The mind reels. Analysts are troubled by Apple’s current stock price, proclaiming doom and gloom. But Candy Crush? They can’t wait to get their hands on this stock. I just don’t get it.
Details on the changes that came with iOS 7.1
Nice writeup by the Andrew Cunningham at Ars Technica. This is definitely worth a read. One thing that struck me was the big overall benefit that came from subtly speeding up various animation elements from 7.0.x to 7.1. Watch the first video to get a sense of this. iOS 7.1 is on the right side.
Neil Young’s Pono kickstarter crushes fundraising goal
[VIDEO] As of this writing, his Kickstarter campaign has raised more than $1.27 million, far in excess of his goal of $800,000. Watch the embedded video. Well worth it. Some musical giants weighing in with their opinions.
iOS 7.1 gives 15-minute window to make in-app purchases
Users must reenter their password to make in-app purchases once you make your first in-app purchase.
Today the web turns 25. Some thoughts from Tim Berners Lee on its future
Tim Berners Lee created the beginnings of the web 25 years ago today. When you read the article, don’t overlook the very first screen shot. It’s a bit hard to read, but this is how it all started.
Apple gets final OK for new Union Square San Francisco store
I love the emphasis Apple puts on creating iconic structures. I think this is especially important when you take a potentially historic property and convert it to commercial use.
Tesla sales will be banned in New Jersey starting April 1st
This is infuriating.
Tesla was dealt a crushing blow in New Jersey today after the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission passed a rule that will prevent the company from selling its electric cars directly to consumers starting in April. Unlike other automakers, Tesla sells its Model S through company-owned retail stores — a business model that cuts out the franchised auto dealerships that have ruled the market for decades. New Jersey is the third US state to ban car manufacturers from selling directly to customers, joining Texas and Arizona. But unlike those two states, New Jersey is home to a booming luxury vehicle market, making this a major loss for Tesla.
Ernest Cline is the luckiest geek alive
Learn all about the author of Ready Player One, a book published less than two years ago that has catapulted the author to stratospheric heights. Fun, fun read.
The brilliance of smart-grid streetlights
Slowly but surely, street lights are going to be replaced by smart LED equivalents. Massive replacement projects are underway in Los Angeles, Paris, Copenhagen and now in Miami. The technology has a relatively large upfront cost, but pays for itself quickly as the yearly power cost to drive LED lighting is significantly less than the cost of running what it replaces.
Apple iOS 7.1 launches major iBeacon improvement
Big improvement to iBeacons means your apps can fire off notifications even if they are not running.
GoDaddy Names First Woman Board Member, Former Apple Exec Betsy Rafael
From Rafael’s Forbes bio:
On September 19, 2013, the Board of Directors of Autodesk, Inc. elected Betsy Rafael to the Board. Ms. Rafael, age 52, has over 30 years of executive financial experience in the technology industry. Ms. Rafael served as Principal Accounting Officer of Apple Inc. from January 2008 to October 2012, and as its Vice President and Corporate Controller from August 2007 until October 2012. From April 2002 to September 2006, Ms. Rafael served as Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer of Cisco Systems, Inc., and held the position of Vice President, Corporate Finance for Cisco Systems from September 2006 to August 2007.
Solid credentials.
iOS 7.1 puts an end to nested folders
Nested folders — or folders-within-folders — were a long-standing bug that Apple conveniently ignored for some time. It was a fantastic hidden feature that I’ve personally become dependent on. Having a perfectly clean home screen with a single folder used to house all my different app categories was a dream come true, but reality has now smacked me in the face.
Hold on now. If this is a bug, why complain if it gets fixed?
Sheryl Sandberg and Anna Maria Chávez on ‘Bossy,’ the Other B-word
Thoughtful piece from the Wall Street Journal.
How are we supposed to level the playing field for girls and women if we discourage the very traits that get them there?
