January 15, 2015
Written by Dave Mark
The idea here is to remove traffic lights from intersections and embed them on your windshield instead. As your car approaches an intersection, a virtual traffic light appears on your windshield telling you to stop, then turns green when it is your turn to go. If there are no other cars approaching the intersection, you roll on through without having to slow down.
Click the link and watch the video to get a sense of how this might work.
The efficiency here is obvious. With the traditional traffic light system, one direction always has a red light, even if no cars are coming in the other direction. Virtual traffic lights can mirror the existing system, but will eliminate the frustration of waiting at a red light when it is obvious there is no competing traffic in the cross street.
The hazards are also obvious. A system like this depends on all cars on the road using connected vehicle technology (CVT), as it is known in the US. CVT is what makes driverless cars possible, allowing multiple vehicles to negotiate with each other to share the road. Until all cars have CVT, a system like this is impossible. But that said, CVT is coming and it will eventually be mandatory.
January 14, 2015
Written by Jim Dalrymple
From Google’s Project Ara Web site:
The smartphone is one of the most empowering and intimate objects in our lives. Yet most of us have little say in how the device is made, what it does, and how it looks. And 5 billion of us don’t have one. What if you could make thoughtful choices about exactly what your phone does, and use it as a creative canvas to tell your own story?
Introducing Project Ara.
Designed exclusively for 6 billion people.
Written by Shawn King
Jim and Shawn talk about the Mac, the iPhone in the past, the Apple Watch in the future, and how to learn to play guitar!
Sponsored by lynda.com (Start learning something new by visiting lynda.com/amplified and get a FREE 10-day trial where you can access all of their 3,000+ courses).
Written by Dave Mark
Riveting. Watch Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson make their final push for the summit of El Capitan in one of the hardest free climbs in the world. This is being carried live.
One thing I’ve learned over the last 20 years of writing about Apple is that there’s no shortage of naysayers, ready to declare certain failure of the company’s newest product—whatever that product happens to be. The Apple Watch is the latest in a long list of products, that includes the iPod, iPhone, iPad and Macs, that critics says will fail.
The truth of the matter is, nobody knows if the Apple Watch will be a huge success, a moderate blip on the consumer’s radar or a dismal failure. What we do have, is history of what’s happened with Apple’s major product releases, and a reasonable understanding of how consumers feel about the company. With this information, we can make some logical assumptions about how the Apple Watch will do in the market.
Based on what the naysayers have said about releases of the iPhone and iPad in recent years, and the fact that consumers have purchased them in record numbers, I would say that people, in general, are more educated in their purchasing decisions than ever before.
While we do know what the Apple Watch will look like, it seems like a safe bet that Apple hasn’t given us all of the details on the functionality of the device. For instance, we don’t yet know the full integration of the Apple Watch and the iPhone, although some intriguing details have recently surfaced. We also don’t know which apps will be available on the device.
Apple is positioning the watch at the fashion space as much as they are to consumers. This is evidenced with the Paris unveiling of the watch at Colette, a high-end Paris boutique.
Apple will face a problem convincing people that haven’t worn a watch for years—or have never worn a watch—that they need an Apple Watch. A lot of people, me included, haven’t worn a watch since I started carrying a smartphone. I can be convinced if the watch eases some problem in my life.
The Apple Watch will sell well, probably above Apple’s public expectations. I’m not saying that equals success, just that people will be clamoring for a new Apple device and will give it a try.
There will be a ramp-up to volume sales. While the tech and high-end crowd will go after the watch quickly, many consumers will take a wait and see attitude, but they will start to come around by the end of the year.
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference will be important for the Apple Watch. The conference is where Apple will lay the roadmap for all of its devices for the coming year. Developers and consumers will get a first-hand look at where this technology is going.
The first iteration of anything Apple has done in the last 15 years has been about releasing a stable, working product. They have, for the most part, met that goal. This is exactly what I expect from the company with the Apple Watch.
Ultimately, success of the Apple Watch depends on developer interest in making apps specific to the watch, functionality of the device, and the future plans Apple has for the watch. There are many things Apple could allow us to control and track with the watch, whether that’s in the home, car, or even our health.
One thing is for sure, the Apple Watch will be one of the most personal devices we have purchased in a long time.
It’s much too early to declare the Apple Watch a failure because it’s a device that we haven’t seen before. Many smart people jumped to conclusions and said the iPod and iPhone would fail too. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Smartphone company Samsung has recently approached BlackBerry Ltd to buy the company for as much as $7.5 billion, looking to gain access to its patent portfolio, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents seen by Reuters.
