Links 01/22/09 (Geeky Stuff)
The Macintosh computer turns 25 on Saturday, January 24. Macworld celebrates this anniversary with an entire week of articles looking at the Mac’s past and speculating about its future. I’m particularly fond of John Gruber’s piece on lessons OS X could learn from the Classic Mac OS.
Ars Technica: Paradigms lost: The Windows 7 Taskbar versus the OS X Dock
I’ve seen some complaints from Mac users that the new Windows 7 Taskbar seems eerily similar to Mac OS X’s Dock. Ars’ writer Peter Bright does a nice job in this article deconstructing the separate design philosophies and functionalities between these two interface elements and comes to the conclusion that they are more different than alike. Good stuff.
CNET: Obama Wants to Know: Why Open Source?
President Barack Obama is a smart guy. Where others zig, he zags. It's perhaps not surprising, then, that he's been asking around about the benefits of open source, according to Sun Chairman Scott McNealy, who has been asked by President Obama to author a white paper on the benefits the U.S. government can derive from open source.
Despite my love for Macs, I’ve found myself quite the advocate for open source software in government. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes.
Links 01/15/09 (Healthcare Edition)
SCHIP needs to be expanded. Period. Child healthcare can cripple families – even those who reside well above the determined poverty line. In my line of work, I see too many kids live with untreated ailments, some tragically serious, because there’s no money to pay for treatment. These are the families that don’t qualify for Medicare, who are deemed middle class by some outdated and irrelevant metric, and who simply cannot make ends meet.
Our President-Elect has this to say:
In this moment of crisis, ensuring that every child in America has access to affordable health care is not just good economic policy, but a moral obligation we hold as parents and citizens. That is why I’m so pleased that Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives came together to provide health insurance to over ten million children whose families have been hurt most by this downturn. This coverage is critical, it is fully paid for, and I hope that the Senate acts with the same sense of urgency so that it can be one of the first measures I sign into law when I am President.
This is the kind of change I can believe in. I know those who will call this wasteful spending, who will oppose it as a form of socialism. I see it as an act of badly needed mercy. Don’t let us down Senate.
For a breakdown of votes, including how your representative voted, click here. To write your senator before he or she votes on this bill, click here.
Apple: Steve Jobs Takes Medical Leave of Absence
Full text:
Team,
I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.
In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.
I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.
I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.
Steve
Mr. Jobs strikes me as a fairly private person, and I bet it wasn’t easy for him to send this email out. I’m sure rampant speculation will continue among pundits in technology circles, but I like what John Gruber says in his write-up:
I “demand” to know nothing further. If this is all Jobs chooses to share regarding the specific details of what ails him, that is up to him.
Links 10/22/2008 (Wife Day Edition!)
LittleSnapper in action: Sharing
On his Realmac blog, Nik has loaded a video that walks through using their new application to capture, store, and upload screenshots of websites. He promises more previews to come, and LittleSnapper should be available for download before the end of the year.
Daring Fireball: The Phone Company
John Gruber writes about the iPhone’s success and how it has quickly become the strongest part of Apple’s product offerings financially. Also in the post: iPhones outsold Blackberries last quarter!
A Smattering of Obama Links
Warning: these next links reflect by personal political bias. All opinions below are expressed reasonably and without any appeal to primal fears or phobias.- The New Yorker: The
Choice: I’m late posting this one,
but the editors of The New Yorker
construct a well-written and persuasive article
about their endorsement of Barack Obama. Note
that this article was written early after the
signing of Public Law 110-343.
- The Chicago Tribune: Obama no
Socialist: How do
you know if you’re really a Socialist? Try
asking an organizer for Communist Party USA.
- Rolling Stone: Block the Vote: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Greg Palast write about the GOP’s recent attempts to create voting into an obstacle course that will disenfranchise key demographics who traditionally oppose Republican candidates. This article ties in with their new website Steal Back Your Vote.
Links 08/19/08 (Pre-Birthday Edition)
How MobileMe handles secure information (or doesn't) is outright unacceptable. Along with making the service more reliable, Apple's MobileMe team needs to be bringing this service up to modern standards in terms of security.
- tlrobinson.net: MobileMe and (lack of) encryption
- Thought Palace: Re: MobileMe Webmail Security — There Is None
- AppleInsider: Inside MobileMe: Web 3 and Web client-server apps (additional thoughts by John Gruber here)
TimesOnline: Lifelike animation heralds new era for computer games
The video with this article is pretty astonishing. This animation is miles beyond anything I've seen before in terms of human realism.
Senator Obama's Remarks at VFW National Convention in Orlando, FL
Obama gave a great speech in front of the Verterans of Foreign Wars earlier today. (You might remember that this is the same group in front of whom McCain had accused Obama of prioritizing politics over party.) As is his usual modus operandi, Obama was very Socratic in his criticism of the Republican nominee, but he was far from passive.
From the speech:
Yesterday, Senator McCain came before you. He is a man who has served this nation honorably, and he correctly stated that one of the chief criteria for the American people in this election is going to be who can exercise the best judgment as Commander in Chief. But instead of just offering policy answers, he turned to a typical laundry list of political attacks. He said that I have changed my position on Iraq when I have not. He said that I am for a path of “retreat and failure.” And he declared, “Behind all of these claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president” – suggesting, as he has so many times, that I put personal ambition before my country.
That is John McCain’s prerogative. He can run that kind of campaign, and – frankly – that’s how political campaigns have been run in recent years. But I believe the American people are better than that. I believe that this defining moment demands something more of us.
