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China Accuses Google of Unfair Censorship
WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
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jellotime91
10/28/09

In reply to China Accuses Google of Unfair Censorship
Pot, meet kettle. #chinagooglecensorship
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strideo
10/28/09

@jellotime91: More like the pot calling the teacup black. #chinagooglecensorship
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brodie7838
10/28/09

In reply to China Accuses Google of Unfair Censorship
A Chinese newspaper called "People's Daily". Boy, this is rich #chinagooglecensorship
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Bokusatsu_Tenshi
10/28/09

In reply to China Accuses Google of Unfair Censorship
Wait. Censorship in China? How did THAT happen?
No, you don't say! Copyright issues too? OMG! #chinagooglecensorship
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fuchikoma
10/19/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
OMFG...
I like WolframAlpha, which puts me in a minority among most people who have never heard of it... but there's no way I'd pay $50 for a mobile version of a website I can access with Safari anyway, that I can think of a use for once every couple of months, but could also be served as well by Google! #wolframalpha
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Adam
10/19/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
I've never had the website give me any data that was at all useful, why would I pay for that? #wolframalpha
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Xeno
10/19/09

@Adam: You've never bothered to ask it anything that was useful to you then. #wolframalpha
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Adam
10/19/09

@Xeno: Well, I can't remember everything I've asked it, but usually it's easy calculations I just don't feel like figuring out. For example, "what is the mass of 250 u.s. dime coins" is a very simple question to piece apart. But all I get is "Wolfram|Alpha isn't sure how to compute an answer from your input." I could ask it "mass of a u.s. dime coin" and multiply it by 250, but isn't the entire point of Wolfram Alpha that I don't need to do that? I've never had it do anything Google couldn't do better. Also, it's much slower. #wolframalpha
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Xeno
10/19/09

@Adam: Ahh, interesting that that didn't work. I asked it 1 can tuna + 2 slices bread + 1 tsp mayo and gave all the nutritional information of a tuna fish sandwich though. Trending say several stocks works well. Or comparing sports statistics. It's certainly not perfect but can do some great things. #wolframalpha
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puhsitch
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
...I don't think that Wolfram is actually looking to make money through the App Store. You know what's really going on here?

Blog reader/Twitterererer: "What kind of crazy company would charge $50 for this?? They must really think they're something special. I don't know who Wolfram is, but I'm gonna go the web site and use their fancy service for FREE just to stick it to 'em!"

No one would be talking if the app were $1.99 (and no one would be buying it since it's not free). We all know that those guys aren't dumb -- and they know that it's the outliers that get the most attention. #wolframalpha
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nutbastard
10/19/09

@puhsitch:

yep - this is their 'balloon boy' so to speak #wolframalpha
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fleebailey33
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
they have given out access to there API, i give it a week before someone makes one thats not official for free/cheap #wolframalpha
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Jamez
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
Considering it can be easily accessed via the iPhone's Safari browser, this app is just dumb. Sorry Wolfram Alpha team, either remove the mobile version of your site or make the app free (or at least better than the browser search engine and cheaper). Otherwise, you just make yourselves look stupid...which is the opposite of what your search engine promotes. #wolframalpha
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jakebathman
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
C'mon, there's got to be SOMETHING that this does above the general website...store calculations? Fancy reports? Back massage? #wolframalpha
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phunnyballs
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
It would only be worth it if you didnt have to connect to the internet. Ipod touch would be left out in the cold #wolframalpha
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dragon:ONE
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
Also, if you were a 'die-hard' Wolfram|Alpha fan, you'd probably have shelled out for the $2500 copy of Mathematica 7 Professional (the core of Wolfram|Alpha), so you probably would pay that extra $50 as chump change.

[Although, I might mention, Mathematica Student is only ~$150 with valid school ID and Academic is about $1100.] #wolframalpha
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TheRiseOfRoy
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
this need to be in the 4-8 dollar range for Wolframalpha looking at that price as the "donation" that users can give to keep the foundation running. its absurd that they want that much. the people want it are the people who use and know about it.

i think readers need to comment about this to try to make an impression on them so they get the idea. anyone else with me? #wolframalpha
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32ndnote
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
Wolfram Alpha did about a million inverse Laplace transforms for me yesterday, but how often do I need that and not have the internet? Never. Except exams. But... you can't use iPhones on exams anyway, so I stand by you señor blogger. #wolframalpha
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DBrim
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
I love wolfram alpha and use it all the time, but I must be missing something here. It loads nearly perfectly on my Pre's browser (which would mean that it would work fine on the iPhone, too).

Oh well, they'll figure it out after a few weeks with zero sales. #wolframalpha
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dallasmay
10/18/09

@DBrim: That, or they will start charging for the site. My bet is on the latter. #wolframalpha
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AlexSea
10/18/09

In reply to WolframAlpha iPhone App Is a $50 Super Calculator
if it has the ability to do crazy math using natural language input i can see some people picking it up. i would use it a lot for work, but not 50$ worth. #wolframalpha
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Jack Loftus promoted this comment Edited by AlexSea at 10/18/09 6:21 PM AlexSea was starred AlexSea was unstarred

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