Cody Fink

1547 posts on MacStories since January 2010

Former MacStories contributor.

[email protected]

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On Jony Ive’s and Marc Newson’s Collaboration for Bono’s Anti-HIV Campaign→

Paul Goldberger from Vanity Fair writes about the collaboration between Jony Ive and Marc Newson, who’ve put together an assortment of 40 items to auction off for Bono’s Product (Red) anti-HIV campaign.

Two one-of-a-kind pieces—a metal desk and a special Leica camera—were designed by Ive and Newson in collaboration, specially for the auction. Several others, like a customized Steinway grand piano and a Georg Jensen silver pitcher, are variations on existing objects that Ive and Newson both liked and got the manufacturers to agree to tweak for the sale, generally by adding something red. (The Steinway appears to be entirely white, but when you lift its lid, the underside turns out to be painted an intense, brilliant red, while the pitcher has a red enameled interior.) A few other items, such as a circa-1990 Russian cosmonaut’s space suit and a sketch for one of Elvis Presley’s stage costumes from 1970, are objects Ive and Newson found and decided that they liked well enough to include in the auction as is.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Marc Newson.

Unlike art, Newson said, “design is not inherently valuable. How would we generate revenue?” In the end, he said, “we decided just to put together things that we love.”

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Apple Announces Q4 2013 Conference Call for October 28

Apple’s fourth quarter earnings report and conference call will take place on October 28th, 2013, according to an Investor Relations update on Apple’s website. At the time of the event, Apple will broadcast the call online.

Apple plans to conduct a conference call to discuss financial results of its fourth fiscal quarter on Monday, October 28, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET.

For the third quarter, ending on June 29th, Apple earned $35.3 billion in revenue, resulting in a net profit of $6.9 billion. Earnings for the 3rd quarter were $7.47 per diluted share. For the fourth fiscal quarter, Apple predicts earning between $34 billion and $37 billion in revenue (which Apple later clarified would be towards the high end following opening sales of the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s). Last year, Apple earned $36 billion in revenue, pocketing $6.9 billion in profit, at $8.67 per diluted share.

This year, Apple launched two new iPhones: the colorful iPhone 5c, and the flagship iPhone 5s. During the opening weekend, Apple sold over 9 million new iPhones, compared to iPhone 5 in 2012 which sold over 5 million during its opening weekend. Launch countries included: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, and the US. In their press release, Apple stated that demand for the iPhone 5s exceeded initial supply and that many online orders would be shipped in coming weeks.

In addition to new iPhones, Apple introduced iOS 7, a complete rethinking of Apple’s mobile operating system. Through a simple software update, millions of customers had their iOS devices updated with brand new features such as Control Center, an all-in-one hub for managing common settings and playback controls, visual multitasking, and automatic updates that ensure apps are always current and up-to-date. You can read our thoughts on iOS 7 here.

Apple also added iTunes Radio to their content ecosystem, which features: first plays of upcoming albums, collaborations with artists, customized radio stations based on songs, and an ad-free listen for iTunes Match subscribers. iTunes Radio helps listeners discover a variety of new music based on their musical interests, favorite artists, and listening habits.

While Apple has not made any announcements, the company is expected to reveal new iPads and iPad minis later this month, launching the products in Q1 for 2014 to kick off the new fiscal year. If and how the company will update the iPod lineup remains to be seen, but my guess is that things will stay the same this year, since the iPod lineup received a Space Gray color option shortly after the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c were announced. As for Mac updates, I could see Apple revealing a launch date for its Mac Pro at the iPad event, but I expect silent spec bumps for everything else.

We will provide live updates from the conference call on our site’s homepage on October 28th starting at 2 PM PT.

Pocket’s Refresh for the Web→

If I had any previous complaint about Pocket, it’s that their website felt too much like a tablet app and wasn’t easy to use on the desktop. Following Pocket’s iOS 7 update, they’ve redesigned their website making it significantly easier to use. Everything has been unified into a single cohesive toolbar, it’s faster, and it’s visually more appealing. If you’re at the office or on the go, Pocket on the web is now just as great as its native iOS and Mac apps.

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David Smith’s Pedometer++ Demos the iPhone 5s’ M7→

It hasn’t been said (or if it has been it’s been buried underneath a litany of other geeky details), but the M7 coprocessor in the iPhone 5s records your movement data whether you’re using apps or not. Without apps, the M7 keeps a basic log of data, determining whether your phone is in motion and how to decide if it’s an appropriate time to ping for network data. With apps such as Pedometer++, free on the App Store, it’ll pull off current data and a small history of what the M7 has already recorded. The best part about this is when you go to switch apps or use a different one, there will already be a solid baseline of data for apps to draw upon.

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Shazam for iOS 7

Much like Twitterrific’s update for iOS 7, Shazam has spruced up their app with flattened, descriptive wiry icons and simple color palettes that make the app feel at home on Apple’s new OS. Perhaps the only noticeable difference is that Shazam asks for Microphone access, a new requirement as of iOS 7, so that it can listen to what’s playing in the background to identify songs. It’s visually a nice update, but much of it is the same as before. It’s cleaner and more focused, with nice looking fades and animations as you switch between tabs.