If we think that we can secure our country by just talking tough without acting tough and smart, then we will misunderstand this moment and miss its opportunities. If we think that we can use the same partisan playbook where we just challenge our opponent’s patriotism to win an election, then the American people will lose. The times are too serious for this kind of politics. The calamity left behind by the last eight years is too great. So let me begin by offering my judgment about what we’ve done, where we are, and where we need to go.
Also:
I have never suggested that Senator McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America’s national interest. Now, it’s time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same.
Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country. I love America, so do you, and so does John McCain. When I look out at this audience, I see people of different political views. You are Democrats and Republicans and Independents. But you all served together, and fought together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a Red America or a Blue America – you served the United States of America.
So let’s have a serious debate, and let’s debate our disagreements on the merits of policy – not personal attacks. And no matter how heated it gets or what kind of campaign he chooses to run, I will honor Senator McCain’s service, just like I honor the service of every veteran in this room, and every American who has worn the uniform of the United States.
To this point, Obama has run a very respectful campaign. He has been very careful to avoid attacking McCain's character outside of critiquing the type of campaign he's running, but you know the smear artists working for and with McCain aren't going to back down. I wonder how long Obam can last before he feels compelled to turn more negative.
Ten Years of iMac
- Ars Technica: Hello (again): Apple's iMac turns 10
- Macworld: Eight ways the iMac changed computing
- Wired: 10 Years of Cuddly, Friendly iMacs
As sleek as the current iPhone-inspired design of the iMac is, I think the lampshade iMac G4 is still my favorite. It was charming in a way few technology products manage to be. I also liked the eMac despite (or perhaps because of) its shuttle-nose contours.
The iMac is the product that saved Apple when it was about to collapse in on itself, and it was the first Apple product I owned. Here's to many more years of great designs and great computers.
Links 08/05/08
This has to be one of the most disturbing yet inspiring things I've read in a while. It's quite a read but completely worth it.
Garfield Minus Garfield: Ballantine Books to Publish Book Inspired by the Webcomic Garfield Minus Garfield
The Garfield Minus Garfield comic is a brilliant experiment, and it's great to see that Jim Davis is so supportive.
Garfield creator Jim Davis was intrigued by—and pleased with—the concept. “I think it’s an inspired thing to do,” Davis said. “I want to thank Dan for enabling me to see another side of Garfield...."
Infinite Loop: Steve Jobs: MobileMe "not up to Apple's standards"
In an internal email, Steve Jobs admits that the MobileMe launch was botched, and he is reorganizing the MobileMe team, putting Eddie Cue of the iTunes team over the project.
Mothership Revelations (or WWDC Coverage)
iPhone3G
Take pretty much any complaint against the the original iPhone – too expensive, no Exchange support, no third-party applications, no GPS, no 3G networking – and they've been addressed in the new version. Additionally, the software upgrades will be available to current iPhone users for free.
The new iPhone features Internet access over WiFi, EDGE, or 3G now, resulting in web pages rendering roughly twice as fast on the new model. For enterprise customers, Exchange support has been added, and businesses can even internally develop and distribute custom applications for iPhone. App Store for third-pary applications will launch soon, and the keynote featured many applications that will be available at launch.
I'm not going to cover every demonstrated application in detail, but we saw some games, a couple medical applications, a music creation tool, location-based apps, TypePad and eBay clients, and a couple news and video applications. Prices ranged from free to $9.99. In addition to application support, Apple is providing a way for these apps to give you notifications without extraneous background processes through a push notification service.
The biggest news here is arguably the price. When it was released, the iPhone cost $499 to $599. Now the two models cost $199 to $299.
MobileMe
I have to get this off my chest: that font reminds me of Windows Me. There, I've said it. Now let's move on.
MobileMe replaces [dot] Mac. It retains the same price point but adds a few new features and doubles iDisk storage. Webmail, calendars, iDisk, contacts, and image galleries have all received nice web-interface facelifts (with contacts and calendars new to the suite of tools), and information edited here is automatically synced to any Mac, PC, iPhone, or iPod touch set up with the service. Likewise, editing info on any of those devices causes it to be synced with the others.
According to MobileMe's transition FAQ, [dot] Mac subscribers will transition to MobileMe at no additional charge, and anyone with a mac.com email address or webpage will be able to keep using the same address for the foreseeable future. In all, MobileMe looks like a nice upgrade, but I'll miss typing "[dot] Mac."
SnowLeopard
Mac OS X 10.6 will be a departure from Apple's OS strategy of the past few years. Instead of showcasing a handful of impressive new features, Snow Leopard's development seems to be focused squarely "under the hood." It's all about making Mac OS X run better and more stable than ever. Little info about Snow Leopard has trickled out so far, but here's a snippet from an Apple press release:Rather than focusing primarily on new features, Snow Leopard will enhance the performance of OS X, set a new standard for quality and lay the foundation for future OS X innovation. Snow Leopard is optimized for multi-core processors, taps into the vast computing power of graphic processing units (GPUs), enables breakthrough amounts of RAM and features a new, modern media platform with QuickTime® X. Snow Leopard includes out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange 2007 and is scheduled to ship in about a year.
Personally, I think the Exchange support is going to be a big selling point. Speaking of selling, I wonder if Apple will retain the $129 price-point for Snow Leopard or if it will see a smaller upgrade price due to its less-ambitious feature set.
That covers it for today, but we'll probably see some more Apple-related announcements over the next several days.
