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Retina Mac Numbers→

Retina Mac Numbers

Ryan Block did some math over at gdgt, and came up with a great analysis of the future of Retina displays on the Mac, and estimated resolutions and PPI counts for various upgrades. He notes how, assuming Apple will bring the Retina display to other Mac models and the external Thunderbolt display, the low-end 11-inch MacBook Air could actually be the most peculiar change due to its high pixel density.

Now, one area where things get a little wonky for Apple is in the MacBook Air line of devices (as you’ll see below). The current, non-Retina display on the 13-inch Air actually has the same resolution as the 15-inch MacBook Pro (1440 x 900), thus giving it a much higher pixel density (127 PPI) than, say, the 13-inch Pro (113.48 PPI).

And as it happens, the humble 11-inch Air actually has the highest pixel density of all the non-Retina computers Apple currently makes, with a PPI of 131. That’s pretty damn high for Apple’s lowest-end laptop.

According to recent speculation, the 13-inch MacBook Pro could be the next model to receive a Retina upgrade in October. At WWDC, like the “regular” 15-inch version, the 13-inch MacBook Pro received a speed-bump upgrade with new processor and faster graphics. Apple said they view thinner and Retina-ready devices as the future of laptops, so it only makes sense for the entire MacBook family to get a high-resolution display eventually.

Read Ryan’s analysis here for a full comparison of every Mac model (including iMacs) against proposed Retina resolutions.

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Why Apple Is Making The Mac Harder To Use→

Why Apple Is Making The Mac Harder To Use

Michael Schechter weighs in on today’s news that TextExpander 4 couldn’t be released through the Mac App Store due to Sandboxing restrictions:

I know I’m not the average Mac user, but I’m far from the geekiest. While there will always be things that need to exist outside of the Mac App Store for the geeky amongst us, the exclusion of something as useful and harmless as TextExpander shows the flaws in the current execution of App Sandboxing. The idea of protecting users from harm makes sense; the execution of protecting users from conveniently installing and maintaining useful software makes none.

This morning, Macdrifter brought a reasonable explanation as to why Apple’s Sandboxing is, ultimately, benefitting the average Mac user who doesn’t use apps like TextExpander, but wants a Mac to be secure and “safe”:

New Mac owners lose the fear that Windows has instilled. I’ve seen it happen over and over. Ever so slowly, they begin to realize that installing software doesn’t have to be scary. Everything on the App Store is “safe” because Apple is moderating the content.

We actually saw this coming. Back in October 2011, when Sandboxing was still on track to become effective in November, I commented on two pieces by Andy Ihnatko and Jason Snell, noting how the concept of “app” – software that “does one thing well” – coupled with enhanced security for Mac users allowed Apple to position Sandboxing as a powerful technology for the new App Store market.

As a security measure, Sandboxing is a good thing for the user. It forces apps to access only the system resources they need, and, generally, it reinforces the belief that Apple-vetted apps are safer than software downloaded from the Internet. But like I said, the real problem – and I guess the reason why people like Michael and I don’t appreciate the consequences of this change – is that developers of existing apps sold on the Store are being forced out of the door. I also wrote:

The problem with Sandboxing, I believe, is that it introduced a change that is forcing developers of existing apps to reconsider functionalities that are not compatible with the Mac App Store anymore. If this will lead to serious fragmentation of Mac software with a proliferation of deeply different Mac App Store and “website versions” of the same apps, we’ll see.

And we did see the first result with TextExpander 4. It’s still too early to judge, but if these first signs are of any indication, then we should be thanking whoever thought of Gatekeeper at Apple, as it will bring some security to software downloaded outside of the Mac App Store. Similarly, we should appreciate the efforts of developers like ManyTricks and Smile, who are thinking of clever ways to offer upgrades without “officially” using the Mac App Store.

There is an argument to be made about Apple not particularly “liking” apps that change system behavior, like TextExpander. If that’s the case, why approving them for Store sale in the first place? I understand that plans evolve and things can take unexpected turns; however, today’s TextExpander update unarguably shows that this isn’t the top notch user experience Apple typically shoots for.

Geeks will always know how to get around the Mac App Store’s limitations; Sandboxing is showing its first trade-offs, including “harder” upgrades and fragmented applications, but we’ll have to wait more to understand its long-term impact.

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GoodReader 3.15.0→

GoodReader 3.15.0

GoodReader is a powerful PDF reader and file manager. It is not the prettiest app available on iOS, but in terms of functionality, I’ve yet to find a single solution that integrates good PDF annotation features and support for file management and remote servers as well as GoodReader does.

