bodega
Latest
Recommended Reading: Why Cassini had to be destroyed
Analysis: Why Nasa's Cassini Probe Had to Be Destroyed Fedor Kossakovski, PBS By now, you've likely read a bit about NASA's Cassini probe plunging into Saturn to end its tour of duty this week. You've also probably wondering why that had to happen. PBS breaks it down.
How Bodega typifies Silicon Valley’s cultural ignorance
On Wednesday a story about two ex-Google employees receiving an obscene amount of money for a bad idea hit social media and was met with a level of outrage you could feel through the screen. If you're online in any way whatsoever, you likely know I'm talking about Bodega. The excellent article, Two Ex-Googlers Want To Make Bodegas And Mom-And-Pop Corner Stores Obsolete, hit several raw nerves with a wide range of people. This fury is so crystallized because "Bodega" -- an overfunded, probably doomed, glorified vending machine startup positioned as a bodega killer -- stands for everything Silicon Valley represents to us. Whereas in reality, the very concept of a bodega stands for the absolute opposite of Silicon Valley.
Bodega's tone-deaf vending service won’t kill your corner store
Just when you thought the startup world learned a thing or two from the failure of Juicero, here comes Bodega, a company that's put internet connectivity and image recognition on a West Elm-looking vending machine. That's it! They plan to offer their boxes in apartment buildings, gyms and other locations where people might want quick access to non-perishable products. Instead of heading to the store, you just punch in a code from their app, grab what you need, and the company charges you for what you took. There's a kernel of a decent idea there, to be honest. But where Bodega goes wrong, just like so many startups, is that it mistakes a tech twist on an existing concept as innovation.
No Comment: Washington State borrows Bodega's icon, with a tweak
Eagle-eyed reader Jeff spotted this icon in use over on the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries website, and it looked a little familiar to him, as a user of a certain unofficial Mac App Store app that has been around even before Apple's software distribution solution. Minus the actual name, it does look kind of familiar, no? Jeff emailed the Bodega app folks, who told him that nope, "They absolutely do not have the rights to that icon," and that he was "free to start publicly shaming them." Hey, you didn't hear it from us! Come to think of it, though, that Calculator at the bottom of the page also looks a little familiar. Maybe someone over in WA is just a Mac app fan?
Bodega and MacAppsThatRock help you find new Mac apps
I switched to the Mac several years ago, and I'm still finding apps that have been around for a long time that I wish I had known about sooner. Hopefully the Mac App Store will help, but it also raises two issues: 1) What about apps that aren't in the store (for whatever reason, perhaps because they don't fit Apple's guidelines), and 2) How do you find apps in the Mac App Store? Turns out that "there's an app" for the former and a website for the latter. Regarding the issue of finding apps that aren't in the App Store: Bodega lists many apps, and it even offers deals like NetworkLocation for $14.50 (50% off today). Bodega also lets you keep a wishlist of apps, and it will point out any you've got installed that are in need of updates. Another nice touch is that they have linked to the "Buy" page for apps and will let you purchase them without leaving the app (although it's important to note that you are not buying through Bodega itself, they're just providing a nice wrapper around whatever setup the developers already have in place). But what about apps that are in that shiny new Mac App Store? It opened with almost 1,000 apps on day one, and it's already a challenge to find less popular gems that might not make the "Top" lists or the "Featured" page. That's where macappsthatrock.tumblr.com comes in. The premise and the execution are simple: find great apps, include a screenshot, the official description and the price (if any). I've already found a few gems through the site, including Apptivate (US$3) and Screenninja ($10). My only complaint about the site is that it just pulls the official description in from the app's description pages, making it more of a rehash of the official marketing information than "Here's why I think this app is great and worthy of your attention." On the other hand, the descriptions are usually nice and short, and (if the developers have done a good job writing them) clearly explain what the apps do. Having the prices listed right there is a very good thing too, as I find it annoying to read a review of an app with no indication whether it's free, $5 or $50. You don't have to be a Tumblr user to use MacAppsThatRock, of course. Browse the archive or use the random page feature to find an app that was listed on the site, or grab the RSS feed. (While you're there, don't forget about another of our favorite Tumblr sites, safariextensions.tumblr.com, which highlights more Safari Extensions than are shown on the official page.)