Links 06/06/08 (Politics-Free Edition)
Inhabitat: BMW’s Hydrogen Car Cleans The Air as You Drive
Get this, this car's emissions are so insignificant that they are undetectable by standard emission tests. My only question is this: how quickly can this move from concept to production?
GamesRadar: Game Names Corrected By Spellcheck.
Brett Elston at GamesRadar decides to actually use the suggestions provided by Firefox's spellchecker of some rather unusual game titles. Hilarity ensues.
My favorite? Castelvania being converted to Televangelist. Oh the horror!
MacRumors: OS X iPhone and OS X Leopard Banners at WWDC
MacRumors links to a couple of galleries giving us a sneak peek of Monday's WWDC. I think the outdoor banners look especially nice. However, Apple, if rumors are true about 10.6 coming out soon, you and I are no longer on speaking terms.
Who am I kidding?
Links 02/13/08 (Some Apple Stuff)
The much anticipated software update to Apple TV is available for download. If you own a first-gen Apple TV, this seems like a no-brainer.
Aperture 2
Apple's photo management and workflow manager saw a significant update today. Like version 1, I downloaded the demo. It seems far easier to use, but it still massively hogs memory and CPU cycles. Perhaps that will relent after a few uses.
Links 02/02/08 (Unexpected Stuff Edition)
There's nothing surprising in this article when compared to others who have chosen to back Obama – except for the author. Susan Eisenhower. Yes, his granddaughter. Wow.
Update: And now the Grateful Dead are reuniting to support this guy! I have a feeling lots of people are going to feel disappointed if he doesn't take the Democratic nomination.
Ars Technica: Microsoft Adds Yahoo! to Shopping Cart
Can't get your rival to cooperate? Just buy them with more money than they can refuse. Like John Gruber, I can't see Yahoo!'s shareholders turning this one down.
PC Magazine: Apple's MacBook Air Will Soar
You know, I'm beginning to believe this thing might be a hit. I was listening to some decidedly non-techie friends talking about the MacBook Air over dinner recently, and they were all intrigued by it, a couple implying they were considering getting one. None of these friends are current Mac-owners either.
Keynote Goodies Galore
Tuesday's Macworld keynote speech by Steve Jobs was interesting and exciting in many ways. Unfortunately for Apple's stock, it seems investors were really hoping for a 3G iPhone. However, iPhone was hardly mentioned Tuesday, and the Mac took center stage. Perhaps this was Jobs' way of making up for last year's iPhone-centered keynote. Here's a quick rundown.
iPhone + iPod touch
iPhone and iPod touch both received software updates that can be downloaded through iTunes. iPhone received some GPS-like functionality to Maps, customizable home screens, Web clips (like in the Leopard Dashboard), song lyric support, video chapters, and multi-person messaging. The iPod touch receives Mail, Maps, Weather, Notes, and Stocks – bringing it to surprising parity with iPhone. The only downside of the iPod touch upgrade is a $20 fee.A part of me still covets an iPod touch, and the new features make the device even more desirable. Now, if only they would release a 32 GB version at the price-point of the current 16 GB model...
iTunes + Apple TV
The big iTunes news is movie rentals. Rentals ring in at $2.99-$4.99 depending on definition and release status. Once a movie is rented, a user has 30 days to begin watching the film and 24 hours to complete a film once it's started. The 24-hour viewing window seems stingy, but I understand it's in line with comparable services. In addition to the movie rentals, Apple has signed a deal with Fox in which new Fox DVDs will also contain an iTunes-friendly version of the film on the disc. This is an interesting way to circumvent the whole DVD-backup issue. I wonder if other studios will hop on board with this initiative.
By focusing on movies, Apple has also made Apple TV a more competitive product. Once tethered to iTunes, Apple TV now has its own interface with the iTunes Store and can even download higher-resulution movie rentals (720p) than iTunes on Macs or PCs. The new user interface is very nice, and the pricetag is even nicer. A 40 GB model is available for $229 and a 160 GB model for $329.
If we watched more movies and TV shows, this might be a no-brainer, even with an XBox 360. Quite simply, iTunes has more content than XBox Live Marketplace and that content is priced better. Also, XBox Live Marketplace gives you a smaller window in which to begin viewing rented material. Out of the product announcements today, Apple TV may actually be the most competitive. (Here's a comparison of XBox Live Marketplace and Apple TV.)
Time Capsule
Time Capsule is the child of a high-capacity wireless hard drive and an AirPort Extreme base station. It's designed to compliment Leopard's Time Machine backup solution. Featuring a 500 GB or 1 TB hard drive ($299 and $499 respectively), this is an interestingly positioned product. Quite honestly, if I were to pick up an Airport Extreme and a decent 1 TB external drive individually, it would come up to about $500 dollars. For that same amount, here's an all-in-one solution. Seems like a winner to me even if it does target a niche audience.
I even like the name.
MacBook Air
The most attention-grabbing product announced was the MacBook Air. Closed, it's 0.76" at it's thickest point, and it weighs only 3 pounds. Check out the commercial for a good illustration of just how small this thing is. The thing looks amazing at first glance and comes packaged with some truly innovative technology, but I don't know if it will actually be a success.
Much is riding on its appeal as an ultra-light notebook and its stunning looks. Other appealing features include a gesture-sensitive trackpad and an amazing technology called Remote Disc. In a shell, Remote Disc allows the MacBook Air to wirelessly read discs inserted in another computer! This is quite important as the MacBook Air has no built-in optical drive. (However, Apple does sell a $99 USB Superdrive for the MacBook Air.)
