Confessions of a Recovering Windows Phone User

After switching back to iOS from Windows phone, Eric Shupps praises and chastises Apple and Microsoft for things they did write and wrong with their respective hardware and software.

The Road to Geekdom

John Siracusa:

Geekdom is not a club; it’s a destination, open to anyone who wants to put in the time and effort to travel there. And if someone lacks the opportunity to get there, we geeks should help in any way we can. Take a new friend to a meetup or convention. Donate your old games, movies, comics, and toys. Be welcoming. Sharing your enthusiasm is part of being a geek.

QuarkXPress as an afterthought

As the big dog of desktop publishing in the ’80s and ’90s, QuarkXPress was synonymous with professional publishing. In fact, it was publishing. But its hurried and steady decline is one of the greatest business failures in modern tech.

I don’t know I’ve seen so many professionals that relied on an application, hate the app and company as much as Quark.

Would you like to write for The Loop Magazine?

I’ve been asked many times over the last seven months if I accept submissions for The Loop Magazine—the answer is yes.

If you would like to write for The Loop Magazine, please submit your idea to me at Email [email protected]. The topics in the magazine are as diverse as the people who write them. It doesn’t have to be about Apple or even technology—it can literally be about anything, as long as it’s interesting.

You will be paid for your work. As a writer myself, I believe in paying writers for their work. Send me your ideas and we’ll discuss whether it’s right for The Loop Magazine.

Release Notes podcast

I recorded a podcast last week with Charles Perry and Joe Cieplinski talking about The Loop Magazine and Newsstand.

Enable proximity solutions with Bleu Station from Twocanoes Software [Sponsor]

Integrate iBeacon support in your iOS app or enterprise solution today. Twocanoes Software is now shipping Bleu Station beacons with full iBeacon support. Bleu Station beacons are a simple and secure way to add iBeacon support to your app or solution. Check out Bleu Station, the Bleu Starter Kit, sample code and white papers at Bleu Station from Twocanoes.

Bleu Station beacons are powered with a standard USB connection for maximum flexibility in deployment without requiring ongoing battery replacement.Bleu Stations can be securely configured during deployment and plugged into any standard USB port.

Bleu Stations are shipping today. Twocanoes offers hardware, software and integration support to quickly make iBeacons an integral part of your apps and solutions. Learn more at Bleu Station from Twocanoes.

Transfer Music and Messages from any iPhone with iExplorer

Man thanks to iExplorer for sponsoring this week’s RSS feed on The Loo. Access your iPhone’s data on your computer with iExplorer. Easy to use, fully loaded and well polished—this app is a great tool for anyone upgrading to a new computer or iPhone.

Text messages, playlists, songs, voicemail, voice memos, photos, notes, files and more—iExplorer makes it easy to transfer or backup an iPhone to a Mac or Windows computer. Download the app, connect an iPhone and click transfer. Your files are now on your computer.

Use coupon code LOOPSWAG and receive a free Macroplant branded USB thumb drive with any purchase of iExplorer placed before January 13th. Get the free trial version today.

Apple does not violate Google patent, says court

Motorola Mobility accused Apple in 2010 of infringing on six of its patents covering technology such as reducing signal noise and programming the device’s touch screen so a user’s head does not accidentally activate it while talking on the phone. The ITC ruled in April 2013 that Apple did not violate any of the six. The appeals court addressed just one of the six patents.

Mac sales rise 28.5%, overall PC market falls 7.5%

U.S. Mac sales spiked 28.5 percent year over year in the just-concluded fourth quarter of calendar 2013, according to the latest figures from Gartner, giving Apple a 13.7 percent share of its home market while the rest of the industry continues to struggle.

I guess it’s a good time to own a Mac… and iPhone… and iPad.

For fuck sakes Google

Once the service goes live over the next few days, a new setting will appear in Gmail called “Email via Google+.” If you don’t want everyone on Google+ to be able to send you an email, you’ll have to opt out by selecting “no one” or choosing another option to limit the feature to people in certain circles.

Stop it!

Samsung says wearables are challenging

Expect to see a host of new wearables from Samsung this year, including some that were designed, in part, in San Francisco.

Allow me to translate: We expect Apple to release wearables sometime this year. As soon as they do we will copy them in an undisclosed location in San Francisco.

Apple, Samsung CEOs agree to mediation

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon will attend the session with in-house lawyers only, according to a Wednesday court filing. Their legal teams had met on January 6 to “discuss settlement opportunities,” the filing read.

Let me get this started: Stop stealing our shit you slimy bastards and we’ll stop winning lawsuits against you.