Futurelawyer

Apple Stops Calling Its Maps "The Most Powerful"

Apple Stops Calling Its Maps "The Most Powerful". Apple has voluntarily modified the language on its website, and no longer contains the phrase: "All of which may just make this app the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever".

It is nice that Apple has decided that honesty is the best policy in describing its software. Unfortunately, none of this makes the mapping app any better. Now, if they really want honesty in advertising, they should say: "Our mapping app isn't as good as Bing or Google Maps. In fact, until we get our act together, you should use those third party apps for your mapping and navigation needs."

Meet APC - The $49 Android Computer

Will the $49 Android PC help bridge the digital divide?. And what about the billions of people who can't afford a computer? For hobbyists, companies are creating inexpensive computers like the Raspberry Pi. For many of us, we have Android smart phones and Intel based PCs and Macs. But, the digital divide is leaving out millions of citizens of planet Earth who can't afford the price of admission. This innovative company has put a full functioning computer on a small circuit board, with HDMI out and VGA out, sound card, decent graphics, USB and Ethernet, and access to the over 600,000 Android apps available on the Internet. Total cost? $49. This is OLPC done for less than half the cost. It is being built by VIA Technologies. Take a look at the founder's TED talk, and look at an innovative idea to bring computing to the masses.

The Hybrids Are Coming! The Hybrids Are Coming!

Asus Vivo Tab review | Tablets Reviews | TechRadar. Hybrid Tablet/Computers are coming with Windows 8 later this Fall, and they look amazing. My favorite tablet manufacturer, ASUS (see Transformer, Google Nexus 7) is coming out with a line of hybrids called Vivo. This one will have a thin (8 mm) tablet that will connect to a keyboard like the Transformer series. The key here is that the Vivo will sport an ATOM Clover chip that will power regular Windows programs, and, when attached to the keyboard, all your legacy Windows software will be available along with the new tablet apps (formerly known as Metro). It won't be the powerhouse I want (2gigs of RAM and 64 Gigs of internal storage); but, it will make a fine traveling companion. I am waiting for the Intel I5 hybrids with at least 256 GB of internal storage; but, priced right, these hybrids will give both Apple and Android a run for their money. 

Attention WalMart Shoppers

Verizon Galaxy Nexus Now Only $1 At Walmart [Deals]. Okay, I know. I know. It was KMart Shoppers. Get over it. The real news is that the Galaxy Nexus, a very capable smart phone; and, which served as my primary phone for a year (that's 25 years in mobile phone time), and which still serves as my backup phone, and mobile WiFi hotspot, is now available at your local Kmart for a buck, along with a two year contract commitment to Verizon Wireless. If you are an adventurous soul, you can even root, unlock, and install Jelly Bean Android (4.1.1) on it. The reason for the steep discount is that the newer super phones, like my Galaxy S III, are the new best of breed. But, you can save $200 by going with the Nexus, and it is FutureLawyer recommended.

Apple Samsung Litigation Report - If You Care

Court of Appeals sends Galaxy Tab 10.1 injunction decision back to Judge Koh. Hey, Apple! Hey, Samsung! Nobody cares about your litigation anymore. And some of us are lawyers! And, nobody cares if the preliminary injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is lifted anymore. Although, it is amazing to me that Apple has the arrogance to ask the Judge to keep an injunction against a product that a jury found was not violating Apple's alleged patent rights. Are you kidding me? Now, the appeals court has returned jurisdiction of the injunction decision to the trial Judge. Of course, nobody is buying the Galaxy 10.1 anymore anyway. We have all moved on, to the Google Nexus 7, and other tablets. But, hey, Apple has the money to keep this thing going until the next millennium. Perhaps we, the people, need to tell Apple to quit this nonsense. Because, until it is more painful to litigate than to innovate, Apple won't stop. I can hear Johnny Cochran (may he rest in peace) now: "If you fail to innovate, you cannot litigate!"

Moving On Up, To The FeedBlitz Side

I hope you are reading this; because, if you are, you are still getting the FutureLawyer feed. I like Google. Google is a friend of mine. But, they have slowly been killing FeedBurner, which has been my feed publisher for years. I am moving the feed to FeedBlitz, and the new feed location is at: FutureLawyer Feed. Please change your reader's link if you want to get the feed. I will be posting a link at the site, once the migration is complete. Thanks for reading.

 

If You Pay $40 For This, You Are Off The Island

Quick Look: Galaxy S3 Flip Cover in Pastel Green %u2013 Droid Life. OMG. For Saturday morning, I give you the OEM puke green cover for the Galaxy S III from Samsung. I guess they don't make enough money on the phone, so they have to charge a bundle for silly covers and accessories. This is like walking into the Verizon store and looking at the accessory carrels standing around the store. Are you kidding me? Has anyone ever found an accessory on those things that costs less than $50? I didn't think so. So, if you are a genuine S III owner and fan, get thee over to Ebay, and do a search for S III accessories. You will find a bunch, and they average Ten bucks, max. I got a really nice black hard back case, with a metal stand built in to the back for $8. Remember what your mom said: "Never pay Retail". I am adding to the advice: "Never buy anything in puke green".

Give Any TV Android Power

This $50 Stick Turns Any HDTV Into an Android-Powered Smart TV. This cool little gadget costs $50, and plugs into any TV with an HDMI port. It has a built in WiFi receiver, so just attach to available WiFi in your hotel, home or office. Once connected, it will give you access to Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and a host of other Android streaming services. The cool thing is that it has Jelly Bean on board, so you can download apps to it. It only has 4 GB of memory but that is plenty for most of what you need. I am anxious to see if it runs SlingPlayer Mobile. How cool to plug it in anywhere, and watch my home cable box. 

Atari 800 Computer - Flashback

Atari 800 computer. Today is Friday, and it is time to look back at old computers. My first real computer was the Atari 800, which ran basic and other programs on cartridges that plugged into the computer. It attached to a regular TV, and other peripherals. Pictured is the modem, which connected to a phone handset for fast (300 baud) Internet connections. I had a daisy wheel printer attached to mine, and I was pleased when I got an actual letter to print out. What was your first computer?

Windows 8- Not Ready For Prime Time?

Windows 8 being released before it is full ready - report | NDTV Gadgets. Fewer than 30 days away from the Windows 8 launch, and there are already whispers that Microsoft is pushing Windows 8 out the door before it is ready. Why this should surprise anyone is beyond me. Since the days before 1994, when we used to stand in line outside big box stores waiting for the next Windows release, there has been a steady stream of buggy Windows software, and botched upgrades. Yes, Apple fans, you didn't invent the "stand outside the store in line all night routine". At least, however, here in Florida, when we stood in line outside the store, we were wearing shorts and T-shirts, and sipping Mojitos.