Oh Microsoft

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I know it’s a blue shirt and a lanyard, but does everything have to look like Apple did it?

SonicPics [Sponsor]

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Sponsoring The Loop this week is SonicPics.

SonicPics is a fun and engaging digital storytelling app for iOS. Turn your photographs into narrated movies to share with your family and friends!

Check out SonicPics today on the app store.

Anthrax guitarist turned master watchmaker

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Dan Spitz, former lead guitarist for thrash metal band Anthrax, has sold more than 15 million albums, been nominated for 3 Grammy’s, created over 10 studio albums – and now he is recognized as one of the best watchmakers in the world.

That’s just awesome.

Rip-off

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People have been comparing the similarities between Apple products and older Braun products. However, there are big differences between that and what Samsung has done. […]

Pro Tools|HD Native Thunderbolt interface

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With its elegantly implemented Thunderbolt connectivity, the Pro Tools|HD Native Thunderbolt interface gives producers, engineers, and mixers the incredible sound quality, low latency, and sheer power of the award-winning Pro Tools|HD Native system in a mobile-based hardware solution…

Dragonfly

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My buddy Corey Tamas is getting set to record his first album and he has a campaign up on Indiegogo where you can help. Support independent artists, I did.

Weather 2x

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I’d like to thank Weather 2x for sponsoring The Loop’s RSS feed this week.

A distinctively different kind of weather app for iPad and iPhone with stunning Retina-quality visuals and a refreshingly fun and touch centric UI.

Weather 2x is the perfect balance of aesthetics, intuitive functionality and the right amount of detail.

Check out the latest version with great new features including iCloud sync, Twitter & E-mail sharing, local weather detection, and images of Jim’s igloo for when it reaches those sub-zero temperatures.

I’ve been using Weather 2x since it first came out and love it.

Samsung investigated for antitrust violations

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South Korea’s antitrust watchdog said Thursday it has launched an investigation into whether Samsung is abusing its dominant position in the wireless market to disadvantage Apple.

It’s been a bad couple of weeks for Samsung.

John Gruber

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Businessweek did an article today focusing on Daring Fireball’s John Gruber. Besides being a friend, John has helped me with advice and encouragement when I was redesigning The Loop. There is no doubt he has had a big impact on blogging.

Jeff Bezos as Steve Jobs

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Om Malik:

Jeff Bezos announced a whole slew of Kindle devices and launched the new Kindle Fire tablets. And if you believe all the Twitter chatter, then he did it in a Steve Jobs style presentation.

I agree with Om that Jeff Bezos has done a great job — except at making profits — and from all I’ve heard, his presentation today was great. Having said that, he’s no Steve Jobs, as much as he may want to be.

Apple product names

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Interested article from Marko Savic on how Apple names its products.

An Amazon Apple TV competitor

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However, the location of the announcement and its proximity to Hollywood has some speculating that there may be more. One of the possibilities being raised is more content for Amazon’s Prime Instant streaming service. Of course, there’s another option: What if Amazon announced a streaming video device to compete head-to-head with Apple TV, Roku and Google TV?

Mac Game Store app

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Among its new features the app offers a sleak, easy to use interface, an intuitive system requirements checker, automatic game updates, and a place to meet with your fellow Mac gamers.

Great new Web site and app for Mac gamers.

iPhone prestige

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Midwestern regional carrier Cellcom won’t reveal how many iPhones it sold last quarter, but according to CEO Pat Riordan the specific numbers are irrelevant. The iPhone is luring new customers into its stores, it’s keeping old customers loyal, and it completes Cellcom’s smartphone portfolio.

How many other phones fall into that category for carriers? My guess is zero.

Amplified 23: Don’t Take Candy from Samsung

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On this week’s episode of Amplified, Jim and Dan discuss the upcoming Apple event and whether or not it will be exclusively iPhone, the Samsung Mob!lers program and IFA 2012, Apple’s addition of the Galaxy S III to its complaint, app development and the “Sparrow Problem”, the VOX JAMVOX, headphones, guitars, and more!Sponsored by Hover (use coupon DANSENTME for 10% off), Sourcebits, and Squarespace (use coupon DANSENTME9 for 10% off)