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01 Jul 2010 21:19

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Tech: Why is Amazon even charging for the Kindle in the first place?

  • Amazon’s model should be selling books- and to hell with the device itself. The iPad is raising hell with everybody.
  • Tech analyst Charles Wolf • Describing the major flaw in Amazon’s current pricing model with the Kindle – which is that they cost a lot of money, making uptake seem less desirable in the wake of the iPad. The company recently cut the prices of the more expensive – and larger – Kindle DX, which was a good idea because it cost $10 less than the iPad and did far less. It now costs $379, and sports a new design and a high-contrast display. It’s sexy, but at that price point, who would buy this? The only major thing it has over the iPad is that the screen doesn’t have much glare and can be read in sunlight. That’s it. source

30 Jun 2010 11:16

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Tech: Dell’s history of selling crapboxes catches up with them

  • 11.8
    million
    number of faulty PCs Dell sold between 2003 and 2005
  • 97%
    failure
    the rate at which those crappy computers failed source
  • » And yes, there’s a lawsuit: During the period, Dell sold all these crappy computers to major companies, some of which were brought to their knees by their hardware failures. They were caused by capacitor failures that affected the industry at large. However, Dell never issued a recall and, worse, KNOWINGLY SOLD the defective machines in an effort to save as much money as possible. The company has set aside $100 million to pay any potential settlement over the crappy black boxes, and already took a $300 million charge to repair the machines in 2005. Ever wonder why your work computers broke so easily a while back? This is why.

30 Jun 2010 10:42

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29 Jun 2010 11:17

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Tech, World: Who blinked first in the Google vs. China search stand-off?

  • Google did, but not too much. The search giant angered China by re-directing to its free-speech-allowing Hong Kong site, threatening to revoke its business license. So, to prevent that, Google will force Chinese users to click on an image before going to the Hong Kong site, which is annoying but likely gets around China’s problems. Will it work? Good question. China is finicky. source

29 Jun 2010 09:50

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Tech: LEAKED: Microsoft’s possible Windows 8 plans? Wow.

  • Looks like somebody broke a non-disclosure agreement. These Powerpoint slides, which have been floating around the Web on some sketchy-looking forum for over a week, have recently drawn a lot of attention for what they’re suggesting. Facial recognition? Tablets? Ambitious plans for the living room? They’re all baked into these slides. MS has some big plans which they better not screw up like Windows Phone 7. source

28 Jun 2010 09:26

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Tech, U.S.: Obama’s giving Americans what they really want: More wireless

  • He’s reportedly looking into expanding the wireless spectrum even further. With an ever-increasing need for wireless spectrum, the administration is looking to open up around 500 megahertz worth over the next ten years. And just in time, too – some studies suggest the demand in five years will be 20 to 45 times the demand in 2009, when it was already really high. source

28 Jun 2010 09:17

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Tech: iPhone sales figures: Apple’s got it, so they’re gonna flaunt it

  • 1.7 million phones sold in just three days – that’s hot source
 

27 Jun 2010 20:53

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Tech: The Daily Mail learns Steve Jobs doesn’t have a verified Twitter account

We may have to recall the new iPhone. This, I did not expect.less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone

  • Hey, wait a second. That’s not Steve Jobs’ Twitter account! Tell that to our friends at The Daily Mail, who used it as a basis for a story about Apple possibly recalling millions of iPhone 4s over the infamous antenna issue. It’s a good thing The Next Web noticed it and encased it in amber, or we’d never know how little they actually read Twitter before realizing not everything on Twitter is true. A tough lesson to learn. We learned it when we read somewhere that Nick Nolte died. source

27 Jun 2010 00:04

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Tech: New fact of life at Gulf beaches: Kids clobbered by tar balls

  • At first, this clip seems totally innocuous, but then there’s a scene with a young girl who’s absolutely freaked out because there’s a giant chunk of oil on her. It’s freaking scary the way Jaws was, kinda. Thanks, BP. Thanks for nothing.

26 Jun 2010 11:18

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Tech: Blendtec ups the “Will it Blend” production values for the iPhone 4

  • The phone took a lot longer to blend this time. Sensing an opportunity to jump on the Gizmodo drama, Blendtec’s popular “Will it Blend” series added a little bit of a plot to its iPhone blending fun. One thing that’s clear from the clip – the iPhone screen is much tougher than the last few have been, because it actually holds up for a few seconds before turning into mush. Also, the “Blend My Phone” contest is freaking brilliant.