Farhad Manjoo on the Microsoft store
Question that I have that is left unanswered by Farhad’s piece: who makes the laptop and desktop hardware featured in the store?
Netflix has turned into Hulu
Calling itself the “world’s leading Internet TV network,”…
via Netflix nets $870 million in Q1 revenue, now has 26 million streaming worldwide | The Verge.
I also have noticed that in their ads during Slate’s podcasts, the podcasters are emphasizing television over films. This is wise because Netflix’s streaming library of television shows is much, much better than it’s library. In fact, that’s what my family and I tend to use it for: television. Which means Hulu has a chance to steal me as a customer — it just needs more content, and to have a Wii app.
From luxury to necessity
New Rules for the New Economy.
“Sophisticated media technology first creates desires for luxuries; then technology transforms those luxuries into primary necessities.”
The atavistic need to consult the village seer or soothsayer transformed into the ever-with-you screen/screens.
Apple screens on the silver screen
Apropos of that post (which observes that all the cool gadgets in films these day are Apple products): the other day on the bus I looked up from my iPhone and watched a few seconds of the guy in the seat in front of me watch a film on his iPhone that showed a guy watching something on an iPhone. That was way too meta of a moment, but I’ll be honest: it was kind of hard to look away and focus back on my iPhone.
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
I haven’t begun reading it yet, but I’m struck by perfect the title is. And especially how perfect it is for our times.
Best Buy needs to reduce its’ product stock
I said essentially this same thing on Google+ a while back. So I agree with Farhad except I think he’s wrong about the only 1 model approach — there should be three models for each category: one low-end with no frills, one medium-end with better specs and more options, and one high-end with top specs and all the options. That means there’s still more choice than Apple, but not a bewildering array of choices.
Writing by hand
The Millions : High Wire Act: Why I Started Writing By Hand.
I went through a period when I tried to write things by hand. I do like the physicality of the page, but I ran into the problem of my thoughts outracing my ability to capture words legibly and even leading to dead ends, the flow disappearing into the ether.
I know the war with Word that Hartnett describes, but that all disappeared when I switched to using a text editor. To me, it’s the cleanest experience. And I don’t self-edit as I write. Instead, I write the draft, copy and paste it at the top of the page and then go into editing mode.
Who can work with only one open window?
Essay on use of iPad by academics | Inside Higher Ed.
“Who can do serious academic work one window at a time?” writes Alex Golub in a column on using the iPad in academia.
That’s an excellent point. Where Steve Jobs saw the one window/one open app as the ideal form of computing — both for consumption and creation (the one window aiding focus) – many of the rest of us have become reliant on several open windows, and, ideally, two screens (if not three). There are times where you need to focus in on just that one window, but much of the time, we need more. And from what I have observed laptop hooked to an external monitor is the key setup for faculty these days — as it also is for many of knowledge workers on campus.
Tablets and external screens and other computing devices (keyboards, laptops) all need to evolve so that they are part of one ecosystem that allows us to smoothly engage and disengage portable devices and other screens and input devices as the nature of the work (reading, writing, corresponding, drawing, editing, notetaking, outlining) and mobility require.
Wm’s Twitter stream- morriswm: @reubencollins Pack some caffeine in case you need to drive her home at midnight. And keep the stuffed animals/blankies in the tent. May 18, 2012
- morriswm: @only_blk_guy Cool. I'll shoot you an email when I'm less buried w/craziness. May 18, 2012
- morriswm: @only_blk_guy Let's have lunch in June, and I'll bring you one. We'll do a tasting. May 18, 2012
- morriswm: Now available in the @dunwoodycollege bookstore. (this is for @only_blk_guy) http://t.co/ZbemMgP4 May 18, 2012
- morriswm: I think I finally have time to peek at the new @dunwoodycollege Graphic Design studio on my way out. May 17, 2012
- morriswm: RT @jesskry: Commencement is our superbowl. #higheredlive (and our Oscars). May 17, 2012
