I love apps that do one thing and do it really well. This looks great.

This is great… and accurate.

Following up on Michael Lopp’s “Stagnation” story posted earlier today, Daniel Jalkut give us his thoughts.

But what really frustrates me in this case is the software has served him perfectly, and he thanks it with a slap to the face. It’s one thing to denigrate a product for failing to meet your expectations, or for exhibiting a clear lack of craftsmanship, but Lopp admits that those problems do not apply.

I used to write with fountain pens all the time. I still have a couple, but I don’t use them much anymore.

This is when you know it’s time to get a new app.

BBC News:

All of the surviving members of comedy group Monty Python are to reform for a stage show, one of the Pythons, Terry Jones, has confirmed.

For many of us “of a certain age”, this makes us squeal with delight.

A new Web site from Shawn Blanc where he recommends the best app in each category. Seems to be like The Wirecutter, but for Apple. I like the idea of having a site that will take a stand and give out their recommendation.

I can definitely see how this would be useful. I like the look of the templates too—that’s a nice idea.

Superior Drummer is one of my favorite drum samplers on the market. This new expansion pack was recorded at The Warehouse Studio by Randy Staub (Metallica’s “Black Album”, Nickelback’s “Silver Side Up”, Avril Lavigne’s “Under My Skin”), so you know it’s going to sound good.

This is an important step in Apple’s move to expand their reach into the gaming universe.

The MOGA Ace Power iOS game controller requires an iPhone with a lightning port. It includes a battery pack, so you can charge your iPhone while you play (or at least limit the drain on your iPhone’s battery).

Interesting that all the buttons are analog.

The biggest initial surprise of the MOGA Ace Power is that nearly all of the buttons are analog. Following rumors, and just how controllers typically work, I think we all expected the only analog controls to be the actual dual analog sticks themselves and maybe the outmost triggers. It turns out all of the buttons are analog. All of the triggers, the face buttons, even the D-Pad. In fact, the only non-analog gaming control on the whole thing is the pause button.

Unfortunately, as with all early adopter technologies, this device is ahead of developer testing cycles.

However, with surprise comes disappointment, and the main source of that disappointment is how incredibly obvious to us that all of the developers out there releasing updates to add iOS 7 controller support are doing so without actually testing on a controller. For instance, Dead Trigger 2 [Free] comes with default sensitivity settings that were so high there’s no way any human could play that way. Similarly, LEGO Lord of the Rings [$4.99] has controller support, but you can only move using the D-Pad, not the analog stick. Strange little inconsistencies like that are everywhere, and I’ve yet to find a game that recognizes analog button presses.

I expect this will change as developers get their hands on the controller. I can’t wait to get my hands on one.

Thinking of taking advantage of Apple’s Reuse and Recycling program? You now have the option of trading in a water-damaged iPhone or iPad. If you’ve never been to the site, take a minute to dig into the options. Interesting to see the range of devices Apple will take in trade. To Apple’s credit, even if your device has no value, Apple will send you a shipping label so you can return the device to Apple and keep it out of the landfill.

Have a Windows machine? No problem. Apple will take trade-ins on some models. And for those machines Apple can’t repurpose, they’ll point you to a free recycling solution.

Would be nice to see this in a museum somewhere. The opening bid was set at €180,000 (about US$243,000), which is relatively low compared to recent bids for a working Apple I. Goes to show how tricky the classic computer market can be.

Paula Borowska put together a guide for creating iOS 7 icons.

Universal Audio released two new plug-ins on Monday: the Maag EQ4 and the Classic Fairchild 660 and 670 Tube Limiters. I love the Fairchild—can’t wait to get my hands on these.

Alex Vollmer takes you through one of the most classic solos of all time. I love playing this Jimmy Page solo.

As part of a settlement announcement on Monday, Google has agreed to pay out $17 million to 37 U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, for ignoring anti-tracking protocols baked in to Apple’s Safari Web browser.

I’m willing to bet they made a lot more than $17 million.

Guillaume Ross takes a look at the popular use of URL schemes in iOS and some security concerns he has with them.

It’s not necessarily an easy thing to do.

This week MightyDeals is offering a great deal on MotoPress. It’s a WordPress plugin that replaces the default WP editor and makes content editing a snap. It uses a super easy drag-and-drop method, that works on all devices thanks to its responsive design. If you use WordPress, you’ll love this. See how it works.

These are the tuners Gibson used for its Robot guitars, but these look improved, and they are available for a wide range of guitars. I’m going to get a set for one of my older guitars and see how they work.

Squarespace released “Blog” and “Metrics” and released iOS 7 updates for its existing apps.

Katie Fehrenbacher for GigaOM:

Apple’s two solar farms and one fuel cell farm near its data center in North Carolina are now all live and generating power. The projects are unprecedented in the industry and have helped usher in real change.

What a fascinating read.

The headline link is to the North American version of the FAQ. Here’s a link to the EU version of the FAQ.

Any maths geek will certainly recognize the term fractals, the set of numbers that are infinitely recursive and self similar. This short film gives you the chance to meet the father of the fractal, Benoit Mandelbrot.

Anand Lal Shimpi compares the new Mini with both last year’s model and the new iPad Air.

Increasing the storage density of batteries is one problem. Extending the lifespan of a battery is another. This Stanford linear accelerator lab work may have just made a leap forward in both of these areas.

Researchers have made the first battery electrode that heals itself, opening a new and potentially commercially viable path for making the next generation of lithium ion batteries for electric cars, cell phones and other devices. The secret is a stretchy polymer that coats the electrode, binds it together and spontaneously heals tiny cracks that develop during battery operation

Researchers worldwide are racing to find ways to store more energy in the negative electrodes of lithium ion batteries to achieve higher performance while reducing weight. One of the most promising electrode materials is silicon; it has a high capacity for soaking up lithium ions from the battery fluid during charging and then releasing them when the battery is put to work.

But this high capacity comes at a price: Silicon electrodes swell to three times normal size and shrink back down again each time the battery charges and discharges, and the brittle material soon cracks and falls apart, degrading battery performance.

”We found that silicon electrodes lasted 10 times longer when coated with the self-healing polymer, which repaired any cracks within just a few hours.”