Yahoo founder and beleaguered CEO Jerry Yang decided yesterday that it was Microsoft’s fault that the merger talks fell apart, even though Microsoft upped its bid from US$31 to US$33 in order to keep negotiations going. Yang wanted US$37 per share—a far cry from the US$24.37 it dropped to when Microsoft walked. Bottom line: Jerry finally figured out everyone hates him for screwing up a good thing, and now he’s sitting there calling Microsoft’s number over and over, bottle of Beam by his side, hoping beyond hope that Microsoft, and not Microsoft’s angry mum, picks up. Actually, Jerry, from what we’ve read, we’re not sure anyone’s gonna pick up. [Reuters]
While NBC decided that Apple’s US$1.99/episode mandate was not for them, the company has opted to give Microsoft’s Zune store a shot to host their content. Apparently the decision comes because Microsoft is more flexible in their pricing. And while Microsoft still retains the right to set a show’s ultimate price, they claim to be “open to understanding which episodes can be priced lower and how we may introduce premium content which may be priced higher than $1.99,” according to Zune Social general manager Julio Estrada. But something tells me that NBC is more interested in that “premium content” than the lower priced stuff. [infoworld]
While most of us enjoyed yesterday’s Dark Night trailer—though we found typing on lopsided laptops for the remainder of the day a bit inconvenient—watching Batman on the silver screen has and will always be a vicarious experience. It’s a humbling reminder that we weren’t separated from our parents by tragedy and that we don’t live in cities completely overrun by psychotic criminals who lust for torture more than money.
So, this is the Touch Diamond. It’s small, slim, “a holistic experience,” according to Horace Luke, HTC’s Chief Innovations Officer, and “just like your life.” Out in Europe and Asia next month, we should get our hands on it later on this year, and it’s the closest thing so far to an iPhone that hasn’t come out of Cupertino. Not surprising, since Luke and his team wanted the design to be worthy of MoMA. I’m just not sure about the diamond design on the back. Here is a gallery, the specs and some of the choice quotes from the presentation:
“The only way you can become a legend is in your coffin,” said Bette Davis. Perhaps Bill Bramanti has heard this, perhaps not— one thing’s for sure, his coffin may be his mark on history. He loves Pabst Blue Ribbon beer so much that he’s going to be buried in a coffin labelled just like a can of it. In fact, Bill’s already had the casket made and has even tried it out for size. Until he’s permanently resident though, it’s serving as a beer cooler for… Pabst Blue Ribbon beer of course. A coffin shaped like your favourite beverage? That’s consumer-brand dedication, right there folks. So, tell us in the comments: what novelty coffin would you choose? [USA Today]
Steampunk modding, love it or hate it, has caught on and led to everything from LCD monitors to Nerf rifles getting the treatment. And now we have this steampunk-ish modded violin, that’s seriously cut-down and gutted, and packs in tubes and wires and faux valves. Plus one extra string.
Well, we’re here. This is the Soho Hotel in, er, Soho, where HTC is launching something (although I think we all know it’s going to be the Diamond.) Come back in a bit for the juicy stuff. UPDATE: Check our our coverage and the official specs and pics.
The most exiting way to cook hot dogs: connect a chain of 12 hotdogs up and send bolts of multi-thousand volt electricity through them. Awesome, and all thanks to the Nevada Lightning Lab and their 10-foot Tesla coil at Maker Faire ’08. And amazingly, the coil they used is just a prototype for a 122-foot version they want to build for lightning experiments. Imagine the light show and cookability you’d get from that! [Lightning Lab via Oh Gizmo]
HTC’s Census device first hit the FCC over a year ago, but it’s just appeared there for approval again. The data-only device, complete with touchscreen and fingerprint reader, but lacking voice-calling capabilities and a camera was going to be used in the 2010 census before technical issues led to it being ditched. But here it is again, with a prominent Harris branding and what looks like a hand strap across the back. What’s going on? Is it back on the cards to aid Census Bureau staff, or is it getting a new lease of life targeted at other industrial users? Pretty confusing, especially since there’s no info on the release date yet. [FCC and Reghardware]
