This week’s Who’s on Crack game
Posted September 26, 2008 at 10:37 AM by JG Mason
Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Features, Originals, Columns, Who's On Crack
This is where we call out by names the actions and companies that seem odd, out of touch or just plain straight up smokin’ crack. Technology is an odd realm where PR speak doesn’t hold a lot of water if the 1s and 0s don’t line up. This week sees posturing, positioning and flat out insanity. Here is what caught my eye this week:
Ah, your G1 launch was full of hope and promise, but the 1GB cap? Who thought that one up? Funny, such a small detail can turn sentiment ugly. Responses to this cap ranged from “deal breaker” to “are they nuts?“ and merited the swift “do over” where T-Mobile removed the cap. If only we could reduce reoccurring fees from T-Mobile that way too. You partnered with Google who prays users reach the 1GB and more for crying out loud. You just about called your date a whore. Smooth move T. Don’t get me started on offering a brown phone. Lay off the rock.
MotorolaBack on the list huh? Must mean rehab didn’t work out. This former (they still argue current, but the clock is ticking) mobile leader had its rumored Q11 leaked and it looks legit. Nicknamed the Beavertail (by me) the phone is flat and thin, this phone looks OK. But just OK. Where is the cool haptic stuff you were showing off at CES for the business crowd? A Windows Mobile phone without skinning is as cool as, well, a Windows Mobile phone without skin. Come on Moto, wow us. Pull out another RAZR. You can do it. Go back on the dope if it frees your mind. Rehab centers aren’t going anywhere.
You knew the second your co-founders show up to a major press event in Rollerblades, you were destined to be included in all things crack. But it isn’t even the blades that get you on my list. Nope, it was the little, tiny oversight that pitted your new love T-Mobile against Verizon. While you were over stroking the press, showing off the Google/T-Mobile baby, your illicit lover, Verizon was over in Grand Central Terminal powering your Google Transit kiosks. A love triangle if ever there was one. Come on Google, have your divisions communicate a little better, and lay off the crack.
Slotmusic. It isn’t that we didn’t like CDs. It isn’t that we didn’t like mini discs. It was we like downloading. Sure a lot of bloggers have come out saying how much we like to hold our music, but they are crackheads and that is BS. We like choice. We want to pick that song, not the whole album with the 4 filler songs including that lame instrumental. Oh, the crack you must have passed around to music labels (oh, wait, maybe they are your supplier). Nice try but we are not buying a card filled with music we didn’t choose. Everyone but SanDisk and the labels take one giant step forward.
Whoa there big guys. This whole cloak and dagger deal with the App Store is getting ugly. Just this morning the esteemed Mr. Block wrote you a “love you, but I don’t want to” note about how your policies are threatening your dev community. Look away from the cash cow you’ve created with the App store (over 400 new apps this week?), look away from what has become a pretty stable platform and bow to blogger-induced disgruntledness. Fine, I made up that word, but I think it meshes nicely. Please throw some sand on this fire storm so we can all go back to loving you and our beloved iPhones. Please? Just one coke line and we’ll go. XXOO
That is my list, what did you see this week?