Horizons

Artist Edward Gorey's 88th birthday is celebrated today on Google's home page. (Google)

Edward Gorey: The original Tim Burton (+video)

By Alicia Pflaumer / 02.22.13

Edward Gorey was an American writer and illustrator known for his unique style, love of cats, and the playful, Victorian-style characters in his work. He was born on February 22, 1925 and would have celebrated his 88th birthday on Friday. Google is celebrating the artist with a collection of Gorey drawings gracing the search engines homepage today.

Gorey lived in Chicago as a child and he claims to be mostly a self-taught artist, he spent only one semester at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1943. He later attended Harvard University from 1946 to 1950, where he joined ranks with other Harvard alumni and founded the Poets' Theatre in Cambridge, Mass.

He lived most of his later years in his home on Cape Cod.

Gorey has said that he got his talent from his maternal great-grandmother, Helen St. John Garvey, who was a popular 19th century greeting card writer and artist.

Gorey wrote more than 100 books and illustrated reprints of books such as “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, “The War of the Worlds” by H. G. Wells, and a collection of whimsical poems titled “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats” by T. S. Eliot. 

He classifies his own gothic pen and ink style as “literary nonsense.” 

Gorey’s “wicked and whimsical” animations were used to introduce the PBS’ series “Mystery!," since the series began in 1980.

Daniel Handler, known as Lemony Snicket, told the New York Times in 2011:

“When I was first writing ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events,’ I was wandering around everywhere saying, ‘I am a complete rip-off of Edward Gorey,’ and everyone said, ‘Who’s that?’ Now, everyone says, ‘That’s right, you are a complete rip-off of Edward Gorey.’ ”

Mr. Handler and director Tim Burton, known for the film "Edward Scissorhands," are just two artists who owe some gratitude to Gorey for setting the stage for the Goth genre. 

But Gorey wouldn't want readers to dig into his books or his style too deeply. The New York Times article quotes Gorey’s favorite saying: “When people are finding meaning in things — beware.”

A man uses the touchscreen of the Google Chromebook Pixel laptop computer at an announcement in San Francisco, Calif. (Jeff Chiu/AP)

The Pixel: Google's newest (and most expensive) Chromebook yet

By Aimee Ortiz / 02.22.13

Google launched its latest Chromebook, the Pixel, yesterday at a press event in San Francisco, Calif. The Pixel comes armed with a glass screen, high-resolution screen, and a $1,000+ price.

This is Google’s latest attempt to make Chrome OS takeoff. The Pixel brings Chromebooks up a level with new hardware and takes aim “power users," says senior vice president for Chrome Sundar Pichai.  

“Touch is here to stay and is the future,” says Mr. Pichai, according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek. “We wanted to design something which was very high end and premium for power users -- people who are very, very demanding of their laptops.”

The Pixel has an Intel Core i5 processor and limited internal storage. The idea behind Chromebooks is that consumers will use Google's online products and live entirely in a cloud-based system. Essentially, Chromebooks come with a Web browser and that’s about it. Instead of Microsoft Office or Outlook, Chromebook users will use Google Docs and Gmail.

The high price of the Pixel is also due to specs outside of the processor. The Pixel has 4.3 millions pixels – more than double the pixels on a 1080p HD TV. According to Time, Pichai says that this will cause consumers to “never, ever see another pixel.”  The 12.85-inch screen has an aspect ratio of 3:2 (rather tall for a laptop) and it’s made of glass. Oh, did we mention it’s a touchscreen?

For all those who fear that they will never be able to open a Word document again, Google plans to provide a new version of Quickoffice. Google bought Quickoffice last year as a way to ensure Google files are compatible with everyone’s beloved Microsoft Office.

Topped off with an aluminum casing, three microphones, hidden screws and vents, the Pixel doesn’t seem all that bad. Oh, and Google is giving each Pixel user 1TB of space free of charge for the first three years.