Unfortunately, the limitations of this product relegate it to a solely secondary computer position, which is unfortunate considering its price. MacBook Air starts at $1799 with a SSD version available for $3,098! Not only is it bereft of an optical drive, but the hard drive itself is pretty small. It has few ports, excluding even an ethernet port, and the battery is not user replaceable. Fortunately, if you purchase the $129 battery through the Apple Store, installation is free, but this still costs convenience.
I am enamored by the looks and some of the technology in the MacBook Air, but I don't really see its value over Apple's other laptops. Now if Apple released a MacBook or MacBook Pro with a similar form factor and multi-touch trackpad, I might be interested. On the other hand, it's not wise to try to predict the failure or success of an Apple product, and they may have a success on their hands here. One never knows.
images courtesy Apple, Inc.
Links 12/21/07
NYT: Apple Rumor Site to Shut Down in Settlement
What exactly did Apple gain in pursuing this to begin with? It sure isn't good PR...
Ars Technica: Exclusive: Retail chain scalping Wii allotment on eBay
Ars breaks a story on a chain of gaming stores that are not selling Wiis in their storefronts. Rather, they are putting them straight onto eBay at a nearly 100% markup. While not outright illegal, this is certainly no way to gain consumer trust.
Currently, the accused retailer has an official response on its website's front page. Check it out.
Ars Technica: RIAA writes its own "news" for local TV stations
My love for the RIAA never wanes, so I have to pass this piece along about a somewhat factually-sketchy informercial the organization wants aired in news broadcasts.
I think this quote sums it up well:
For an industry already the target of so much consumer suspicion, feeding misleading claims and self-serving footage to ostensibly objective "news" outlets just doesn't seem like a great idea.
Links 11/26/07 (Turkey Rehab Edition)
Here's an article from 2001 about why the Apple stores would all be closed within two years. It's been making rounds through the Mac blogs, but I thought I'd post it here too!
TED: Announcing 2008 TED Prize winners
The TED Prize was introduced in 2005, and it is unlike any other award. Although the winners receive a prize of $100,000 each, the real prize is that they are granted a WISH. "A wish to change the world." There are no formal restrictions on the wish. We ask our winners to think big and to be creative. The goal is that it creates an incredible sense of excitement and common purpose. It inspires the TED community, and all those who hear about the wish, to offer their help in making the wish come true.
TED is a neat organization. I don't always agree with some of the positions they promote, but I like their hearts and the inspiration they foster.
TechCrunch: Q&A With Senator Barack Obama On Key Technology Issues
Obama is one of the only politicians out there who actually seems to get technology and be able to discuss it intelligently.
CNET: Top Ten Terrible Tech Products: Windows Vista
Really? Vista is one of the ten worst technology products? By what standards? Methinks someone is desperate for attention, and I just gave it to them...
Links 11/04/07
Nate Anderson covers an interesting story about a man named Philip Smith who was taken to court for defamation after blogging about a bad experience he had with an eBay listing company. The court sided with Smith, saying he was acting as a journalist in his writing.
From the article:
"The fact that Smith reports negatively about his experience with BidZirk does not dictate that the article's function or intent was not news reporting or news commentary," wrote the judge. Furthermore, he noted explicitly that "some bloggers are without question journalists."
I wrote about this same topic some time ago in a case of Apple versus some bloggers, and I'm happy to see this precedent continue. I still say that many blogs provide a clearer an more unbiased picture of the world than many members of the mainstream media.
Daring Fireball: Apple Needs a Nikon
Speaking of bloggers who qualify as journalists, John Gruber writes about the benefits of having a true competitor and how Apple has no real competitor in terms of design – especially in the realm of portable music players. I keep hoping the Zune will put some heat on Apple, but I'm not holding my breath.
Storie di Apple: Discs, filesystems and Macs - Interview with Drew Thaler
This is a very insightful interview with Drew Thaler who worked at Apple during the OS 9 to OS X transition. He now works for Sony of PS3 game filesystems. Topics include CD/DVD burning development on Macs, iTunes, ZFS, font rendering, and working with Steve Jobs. It's a good time to be had by all.
1UP.com Review: Super Mario Galaxy
I'm excitied about too many games right now to be this broke. From the article:
In short, Galaxy is one of the most impressive, engrossing games in recent memory -- and quite the contrast to the rest of this year's triple-A gaming crop, which tends toward the dark, the M-rated, and the first-person perspective...Galaxy proves that Mario matters just as much today as he did 25 years ago, and that makes him one of a kind in this medium. But don't play Galaxy simply because Mario is the timeless godfather of gaming. No, play Galaxy because it's fantastic.
Well Yo' Momma Has a Blue Screen of Death!
"Apple is so lame and so childish that the icons it uses in Leopard for networked Windows PCs are CRT displays with a Windows blue screen of death. Normally, I'd see this for what it is--typical juvenile stupidity from Cupertino..."
He goes on to point out that some users are experiencing installation issues that also results in a similar blue screen.
"You see, Leopard has its own blue screen of death. And it's happening to an alarming number of people who buy the new OS and install it on their Macs...Have fun with those blue screens, Apple. My advice: Describe this as feature number 301. Heck, you might be able to wrangle 3 or 4 new features out of it."
The problem I have here is that he is acting every bit as childish and immature as he claims Apple is being with this icon (which I'm sure few users will ever even see). He also foregoes any fact-checking as to the root causes. He just reinforces bad stereotypes of Mac-bashers, a stereotype he usually doesn't fit. This tirade is below him.
