Today we saw the return of the 2nd generation iPod shuffle as a smaller, 4th generation upgrade that features VoiceOver and a familiar scroll wheel in pale yet lovely shades of silver, blue, green, orange, and pink. Arriving in similar hues with savvy graphite and slick (PRODUCT)RED coats, the iPod nano has truly become the nano charm I’ve always wanted: a no-camera, no-video mini music player featuring an interactive multitouch interface and a clip-able form factor that’s perfect for my morning jog. I’m incredibly satisfied with this year’s offerings, and the click-and-go functionality of Apple’s latest iPods are great.
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The iPod shuffle and the iPod nano: Click and Clip
iTunes 10: Ping Me With Your Feature Creep
In case you missed it, there was an Apple keynote earlier today. A Stevenote. Yeah, no big deal. Really: they just announced a completely refreshed iPod line with new Touches, Nanos and Shuffles, a new Apple TV, HDR photography in iOS 4.1 and they previewed 4.2 for iPad. With multitasking. Oh, they also talked about Game Center and iOS 4.2 unified across all devices. But really, no big deal.
Amongst all these insignificant updates, Apple also revealed a new version for their popular music player, ehm, video player, ehm, app installer, ehm, Store - ok, they announced a new version of iTunes. iTunes 10. Not X, 10. The tenth iteration of a software which, over the years, has gone from playing music to managing your iBooks. An application that now gets a new icon (I like it, was about time to ditch the CD), new close / minimize buttons (more on this in a minute), a refined UI and…a social network. Inside the app. Another feature in iTunes.
Apple: are you sure about that?
Was the iPod nano Camera Ever Useful?
When I think about the iPod nano, I think of it being that tall and slender iPod one shoves into an armband before jamming out to a Nike + tune on their thirty minute run. When I think about the iPod nano, I think of the FM radio and iTunes tagging capabilities. I think of the genius playlists and its subtle curves. Though the iPod nano does have a camera, it never struck me as something I’d want to have for that device.
Your Alternative iPad Browser Sucks
I tried many alternative browsers on my iPad. So many, in fact, that I can’t even remember the last time I deleted one. Maybe it was Super Prober, or Atomic Browser. I really can’t remember. My problem with you, developers of alternative browsers, is that you’re not Apple. You’re not even close to being able to implement features and think - just think - that they could work better than Safari’s.
I’ve seen many bloggers and people I follow on Twitter claim that they found a browser better than Safari. In the past months I read dozens of articles about “I ditched Safari for Atomic Browser” or “I needed tabs so I installed this on my iPad”. Early and quick excitement is bad for the internet: your words will stay there for the months to come as a living sign of your past ramblings. You said you ditched Safari, and now your homescreen.me profile lacks any alternative.
Step your game up, people. You don’t need to write about alternatives, because they all suck.
Hey, Apple: The App Store Is Broken.
Last night Cody published his thoughts on iTunes and wireless syncing to devices, a matter we’ve been discussing here at MacStories for a long time. I agree with him (though I’m really not into podcasts as he is), but I want to follow-up by focusing on a secondary point: the App Store navigation.
Google is copying Apple, but the App Store is broken. I can’t believe that after 2 years of existence Apple still hasn’t fixed many of the issues that affected the App Store back in 2008. In fact, they added even more.
Six Weeks With an iPhone 4
I got my iPhone 4 on June 30th, six weeks ago. I bought it from an Italian eBay seller who purchased two units in Montpellier (France) and decided to re-sell them at a considerably higher price on eBay. Looking back, I know I did the right thing: Apple sent a very few units for the Italian launch on July 30th, and even if I could manage to grab one on that day I would have missed 30 days of intensive usage and enjoyment. In those 30 days I had the chance to test the Retina Display, the antenna, FaceTime, the updated apps. It was worth it.
Now, it’s been six weeks with iPhone 4. Does it change everything?
My Thoughts on the Cult of Mac Controversy
When I look at websites like TUAW, The Apple Blog, Macgasm, or a site such as ourselves that talks about the well being of the developer community, I expect all of us to be role models for others to follow and an avenue for developer success.
Which leads me to Cult of Mac. By now all of us are aware of Sayam Aggarwal’s brazen tutorial on how to install pirated software with the intent of, “Try before you buy.” It’s a shallow cause.
If the iPad is So Good, Can You Eat Off of It?
Occasionally there’s an article that’s just… weird. You know, the kind of stuff that’s instantly able to turn a sour day into something incredibly awesome. Leave it to the Japanese to provide me with the one iPad article that beats them all. In fact, I don’t think anything will be able to top this for a long time. If you’ve read the headline, I think you know where this is going.
Dear Apple, This Is What I Want On The iPad
I’ve been playing around with my iPad for three months now, and it has definitely changed many things in the way I approach my job, Twitter, news and the web in general. Is it magical? Yes, it is. Is it magical enough to completely reinvent the way people think of mobile devices? Maybe, but it’s personal.
The iPad is a highly personal device. Even more than the iPhone, which is and always will ultimately be a phone, the iPad has no defined purpose. Sure, Apple says that it’s the best way to read emails, surf the web and watch movies, but it’s up to you to turn the tablet into your machine. A productivity machine, an entertainment one or a gaming device? Your call.
For as much as I enjoy using my iPad, there are some things I’m missing. Features, let’s just say. Whether it’s about hardware adjustments I’d like to see, or software updates coming in the next months, I’ve put together a list of “stuff I want on the iPad”.
Maybe you’ll find something that you want in there, too.