Google SPDY Accelerates Mobile Web (Article Comparison #5)

Article 1
"Google proves mobile web can be SPDY"
May 2, 2012
http://www.zdnet.com.au/google-proves-mobile-web-can-be-spdy-339337050.htm


Article 2
"Google badmouths HTTP behind its back, proposes SPDY as a speedy successor"
May 2, 2012
http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/google-proposes-spdy-replacement/

Article 3
"Google SPDY Accelerates Mobile Web"
May 2, 2012
http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/mobility/232901348


Notes

• The engadget article is the odd one out as it doesn't mention that SPDY is meant to be used on mobile networks. It is also the only one of the three that has the actual graph showing HTTP vs. SPDY performance.
• The ZDNet article is the only one that details exactly how SPDY works and how the tests were carried out to verify the claims of speed that were touted by Google.
• InformationWeek's article detailed a less-detailed heavy version of how SPDY works, but focused more on the history of the need for SPDY. InformationWeek also has a huge ad taking up most of the right hand side real estate and draws a lot of attention to it, even more so than the article.
• The engadget article is the only one that has comments on the article, and a lot to that. One of the comments I found very interesting "Why are there no labels on the X-axis of this graph?!?" That brings up issues of information possibly being concealed.
• The ZDNet and engadget article both use most of the space around the article to highlight other articles, while the InformationWeek article uses that area to host advertisements.

Sci-fi publisher announces Tor and Forge will go DRM-free with all e-book titles (Review #5)

Article Title

"Sci-fi publisher announces Tor and Forge will go DRM-free with all e-book titles"

Article Author

Zachary Lutz

Article Publication Date

April 25th, 2012

URL of Original Article

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/25/tor-books-goes-drm-free/

Article Summary

Publishers TOR and Forge are removing Digital Rights Management copyright restriction encoding from their ebooks.

Relevance to the Class

This article is relevant to the class as it shows brave steps being taken by a company that can set the standard for new ways of how ebooks are viewed and treated in today's society

Key Quote

“The company's president, Tom Doherty, revealed the shift as a long-time request of both its readers and authors -- which unsurprisingly, are a rather tech-savvy bunch."

Oracle's IP war against Google finally going to trial (Article Comparison #4)

Article 1

"Oracle's IP war against Google finally going to trial: What's at stake"
April 16, 2012
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/04/oracles-ip-war-against-google-finally-going-to-trial-whats-at-stake.ars


Article 2
"Android on trial: Oracle v Google circus opens today"
April 16, 2012
http://blogs.computerworld.com/20030/android_on_trial_oracle_v_google_circus_opens_today

Article 3
"Game time: Oracle, Google set to face off over Android"
April 16, 2012
http://gigaom.com/2012/04/15/game-time-oracle-google-set-to-face-off-over-android/


Notes

• GigaOM's article employed an interesting way of making the lengthy article relevant by having bolded "mini-headings" at the start of each paragraph that delves into a new aspect of the  which asked and answered the most pressing questions one would have coming to the article. The author, Tom Krazit, digests the information and delivers it in bite-size chunks that also allow for the reader to skip over sections of the article they may be less interested in, which itself becomes a soft form of navigating the article.
• The ComputerWorld article was a curated selection of blogs that covered the topic at hand, and had "more" links to the actual blog. This was a totally different approach than the other two articles as it allows for many different opinions and viewpoints than would normally be available to the reader from a single source.
• The ArsTechnica article goes really in-depth in revealing what Oracle wants from Google and what exactly happened between the two companies. 
• All articles have links that reference earlier-reported developments that are directly related to the article and provide further reading to the curious mind.

LG’s Flexible E-Paper Display Is Coming to Europe in April (Article Review #4)

Article Title

"LG’s Flexible E-Paper Display Is Coming to Europe in April"

Article Author

Stan Schroeder

Article Publication Date

March 29, 2012

URL of Original Article

http://mashable.com/2012/03/29/lg-e-paper/

Article Summary

LG has produced a flexible digital display that is the first of it's kind and already has it ready for mass production in the UK.

Relevance to the Class

This article is relevant to the class in revealing real world improvements in usability and user experience that are being made today.

Key Quote

“With the world’s first plastic Electonic Paper Display (EPD), LG Display has once again proven its reputation for leadership and innovation with a product we believe will help greatly popularize the E-Book market.”

