Links for Wednesday December 23^th, 2009

• Mobile Web 2014: No Pinch, No Zoom, Tons of JavaScript: I don't know that I exactly agree. I think that mobile browsers will continue to get more powerful and more capable, such that the distinction between the mobile web and desktop web will disappear.

• Apple To Demo Tablet In January, Asks Developers To Get Apps Ready: Lots of chatter today about an Apple Tablet announcement in January. I remain skeptical on the tablet, but it does sound plausible that Apple would want to use a higher resolution screen in the iPhone (to compete with the Droid and Nexus One). However, Apple never really gotten Resolution Independence right in Mac OS X, so I'm skeptical that they'll be able to knock it out of the park quickly on iPhone OS.

• Verizon Responds to Consumer Complaints: I agree with David Pogue on this one, especially:

  "1. How come our monthly bills don’t drop at the end of two years, once we’ve fully paid for the phone?

  2. Verizon says that we, the customers, can avoid the early-cancellation penalty if we’re willing to pay the full retail price of the phone up front ($500 or whatever). Fine. But then why do we have to pay the same monthly fee as somebody who got the discounted price?"

  Exactly. And even better, it seems like the FCC isn't buying Verizon's response, either.

• The Good Plane Crash: A good overview of the design of modern airplanes, that attempts to keep people safe after a crash. But it's more than just good technology:

  "The same attendants who serve you those bad meals and spend a lot of time with carts in the aisle all have a far more important role for which they are rigorously trained—to get you out alive in a crash."

  Remember this the next time you consider being rude to a flight attendant.