Show Notes on Google Docs

• Justin Bieber Has Dedicated Servers at Twitter
• Google Says “Froyo is Not Optimized for Use on Tablets”
• Google Instant, behind the scenes
• Breaking News on EFF Location Privacy Win: Courts May Require Search Warrants for Cell Phone Location Records

This past Wednesday, September 1, 2010, Apple announced their new Apple TV. The new device is completely different than the previous version–it is more like a Roku player than the previous Apple TV. It is also 80% smaller because it has no internal hard drive. Instead, it is a streaming-only device. This differentiates it from the Mac Mini, which in the latest revision received an HDMI port, making it a great HTPC. The new Apple TV streams movies via Netflix (subscription required).

The new iPod shuffle now has physical buttons–I have no idea why Apple removed them in the first place. I also have no idea why the Shuffle is even produced, but that is another story.

The new iPod nano is a bit controversial. It has a multi-touch screen instead of having physical buttons for song selection and pause. It is a surprise it even has volume buttons for that matter. I wrote a post over at my blog (which I rarely update) entitled “Apple’s Redesign of the iPod nano is a Mistake.” This is the iPod people use while running, working out, etc. If they want a touch screen, it is not that much to ask them to get an iPod touch. Besides, the iPod nano does not even run apps. Did I mention that they axed the camera? There is no point of having a touch screen on the new iPod nano.

The iPod touch update did not “wow” me. It was pretty much what we expected. A camera (two cameras, actually), retina display, 720p video recording, and FaceTime. And this new thing called Game Center, a social gaming network. Somewhat like Xbox Live, but free, and obviously scaled down. If you have a 2nd or 3rd generation iPod touch right now, unless you really want the camera, I would hold off on this update.

Ping–probably one of the stupidest things Apple has ever attempted. Overpromising and underdelivering, this is a flop in progress. Promising Facebook support, users were quickly disappointed when it did not work. This actually was not Apple’s fault, Facebook decided not to allow Apple to use their free APIs. However, give Apple credit, the service did top one million users within 48 hours.

Verizon has announced data plans for prepaid users. Great news, as this will work on all current Droid models.

The Oxford English Dictionary may go paperless due to lack of demand for the printed version.

Digg users are displeased with the new Digg 4.

EPA proposes new fuel economy labels.

This week, Google and Verizon put together a proposal directed toward the United States Congress. There was a large amount of backlash, including protests at the Google headquarters. Google posted a myth and fact blog post in response.

David Gelernter wrote an article for the New York Times entitled “Call It ‘Net Irrationality’.” I strongly disagree with his viewpoint. All bits are bits. Ten megabytes of video is the same as ten megabytes of text. It is as simple as that.

Police agencies have admitted to saving body scan images. Recently, airports have been installing body scanners in security checkpoints instead of metal detectors. These scanners include millimeter wave scanners and backscatter X-ray scanners. Both of these show a high amount of detail. These devices were “designed and deployed in a way that allows the images to be routinely stored and recorded,” according to Marc Rotenberg. These scanners were clearly not designed for privacy.

Google is ceasing development of Google Wave. Wave is a real-time collaboration service Google announced more than one year ago, and is now discontinuing development because they did not get the user adoption they wanted. Google will maintain wave.google.com at least until the end of the year. In my opinion, they did not set themselves up for success. The announcement keynote was unrehearsed and unpolished. Wave itself was not polished, which made it difficult for the public to adopt and use in their everyday lives.

Novell is continuing their Pulse service, based on Wave. Their service is aimed on enterprises looking for real-time collaboration, much like what Google Wave brought to the table. Pulse uses the Wave Gadget API and the Wave Federation Protocol. I expect to see at least a handful of companies provide Wave implementations, as it has the potential to be a great money maker.

Android handsets are overtaking the iPhone. This is not surprising because the iPhone is only available on AT&T, but Android handsets are available on all four of the major carriers in the U.S. I do not own a smart phone, instead I have a cheap “phone” phone. I do get my fix of iOS with my iPod touch, however. I have played with an original Motorola Droid, and it was a well-designed phone. If you put an iPhone, a Droid X, and a new BlackBerry Torch in front of me, I would reach for the Droid, probably even if I didn’t have an iPod touch. That’s how much I believe in the open Android system.

• What New DMCA Copyright Loopholes Mean to You
• Safari 5.0.1 Brings Third-party Extensions
• Apple’s new battery charger is deceptively cool
• Root and Unroot Your DROID X with 1 Click

• Adobe Flash gets its full launch on Android
• Google Voice for everyone
• Don’t hold iPhone 4 that way, Apple says
• Apple criticized by left-handed org over iPhone 4

• New research reveals troubling security issues for iPhones
• Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on now ready for download
• Yankee Stadium bans the iPad
• Making Control Simple

• Google Open Sources Their Video Format
• Benefits of Google Encrypted Search
• Announcing Google TV: TV meets web. Web meets TV.

• Nearly a quarter of U.S. homes only use cellphones
• Google Voice Admits Students
• Google Says It Mistakenly Collected Data on Web Usage
• Facebook Deactivations Gaining Attention