Fortunately, John Gruber comes along to straighten the facts out regarding the mystery of the blue screen:
"But, as far as I can tell, there is no mystery involved. There is one and only one known cause for this problem: old versions of Unsanity’s Application Enhancer, a.k.a. APE."
There are some exceptions to this statement (which Mr. Gruber admits to in his write-up). However, by and large, this problem is created by Application Enhancer, which is used for unsupported system modifications. The problem turns out to be that several Logitech mouse users may have an old version of APE on their systems without knowing it.
"Logitech Control Center currently installs APE 2.0.3, but previous versions of their installer used older versions of APE, which versions render Leopard unbootable. This is particularly pernicious given that most people installing Logitech’s software have never even heard of APE or Unsanity, let alone realize that Logitech is installing it on their system."
Most Unsanity customers would disable APEs without prompting. We know we are messing with the untold depths of the system and need to undo it all before performing a major upgrade. However, the story is different for someone merely buying a mouse. The issue here is not how Apple let this flaw exist in their software. The issue is why in the world a respected company like Logitech relies on an unsupported system hack to make their hardware work with Mac OS X.
Just for fun, here's the controversial icon:
I include this for a couple of reasons.
- So you can see what all the fuss is about if you don't happen to be a Mac user with Leopard installed and sharing Windows PCs.
- Just to demonstrate how huge Leopard icons are. Yes, this is the actual icon.
Irony or potential humor aside, this small problem has gotten too much attention. Maybe if Windows included something silly like this, I'd be on the other side of the fence, but I'd like to think not. Anyway, the Leopard BSOD can be prevented by having the latest version of APE on your system or by disabling it altogether before installing, and I bet that icon will change within the first couple of point releases.
After all, this is nothing. Does anyone remember the Panther File Vault bug that would eat your Home folder? Now that was worth writing home about.
Two Million Macs
FInally, Q1 2005 saw the first quarter in nearly five years where Apple broke the 1,000,000 mark with Macs – driven largely by sales of the iMac G5 introduced the previous fall. From here, things began to look up, and Apple announced its new partnership with Intel that same summer. Mac sales continued to grow through 2006 as Apple's computers became more desirable. Finally producing performance that lived up to the hype, Macs began to attract more users. Now, Apple has seen its first 2,000,000 Mac quarter.
While it's easy to point out that Dell or HP sell over two million units in a matter of weeks, remember that two years ago, Apple was struggling to keep above 1,000,000 units a quarter, and, prior to that, the Macs future was really beginning to look grim. (Let's not even drudge up 1997!) Furthermore, John Gruber notes that this success comes right before a new OS release – typically a time when people put off major hardware purchases. It will be fun (in a geeky kind of way) to see if Apple can maintain this momentum into next year. Who knows? Perhaps I'll be blogging about Apple selling 3,000,000 Macs during a quarter sometime soon.
Links 10/19/07
As predicted last quarter, however, Apple broke its tie for third place with Gateway by shipping 1.33 million units and growing by a whopping 37.2 percent (double that of any other US vendor) from third quarter 2006 to claim 8.1 percent of the US market for the quarter.
I remember the Mac's U.S. marketshare dropping to around 3% shortly after the introduction on OS X. Who knew a recovery like this would be possible?
Lifehacker: First Look at Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac
I am looking forward to the native speeds that Office 2008 will bring, but I'm not sure where they are going with the interface. It looks like some strange mutant child of iWork and Office 2004, with no single driving vision. As for Entourage, it just looks like a visual mess at the moment...
Destructoid: This is the end, my only friend: Nintendo drops NES support
The Nintendo Entertainment System, released for the U.S. back in 1985, will reach the end of its supported cycle on October 31. I have to admit that it never occurred to me that the NES might still be a supported product.
Ars Technica: Sony confirms $400, 40GB PS3 for the US, price drop for 80GB model
So is anyone going to sue Sony for a million bucks because they lowered the price? Seriously though, does anyone else feel like Sony just can't figure themselves out right now?
Links 10/17/07
It's like Man of the Year without the lousy techno-thriller subplot. If this goes anywhere, I wonder if he'll shed his Colbert Report persona in any interviews or (gasp) debates. On the other hand, he communicates well through his satire. Hey, if Arnold can be governor...
By the way, if you like Colbert, you'll love his ice cream.
Freeverse: Periscope 1.5
Freeverse updates their $40 webcam utility with some refined features and a completely redesigned UI (thank you). The demo period lasts for 50 hours and does not limit functionality.
via TUAW
Macworld: Apple says iPhone complies with eco standards
Apple tells Greepeace to go stick their heads in some hazardous materials themselves.
“Like all Apple products worldwide, iPhone complies with RoHS [Restriction of Hazardous Substances], the world’s toughest restrictions on toxic substances in electronics,” an Apple spokesperson, told Macworld. “As we have said, Apple will voluntarily eliminate the use of PVC and BFRs by the end of 2008.”
Macworld: Jobs: iPhone SDK coming in February
I don't think I quite believe Jobs' spin on why the SDK is coming so long after the phone, but at least it is coming. Oh, and it will also work with the iPod touch.
Links 10/02/07 (Microsoft-friendly Edition)
image from Gateway
Surprisingly, it doesn't look half-bad, and it features some decent specs with prices between $1300 and $1800. Unfortunately, the processor speeds are pretty shameful compared to competing products (and yes, I feel a tinge of irony typing that sentence).
