Angry Dictator » del.icio.us Links http://angrydictator.com Your source for five-hour speeches on technology and culture. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:53:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Today’s Tom Sawyer http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/24/todays-tom-sawyer/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/24/todays-tom-sawyer/#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:28:50 +0000 PJ Doland http://angrydictator.com/?p=991 This video of the members of Rush playing Rock Band while backstage at The Colbert Report is absolutely hilarious:

I’m actually surprised we haven’t seen a whole viral-marketing campaign based on videos of original artists “playing” their own songs on Rock Band while swilling beers in somebody’s rec room. That might even be more entertaining than playing Rock Band.

]]> http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/24/todays-tom-sawyer/feed/ Where Are the Full-Featured and Time-Limited Trial Versions? http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/15/where-are-the-full-featured-and-time-limited-trial-versions/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/15/where-are-the-full-featured-and-time-limited-trial-versions/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:28:10 +0000 PJ Doland http://angrydictator.com/?p=962 When it comes to software, I’m much more likely to purchase a license if I’m able to download a full-featured trial version and kick the tires for a few weeks. After a few hours of use, I’ll probably either get hooked or decide an application is not my cup of tea. Provided there’s adequate security in place to limit piracy, full-featured time-limited trial versions can be a winning strategy for both developers and consumers.

Support for this type of distribution method is also a critical feature that’s currently missing from the iTunes App Store.

Today I plunked down $9.99 for Byline. Within 20 minutes of using it, I decided I still preferred the mobile version of Google Reader as a web application. Now I’m left with an application I won’t use. I can’t even transfer it to a family member.

It would be easy enough for iTunes to manage a time restriction on trial versions, since it already serves as a gatekeeper for the installation and management of applications. I would think this isn’t any more complicated than the management of time-limited movie rentals, which iTunes already supports.

By making this type of functionality easily available to developers as a supported feature in the SDK, Apple could also limit the spread of free adware demo versions (like Exposure and Twitteriffic) and free crippleware demo versions (like Karajan Beginner) which are probably less likely to convert to an actual sale (that Apple can take a cut from).

