Pogue - Gizmodo

posts about #pogue more →
David Pogue: "Smartphone Is Too Limited...It's An App Phone"
Pogue: AT&T Drops Inane Paging Option From Voicemail Chatter
David Pogue Says Sony DSC-WX1 Is the Best Low Light Point-and-Shoot
"Take Back the Beep" Voicemail Crusade Takes Back Its First Beeps
A Rallying Cry Against Scummy Carrier Voicemail Messages
Congress: Stop Wasting Time Trying for a Verizon iPhone and Actually Help Us Out
David Pogue Piano Solo Imagines a World Without Apple or Gadgets
The One Thing David Pogue and Unlimited Lives in Contra Have in Common
NY Times' Pogue-O-Matic Guides Your Gadget Shopping, Sets My Heart Aflutter
iPhone 3G Reviews Are In

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Geisrud
11/05/09

In reply to David Pogue: "Smartphone Is Too Limited...It's An App Phone"
If we need to have a new name, then I suggest an old one. PDA. The acronym is familiar, meaningful, and not awkward.

Then again, just because Pogue says we need a new name for a cell phone, doesn't mean we do. #appphone
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Kerensky97
11/05/09

@Geisrud: I agree.

In the Windows Mobile community "smartphone" was used to refer to the more limited non-touchscreen version of the OS found in clamshell style phones. The version with full capabilities was either just "Windows Mobile Pocket PC" or "Windows Mobile PDA".

Let's face it, PDA's (or Pocket PCs) have been doing all these advanced capabilities long before phones did. All they did was add a phone to the list of features on the PDA.

We don't have smartphones, we have PDA phones. #appphone
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Geisrud
11/05/09

@Kerensky97: The PDA acronym can also be "rebranded". Change the meaning from Personal to Phone Digital Assistant.

Still, at the end of the day, I'm going to call it my cell phone, or just "phone". That's what I do most with it; even if I use it for other reasons, that's the single reason I have it in my pocket every day. I.e., if my *pocket electronic device* couldn't make calls, I wouldn't carry it or anything else. #appphone
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Pope John Peeps II
11/05/09

In reply to David Pogue: "Smartphone Is Too Limited...It's An App Phone"
Let's all just be honest about this, eh?

Statusphone #appphone
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SewerShark: LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE HEADED MONKEY!!!
11/05/09

@Pope John Peeps II: +1 #appphone
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Pope John Peeps II
11/05/09

@SewerShark: LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE HEADED MONKEY!!!: Thanks man. I keep giving gizmodo gold comments here, and rarely get recognized for my efforts. A little adulation is all I ask for. #appphone
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SewerShark: LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE HEADED MONKEY!!!
11/05/09

In reply to David Pogue: "Smartphone Is Too Limited...It's An App Phone"
What about SmartAssPhones? #appphone
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Benguin
11/05/09

In reply to David Pogue: "Smartphone Is Too Limited...It's An App Phone"
I prefer to just call mine "master." #appphone
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Soldier_CLE says DON'T STOP AT THE STAR! REVOKE THE WHOLE DAMN THING, OWEN!!!
11/05/09

In reply to David Pogue: "Smartphone Is Too Limited...It's An App Phone"
I'd have to agree, Rosa.

The problem with the term "app phone" is that there are phones that can do much more than just "app", per the generalized thought that comes across my (and others') minds when you use that term.

At the same time, the term "smart phone" is a bit odd, and sometimes doesn't compute when looking at some of these phone's main uses.

While the industry and their marketing folks wrestle with what classification goes where and what justification or spin fits the reasoning behind it, the truth remains that some of us don't think of the phone i question as necessarilly "smart" nor do we just think of it's primary function as "apps". Heck, you might have a person out there with a premium phone out there that just uses the phone, phonebook and music functions on said phone. Another might take said premium phone and use it primarilly with "widgets/gadgets".

Now that I mentioned it, to me, it's a "premium phone", in that it costs a premium and is essential to daily life functions. Not to mention, it doesn't beat around the bush about the fact that it costs more. #appphone
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scojac
11/05/09

@Soldier_CLE says DON'T STOP AT THE STAR! REVOKE THE WHOLE DAMN THING, OWEN!!!: In many countries aren't they referred to as mobiles? And really, I find that suits the devices quite well. They are, as others have said, 'mobile anything units'. So instead of trying to stick phone, or media player, or computer to them, just leave it at 'mobile'. Then you're covered for forever to come. #appphone
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shrynx
11/05/09

@scojac: Yup. Mobiles. Mobile what? Mobile whatever you want it to be. #appphone
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Soldier_CLE says DON'T STOP AT THE STAR! REVOKE THE WHOLE DAMN THING, OWEN!!! promoted this comment shrynx was starred shrynx was unstarred

Soldier_CLE says DON'T STOP AT THE STAR! REVOKE THE WHOLE DAMN THING, OWEN!!!
11/05/09

@shrynx: @scojac: Good point, but to be more specific, would'nt calling it a "wireless" be more apt?

Mobile... Technically, it doesn't move (unless it vibrates).

Wireless... One could technically debate that it has wires on the inside, but the outside generally doesn't have any wires exposed.

At least, not these days, anyway... #appphone
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TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H.
11/05/09

@Soldier_CLE says DON'T STOP AT THE STAR! REVOKE THE WHOLE DAMN THING, OWEN!!!: It's mobile like in portable, i.e. something that you can take with you when you move, not in the sense that it moves by itself.

When I use my Mobile in airplane mode it doesn't use any of its wireless features at all, while still letting me play games, compose emails, take pictures, and tons of other functionality. So wireless misses the mark imho. It's too long a name to pronounce quickly too.

