Reading headlines like this really emphasizes just how lost Microsoft is right now

Microsoft Tablet OS Not Due Until 2012

This tells me two things.  One, Windows Phone 7 was nothing more than a reaction to iOS.  Two, they had no further strategy than that.

Apparently it simply didn’t occur to them that Apple might take their new mobile operating system and bring it to a tablet device, the same type of device Microsoft has been trying to create *for years* and have failed.  Unfortunately for Microsoft, and everyone else for that matter, Apple doesn’t just have a great mobile OS, they also already have an entire supporting ecosystem adding tremendous value to their mobile OS.

Clearly Microsoft, who has been trying build a tablet people actually want to use for years, simply doesn’t know what they’re doing.  “Redmond, start your copiers” is really real.  You have to feel a little bad for Microsoft.  They’ve been trying for years and Apples launches one out of the park on their first try.  But the difference here is that Apple has their own vision.

I’ve been putting a lot of time into this little project. Nobody uses it (yet?) and truth be told I barely use it in the house but it’s been such a great way to learn a number of different things including python, mDNS (bonjour), creating installer files for debian and OS X systems and even git that I can’t stop working on it.

I’m now releasing version 0.3.0. This version brings a few changes but most notably the Linux client is now ready. The next release will be coming shortly and will focus on making the client the more robust about how it deals with network disconnects.

You can read more about the 0.3.0 release at https://github.com/dustinrue/Dencoder/wiki

I’ve updated Dencoder to use Bonjour to find the Dencoder server. Visit https://dustinrue.com/projects/distributed-handbrake-queue-dencoder to access the latest version. If you’ve previously installed all three packages, you only need to grab the new RabbitMQ Installer and Dencoder Client.

This update means one less config step is required when setting up your distributed encode environment. The clients will now find the master server using bonjour rather than a hard coded value. This should be useful for DHCP environments where the master server’s IP address could change.

Microsoft is at it again. They’re making wild claims about having a number of iPad killers at 2011’s CES based on their Windows 7 OS. I really hope that they came up with a way to make Windows 7 more appropriate for a tablet.

But after reading this I dare say they haven’t

The Times, citing unnamed sources, said the Samsung devices would be “similar in size and shape” to the iPad, but not as thin and equipped with a slide-out keyboard.

A slide-out keyboard?! Are f&($ing kidding me? Congratulations, you just made a more cumbersome laptop

Just found out that a friend of mine, Joel, was responsible for reaching out to and making the mold used to create “The Glif”, as seen here on http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/danprovost/glif-iphone-4-tripod-mount-and-stand?ref=search. He took the time to contact the Glif crew and offered to assist as he to work for Premiere Source, a company that just happens to have “extensive injection molding knowledge” and just what the Glif crew needed to get their product launched after successful funding.

Fantastic product, great story, made here in the US. Congrats to Premiere Source! Pick one up at their store – http://www.theglif.com/

Making the Glif from Glif on Vimeo.

Linux News is reporting that Acer will be launching two new Android tablets, both a 7″ and 10.1″ model, as well as a Windows 7 based tablet. I asked the magic 8 ball and it is already saying “outlook not so good.” Even the “experts” who cover this stuff already know that whatever Acer pumps out simply won’t match the iPad.

“The price point is the only way for other tablets to compete against the iPad for now, as it’s very difficult to battle the iPad in terms of the user experience,” Kitagawa explained. “But if the price is lower than the iPad’s, and the user experience is good enough, buyers might be attracted.”

That’s not exactly praise being dished out there now it is?

I’d really like to see more companies compete with the iPad by actually offering a compelling product. Samsung’s Tab is so far about the only Android based offering that even stands a chance but even that tablet comes up short. It kinda reminds me of a certain Dilbert cartoon

Dilbert.com

And we all know how I feel about Windows 7 on a tablet. That has #fail all over it.