Patents is about all BlackBerry has left.
Written by Shawn King
Matt Gemmell:
Rumours abound at the moment about an upcoming new 12” MacBook Air, with a Retina display, further-reduced thickness and weight, and of course a slightly larger screen. I’m intrigued, and all other things being more or less equal, I’ll certainly buy one. It’s tough to see what the next step will be, though. My wish list has been exhausted. Every checkbox is checked.
But what more is there to really do?
Matt makes a good point that, for the vast majority of us, Apple’s present laptops do more than we actually need them to do. I know my next laptop will likely be an Air if only because I no longer need the power of a full desktop CPU.
Written by Shawn King
Google:
We’re taking it to the next level and letting you instantly translate text using your camera—so it’s way easier to navigate street signs in the Italian countryside or decide what to order off a Barcelona menu. While using the Translate app, just point your camera at a sign or text and you’ll see the translated text overlaid on your screen—even if you don’t have an Internet or data connection.
This looks really cool. I remember traveling in Italy and not being able to understand the signs at the train station. This would have come in very handy.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Musicians and songwriters often have trouble with EQing drums so they fit in a track. A lot of that comes from over-EQings already good sounding samples, or having to deal with poorly recorded drums to begin with, but even so, the basic technique isn’t that difficult if you know the basics.
If you are just learning how to EQ drums, bookmark this page and use the recommended frequencies.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Apple Inc sued Ericsson alleging that the Swedish company’s LTE wireless technology patents are not essential to industry cellular standards and that it is demanding excessive royalties for these patents.
These types of “essential” patent lawsuits are always interesting to watch—you never know which way the court will rule.
Written by Shawn King
The Verge:
Set out in a series of detailed renders, the conceptual iMac combines the internal components of an 11.6-inch MacBook Air with the addition of a touchscreen and the new reversible USB connector. Its shape echoes that of the original Mac…There’s nothing particularly practical or realistic about this iMac, which is probably why it feels so sublimely desirable.
Utterly ridiculous. Utterly impractical. Utterly unbuildable. But I still want one.
Written by Shawn King
RazorianFly:
While some are shocked at the sudden demise of Apple’s popular free giveaway promotions, such as 12 Days and the just axed “Single of the Week,” others are seemingly less shocked at the ending of these ‘FREE’ iTunes promotions. We think MacRumors forum user, fluchtpunkt, nails it:
“I think that entitlement mentality is what has killed these promotions. Getting free stuff is no longer enough. It must be exactly what you want.”
As the piece says, we may never know why Apple has discontinued these giveaways but I would have no problem believing it is, in part, due to the epic amounts of whining from a segment of users.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Shifts is a brand new productivity app for shift workers, designed to help you manage your work schedules and lives more efficiently.
This is a unique take on using a calendar—the first I’ve seen in a while.
Written by Shawn King
John Moltz:
A newsroom can be an environment that benefits from an open floor plan, but this level of exacting control over it is exactly what’s wrong with corporate America. If you’re so concerned about coffee stains, hire someone to clean things up. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper and it sends a better message than spending $3 million to make a 2001: A Space Odyssey set for your employees to spend their days maintaining.
The memo from Wired’s editor-in-chief Scott Dadich has been making the rounds and Moltz, as usual, has a funny and accurate takedown of the attitude and tone of his attempt at controlling the workplace environment.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Bushel is a cloud-based solution designed from the ground up to make it easy for regular people to setup, manage and protect their Apple devices anytime from anywhere.
This looks really nice. You can manage three devices for free, so that’s a bonus.
This keyboard was introduced about a year ago, but I saw it for the first time yesterday. This is a novel interface, in much the same way as the Chapman Stick. I love outlying technology like this.
[Hat tip to brother Stu]
Written by Dave Mark
Nice tip from Peter Cohen shows you how to bring your volume control to the menu bar and, more importantly, switch between audio inputs with a single click.
Buried in this CES press release from Audi:
Another innovation presented by Audi at CES is the Audi mobile key. Here, a smartphone or a smartwatch provides access to the vehicle, making them highly flexible complements to existing keys. The mobile key uses Near Field Communication (NFC), which is available even when the mobile device’s battery is empty.
Imagine if a standard emerged that allowed Apple to embed your specific car key in your iPhone and Apple Watch. Approach your car with your iPhone in your pocket and the car automatically unlocks.
Want to open the trunk, or perform a more specific function? Tap a button on your Apple Watch auto app.
No technical reason this can’t be done. And the organization of an industry to follow an OS-specific standard is something at which Apple truly excels.
