David Lidsky's Blog, page 3141
October 22, 2014
Why Pandora Is Opening Its Big Data To Artists
Pandora's new artist analytics platform is genuinely useful, and it's also an olive branch in a bigger battle.
For nine years, Pandora has been amassing a stockpile of data--and 45 billion "thumb" button clicks later, the Internet radio company knows so much about how people listen to music that the insights have become its chief competitive advantage. Not even Apple has succeeded in shaking Pandora from dominance.
Google Says A New Chromecast Is On The Way
Not much is known, but it looks like Google has something in the works.
Google's Chromecast, which allows about any phone, tablet, or laptop to stream Netflix and other rich media to your television, was a surprise hit for one big reason: It was cheap. Originally released in July 2013 for $35 (and now $28), the small USB-shaped gadget could plug into your TV, delivering most of the streaming fun of a full-fledged smart TV.
Buyers Guide: The Best iPad Stylus
The Wirecutter puts more than a dozen iPad styluses to the test--so you don't have to.
The best iPad stylus for people who want to sketch or take handwritten notes is the redesigned Ten One Pogo Stylus. It handles and writes more like an actual pen than any other stylus currently available. It also has an aluminum shaft with a removable clip on one side and a replaceable tip on the other. It produced the best line response of the 18 we evaluated and, unlike the competition, never forced us to apply more pressure than was comfortable. After going hands on with all the competitors, illustrator Dan Bransfield reached for the Pogo over models from more established companies like Wacom. And Bransfield would know a good stylus from a bad one--he's worked for LucasArts, Electronic Arts, and Rumble Entertainment.
Lulu Uses Men's Random, Lewd Questions To Educate Users
The new anonymous advice column is already getting a lot of mileage.
Because all men are irrevocably designed to be terrible at the Internet, a new feature released today in Lulu could one day become God's gift to the dating world.
Is That You, KITT? Audi Claims To Have Set Driverless Car Speed Record
The driverless car completed the course five seconds faster than a human driver could.
Audi claims to have set a driverless car speed record this past weekend when its RS7 model topped out at 149 miles per hour while completing a lap on a Grand Prix track in Germany in just over two minutes--five seconds faster than a human driver.
Hundreds Of Uncharted Cities Will Get Maps Thanks To Crowdsourcing
A huge number of cities around the world remain unmapped. The Missing Maps Project wants to crowdsource digital maps of the entire globe.
Despite massive advances in cartographic technology over the past decade, a huge number of large cities around the world remain digitally uncharted territories. Places from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city with a population of 4.4 million, to Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a population of 15 million, lack online street maps. This isn't just inconvenient, but dangerous: in the case of a disaster, a lack of reliable maps means aid workers have a much harder time reaching people in need.
Inside The Crowdsourced Map Project That Is Helping Contain The Ebola Epidemic
The "Wikipedia for maps," OpenStreetMaps has worked closely with humanitarian organizations to create maps for aid workers to use.
This article contains interviews with Kate Chapman, executive director of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, and Andrew Buck, a volunteer coordinator for the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team.
October 21, 2014
iPad Air 2 And iPad Mini 3 Review: The Best Tablets, Made Slightly Better
Apple gives the big iPad a few worthwhile tweaks--and hardly changes the small one at all.
Let's make this simple: If you already own last year's iPad Air, you probably don't want to buy an iPad Air 2. The new version's improvements, though noticeable and welcome, are too minor to make the tablet you bought less than a year ago feel obsolete.
Michigan (And General Motors) To Tesla: Stay Out Of Our State
The state's governor passed a bill--supported by GM--that stops Tesla from selling its own cars.
On Tuesday, Michigan governor Rick Snyder signed legislation that all but stops Tesla from selling cars in the state. The legislation doesn't specifically name Tesla, but the state has now effectively shut down the methods by which Tesla sells its cars--meaning either Tesla will have to change its ways, or forgo any sales in Michigan. (A third option, a lawsuit, is always possible.)
Now You Can Book A Hotel Room Through Yelp
The popular review site partners with Hipmunk, and takes a shot at the likes of Expedia and Booking.com.
Yelp, the crowdsourced review site, announced a partnership Tuesday with the travel booking site Hipmunk that will let users book hotel reservations using Yelp's website and mobile apps.
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