Fire-Wired Blog

This article was first published by dmcityview.com In the shadow of the release of the newest iPhones, Apple unleashed on its users something even bigger, the seventh iteration of its mobile operating system (iOS). Every iPhone, iPad and touch screen iPod was given the option to upgrade to iOS 7 earlier this month, and hardcore Apple users were practically counting down the minutes until they could install the update. Based on the sheer number of users who installed the new operating system — about 200 million in the first week — you’d think iOS 7 is a slam-dunk success. However, Apple’s latest user interface is quickly falling prey to the tech plague where nothing’s good enough. Redesigns and interface overhauls are unavoidable. While design fashions go out of style, technologies become outdated and competitors push the envelope of innovative features, the real problem is the belief that tech companies see themselves as sharks. A common, not-entirely true belief is, if sharks stop...

This article was first published by dmcityview.com After a long, hard-fought battle, one of the world’s worst evils is almost completely eradicated. No, I’m not talking about a heinous disease or tyrannical dictator. This evil is the resilient tech scourge known as Internet Explorer 6 (IE6). Once upon time, in an age known as 1994, a little company called Netscape changed the way information was consumed with its innovation of Netscape Navigator, the very first Web browser. Within a couple years, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer completely dominated the browser marketplace and held onto the No. 1 spot until only recently. During its reign as king of the browser, IE6 was at one time the crown jewel. It was the default browser on Microsoft’s most popular operating system, Windows XP, an OS so popular and stable that users were reluctant to give it up when its successors turned out to be bug-riddled duds. While IE6 was the Cadillac of its day, the Internet changed during XP’s reign ...

This article was first published by dmcityview.com Just as television networks kick off another season of reality shows, sitcoms and dramas, a deluge of media outlets are pondering the future of TV. With advertising dollars being spread thin between cable television and the rise of online video, will TV follow the path of the daily newspaper industry? It might be too early to forecast TV’s demise, but just for kicks, I’d like to throw out one idea that could potentially throw the TV world into disarray. What if Google gained exclusive rights to livestreaming NFL games online? On its face, the idea sounds preposterous: Why would a tech giant possibly want the rights to streaming NFL games? Well the answer is quite simple. Google is much more than Web searches and smartphones. In recent years, it has quietly turned into a media giant. YouTube, which is owned by Google and is the fourth-most heavily trafficked website, is arguably the place for online entertainment. It streams Hollywo...