Especially on the iPad, the app has become a part of my daily workflow as it allows me to connect to AFP servers (such as my Mac mini), Dropbox, and iCloud. GoodReader is one of the few apps with real folder-based iCloud storage for documents (as I have previously detailed), and, on top of solid integration with web services, it comes with powerful file management options and support for several file types including .webarchives, Office documents, audio, and video.

The latest version of GoodReader for iPad, released yesterday, adds a number of useful options for PDFs, such as an eraser tool for freehand drawings (available as annotations), and possibility to email a PDF annotation summary. While I don’t use GoodReader as my main PDF reader (I like PDF Expert better for that), the fact that it can sync entire folders with Dropbox means I can still get my fully-annotated documents coming from other iOS apps that sync with Dropbox, like the aforementioned PDF Expert, or the recently released PDFPen 1.2.

On the file management side, version 3.15.0 is also a notable update. If you have configured the app with Dropbox, you can now generate a public link for any file or folder (GoodReader can browse the entire contents of your Dropbox) to share with your friends. Another new button, “Upload” puts a convenient shortcut into GoodReader’s file management popover so you’ll be able to instantly beam new files to remote servers (I use this to upload images to Dropbox). Last, with a new bookmarklet, GoodReader is capable of saving HTML5 video directly from Safari – and this works with YouTube as well (it’ll save .mp4 files into GoodReader).

GoodReader for iPad is only $4.99 on the App Store.

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The World Of Selling Access To iOS Betas→

The World Of Selling Access To iOS Betas

Andy Baio reports on the not-so-underground world of selling access to iOS betas to people who are not developers, but are simply interested in trying the latest OSes during their beta stages.

For a small developer, unauthorized activations are a lucrative business that’s likely worth the risks. UDID Activation publishes their order queue on their official site, which shows more than 2,300 devices activated in the last week alone. At $8.99 for each activation, that’s more than $20,600 in revenue, with $2,277 paid to Apple for the 23 developer accounts. Their homepage claims that more than 19,000 devices were activated so far, and that’s only one of several services. And since device activations only last for a year, each service can reuse their expired slots with no additional cost.

Without having to read the warnings that Apple puts on the Developer Center (and that, as Baio details, appear to be completely ineffective against sellers of paid activations), it’s important to remember that betas need to be tested by developers because only people with a technical knowledge can report bugs, send feedback, and lead to a better final product. The iOS beta isn’t meant for the general public: it is a an ongoing collection of changes, updated APIs, and visual refinements that only a developer can properly evaluate, understand, and criticize.

That’s not to say regular users shouldn’t be interested in trying the latest toys before they are released because Apple’s site says so. We at MacStories, too, have access to iOS betas but we are not developers ourselves; however, that access is necessary to have a better understanding of things to come (without breaking the NDA). The negative side-effect of spreading iOS betas to users who aren’t willing to treat them for what they are – betas – is, instead, a worrying amount of iTunes reviews for apps that can’t be updated for iOS 6 yet. We have written about this last year, and Rene Ritchie recently posted his thoughts on the matter as well.

It’s okay to be curious about the future. But the proliferation of “UDID Activation” websites has generated a number of repercussions on third-party developers, and that’s a problem Apple needs to fix.

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Retina MacBook Pro Runs Three External Displays, Downscales Apps Automatically→

Retina MacBook Pro Runs Three External Displays, Downscales Apps Automatically

Other World Computing’s Mike H. has posted a photo showing the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro running three external displays simultaneously (via MacRumors). Including the built-in Retina display set at “best for Retina” in System Preferences, the new MacBook Pro can run four displays at their native resolutions – OWC tested two iMacs as external monitors via Thunderbolt, and an additional LG display connected via HDMI. In their tests, “moving images and media didn’t create any lag” and video playback was possible on all four displays.

As noted by Steve Streza in his extensive review of the device, the Retina MacBook Pro is also capable of automatically downscaling apps to non-Retina resolutions even if you move an application’s window between two displays:

If you connect a second display, it’s probably not going to be a Retina display (at least not yet). Luckily the OS seems to handle this all magically, and downscales the window appropriately and without any input. If you drop the window halfway between the two displays, the one half on the Retina display will be high-resolution, and the other half is downscaled. In other words, it just works.

The Retina MacBook Pro has been well-received among reviewers, albeit computer repair firm iFixit gave the device a low repairability score due to Apple’s decision to not make it user-serviceable, causing a controversy that Richard Gaywood elegantly summarized at TUAW.