The evolution of the Digital Hub
Ben Thompson makes the case that the Digital Hub is a moving target, starting with the TV, then moving to the iPhone, then, possibly the iWatch, presuming such a thing exists.
The post is thought provoking, absolutely worth reading, though I do disagree with a premise here or there.
Architect of Apple’s new HQ talks about the details of the project
Fantastic interview. Just cannot wait until this campus is complete.
Crowdsourcing the Search for Malaysia Flight 370
It’s a race against time, and the Tomnod web site is pulling together a crowdsourcing effort to help comb through high resolution satellite imagery to find clues to the location of Malaysia Flight 370.
Comcast selling season 1 of House of Cards. No Netflix required
This might seem a small detail, but I find it fascinating that Comcast customers do not have to go through Netflix to be able to buy access to the excellent House of Cards series that Netflix brought to life.
Speeding up your Mac
Mac consultant Adam Rosen talks you through his approach when a client complains about a slow Mac.
Walkthrough of iOS 7.1’s new features
[VIDEO] This is definitely worth watching, especially if you have not yet updated and want to see what’s new.
After only six months, iTunes Radio moves up to 3rd place, gaining traction
Impressive performance for a service that only launched last September. I wonder what it is that keeps Pandora so solidly locked in first place. Is it great branding/marketing? The value of being first to market? I wonder what this list will look like in another year.
The lowballing of Kodak’s patent portfolio
A sad end to a once-proud brand. Kodak’s portfolio was valued as high as US $4.5 billion and sold for $94 million. Terrible.
iOS 7.1 a noticeable speed improvement on iPhone 4
Lots of little fixes that will make life on an iPhone 4 better. In addition to all the items covered in the linked article, I also found Bluetooth syncing to be much more solid on our test phone. For example, with iOS 7.0.x, the music app in a Bluetooth connection stuttered frequently. With iOS 7.1, things are noticeably better.
How to control your iPhone using head gestures
This is so very cool. Apparently available since 7.0, new to me, but still worth exploring. Jump to the post for detailed instructions.
The Youngest Technorati
From The New York Times:
Ryan Orbuch, 16 years old, rolled a suitcase to the front door of his family’s house in Boulder, Colo., on a Friday morning a year ago. He was headed for the bus stop, then the airport, then Texas.
“I’m going,” he told his mother. “You can’t stop me.”
Stacey Stern, his mother, wondered if he was right. “I briefly thought: Do I have him arrested at the gate?”
But the truth was, she felt conflicted. Should she stop her son from going on his first business trip?
Ryan was headed to South by Southwest Interactive, the technology conference in Austin. There, he planned to talk up an app that he and a friend had built. Called Finish, it aimed to help people stop procrastinating, and was just off its high in the No. 1 spot in the productivity category in the Apple App store. Ryan was also eager to go because, as he put it: “There were really dope people, and I really like smart-people density.”
A great read.
Mac market share breaks 8%, Windows falls below 90%
It’s been a slow and steady fall for Windows, for as far back as NetMarketshare has been collecting this data. And for the Mac, the reverse is true. Mac market share was 4.58% back in February 2009 and has steadily climbed to its current share of 8.16%.
Candy Crush maker, King, seen as one hit wonder
King Digital Entertainment, best known as the makers of Candy Crush, recently filed for a widely publicized IPO. Are they a one hit wonder? Interesting article.
Heavy demand for True Detective finale crashes HBO Go
It’s a great show. Note that there’s the slightest whiff of a spoiler in the article, so if you are a purist, leave this one be.
Verify scanned fingers on your iPhone 5s
How to verify your scanned fingers on your iPhone 5s
Neil Young to launch his high fidelity audio device, Pono Player, at SXSW
The Pono Player has been making noise in the audiophile space for a few years now. Neil Young has campaigned against audio compression and the Pono Player is his vision of what the music listening experience might be.
The evolution of malware in the Android marketplace
The Android malware universe is becoming as sophisticated as, say, the credit card resale black market. This creature is evolving. That’s scary.