Will videophones ever take off?: The Bottom Line
Communications have taken many forms and lots of movies predict we'll use videophones one day, but will we do that in reality? We ask Jonathan Strickland of HowStuffWorks.com if videophones are the future on The Bottom Line.
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The Google tablet and multi-touch Nexus One: The Bottom Line
Google showed off its Chrome OS on a tablet in a concept video and also upgraded its Nexus One with multi-touch. What do these moves really mean for Google? We talk to Kevin Harter and Jonathan Strickland to figure it out on the Bottom Line
Fall games start hitting in earnest: What are we playing?
Granted, we're not the most hardcore of the bunch, but Clayton Morris from Fox News, Jonathan Strickland from HowStuffWorks, and myself share our gaming addictions as of late. We haven't dived into the latest craze, Modern Warfare 2, but know that it's big enough that we should at least know about it.
What games are you playing now-a-days? What games should you be playing? Sound off in the comments and let us know your gaming treats du-jour.
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Zune HD: The redux
We had some volatile YouTube commenters, who we'll likely ignore in the future, but we wanted to answer a few questions... so we brought in CNET's Donald Bell and Jonathan Strickland from HowStuffWorks to give us their take.
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Yahoo’s redesign: Are homepages coming back?
Web 1.0 was all about the rise of portals-- so called jumping off points wherein users could be caught up to date. Web 2.0 was more about users telling each other what's going on, and less about some editor creating a homepage for users to peruse. Yahoo, the largest Web 1.0 portal to survive, is trying to mix the two together and create something more useful. Will it work, or is it destined for the bin of failure? We ask two tech journos, Mike Rose from TUAW and Jonathan Strickland from HowStuffWorks.com.
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Social media in Iran: Be careful what you read
We've been hearing and extolling the perks of social media in Iran, and rightly so. Despite the government kicking journalists out of the country, news is still spreading about the protests and unrest following the country's disputed presidential election. Social media services, like Twitter and YouTube, are playing a big role in helping the world watch the events, but how do we know exactly what's happening, how can we trust the reports, and how can we help? To talk about those three topics, we turn to Jonathan Strickland from HowStuffWorks.com, and illustrious freelance journalist Cyrus Farivar about the subject.
Cyrus, who has been covering the topic for numerous outlets, says he's found it's important to remain critical of the words of social media. While it's easy to get wrapped up in the story, protesters and governments might have ulterior motives for using social media. And while journalists might have been booted from the country, more traditional sources of news can help filter through some of the information and at least put a stamp of approval on some of the info. (Hear his story on PRI's The World)
Jonathan gives us a pointer for a way we can help that's beyond turning a twitter icon green, he points to people using anonymous proxy servers to get info out of Iran. There are a few options, including Psiphon, which turn regular users' computers into proxy servers for oppressed users around the world.
“Biggie” Amazon Kindle, and Palm Pre’s pricing
It's been about a year since Amazon first unveiled the Kindle, and now the company has invited members of the media for a Wednesday morning event that most expect will be the unveiling of a larger format Kindle, ideally suited for newspapers and magazines. Will people eat up the new Kindle or is the smaller format brother more exciting? Jeff Bordeaux from Gadget Review thinks it'll be a step up in both size and appeal from the current Kindle. Jonathan Strickland from HowStuffWorks.com thinks the device might play well with its informal target demographic, which a CNET poll pegs at the over-40 set, a group known for reading newspapers made of trees, rather than bits. I'm taking a wait and see approach, and personally I'd prefer the pocketable iPod touch rather than a larger screened Kindle for my commute, though at the breakfast table I might give a large screen Kindle a shot.
Also, we're hearing some rumored Palm Pre release dates that sound pretty realistic. The Boy Genius Report claims one of its tipsters has some insider info pegging the price of the Pre at $199 on new contract, and $299 for current Sprinters (and even $999 outright). Does the price point set the Pre as a worthy iPhone competitor? Jonathan thinks this is a tech media snow job (in so many words) and that regular people have scarcely heard of the Palm Pre, let alone lusting after it over the much more in-your-face iPhone. Jeff's take is similar, feeling that the device has a built-in loyalty factor, but when Apple comes out with the next iPhone, few people will head for Palm when they can have Apple.
What's your take, Palm Pre or new iPhone? Too early to tell, or is it a done deal? Also, do you read ebooks, and do you have a Kindle? What's your take on the new "biggie" Kindle? Does more screen equal more appeal?