Is Apple faking evidence to crush the competition?

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

Linking to ArsTechnica\’s article on the debate on Apple\’s recent court filings & the alleged image tampering…
Is Apple faking evidence to crush the competition? Not likely.
I quit efrankly agree, it\’s more likely that Apple\’s lawyers are trying to ensure that the devices are the equivalent height or width, not that they are trying to manipulate the court….
After all, on campus, it is getting hard to tell wha tsmart phone users are using by a glance….  Most of them are, at a quick glance, appear to be iPhones.   They have the same basic case shape and size, externally quite a few smart phones have copied elements of Apple\’s iPhone design…

Doctor Who Season 6 Part 2 Summary

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

Let\’s Kill Hitler – Episode 8
[youtube http://www.youtube.com?v=HRqG64hDs4s]
In the desperate search for Melody Pond, the TARDIS crash lands in 1930s Berlin, bringing the Doctor face to face with the greatest war criminal in the Universe. And Hitler. The Doctor must teach his adversaries that time travel has responsibilities – and in so doing, learns a harsh lesson in the cruellest warfare of all.
NIGHT TERRORS (Episode 9)
A distress call from a terrified little boy will break through all barriers of time and space and lead the Doctor to visit the scariest place in the Universe. George\’s bedroom. George is terrorised by every fear you can possibly imagine. Fears that live in his bedroom cupboard. His parents are desperate – George needs a doctor. But allaying George\’s fears won\’t be easy. Because the monsters in George\’s cupboard are real.
THE GIRL WHO WAITED (Episode 10)
An unscheduled visit to a quarantine facility for victims of an alien plague – a plague that will kill the Doctor in a day – leaves Amy trapped. Alone, Rory must find Amy and bring her back to the TARDIS before the faceless doctors kill her with kindness. But Rory is about to encounter a very different side to his wife.
THE GOD COMPLEX (Episode 11)
In an impossible hotel, the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves checked-in but unable to check out. Walls move, corridors twist, rooms vanish and death lies in wait for every visitor. But the Doctor\’s time has yet to come.
EPISODE 12
He has one last stop to make on his final journey. His old friend, Craig Owens, desperately needs his help – a new and unfamiliar presence is wreaking havoc in Colchester. And then come the Cybermen.

The truth behind a books cover art, dust cover, and back cover blurb from Charles Stross

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

Many readers hold the charming misconception that authors not only write their books, but are responsible for the size, shape, texture, flavour, and appearance of the finished physical object.
(We\’re talking physical books here, not ebooks. That\’s yet another opportunity for discourse that I\’m going to eschew for now.)
Here\’s the reality: as an author, I am required — per contract — to supply the publisher with a manuscript of approximately the correct length, on roughly the correct subject matter, that is substantially free from factual errors and libelous or criminal statements. I\’m also required to participate in the editorial process. And I can suggest a title. That\’s all.

Find out the truth of:

  • why Book Cover art can be so awful, or fantastic….
  • Who writes the Author\’s bio
  • Who writes the Dust cover sleeves
  • Who writes the rear cover summary
All this, and more information, over at Charlie\’s Diary.

Doctor Who Spring 2011 Season Refresher

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

The BBC has posted a 4 minute readers digest version of Season 6 (Part 1)…
[youtube http://www.youtube.com?v=dCMxbWBiWAg]
Before the premiere of new episodes starting Saturday August 27 at 9/8c on BBC America — catch-up on the first-half of the season and relive all of the Doctor, Amy & Rory\’s amazing adventures across all of time and space. The mysterious child trapped in the spacesuit. The pregnancy of Amy Pond. The revelation of River Song\’s true identity. From Canton Delaware III & The Silence to The Black Spot\’s Siren, Idris, Cleaves and Madame Kovarian, re-acquaint yourself with all the incredible characters he\’s met so far, before the August 27 premiere of \”Let\’s Kill Hitler.\”
** If you haven\’t seen the first part of series 6 yet, you may want to skip this video, add it to your \’Watch Later\’ list, go to bbcamericashop.com, order the Series 6 Part 1 DVD, and watch the first half of the current series first.

Frontier’s Modem Rental Fee: $7/Month; Wireless Router Fee Now $14.99/Month | Stop the Cap!

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

Frontier Communications’ DSL modem rental fee is now as high as $6.99 a month in some of the phone company’s service areas, $14.99 a month if you want the convenience of a wireless router built-in. That’s $84 and $189 a year, respectively, for equipment that cost the company a fraction of that.

I can go and buy the modem at a store and it would be less than one year of rental

Frontier’s Modem Rental Fee: $7/Month; Wireless Router Fee Now $14.99/Month
This is highway robbery, and yet another reason that I recommend Time Warner over Frontier…  But even so, I would prefer a 3rd option.  Time Warner\’s prices are not that great either…
After all, in Jana, 100 Mps is only around $44 – 50 per month, whereas from Comcast, that\’s $100 per month…  In France, the same 100 Mps is only $33 per month…