Amplified: M0nk3y8

Written by

Dan and Jim discuss Jim’s review of OS X Mavericks and they get into the overall design, the iCloud Keychain, iWork, and the Calendar. Later they discuss Windows 8.1 updates and talk about the changes to the Xbox One policies. Afterwards they get into their current favorite acoustic guitars, the therapeutic effects of strumming versus picking, their early experiences learning guitar, and more.

Sponsored by Shopify, Shutterstock (use code DANSENTME6 for 30% off), and Squarespace (use code DANSENTME6 for 10% off).

Six-year-old Metal girl

Written by

If you want to skip the intro, move ahead to 0:43. Then watch this little girl tear it up. Much respect!

One million Android users downloaded adware in the last year

Written by

Adware is the most prevalent app-based mobile threat around the world today. In the past year, Lookout estimates that more than one million American Android users downloaded adware. In fact, 6.5 percent of free apps in Google Play contain adware.

Everything is perfectly fine. Between the malware and adware, every Android user will be infected soon.

iOS 7 and education

Written by

iOS 7 provides powerful new ways to configure and deploy devices across institutions and features to help schools purchase, distribute and manage apps with ease. App Store license management, seamless enrollment in mobile device management (MDM) and single sign on are just some of the capabilities in iOS 7 that make it ideal for education.

First Look: OS X Mavericks

Written by

After Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference ended, Apple supplied me with a 13-inch MacBook Pro and a copy of OS X Mavericks to evaluate and post my thoughts on The Loop. The version of Mavericks I tested was newer than the one released at WWDC, but not as new as the one released on Monday.

Barnes & Noble abandons Nook hardware

Written by

As was seemingly just a matter of time, the struggling book seller confirmed that it is abandoning its Nook hardware business and will instead rely on a ”partnership model for manufacturing in the competitive color tablet market” that will seek third-party manufacturers to build eReaders that run Nook software.

The tablet business is tough and companies like Barnes & Noble figured they could swoop in and easily grab share from Amazon. It’s not that easy.

Microsoft to bring “Age of Empires” to iOS

Written by

Microsoft Corp will offer its popular “Age of Empires” game for Apple Inc’s iPhone and other smartphones through a tie-up with Japan’s KLab Inc, seeking to capture growth in a booming mobile game market.

Benjamin: A Franklin style task manager for iPhone

Written by

Benjamin is a task manager based on the FranklinCovey method of time management. Built specifically to help replace your heavy Franklin Planner, Benjamin stores your master task list, daily task lists, projects, and daily notes so they are always at your fingertips. Best of all, Benjamin lets you sync your information between iPhone and iPad so that it’s conveniently available whether you’re at your desk or on the go.

I remember using the paper version of this. Of course, it didn’t sync and correcting entries was a pain. This looks good.

Pandora pays songwriter $16.89 for 1 million plays

Written by

Soon you will be hearing from Pandora how they need Congress to change the way royalties are calculated so that they can pay much much less to songwriters and performers. For you civilians webcasting rates are “compulsory” rates. They are set by the government (crazy, right?). Further since they are compulsory royalties, artists can not “opt out” of a service like Pandora even if they think Pandora doesn’t pay them enough. The majority of songwriters have their rates set by the government, too, in the form of the ASCAP and BMI rate courts–a single judge gets to decide the fate of songwriters (technically not a “compulsory” but may as well be). This is already a government mandated subsidy from songwriters and artists to Silicon Valley. Pandora wants to make it even worse.

[Via DF]

Screen Time Podcast: Beyond the Physical

Written by

Jim Dalrymple (The Loop) and Tom Hall (DOOM, Commander Keen) join Moisés to talk about the future of TV, content, and connected devices in the context of WWDC, E3, and how we like to consume content. Featured interview: Acorn Media VP of Digital Jen Linck.

Long form overload

Written by

Many of us were too tired of the short, bloggy content that often tasted like a day old popcorn left outside on the porch. We all yearned for a deeply reported, insightful and contextual and nuanced bit of writing. And thus began the long form resurgence. It is enjoyable to read such pieces, but lately I am seeing a lot of stories that long form, because long form is new new thing to do.

Do anything because it’s the “new” thing is wrong. However, whether short blog posts or long form content, if it’s done well, it can be enjoyable.

What makes a good QA person

Written by

Brent Simmons on his QA person Nick:

Nick does excellent work.

Which means that when I’m busy and have a lot to do, I curse his name, the air he breathes, and everybody who’s ever been nice to him. I suspect his heart is black and terrible and full of hatred toward me personally.

Which is just to say, again: Nick does excellent work.

Perfect.

All the apps have been written

Written by

I want to take a time machine back to when I was 20 and Gibbs-slap myself… hard.

A great story from Kevin Hoctor about writing software and a wonderful bit of advice for writing an app.

10 more rules for dating my daughter

Written by

Jeff La Grua, a former U.S. Marine, gathered these rules together from around the Web, updated them a bit and sent them to me. I like these rules very much.

iPad Web usage share grows

Written by

Apple users are still prolific when it comes to tablet Web browsing, while Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Samsung’s Galaxy Tablet families remain in second and third place, respectively. Apple’s iPad usage share increased in May 2013 after a slight dip in April 2013, making its present Web usage share (82.4%) the highest since the beginning of 2013.

Again I ask—What the hell is everyone else doing with their tablets?