Avid releases Pro Tools 11

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I have been very impressed with the last few releases of Pro Tools and been using it almost exclusively for recording and audio editing. Pro Tools 11 carries on with some great new features.

I know this may sound silly, but one of my favorite new features is Offline Bounce. In previous versions of Pro Tools, bouncing a track would require the entire track to play in real-time. Offline Bounce outputs the track many times faster than real-time, saving time for the whole project.

It’s hard to say that bouncing is the biggest feature. Pro Tools 11 is also 64-bit and comes with an all new audio engine.

There’s a lot to like about Pro Tools 11. I’ll have a review after I get a copy.

Tim Cook asks board to amend his compensation

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The Committee intends for future stock awards to Apple executives officers to be performance-based and Cook will lead by example. However, though normal performance-based compensation normally has both an upside and downside, at his request, Cook’s award will solely have a downside component.

That is a leader.

Gruber and Jackassery

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It’s funny to watch a Google employee try to tear Gruber down, especially when he totally misses the points Gruber was making.

Apple warns of “chilling effect” in e-book trial decision

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If Apple was found guilty, it would “send shudders through the business community” by condemning the ordinary negotiations that companies undertake to enter new markets, the company’s lawyer, Orin Snyder, said on the last day of the trial.

“We submit a ruling against Apple on this record sets a dangerous precedent,” Snyder said.

The Loop Magazine Issue 4: On the road with Jimmy Page

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We have some great articles in The Loop Magazine Issue 4, including a story from Greg Howard about some time he spent on the road with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes.

Brad McCarty talks about our unending thirst for technology; Steven Aquino looks at Accessibility and how it affects him; Dermot Daly on his first computer; Joe Rossignol talks about how sci-fi thoughts of how the world would work have become reality; and David Caolo talks about his first band and doing things for the love of it.

You can download The Loop Magazine on the App Store and start your free 7-day trial when you subscribe.

Advertisers upset with Firefox for limiting tracking of users

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The maker of the popular Firefox browser is moving ahead with plans to block the most common forms of Internet tracking, allowing hundreds of millions of users to eventually limit who watches their movements across the Web, company officials said Wednesday.

Firefox’s developers made the decision despite intense resistance from advertising groups, which have argued that tracking is essential to delivering well-targeted, lucrative ads that pay for many popular Internet services.

It should be the user’s decision. If they don’t mind, fine.

The Loop Magazine 1.0.3

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The Loop Magazine has been updated fixing a items for users. Among the biggest changes is a fix for some international users that saw the app crash on launch; Issues and cover art will now download in the back; accessibility features have updated; and a number of performance improvements were made.

You can download The Loop Magazine on the App Store and start your free 7-day trial when you subscribe.

Man roses

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Nobody touches my man roses.

Judge: Issues in Apple e-book trial have “shifted”

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U.S. District Judge Denise Cote:

“I look forward to your summations,” she continued. “It seems to me the issues have somewhat shifted during the course of the trial. Things change. People have to stay nimble. I’m looking forward to understanding where we are now.”

The judge made some interesting comments.

Xbox team dials back the crazy

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Paul Thurrott:

Faced with mounting criticism, Microsoft today quickly reversed course on some of the more draconian aspects of its coming Xbox One entertainment console. The firm will no longer require an always-on Internet connection and using and sharing games will work just as it does today on the Xbox 360.

That’s good news.

The designer Steve Jobs almost hired

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When asked if he regretted turning Jobs down he said: “Sure I regret it – the man who then did it [Jonathan Ive] makes $30 million a year!”

Sapper says that he admires the work of Jonathan Ive and Steve Jobs at Apple, citing the company as an exception in an industry he feels has been “degraded” by an overriding focus on profit.

Always love these types of stories. You have to respect Sapper’s decision to stick with his own projects.

Microkia

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Microsoft Corp. was recently in advanced discussions with Nokia Corp. about a purchase of the Finnish company’s device business, according to people familiar with the matter, in a marriage that could have reshaped the mobile-phone industry.

The talks have faltered, they said. One person said talks took place as recently as this month but aren’t likely to be revived.

The two sides made significant progress on a plan that would stitch the U.S. software giant with a mobile-phone pioneer. Both companies have struggled of late, as each has tried to adapt to a world in which consumers prefer smartphones built by Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

I doubt this merger would have any significant impact on Apple or Samsung. It may help Nokia and Microsoft shake things up, but there’s already a lot at stake in the mobile market, so if they aren’t working closely already there’s little chance they ever will.

Misguided iOS 7 wrongness

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R. E. Warner:

Second, I have great respect for Neven Mrgan as a designer. He’s an accomplished artisan and not to be trifled with. However, his post on how the design of iOS 7 icons is “wrong” is misguided and I feel the need to address why I think that is, because I often see designers get caught by this particular hobgoblin of consistency—that a design just “feels” right to them without offering any rational justification.

It’s interesting watching designers hammer this stuff out.

iOS 7 icon grid is wrong

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Neven Mrgan:

Just about the most asinine, presumptuous, hubris-filled thing a designer can say is that someone else’s design is “wrong”. That word is reserved for judgments of absolute truth or ethical guidance; for flawed mathematical proofs and crimes. And yet, allow me to declare the following: Jony Ive’s icon grid in iOS 7 is wrong.

Amplified: In The Glass Tube

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Jim and Dan are joined by designer Anthony Armendariz, co-founder of Funsize, to discuss the pros and cons of iOS 7’s new elements and features, the evolution of Apple technology, OS X Mavericks, the practicality of running new operating systems on external devices rather than your primary use computer or device, and more. Later they talk about an isolated guitar track of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’ from his Electric Lady album.

Sponsored by Hover (use code DANSENTME for 10% off), Shutterstock (use code DANSENTME6 for 30% off), and Harvest (use code 5BY5 for 50% off your first month) Mailchimp.

The beard sings the Blues and Voodoo Child at WWDC

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I am the worst singer in the world. I know this, but I still went on stage to sing at The Beard Bash last week at WWDC. If you really want to punish your ears, press play. I’d recommend moving on though.

L.A. school board OKs $30 million for Apple iPads

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Apple Inc. won a $30-million contract Tuesday from the L.A. Unified School District, paving the way for the company to provide every student with an iPad in the nation’s second-largest school system.

The Board of Education voted 6 to 0 on Tuesday to approve the contract after hearing senior staff laud Apple’s product as both the best in quality and the least expensive option that met the district’s specifications.

This is great news for students.

Apple TV gets HBO GO and WatchESPN

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Apple on Wednesday updated one of my favorite and most used products—Apple TV. In a software update released today, Apple added a number of new “channels” to the including including HBO GO and WatchESPN.

Jackson releases new Dinky guitars

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The Dinky-style body is my favorite from Jackson. Today they released two 7-string and one 8-string model. Personally, I would have liked to have seen a 6-string too.