Yosemite is a conference for Apple developers, designers, and enthusiasts. It will be held next Spring, in the heart of Yosemite National Park.
The conference is happening April 20-23 at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, in the heart of the Yosemite Valley. It’s almost sold out, but there are a few tickets left.
Abdel Ibrahim, writing for WatchAware:
Last night while I was out for a drive, I had an incredible realization about the possible benefits of Apple Watch. I was listening to the radio (yes, I do that from time to time), and I was jumping around between channels and changing the volume with my thumb. Just like I always do. But this time, I looked down at the steering wheel and then over to my dashboard, and a thought occurred to me. “Huh,” I said to myself, “that’s interesting. The controls are right down here and right over there.” And then I started to understand the value of having such controls within a few inches of my fingers, even when redundant controls are only a few inches farther away.
Yes! This clicked for me. It’s all about economy of motion, reducing interface friction. Think of the analogy as Apple Watch is to iPhone as little button on your steering wheel is to same control on your car radio.
To me, the steering wheel revelation offers an even more basic level of insight. And that insight has to do with friction. Friction, in nearly every context, is something we’re always trying to get rid of. Anything we can do to make things faster and more efficient is almost always welcomed, especially when it comes to consumer technology. Whether it’s 1-Click ordering at Amazon or self-checkout in Walmart, if there is a faster way to get something done, we’re generally all for it.
A few weeks ago, I posted about Henry Ford’s time/motion studies and their relation to the Apple Watch. Abdel is homing in on the same concept here. These may be small movements, but they turn out to be important when magnified by time.
Interesting post from Daring Fireball:
On the Mac, you can put an Apple logo in any text field by typing Shift-Option-K. This might date back all the way to System 1.0 in 1984. Some people use this to spell the name of products like Apple TV and Apple Watch. It’s super-common with Apple Watch, in fact, almost certainly because Apple uses the logo mark (that is to say, the Apple logo glyph followed by “WATCH” in all caps or, even fancier, small cap Unicode glyphs).
This is a bad idea for a few reasons. First, it is not a standard Unicode character and almost certainly never will be — because it is Apple’s copyrighted intellectual property.
So if you are on a Mac, this character – – will appear as the Apple logo. If you are on a Windows machine, you’ll see nothing (or perhaps a square/missing character symbol) between the two hyphens.
Read the rest of Gruber’s post for thoughts on the down side of this approach.
I wonder how long this page will exist in its current form. As is, you can order an Apple Pay decal kit at no charge (not even a shipping fee). Here’s what you get:
• Glass decals in two sizes
• Register decals in two sizes
• Application tool
Odd. [via iHeartApple2]
9to5mac:
Apple is pushing for retail employees to initiate conversations that build trust, enabling the employee to serve as a valued fashion advisor during the purchase process, similarly to how traditional watches are sold. Apple Watch sales training programs will take place for Apple retail staff over the course of the next two weeks, teaching entirely new sales techniques to encourage iPhone upgrades, assist with gifting, and guide customers in watch and strap choices.
This seems logical. But Apple Watch is the first product I can think of that requires such a left-shift in thinking and, in approach, from Apple Store employees. The iPhone and Mac were there pretty much from the beginning. And when the iPad arrived, it was a close enough experience to the iPhone interface that people made the move all by themselves.
The Apple Watch is a different breed altogether. This is the first Apple product that might prompt you to ask, “Does this look good on me?”
We experience Canadian nice as soon as we reach customs. The US border guards are gruff and all business. The Canadians, by contrast, are unfailingly polite, even as they grill us about the number of wine bottles we’re bringing into the country. One year, we had failed to notice that our 9-year-old daughter’s passport had expired. They, nicely, let us enter anyway. The niceness continues for our entire trip, as we encounter nice waiters, nice hotel clerks, nice strangers.
We are generally nice people.
Many of the CSS animation links I post on the site come from Donovan and now he’s teaching a course. I signed up.
Today, Instagram announced an app called Layout from Instagram. It’s described as “a new app that lets you easily combine multiple photos into a single image.” In 2012, I released an Apple Editors’ Choice app called Layout that lets you combine multiple photos into a single image. It was even named an App Store Best of 2012 app. Is it just me, or does it seem insincere for Instagram to release a similar app with the exact same name only differentiated by the inclusion of their company name? Do you think they’d be okay with me releasing an app called “Instagram from Juicy Bits?” Neither do I.