Nonetheless, many critics have come out in full force against the Pixel. Zdnet’s Howard Lo congratulates Google on “out-Appling Apple ... long famous for charging a premium for a product with less features.” If you, dear reader, are interested in a personalize preview of the Pixel, Mr. Lo suggests that you take a normal laptop, open Chrome, and restrict access to everything else on the computer. (Lo is clearly not a fan.)

Gizmodo’s Sam Biddle quickly published a piece titled, “Every Reason Not to Buy the Google Chromebook Pixel.” The Pixel is too expensive, he says off the bat. And the list continues.

And Forbes contributor Daniel Nye Griffiths is quick to point out that because the Pixel is aimed at developers, there’s just no point in buying one.  

Beginning today, the Wi-Fi-only model will be available for purchase at BestBuy.com and on Google. It costs $1,300. An LTE version will be available by April for $1,450.

 For more tech news, follow Aimee on Twitter, @aimee_ortiz 

A screenshot of Google's Edward Gorey Doodle. (Google)

Edward Gorey: writer, artist, and a most puzzling man (+video)

By Aimee Ortiz / 02.22.13

E is for Edward whose heart gave away­. That’s Edward Gorey we’re talking about. The American writer and illustrator would have turned 88 today. Google is honoring Mr. Gorey with a doodle featuring the writer and some of his famed artworks.

Gorey’s first book, The Unstrung Harp, was published in 1953. The novel, like the near 70 books that followed, is dark and funny, with a side of morbid whimsy.

For an artist, he claimed to have very little training. Gorey studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1943 but left after one semester. Nevertheless, he proved to be a talented artist in his own right. Gorey’s ink drawings and all their intricacies would go on to influence artists, musicians, and even subcultures.

One subculture that particularly admires Gorey’s work is the gothic community. Goths have a distaste for society's mainstream culture, often opting for what others view as peculiar and underground. Gorey’s surrealist art and ghoulish stories sparked the interests of goths.

Ironically enough, Gorey, who is still greatly revered by goths, reveled in the mainstream. He taped and studied commercials. He watched soap operas and sitcoms. He was anything but goth.

“He was fascinated with the stories of soap operas. I could never understand it,” said Alexander Theroux, Gorey’s long-time friend and author of The Strange Case of Edward Gorey, during a 2011 interview with comicsreporter.com.

In fact, Gorey responded to the notion that he was gothic on more than one occasion.

In a 1992 interview with The New Yorker, Gorey said, “If you're doing nonsense it has to be rather awful, because there'd be no point.”

What Gorey meant by "nonsense" was his style of writing. Literary nonsense is literature that utilizes different elements in order to break conventional language or logical reasoning.

Goths, perhaps, are also attracted to Gorey’s defiance of language, such as in this line: "It was seemingly deaf to whatever they said, So at last they stopped screaming, and went off to bed. It joined them at breakfast and presently ate All the syrup and toast and a part of a plate." 

However, they would be in shock to find out that the writer shamelessly enjoyed watching Cheers and Petticoat Junction.

In the Guardian’s obituary to the writer, they mention his belief that he was not as morbid as he seemed. Once again, Gorey did not see himself as dismal and removed.

“I see no disparity between my books and everyday life... I write about everyday life,” said Gorey, according to The Guardian

And according to Mr. Theroux, Gorey lived his everyday life just the way he wanted.

“He was one of the few people I've ever known that did exactly what he wanted. Just don't get in his way. He was always heading somewhere. To a movie. He had to have that cultural water floating along all the time,” said Theroux in the same interview. “He thought Golden Girls was hilarious.”

Gorey, in living his life as he wanted, perplexed scholars. This man who was happy, who was peculiar, could write some of the darkest pieces of literature. When he died, he continued to confuse them. His Cape Cod house had several cats, items from yard sales, and 45,000 books. 

Gorey’s dark themes appeal to the adults, to goths, to anyone who enjoys a thorough brain scrubbing. And yet, the lightness of his work allows children to enjoy the books as well. The novels are complex, simple, lively, and humorous. Edward Gorey disproved stereotypes, influenced people, made the world a little brighter and a littler darker with each stroke of his pen. 