The features added to iOS 7 revolve around social maps and Facebook. Eh. I don’t know how Shazam feels about people like me, but I’m not so intent on sharing songs with friends and seeing what people are listening to around me. I said the same thing when I took a look at the revamped iPad app earlier in the year, and I feel somewhat alienated since the only thing I really want to use Shazam for is ID’ing tracks playing at over loudspeakers, on the radio, or when some remixed version of a song pops up on a livestream somewhere. The social stuff… I don’t want any part of it. It’s cool. It’s just not for me.

Shazam currently sells a free version of Shazam, complete with advertisements that you can remove with an in-app purchase. For a few bucks you can straight up buy a version of Shazam with a darker blue icon free of ads. And then there’s a product RED version of the app that looks cool, and also removes ads. I’d rather see a single version of Shazam that’s free, with Lifetime (or Encore) as an IAP and RED as an optional theme, which you could also pay for. It’d remove a lot of the confusion about which version is which on the App Store. Regardless, if you’d like to give Shazam a try (the ID stuff is amazing — why don’t you have it?), you can download one of the following variants from the App Store:

Twitterrific Revisited for iOS 7

Twitterrific, for a long time, was my mainstay Twitter app. It’s beautiful, functional, and extremely fast, but I’ve found myself gravitating away towards Tweetbot and Twitter’s own app. It’s not that I don’t like Twitterrific, but I needed a change of scenery, and Twitter’s own Connect tab has spoiled me with a wealth of information such as follows, RTs, and yellow stars intermingled with mentions — things I swore I never cared about. I think the biggest killer for me has been the prolonged wait for an updated Twitterrific on the Mac, which feels outdated in comparison to its iOS counterpart.

The neat thing about Twitterrific was that it was practically already ready for iOS 7. At least visually, Twitterrific had already adopted thin fonts, bright neon colors that go great with the iPhone 5c, and a sleek barebones interface. This doesn’t even account for Twitterrific’s unique layout; much of the app doesn’t really conform to traditional iOS conventions anyway (consider the tab bar at the top of the screen rather than the bottom). With iOS 7 the visual updates are relatively minor, with wire-thin icons and small visual updates prevalent throughout. Not even Ollie changed too much in Twitterific’s new stark white icon.

Twitterrific’s biggest notable update is background refreshing (The Iconfactory calls it “fetching”). Streaming isn’t something Twitterrific has been known for, but as long as the app is kept in the background, it will load new tweets in so they’ll be ready to read when you open the app. That to me makes Twitterrific much more viable as a daily Twitter app.[1]

There’s lots of minor updates. You can tweet links directly from the in-app browser (great feature) and you can additionally opt to open links in Chrome. Various links are now tappable in bios. They’re all things that continue to make Twitterrific super friendly.

In fact, of all the current Twitter apps, I’d say Twitterrific is still the most friendly. Gestures are broad, sensible, and fast to execute. Twitterrific’s blazing performance continues to be stellar: tweets load unbelievably quickly as you swipe to view conversations. The core experience is about messages, whereas Twitter’s official app feels like it teeters on personal branding and brand engagement, while Tweetbot is dense with features but a little slower and not yet updated for iOS 7.

Twitterrific for iOS 7 is largely the same as its predecessors, but it continues to get faster in every iteration. I don’t know how much more performance The Iconfactory can wring out of their app before Twitterrific flies off the face of the phone. With refreshed graphics, speedy improvements, and gesture updates that better let Twitterrific mingle with iOS 7’s native gestures, you might want to consider taking another look at the blue bird if you haven’t already.

Twitterrific can be downloaded from the App Store for $2.99 for a limited time, 50% off the regular price.

  1. In fact, I almost don’t like Apple’s new multitasking interface for this reason. It encourages people to close apps, but if you do, those apps can’t perform background tasks. The new multitasking interface is perhaps misleading and counterintuitive for this reason. ↩︎

Marked 2 Review

One of the most indispensable pieces of software currently on my Mac is Marked. Paired with TextEdit, I write in plain text and format words in Markdown, letting Marked transform working documents into live previews complete with clickable links and footnotes. At the end of my session, I can convert everything into HTML that I can copy and paste into WordPress. It’s a brilliant little tool that I don’t utilize the full capabilities of, but it makes my life significantly easier when it comes to just writing stuff. For most writers, these few features alone are enough.

For writers willing to put in the work, Marked can display previews that match your website’s style and theme by creating a custom CSS template. There’s handy keyboard shortcuts, like Command-U for viewing source code and Shift-Command-C for saving HTML to the clipboard. You’ll additionally find things like a viewable table of contents built in that let you jump to specific sections for documents with multiple headings. Plus, Marked happily works with the text editor you’re already using.

Yet there’s so much more underneath the hood. For screenwriters, Marked works with apps like Scrivener and markup languages like Fountain. Those who have to write and publish formulas can do so with MathJax. And old Markdown hands can specify their own custom processors… something that’s possibly over my head. Marked is a labor of love, catering to geeks while remaining accessible for writers like me who want easy previews and invaluable features like the ability to process Markdown within source code.

