gets her iPhone 4s.

This proved handy; didn't know it didn't work otherwise until I was filling out an entry and the Post button failed.

This group checked out 10 different Groupon and LivingSocial deals and found that in eight of the cases, the "original" price of the deal was overinflated compared to what you would pay by calling in.

In other words, even for consumers the value of these things is starting to wear down a little bit.

What's interesting about this story to me is not the idea that serialized shows do well on Netflix -- I already know that, since I watch tons of serialized shows and would only do so on Netflix or Amazon so I can avoid the commercials.

What's interesting is that the networks (and Netflix) are actually figuring out the business model that might make sense for those shows, much as "basic" cable is figuring our how to do more character-driven (and, in some cases, lower-cost CGI) storylines in order to hook smaller audiences on smarter shows. In a sense it's the long-tail at work, even if this is still a pretty fat part of that tail.

As Spock might have said (on a show that couldn't hold the network's attention for more than 3 years, despite a vocal audience), "Fascinating."

Steve Jobs was, of course, an inspiration, a leader, perhaps a hero, even if I didn't necessarily want to be *completely* like him -- sure, it would be nice to lay into an employee every once in a while, but it probably won't ever be my style. And what he "invented" vs. what he "innovated" may be in dispute.

But the dude had taste, and he could sell. As in ice to Eskimos.

And he had a ton of money and still died young, and that's food for thought for any among us who isn't busy doing the stuff we've put on our bucket lists.

RIP, Mr. Jobs. Thanks for bringing back Apple from those dark days and making it possible for me to still be working on a platform I love, the Mac. Thanks also for re-innovating the phone, the music industry and putting your touch on the world of movies, TV, content creation and so much more.

Here's to the crazy ones.

The increasingly competitive group discount and daily deal marketplace may be approaching saturation, judging by new data from Experian Hitwise which shows that market-leader Groupon saw total traffic tumble 50% between the second week in June and the third week in August. The question is whether this indicates growing group discount fatigue among consumers.

Sounds like the perfect time for Gannett to enter the market with "Deal Chicken."

It seems to me there are two real problems here:

(1.) People might, eventually, get sick of these deal programs, or at least hone in only on the tight niches that really excite them. (For instance, if someone offered a "Mac accessory of the day at half price" e-blast I might sign up for that one.)

(2.) The business model for Groupon is to get some other business to accept 25% of their regular price for a meal, product or service rendered. I don't think that's sustainable, and it's particularly disconcerting because the better it is as a marketing solution, the worse it is for the small business.

Echoing my sentiments back in 2007, I'd suggest small businesses avoid these crazy deal sites in the same essential way that I tried to warn people off of the mortgage-backed securities crazy just five years ago. *

*Note: I didn't actually do that. Had no idea, really.

I'm certainly a bit sad today to hear that Steve is stepping down; it's been fascinating to watch him work and succeed, and it's no fun to see this industry icon (no pun intended) forced to step down while still way too young. I haven't followed Apple as directly as I once did, but I still enjoy their products, shun many of their competitors (lookin' at you, MSFT), and absolutely appreciate not only their quality and capacity for innovation, but the enormity of what they've accomplished.

I long wondered if Apple would become the "Sony" of its time, and I think it's done that... and then some. They don't make as wide a variety of products as Sony, but the sheer depth of their penetration into the world's households and offices has taken the company from near death to, perhaps soon, the highest cap'ed public company in the world.

I do hope against hope that we'll one day see an Apple production plant here in the U.S. again... I still remember touring Apple laptop plant in Fountain, Colorado, and meeting the proud workers and managers there. I'd love to turn over an iPad 3 or 4 and see "Made in U.S.A." That would make the purchase 100% satisfying!

(Aside: Think about it... Apple is sort of a microcosm of the American economy... an explosion in corporate profits and cash, a cacophony of knowledge-worker jobs in the U.S. and a brutal switchover from higher-paying manufacturing jobs to lower-paying service jobs have all taken place over the last 15 years under Steve.)

But, that's exposition for another day and, perhaps, a tome. (I always wanted to write about a book about Apple and not just Apple's products, but couldn't ever get one sold. Hats off to Owen Linzmeyer.)

For today, I only wish Steve Jobs the best (even if he doesn't care what I think and might even be an ass about it) and thank him for the ride.

Mac vs. PC comparisons now go even deeper between iOS and Android... at it seems that the same benefits to closed-loop OS-and-hardware system apply. According to the story, Apple iOS is "targeted so little that it's not even in McAfee report." Yowza.

From Forbes... the takeaway from this survey appears to be that just because someone is a heavy social media user, it doesn't necessarily mean they're active in the real world, either as consumers or politically. (In fact, in some cases they're showing the opposite, potentially, to be true.)

Now some of that make sense... if you're on the computer *a lot* then you're not getting out of the house. Oddly enough, though, for the consumer behavior, they show that it's true that heavy social media users spend less even when you're measuring *online purchasing*, much less local dining or hanging out in a coffee shop. So what does that mean for brands that put all their marketing eggs in the social media basket? Magic 8 ball says ask again later. ;-)

Citing two people with knowledge of the matter, the global news agency said its heard that Apple's Asian supplies have begun building "a lower-priced version of its hot-selling iPhone 4 with a smaller 8 gigabyte flash drive" that's "expected to launch within weeks."

Not only do I hope this is true, but I hope (on a wing and a prayer) that this could possibly mean Apple is ready to open up to regional carriers like Cellular South, which offers great coverage down here in MS, no roaming charges in the U.S. and happens to have a nice, cheap data plan for it's Android phones*.

It seems to me that regional carriers and specialty carriers (Credo, Virgin, Boost) are an area dominated by Blackberry and Android and certainly one place where Apple could win huge converts -- often young folks -- if they have the CDMA chipset ready and they're willing to flood the market with lower-end versions of their already widely successful (if slightly dated) previous model.

(* Full disclosure: CS has advertised with the JFP in the past and I'd love them to do so again the future, but I'm not specifically sucking up here. They're also my current mobile carrier and I'm ready to trade up my Hero and/or throw it out the window of a moving vehicle.)

Update: Business Insider has this chart showing what a mere *report* of the iPhone 5 for Sprint is doing to their stock; just think what reports of iPhones for regional carriers would do for their bottom lines (and for Apple in the War Against Robots):