Friday, January 12, 2007

Sony shoots self in foot.

Apparently Sony will not allow porn to be produced on the BluRay format. Wow. This is one of the reasons betamax didn't succeed. The porn industry was the first (and may be the most) profitable company on the Internet. They are a multi-billion dollar industry. To tell them to f*ck themselves (and not in the good way) is a sure way to make sure no one uses your technology. Way to go Sony. How's that minidisk tech working for you? And the PS3? Still sitting in warehouses? Nice.

I'm calling it for HD-DVD. Gentlemen, start your wallets.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Dammit dammit dammit!

I'm weak. I admit as much. I have a weakness for some technology. You might say I crave it. Oh sure, I may have backed the wrong technology now and then. Like VESA local bus, Betamax and minidisk. Sure, in hindsight those were bad choices.

But despite my missteps in the past, I still hold true to the idea of technology and THE FUTURE!

Bright, shiny. Chrome covered. Oh yes.

That doesn't mean I am some kind of fanboy. I don't heap praise on some company just because they make their interface lickable. You will note that I don't own a Mac. The idea of an overpriced white laptop with my lifestyle is beyond absurd. For a laptop to match my lifestyle it needs to be dirt colored, made of adamantium, weigh 1 pound, be solar powered and be able to get an internet connection from inside the Pyramid of Khufu. Show me that laptop, and I'll gladly shell out the dough that Apple asks for their gear.

But today I saw something that really blew me away. The iPhone. There's been all kinds of speculation among the drooling cult of the i-faithful. Rumors, fake photos, endless arguments and navel gazing. None of it really right. I knew there was some kind of phone coming down the pipe. It's innevitable. The phone and the mp3 player are destined to join as one.

But what Apple showed today was pretty frickin amaaaaaaazing. Look at the picture:



Oh sure it's pretty. So pretty. But it's the implementation that is so revolutionary. There are a lot of phones that look cool. The trouble is trying to get them to actually do shit. I own a Treo 650. It does quite a bit, but each application had its drawbacks. And the fact that it needs a keyboard means I've lost prescious screen space. Apple removed this problem by making the entire front of the phone a touch interface. Go check out the site and watch the demos. All of it works. Seamless integration. The interface is fantastic.

But this shiny piece of Nirvana will cost. Will I buy it? It's possible. I'll need to try it for myself first, run my fingers along its smooth curves. Caress its screen. Push its buttons. Oggle its huge screen.

If you'll excuse me, I need to take a cold shower.

Sunday, January 07, 2007