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Alien Blue 2.6→

Alien Blue 2.6 for iPhone

The latest update to Alien Blue, the best Reddit client available on the iPhone, adds a number of features, interface refinements, and improvements that bring the app on par with the iPad version, last updated in May. Alien Blue 2.6 is a major update that adds iCloud sync, subreddit grouping and discovering functionalities, and an entirely new Canvas view that offers a more convenient layout to browse Reddit images.

When version 2.1 of Alien Blue for iPad came out adding subreddit grouping, I wrote about the feature:

Subreddit grouping, however, has changed the way I use Alien Blue. Aside from the convenience of neatly categorizing similar subreddits in the app’s sidebar, each group can be turned into a “front page” collecting all the most upvoted links of each subreddit. This means that, for instance, I was able to create a “Learn” group within Alien Blue, throw TodayILearned, HistoryPorn, Wikipedia, and ExplainLikeImFive in there, so that when I’m in the mood of learning new things and cool facts, I can enjoy my own “Learn” Reddit front page made of the subreddits I grouped. It’s incredibly smart.

In using the iPhone update released last night, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the iCloud sync promised by the developer weeks ago worked as advertised. Upon logging into the app with my Reddit account, Alien Blue took seconds to fetch my existing groups of subreddits. In scrolling through my various front pages and tapping on links (Alien Blue for iPhone now has “optimal” views for articles, images, and videos – which are incredibly handy on the iPhone), iCloud also synced read statuses back to the iPad, dimming links that had already been checked out on the iPhone. Unlike most iCloud-enabled apps I have tried, Alien Blue’s cross-device implementation looks solid.

Among the new features (a complete list is available on Reddit), the updated Canvas view stood out because of its elegant design and gesture-based navigation. Setting its color scheme to black to make image thumbnails really pop out on the Retina display, I was able to quickly skim through images with taps (load a single image), swipes (swipe horizontally to navigate, swipe vertically to go back to grid view or advance pages), and double-taps (open image in full-screen mode). Even more than on the iPad, Canvas view makes for a great mobile browsing experience on the iPhone’s smaller display.

Alien Blue 2.6 is a great update, and the app is available for free on the App Store with a $1.99 in-app purchase to unlock more features (including Canvas and Retina thumbnails).

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A Newsstand-like Platform For iOS 6 Podcasts→

A Newsstand-like Platform For iOS 6 Podcasts

Jake Marsh writes about a possible implementation of Apple’s rumored standalone Podcasts app for iOS 6 [via Marco Arment]:

Now the really big one. A universal (iPhone & iPad) iOS application entitled “Podcasts”. This application would provide a way to browse available shows, read about them and subscribe to your favorites. Basicallly extending the existing functionality avaiable in the Podcasts section of the iTunes Store today.

Since Apple will now control the experience end-to-end, they can now provided fantastic support for things like new episode push notifications.

As Cody wrote last week when AllThingsD was first to report on speculation about a separate podcast app for iOS 6 devices, podcasts have been neglected for a long time on iOS. Bundled with iTunes within a unified interface for the Store, support for podcasts on iOS has spurred the creation and popularity of third-party solutions like Instacast and Downcast, which make it extremely easy to create playlists, stream episodes without downloading them, and sync settings (including play position) across devices. These are all features Apple’s iOS iTunes app is lacking, but it doesn’t necessarily mean Apple is ignoring the podcast category.

As we suggested, Apple could provide a separate directory for discovering podcasts and a native podcatcher to simplify the process of listening, downloading, and managing podcasts and playlists. What Marsh envisions isn’t too dissimilar from Newsstand – a platform that allows developers to host content on Apple’s servers and manage new releases from iTunes Connect, and that enables iOS users to conveniently browse audio and video content through a dedicated storefront.

It’s important to keep in mind that, if Apple were to provide a new platform for Internet audio and video producers, they’d likely want to see a revenue opportunity to at least break even and cover the costs of offering a better experience. With Newsstand, Apple got several publishers (including Time) on board with the revenue cut business model whilst providing an integrated solution to the end user. With podcasts on iOS, there is certainly room for improvement – but it has to make sense for Apple too, not just the developers and end users.

 

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Mozilla Developing “Junior” Browser for iPad→

Mozilla Developing “Junior” Browser for iPad

The Verge’s Chris Welch writes about Mozilla’s latest iOS effort: an iOS browser app called “Junior” aimed at rethinking the tablet’s basic interactions for web browsing with a new interface and touch controls.

