From the category archives:

Technology

Flip Camcorder provides easy access to video

by Andy DeSoto on August 17, 2008

Just a few days ago I wrote a post emphasizing how necessary different types of multimedia are for an optimal lifestreaming and social media experience.  As I continued to think about this topic, I decided to actually practice what I preach for a change, went to my local Circuit City, and picked up a neon orange Flip Ultra camcorder.

The handheld delight is so much fun I’ve almost forgotten to blog!  I took it out to a Washington Nationals baseball game last night and put it to work in the varied conditions of the brand new Nationals Park.  Catch my test video after the cut.

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Two application directories that don’t work: iTunes and Facebook

by Andy DeSoto on July 31, 2008

“The difference in quality and usefulness amongst the free iPhone apps is staggering; a few are basically drawings with affiliate links.”

- Merlin Mann, July 30, 2008

Third party applications are the future, the Internet seems to agree.  As closed systems become a thing of the past, more and more technology services turn to eager third-party developers to craft new and unique applications, interfaces, and utilities in order to better the user experience.

Unfortunately, when the tools for application creation are available to any Manny, Moe, or Jack, an enormous quality discrepancy is almost guaranteed.  As Merlin Mann correctly intuits, Apple’s new iPhone and iPod Touch Application Store is becoming one such instance of this discrepancy.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a problem of this caliber, though: it’s easy to draw a comparison between Apple’s current directory woes and those of the social networking giant Facebook.

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Five iPhone applications that let me down

by Andy DeSoto on July 23, 2008

The iPhone Application Store is pretty groundbreaking in its design, integration, and offerings.  Regrettably, however, is that the apps available are of extremely variable quality.

There are a lot of great applications out there that will undoubtedly change the world of personal computing as we know it.  Unfortunately, there are some that are better off far away from your iPhone and computer, at least for a few more weeks.

Here’s my list of Five iPhone applications that just aren’t cutting it:

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