This happens way too often, but I don’t think there is a way to stop it.
The Sweet Setup:
Being the new kid on the block can have its advantages, but only if you know how to leverage them properly. Our favorite — Alfred — is able to do just that when compared to LaunchBar, Quicksilver, and even Spotlight.What Alfred does best is incorporate different features from its competitors and implement them in a distinctive, easy, and understandable way — all while offering more power for advanced users to take things further.
I’ve used Alfred for years and agree with this review. Even in its free version, it’s a great launcher but the Powerpack is well worth the price for power users.
Another anecdote from Becoming Steve Jobs. Read it. It’s short, but so good!
Ken Baumgartner – 6’1”, 205 pounds, with a penchant for doling out punishment – was not the kind of guy you wanted to see angry. Baumgartner was a left wing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. More specifically, he was their enforcer; a man paid literally to inflict pain on opponents. But in 1992, the target of his aggression was not another player; nor was it a coach or referee. It was a videogame producer at Electronic Arts named Michael Brook.‘Hi, I’m Ken Baumgartner,’ he said flatly by way of introduction. As a lifelong hockey fan, Brook already knew who he was, and indicated as much with a tiny flinch of a smile. Despite the recognition, the thuggish enforcer felt compelled to further introduce himself:
‘I’m the guy you gave a zero rating to for Intelligence.’
Great story about the development of a game many of us Canadians, and not a few Americans, wasted many an hour playing. Thanks to Kottke for the link.
Today is the day. Becoming Steve Jobs is now available for purchase and download.
Steven Levy, author of a number of excellent books on technology and on Apple, got his hands on a preview copy and had some interesting things to say. His review is worth reading, but I found his take on the new book vs the Walter Isaacson book particularly interesting:
In my view, Cook’s dismissal of Isaacson’s book as just a sloppy rehash is somewhat over the top. I came to Isaacson’s book with a lot of knowledge about Steve Jobs, yet I learned many new details from over 40 interviews Jobs gave to Isaacson, as well from some interviews Isaacson won because Jobs prevailed on people to cooperate with the book. No matter what one thinks of Isaacson’s book, it is absolutely permeated, as is appropriate, with the voice of its subject. In addition, no one is claiming that Isaacson fabricated material.
Instead, the complaint is that Isaacson over-emphasized Jobs’s unattractive qualities and failed to present a rounded picture that corresponded with the reality of those closest to him. Schlender and Tetzeli attempt to remedy that in two ways. First, they give plenty of room for people on the wrong side of Jobs’s bad behavior to contextualize it. Second, they present a contrast between the young Jobs, whose misdeeds often arose from a self-indulgence or a flailing indecisiveness, and the mature Jobs, who not only channeled his energies more successfully, but was able to develop rewarding adult relationships.
This is a tricky balancing act for the authors, as even to the last, Jobs could be a tough person to deal with. Towards the end of the book they spend a full chapter, titled “Blind Spots, Grudges and Sharp Elbows,” trying to deal with some of Jobs’ unsavory actions even after his touted maturation. There’s no getting around the fact that Jobs held grudges, was gleeful in apparently violating the labor laws banning corporate collusion in not hiring each other’s employees, and sometimes would throw formerly valued employees under the bus.
One of my favorite Steven Levy books, and one of his earlier efforts, Insanely Great is the inside story about the creation of the Mac. If you are a fan of Apple’s history, I think you’ll enjoy Insanely Great. It really captures the spark of creation that was the birth of the Macintosh.
If you are a developer or have even the slightest interest in programming, you need to learn about Git, a free software version control system that is widely used by Mac and iOS developers to keep track of changes in their code and to allow teams of developers to work on the same chunk of code.
Git is useful for non-developers as well. Git will track just about any sort of file, and will let you share those files with other folks on your team.
If you are still with me, take a look at this Git tutorial from Code School. I found it extremely easy to follow and very well done. You’ll be typing commands in a mocked up terminal window, so you’ll be learning the commands at the heart of Git. There are plenty of tools out there that wrap these commands in buttons and menus, but this tutorial really gets you into the foundation of Git.
Git experts, please do weigh in in the comments.
1Password:
TD Canada Trust made quite a splash recently when it launched its redesigned iPhone app which disabled pasting in the password field. Users who embrace password managers for their online security were quick to point out their … well, ‘unhappiness’ with this decision. TD Canada’s original response to those users was unsettling.
