March 2008
1 post
Feature Requests - a Developer's Eye View
“Between the forums, emails, private messages, meeting in person, reading users’ blogs, etc., there’s a very good chance that we’ve heard your feature request before. And with developing new things, bug fixes, writing documentation, improving our support resources, assisting with elevated support issues, and so on, we’re constantly busy. Bombarded is an accurate description. So before...
October 2007
1 post
Verizon unveils iPhone rival for holiday shoppers,...
“We think it’ll be the best phone … this year. It will kill the iPhone,” Verizon Wireless Chief Marketing Officer Mike Lanman said in an interview. Wow, that’s a lot of smack talk for just an image. I wasn’t able to find any additional information on this new phone at all. Still, as always, and companies like Verizon don’t get this, “it’s the...
August 2007
1 post
How to redesign the Leopard dock so it sucks less
“It screws with developer’s expensive and painstakingly created icons by adding not one, but two awful fake shadows, a reflection and a weird shelf look which doesn’t fit in with the the actual perspective of any of the icons.”
Word. The new dock sucks in all the ways Rory lists and more and he offers an alternative.
How to redesign the Leopard dock so it sucks less
July 2007
1 post
Top 11 Mobile Optimized Web Sites
11 great sites optimized for mobile phones.
Top 11 Mobile Optimized Web Sites: Technology Evangelist
May 2007
10 posts
How the mobile phone biz lost the plot
This kind of backs up my blog post from a while back If the iPhone is Real… Why Would it be Such a Big Deal?
The iPhone is a big deal because thus far, what we have available is, in general, crap.
How the mobile phone biz lost the plot
90% of consumers say Apple iPhone is better than...
Can’t come as a surprise, I mean how many people feel the same way about their phone as they do, say their iPod?
90% of consumers say Apple iPhone is better than their current mobile phone
Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts
Ever wanted to see a definitive list? Here it is. There are some really useful shortcuts here.
Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts
Popfly: Microsoft launches no-code mashup tool
An interesting idea, though my expectations are low. Still, who knows…? I find the idea of it being “myspace for widgets” the most interested piece of it.
“Popfly is a social network that enables you to connect with other creators. Using Popfly, you can add your favorite creators as friends and keep track of their latest projects.”
Microsoft launches no-code...
More Firefox Bloat? Say It Ain't So, Mozilla
Et tu, Firefox? Didn’t they learn ANYTHING from the mess that Netscape became? The slow start ups, the memory hogging, the pieces that weren’t really necessary in day to day web browsing… Apparently not.
More Firefox Bloat? Say It Ain’t So, Mozilla
Facing the full horror of Windows Vista
This isn’t Vista bashing from any group of “Maczealots” this is a report from a real actual Windows user who did everything they could to make a go with Vista. Their conclusion: On the whole, we wish we’d never moved.
Facing the full horror of Windows Vista
Apple "wrestles" with 3rd party iPhone apps...
Apple, Pleeeeeease let us develop apps for the iPhone!
Apple “wrestles” with 3rd party iPhone apps
Say What? Flawed argument Put Forth by Recording...
Simson who “is executive director of SoundExchange, which collects and distributes royalties on behalf of the recording industry.” and is hardly unbiased, argues: “In short, the CRB did what Congress asked it to do, at the behest of Webcasters. But when the CRB set what it judged to be fair and reasonable royalty rates, the Webcasters decided they were too high, cried foul and...
Say What? 2 Companies Move to Exthort Cash from...
In the “Where the hell do they come up with these idiot ideas?” department, two companies have issued cease-and-desist letters to Apple and Microsoft, among others, to stop them from selling their products because… wait for it… they “have produced billions of these products without regard for the DMCA or the rights of American Intellectual Property owners, actively...
