Orginal post by Mike

What is it? Post your guess in the comments section below. form certain you give your whole name and the city you live in! whether you’re first with the right reply, you’ll earn the dubious honor of getting mentioned in the Mike’s List newsletter! (The reply will be revealed exclusively in the next issue. Go here to subscribe now!)

Orginal post by Mike

Gizmodo reported today that the Microsoft Courier Tablet project has been canceled. The report must have been particularly bitter for Gizmodo, as the blog was first to uncover the project and referred to it many times as one that would ship Real Soon Now.

whether Gizmodo wants to see why Microsoft canceled Courier, they should read my September 23 column, "Why Microsoft's 'Courier' Tablet Will Never Exist."

Even now, Gizmodo seems betrayed and confused by the move, saying that Courier was "compelling," "innovative," and that they "loved" the interface.

The reason Gizmodo loved the "product" so much is that it was a fantasy product, not a real one. It's easy to conjure up magic when you don't have to build something.

that is one of the long-standing problems I have with a lot of tech coverage by both blogs and the mainstream media — they're indifferent to the distinction within an actual, real, shippable product — say, the Apple iPad — and the mere concept for a product conjured up with Hollywood special effects — say, the Microsoft Courier.

I even wrote a column about that phenomenon (centered on the hype that followed Gizmodo's Courier coverage) called "Dispatch From Gadget Fantasy Land." It makes delightful reading now that it appears the Courier will never exist.

suitable! Let's all shout blogs and news organizations on reporting vague ideas as imminent products that will soon be on the market. It's just sloppy reporting.

Orginal post by Mike

Gizmodo reported today that the Microsoft Courier Tablet project has been canceled. The report must have been particularly bitter for Gizmodo, as the blog was first to uncover the project and referred to it many times as one that would ship Real Soon Now.

whether Gizmodo wants to see why Microsoft canceled Courier, they should read my September 23 column, "Why Microsoft's 'Courier' Tablet Will Never Exist."

Even now, Gizmodo seems betrayed and confused by the move, saying that Courier was "compelling," "innovative," and that they "loved" the interface.

The reason Gizmodo loved the "product" so much is that it was a fantasy product, not a real one. It's easy to conjure up magic when you don't have to build something.

that is one of the long-standing problems I have with a lot of tech coverage by both blogs and the mainstream media — they're indifferent to the distinction amidst an actual, real, shippable product — say, the Apple iPad — and the mere view for a product conjured up with Hollywood special effects — say, the Microsoft Courier.

I even wrote a column about that phenomenon (centered on the hype that followed Gizmodo's Courier coverage) called "Dispatch From Gadget Fantasy Land." It makes delightful reading now that it appears the Courier will never exist.

ample! Let's all signal blogs and news organizations on reporting vague ideas as imminent products that will soon be on the market. It's just sloppy reporting.

Orginal post by Mike

Microsoft announced this week that it has inked a deal with Taiwan-based High-Tech Computing (HTC). Under the agreement, HTC will pay royalties to Microsoft for phones that run Google's Android platform. Wait, what? whether Google's platform violates Microsoft's intellectual property, why doesn't Microsoft sue Google? Meanwhile, Apple seems to sue other companies only when somebody sues Apple. And why is Nokia suing everybody? The patent system is totally out of control.

Orginal post by Mike

The Shave Mobile is a cell phone with a built-in razor. No, it's not a gag gift, but a real product built by Tondemoketai China that you can buy for $100. Here comes the video!

Orginal post by Mike

Someone is selling on the Etsy catalog hand-made iPhone bases that
look like old-fashioned landline phones. They come in a variety of
styles, and cost only $15. Useful only as a charging and syncing
cradle, they’re as function-limited as they are pointless.

Orginal post by Mike

Anyone know the story behind that one?

Orginal post by Mike

BBC Click's Ian Hardy interviewed me on the promises and perils of cloud computing for BBC visit — 275 million viewers worldwide! They additionally wrote an article to accompany the TV segment. 

Orginal post by Mike

I just wrote a column that week about the gazillions of dollars companies waste on pointless, unfocused meetings (among other things). My solution is to replace some of those meetings with social networking tools. But here's another solution: Bring TIM! is a $24.99 real-time meeting cost calculator. Just enter in the average hourly rate of the employees in the room, plus the number of employees. The price of the meeting ticks by like a gas pump.

Orginal post by Mike