Ars Technica: A day on the Surface: a hands-on look at Microsoft's new computing platform
This looks pretty cool, and the videos are amazing. Anyone familiar with Jeff Han's research will instantly recognize what's going on here, but Microsoft's implementation is very smooth and accessible. I just wish they would be a little more aggressive at making this available to consumers. The industry needs progress like this.
Daring Fireball: The New Zunes
Why is Microsoft being so hush-hush about their new media players – unveiling the new Zunes at midnight? Are they ashamed of them or something?
Macworld: Is Apple On the Wrong Path?
Christopher Breen makes some good points about some of Apple's recent decisions and how they hurt Apple's image as a customer-friendly corporation. However, for the record, I've tried the new keyboard, and I like it.
Ars Technica: Picking a new fight: Halo 3 multiplayer review
Ars reviews the multiplayer portion of Halo 3.
It's clear that the real value of the Halo 3 purchase is in online play, and Bungie.net is the glue that holds all of this together ... Dump in a few more players, take the time to design your own game types, and you have the next few months of your life planned out.
Links 09/20/07 (Special Extended Edition)
• Wil Shipley believes Apple's strategy of lock-ins will soon collapse upon itself.
• John Gruber agrees and goes so far as to say...
The best thing that could happen to Apple this year would be for Microsoft’s Zune 2.0 to be a kick-ass product, both technologically and in terms of being designed to make customers happy, not entertainment conglomerates. Apple needs competition.
• Paul Thurott says, "I told you so."
Engadget: NBC to offer free "NBC Direct" download service, iTunes competitor
from Engadget:
The company is going to start testing a new NBC Direct service in October with full, free downloadable episodes which can be stored up to seven days on Windows PCs. The shows will be on offer for a week as soon as they've aired, and will include imbedded, un-skippable ads.
Wow. That sounds like the company is putting customers first. Wait, what was that? Oh, battling the 0.01% of consumers who pirate programming is your number one priority! Now it all makes sense...
I like John Gruber's take:
So his number-one priority is piracy. Not making high-quality shows. Not forging a sponsorship or advertising model that is less annoying and distracting to viewers, such that they (the viewers) would be less likely to want to fast-forward the advertising messages. No, piracy, that’s his top priority.
Infinite Loop: OpenOffice Aqua still a year away
Sigh. Mac OS X has been out for how long? Seven-ish years now? How long did it take to figure out this whole OS X thing was more than a fad?
Google Video: Conspiracy Theory Rock
Awesome parody of School House Rock.
Apparently, this video has only been broadcast once, and it was back on March 14, 1998.
Flickr: 24 fps
This photoset features the last frame from several classic movies. Neat stuff. (See how many of the films you can name from the pictures! I could name ... like two.)
via DF
Links 08/19/07
I've read most of the top 20, and I'm pleasantly surprised by number one.
Ars Technica: AACS DRM tentacles reach far into operating systems
So, when thinking about this issue, we have to ask ourselves: is a company like Microsoft or Apple likely to tell Hollywood to jump off a cliff? No, because both companies know that users will want to play HD DVD or Blu-ray discs on their computers. Microsoft didn't tell AACS LA to stuff it, and Apple won't tell them to, either.
Marcello's Homepage – Comics – Calvin & Hobbes
Every Calvin and Hobbes comic strip ever published. I can now sleep better at night just knowing these are here.
PagesUser: A Huge Saving of Space
So that's where all those megabytes went... I had a hunch.
Red Sweater Blog: We're In This Together
It’s pretty awe-inspiring to sit in the same room while the makers of competing products such as BBEdit and TextMate, or Transmit and Fetch discuss product design issues, laugh at each other’s jokes, and yes, withhold some of their more strategic plans! But almost everybody in the room, competitor or not, is respecting each other’s work, and having a great time.
This is something I really like about being a Mac user. The third-party developers (especially the indies) are generally nice people, and the cut-throat feeling pervasive in the Windows software market is all but absent.
Infinite Loop: The secrets to Apple's success in marketing to teenagers
In addition to the reasons listed in the article, I think another factor in Apple's success with young people is that Apple doesn't talk down to them or try to create a blatantly corny atmosphere of "hipness."
Links 08/11/07
This app is just looking cooler and cooler. My wallet curses these awesome Mac software developers and their great products!
Ars Technica: Report: Gamers largely clueless about next-gen console media capabilities
Considering how insanely expensive these new consoles are coupled with the fact that 2/3 really need a HD-capable TV to show off their capabilities, this is truly surprising.
FatBits: Stuck on the enterprise
John Siracusa on Apple's focus on consumers:
Still holding that thought about the Intel stickers? Listen again to Steve's final words on the subject. "We put ourselves in the customer's shoes and say, what do we want?"
This is why Apple does not compete in the enterprise market in the traditional sense. This is why no other company created the iPhone. This is why most desktop PCs are pieces of crap. When you don't focus on the user, the user gets shafted.
Links 08/08/07
This is a good post by Garr Reynolds about the Art of Steve when it comes to presentations. Good stuff.
Ars Technica: Adobe, Microsoft accused of infringing on browser-related patents
Here we go again. All I want to know is why this company was awarded this patent years after this specific interface paradigm was already in use.
Apple – QuickTIme – Apple Special Event – August 2007
If you want to watch Steve Jobs' presentation from yesterday, it's right here. A fast connection is recommended.
Apple – iWork – Trial
If you have a Mac, you should download the trial version of iWork '08. It's only a 469 MB download!
Wired: Aug. 7, 1991: Ladies and Gentlemen, the World Wide Web
The "tubes" went public, and the world began to change.
