Slashdot Mirror
Interview of Danger (Sidekick II) CEO Hank Nothhaft
r-blo writes "Know that new T-Mobile Sidekick II that Paris Hilton and Derek Jeter have been totin' around town? Yeah, that one. Well, Engadget has an interview with Danger's (the company that makes the Sidekick) CEO, Hank Nothhaft, talking about all manner of things regarding the mobile-internet device, including its closed development environment. They even ask him what phone he'd buy if it wasn't a Sidekick II, gotta love that!"
What they needed to ask him about is the durability of the Sidekick 2. I have issues with how well it is constructed, and I am not the only person who feels this way.
I bought a Sidekick back in April and have been vigilant about it's upkeep. Never dropped it, never sat anything down on it. One day, the action wheel just stops working - literally, I am sending an email and it just doesn't work anymore.
One of the things mentioned in this article is that the Sidekick crowd tends to be 30-ish, which means people are going to have active lifestyles where things can happen to a phone. What is the sense of investing in such a snazzy device if it is not going to keep up with you?
M
They should make a system of components that each have a function (MP3 player, Cell Phone, etc). These could stand alone on their own that can be assembled together "Voltron Style" to combine their abilities, processing power, memory, etc to form an all-in-one super device.
:-)
This could different options for components/functionality and perhaps leave plenty of room for upgradability.
Just a thought..
DEAD DEAD DEAD DELETE ME
Or maybe the guy just doesn't have much to say? Engadget seems to be a pretty good source of news and slashdot's linked to more than just 2 of their articles.
The bottom line is still "lock the customer in and bleed them for everything you can get".
Can customers upload their own ringtones?
No. There's an effort by the industry to make people pay for the content on these devices.
And people wonder why I just want a dumb cell phone and a separate handheld for *my* stuff that I can control.
Just to add my voice to Saxton's, the Hiptop is probably one of the best all-in-one devices I've ever used. When it worked, it worked extremely well. The web browser was very well designed and made it a pleasure to browse most websites, as long as you had signal, and the AIM and Email functionality was more than adequate for conversations with friends and checking your inbox while you're on the go. The SMS was a bit weak, but honestly with AIM and Email I never needed to use it. The keyboard, in particular, made it a pleasure to type in notes or messages. I wrote entire short stories on the Hiptop's keyboard, and it was a pleasure. For someone who likes to write in particular, the Hiptop is excellent, because it allows you to have an efficient way to jot down an idea or note the moment you get an idea, and just slip the phone back in your pocket. No need to carry around a big notebook, and no forgetting great ideas.
using namespace slashdot;
troll::post();
Hey Ryan, the story here isn't my paranoia, it's your lack of full disclosure. For starters, you're hyping up your website with posts using a pseudonym that you do not use on said website. The slashdot community typically frowns on such disingenuous self-promotions. Had you instead been open and said, "Hey slashdotters, here's an article I wrote on my website about XYZ" then it certainly wouldn't have come across as some sort of deception.
Is your site really a news source or a distributor of press releases? I know that sounds like a flame, but I don't mean it that way. I think your site is probably a lot of fun to produce. At the same time, when a site's content is so product-heavy, I get suspicious about the possibility of paid placement, etc. Especially when you gush about a product like this-- "Know that new T-Mobile Sidekick II that Paris Hilton and Derek Jeter have been totin' around town?" The only reason Paris Hilton would have any tech gadget is if she's paid to endorse it. By commenting on Paris Hilton owning a Sidekick II, you've taken on the role of a mouthpiece for the Danger PR department. Does your community really care what consumer products Paris Hilton owns? Actually, it would have been a hundred times more interesting had your contacts at Danger's PR department arranged for you to interview Paris about what she does with her Sidekick rather than the CEO.
If you want to call Engadget a news source, you need to brush up on your journalism ethics. Real journalists don't accept gifts or freebies of any kind from people / companies they might write about. For example, Roger Ebert pays to see the movies he reviews. Quality journalists don't present advertisements as news. Does Engadget qualify?
Please check the Society of Professional Journalist's website on the issue:
Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.
Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news.
$5 / month hosted VPS on linux = awesome!