Microsoft went through a blogger’s private Hotmail account in order to trace the identity of a source who allegedly leaked trade secrets.
A March 17 court filing by federal prosecutors reveals that Microsoft’s Office of Legal Compliance approved the decision after confirming that the leaked data in question included proprietary Microsoft code.
Wow.
I usually don’t link to concepts, but these ones for the Apple TV and remotes that go along with it are pretty good.
This is really cool. I wish they had some for hockey, I’d get one for the Boston Bruins.
I can’t say I disagree. Tim has done a tremendous job running Apple in the last few years.
I met Pat a number of times during my 10 years working at Macworld. He built an empire with IDG and will be missed.
This is so true. It drives people crazy.
Take a look at the two videos embedded in the post. The first one is more of a commercial, showing different aspects of life with a Google watch. The second one is more detailed, a bit more of a mission statement. The linked blog post lays out four keys to Google wearables
Ars Technica:
Screen protectors: don’t use ’em, don’t want ’em, don’t need ’em. I’ve been rocking a naked smartphone since 2007, and I don’t ever anticipate changing. And yet the screen protector PR pitch that landed in my inbox last week proved difficult to resist:Subject: Preview the bulletproof iPhone? On March 18, Sir Lancelot’s Armor will announce the first reusable screen protectors for iPhones and iPads made of bulletproof glass….If interested in getting a sample to use or test, please let me know the model and color of your iPhone.
The only word I needed to hear was “bulletproof.”
I got the same PR email and thought, “Bull.” Glad to see testing proved me right.
This is a nice app, I like it.
Pixelmator is one of the apps that I use every day and have for years. It’s very powerful, but yet approachable, allowing new users to instantly manipulate their images. There is no better image editor.
CNBC:
Apple CEO Tim Cook has issued a statement about a new book about the tech giant called, “Haunted Empire,” saying it is “nonsense” and fails to capture Apple or former CEO and Co-Founder Steve Jobs.
Very interesting that Cook released a statement like this.
Minimally Minimal:
The only thing people seem to love to talk about more than Apple’s success are their failures. The iPod Hi-Fi is considered one of the classic Apple failures. Apple discontinued it just a year after its launch and it received universally lukewarm reviews. I’ve always had a crush on it though. It’s a beautiful piece of hardware and I’ve always loved the idea of having a speaker that pairs perfectly with my iPod.
This is one of those products I wish I could sit down with Ive over a beer and ask, “What were you thinking!?”
Jim Dalrymple and Dan Benjamin talk about Jim’s visit to Austin for SXSW and his interviews at the iTunes Music Festival, buying and listening to albums vs. songs, the new iPads, the 8GB iPhone 5c, Steve Jobs and Apple making televisions, iOS 7.1, CarPlay availability, and more.
Sign outside a Dublin barbershop. I just could not not link to this.
This might just be the coolest thing you watch all day.
Diary of a Mad Man:
My close personal friend, Jim Darlymple, was down in Austin, Texas this past week attending the SXSW iTunes Music Festival. He apparently had a great time.
Except for that time when that guy stole his guitar. I watched the video, fully expecting to see Jim beat the guy to death with his own arm.
The Verge:
The software maker has been inviting members of the media to a special cloud- and mobile-focused event in San Francisco on March 27th. Nadella is expected to discuss Microsoft’s “mobile first, cloud first” strategy, and there will be some major news ahead of the company’s Build conference in early April. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the event will mark the introduction of Office for iPad.
Do you care?
The Push:
A class of apps, christened “ambient apps” by the blogosphere, are endowing mild-mannered smartphone users with what might have passed for superpowers a few years ago. They work by keeping your smartphone’s mic, GPS and even its camera listening, watching and seeking out every signal coming from your surroundings.In many ways, ambient apps are a logical step in the evolutionary process of mobile devices. For some, however, they press too hard against our personal space, intrude upon our most precious moments and deliver marketers far more about ourselves than we care to divulge.
