You may not be familiar with the company Tronical but you will know their work because they are responsible for Gibson’s Robot Guitar tuning systems. Well judging by this video it appears that Tronical are about to launch some standalone systems that can be retrofit to pretty much any guitar be it a Les Paul [...]
Category: News
AT&T: Don’t Blame Us For The iPhone’s Google Voice Ban
The outcry over the Google Voice ban on the App Store is still going strong, with hundreds of news stories, developer posts, and complaints putting the story in and out of Twitter’s top trends for nearly three days running. Much of the blame has been directed at AT&T, over beliefs that the carrier forced Apple’s hand in its decision to ban the applications. Now it looks like AT&T believes it’s been wrongly accused, and it’s beginning to take a stand for itself.
Last time we reached out to AT&T to comment on the story, the company gave TechCrunch writer MG Siegler a very blunt and brief statement:
‘Nope – Apple is the one who can talk about their App Store.’
But today, the company has begun sending out more detailed messages to some of the frustrated customers who have been voicing their complaints. The message below was written by Glenn Lurie, AT&T’s President of Emerging Devices and Resale.
Your letter concerning Apple’s decision on the Google Voice iPhone app was forwarded to me since I work closely with Apple.
While we’re very proud to offer the iPhone 3GS along with the thousands of apps available through the App Store, AT&T does not manage the App Store – and we are not involved in the approval process for apps in the App Store. I recommend in this particular case that you express your concerns to Apple.
I’m glad you’re enjoying your iPhone and hope that you continue to be an AT&T customer. We appreciate and value your business.
Sincerely,
Glenn Lurie
AT&T’s stance is no longer that it can’t talk about the App Store — it’s that it doesn’t manage the App Store, and that any concerns about this case should be directed at Apple. Of course, the note leaves plenty of wiggle room for AT&T. The company may not be necessarily ‘managing’ the approval process, but it could easily be the whispering in the ears of the people who do. And to say that AT&T isn’t involved at all seems highly unlikely as well — why would Apple cripple apps like Sling were it not over bandwidth concerns voiced by AT&T? Still, there must be some reason why AT&T is beginning to change its tune. AT&T would be foolish to paint a bulls-eye on Apple as it tries to extend its incredibly valuable exclusive iPhone contract, but it’s doing what it can to deflect a few of the blows coming from its frustrated customers.
We followed up on the letter above by getting in touch with AT&T, at which point an AT&T spokesman said that the company stood by what Lurie had written and that we should contact Apple for any further information. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling refused to comment on the matter. Our brief conversation, which consisted largely of ‘we haven’t made any comment on that’ responses, included this gem:
JK: Are you planning to comment?
SD: We haven’t made any comment on that.
So where does the blame truly lie? It’s unlikely we’ll ever get a straight answer. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has cited a reliable source in saying that it was ‘AT&T that objected to Google Voice apps for the iPhone. It’s that simple.’ And I myself suspect that the blame lies largely with AT&T. But others, like Om Malik, believe that Apple should be bearing the brunt of the blame.
But in the end, users don’t really care who is to blame, provided the issue gets resolved quickly. If that doesn’t happen, developers will continue to lose faith in the App Store’s walled garden approach. Apple will lose its glossy luster, and some will seek lusher platforms where they’re sure they can actually release the applications they’ve spent months building. The iPhone may be dominating this space now, but we’re really only about two years into this new era of smart phones — it’s a bit early for Apple to be embittering developers with such regularity.
(Via TechCrunch.)
New iPod Touch and iPod Nano Cameras Uncovered
These are just two of the gazillion new made-in-China cases for the new iPod touch and iPod nano. And as all of them show, both devices will have cameras. The iPod touch’s camera is at its center, on the top.
According to Leander, the Chinese factories are already sending samples to distributors. Head to the Cult of Mac to see every single one of these cases. It’s hard to believe than anyone would have spend so much money in making all these unless they already had the specs. [Cult of Mac]
(Via Gizmodo.)
Hid.im Converts Torrents into PNG Images
Hid.im is a new web-based service that allows users to hide .torrent files inside PNG images. This means that users can easily upload hidden torrent files to their favorite image hosting service and forums, or use it as an avatar on social networking sites without being censored.
(Via TorrentFreak )
The Cartoon That Predicted Google Chrome OS
There’s a ton of buzz today about Google’s entry into the world of operating systems with the announcement of Google Chrome OS. While the OS itself won’t debut until next year, one forward thinking cartoonist essentially predicted that Chrome was Google’s ‘Windows killer’ back in November ‘08, shortly after the Chrome Web browser first debuted.