For more tech news, follow Aimee on Twitter, @aimee_ortiz 

Andrew House, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment, introduces PlayStation 4 for the first time. (Sony Computer Entertainment Inc./PRNewsFoto/AP)

Sony's PlayStation 4: What you need to know

By Aimee Ortiz / 02.21.13

Sony’s had a rough few years. The company has lost money across several industries; PlayStation lost many American gamers to the Xbox. But as of last night, Sony is attempting to get it all back. In a New York debut, Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4. Well, some of it.

In what turned out to be a rather curious night for tech fans and journalists, Sony announced the PS4 but never actually showed the console. It instead focused on the newest additions to the console, the re-vamped controller, and the games.

“Today we will give you a glimpse into the future of play,” Sony Computer Entertainment head Andrew House told the crowd Wednesday night.

Sony’s announcement of the PS4 comes months before the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the spring electronics show where the computer and video game industry shows off its upcoming products. Yet, Sony maintained some secrecy.

Sony kept mum on the console’s looks, the price tag, and a specific release date ­– mentioning a holiday-season release. According to CNET, this is an unprecedented move. Typically consoles are first exhibited at E3, with an almost-finished version seen the next year, which is then followed by the actual release.

So what is the PS4?

“It’s like a PC in many ways, but supercharged, “ says Mark Cerny, PS4’s lead architect and famed game designer. “The processing power of the system is an exponential leap over its predecessors.”

Mr. Cerny says that Sony's new hardware and software will allow gamers to begin playing downloadable games before the download is even complete. The PS4 will also attempt to learn a person's taste in games, reaching the point where the console will pre-download games according to the consumer’s preference. If the machine guesses correctly, then you can start playing immediately. The goal, according to Cerny, is to bring download times to an absolute zero.

A 3-D camera will work in tandem with a light bar on the controller, allowing for easier wireless and motion connectivity. The new controller also has a touch-pad as opposed to the traditional “start” and “select” buttons. Sony added a “share” button to the controller that offers feature beyond chatting and uploading clips. PS4 gamers will be able to share games with friends and have the ability to switch between the console and the Vita.

Critics of the PS4 are not necessarily happy about the new controller. Comments left on the gaming blog Kotaku revealed some disdain. “Share Button? Can I take a selfy with it?" writes user Police Prayer. 

Another Kotaku member commented that the touch-pad is “unnecessary gimmickry.” And Lovelypinksock says, “You're making a game controller. It should be as easy to use as possible, but seems they've kinda gone overboard with the looks and forgotten about the practicality.”

The conference last night didn’t stop at just the controller and new specs; Sony announced a list of games specifically for the PS4. And before you get excited, it appears that the PS4 will not be able to play PS3 game. However, Sony says that it plans on creating an online catalog that will allow PS3 games to be played on any of their devices via streaming.

Gamers also need not fret that Sony will make used games obsolete. According to Engadget, Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida put the rumors to rest that the PS4 will block used games. Mr. Yoshida told Eurogamer that the PS4 will, in fact, play used games. Gamestops everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief. 

For more tech news, follow Aimee on Twitter, @aimee_ortiz

A shot of Tux, the Linux mascot, before fighting a rival. (YouTube)

Enter the Penguin: Steam for Linux arrives

By Aimee Ortiz / 02.14.13

Valve announced today that Steam is now available for the open-source operating system Linux. The free application can be found in the Ubuntu Software Center.

To celebrate the release, Valve kicked off a week-long sale on 50 available Linux games. The sale offers gamers the chance to save up to 50 percent off of the original price.

Rumors of Steam for Linux have long been discussed. Last July, Valve confirmed that they were working on such a product. By November, Valve began a closed beta and in December, the company opened the beta to the public.

Valve has reportedly been planning a Linux version since Valve chief Gabe Newell became increasingly vocal against Windows 8. According to PCMag.com, Mr. Newell says that Microsoft 8 will be “a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space.”

