I really do hate these large companies and the shit they pull.
Clarity
When I look at Apple software and hardware, I’m amazed with the simplicity of what sits before me. It’s not simplicity that makes you wonder what to do with it and it’s not simple for the sake of being simple. It immediately makes sense. That sense of wonder is replaced by a need to touch it and interact with it. […]
Guess what these Google icons do
I actually laughed out loud when I read this.
The dirt behind app bundles
I hated it when people used to tell me I could write, not get paid, but I’d get exposure. Fuck you, exposure doesn’t feed my kids asshole.
The first “Paper” app and it’s not by FiftyThree or Facebook
We followed Apple’s Rules, that is, we went into our Developer account and created the App “Paper”. The name Paper was assigned to us by Apple as NO ONE ELSE was using it.
While working on the app over many months, other apps named “Paper” came and went. How? Do to glitches in Apple’s system. A Developer can add other words to an un-available name, or open an account registered outside the US, create an app with the same name as an existing US app, get the app approved for sale outside the US, then set the app territories to make it available in the US! They can even change the name of an older, existing non-US app and enjoy what looks like an earlier first use.
We pointed these glitches out to Apple at WWDC 2012 and, well, the next day another “Paper” app, one which added other words after the name Paper so it could post in the US App Store, received an AWARD! We felt somewhat put upon. That other app was very well funded, money talks, and they had been out “breaking things” in our market for a while. There are Best Practices in the Developer world against, in Apple’s words, “confusingly similar” names. Why didn’t that matter for these guys? Why is this not only tolerated, but awarded? Which Rules do we follow; the posted rules, the rules others use, the rules which work, or the rules which we believe in? A conundrum in many areas of mobile today.
We approached the makers of that other Paper app on the floor of WWDC after they received their award, told them our story, and offer to discuss settling this. We even later sent a message to their CEO. Nothing. So we’ve been considering our options.
Now we see this other “Paper” app is upset that an even larger company has also chosen to name an app “Paper”, same trick, by adding more words to the end.
That’s the story of this app, welcome to the 1st, and what should be the only, Paper.
If true, this certainly makes FiftyThree’s complaints and demands seem hollow.
[Via DF]
Why do we still use Facebook?
Maria Konnokova for The New Yorker:
While the reasons for joining and using Facebook were not entirely homogenous, one factor kept emerging as the strongest motivation for use: the desire to keep in touch with friends.
I think most people would agree with this.
At the University of Texas at Austin, Gosling and one of his graduate students, Gabriella Harari, have been examining why people decide to leave Facebook. They have found three broad themes: people see Facebook as pointless and unnecessary, they see it as a problematic distraction, and they are worried about privacy.
So, the first two reasons people quit Facebook is also the reason they joined in the first place. Interesting.
Amplified: Butt-Glazed
Microsoft’s new CEO, Lenovo’s future, international markets, smartwatches, innovation you can’t see, Dan’s new iMacs, and more.
Sponsored by Squarespace (use code DANSENTME2 for 10% off), FreshBooks (enter AMPLIFIED in the “How Did You Hear About Us” section when you sign up for a chance to win a cake), Shutterstock (use code DANSENTME214 for 25% off), and HostGator (use code DANSENTME for 30% off).
Microsoft’s new CEO’s first stupid comment
Satya Nadella in an email to Microsoft employees:
We are the only ones who can harness the power of software and deliver it through devices and services that truly empower every individual and every organization. We are the only company with history and continued focus in building platforms and ecosystems that create broad opportunity.
Sweet Jesus, it only took him a few hours to say something completely insane.
Two bears: Apple and Samsung
Such a great article from Ben Thompson. It’s worth taking the time to read.
Time Inc. layoffs
I hate seeing people lose their jobs. Last week several Macworld staffers lost their jobs in layoffs and now Time Inc. I’ve been through this and it’s not easy.
Úll 2014 Speakers and conference format change
I can’t tell you how excited I am to be speaking at Úll again this year. You can also check out the format change for the conference this year.
HP accuses Autonomy of inflating profits by 81 percent
Hewlett Packard said Autonomy, the software firm it bought in 2011, overstated profits at one of its main British units by 81 percent in the year before it was sold in Britain’s biggest ever technology deal.
Little over a year after the $11.7 billion acquisition, the Silicon Valley company wrote down the value of Autonomy by $8.8 billion, accusing the management of accounting irregularities.
The former owner of Autonomy continues to deny that he overstated the profits, but it seems pretty clear cut.
Apple pledges $100 million to Obama’s ConnectED
Claiming progress in his campaign to get American schools wired for the future, President Barack Obama is announcing commitments from U.S. companies totaling about $750 million to connect more students to high-speed Internet.
Apple is pledging $100 million in iPads, computers and other tools. AT&T and Sprint are contributing free Internet service through their wireless networks. Verizon is pitching in up to $100 million in cash and in-kind contributions. And Microsoft is making Windows available at discounted prices and offering 12 million free copies of Microsoft Office software.
