Apple’s New Anti-Windows 7 Ads Hurt My Brain

By Devindra | Published: October 23, 2009

It’s no surprise that Apple has launched a new series of ads to compete with the launch of Windows 7, but the one above in particular really makes me want to smash my head into my desk. It starts with PC saying that Windows 7 is “not going to have any of the problems” Windows Vista had, and then proceeds to repeat that mantra through past versions of Windows (all the way back to Windows 3) while PC’s clothes get further outdated. All the while, Mac remains typically hip.

Now I know that Apple isn’t aiming for realism here–but pretending that the Mac OS didn’t have issues throughout the 90s just like Windows is pretty much rewriting history. I would argue that Windows 98 and 2000 were far better than anything the Mac had to offer until the release of OSX. And let’s not forget that the company wasn’t truly hip until Steve Jobs came back 1996. But then I suppose that doesn’t make for a cute commercial.

You can check out the other ads in the series over at All Things Digital.

Posted in Apple, Marketing, Microsoft | 5 Comments

Bing Adds Twitter and Facebook Posts to Search Results, Should Google Worry?

By Devindra | Published: October 21, 2009

bing realtime search

Update: And like a swift judo chop to the groin for Microsoft, Google has announced a Twitter deal as well.

All Things D got the scoop this morning on two upcoming deals Microsoft has made to integrate real time updates from Twitter and Facebook into their Bing search engine. Their post was later confirmed by an official Microsoft announcement. The deal is a coup for Microsoft because it means they’ve successfully beat out Google from integrating real time updates into their search engine. The two have been trying to court Facebook and Twitter for some time now, with rumors of buyouts floating among all the various deals. While Google remains tops in traditional web searching, the value of real time searching is also becoming more apparent every day. For once, Microsoft has access to something Google doesnt.

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Posted in Internet, Microsoft, Social Networking, Web 2.0 | Leave a comment

The Nanda Alarm Clock eBay Fail

By Devindra | Published: October 21, 2009

clocky

You’ve probably already heard about the Nanda Clocky alarm; it’s the alarm that has wheels so that it can race around your bedroom when it goes off in the morning, forcing you to get up and be more alert instead of just hitting snooze. I’ve followed the product since the creator, Guari Nanda, acquired a lot of press when she first showed off her idea as an MIT grad student. But while it seems that the product has found success, it also appears that the company has become a bit restrictive towards users who attempt to resell the product on eBay. Tech Dirt has the equally infuriating/hilarious tale of a family member who tried to sell their Clocky on eBay, only to be struck down by a trademark violation notice.

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Posted in Hardware, Internet | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

1080p Xbox Movie Streaming Works as Advertised

By Devindra | Published: October 21, 2009

Zune Video, streaming on Xbox 360 from Ars Technica on Vimeo.

The next Xbox Live update will bring a bevy of new features, including Twitter, Facebook, and Last.fm access. I’m particularly interested to see if Last.fm works as well all the previews say. Another feature that’s getting less press is the ability to stream 1080p films from the renamed Zune Store. As an owner of an original 20GB Xbox 360, the notion of downloading 4GB+ files is becoming more and more of an impossibility, so a good streaming solution is key for MS.

I’ve been wondering if the service is as instant as Microsoft says it is (the fastest streaming we’ve seen on the Xbox thus far is 720p HD Netflix content), and according to the Opposable Thumbs blog at Ars, it definitely works as advertised. Video proof is above, and while it may be blurry, you can clearly get a sense of how fast the streaming works. Let’s just hope this quality keeps up when released to the public.

Posted in Microsoft, Video, Video Games | 2 Comments

Do Verizon’s “iDon’t” Ads Miss the Point?

By Devindra | Published: October 21, 2009

moto droid

I always find it odd that while many seem to have no issue with Apple coming up with new and creative ways to market their products, for some reason it’s an issue when other companies try to market against Apple. Case in point: Ars Technica is currently polling their readers to see what they think of Verizon’s new “iDon’t” ads. At the time of this post, 38% of users said they loved the ads, and 28% said they were “just okay”. Still, that’s a majority viewing those ads positively. I’m thinking the results of this poll may be a bit of a surprise to Ars, because they argued that general users wouldn’t find the points covered in the ad all to useful.

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Posted in Marketing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Cheap Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Coming to a Backpack Near You

By Devindra | Published: October 21, 2009

dye-sensitized solar cell window

Among the many emerging solar technologies out there, dye-sensitized solar cells are perhaps the most interesting due to their incredibly low cost, coupled with their fairly high ~11% efficiency (at least among thin-film panels). According to Technology Review, backpacks coated with the cells for portable gadget recharging were recently unveiled at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair. The cells are based on the tech invented by a chemistry professor, Michael Grätzel, who mentions that they work well at wide light angles, are less susceptible to degradation in sunlight, and also work efficiently with indoor lighting.

As someone who’s always fretting about the battery life of their portable devices, I could definitely see the value in having recharging capabilities right out of my backpack–assuming it doesn’t cost a fortune. There’s little word on pricing for these backpacks, but as the first of their kind to market I don’t suspect they’ll be on the affordable end of the spectrum.

Posted in Green, Hardware | Tagged , | 4 Comments

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