January 2010
20 posts
1 tag
On the iPad →
Alex Payne sums up that weird feeling some of us are getting:
The tragedy of the iPad is that it truly seems to offer a better model of computing for many people – perhaps the majority of people.
[…]
The thing that bothers me most about the iPad is this: if I had an iPad rather than a real computer as a kid, I’d never be a programmer today.
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Is Apple Evil? →
Aaron Swartz’s asks, Is Apple Evil?:
It’s clear that Apple plans for the iPhone OS to be the future of its product line. And that’s scary because the iPhone OS is designed for Apple’s total control.
[…]
I love Apple products. I’m a huge Apple fan. I’d buy an iPad right now if I could. But, for the first time, I’ve got a real sinking feeling in my stomach.
This is part...
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“What is Obama thinking?” one of my colleagues joked. “He’s...”
– William Saletan, from Slate, on Apple vs. Obama
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Zero day Apple 'latest creation' event predictions →
With 6 hours to go until the Apple event, it’s a good time as any to throw out what I’ll think will happen:
iTunes 10 with new name
Subscription options from some TV networks
Ability to listen to your music from anywhere
Name better reflects “growing library of content”
Next version of iPhone OS
UI improvements
More multitouch gestures
New synch API for...
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The Apple Tablet Interface Must Be Like This →
Gizmodo’s Jesus Diaz, lays out his prediction about the the possible UI of the Apple Tablet:
And then there’s the third camp, in which I have pitched my tent, who says that the interface will just be an evolution of an existing user interface, one without folders and windows, but with applications that take over the entire screen. A “modal” user interface that has been...
1 tag
The Apple Licensing Myth →
Jean-Louis Gassée, Macintosh head of development after Jobs left and BeOS founder, talks about The Apple Licensing Myth.
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Amazon talks lower royalty take on some eBooks →
From Amazon’s Press Release:
Today, authors often receive royalties in the range of 7 to 15 percent of the list price that publishers set for their physical books, or 25 percent of the net that publishers receive from retailers for their digital books.
Obviously that this is a response to other publishing platforms that take a lower cut than Amazon’s original 70%. Of course, if...
“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing...”
– Jessica Hische / Humble Pied.
1 tag
Apple Boot Camp now supports Window 7 →
According to Apple:
This update adds support for Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate)
In the past I would have made some wisecrack comment about “what in the world do you want to use this”. But recent experiences with Windows 7 on my media center has taught me to shut up on the matter.
1 tag
The Cloud as a filesystem, not an OS
I like desktop applications. I like how fast they feel compared to Web apps, even when you have a really fast connection. Yet, there is no denying that the convenience of having your information in “the cloud” can’t be beat. Especially when you have a multi-computer and multi-phone environment, as I do.
Recently, the application that I use the most are not those that are in...
1 tag
Blio eReader. Upcoming eBook software for all... →
The Blio eReader is taking a software approach to eBooks. It kinda looks like an iTunes for eBooks, with a store, library view and very good reader view.
Rather than developing any hardware, they seem to be betting that devices will catch up and that all they need is to cover all platforms:
Software will soon be available for PCs, netbooks, tablets and mobile devices.
Other have the same...
“If code is law then hacks are war”
– http://radar.oreilly.com/2010/01/google-and-china-whats-the-rea.html
Search your BlackBerry email and contacts with... →
From the Official Google Mobile Blog:
Just type (or speak) your query - perhaps the name of the person who sent you the mail or a phrase from the text - and Google Mobile App will search through the emails and contacts on your device and return the results.
To download it, visit m.google.com from your BlackBerry.
Impressive home much Google has come ahead in the voice recognition field....
Netflix Officially Coming To The Nintendo Wii →
From Kotaku:
It’ll launch sometime in the Spring, and will be available to anyone with a Wii, an internet connection and a minimum $9 a month Netflix subscription.
This is super cool by itself, but the most telling detail is mentioned in the same news blurb:
The move means Netflix’s online service is now available on all three current generation consoles, making it the most...
Spark: Add system wide shortcuts to the Mac →
Spark is a powerful, and easy Shortcuts manager. With Spark you can create Hot Keys to launch applications and documents, execute AppleScript, control iTunes, and more
I’ve been using Spark 3b9 for less than a day and I already love it. There are lots of different shortcuts you can add, but the ones that help me the most on the Finder are:
Shift-Command-P: to quickly go to my...
iPhonesque Sony ad from 1964
While browsing the Vintage Ad Browser I came across a Sony ad for their portable AM-FM Transistor Radio. It was published in Life Magazine on June 12, 1964 and instantly reminded me of the original iPhone image on Apple.com
Of course, there are only so few ways you can hold a device, but I still think this two are near identical.
Nocturne →
Nocturne is a simple app for switching a computer to night vision mode.