September 4, 2014
Early yesterday, Samsung made a surprise announcement that they would be releasing two new oversized smartphones, the Galaxy Note Edge and the Galaxy Note 4. The Android-based Samsung Note phones have already been pushing the boundaries on phone screen size since the very first Note in 2011. Their comically large screens led to the phones […]
April 11, 2013
Ah, the hearts and purse strings of the mobile masses are so fickle. One minute we’re devoted to one device, the next, twitterpated by another technology. At one point, HTC was the wunderkind of the wireless world, elevating itself from HP and Palm’s behind-the-scenes design manufacturer to brand behemoth. But recently, they’ve fallen from grace, […]
November 17, 2011
When Heraclitus said, “the only constant is change,” perhaps he was talking about the telecommunications industry. The average lifespan of a cell phone these days is shorter than a mayfly’s; and the ever-shorter product lifecycle has caused a surge in names for the barrage of new devices. Bucking this industry trend, Nokia recently announced its […]
September 21, 2011
With the unveiling of four gleaming Galaxy Android mobile phones, Samsung also announced a new naming system, aimed at helping “users simply identify the device designed to deliver the perfect experience for them,” according to JK Shin, head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications division. (May I also suggest referring to your “users” as “customers” if you […]
February 4, 2011
When it comes to product naming—at least of their Android smartphones—no one can accuse HTC of understatement. For starters, there was the HTC Legend . . . the HTC Dream . . . the HTC Supersonic . . . and the HTC Hero (to name just a few). Now, there’s the HTC Thunderbolt—the lightning-fast phone […]
January 25, 2011
We were delighted to learn that a project we worked on nearly three years ago has finally come to market. At this year’s CES, Seeker Technology debuted the pipSqueak, a handy little device that lets you know when you’ve got a call coming in. As they explain in their press, PipSqueak notifies you whenever your […]
October 20, 2010
This item was originally published on October 19th, 2010 at Fast Company. Windows Phone 7: a name that provokes people everywhere to say “Meh.” It’s the successor to Windows Mobile 6.5 (an uninspiring name if there ever was one), and surely MS intends the shift from “mobile” to “phone” in the name to indicate A […]
July 2, 2010
X marks the proverbial spot. It’s also the X factor, that special something that you just can’t define but that probably, if you’re willing to buy into it, makes all the difference. It’s a kiss (hug, kiss, hug), where you place your Johnny Hancocky, and the WRONG answer. It’s things taken to the Xtreme, the […]
July 1, 2010
Here’s a really bad idea: Launch your new and totally awesome product, then give it four (yes four!) brand names. Sounds preposterous, right? Well, believe it or not, this is a real story taking place in the technology market, as we speak. Samsung is preparing to launch its newest Android smartphone, the Galaxy. And unlike […]
July 1, 2009
I follow Stephen Fry on Twitter and he’s loads of fun – he loves languages and actually understand linguistics. He’s in Germany now and offered proof that a mobile phone really is called a “handy”, use of which is both amusing and practical (in my opinion). But he also recorded a short audio clip poking […]