I must give credit to AT&T for at the very least giving the IMPRESSION that they care about their customers by letting them report geotagged coverage issues with their “Mark the Spot” app. This makes me very happy because while “network congestion” may be SOME of their problem, everyone with a working brain knows that numerous consistent dead zones, like the FIVE I hit on my way to work every day, are a symptom of poor coverage.

The app is very easy to use. Launch it, select the coverage issue you’re having, geotag it with “Current Location” (which ironically you will need coverage for) OR enter a location you’re still angry about dropping a call, and simply SUBMIT.

I sincerely hope they are constructively utilizing this info, but even if it’s a dummy-crosswalk-button-designed-to-make-you-think-you’re-accomplishing-something, it is very satisfying to have a complaint outlet besides just “The Heavens.” Also, I really believe AT&T is eager to “turn shit around,” and this app with their announced “2000 new towers next year” plan is further proof.

Now download and USE IT. I’m sure they are just as sick of hearing that they are the worst company on the planet as you are of telling them that.

*fingers crossed*

Well, a massive rock has just been hurled at iPhone’s Isengard. A Seattle-based company called MiKandi is launching a porn delivery app for Android.

Since orgasms are the carrot that lead humans into pretty much ANY direction, this could be a major boon for Android and its symbiotic hardware. And I am violating my own snark doctrines when I say that with 100% sincerity. There’s a great story that the reason Blu-Ray won the High Def war over HD-DVD is that the porn industry threw its fleshy weight behind the former. I sure wish they’d throw their weight behind really useful things like renewable energy sources or Web Soup.

I wouldn’t say that this is going to topple Apple, but don’t be remotely surprised if you see a sudden, double entendre-like vertical spike in Android sales. Since people are in an unrelenting pursuit to harvest their boners whenever/wherever, this will definitely persuade those on-the-fencers who can’t even get to first base with iPhone.

ADDED THOUGHT: The coming months will bring with them a much stronger reluctance on my part to shake your hand if I see a sweaty Porndroid phone clutched tightly in the other one.

FINAL THOUGHT: I really wanted to get the jump on a slang term for this, so let anyone who masturbates to mobile content henceforth be known as “a bit-bopper.”

via PCWorld

Merlin Mann is one of the funniest friggin people in the galaxy.

Those super rad nerds over at Gizmodo have leaked this video for the previously super-top-secret “Courier,” a futurey techno-booklet that is so kick-ass looking that it will generate penises on lady geeks, just so they, too, can get boners for it. It may be time to be a little more open about your upcoming devices, Apple, cuz this one just called you out. IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL.

IBC 2009 Part II from Jan van der Meer on Vimeo.

Not only is the concept of this rad, but Jan has a wonderful muppet quality about him.

Accessories available at Technovia.

story via Steve Garfield’s blog “Get Seen“

Schwa??? Some anonymous analyst somewheres, or “anonylyst,” swears on his anonymous mother’s life that he has held a 10-inch Apple Netbooky thing in his hands. Hands, by the way, that we must picture as an amalgamation of other hands we’ve stored in our memories as we do not have a visual reference due to their owner’s unidentifiable nature.

STILL, we may not have long to wait because the Nerd gossip rumor mill predicts a September release. Philosophically it makes sense, since Apple tends to stalk the viability of a market and then strike with some sort of game-changing device. Practially, though, I still can’t wrap my head around carting around  a large piece of breakable glass. I mean, an iPhone or Touch is barely okay–and even then, 50% of the time–when you drop it. How could something bigger and heavier survive? Unless SteJo has patented a Flubber-like substance. That would be nifty.

And how could typing be smooth? Again, philosophically, I would get to live out my fantasy of hyper-poking a hard, flush input surface a la Lieutenant Commander Data. But practically, would the iPhone-like typos be frustrating?

No word on a name yet, but I’m sure it will give the feeling of the not-too-distant future. If it breaks easily I’m going to be the first journalist to tag it “The Crackintosh.” I own that. It’s mine.

What do you think? Is a Netbook storm a-comin’?

Via CNet Via Engadget via 9to5Mac via Barron’s

Here’s a silly video we made last year for our “Country PBS” series. It examines the death of Elvis Presley from a slightly more medical perspective. Let it be noted that we were only allowed to tackle the religious topic of Elvis because I am from Memphis. The art & animation for the vid were provided by our super-talented friend Divya Srinivasan.

Attention, futurists! This is a glimpse of your precious future! (Though, one wonders if futurists, by design, can ever truly be satisfied) One of the main drawbacks of contemporary computers is that they force us to use them in an uncomfortable way. Hunched over our keyboards and neck-craned over our smartphones, we adopt more of a repetitive, robotic existence: the machines force us to interact with them like machines. As computers become so powerful that their specs become irrelevant, it only stands to reason that the next major evolutionary step for computing is to make it environmentally friendly. I don’t mean in the buzzwordy “green” way, but that computing systems integrate seamlessly into our personal environments.

Fortunately a team from MIT’s diligent nerd-hive led by Pattie Maes & Pranav Mistry have developed a remarkably inexpensive wearable device that could be your own little infoslave. It automatically collects and displays information onto literally ANYTHING with which you interact. They admit that the dork-collar prototype is clunky, but they have definitely thrown up the warp signature to attract the attention of the possible. Besides, the first cell phones were THREE WHOLE POUNDS, so form isn’t really the point at this stage. The beauty of this idea is its inherent simplicity: it spins existing technologies into an entirely new direction. Naturally, this is from the TED conference, an organization that no doubt had to pay off some early-adopter Internet nerd named “Ted” to get its website.

Thanks to Kevin Pereira and his adept Twittering for pointing me to this techno-pornic brain orgy.

You watch now!

I have it! I have it! It’s in my grubby little hands! Prior to Thursday’s review on Attack of the Show, I get to play with the G1 (running Google’s Android on the HTC Dream hardware) so that I may effectively form opinionated sentences about it. I haven’t gotten to tool around with it much yet so I can’t (and won’t) give any details about using it until Thursday, but until then jump on the link below and enjoy these very un-professional photos I took in Photo Booth.

The flash washed out the screen but that gives you more reason to watch AOTS in a couple of days!

Whaaaaaaa???

Who likes Branding? Someday that logo will be on everyone’s flesh!

You can see it’s about twice the thickness of MacPhone, but it does have a full QWERTY keyboard to house.

I had thought it was odd that the rumor carnival that preceded Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event last week failed to include any chatter about a refreshed MacBook. They’re about due, and I had heard “Fall of This Year.” Lo and behold, today there is the much anticipated chatter. I spotted this Mac rumor on MacRumors, although I was told by someone that it also appeared on PerezHilton, but was unable to find the posting to see if there was a MacBook with a wiener drawn on it.

So far the specs are sketchy but the general consensus is that they might resemble the wafer-thin (pronounced /wah-ferthin/) Air in sleekness and aluminumnity, a fun new word I just made up.

At least this update will have cut & paste.