iPod Cool, But Not For Factory Workers
Apple's image is as good as Bono's: No one has a bad thing to say about them
(at least with Bono you've got the sunglasses -- who's the mental patient that
bought him those?). But the reality is a bit more sinister. If you really think
about it, those iPods will turn today's youth into a generation of Pete Townshends
before we know it.
Apple
has also been quietly closing off the OS X core, removing users' ability
to fiddle with its innards.
But now reports have surfaced that the insanely popular and eardrum-bashing
iPods are built by Chinese workers
who get $50 a month and work a mere 15 hours a day.
Makes Google's Chinese PR problems seem as trivial as a Jessica Simpson pimple.
Microsoft's iPod Should Be Built Right Here
Longtime Redmond superstar Robbie Bach (is that a cool name or what?) is hard
at work on an answer to iTunes and the iPod (as long as they don't screw
around with the capitalization, I'll be happy). And since all the device really
has to do is play music, video and photos, maybe even Windows could handle the
job.
Ex-Lotus CTO Touts App Dev Revolution
John Landry, the Lotus CTO who reigned during the height of Notes and
the slow decline of 1-2-3, has a new
lightweight development platform to build shareable Web-based apps. The
system plays upon Landry's deep understanding of replication, which is at the
core of his new AdessoNow Operating Environment Service. And if you build a
cool app, Adesso will sell it for you and split the proceeds.
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.