Linux has long been criticized for its lack of games. Forbes reports that the cause for this is the long time that it takes graphics card manufacturers to create drivers for Linux systems. This, coupled with the time it takes developers to make Linux ports for Linux’s small gaming community, has created a hole that Valve hopes to fill.

"We're huge fans of Linux. It's like the indie OS -- a perfect home for our indie game," Alen Ladavac, CTO of Croatian video game developer Croteam, told PCmag. "And who better to lead the charge into Linux gaming than Valve?”

Steam's Linux-compatible games can run on multiple platforms. This means that you can begin a game on Linux, move to a Windows PC, and finish it on a Mac.

The Linux Steam client also supports Valve’s Big Picture mode, which allows gamers to play computer games in a format that suits living room PCs. Instead of dealing with a mouse and keyboard on the couch, Big Picture allows the user to play with a regular controller.

Although the games currently available for Linux are slim pickings, Valve is working on converting its own games to the OS. Some current favorites include: Amnesia, Half-Life, and Defcon. The sale is scheduled to continue through to Feb. 21.

For more tech news, follow Aimee on Twitter, @aimee_ortiz

Apple CEO Tim Cook stands infront of images of the iPhone (Robert Galbraith/Reuters)

Apple prepares to fight for the iPhone name in Brazil

By Aimee Ortiz / 02.14.13

Apple now faces a major obstacle in the emerging Brazilian smart-phone market. Brazilian patent regulators announced today that Apple does not have the rights to the iPhone trademark. This means that Apple will have to fight to keep the name, a battle that they’ve fought before.

The National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil’s patent agency, has denied Apple’s claims to the trademark because, it says, IGB Eletrônica SA already owns the rights. IGB is better known by its brand name, Gradiente.

Gradiente filed for a Brazilian trademark on the iPhone name back in 2000, six years before Apple filed its application. Since Brazil's trademark law states that registrations work on a first-come, first-serve basis, Gradiente was definitely in line before Apple. However, Apple is challenging the decision, according to the Wall Street Journal, on the basis that Gradiente has not sufficiently used its trademark.

Gradiente won the trademark in 2008, which according to Brazilian laws gives it rights to the name until 2018 as long as the company produces a device under that name within five years. Gradiente did not release such a device until December, only a few weeks before the deadline. Gradiente’s “IPHONE Neo One” runs on the Android OS, retailing for $304. That is a fraction of the price of Apple’s iPhone 5, which retails for $1,220 in Brazil. (In the US, the cheapest iPhone costs $199 with a two-year contract. That contract helps phone companies recoup the money lost on the initial sale of the device. Most countries do not have these subsidies, hence higher prices)

Apple has run into naming problems before. Last year, Proview Electronics sued Apple for fraud and unfair competition. Proview had sold the rights to the iPad name in Taiwan back in 2009. Apple thought that the deal included the naming rights in mainland China as well, but Proview's Chinese subsidiary disagreed. As a result, Proview attempted to stop the sale of iPads in China. If Proview had won the case, the iPad trademarks for the European Union, South Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam would have all been returned to them. Apple opted to settle the dispute, avoiding a trial.

Apple also faces a similar situation in Mexico. A telecommunications-equipment firm filed its name as “iFone.” The name was registered in 2003, well before Apple filed for the iPhone trademark there. Apple originally filed an injunction against iFone, claiming that the phonetically similar words would confuse customers. Mexican courts ruled against Apple, allowing iFone to continue its business. Apple is still allowed to use the iPhone name since the companies work in different businesses. 

The Brazilian fight for the iPhone trademark could turn out to be costly for Apple in more ways than one. Brazil is one of the biggest upcoming markets for smart phones. The WSJ reports that the country is expected to become the world’s fourth largest smart-phone market by 2016.

For more tech news, follow Aimee on Twitter, @aimee_ortiz

A shot of the outside of an Apple Store (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Tim Cook describes bold future for Apple. But cheaper iPhones? Maybe not.

By Aimee Ortiz / 02.13.13

Apple CEO Tim Cook admits that he rarely has bad days but when he does, Mr. Cook takes a trip to the Apple Store.