Seeing No Progress, Some Schools Drop Laptops
OK, for me, the big question here is, whose laptops are they using? Dells or Apple’s? They don’t say. They are basing the plans on Maine’s initiative, which is generally considered a success, but Maine is using iBooks, makes me wonder if the problem is with Dell laptops…
Seeing No Progress, Some Schools Drop Laptops - New York Times
April 2007
13 posts
Net Radio Stations Applaud Congressional Bill
I’m not a big fan of government interfering with business, but what was proposed by the CRB was also pro-big-media-monopoly. Congress is moving to block the new royalty rate increase, at least for now.
Net Radio Stations Applaud Congressional Bill
Apple Earnings Soar
Good news for indie Mac developers everywhere, Macs are selling like crazy:
“Apple sold 10.5 million iPods and 1.52 million Macs in the quarter ended March 31, boosted by demand for notebook computers and the low-cost iPod Shuffle. Falling prices for memory chips and screens increased the company’s profit margin.”
Apple Quarterly Profit Soars 88% on IPod, Mac Sales
...
Microsoft: iPhone useless for business
Useless for WHOSE business, exactly? Not useless for MY business. It’s possibly useless for those who run their businesses on Microsoft products, and while there may be many of them, they don’t represent all businesses. Of course it’s in Microsoft’s best interest if you believe their FUD.
Microsoft: iPhone useless for business
Gartner: Apple Mac shipments up 30% in the first...
This is great news for indie Mac developers like myself, as it means more potential customers. Very encouraging news!
MacDailyNews | Gartner: Apple Mac shipments up 30% in the first quarter of 2007, market share up 1%
Big iTunes sale: good albums at decent sale prices
Remember the “old days” of CD stores, when you could find older releases as “budget priced” CDs? They were a great way to replace those classic cassettes in your collection. Well leave it to Apple to bring this to the iTunes Store.
In the “bin” right now you can find Nirvana’s Nevermind, U2’s Joshua Tree and War, Def Leppard’s Pyromania, and...
Four Apple Pundits You Should Never Read
I’ve picked my own personal bone here with Enderle in the past. Some of the things he says are so ridiculous, you figure he has to be saying them for effect. Dvorak is a hack when it comes to the Mac, plain and simple. I have no opinion on Ou really, never read ‘im, but you know, I find Thurott to be way more reasonable now than in the distant past. I still disagree strongly with him...
According to Gruber's Sources, iPhone drain on OS...
“Leopard is far too big a project for any simple explanation to fully explain why it has fallen behind schedule. But from what my sources at Apple tell me, this is a case where the PR spin is in fact essentially true. It’s not so much that talent was pulled from OS X to work on the iPhone, but that they were pulled from the Mac part of OS X to work on the iPhone part of OS X.”
Daring...
Record Labels to Renew Pressure on Apple for...
Yeah, because nothing beats money for nothing… If the iTunes store vs. Napster vs. Rhapsody battle has shown anything, it’s that many, many more music fans want to own rather than rent their music.
Record Labels to Renew Pressure on Apple for iTunes Subscription Service
Apple Embarrassed by Slippage?
“The uncharacteristic schedule slippage is particularly embarrassing for Apple, which is based in Cupertino, Calif., because it had previously poked fun at Microsoft’s struggles to complete its Vista operating system.”
According to John Markoff they should be.
4 months, vs. 2+ years. Yeah, but who’s counting, clearly Markoff isn’t. Where do these journalists come from...
Leopard Delayed Until October
Not a surprise to anyone in “the know” I don’t think. (See this is yet another reason to pretty much ignore the rumors. Wasn’t Leopard supposed to ship in March, no wait, April, no, June…)
Apple’s iPhone delays Leopard until October
Fab@Home: 3D objects from your printer for under...
Ok it’s not exactly Star Trek “replication” but it’s still pretty cool…
“Three-dimensional fabrication tools, or “fabbers,” have been common in industry for years. They can be used to make rapid models of car parts, gears, or other bits of industrial machinery in a matter of minutes. Most rely on a slow process of deposition in which various kinds...
