Mayhem & Chaos Blog

 

Wireless

Smartphones on Verizon and thoughts on the Pre

Since I'm a big fan of my iPhone several of my friends have asked me when I think Verizon might get a similar phone to run on their network. I'm personally not sure if we'll ever see an Apple phone for Verizon, but now its clear that smartphones have arrived on Verizon and they are powered by Google's Android. Walt Mossberg says:

But this week, Verizon (VZ) is rolling out a device that finally gives it a more credible alternative. This new $200 phone is the Motorola Droid and it’s the first Verizon model to run Google’s (GOOG) Android smart-phone operating system. I’ve been testing the Droid, and while it has some significant drawbacks, I regard it as a success overall. It’s the best super-smart phone Verizon offers, the best Motorola (MOT) phone I’ve tested and the best hardware so far to run Android. I can recommend the Droid to Verizon loyalists who have lusted for a better smart phone, but don’t want to switch networks.

That pretty much sums of what my friends have been asking for -- take a look and see if any of the drawbacks are a deal-breaker for you. I think if you require an outstanding keyboard, then you may need to wait. But if the software flaws are bugging you, then worry not. Google and the open source community are revving the Android software faster than Apple is revving the iPhone software.

A few months ago I was patiently waiting for the Palm Pre to arrive on Verizon's network, but I think Palm has made two significant mistakes that actually threaten their survival in my opinion:

1. It is horribly complicated to get an application published in Palm's application marketplace. Apple has made this easy and they have oodles of applications for the iPhone. A broken app store makes the Palm Pre much less appealing compared to Android or the iPhone. I don't think Palm understands the true importance of the App Store.
2. Piggybacking Sync off iTunes. Palm, who has pioneered sync software for the original Palm Pilot is some fancy footwork into tricking iTunes into thinking the Pre is some sort of Apple device. Of course Apple doesn't like this and Palm and Apple have been playing a cat and mouse game of enabling and disabling the Pre syncing in iTunes. Who loses that game? You, the end-user.

How could you be so stupid, Palm? These mis-steps may very well be the end of Palm, since my feeling is that they bet the farm on the Pre. They got a few things right, but two very critical things wrong. I've loved many of their products and its sad to see the company mis-step so badly today.

 

Rupert Murdoch does not understand the internet -- that is good for us!

Murdoch recently said that all of his web sites will soon be charging for access. In the era of free, charging people for news is a phenomenally bad idea. Especially when my beloved BBC News continues to be free!

But given that he sits on a bunch of biased media and is working to corrupt the previously unbiased media (read: WSJ), I have to applaud this move. If his empire that spews hate and disinformation is already starting to lose money, will people fork over money to get their propaganda?

Well, it appears that there is a group of people who clearly won't. Alternet says:

We live in two Americas. One America, now the minority, functions in a print-based, literate world. It can cope with complexity and has the intellectual tools to separate illusion from truth. The other America, which constitutes the majority, exists in a non-reality-based belief system. This America, dependent on skillfully manipulated images for information, has severed itself from the literate, print-based culture. It cannot differentiate between lies and truth. It is informed by simplistic, childish narratives and cliches. It is thrown into confusion by ambiguity, nuance and self-reflection.

The literate Americans are not likely to pay for their propaganda. Will the non-reality-based Americans pay and then forego something else or will they not pay and not get any news? That might be a step in the right direction, no?

In any case, I'm glad that Murdoch's empire is feeling the squeeze -- now I can only hope that Colbert and Stewart are still doing well. Afterall they are the most trusted news anchors in this country... on a comedy channel. Oh how sad that is!

 

Microsoft Bashing

M$ finally feels the pinch

I've been waiting for Microsoft to finally feel the pinch in its bottom line. Its taken about 10 years longer than I wanted, but the moment has finally come! Between declining computer sales, Linux and Google Apps each of M$'s cash cows are under attack.

But, make no mistake -- M$ still has boatloads of cash on hand and is still making money. But the writing is on the wall that unless they can make a real course correction soon, their continued thrashing is going to effectively sideline the company.

Personally I've been leading a M$ free life for nearly 10 years now, so their influence hasn't really affected me in a long time. I almost don't care anymore, except for the decade of my life that was made difficult by crappy M$ products. It will be good to finally see M$ knocked off its promiment position!

(And its funny that this news comes right during the Open Source conference. :-) )

 

Legal/Government

California is bankrupt. There is an easy way to fix it!

California is broke. Collapsing businesses are leaving a giant hole in the state budget -- ouch. Now, the Governator needs to cut up to 10k jobs in california as a result, and that won't really stem the losses. Then, to make matters worse, judges decided that jails are overcrowded and that up to 40% of inmates need to be released in the next few years.

Ugh. That looks dire! But wait, there is a perfect solution:

1. Legalize Marijuana. Don't decriminalize -- legalize.
2. Tax Marijuana. Everyone knows its the largest cash crop in California.
3. Stop drug enforcement on Marijuana, divert funds from D.A.R.E and other useless state anti-drug campaigns to help close the budget gap.
4. Release all prisoners who are incarcerated for victimless crime related to Marijuana.

I don't know if this would effectively close the budget gap completely, but it would get us to stop wasting money on enforcing a drug war that is failing, especially for a drug that poses no harm for society. It would ease overcrowded prisons! Once the finances in the state get better, divert money from anti-Marijuana policies towards drug rehabilitation and no-BS drug education. And, how would corporate America look at this? They would love it, since they had a totally new market of people: Stoners!

Can you imagine if we scrapped the DEA and poured all that money into our education system? That, I think, would be the smartest thing the US can do for preserving its own future. The time has come -- it no longer makes sense to propagate the nonsense that Marijuana presents any kind of danger to the citizens of the world.

Oh, and if the religious right opposes this? Easy -- ask them to finance the Drug War. "You pay, we'll keep fighting it -- please hand over a few billion dollars to cover the tab." Watch them shut up post haste!

I hope Obama can lead the way on this!