David Pogue's Blog, page 16

Nook's Advertising Is Corrected

Barnes & Noble has eliminated all references to "HD" video and the new Nook on its Web site. But there's not a shred of doubt: The Nook Tablet's Netflix video looks a lot better than Amazon Fire's.

Nook's Specs Are Exaggerated, Again

Barnes & Noble says that the new Nook Color Tablet plays high-definition video. It is stretching the truth.

Apple's AssistiveTouch Helps the Disabled Use a Smartphone

Somebody at Apple took the challenges of the disabled seriously enough to write a complete, elegant and thoughtful feature that takes down most of the physical barriers to using an app phone.

Amazon Lights the Fire With Free Books

Amazon is giving away books, including New York Times bestsellers, for the Kindle if you're an Amazon Prime member. It is a delightful surprise to people who signed up for Prime.

An Android App's Answer to Siri

SpeakToIt for Android phones works as an alternative to Siri. Sort of. She's slow and a little bit mentally challenged. She's less convenient than Siri, less capable, less comprehending, less accurate, less useful, less polished, less classy, less human.

Dropbox Will Simplify Your Life

Dropbox keeps your important files everywhere at once. It is also an automatic, silent, encrypted backup of your essentials. And you can get at your computer's files from your phone.

Siri Is One Funny Lady

Siri, the personal assistant software on the new Apple iPhone, is a comedienne.

A Look at Apple's iCloud

The iPhone 4S was only one of Apple's product arrivals this week. The other is a free mobile storage service, a more capable successor to MobileMe.

Steve Jobs: Imitated, Never Duplicated

Why Steve Jobs was a singular talent.

The Glory of Sweep Panorama

Sweep Panorama, a feature of many Sony cameras, enables you to take an instant, seamless image of a 220-degree arc.