Mindbat

A few months ago, when Apple bought Lala.com, I didn’t panic. I thought Apple’d integrate Lala.com’s store into iTunes, rebrand the site, and keep things rolling.
I was wrong:
Dear Ron T.,
The Lala service will be shut down on May 31st.
In appreciation of your support over the last five years, you will receive a credit in the [...]

Me: Hey, iPad! Mind if I install this cool KoboBooks app I’ve heard so much about?
iPad: Sure thing! Just gimme your iTunes password.
Me: I don’t have an iTunes account.
iPad: No account, no software.
Me: Ok…Let’s just fire up mail.google.com, so I can check my email.
iPad: Nope.
Me: No?! I can’t check my email?
iPad: Sure thing! Just enter [...]

I’ve just been reminded why I left Mac for Linux.
Me (to store rep): “Can I install and play with some apps on this demo iPad so I can decide if I want to buy one?”
Rep: “Nope. Use just what’s installed.”
…and that’s when I left. If I can’t be allowed into the Walled Garden of Apple [...]

I’ve been thinking about trying out Ubuntu Netbook Remix, the version of Ubuntu Linux made especially for netbooks like my HP MIni 110, for a while now. I was attracted to the idea of being able to run a real Linux distro on the netbook, as opposed to the tightly-controlled version that came on the [...]

They just released a version of the eReader software (formerly Palm eReader, then just eReader, now the Barnes and Noble eReader) for the Android platform.
It’s a little bit buggy: you need to wait for an entire book’s table of contents to load before reading/scrolling, else the book will get stuck partway through. Other than that, [...]