Hasta La Gadget!

Skype 5 for Mac leaves something to be desired — we know it, you know it, and looks like Skype knows it too. That’s why our fav VoIP app is soliciting the help of you, the people, to improve its UI. Skype’s running a competition to find the one chat style to rule them all, and it starts taking custom CSS submissions April 8th. The contest has three rounds, with one judges’ and one people’s choice in each, followed by the selection of a grand prize winner from the six finalists. People’s champs get an Apple TV and those picked by the judges snag a WiFi iPad 2, and all the winners get a copy of CSS3 for Web Designers and a year’s subscription to Skype Unlimited World Extra. The grand prize is an eleven-inch MacBook Air, an iPad2, and the ego boost that comes with knowing your chat style forged in the flames of competition will be included in a coming release of Skype. Up to the challenge? Hit the source link for the full details.

Skype wants the people to fix Skype 5 for Mac, will you answer the call? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The real Photoshop for iPad exists. Adobe showed it yesterday and it looks like a solid digital darkroom. But, more importantly, it marks another step in the ongoing evolution that is changing the way humans interact with machines. One that, in fact, is putting back our human nature into computing. More »

This article was written on August 13, 2008 by CyberNet.

Last year about this same time, rumor had it that Apple was preparing to allow their “revolutionary” iPhone to be sold in Best Buy stores. One site, AppleInsider said on August 3rd, 2007,“By October — and more likely by September — all Best Buy locations should have iPhones on hand to sell to customers. Lavish video displays, like those erected in Apple retail store windows ahead of the phone’s launch, may also turn up at the electronics stores.” Interestingly enough, Best Buy never did get the opportunity to sell the original iPhones in their stores last year but they just might get the opportunity to sell iPhone 3G’s this year.

The Associated Press broke the news early this morning saying that starting on September 7th, Best Buy will become the first U.S. retailer outside of Apple and AT&T stores to be able to sell the iPhone 3G. To be able to get Steve Jobs’ blessing, Best Buy said they had quite a bit of work to do including upgrading their cell-phone departments, upgrading their computer systems to handle activations, and training their employees. Over 250,000 hours were spent preparing employees who would handle activations.

This could be pretty big for Best Buy considering how well the iPhone 3G has already gone over since it launched. It gives Best Buy an opportunity to gain a few customers and work their skills selling accessories to make an extra buck. If only they would have been able to sell the iPhone 3G at launch – it may have helped reduce some of the irritating lines found at Apple and AT&T locations. Oh, and lets not forget those extended warranties. Best Buy will be sure to try and push the extended warranties because that is one sure way for them to make extra money.

Customers could potentially benefit from Best Buy selling the iPhone 3G as well. One commenter over at TUAW pointed out how Best Buy is good for throwing in the freebies to try and sell products better. If they were able to sell the iPhone along with a free case and an iTunes gift card, those who planned on buying the iPhone 3G anyways would flock there, and those who considered it but weren’t quite sure, would certainly be tempted to buy.

Thanks for the tip Omar!

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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We refuse to be surprised that the next Boxee Box update isn’t actually arriving by the end of March, but just to tide us over CEO Avner Ronen has picked up his blogging pen and revealed many of the changes on the way. As mentioned on that Australian podcast, the browser will be faster, as well as a new on-screen display for FF/RW controls, options for sorting local files and additional language support. A smiley face is reserved for the news that support for Boxee for iPad will be included, before moving on to a list of bugs that will be stamped out. Early access users should expect to see test builds rolling out shortly, with plans for major updated to the Boxee Box (and “other Boxee based devices“) every three months or so so we should expect this one in May — no word on anything for the PC clients. Until then hit the source link for all the details or just relive our special CES hands-on time with Boxee for iPad in the gallery.

Boxee details next Box update with iPad support and more in May originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell's Streak is a 5-inch tablet priced like a smartphone. In a review, Wired.com rated the device 3 out of 10 because of its poor display and short battery life. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

The iPad is doomed to fail because it doesn’t appeal to business users. That’s what Dell dreams, at least.

Dell’s global head of marketing for enterprises Andy Lark claims Dell will have an edge because it entered the tablet PC market with an enterprise approach, whereas Apple’s iPad has a consumer approach.

“Apple is great if you’ve got a lot of money and live on an island,” said Lark, in an interview with CIO Australia. “It’s not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise; simple things become quite complex.”

What Lark seems to overlook is that the enterprise approach to mobile is one of the main reasons that Windows Mobile flopped in the wake of more consumer-centric handsets including the iPhone and Android phones. Microsoft would later admit Windows Mobile was “too computerey,” because it tried to shove too many features into a user’s face. Humbled by its downfall in mobile, Microsoft scrapped Windows Mobile to create Windows Phone 7, a mobile operating system focused on consumers.

It’s surprising that Dell hasn’t figured out why general-purpose phones tailored toward consumers have done so well: People like to use technology to work and play, and hundreds of thousands of apps on iOS and Android fulfill both professional and personal needs. On top of that, user-friendly hardware and software interfaces can make it easier to accomplish tasks with these apps.

The same seems to be true for tablets. Apple has sold 15 million iPads, and people are finding all sorts of ways to use tablets, using apps for social-networking, watching movies, reading, finance, business, medicine and many niche areas.

But Lark doesn’t seem to care about 15 million iPads selling, or any numbers for that matter.

“An iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case [means] you’ll be at $1,500 or $1,600; that’s double of what you’re paying,” he claimed. “That’s not feasible.”

Never mind that anyone with basic algebra skills could quickly figure out that the cost of an iPad ($500), a keyboard ($70), and a Smart Cover case ($40) comes out to $610. It’s a mystery where the other $1,000 comes from, but at this point we can roll our eyes at Dell and move on with our lives, because Lark doesn’t even know that the iPad doesn’t work with a mouse.

See Also:

• Dell’s Streak Tablet Is Priced Like a Phone
• Flip-Top Dell Inspiron Duo Makes a Terrible Tablet