Bodega expects to thrive along side Mac App Store
Competition is a good thing, and the leads behind Bodega say they'll be there right alongside the Mac App Store when it debuts tomorrow. "Bodega is not going anywhere," product designer Phil Letourneau told The Loop. "It will continue to grow in terms of developers and customers coming into Bodega." Bodega recently updated to version 1.3, and Freshcode is promoting the software as an approval-free alternative to the Mac App Store -- unless submissions are offensive or contain illegal content -- with no restrictions to APIs. Developers will also incur more revenue -- 93 percent with Bodega versus 70 percent for Apple. We wish the folks behind Bodega good luck and look forward to what Apple will reveal on the 6th.
Bodega 1.3 available, a fun alternative to the Mac App Store
With most Mac users happily anticipating the availability of the Mac App Store on January 6, many seem to forget that there has been an App Store for Mac for quite some time -- Bodega. Bodega is an app discovery and download gateway from Freshcode. The app can be downloaded by anyone for free, and the store is constantly stocked with new apps from a variety of Mac developers. The update provides bug fixes as well as performance and feature improvements, while maintaining the fun "corner store" look and feel that has been a trademark of Bodega. Ahead of the release of the Mac App Store, Freshcode is pushing Bodega to developers as an alternative with many advantages: No approval process for apps, although they must not be blatantly offensive or contain illegal content or information No restrictions on APIs used within apps Developers keep 93 percent of the sale price as revenue, compared to the Mac App Store's 70 percent There's no need to write a special version of an app to be included in Bodega No developer program charges or costs It appears that the Mac marketplace may soon have a surplus of App Stores, since Cydia's Jay "Saurik" Freeman is also developing a similar store. For Mac users, finding and purchasing apps is going to be as easy as clicking an icon -- or several of them. TUAW readers can get a taste of Bodega by downloading the app here. Editor's note: Bodega is going to thrive with the advent of the Mac App Store.
Apple hiring editorial managers for App Store
If you've ever wanted to apply to work at Apple, now might be a good time to check out the job board over at TechCrunch. Late last week, Apple posted several editorial positions designed to help weed out the good apps from the bad in the App Store. Another position is geared toward promoting apps both on the desktop and in the App Store, leading TechCrunch to believe that there could be an App Store for OS X some time in the future. Apple would not be breaking any new ground if the App Store is also pushed to the Mac. Bodega by freshcode was launched in August 2009 and has seen a growing number of users in the months since. With the concerns over editorial standards in the App Store that have plagued it since launch, I'd rather Apple focus on cleaning the App Store up before expanding it beyond the iPhone/iPad.
Bodega: App Store of Mac OS X
With the success of mobile application stores (led by the iPhone's App Store and then copied by virtually every other mobile platform), it makes sense that the next step would be to try to extend that all-in-one browse/download/buy experience on the desktop. The Linux distribution Ubuntu is working on trying to release an App Store-like AppCenter repository for its next desktop release and many Mac users have suggested or opined that an app store for Mac OS X would be beneficial. Earlier this week, IDFusion Software released Bodega, an independent attempt to bring an App Store-like experience to desktop Mac users. The free program, offers up a list of applications -- both free and paid -- that users can download, review and buy. If you purchase an app, you deal directly with the developer, but your receipt information is stored within Bodega for easy reference. You can search for applications (more on that later) and get information on the app, read user reviews and see if there are any press reviews (the press clippings apparently come from Bodega's built-in source list so they aren't complete or exhaustive). I played with Bodega for a bit and tested to see how it works as both a store and an app discovery service.