Gus Mueller's 8-core Compilation Screenshot →
Wow, I want one!
Mossberg: Using Even New PCs Is Ruined by a Tangle...
All these years, and they STILL haven’t gotten it right? Compare this to the first time you turn on a Mac. No comparison.
“I also was shocked at how long this machine took to restart and to do a cold start after being completely shut down. Restarting took over three minutes, and a cold start took more than two minutes. That suggests the computer is loading a bunch of stuff I neither...
March 2007
36 posts
Newton Connection 1.0 available
Hard to believe, but the Newton is still very much alive despite being one of Apple’s “10 biggest flops” (something I’d argue strongly AGAINST).
“Newton Connection allows you to backup your Newton data to your Mac desktop, import and export Dates, Names, Notes and NewtonWorks, install packages and use your Mac desktop keyboard to enter text on your Newton device. In...
Microsoft's iPhone: The Movie
But at least it’s slooooooow. Man, this is their answer to the iPhone? All I see is a slower, less innovative version of what Apple showed us. Proof that two somewhat similar ideas can be worlds apart on implementation, and it’s the implementation that matters.
Microsoft’s iPhone: The Movie
Software is never done… Or is it?
“Done” software is dead software. There will always be one more bug, one more “critical” (to someone) feature to be added, etc. I am, however a fan of the concept of agile programming, with different “done” checkpoints essentially. As I outlined in a MacGourmet post a while back, it’s the way I’m intending to work, “done” points based...
Pogue on Multi-Touch Screens
He kind of rips on the limitations of the iPhone, but come on, it’s a start. It will be a long time before any of us have the 8-foot display of the demo he mentions. Yes, the video is VERY impressive and worth watching to see where this tech is going, but come on, multi-touch on the iPhone, even with only two fingers, is pretty freaking cool.
Pogue: The Multi-Touch Screen
The video he...
Java-based x86 Emulator
Just when you think you’ve seen everything, someone makes an x86 emulator that runs completely within Java at a usable speed for DOS-type things. You probably won’t be able to run Vista in it (heh), but it’s still kind of cool.
“Researchers at Oxford have built an x86 emulator that runs purely on Java, making it ideal for security researchers who want to analyze and...
AppleTV Hackable: Users add XviD support, 120GB...
Reports are now coming in, that because it’s running a version of OS X AppleTV is hackable.
DIY: Apple TV Hard Drive Upgraded to 120GB Apple TV hacked to run XviD, other formats
Joyent Slingshot: Free Your Rails Applications
An interesting new web product from Joyent was unveiled and bears watching:
“Joyent Slingshot allows developers to deploy Rails applications that work the same online and offline (with synchronization) and with drag into and out of the application just like a standard desktop application.”
Instead of just working for their own applications, it looks like any RoR app can be used...
Rogue Amoeba: AppleTV First Impressions
Paul at RA has some first impressions of AppleTV, five surprises and a wish list for the future.
“As far as Rogue Amoeba is concerned, we’re currently evaluating how we can enhance the AppleTV. Enabling it to play any audio makes sense, and we’ll be looking at that, as well as video. Whether as an update to Airfoil or a new application, we hope to improve the AppleTV experience...
Speculation of Palm buyout continues
Wall Street rumours speculate on Palm buyout.
Serves them right for putting Windows Mobile on the things. Microsoft is a harsh mistress…
Speculation of Palm buyout continues
NPR fights back, seeks rehearing on Internet radio...
Ars Technica has a post on just how fracking stupid this new royalty change really is. NPR points out all of the ways it makes absolutely no sense, and the ways that the judges just didn’t do their jobs:
“NPR makes no attempt to be polite either, arguing that the judges did not consider fully—”or at all”—the issues that have been brought forth regarding unreasonable cost...
Hivelogic Podcast Interview with Brent Simmons
Hivelogic has an interesting interview with Brent Simmons, where he talks about the history of NetNewsWire, NetNewsWire 3, microformats, and more. Give it a listen.