Considering all that Marked already does, Marked 2 is a huge release that adds a ton of new features for editor, bloggers, and people who would rather write in Markdown than open Microsoft Word. Instead of running through every new feature, I’d rather focus on the two that have the greatest impact on me. Keyword highlighting makes self editing much easier, while new searching features let me skip past the results I don’t need to see.

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Initial Impressions of the iPhone 5s

I chose the Space Gray model over Gold and Silver[1], and I think the gray looks fantastic. The gray is maybe closer to stainless steel in tone, a darker tint than the aluminum finish of the silver model or of today’s MacBooks. The original batch of hands-on photos and renderings don’t do the color justice. I think “gray” downplays its premium look.

This is my first iPhone with the 4-inch Retina display and the difference is tremendous. Upgrading from the now stubby looking iPhone 4s, the 5s feels slim and tall. It’s featherlight, slick, and surprisingly more comfortable than I thought it would be. I haven’t had to think about pulling down the Notification Center or reaching too far to hit a back button.

It’s so light that I ended up purchasing one of Apple’s new leather cases just to give the phone a little extra grip. I do have mixed feelings about the leather case. As far as I can tell, it’s a plastic shell covered in a stiff (but ever so slightly plush) leather. The case doesn’t feel too different from a Smart Cover for the iPad. While it looks supple, it’s not. It’s shaped so that it very tightly snugs the phone. It’s such a tight fit that getting it out is an exercise in patience. I pried the corners back getting the phone halfway out, and used a pencil eraser maneuver the rest of it out through the camera hole, pushing on the glass. To their credit, Apple made a case that doesn’t add much bulk or weight to the iPhone 5s, but it’s not a case you will want to take on or off everyday.

Upon setting up the 5s, you’re presented with the same iCloud setup screens as usual. I opted not to restore a backup from iCloud, instead choosing only to sync other info like contacts and calendars. Afterwards you’re asked to set up Touch ID, the new fingerprint sensor that’s installed underneath the modest Home button. I didn’t think the instructions were clear enough, but I was already familiar with setup thanks to the numerous amount of hands-on videos from popular tech sites. Once activated, it really does work like magic. Other fingers don’t trigger the sensor, and it unlocks almost immediately. I’m still getting used to not swiping and typing in a pin.

Interestingly, the ring around the sensor on the Space Gray iPhone doesn’t match the gray body. Instead it’s jet black, darker than even the slate color on the previous iPhone 5. Unlike the Silver and Gold models, the black Home button does appear more translucent.

I pre-ordered an album on iTunes (just a fingerprint required) and it just worked. The natural next step for Apple would be to use Touch ID for EasyPay purchases. Michael Norton and crew touch on the idea for retail purchases during Episode 72 of The Impromptu.

I’ve taken a few selfies (I’d rather not share those) and the quality of the front facing camera is excellent, much improved from the 4s. The rear facing camera is spectacular: a dimly lit setting (overcast sky and closed blinds) appears slightly warmer and brighter in the photograph with hardly any grain. Photos taken outside are fantastic as usual. It was daylight by the time I walked out of the store, so I have to try out the upgraded flash and low light capabilities in the evening. I can’t say right now, but I’m expecting the 5s to be a very impressive little camera.

I was looking forward to giving the motion sensor a brief spin, but I haven’t noticed the Nike+ Move app in the App Store yet. I don’t know if that was slated to launch today or next week, but I’m looking forward to giving it a test and seeing what impact there is on battery life.

Lastly there’s the performance. It’s blazing fast. Everything is buttery smooth, and parallax scrolling doesn’t feel like something I have to turn off. Just how powerful the A7 chip is will become apparent down the road, as people start noticing how much faster it is to do things like export movies and photos with upgraded apps. The fact that Apple was able to double the processing speed over last year’s model (which was already twice as fast as the 4s) is impressive.

  1. While it’s true that the Space Gray model was the only available color at my carrier’s store, it was what I originally wanted. What I think is interesting is how Apple possibly underestimated interest in the Gold models, since they appear to be both in high demand and in limited supply at Apple Stores. ↩︎

Instacast 4: Revamped for iOS 7

While Instacast 3 had a bumpy start, in time it matured into a solid app. Not only were the kinks worked out, but the new syncing engine enabled Vemedio to later launch a brand new version of Instacast for Macs running Mountain Lion. Together, this makes Instacast one of only three apps that can sync and play podcasts across desktops and iOS devices (the other two being Apple’s Podcasts + iTunes, and Downcast).

Intacast 4 is by far Vemedio’s best version of Instacast yet, and it’s a free update to those who’ve already purchased Instacast 3. Not only has the app been updated to adopt the look and feel of Apple’s translucency and flat iconography, it’s been significantly improved with the introduction of a sidebar and simpler now playing controls. Significant sounds funny, especially in light of a sidebar, but it makes Instacast much easier to navigate, less cluttered, and all around much more friendly to newcomers. Read more