Microsoft names Nadella as next CEO
Nadella was in charge of Enterprise and cloud for Microsoft, so to me, having him being named CEO seems like more of the same. I was kind of hoping for something different from Microsoft—a visionary, somebody that could really change things for them. Microsoft needs to move quickly and confidently in the mobile space to make up for what they’ve already lost.
BiteMyApple.co: Buy Kickstarter products for iPhone and iPad [Sponsor]
Online retailer BiteMyApple.co has an impressive lineup of more than 60 successful Kickstarter products currently on sale. The retail site offers a wide range of accessories for the iPad, iPhone and other Apple devices.
Image lightbox, responsive and touch‑friendly
I think this is really well done. Most Lightbox overlays are busy and take a while to load, but the demo at the bottom of the page gives you a number of options to keep things small and only show the information you need.
Lenovo plans to surpass Apple, Samsung with Motorola
Clearly, the big comment of the story is the fact that Lenovo plans to surpass Apple and Samsung over time, but the story behind the acquisition is interesting too. I think the next 12 months or so will show how successful the new Motorola can be.
New SF Apple retail store renderings
Obviously, this store is still in the planning stages, but I always look at what the company is doing with its stores. Simply beautiful.
Batch rename files for free
Great tip from Chris Breen. I find myself needing to batch rename images from time to time, especially when I’m working on The Loop Magazine.
DipJar: A tip jar for credit cards
This is a great idea.
30 years of the Mac video all shot with iPhones
From sunrise in Melbourne to nightfall in Los Angeles, they documented people doing amazing things with Apple products. They shot over 70 hours of footage — all with the iPhone 5s. Then it was edited and scored with an original soundtrack. Thanks to the power of the Mac and the innovations it has inspired, an effort that normally takes months was accomplished in a matter of days.
This is a great story and video.
Image, Deploy and Manage Boot Camp with Winclone and Boot Runner from Twocanoes Software
Many thanks to Twocanoes Software for sponsoring The Loop’s RSS feed this week.
If you run Windows on your Mac with Boot Camp, check out Winclone and Boot Runner. Winclone is an easy and reliable way to make an image of your Boot Camp partition so that you can quickly restore, migrate, and mass deploy Windows in Boot Camp. Boot Runner provides a powerful way for both users and administrators to switch between OS X and Windows on dual boot Macs.
When you get a new Mac or have issues with your Windows installation in Boot Camp, reinstalling Windows is time consuming and difficult. Winclone makes it easy to make a complete clone of the Boot Camp partition, and restore it back to the exact same state on your existing or new Mac. Winclone supports migration of Boot Camp partitions over the network, moving your Boot Camp partition to an external drive and making it bootable, and much more. It also works great for mass deployment so deploying Boot Camp is as easy as deploying a package to a group of Macs.
If you manage lots of dual boot Macs, Boot Runner provides a great way to manage the OS selection. People can decide which OS to use by selecting OS X or Windows prior to logging in. Network administrators can fully customize and manage the selection screen, and can even remotely select the OS through network policy. Boot Runner also includes a scheduling feature to make sure that the Mac is booted into Windows during your maintenance window. Check out the intro video to learn more.
Winclone and Boot Runner are available for purchase and download today at twocanoes.com and have full phone, email and forum support options.
Worst Super Bowl prediction ever
What the hell is this guy talking about!
Philip Seymour Hoffman dead at 46
Very sad.
Hum
I love this app. You can hum a new song into the app, so you can remember it for later. You can also write lyrics in the same window, so your song is kept together.
Color psychology in design
Equally important in relation to color (chromatics) is “no color” (monochromatics), which is the negative space or nothingness that surrounds an object or subject, something of particular value in publishing, the art industry, and advertising. Recent trends have seen a return to the simple—celebrating crisp and clear designs that demonstrate professionalism and accuracy, thus giving the consumer a sense of reassurance as well as stylistic aesthetic satisfaction.
Color is fascinating. It can make you feel warm, cold, happy or, if there’s too much, confused.
Interaction and ecosystems in the future
Some very interesting points from Ben Evans about what the future may hold.
Gibson’s Government Series guitars
Constructed using woods that were seized by the Feds, then returned once there was a resolution and the investigation ended, this radical Government Series II Explorer makes the perfect memento of an infamous time in Gibson history. And it’s a fierce performer in its own right.
Wow, that’s quite a swipe at the government.
Interview with Satya Nadella from before he was the (likely) next Microsoft CEO
Om Malik:
Before he was the front-runner to be the next CEO of Microsoft, I sat down with Satya Nadella in San Francisco. We talked about the cloud, competition and the future of Microsoft. It’s very revealing, the challenges facing whoever is soon-to-be-announced new CEO.
Interesting to see how the (maybe) next Microsoft CEO thinks.
Markdown tables generator
I love this.