]]> http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/15/where-are-the-full-featured-and-time-limited-trial-versions/feed/ links for 2008-07-10 http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/10/links-for-2008-07-10/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/10/links-for-2008-07-10/#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:31:39 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/07/10/links-for-2008-07-10/
  • “It’s Called epMotion”
    It’s as if the Saturday Night Live Digital Shorts writers started making commercials for medical research lab equipment.
    (tags: Cool Funny Marketing Music Video)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/10/links-for-2008-07-10/feed/     links for 2008-07-09 http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/09/links-for-2008-07-09/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/09/links-for-2008-07-09/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:30:34 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/07/09/links-for-2008-07-09/
  • 12 Examples of Paragraph Typography
    If only these were reliable across browsers…
    (tags: CSS Typography)
  • ESPN’s Battle of the Bands on ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’
    Ten different performances. I particularly like the Punch Brothers’ treatment.
    (tags: Music Video Cool)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/09/links-for-2008-07-09/feed/     links for 2008-07-07 http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/07/links-for-2008-07-07/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/07/links-for-2008-07-07/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:31:07 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/07/07/links-for-2008-07-07/
  • African Blackwood Mandolin by J. Condino
    Interesting and aesthetically pleasing soundhole placement.
    (tags: Luthiery Mandolin)
  • Jim Jennings Architecture
    Some really interesting residential architectural work executed in concrete.
    (tags: Architecture Design)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/07/links-for-2008-07-07/feed/     links for 2008-07-05 http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/05/links-for-2008-07-05/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/05/links-for-2008-07-05/#comments Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:31:07 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/07/05/links-for-2008-07-05/
  • Missing scenes from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis turn up after 80 years
    This is obviously just a scam to get me to buy this DVD for the third time.
    (tags: Culture Film Movies News)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/05/links-for-2008-07-05/feed/     links for 2008-07-03 http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/03/links-for-2008-07-03/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/03/links-for-2008-07-03/#comments Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:31:52 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/07/03/links-for-2008-07-03/
  • The Waterboarding of Christopher Hitchens
    For future reference, Hitchens’ safe-word is “red.”
    (tags: Torture Video Interesting)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/03/links-for-2008-07-03/feed/     links for 2008-07-02 http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/02/links-for-2008-07-02/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/02/links-for-2008-07-02/#comments Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:32:59 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/07/02/links-for-2008-07-02/
  • Questionable Content
    The best web comic you’re (probably) not already reading.
    (tags: Comics Funny)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/07/02/links-for-2008-07-02/feed/     links for 2008-06-13 http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/13/links-for-2008-06-13/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/13/links-for-2008-06-13/#comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:31:46 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/06/13/links-for-2008-06-13/
  • Mystery on Fifth Avenue
    The viral marketing racket seems to have moved into the realm of residential architecture.
    (tags: Architecture Cool Design Marketing)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/13/links-for-2008-06-13/feed/     links for 2008-06-07 http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/07/links-for-2008-06-07/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/07/links-for-2008-06-07/#comments Sat, 07 Jun 2008 05:31:07 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/06/07/links-for-2008-06-07/
  • Spike Lee Gets in Clint Eastwood’s Line of Fire
    Could Spike Lee really be this dumb?
    (tags: Film Race)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/07/links-for-2008-06-07/feed/     links for 2008-06-06 http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/06/links-for-2008-06-06/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/06/links-for-2008-06-06/#comments Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:31:51 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/06/06/links-for-2008-06-06/
  • New Math by Bo Burnham
    Clever, catchy, and very funny.
    (tags: Funny Math Video)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/06/links-for-2008-06-06/feed/     links for 2008-06-04 http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/04/links-for-2008-06-04/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/04/links-for-2008-06-04/#comments Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:31:07 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/06/04/links-for-2008-06-04/
  • Takahē
    Very cool looking bird species.
    (tags: Animals)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/04/links-for-2008-06-04/feed/     links for 2008-06-03 http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/03/links-for-2008-06-03/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/03/links-for-2008-06-03/#comments Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:31:26 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/06/03/links-for-2008-06-03/
  • The Original Illustrated Catalog of ACME Products
    Somebody must have spent a lot of time compiling this.
    (tags: Funny Cartoons Animation)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/06/03/links-for-2008-06-03/feed/     links for 2008-05-31 http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/31/links-for-2008-05-31/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/31/links-for-2008-05-31/#comments Sat, 31 May 2008 05:33:22 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/05/31/links-for-2008-05-31/
  • 30 Useful PHP Classes and Components
    It’s usually a bad idea to reinvent the wheel.
    (tags: PHP Programming)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/31/links-for-2008-05-31/feed/     links for 2008-05-29 http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/29/links-for-2008-05-29/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/29/links-for-2008-05-29/#comments Thu, 29 May 2008 05:31:44 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/05/29/links-for-2008-05-29/
  • Jon Dyer’s Quest For Every Beard Type
    Because everyone should have a goal in life.
    (tags: Blog Cool Fashion Mustache Beard Inspiration)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/29/links-for-2008-05-29/feed/     links for 2008-05-14 http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/14/links-for-2008-05-14/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/14/links-for-2008-05-14/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 05:38:47 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/05/14/links-for-2008-05-14/
  • Richardson Wins State Team Title Alone
    Maybe there is an “I” in “team.”
    (tags: Interesting Sports)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/14/links-for-2008-05-14/feed/     links for 2008-05-10 http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/10/links-for-2008-05-10/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/10/links-for-2008-05-10/#comments Sat, 10 May 2008 05:32:29 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/05/10/links-for-2008-05-10/
  • Covering Bond
    The cover art for the new Penguin hardback editions of Ian Fleming’s James Bond books are unbelievably cool.
    (tags: Books Design Illustration)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/10/links-for-2008-05-10/feed/     links for 2008-05-09 http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/09/links-for-2008-05-09/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/09/links-for-2008-05-09/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 05:31:42 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/05/09/links-for-2008-05-09/
  • Tank on Empty
    How far can you go after the gas light in your car comes on?
    (tags: Cars Cool Fuel Interesting)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/09/links-for-2008-05-09/feed/     links for 2008-05-07 http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/07/links-for-2008-05-07/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/07/links-for-2008-05-07/#comments Wed, 07 May 2008 05:31:44 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/05/07/links-for-2008-05-07/
  • 104 Hypermiling Tips
    Most of these are somewhat ridiculous, but interesting nonetheless.
    (tags: Energy Fuel)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/07/links-for-2008-05-07/feed/     links for 2008-05-03 http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/03/links-for-2008-05-03/ http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/03/links-for-2008-05-03/#comments Sat, 03 May 2008 05:33:25 +0000 PJ Doland http://pj.doland.org/2008/05/03/links-for-2008-05-03/
  • Real Fight Club on ESPN Video
    Normally this isn’t what you think of when you hear “in a garage in Palo Alto.”
    (tags: Culture Interesting Video)
    • ]]>     http://angrydictator.com/2008/05/03/links-for-2008-05-03/feed/