Box Launches Its Own Enterprise Cloud Operating Ecosystem (Article Comparison #3)

Article 1
"Box OneCloud learns from Dropbox and iCloud, allows simpler document editing on-the-go"
March 28, 2012
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/28/box-onecloud-ipad-ios-document-editing-video/

Article 2
"Box's OneCloud launches as 'first mobile cloud for the enterprise'"
March 28, 2012
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/boxs-onecloud-launches-as-first-mobile-cloud-for-the-enterprise/72537

Article 3
"Box Launches Its Own Enterprise Cloud Operating Ecosystem"
March 28, 2012
http://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2012/03/box-launches-its-own-enterpris.php

Notes

• The Engadget article is the shortest of the three, and is the only one with an embedded youtube link, which, in a sense takes the place of potential author-written content, but has a thriving Comment discussion under the Apple iPad ad. The images seem larger than the other articles and it comes off as the writer trying to make the article appear to be longer than it actually is.
• The ZDNet article has much more author-generated content, but has a non-existent comments section. It may not even be apparent to visiting users that there is even a comments section as there are Related Items, a Call to sign up for the email newsletter, a small highlighted section where you can find out more about the author and connect with her on other social media outlets, and a paid Vendor ad before even getting around to the Comments section.
• The ReadWriteCloud article gets into the whys and hows of its usage and what brought about the decision to expand the service into an enterprise app. This article also goes the most in-depth in terms of showing off the many advantages of the app and feels like it really encourages you to get it.

Samsung considering Android-based digital camera (Article Review #3)

Article Title

"Samsung considering Android-based digital camera"

Article Author

Zach Honig

Article Publication Date

March 14, 2012

URL of Original Article

http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/14/samsung-researching-android-based-digital-camera/

Article Summary

Samsung is considering making cameras that run on the Android OS. While nothing is confirmed, This can be a big  technological advancement in how we relate to and with cameras.

Relevance to the Class

This article is relevant to the class in highlighting possibilities of using a high quality camera how we currently use our tablets and smartphones. This can cause a big impact on the tablet market for people who use their tablets mostly for taking pictures.

Key Quote

"We could see Twitter and Facebook apps that let you not only publish your photos directly with a familiar interface, but also see photos shared by your friends. A capacitive touchscreen would let you type in comments directly as well."

COMPARISON: The Binding of Isaac 3DS Release Blocked (Article Comparison #2)

Article 1
"The Binding of Isaac 3DS Release Blocked"
February 28, 2012
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/29416

Article 2
"Binding of Isaac creator: Nintendo rejection shows internal divisions over company's image"
March 6, 2012
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2012/03/binding-of-isaac-creator-nintendo-rejection-shows-internal-divisions-over-companys-image.ars

Article 3
"Video games are a good fit for theological exploration"
March 6, 2012
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1408704&srvc=business&position=recent


Notes

• All articles are about game company Nintendo deciding not to carry a popular game in its line-up due to concerns about its religious content..
• Article 1 was posted a full week before the other two, but is by far the shortest of the three with just two paragraphs. There is nothing visually separating the article from the comments below it, as is prolific in many other similar sites, and it seems to be geared to drive discussion about the news about the title not being carried, with the article being more of a talking piece to inspire talk than to be enjoyed on its own merits.
• Article one shows its source prominently at the top of the page, right under the title, author and date posting. The other sites don't have this level of source verification. I suspect that the site behind the first article "Nintendo World Report" strives to be the first source for news aggregation, and as the first place people are likely to hear about something, they have to prove where they got them from. this also implies that either they don't hold any real influential clout, or they know they have a very cynical audience, as their "word" isn't anticipated to be taken at face value.
• The second article by Ars Technica goes the most in depth in giving a fully-fleshed-out version of the story that may be closest to the complete retelling of the events that we are likely to hear. It is the only article to highlight the fact that there was inner turmoil from within the Nintendo camp about the possible inclusion of the Binding of Issac title and paints a picture of a company struggling with its family-friendly persona and trying to head in a new direction, but being hindered by its own brand. Of all the articles, it is the most sympathetic to Nintendo, further exemplified by being the only article to point out that the Issac creator himself commented that sales of the game on Steam, a digital game selling platform, has tripled since Nintendo's decision to not carry Issac. This may be due to all the press garnered by the events that have transpired.
• The third article on the Boston Herald's website seems to use the news as the center-piece in an persuasive argument for the use of games as a platform for furthering theological ideas. At the onset, a very sympathetic picture is painted about the game before the news itself is even presented. This may be to solidify an emotional bond between the reader and the game that later serves as a bridge over which the ideas presented in the article are carried on. The content is heavily framed here and is further evidenced by the use of quotes from an editor who just happens to also be a theologian who is unrelated to the news in question, but is used by the author to build his own argument. At the end of the article, the words "news and opinion column" are used concerning the article and helps remove liability from the paper itself and frame the piece as an editorial more than a news item.