Interview with Brent Simmons
Video Killed the Podcast Star
Stephan on why sometimes audio podcasts just don’t work, and why video podcasts can be better, even though they take more attention from the viewer and work on the part of the producers.
“While the iPod is the perfect device for audio podcasts, it will only be a good choice for video podcasts for people already utilizing audio podcasts in those dead-air times where their eyes do not...
Friends Swap Twitters, and Frustration
Maybe it’s just me, but I just don’t need this kind of detail regarding my circle of friends. Don’t these people already have enough “noise” from email, cell phones, blogs, etc.?
“These services elicit mixed feelings in the technology-savvy people who have been their early adopters. Fans say they are a good way to keep in touch with busy friends. But some...
The Death of Twitter?
People are already calling for the death of Twitter.
Honestly, unlike blogs and even tumble logs like this one, I can’t see how what’s posted to Twitter is compelling to anyone but the person posting and their immediate circle of friends… I mean, are people that narcissistic now?
RIP Twitter (2007-2007)
Via Daring Fireball
One Number to Rule Them All!
Granted, I don’t really have enough people that call me to make this worthwhile, but I find the idea oddly compelling nonetheless…
David Pogue on GrandCentral.com:
“And when you switch your job, cellphone carrier or home city, you have to notify everyone you know that you have new phone numbers.
A new service called GrandCentral, now in its final weeks of public beta...
Attendance for Macworld 2007 Broke a Record
Looks like things are getting better and better in Mac expo land. Bring back Macworld Boston… please?
“DG World Expo has announced record-breaking results from the attendance certification audit performed by BPA World Wide for Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, held January 8-12, 2007. The number of overall visitors increased 19% from the 2006 event with 45,572...
Application Enhancer unsupported by Apple
“It’s not a surprising policy, but it’s got to be a bit disappointing and also frustrating for developers, since they’re left on their own to fix bugs caused by someone else’s software. As a user, I’m always wary of things that mess with the operating system too much, and this news would certainly make me think twice about picking up FruitMenu. In the end, as...
VoodooPad 3.1.4 released
“VoodooPad 3.1.4 has been released in all 3 tasty flavors. Download your favorite today.
It’s a bug fix release for the most part- check out the release notes for all the gory details.”
VoodooPad 3.1.4 released
Japan: Visiting Takahashi, Talking Katamari
Cabel from Panic is always posting interesting things to his blog, like his recent visit to Japan, and meet up with Takahashi, the creator of some of those crazy good shirts they sell. One thing that blew me away? His picture of a long row of capsule toy vending machines.
“The easiest way to demonstrate the wonder and magic of Yodobashi Camera is by showing you one picture. It’s a...
Microformats Go Large
Microformats sound simple, and easy to implement. Why aren’t there more uses for them? SXSW, granted is a large event, but there needs to be a greater adoption for them to be more useful.
“It might sound complicated and indeed describing microformats is much harder than using them, but the truth is adding microformat data to your site is dead simple.
In fact there’s a good chance...
Apple Releases Updates for Mac OS X, iPhoto
Another day, another chance to reboot your Mac.
Apple posts Tiger, Panther, iPhoto updates
MarsEdit 1.1.4 Supports Blogger!
Good news from the MarsEdit camp, it now supports the “new” Blogger (which has been giving me my own fits lately, as I’ve been trying to add support for Blogger back into MacGourmet). Also included are a lot of other fixes.
MarsEdit 1.1.4 Supports Blogger!
Delicious Library 2 Ready to Drop?
Wheldon Dodd thinks so, based on Shipley’s TED posts. Sounds plausible.
I find his “I still think that the next generation of collecting software needs to be online, or at least an online/desktop hybrid” comment interesting, because that’s essentially what I’m shooting for with MacGourmet.
Delicious Library 2 is Finished!