I had something similar happen to me over the weekend. Canada Post limits passwords to “8 to 12 characters using only numbers and letters”. These institutions need to realize longer, more complicated passwords are better for security.
Now everyone can plug in their guitar, bass or other instrument and enjoy killer tone on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or Android device — with the release of iRig 2, the world’s most popular guitar interface is now better than ever before. Revolutionize the way you make your music while on the go!
With iRig 2, you’ll be able to enjoy IK’s full range of AmpliTube apps (the #1 app for guitar and bass players). It’s ready to go right out of the box. It comes with a powerful cross-platform suite of apps and software that includes free versions of AmpliTube for iOS, Android and Mac/PC. To use, just download your preferred version of AmpliTube for iOS from the App Store or for Android from the Google Play Store or from Samsung GALAXY Apps. Then plug your guitar or bass into iRig 2, plug your amplifier or headphones into your device and launch the app.
iRig 2 includes:
Jim’s Note: I am a longtime user of IK Multimedia’s hardware and software. In fact, I have iRig 2 and I’m a big fan.
Avid launched Pro Tools 12 with its new subscription model today.
“We are excited to announce that Zakk is entering the studio after this Unblackened Spring 2015 tour to record BOSII [Book of Shadows Volume II] which will be released early 2016, the 20th Anniversary of the original BOS, followed by a world tour to support that side of Zakk’s music,” Barbaranne said.
Book of Shadows is one of the best acoustic albums I’ve ever heard. I can’t wait for the follow-up.
Tiny Hearts Studio founder Robleh Jama writes about his breathtaking experience aboard the Apple marketing roller coaster.
It all began when I received an email out of the blue back in March from Apple’s outside ad agency, TBWA\Media Arts (the company now has its own in-house agency too). They wanted me to know that our app was being considered for a broadcast commercial. Their team was still working on the creative ideas, and told us there were no guarantees we’d make the final spot. I signed the required paperwork and then tried really hard not to think about this or get my hopes up for the next couple of months.
Very interesting piece from Fast Company. [via iOS Dev Weekly]
Sébastien Page, writing for iDownloadBlog, flexes his imagination, sharing his take on a day spent with an Apple Watch in hand. A small excerpt:
5.41am: I receive a message on my wrist, a sign that my colleague is here waiting for me outside. I raise my wrist and tell Siri to send him a message saying I’ll be there in a couple minutes. I go kiss the kids goodbye while making sure not to wake them up. I won’t see them again until tomorrow.
5.46am: We’re on our way to the office to pick up some files before flying to San Jose. I receive a tap on my wrist. A quick glance at it and I see this is a Facebook notification. Apparently my mother in law is already up and commenting on photos I uploaded last night.
6.01am: We stop by Starbucks for a much-needed cup of java. With the Passbook app on my watch, I can simply have the barista scan my card barcode. No need for any physical transaction. No need to get iPhone out of my pocket either, obviously.
Apple folks: Might want to send this one to the marketing department. A good read, clever idea, really gives you a sense of what life with an Apple Watch will be like.
[Hat tip to Loop reader Nick Delapio]
Tony Fadell, speaking at a TED conference about what he learned from Steve Jobs:
Jobs insisted that his design team “stay beginner”: walk in the shoes of someone who has never experienced a product before. When a new Apple product came out, Fadell would wait in long lines at an Apple store, purchase it at the counter like everyone else, unbox it and try to get it working.
Though he may have been involved in every aspect of the iPod, taking the trek of the consumer taught him to notice the little frustrations that can destroy an otherwise good idea.
As an example, he talked about shipping a product with a charged battery. Only a few years ago, it was all-to-common to unwrap a new MP3 player with the glee of christmas morning, only to find out we had to wait a few hours to charge the device.
This is a piss-poor first impression for a product. Now, Apple products, he says, come with at least a partially charged battery. The act of “staying beginner” helps us see the frustrations that we otherwise resign ourselves to believing are fate.
This has been making its way around Twitter over the weekend. Remember Rickrolling? That thing where you follow a link and find yourself watching Rick Astley gyrate his way through Never Gonna Give You Up.
With that as background, take a look at Apple’s Control Center support page.
