The “like” button was replaced with a Google+ button on Wil Wheaton’s YouTube pages:
You get people to enthusiastically use services by making them compelling and awesome and easy to use. You don’t get people to enthusiastically use your services by forcing them to. In fact, that’s probably a great way to ensure that a huge number of people who may have been interested in trying out your service never even look at it.
Whenever people say we mustn’t criticize “free” stuff, I imagine them eating out of a dumpster, using their “free” Android phone as a spork. — Merlin Mann
A blog of data sketches from the New York Times Graphics Department.
Fantastic. Via Kontra.
Research in Motion on Tuesday unveiled prototypes of the new BlackBerry 10 phone and operating system that the company hopes will be its salvation, in a form that looked quite rough around the edges. Among the features missing on the test phones given to software developers was the ability to actually make phone calls or access wireless networks.
If you’re a developer and you’d like to write an app that passes information over the internet, you can’t test it on a device with BlackBerry 10. Via John Moltz, who writes:
You can make your own joke about RIM spending their money on telling iPhone owners to “wake up”. Or you can just wait for it to write itself. That’s what I do.
Compare with Apple’s HIG for iOS and Google’s design for Android.
If you’ve been reading my website for a while, you will remember that I reviewed the BookBook for iPhone when it was released:
To sum up, the BookBook for iPhone is a magnificent achievement. The concept of combining a wallet and phone case isn’t a new one, but Twelve South’s execution of that idea is nearly perfect.
“Nearly perfect” was how I described the product two weeks after I purchased it. That didn’t last though, and neither did the case. A little over six months after the first review, I followed up:
If you don’t like reading a few more paragraphs, here’s the short version: I abandoned my BookBook.
I cited a few problems I had with the case, the most serious of which was that it fell apart:
A short time after writing my review, the first problems started to occur. Its tech specs suggest a 3-4 card capacity, plus a small stack of paper-based products in the inner pocket. Even though I remained comfortably within those specs, the seam between the card sleeves and the inner pocket tore wide open.
In addition, I noted that the plastic covering the clear identification pocket was wrinkled, and that it left a gooey residue on my iPhone’s display when it was closed. Also, I noted that I felt the case was too large to comfortably sit in my pants pocket, especially when seated.
Twelve South, the makers of the BookBook, were quick to email me. They offered to send me a brand new case free of charge. While I thought it unlikely that my opinion would change, I took them up on that offer.
Here’s the problem: I’ve been using my replacement case now for 55 days and I’m a bit stumped.
I still think the case is a bit too thick. I don’t wear matchstick jeans, but nor do I wear cargo pants. I don’t have to remove my iPhone when I sit down, but when it’s in the BookBook, I do. My replacement case also leaves the same gummy residue on the display. It is more of a nuisance than anything, but I’d rather my case didn’t make my phone gross.1
On my replacement case, the strip of leather just above the proximity sensor blocks it. After finishing a phone call, I need to push the iPhone to the bottom of the case in order for the screen to turn back on. This seems to be an inconsistent issue, as my original BookBook offers the correct amount of space.
Last in my list of complaints is the lack of a camera hole. I take a lot of photos on my phone, and removing it each time is a bit of a hassle, and increases the chance that I’ll miss a moment.
Having said all that, my replacement case is of decidedly better build quality. I also find it enormously convenient, as it reduces what I leave the house with in a very elegant manner. And it is, of course, beautiful. I can’t count the number of times people have commented on how good it looks (though a few people have noted that it looks like a miniature Bible).
This is a great wallet-type case, and probably the best of that type. I don’t think I can recommend it in good conscience, however, due to the issues I’ve mentioned. They’re not big issues, but when combined, they make for a worse user experience than a separate phone and wallet. That’s the clincher.
Judging by some of the incoming search queries to my review, I’m not alone. ↥︎
Totally awesome private car service Uber has launched a pre-Cinco de Mayo party:
On Friday, May 4th we’ll have three SUVs in San Francisco transporting the Bay area’s premiere Mariachi bands along with Tres Agaves margarita mix and piñatas. Requesting your own fiesta is smoother than the most expensive Añejo – all you have to do is press the “Let’s Party” button.
A hundred bucks is all this experience costs.
SloPro allows you to shoot 60 FPS video at 720p with your iPhone 4S. I’m not sure when this was launched, but I found it today and it’s a lot of fun.
Paul Miller says goodbye:
At midnight tonight I will leave the internet. I’m abandoning one of my “top 5” technological innovations of all time for a little peace and quiet. If I can survive the separation, I’m going to do this for a year. Yeah, I’m serious. I’m not leaving The Verge, and I’m not becoming a hermit, I just won’t use the internet in my personal or work life, and won’t ask anyone to use it for me.
This is an interesting experiment, and I wish him the best of luck. I can’t do this, but it’s going to be interesting to see what happens. Miller also did a Reddit “AMA” post which has a large number of questions with his answers.