CNET’s Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review

This is the Cons section of the review by CNET:

The $399 price is a lot for a small tablet, no matter its features. It’s not as thin or as light as the iPad Mini, and some people won’t appreciate the highly saturated look of the OS. Also, its face buttons sometimes get in the way and there are occasional performance hangs.

Remember when everyone thought that Apple was crazy with the iPad Mini pricing? Not only is it made out of cheap plastic, it’s thicker, more expensive, and despite having a supposedly faster chip and more RAM, it lags and hangs when using it. And people still ask me why I prefer to use Apple stuff.

iMessage encryption is too tough for the Feds.

Cnet

An internal Drug Enforcement Administration document seen by CNET discusses a February 2013 criminal investigation and warns that because of the use of encryption, “it is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices” even with a court order approved by a federal judge.

Windows 8 touch-screen laptop price cuts coming

CNet:

The discounts for PC makers has become necessary because Windows 8-based products aren’t selling very well.

Not selling well on PCs, phones, nor tablets. Other than that, windows 8 is a hit.

The i-Road

Made by Toyota, not Apple

CNet

Apple vs. Samsung: Judge orders new trial on some damages

Cnet:

In an afternoon ruling, Koh carved off $450.5 million from the $1.05 billion judgement from last August, saying that the damages needed to be recalculated as part of a new trial.

Google testing new navigation design borrowed from Chrome

Cnet

Much better looking.

Sergey Brin: Smartphones are ‘emasculating’

Cnet

Speaking at the TED Conference today in Long Beach, Calif., Brin told the audience that smartphones are “emasculating.” “You’re standing around and just rubbing this featureless piece of glass,” he said.

This guy and Larry Paige are just a couple of clowns.

Karma catches up with Michael Dell

Dell:

The Dell Board of Directors acting on the recommendation of a special committee of independent directors unanimously approved a merger agreement under which Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners will acquire Dell and take the company private subject to a number of conditions, including a vote of the unaffiliated stockholders.

Remember when Michael Dell said this?:

And at the Gartner Symposium and ITxpo97 here today, the CEO of competitor Dell Computer added his voice to the chorus when asked what could be done to fix the Mac maker. His solution was a drastic one.

“What would I do? I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders,” Michael Dell said before a crowd of several thousand IT executives.

Cnet
Karma is a bitch.

Apple updates Java for Snow Leopard following blockage

CNet:

Following a recent addition of Java to its plug-in blacklist, Apple has issued an update to its supported Java versions.

Following another recent security issue with Java, Apple issued an update that added the latest versions to the system’s browser plug-in blacklist to protect users from any potential threats; however, in doing so it silently blocked a number of people from accessing required Java content, such as banking and financial Web sites.

Unfortunately, some still need Java. You can also go to

Java.com

Is Apple testing the next iPhone and iOS software?

CNet:

An anonymous developer showed the tech Web site app requests from a device bearing an “iPhone6,1″ identifier, which originated from an IP address on Apple’s Cupertino campus.

Yes dumbasses, they are testing the next iPhone and iOS, and in the next few months they will begin to test the next one after that. Is this really news? I mean, I know it’s a slow week, everyone is sleeping or still drunk, but come on! I always link to the source, but this is so stupid I’m not going to reward it.