New York Times:
Steve Jobs prized secrecy from his executives and employees during his tenure at Apple. Now his top lieutenants are speaking out — to help shape the legacy of Steve Jobs.Through interviews and tweets, Apple brass, including the chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, are throwing their weight behind a new unauthorized biography of the Apple co-founder, “Becoming Steve Jobs,” which goes on sale on Tuesday. In the book, executives take aim at another title, “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson, an authorized biography published shortly after Mr. Jobs’s death in 2011.
Not unexpected but interesting to think there might be a concerted, organized PR campaign, not just from the book’s publisher, which is to be expected, but also from Apple.
Magic Leap is an augmented reality company, developing technology that blends computer generated imagery with reality. They are currently valued at around $2 billion, with a pool of investment dollars from Google and others of about $542 million. They don’t have any products yet, but there is a ton of buzz from people who’ve seen behind the curtain.
I’ve seen some of the concept videos and love the imaginative detail. Take a look at the video below to get a sense of the sorts of things Magic Leap is dreaming of. And take a read of this New York Times article if you are interested in the business side.
Rene Ritchie, writing for iMore, take a variety of passes through the Apple Watch band collection, looking at things like size, weight, and closure. If you are considering an Apple Watch, this is some good food for thought.
Update: In a related post, Take a look at Which Apple Watch Sport band color should you get?. If you are into the Sport band, be sure to check out the “Dirt and damage” section. Also, take a look at the Edition version of the review.
Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger knew early on that Steve Jobs’s cancer had returned and kept it a secret for three years before it became public knowledge, a new biography of Apple Inc.’s late CEO reveals.
Iger learned about the illness less than an hour before Disney announced its 2006 agreement to buy Pixar, the computer-animation studio run by Jobs
This is going to be a very interesting book.
iBooks:
There have been many books—on a large and small scale—about Steve Jobs, one of the most famous CEOs in history. But this book is different from all the others.
It’s interesting to see the extensive marketing campaign behind this book.
My thanks to Iconic for sponsoring The Loop this week. Looking for a special gift for that mega Apple enthusiast in your life? How about the newest edition of an absolutely stunning coffee table book that features lush, beautiful photographs of Apple devices? ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation is Iconic uses vivid color and detail to document Apple’s journey in design, form and function—and looks back at over 35 years of Apple innovation. Four years in the making, the author captured over 150,000 photos of nearly every product Apple has made, including rare prototypes and even packaging. With a foreword from Steve Wozniak and The Loop’s own Jim Dalrymple and hundreds of amazing quotes from other Apple pundits—ICONIC is the ultimate coffee table book for every Apple fan, and the perfect gift for any Apple owner who ever wanted to explore and discover the true roots of their favorite iMac, iPod, iPad, or iPhone. With free global shipping, see the different editions and use the coupon code THELOOP on checkout for 10% discount.
Jim’s Note: In addition to writing the foreword for this book, I also own two and love them!
This morning, I was sitting at my kitchen table, my cat beside me, just looking out on the backyard, typing away on my MacBook Pro. As they frequently do, a critter skittered across the back porch and my cat stiffened, then darted after the unsuspecting prey. He had somehow gotten tangled in the power cable and the MagSafe adapter got yanked out of my MacBook Pro, now attached to my cat. Point is, without the MagSafe technology, my computer would have gone along for the ride too.
The new MacBook uses a USB-C plug for power. No way to know for sure, but this seems a sign of things to come, the beginning of the end for MagSafe. Personally, I hate to see this change. I think MagSafe was a stroke of genius. It is one of those design details that makes me love my MacBook Pro.
Perhaps Apple has a USB-C version of MagSafe in the works for a future MacBook Pro. Hey, I can dream, can’t I?
The second the $69 price drop was announced, the first thought I had was, new Apple TV in the pipeline, price dropped to clear out inventory. That said, this is a rumor, and the $69 Apple TV is a great deal.
ABC News:
Apple engineers, managers and developers have been secretly volunteering for the past year in this state-of-the-art lab to participate in rowing, running, yoga and many more fitness activities in order to collect data for the Apple Watch’s inner workings.“[The employees] knew they were testing something, but they didn’t know it was for the Apple Watch,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of operations. “We hooked them up with all the masks and so forth, but we would put on an Apple Watch covered up.”
You can watch the video of this story tonight on “Nightline” at 12:35 a.m. ET.