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Old Macs Still Rock→

Old Macs Still Rock

Of course, using Tiger means I personally couldn’t use a lot of the apps I require, like Espresso, nor could I manage Photoshop or InDesign with such a small visual canvas. I can’t stand notebooks anyway. But the intended audience wasn’t me. I chose Tiger over Leopard because it was intended on being used by people in an office environment, who needed word processing, internet, and email. And this is what most people use a computer for. They’ve been using the iBook for the past week, day-in day-out, and I’ve received no complaints so far — they have no clue that the brushed metal UI is ugly, even though they also have a Snow Leopard Mac mini running.

Techno-lust can lead to a flawed vision, making it difficult to see the true value in things.

Such a re-discovery wouldn’t be possible on iOS. You can’t download old versions of apps, and if you run the latest version most likely you’ll end up frustrated by the lack of optimization on older units.

You’ve got to play the update game with iOS.

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John Carmack On iOS Performances→

John Carmack On iOS Performances

From Ars Technica’s interview with John Carmack:

Whether the iOS devices will reach that same level of performance before the next console generation ships is quite an interesting question. There are some very different designs for power consumption considerations that go into their hardware design, and cranking things up to give that level of power but gets burning hot in your hands and uses up the battery in 30 minutes is absolutely possible with the form factor right now, but it’s probably not the right decision from the standpoint of what the device really is and is supposed to be. But even at the same power draw, they’re going to be doubling and doubling again the performance level.

In the not-too-distant future, we’re going to be seeing multicore on mobiles, and I’m very interested in when the transition to 64-bit addresses is going to come in the mobile space.

If there’s one thing that’s holding developers from creating full-featured game experiences on iOS, that would be battery life.

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Unreal Development Kit Coming to iOS→

Unreal Development Kit Coming to iOS

When it ships, the UDK iOS will include the same editors and code used to create a number of blockbuster games, and will be available to anyone wishing to publish games via the App Store. Toolsets of this quality generally cost developers anywhere from $500 to tens of thousands of dollars, so by releasing the UDK for free, Epic is drastically lowering the barrier of entry for iOS developers wishing to create graphically impressive games.

We can’t wait for Infinity Blade to show up on December 9th. It’s a taste of great things coming to iOS gaming in the future.

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iOS 4.2 Comes With Technology To Minimize Network Congestion→

iOS 4.2 Comes With Technology To Minimize Network Congestion

With its latest iPhone iOs 4.2 software, it looks like Apple is joining efforts to cut smartphone signalling down to size. Tests by Nokia Siemens Networks have shown that iPhone iOs 4.2  supports a technology called Network Controlled Fast Dormancy, which we have already introduced into our networks. Basically, the technology makes the network and the handset work together to create the best conditions for smartphones to work quickly, yet have a long battery life and minimize network congestion.

Nice.

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When Is “Inspired By” Taken Too Far?→

When Is “Inspired By” Taken Too Far?

Tapbots is no stranger to getting their work copied, stolen, and everything else in that category, but where does one draw the line?

This is where the line needs to be drawn. Retweet the source link if you believe in the hard work of great, skilled and passionate designers and developers who see their work abruptly copied by God knows what “iOS development studio” every single day.

Shame on mRemedy, and all those who tolerate and support this kind of “works”.

[via Mark Jardine]

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How The Internet Can Fix Paul Thurrott in 2010→

How The Internet Can Fix Paul Thurrott in 2010

Let’s take a look at Thurrot’s latest piece, “How Apple Can Fix the iPad in 2011”.

The one major change Apple will institute in the existing iPad models is the price, which is far too high for a device that is essentially a large-screen iPod touch.

Considering that current competitors are in the same price range of the iPad, and sometimes way above it, I don’t think pricing is a problem to fix in 2011.

Granted, not everyone is going to want a 7-inch iPad. But this model, positioned squarely between the iPod touch and currently 10-inch iPad, would provide a perfect middle ground, especially for those who will continue to use the iPad for consumption purposes only. (As is the case with virtually all iPad owners today, by the way.)

Same old story all over again. He says Apple needs a smaller iPad, but that won’t change the fact that the iPad is a consumption-only device. Either someone didn’t get the memo, or I haven’t been briefed on the incredible content creation capabilities of the Galaxy Tab.

The iPad’s currently storage allotments are simply too small. Apple should use its iPod touch as a guide and offer 32 GB, 64 GB, and even 128 GB versions of the device.

There’s no 128GB iPod touch.

While Apple clearly intended to include dual cameras in the current iPad–there is a hole designed for this purpose inside the case–it didn’t, and now there’s no way to add one.

That hole is there to make the ambient-light sensor work.

The current iPad’s screen is far too glossy and reflective to be used in many situations, making it less than ideal for eBook reading, movie watching, and other activities where you can more clearly see your own reflection than the onscreen content.

I thought glossy was meant to make movies look better?

Apple currently sells 6 different iPads, three with Wi-Fi only and three with 3G wireless networking as well. Since Apple likely pays something like $6 for a 3G radio, my advice is to simplify the lineup to 2 or 3 models only, differentiated only by storage capacities.

This is the best part. First he says Apple’s selling too many different models, then he goes on to suggest Apple should make a smaller version available as well, with different screen and storage options.

Someone’s confused here.

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Mac Of The Future→

Mac Of The Future

From its experience with iOS, Apple believes it has discovered—or perhaps rediscovered—the secret to selling consumer technology products: simplicity. This doesn’t mean that the Mac we know and love will disappear. Rather, by stealing the most successful ideas from iOS, the Mac OS of tomorrow could slowly shed its legacy constraints while still remaining true to the power, utility, and spirit that has always defined the Mac.

And we haven’t seen anything about Lion yet – Mac App Store and Launchpad aside. Exciting times ahead for Mac users.

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$250,000 Engagement Ring Sold Through iPhone App→

$250,000 Engagement Ring Sold Through iPhone App

Forbes reports:

Blue Nile, of course, is the online website dear to the hearts of many hopeful girlfriends: on it one can design an engagement ring from a wide choice of stones, settings and prices. Its main shoppers, though, are men  - a group to whom Blue Nile has taken considerable pains to target. That list of top ten engagement rings on the homepage? It was put together with the befuddled male shopper in mind. So were the mobile tools the site launched in recent months, including a new iPad app.

Blue Nile hit pay dirt with the latter a number of days ago when it sold a $250,000 ring through the app.

This is the app. It even integrates with PayPal Mobile. [via Rosa]

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The Mac That Saved Apple→

The Mac That Saved Apple

I remember covering that crowded midnight rollout at a Palo Alto, California, store, and talking with then Apple hardware-engineering honcho Jon Rubenstein, who was beaming like a proud papa. An exhausted proud papa, to be sure, but grinning ear-to-ear nonetheless as he watched a long line of purchasers plop down $1,299 for the latest shiny-shiny, and lug their big boxes out of the store, smiling as broadly as Rubenstein himself.

Rubenstein told me that the iMac was going to redefine consumer computing. He was right.

Reminds me a lot of the iPad announcement and launch. But this time Apple doesn’t need to be saved.

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