The Italian cartoonist, Federico Fieni, cleverly portrays how Google first pondered how to challenge Windows, put its heads together, and ultimately devised Chrome. Who knew this cartoon would be so much more relevant just a few months later? Check it out:
(Via Mashable!.)
CBS Eyes Live Video Edge with Ustream
Three of the four major networks, FOX (owned by News Corp), NBC, and ABC (owned by Disney), are joint partners in one of the fastest rising online video services around: Hulu. The odd man out of this partnership is CBS.
Yet while it’s been excluded from Hulu, CBS isn’t ceding any ground to its rivals in the online video realm. The network is expanding its approach to premium online content by moving into live video streaming through a partnership with Ustream, announced today.
The CBS-Ustream partnership takes a wide range of CBS’s content and brings it onto Ustream through channels like CBS News. The collaboration is multifaceted and covers a range of content, with the initial focus seemingly on CBS News. For example, whenever there is a major world event, Ustream will carry the live CBS News feed.
The partnership also encompasses presidential press conferences, keynotes, State of the Union addresses, Congressional hearings, and other news and political content. Ustream will also gain exclusive web-based content from The Early Show, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and others. On top of that, there will be full on-air programs streamed through the live video service.
While the details are still foggy, the deal is a clear indication that CBS is not stepping aside in the war for the web. While it may not have Hulu to rely on, Ustream provides CBS with options like social Twitter chat that can give the network an edge in breaking news coverage. Most of all, it gives CBS ammunition to compete with the 3-headed Hulu hydra.
(Via Mashable!.)
Digg Content is Now Public Domain Internationally
Digg has just upgraded the license for all of its content – titles, descriptions, comments, everything – from public domain to Creative Commons Zero (CC0).
Under the public domain license, the content was already free for anyone in the US to use for any purpose. By switching to CC0, this content is now also public property internationally. The Internet is getting more and more fragmented each day, with copyright laws altering our entire online experience depending on where we’re physically located. So, although the license change may not seem like much, it’s a welcome change and a nice gesture from Digg.
Digg has also updated its Terms of Use to reflect the changes; the new wording can be seen in Section #6 of the TOU.
(Via Mashable!.)
America, Ready For A National VAT (Value Added Tax)?
Common around the world, including in Europe, such a tax — called a value-added tax, or VAT — has not been seriously considered in the United States. But advocates say few other options can generate the kind of money the nation will need to avert fiscal calamity.
‘There is a growing awareness of the need for fundamental tax reform,’ Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said in an interview. ‘I think a VAT and a high-end income tax have got to be on the table.’
A VAT is a tax on the transfer of goods and services that ultimately is borne by the consumer. Highly visible, it would increase the cost of just about everything, from a carton of eggs to a visit with a lawyer. It is also hugely regressive, falling heavily on the poor. But VAT advocates say those negatives could be offset by using the proceeds to pay for health care for every American — a tangible benefit that would be highly valuable to low-income families.
The VAT has advantages: Because producers, wholesalers and retailers are each required to record their transactions and pay a portion of the VAT, the tax is hard to dodge. It punishes spending rather than savings, which the administration hopes to encourage. And the threat of a VAT could pull the country out of recession, some economists argue, by hurrying consumers to the mall before the tax hits.
What would it cost? Emanuel argues in his book that a 10 percent VAT would pay for every American not entitled to Medicare or Medicaid to enroll in a health plan with no deductibles and minimal copayments. In his 2008 book, ‘100 Million Unnecessary Returns,’ Yale law professor Michael J. Graetz estimates that a VAT of 10 to 14 percent would raise enough money to exempt families earning less than $100,000 — about 90 percent of households — from the income tax and would lower rates for everyone else.
And in a paper published last month in the Virginia Tax Review, Burman suggests that a 25 percent VAT could do it all: Pay for health-care reform, balance the federal budget and exempt millions of families from the income tax while slashing the top rate to 25 percent. A gallon of milk would jump from $3.69 to $4.61, and a $5,000 bathroom renovation would suddenly cost $6,250, but the nation’s debt would stabilize and everybody could see a doctor.
Sounds like it will cure blindness, get my sheets whiter than white and make me a hit with the ladies! What can’t a VAT do? If it’s this good, why not go all the way and make it 100% so the government can do everything for us?
(Via Dvorak Uncensored.)
Bad Idea: UK Launches Database Of Info On Every Child
Apparently, some folks in the UK haven’t yet realized that no database is fully secure, and any large database of info will almost certainly be abused at some point. In what appears to be a stunningly bad idea, the UK has put together a giant database including info on every child in the UK. The goal is for it to be used by childcare professionals, but you can bet it will be misused quite soon. As internet law expert Michael Scott notes: ‘Who thought this was a good idea? And why?’
(Via Techdirt.)
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