Category Archives: Web/Tech

Nerd supremacy

Jaron Lanier gets it: “What I’m seeing in my nerd brethren is an increasing combativeness, a loss of empathy, and creepiness,” said Jaron Lanier, a critic of digital culture and a pioneering computer scientist who helped develop virtual reality. “It’s … Continue reading

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Ubuntu changes its desktop from GNOME to Unity – Computerworld Blogs

Ubuntu changes its desktop from GNOME to Unity – Computerworld Blogs: Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu and the company behind it, Canonical, surprised the hundreds of Ubuntu programmers at the Ubuntu Developers Summit when he announced that in the next … Continue reading

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The blog, as we knew it, is dying

From an excellent New York piece on Nick Denton, Gawker Media, and journalism’s future: “At the time of his public posturing, however, Denton was conceiving a comprehensive redesign of his blog network that signalled his steady march toward mainstream respectability. … Continue reading

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My one comment on the Google/Verizon net neutrality announcement

I don’t have enough time to do a long post on Google and Verizon, but I will say this: claiming you’re preserving network neutrality on the Internet by redefining what “Internet” means isn’t going to wash. If “Internet” can be … Continue reading

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Why Andy Ihnatko is my favourite tech writer

Because he writes stuff as good as this: “As for Google? Well, the death of Wave doesn’t matter to Google. They still have their ad business, and their search, and their maps, and their mail, and their mobile OS, and … Continue reading

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The death of Google Wave means a step-change at Google

It would be easy to write an “I told you so” post about the demise of Google Wave. Launched with the kind of fanfare that tempts hubris, it was quickly abandoned by even the most fervent of Google-boosters. Scoble, to … Continue reading

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The myth of “programming is the only creativity”

One of the often-used memes concerning Apple’s approach to iOS is that it’s for “passive consumers”, people who aren’t creative. In an interesting post on Google App Inventor, O’Reilly’s Mike Loukides dredges this one up again – and I think … Continue reading

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Five things I’m thinking about right now

Following on from Matt, Alice, Ben and Dan… 1. Computing is heading towards a new, simplified era. I’ve written about this before, but fundamentally: we’re on the cusp of a revolution in simplicity. Easy to use touch interfaces are the … Continue reading

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Turns out that making an “iPad killer” isn’t so easy after all

It’s three months since the launch of the iPad, and the much-heralded “Android iPad killers” are somewhat thin on the ground. HTC, probably the best Android hardware company around, isn’t making one. Neofonie’s WePad isn’t just missing in action – … Continue reading

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The era of online anonymity as default may be coming to an end

If you’re in any way connected to World of Warcraft, you may have heard about a controversy that’s been kicking around over an attempt to tie accounts publicly to real names. Amongst all the “anonymity is a right!” stuff, this … Continue reading

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