“It's a feeling like no other,” Mr. Cook announced at the Goldman-Sachs Technology and Internet Conference on Feb. 12. “I’m not even sure ‘store’ is the right word anymore. They’ve taken on a role much broader than that.”

And there might be some truth to what Cook says. Asymco analyst Horace Dediu published charts today that illustrate Cook’s point. Apple retail stores pull in a little over $6,000 in sales per square foot. That ratio is huge. The runner-up, Tiffany & Co., came in second with less than half that number -- just $3,000 in sales per square foot of retail space.

“They are the face of Apple for almost all of our customers,” says Cook. “I’ve never been more bullish about innovation at Apple."

On the topic of innovations, the Apple rumor mills quickly picked up the often-repeated whispers of a cheaper iPhone. Cook neither dismissed nor confirmed the rumor, instead insisting that Apple’s “north star” has always been great products. This mantra, according to Cook, means that Apple is looking at ways to make cheaper products without sacrificing quality. Cook’s example of this unwillingness to lose quality was to bring up the iPad. Critics had long asked Apple for a MacBook with a price tag below $1,000. After concluding that the company would be unable to make that happen, Apple created the iPad, he says.

The Wall Street Journal reported in January that Apple has, indeed, been working on a cheaper iPhone since 2009. However, the company could still discard the idea. One reason for dropping the plans could be the possible effect of a cheaper iPhone on the company’s profit margins.

“A less-expensive iPhone risks crimping the company's profit margins, which executives have been loath to sacrifice. Even small changes in margins often sway investors,” says WSJ’s Jessica E. Lessin.

Apple’s current “cheapest” iPhone is the iPhone 4, which is free with a two-year contract. The iPhone 4S is a close second starting at $99 with a two-year contract. This, according to Informationweek.com, makes it “unclear just what a budget iPhone would be, at least in the United States where phones are usually sold by carriers with a subsidy.” Of course, outside of the US, where carrier contracts are less common, iPhones cost closer to $700. 

Subsidies are what allow Apple to sell the iPhone for such a low price through retailers. The contracts enable the company to recover their costs. The IW says that Apple will have to consider alternative subsidy models if they want to make a cheaper iPhone still profitable.

When Cook spoke at the same event a year ago, the public was still reeling from Steve Job’s death. Cook was reserved and quiet. This year, Cook passionately spoke about Apple, declaring his pride and vision for the company. 

For more tech news, follow Aimee on Twitter, @aimee_ortiz

Macmillan settles e-book dispute with the Department of Justice

By Aimee Ortiz / 02.08.13

After almost a year of litigation, Macmillan has reached a settlement with the US Department of Justice. The DOJ was suing Macmillan for allegedly conspiring with Apple and other publishers to raise the price of e-books.

The settlement, which still needs to be approved by a Judge in Manhattan, requires Macmillian to lift any restrictions they have on retailers discounting e-books. They will also have to report their communications with other publishers to the DOJ and are prohibited from entering new contracts that impose such restrictions until 2014. Once approved, Apple will be the only defendant left to battle against the suit.

Macmillan chief executive John Sargent posted a letter online, explaining that the settlement comes after he had received an estimate of the maximum damage.

“I cannot share the breathtaking amount with you, but it was much more than the entire equity of our company,” writes Mr. Sargent. “We settled because the potential penalties became too high to risk even the possibility of an unfavorable outcome.”

Apple continues the case, insisting that they and the other publishers were not conspiring. Apple claims that it was instead fighting a “monopoly” by Amazon. According to CNET, Apple says that the government has sided with Amazon. In a legal memo released in August, Apple called Amazon the “driving force” behind the suit. Apple argued that Amazon spoke with government officials frequently throughout the investigation.

“In all, the Government met with at least fourteen Amazon employees—yet not once under oath. The Government required that Amazon turn over a mere 4,500 documents, a fraction of what was required of others,” says Apple.