Written by Dave Mark
Yesterday, Apple was granted a patent for a Digital camera system having remote control. The patent specifically calls out existing products and patents, laying out improvements that are part of this patent.
For example:
It is known to provide rugged digital capture devices that can be secured to various objects, such as a bike helmet or scuba mask, or mounted to the handlebars of a motorcycle or the front of a surfboard. For example, the GoPro HD Hero2 digital cameras, sold by GoPro Inc, Half Moon Bay, Calif. are sold as part of an “Outdoor edition” package which includes various straps, pivot arms, and adhesive mounts to enable the digital camera to capture images while performing activities such as biking, skiing, skating and kayaking. However, the HD Hero2 camera includes only a single image capture system, which captures images using an optical axis directed outward from the “front” of the camera. This can cause excessive wind resistance and presents a high profile that is more susceptible to damage and image artifacts from vibrations in some situations.
It is truly amazing how much power Apple wields over the marketplace, how much scrutiny is placed on every decision Apple makes.
Consider:
This is a reasonably complex patent, with many examples showing features and improvements. The previous example is the only reference that mentions GoPro by name. A granted patent in no way means Apple has such a product in the pipeline. Yet, this single GoPro mention was enough to cause GoPro’s stock to drop about 15%.
January 13, 2015
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Positive Grid, makers of BIAS for iOS and Mac, have started a new beta program targeted to guitar players that want to help shape the future of the company’s hardware products. I love the products this company puts out.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
While his treatment for dementia would ultimately pull him from the band he started, AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young was also treated for cancer and a heart condition after than band’s last tour. So sad.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Mark Gurman has certainly been on a roll lately. If true, this is an incredible amount of integration between the Apple Watch and the iPhone.
Written by Dave Mark
First Amazon scores big with Transparent, their series that picked up a Best Comedy Golden Globe as well as a nod to Jeffrey Tambor for Best Actor. And now they’ve signed Woody Allen to produce an as yet untitled half hour series.
The series, like other Amazon original TV productions, will be available exclusively on the company’s Prime Instant Video service in the United States, Britain and Germany. The service costs $99 for an annual membership and includes free two-day shipping, and serves as a way for Amazon to tie its entertainment offerings to its huge retail operation.
My absolute favorite part of this is Woody’s seeming confusion at the whole thing.
“I don’t know how I got into this,” Mr. Allen, 79, said in a statement. “I have no ideas, and I’m not sure where to begin.”
This should be good.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Like my good friend Peter Cohen, Disk Warrior 5 has always been my go-to utility for fixing my Mac.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
The list of features in this app is just incredible. I love the guys at Smile Software and the apps they make.
Written by Shawn King
TidBITS:
To take over a Mac, the attacker needs physical access. He then plugs in Thunderstrike-enabled hardware — a modified Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet dongle in the demo — and reboots the Mac, triggering the process that replaces the firmware with malicious code. That’s it. While all Macs are technically vulnerable to the Thunderstrike attack, few readers face any immediate risk. The attack is highly targeted — someone needs both physical access to your Mac and time to reboot it and reinstall the firmware.
As always when it comes to Macs and security, Rich Mogull is my go-to guy. He writes well and clearly about the subject and I trust his opinion and advice.
Written by Shawn King
The Sydney Morning Herald:
One student has spoken up against the world leaders with poor human rights records who took it upon themselves to march for free speech following the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks. In a series of tweets, London School of Economics student Daniel Wickham attacked some of the world leaders for attending the rally despite restricting press freedom in their own countries.
Good for him. When I first saw the photo of the world leaders, I thought it looked like just another photo op. Wickham shows it was also incredibly hypocritical.
Written by Shawn King
Re/code:
The study of Amazon’s pricing uncovered some interesting tactics. First, Amazon doesn’t have the lowest prices across the board, which may not surprise industry insiders but might surprise Amazon shoppers. Instead, according to Boomerang’s analysis, Amazon identifies the most popular products on its site and consistently prices them under the competition.
A good reminder to not assume Amazon has the best prices and to always shop around.
Written by Dave Mark
IDC just released their latest worldwide PC sales tracking report. Bottom line, Apple maintained their relative position at number five, behind Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Acer Group, but showed explosive growth, moving from a 5.8% share of the market in 4Q2013 to 7.1% in 4Q2014.
Growth from 5.8% to 7.1% is no small potatoes. That’s a 22% increase in global market share over a one year period.
In the US, Apple is number three, behind HP and Dell, growing from 11.3% to 12.7% year over year.