Some of these apps are really cool, like Flightradar24, but some are disturbing – yet seemingly inevitable.
The original Sunday Times interview was behind a paywall, but Time Magazine carried it in the clear. The post carries excerpts from the interview, and some comments from the man who wrote the Jony Ive book.
I love a good buried treasure story. This one does not disappoint.
Sports Illustrated:
220,000 square feet of exhibition space filled to the gills with Ugly Stiks and Mr. Crappies, and an 18,000-seat arena will host the nightly weigh-in for the 44th annual Bassmaster Classic, the self-described Super Bowl of Fishing – though to the 200,000 angling enthusiasts passing through here in cardboard hats in the shape of bass and weapons of bass destruction T‑shirts, the Classic is a vast improvement on the Super Bowl.
I’m not a fisherman but it was fascinating to live in The South and see how big and important bass fishing was. I knew guys with thousands of dollars in gear and $30K+ custom painted bass boats.
Many thanks to Listastic for sponsoring The Loop’s RSS feed this week. Listastic for iOS is hands down the easiest way to create, manage and share lists of any kind!
Striking the right balance between function and simplicity, Listastic makes it a breeze to prioritize and collaborate on important ideas or tasks without the typical complexity.
Easily share a grocery list with your significant other, tasks with a team of colleagues or even gift ideas with friends & family.
Now available for iPad & iPhone, Listastic is free to download, and only $1.99 to ditch the ads and enable some great additional features!
A big thanks to readers of the Loop for checking out Listastic, available now on the App Store!.
AP:
A handful of Idaho hockey fans sued a Boise arena on Tuesday, saying they were duped into thinking a $7 beer contains more brew than a $4 beer.
Don’t mess with hockey fans and their beer.
During iTunes Festival this week, I spoke with Soundgarden, Imagine Dragons, and Capital Cities about selling albums on iTunes. The story is posted on Fortune.com.
Heights can be scary. Climbing to those heights can be scarier. Free solo climbing up Yosemite’s 2,000 ft Half Dome should get you committed to an asylum for your own safety. It’s utter insanity. Even the climber himself says, “just a second. I’m freaking out actually.”
A few years ago, the New York Times ran an article explaining pi. Today being pi day (and only one year before Super Pi Day), I thought it’d be worth posting this.
True, the article is full of math, but I think it’s one of the most elegantly written explanations of the math surrounding pi you’ll ever see. And, if you make it to the very end, you’ll have a handle on the origins of calculus, which is no mean feat.
Priceonomics:
Playing with Lego bricks (can) become more than a mere hobby: the best of the best have made a career out of it. But how much can you expect to earn as a Lego maestro, and what exactly does the job entail? We’ve explored three jobs — model master builders, Lego Certified Professionals, and industry “renegades” — to answer these questions.
If LEGO ever needed someone to make walls, I’m your boy. I could build some great walls with my LEGO as a kid. Sadly – nothing else.
The presidential limo is definitely an awesome and unfortunately necessary piece of engineering.
The Secret Service is proceeding with development of a new presidential limousine to replace the Cadillac model currently used by President Barack Obama, according to a new General Services Administration contract posting. The new vehicle is expected to be ready for the inauguration of the next president—whomever she or he may be.
Classified armor development for the new rolling Oval Office has been underway since last year. The government is now seeking bidders to integrate that armor into a new design for “The Beast,” as the heavily-protected vehicle is popularly known, with options for the final construction stages. Details of the new design, like the old, are highly classified and contractors must meet strict security requirements just to get a peek at what they will be asked to build.
Just one suggestion: Make sure it comes with CarPlay, and let Apple furnish the touch screen.
A new update for The Loop Magazine was released today with the following changes:
It’s a great update and can be downloaded free on the App Store.
Ouch, it erased everything that was on it. You know LeBron, there are Apple stores everywhere—time to upgrade from the junk.