The DOJ released a statement today about the Macmillian settlement:

“As a result of today’s settlement, Macmillan has agreed to immediately allow retailers to lower the prices consumers pay for Macmillan’s e-books,” says Jamillia Ferris, chief of staff and counsel at the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, according to the official DOJ statement. “Just as consumers are already paying lower prices for the e-book versions of many of Hachette’s, HarperCollins’, and Simon & Schuster’s new releases and best sellers, we expect the prices of many of Macmillan’s e-books will also decline.”

A New York Times article states that the reason for the settlement might be an impending merger. NYT blogger Leslie Kaufman writes, “The publishing industry has begun to consolidate in order to respond to the threat from Amazon, and when Penguin and Random House announced last October that they would merge, it fueled speculation that more alliances would follow.”

Macmillan has not stated or given any indication that they are looking to merge with any fellow publishers.

The continued suit against Apple will culminate in a trial this coming June. 

For more tech news, follow Aimee on Twitter, @aimee_ortiz

The Google logo outside Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. (Paul Sakuma/AP)

Racist Google ads? New study links names to negative ads.

By Aimee Ortiz / 02.08.13

Vanity searches, we all do them. You open up Google Search, type in your name, and see what pops up. The typical results include Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter links. Advertisements, however, change from person to person and a new Harvard study provides a disturbing look at why that might be.

Latanya Sweeney, a professor of government at Harvard University, conducted a study on Google and discovered that searches for “black sounding” names were 25 percent more likely to yield advertisements for criminal records searches, even if the person has no such record. 

According to the Boston Globe, Sweeney stumbled onto the topic after a colleague showed her what appeared when Ms. Sweeney’s name was searched. The resulting advertisements for an arrest record shocked the professor, who has never been arrested.

The ads also inspired the computer scientist and specialist in data privacy to dig deeper into the matter. By comparing names like, “Trevon, Lakisha, and Darnell” to “Laurie, Brandon, and Katie,” Sweeney began to compile her data. More than 2,100 names later, she uncovered troubling news.

“Most names generated ads for public records. However, black-identifying names turned out to be much more likely than white-identifying names to generate ads that including [sic] the word 'arrest' (60 per cent versus 48 per cent). All came from www.instantcheckmate.com," says the study, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.

Sweeney concluded that there was a less than 1 percent chance that this was all by accident.

"There is discrimination in the delivery of these ads," Sweeney told BBC News. “Alongside news stories about high school athletes and children can be ads bearing the child's name and suggesting arrest. This seems concerning on many levels.”

The ads show up on Google’s pages and other websites, such as Reuters, which allow ads from Google to appear next to search results.

“You could be in competition for an award, a scholarship, a new job,” Sweeney tells the Boston Globe. “You could be in a position of trust, like a professor, a judge. Having ads that show up suggestive of arrest, may actually discount your ability to function.”

Google has denied the racism claims. The company issued a statement about AdWords, the service that allows businesses to pay in order to have their ads appear with results when certain keywords are searched.

“We also have an 'anti' and violence policy which states that we will not allow ads that advocate against an organization, person or group of people," says Google, according to BBC News. “It is up to individual advertisers to decide which keywords they want to choose to trigger their ads."

This controversy comes just after Australian courts ruled that Google is not responsible for the messages placed by advertisers. 

Sweeney has yet to specifically point out exactly what makes these ads appear. The BBC reported that she needs further information about Google’s AdSense before going forward.

One possible reason, that was suggested, might be user behavior.

Google’s algorithms may be picking up on society’s own prejudices since the ads that appear most often are the ones that are frequently clicked on.

The Boston Globe spoke with Danny Sullivan, editor of SearchEngineLand.com, who said that this might be an isolated incident or perhaps caused by black users clicking the ads as much as white users.

The Globe said that both Sweeny and Mr. Sullivan agree that no matter what the cause, displaying suggestive negative information is a real, online problem.

Sweeney’s study can be viewed online at the Social Science Research Network and at arXiv.org.

For more tech news follow Aimee on Twitter, @aimee_ortiz