David Lidsky's Blog, page 4823

Madonna Inks Teenage Fashion, Perfume Deals, Beats World to "Material Girl" Joke

Anything that Stella McCartney can do, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Penn Ritchie Insert Your Name Here And Win A Prize! obviously feels she can do better. She's just inked a deal with Iconix Brand Group that will see her producing a range of clothes for children that will be sold at Macy.

The MG Icon range (that's Material Girl) will cost between $12 and $40 and comprise of back-to-school apparel, footwear, handbags, and jewelry. It'll be interesting to know which of her looks the...

Microsoft's Courier Is Already Doomed: A Simple iPad App Shows Why

The tech world was surprised when leaks about Microsoft's Courier tablet concept surfaced, because it seemed MS had something really clever for once. But the Courier faces Appley doom. And not by the iPad directly, but iPad apps.

Courier's design represents a complete and utter departure from the usual MS UI drudgery, which is partly why the video leaks acquired by Gizmodo back in 2009 were so fascinating. The whole thrust of MS's thinking is to create a super-smart electronic journal, even...

Doritos Mega-Chip Parody Comes in Apple Flavor

If you think that Doritos has gone down the same road that Cheetos did, with its supersized snack--the kind of thing you'd need to buy an extra seat for should you be popping one of these on a flight--you're wrong. They've just come up with a nifty little viral video that compares their triangular chips to an iPad, and the video includes a whole bunch of wide-eyed, evangelical Apple employee-alikes--particularly fetching is the faux-Limey Jon Ive look-alike in tight black T-shirt.

[youtube...

Google vs. China: Claws Come Out, Search Giant Sounds Like Sovereign Nation

The spat between Google and the Chinese government has been rumbling along for weeks, but just now it's been elevated to "fist fight" status: The inevitable strongly-worded Chinese warning about "consequences" has arrived.

The warning came today from the Minister of Industry and IT, Li Yizhong, who was speaking to reporters at the annual National People's Congress meeting. Li was, of course, diplomatic about the matter and noted that the government does actually support Google in its...

Barnes & Noble Announces iPad App: Will Apple Really Let It Fly?

Apple's history of eliminating apps that compete with its own is as old as the App Store itself. So why, exactly, does Barnes & Noble think they can get away with submitting its eReader app for the iPad?

From browsers to music players to email, Apple firmly removes any app that could conceivably compete with its own first-party apps. And with the iPad staking its claim as the ebook reader to beat, Apple is opening up its own iBooks bookstore. Yet Barnes & Noble, makers of the competing Nook...

Converse Starts a New Business on the Side

Converse are the lo-fi sneakers that everyone loves--precisely because of their can't change, won't change-ness. And now, with a little help from Takahiro Miyashita, designer of now-extant, but-still-cult Japanese label Number (N)ine, they've gone through a serious jhuzz-up. The laces are off-center, there's some crazy lace/felt upper stuff going on--actually super-shaggy suede--and there's a rather twinkly little gold star on the back end.

In fact, just about the only thing that hasn't...

Google vs China: Claws Come Out, Search Giant Sounds Like Sovereign Nation

The spat between Google and the Chinese government has been rumbling along for weeks, but just now it's been elevated to "fist fight" status: The inevitable strongly-worded Chinese warning about "consequences" has arrived. 

The warning came today from the Minister of Industry and IT, Li Yizhong, who was speaking to reporters at the annual National People's Congress meeting. Li was, of course, diplomatic about the matter and noted that the government does actually support Google in its efforts...

Barnes & Noble Announces iPad App: Will Apple Really Let it Fly?

Apple's history of eliminating apps that compete with its own is as old as the App Store itself. So why, exactly, does Barnes & Noble think they can get away with submitting its eReader app for the iPad?

From browsers to music players to email, Apple firmly removes any app that could conceivably compete with its own first-party apps. And with the iPad staking its claim as the ebook reader to beat, Apple is opening up its own iBooks bookstore. Yet Barnes & Noble, makers of the competing Nook...

Microsoft Survey Shows That Utilities Aren't Exactly Embracing the Smart Grid

Microsoft, which is invested in the Smart Grid with its own Microsoft Hohm energy monitoring app, recently surveyed about 200 utilities to get some insight on how fast smart meters and other Smart Grid developments are being rolled out. The answer? Not even close to as fast as you think or hope.

The survey found that only 8% of the utilities are actively using Smart Grid tech and equipment, only 37% are even working on related projects, and more than half have done exactly nothing. The...

iPad Pre-Orders Begin at 8:30 a.m. EST Tomorrow: Start Practicing Your Speed-Refreshing

Okay, Apple fanatics, publishing hopefuls, and reckless early adopters: tomorrow is your day. Start warming up your refresh finger (mine's the right middle finger--it's like I'm saying "screw you! Work this time!" with every furious refresh), because Apple's iPad, in both Wi-Fi and 3G configurations, is allowing pre-orders starting tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. EST (5:30 a.m. PST). You can pre-order either online at Apple's site or through any of their individual stores over the phone--if you're...