So here comes the fun stuff,” said Alex Limi as he began discussing the prototype iPad browser Mozilla has been working on for several months. “We wanted to make something entirely new. We wanted to look into how we could reinvent the browser for a new form factor,” he said. He goes so far as to deem Safari for iPad “a miserable experience” all the while acknowledging that it remains the best option available in terms of tablet-based browsing. iOS is a platform where Mozilla has yet to make an impact, he admits. “There are a lot of reasons we should be on iOS even though we can’t bring our rendering engine there.” Ultimately he says Junior was born out of necessity: as of now, Mozilla has “no vehicle on one of the biggest consumer platforms in the world.

According to Mozilla’s own blog post, Junior (which hasn’t been given a release date) will make browsing more “fun” and “ergonomic”. In spite of the lack of additional details, Mozilla will surely have to use Apple’s WebKit engine to release Junior as a browser app on the App Store, putting it on the same technical level of other third-party browsers like iCab and Maven.

The demo given by the Mozilla design team shows a functioning web browser with full-screen mode, visual tabs and bookmarks, and large touch-based controls sitting at both sides of the screen to access new pages and standard browser controls like Back and Refresh. Looking at this first demo, it appears Junior will be somewhat inspired by apps like Grazing, which has long experiment with “thumb controls” to facilitate the process of interacting with the browser without losing the convenience of holding the iPad comfortably.

With Safari getting an even faster engine and iCloud tabs on iOS 6, it will become harder for developers to gain mass traction with third-party browsers. Safari is integrated with the system (iOS users can’t replace their default browsers in the Settings) and, with iOS 6, it will work with iCloud to synchronize tabs across devices. But the “big players” like Mozilla and Google have a chance to leverage their existing desktop ecosystem to build mobile companion apps that, even if not as capable as their computer counterparts, could implement features like “official” tab and bookmark sync to provide solid experiences to users accustomed to other browsers on their Macs or PCs. Google is rumored to be working on an iOS version of Chrome; Mozilla could, in theory, build Firefox Home (which is currently a separate app) straight into Junior to keep a Firefox user’s session synced and stored in the cloud.

Check out Mozilla’s Junior presentation here.

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Apple’s Phill Schiller On App Store Curation and Promotion For Developers→

Apple’s Phill Schiller On App Store Curation and Promotion For Developers

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published yesterday, Apple’s Phill Schiller weighed in on App Store curation, promotion of third-party apps, and traditional retail selling space.

The opportunity is the best it has ever been for software developers,” Mr. Schiller said, adding that he thinks the app store is a far more democratic way to sell software than traditional retail stores with limited shelf space.

Mr. Schiller also pointed out that Apple promotes apps in multiple ways, such as popularity charts and featured app lists. “Every other day you hear about another app going off the charts,” he said. “You can still get discovered and get a hit overnight.

There’s no doubt Apple has done a “tremendous amount” (Schiller’s words) to help apps get discovered on the App Store. With the iPhone and the App Store, Apple created a new economy that, in the U.S. alone, has spurred the creation of over 200,000 jobs. But as I have outlined last month, the App Store of 2012 isn’t the same that launched in 2008 to 900 apps: there are over 650,000 apps on the App Store today, and while Apple has done a lot for developers, it could optimize the layout of the Store to do more and better. I wrote:

Custom sections provide a decent solution to browse titles Apple has previously “curated”; however, these sections aren’t usually updated as often as they are created — N.O.V.A. 3, a new shooter game by Gameloft, still isn’t listed under Benchmark Games: Stunning Graphics, whilst the majority of reviewers and publications have outlined the game’s remarkable graphic capabilities.

The IconFactory’s Craig Hockenberry also noted how Apple could bring its “personal touch” to the App Store to showcase great software with different methods than simple Top Charts, or “curated lists” that are often abandoned and never updated.

Instead of fighting for a short-term placement in the Top 100 lists, we’d fight for a long-term product review. Look at the amazing things developers do to earn an ADA and imagine if that happened once a week. Earning that “Apple approval” could ensure a product’s success for a long time. Which would be great for both customers and developers alike.

Hopefully Apple is thinking about this stuff. Earlier this year they acquired app recommendation service Chomp, and they revamped their “App of the Week” section with a new “Editor’s Choice” tag. The redesigned App Stores of iOS 6 come with Facebook integration and improved layout for descriptions and screenshots, something developers have been asking for. It’s too early to tell, but it seems like the iOS 6 App Store is on track to deliver great improvements for navigation and user interaction this Fall; to improve discoverability and promotion, however, Apple should also consider tweaking longstanding minor, yet important aspects such as filters, search, and Category sorting options.

Read the full interview with Schiller (who also confirms a new tracking tool for developers being discussed at WWDC sessions) here.

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