use

I'm a bachelor. As such, I always look a bit off (I don't own a full-length mirror) and my clothes are wrinkled (I don't own an ironing board). So when my editor forwarded me a link from Boing Boing Gadgets about this combo ironing board/full-length mirror I figured she was giving me a hint. Thankfully she just wanted to share it with all of you.

And look how cool it is. In an urban apartment like mine, every square inch is valuable. That's why items with dual (or more!) uses are so great. And this … Read more

Open source's greatest strength may also be its Achilles' heel.

As a developer-driven phenomenon, much of the best open-source software ends up being written for other developers. For example, it's not surprising that Linux wins on the server (technical audience) but largely loses on the desktop (non-technical audience). Companies like Canonical and MindTouch can mitigate this by paying for usability design. But as an overall movement, it remains a weakness.

Apple has the opposite problem. It is religiously focused on usability, but struggles to open up to outside developers.

Even so, its attention to the user is something … Read more

The manuals that come with the Pre are short and sweet. They point out the ports, buttons and features and provide you with basic knowledge you'll need to explore the Pre.

After getting the box open and realizing I couldn't play with the phone without charging it first I set the beauty aside and picked up the manuals. While I'm not a fan of manuals sent with things that need to be assembled (I prefer to use my own logic for assembly) I do enjoy a quick flip through the quick-start guides that come with gadgets. It'… Read more

If you're among those lucky few who are eligible to upgrade to an iPhone 3G S without paying full retail pricing, here's good news: you can sell your old iPhone 3G and walk away with some extra cash.

Let's say you have the 16GB model. A quick check of Craigslist and eBay shows that the going rate for a mint-condition 16GB iPhone 3G is around $400.

Now, it doesn't take a math whiz to figure out that if you buy a 16GB iPhone 3G S for $200, you'll walk away with a $200 profit. Grab … Read more

Update: Updated link to Hoff's terminology map and related image to his latest version.

I was privileged to be a part of the Enterprise Cloud Summit that took place at the beginning of Interop in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. The program was excellent, with an all-star list of cloud experts and a surprisingly large number of attendees who were new to cloud computing and trying to get a sense of what it was all about.

What was different from prior cloud-related conferences, however, at least for me, were the types of questions this inquisitive audience was asking. … Read more

Updates are noted at the bottom of this story.

SAN FRANCISCO--Attorneys for the Motion Picture Association of America attacked fair use during a hearing in the RealDVD case here on Thursday, claiming it is not a defense for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. To prove its point, the MPAA relied on RealNetworks' own testimony in a prior case.

U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel is due to decide whether Real can once again start selling RealDVD, the software enables users to duplicate DVDs and store copies on their computers. The MPAA filed suit last September and accused Real of … Read more

Cooley needs a cigarette after a personal moment related to the wonder of band printers and the glory of dot-matrix. Who knew? We also have a good long talk about how soon physical papers will disappear and teach Rafe all about the Konami Code.

Murdoch: Web sites to charge for content http://edition.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/05/07/murdoch.web.content/

Analyst: AT&T likely to cut $69 iPhone service plan by $10 http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10235782-94.html

AT&T, VZW are no longer immune to the recession – … Read more

Enterprise IT struggles to overcome the risk of vendor lock-in, the risk of IT project delivery failure, and a range of other risks.

However, as Julien Le Nestour expertly elucidates, the biggest risk for enterprise IT is a dearth of user adoption.

With this risk in mind, Le Nestour suggests that enterprise IT revise its strategies for evaluating and purchasing software with the user in mind:

(T)he IT function needs to change its mindset and view of itself. Instead of deploying tools where user adoption is taken for granted, IT leaders must realize they're competing with other applications … Read more

We get taken to task today for our segues, which, we admit, can be quite forced sometimes. So, we show some examples of the good and the bad. We also have a Cooley rant about the new Segway minicar from a few weeks ago. And I suggest we go clubbing with baby seals, and Cooley and Natali threaten to kill me.

Now closing: GeoCities, a relic of Web’s early days http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10226255-2.html http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2345857,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

Obama getting a … Read more