Engadget: Apple calls multitouch Mac a "research project"
Sounds like Apple is still considering adding multitouch support to Macs. Chances are, this will show up in notebooks before desktops. I was not suprised that yesterdays announcements did not include a multitouch Mac.
Links 07/28/07
I tend to be skeptical of all-or-nothing correlations in behavioral science. An individual may be more prone to autistic tendencies due to genetic makeup, but environment will still influence the development of a social disorder to some extent.
However, I do have to admit a biased viewpoint...
The WebKit Open Source Project: WebKit Project Goals
WebKit development is surprisingly transparent when compared to Apple as a whole. Check this out for an idea of where they are taking WebKit, the most prolific web content engine for Mac OS X.
Apple Reports Third Quarter Results
Overall, another very good quarter for Apple. Hopefully, they will get their products to comply with the new Energy Star standards by the end of the current quarter.
Links 07/21/07
This site provides a simple chart covers the basic stance of all the current candidates on 25 issues you may care about.
ThoughtDifferent.com
This site has a really neat archive of images that showcase Apple's main page from 1997 to present. I think it is interesting how quickly Apple found a design that works, and the site still follows the basic principles of that design, even ten years later.
Links 06/12/07
I'm happy to see this Universal Binary of Sibelius finally come out. I'll post some impressions of the demo once I get done with the RapidWeaver posts.
PS – It's lame that Scorch is still PPC-only. C'mon, how hard is it to update a browser plug-in?
Opposable Thumbs: Microsoft seeks answer to question, "Would global warming make for a good game?"
I picture controlling Al Gore racing his hybrid through angry mobs of staunch republicans in a Grand Theft Auto-inspired gore-fest. (No pun intended!) After escaping, you would have to coordinate your fellow environmentalists in covert stealth missions (Sam Fisher-style) that infiltrate heavily-armed Big Oil corporate offices where you ultimately will battle Mother Brain. (After all, there is no possible way these oil execs are really human.)
Side missions may include freezing ice cubes big enough to cool the oceans, setting up polar bear habitats, and discovering alternatives to using oil in producing plastics. Man I need to learn game design. I think I have a winner. Now if I can only talk Al into some voiceovers...
Apple – Safari 3 Public Beta
This is a smart move by Apple. More users will drive better support by web developers. This benefits Mac users and iPhone users. Not to mention (as DF points out) that this will lead to a bunch more integrated search revenue from Yahoo! and Google.
Windows users, get downloading! Mac users, hold your horses. It doesn't offer much the current version lacks, and updating may hose other WebKit-based apps and widgets. (Trust me on this one.)
Daring Fireball: WWDC 2007 News
He calls it "WWDC 2006 2.0." While I am stoked about Leopard, I have to admit that I felt pretty "meh" about the other announcements.
Apple.com
I like. When you visit, try the search field in the upper-right corner. I was pleasantly surprised.
Links 05/21/07
Of course, some armchair analyst's are already saying that this is proof that Apple made a mistake when they abandoned the PPC architecture. However, it is important to note that the Mac Pro (formerly PowerMac) would not have seen a major upgrade since August of 2005, and it would likely still be running processors that topped out under 3GHz. In terms of laptops, MacBook Pros (formerly PowerBooks) would be in even sadder condition, still hobbled by the 6-year-old G4 with its 100 MHz system bus.
If Apple had not transitioned when it did, it is likely their computer division would be in a world of hurt right now if it existed at all.
Macworld: Suit against Apple claims false advertising on displays
Intriguing. I'll probably keep an eye on this case as it affects my computer. I can't say I can really tell the difference, but I do believe Apple should be more honest and forthright with their customers.
Links 05/02/07
Steve Jobs writes another open letter. This time he scribes about the steps Apple is taking toward more environmentally responsible products and manufacturing processes. (Also, he rightly takes Greenpeace to task for praising other companies based on their proposed plans rather than results.)
Ironically, based on this plan, Greenpeace has increased Apple's environmental ranking.
Ars Technica: Study shows complicated interplay between anger, aggression, and gaming
From the article:
The response of those playing violent games was more aggressive, but barely so: roughly nine out of the 60 responses were scored as aggressive, compared to about seven for those playing nonviolent games. These sorts of results are typical of the response caused by exposure to any violent media; the authors even note that a study that put people in a hot room registered a similar rise in aggression.
Has anyone ever thought to blame societal violence on bad temperature control?
Macworld: Digg users show who's the boss in Web 2.0 world
I watched this whole thing play out last night. It was bizarre (sometimes frustrating) but ultimately empowering. While I disagree with the practice of pirating media, this landslide was amazing to watch. It's yet another example of how the internet has empowered the people beyond what politicians and corporations can control through classic bullying.
Links 04/27/07
Can you imagine being so filthy rich that you can swallow a $200 million loss? I know I can't.
- Apple Reports Second Quarter Results
- Ars Technica: Nintendo reports monster profits, promises increased Wii production
- Microsoft Reports Record Profits – Robust demand for Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system drives 72% growth in earnings per share
Ars Technica: We come not to bury Kutaragi, but to praise him
The "Father of the PlayStation" is stepping down from his position as chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment for unannounced reasons. Kazuo Hirai will be taking his place.
Daring Fireball: Interview: Dino Dai Zovi
Gruber has a nice and thorough interview with one of the individuals who recently hacked a Mac at CanSecWest. If only Maynor or Elich had been this open to discussion a year ago...
Engadget: Meizu updates miniOne: clearly, it's no iPhone clone
Uh-huh... Even the order of some of the icons are the same.
left: iPhone, right: miniOne (in case you couldn't tell)
Flickr: Photos from etchasketchist
Just wow! I could never get past geometric shapes on an Etch-a-Sketch. This person must have tons of patience.