Mobile Phone
Mobile Camera
Mobile Camcorder
Mobile GPS
Mobile Music Player
Mobile PMP
Mobile TV
Mobile DVR
Mobile Games
Mobile Internet
Mobile Email
Mobile Calendar
Mobile Notes
Mobile Anything
Mobile Everything

Mobile...

Just Mobile #appphone
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Soldier_CLE says DON'T STOP AT THE STAR! REVOKE THE WHOLE DAMN THING, OWEN!!!
11/05/09

@TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H.:

And...

YOU WIN!

You know, as much frequent flyer miles that I've accrued this year, I am actually surprised that I some how omitted in my head that we turn off the "wireless" functions on the flights.

Well done! #appphone
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hcho3
09/09/09

In reply to Pogue: AT&T Drops Inane Paging Option From Voicemail Chatter
U mean AT&T actually listens to their customers?
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Wilson Rothman
09/09/09

@hcho3: If your customers have an army of a million Twitter followers, yep.
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OCEntertainment
09/09/09

In reply to Pogue: AT&T Drops Inane Paging Option From Voicemail Chatter
Awesome. Everybody else, please follow suit?
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MrBlahBlah
08/21/09

In reply to David Pogue Says Sony DSC-WX1 Is the Best Low Light Point-and-Shoot
All i know is i have one of the recent sony P&S cameras, the DSC-w290, and I have been very disappointed by it. The level of noise and "noise smoothing" is unbelievable. It's got a stupid amount of megapixels, and I think they should increased sensor sensitivity and reduced the megapixel count. i don't need 4MB shitty pictures. I dont think I will ever buy a sony camera again
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Edited by MrBlahBlah at 08/21/09 11:15 AM MrBlahBlah was starred MrBlahBlah was unstarred

Benguin
08/14/09

In reply to "Take Back the Beep" Voicemail Crusade Takes Back Its First Beeps
I don't know about the rest of you, but my voicemail on AT&T always has went straight from ringing, to my prerecorded message, to beep. No computer voice lady interjecting at any point whatsoever.

Another tip for AT&T mailboxes, hitting 0 during someone's prerecorded message will skip it and go straight to the beep.
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SBM_from_LA
08/14/09

In reply to "Take Back the Beep" Voicemail Crusade Takes Back Its First Beeps
In regarding the carrier charging it's users to retrieve their voice messages, the original AT&T (before the Cingular merger) allowed users to to access their voice mail from any telephone (land line) to listen to their messages. I used to do that a lot. Unfortunately, after Cingular took over, they put a stop to that. Another thing... the Original AT&T also allowed FREE unlimted incoming sms (text messages), which was great. I used to have my Yahoo Messenger set up to send all my messages to my phone when I was not at my computer.. Those were the days..

I really wish there were companies in this world today that didn't worship money as their god, but unfortunately, there isn't a single one in existence. Like the bible says, you can't worship both God and money... you can only have one master...
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SwapMeet
08/14/09

@SBM_from_LA: I thought you could still access AT&T voicemail from a landline. I did it last year while in Cancun.
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zenpoet
08/14/09

@SwapMeet: I think you still can. While we are on the topic of memories, at one point back when cell phones were still new, and 10 cents a minute wasn't uncommon, my carrier allowed you to forward your phone to any number for free, even if it was long distance, and it didn't keep track of your minutes of use when you did that.

Of course, anyone with any brains figured out that you just needed to forward your phone to who ever you wanted to talk to, then called your cell phone. The only draw back was forgetting to change it back, and the other person would receive your calls for a while.
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ScottRose
08/14/09

@SBM_from_LA: Verizon still has this feature: you call your own number from any other phone and hit pound during the outgoing message.

I know on my old work-Blackberry (with ATT) the VM number was programmed into the phone. I could call that number from any land line or my personal (VZW) cell phone and get my messages after entering my mailbox # (phone #). This is as of ~6 mos. ago.
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Edited by ScottRose at 08/14/09 4:11 PM ScottRose was starred ScottRose was unstarred

FritzLaurel
08/13/09

In reply to "Take Back the Beep" Voicemail Crusade Takes Back Its First Beeps
Great, now can we get Gizmodo to FIX THEIR FREAKING COMMENT SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Iron Man Underoos
08/14/09

@FritzLaurel: Sorry, I'm colorblind. I can't read your post since it's in gray.
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DeusExMach believes you have his stapler promoted this comment Iron Man Underoos was starred

DeusExMach wonders what the hell happened to his star.
08/14/09

@Iron Man Underoos: There. Fixed that for ya.
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Jeb_Hoge
08/13/09

In reply to "Take Back the Beep" Voicemail Crusade Takes Back Its First Beeps
You know, I want to be sympathetic to Pogue's objective but the truth is that Verizon is right...more people rely on those messages than he thinks. I write user documentation for a living, and over the past few years especially, I've continually had to adjust my assumptions downward over and over about what people can intuitively understand. If you can't show someone a picture, you have to be very specific and very descriptive, and I've seen grown, intelligent adults freeze up looking at simple web interfaces if someone's not telling them exactly what to do.
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SigmundTheSeaMonster
07/31/09

In reply to A Rallying Cry Against Scummy Carrier Voicemail Messages
They planned this from the beginning. Don't you get it, David, that Control Freaks all work at phone companies!!! Seconds = profit.
Press 1 to skip this message.
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alphanumeric1971
07/31/09

In reply to A Rallying Cry Against Scummy Carrier Voicemail Messages
Or, you could just do what I did and simply have your carrier remove voicemail. I simply use call display.
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chapoec
07/30/09

In reply to A Rallying Cry Against Scummy Carrier Voicemail Messages
Try to get google voice. You can check your voicemail from the internet. They easily transcribe it for you or you can hear it want.
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