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'Sideways Dictionary' simplifies tech jargon for the masses
If you ever get confused about tech jargon (or want to clear up said confusion), a new tool from Google's Jigsaw incubator and the Washington Post may help. The "Sideways Dictionary" uses analogies and metaphors to help regular, non-techy people understand terms like "zero-day," "metadata," "net neutrality" and other jargon. Users will be able to access analogies online like a regular dictionary or find them in the Post, where they'll accompany articles that contain "technobabble."
Weekly Roundup: Moto X review, LG G2 hands-on, Apple's next iPhone event, and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
WaPo: DOJ preparing antitrust probe for Apple, among others
Apple, Google, Yahoo! and Genentech are subjects of a fresh antitrust investigation surrounding hiring and recruiting practices among companies in the tech industry, according to Washington Post staff writer Cecilia Kang. "By agreeing not to hire away top talent, the companies could be stifling competition and trying to maintain their market power unfairly," antitrust experts said in the article. Hiring and recruiting can sometimes be a touchy affair, as Apple found out late last year when trying to hire Mark Papermaster. The investigation may suggest some kind of written agreement among large tech firms to not hire away each other's top talent. According to the New York Times, Justice has only requested documents for the ongoing investigation. Neither the Justice Department nor any of the companies mentioned in the story had any comment. This comes in addition to another Justice investigation into ties between the boards of directors of Apple and Google, and whether or not having Google CEO Eric Schmidt on both (and Genentech CEO Arthur Levinson on all three) constitutes antitrust violations. Some consider Apple and Google to be competitors in certain areas such as phone handsets. The Obama administration is stepping up efforts to investigate anti-competitive activity among high-tech companies, and is already investigating Google's deal with book authors to republish their work via Google Books. [Via AppleInsider]
Forbes guesses wildly at Macworld
Forbes is playing it safe with the Macworld predictions this year. Everything you've ever heard rumored about Apple in the last five years? Yeah, it's all here in their Macworld speculation guide. From the sub-notebook, to the iTablet, all the way to the Beatles, an Apple car, and even the old Apple gaming device, they cover pretty much all the bases.In a way, it's good, because at least it means that Forbes has exactly no idea what's coming at the big event. Don't get me wrong-- I'm sure we'll still see it leaked a few days ahead of time by the Washington Post or the New York Times. But at least now, before the holidays, they're as clueless as everybody else.So what is coming to Macworld? At this point, I would be surprised not to see the sub-notebook, and as we said in last week's Talkcast, it would be nice to see an update to the mini and/or the Apple TV. But let's face it: we won't know what Steve is going to talk about until he actually stands on stage and talks about it.
Washington Post expects Wii Zapper backlash, too gun-like
The Wii Zapper/Link's Crossbow Training bundle drops tomorrow -- a relatively surreptitious release considering some of the other holiday giants coming out this week. However, something tells us that the political backlash to Nintendo's kinda-gun-shaped-but-not-really peripheral will be anything but furtive -- and Washington Post writer Monica Hesse agrees.In her article, she gives a brief history of toy guns, and how the Zapper fits into the grand saga of controversial faux weaponry. Some of her sources are firmly opposed to the idea of bringing a gun attachment to the otherwise kid-friendly system, but we feel that 14-year-old Damian Crisafulli's response to paranoid parents is the most insightful soundbite in the whole story: "It's plastic that clips to a video game controller." Well said, Damian.[Via GamePolitics]
ESA's Gallagher spends time gaming with Washington Post
It's fun to watch Mike Gallagher, the still-new head of the ESA, as he evolves into his position slowly but surely. His image has transitioned from total noob, to hired gun, to softening up a bit and gaming with The Washington Post. If nothing else his image seems to be on the right track to represent the industry and have his big coming out at next year's E3.The WaPo piece paints Gallagher as a man who brings a Nintendo DS to Capitol Hill meetings to show lawmakers games that are actually more representative of the industry. He also apparently got a vanity plate from his children for Father's Day that says: GAME DAD. Robbie Bach, Microsoft entertainment division president, who is on the ESA board, gets a quote in the piece saying that Gallagher was chosen because he "games and understands the space." Then the WaPo writer and Gallagher have a gaming competition that ends in a draw. Gallagher continues to build a solid image that shows that he's political, but also understands "the gamer."And we really need a new photo of this guy. This photo of him from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is *snore* and we're done using the Pokémon one. Oh, and we sure as heck ain't using the WaPo picture of Gallagher walking around with a PS3 like a boombox on his shoulder. Time for some respectable glamour shots with the ESA logo in the background -- maybe the ESA can hire Annie Liebovitz, industry should be able to afford their spokesman some good portrait shots..[Via GamePolitics]
Ive wins National Design Award
It seems like Apple's Johnathan Ive does two things: design great products, and win awards for designing said products. So today's Ive news is of the second order-- at the National Design Awards in Washington on Wednesday, Ive picked up the product design award. According to the Washington Post, Ive was recognized for his work on the iMac, the iBook, and the iPod, but we can't help but think having the iPhone now under his belt didn't hurt either.Awards also went to Adobe for creating Photoshop, the "gold standard" of photo manipulation software, and a few other architects and designers from various places around the country. The awards were handed out by First Lady Laura Bush, who said Ive's work "...has made it more fun to go back in time and play oldies on our iPods." She's still listening to oldies? Someone show this woman the podcast page on iTunes!
Game therapy at Walter Reed Medical Center
Mike Musgrove of the Washington Post has written a touching piece on how soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center have been using video games as both mental and physical therapy.The story opens on a monthly gathering scheduled by soldiers aid group Cause and highlights how video games have helped soldiers socialize -- both as inpatients and on the battlefield. Said Chuck Ziegenfuss, an Army Major who spent six months at the hospital after being wounded in 2005, gaming in Iraq "gives [soldiers] back a sense that they're normal."Army Spec. Juan Alcibar has suggested to physical therapists that the use of games like Guitar Hero to help soldiers rebuild hand strength and dexterity. The article, published in time for Memorial Day, exemplifies how video games as an interactive medium can and have contributed to society.Those who wish to help Cause and Soldiers' Angel, another organization cited by the piece for its game-related donations, can do so at the embedded links. It couldn't hurt to donate any games you have lying around.[Via Evil Avatar]