Links 04/09/07
This is the best Apple ad campaign ever.
via TUAW
Links 03/27/07
Suite flavors from $1599 to $2499. I only wish I could afford this stuff!
Newlaunches.com: Top 10 Apple products which flopped
My favorite on this list is Cyberdog. It's like Microsoft BOB for the internet. That's not a compliment, by the way.
via TUAW
Opposable Thumbs: Game Review: Burnout Dominator (PS2)
This is an odd beast: a Burnout game that focuses on long stretches of road, careful use of your boost, and a return to the fundamentals of racing. Is that a good thing? It really depends on your tastes, but in Dominator it seems like you're giving up much of what made the series great in order for Criterion to explore some of the classical elements of the series in the current market.
Myself, I initially liked Dominator. It's single player mode is pretty compelling, but multiplayer is a buzz-kill. Aftertouch slowdown and crashbreakers are disabled in multiplayer. Bleh.
FreeSMUG: NeoOffice 2.1 is available as a free download
This is based on the OpenOffice 2.1 code-base, and it features support for Office 2007 documents and Excel macros. I'll post impressions sometime next week, but I've already noticed one big improvement: It launches in about a quarter of the time as 2.0.3.
Multitouch, Apple, and Future Interfaces
If that didn't floor you, watch it again. Try interfacing that way with your tablet computer, your DS, or your smart-phone. Honestly, put the stylus away, and try to use multiple fingers on the display simultaneously. What happens? Either nothing occurs, or only one input is registered. This is one reason why touch screens have yet to catch on as mainstream computer interfaces. They offer no significant improvement over mouse and keyboard while retaining several drawbacks.
In fact, the track pad on the MacBook Pro I am using is sensitive to multiple touches. If I tap on the track-pad while another finger is resting on the pad, the computer registers this as a ctrl-click. If I slide two fingers across the pad simultaneously, the computer treats that input like a scroll-wheel – both vertically and horizontally. If I do this while holding down ctrl, the screen can zoom in or out, and I imagine that upcoming MacBooks may implement iPhone's "pinching" gesture for this same functionality (at least in apps like iPhoto).
Of course, iPods with a similar display and interface as the iPhone are a very safe bet. However, let's take this further.
- Resolution independence is a guaranteed feature of Leopard due
out sometime between now and June. This allows
screen zooming to be handled much more smoothly
than is possible right now.
- Apple's interfaces are primarily designed to be
accessible without resorting to secondary clicks or
hidden menus. There are exceptions to this, but
Macintosh user interfaces would need little
tweaking to be "hands-on" ready.
- iPhone is built on OS X, and it shares some core technologies with Leopard. Therefore, core iPhone technology could be efficiently ported to Mac OS X computers.
Yes, this evidence is (very) shaky, but I think Apple is the right company to get us rethinking interfaces again. Apple controls the software and hardware of their platform, and this will make such a shift less difficult than if Dell and Microsoft (for example) were trying to implement a similar approach. It just makes sense for Apple to be the company that starts pushing this kind of technology.
Keyboards and especially mice are not well-understood by the masses. I'm always helping adults mouse around their screens and click the correct buttons. They were a good solution when they came out, but over twenty years have passed with no significant progress. Just as Nintendo has pushed the envelope as far as gaming interfaces go, Apple is a natural choice to elevate computer interaction to new levels. I'm ready for the next big thing. I just hope Apple begins pushing this technology sooner rather than later.
Links 02/05/07
This is a new (free) app from Freeverse that drops a plain background behind any app you choose thereby eliminating distraction while you work. The concept is not new, but Freeverse's implementation is well thought-out and worth trying.
Infinite Loop: Apple Inc. and Apple Corps come to new licensing agreement
"It is great to put this dispute behind us and move on," manager of Apple Corps Neil Aspinall said. "The years ahead are going to be very exciting times for us. We wish Apple Inc. every success and look forward to many years of peaceful co-operation with them."
So when will the Beatles end up on iTunes now?
Links 01/17/07
This article nails a lot of good points. In the grand scheme of things, autism (and the spectrum disorders to a greater extent) is a relatively new diagnosis. However, the lack of diagnosis does not mean it didn't exist in previous centuries.
Macworld: Apple reports record-breaking $1 billion profit
That's a big number. Of course these record-breaking numbers sparked a drop in Apple's stock price. I'll never understand Wall Street.
Indexed
I really like this blog. You'll either get it, or you won't. Regardless, it's unique.
Ars Technica: Wireless power sparks interest at CES
This could be really great for absent-minded people like me who always forget to plug things in.
Links 01/07/07
The EPA ranks Apple much higher in terms of eco-friendliness than GreenPeace does. Of course, the two groups could have completely different standards. I expect we'll hear a response from GreenPeace about this in a couple of days...
Links 01/02/07
I hope the rest of the year is as cool as this splash on Apple's front page at the moment. I'm getting all hot-and-bothered about Macworld now.
Market Share: Browser Market Share for December 2006
Safari breaks 4% while IE dips below 80%. Can we please now stop the pundits saying things like "the Mac has only 2% market share?" Shouldn't Macs account for at least 4% based on Safari usage seeing that Safari is a Mac-only browser and all?
Dashboard Themes
This site is nice just in case you wanted to see what those themes on the XBox Live Marketplace look like. I really can't believe Microsoft doesn't have a way of previewing these in the online store...