This post is for @rissxrizzles to explain why I will never by another Volkswagen. I’ve wanted to write about this for a while now.
Volkswagen’s tweet: ”We definitely support this decision! RT @rissxrizzles: I think i might get a jetta :)” finally prompted me to share my VW nightmare with Marisa and anyone else who cares to read. Maybe VW will take notice and FIX IT.
A New Policy for Wolfram Alpha
According to Wolfram Alpha’s newly minted managing director Barak Berkowitz, the team’s “number-one priority as of today is to get Wolfram|Alpha in the hands of everyone.” This, obviously, is a complete reversal of Wolfram’s earlier policy, but we are very happy to see this new direction the team is taking.
Refunds for Those Who Bought $50 App
While Wolfram always argued that the app was worth $50, not too many people thought so. The current version only has 24 reviews in the App Store. Wolfram will obviously take a loss on the refunds as Apple won’t return the 30% cut it took from all the sales, but the Wolfram Alpha team clearly feels that this is the right thing to do. We can only guess how much money Wolfram made from the $50 app, but chances are that the company will sell more than enough $1.99 apps to make up for the price difference. If you bought the app at the full price (or $19.99 during the holiday sale), you can go to this site and ask for a refund.
To get a refund, users will have to supply their phone’s or iPod touch’s UDID, a screenshot of their UDID on the iTunes summary and account details page, as well a copy of their receipt from Apple.
You can find our full review of the iPhone app here.New Mobile Site
The new mobile site feels faster than the original page, but at least in the version we tested just before the official launch, result pages seemed to be formatted for a screen somewhat larger than the iPhone. We assume, however, that this is just a glitch and that the company will fix this shortly. Unlike the native app, the mobile site obviously also doesn’t offer the specially formatted virtual keyboards for entering formulas (something Wolfram used as the main reason to charge extra for the iPhone app).
More To Come
According to today’s announcement, the company also plans to expand on this strategy of making the service more accessible in the next few months, though the announcement didn’t offer any further details. According to Schoeller Porter, Wolfram|Alpha’s architect, “the new iPhone and iPod touch app price, and the refund offer are just the beginnings of a wider strategic move toward ubiquity.”
via readwriteweb.com
I’m pretty sure Wolfram Alpha made the right call here. Maybe the $50 price tag was a marketing ploy to make the $1.99 feel like nothing. If it was, it worked on me.
PBS aired this epsiode, The Persuaders, of Frontline almost a year ago. It is a fascinating look at the current state and science of marketing.
In part 4, Clotaire Rapaille discusses our reptillian hot buttons of desire. Rapaille has told SUV makers to tint their windows and beef up the size of their vehicles because the reptillian code for SUVs is domination.
In part 5, Frank Luntz studies an audience to reveal how is clients should frame an issue to align with the desires of the target audience. Mr Luntz’s approach is effective and one of the resources behind Karl Rove’s ability to effectively frame issues to align with his political objectives. His research was instrumental in re-framing the estate tax as the death tax.
You can order The Persuaders dvd from PBS or watch the entire episode online for free.
