November 28, 2012
“Scroogled” ∞
Now this is a great campaign from Microsoft. They’re going straight for Google’s heart.
App pricing strategy ∞
Realmac Software’s Rob Jarman discusses the company’s strategy behind the pricing for Clear for Mac. Personally, I hate the race to the bottom with pricing and am willing to pay a developer a reasonable price for their work. “Reasonable” is often the point of contention with many people though.
Dutch court: Samsung Galaxy products infringe Apple patent ∞
A Dutch court ruled on Wednesday that some of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy smartphones and tablets infringe an Apple patent in the latest round of the two firms’ worldwide battle.
The court ordered Samsung Electronics to pay Apple damages, determined by how much profit it has made from the sales.
The patent dispute concerns the Android operating system versions 2.2.1 to 3.0 used on Samsung’s Galaxy tablets and smartphones, the court said.
Smart people those Dutch.
Create a greeting card with iPhoto ∞
Dave Caolo takes you through the process of creating a holiday greeting card using one of your own photos. It’s a great tutorial, especially with the holidays being right around the corner.
Every Apple TV ad ever made in a YouTube playlist ∞
One industrious YouTube user gathered together 485 videos that represent every Apple TV ad ever. I honestly don’t know if it’s really every ad ever, but it’s really cool.
[Via TNW]
Windows 8 boxes are misleading, says Australian consumer ∞
Microsoft only sells Windows 8 as an upgrade at retailers in Australia, but the boxes aren’t marked that way. The complaint received the support of a consumer group as well.
Cheetahs running in slow motion
Great video from National Geographic.
A history of the Apple mouse ∞
Stephen Hackett put together a nice history of the Apple mouse, from the Lisa to modern day.
HP, Autonomy allegations heat up ∞
Hewlett Packard Co rebuffed a request by former Autonomy Chief Executive Mike Lynch to detail accusations of accounting fraud leveled against the British software company and its former executives, and challenged Lynch to submit to questions under penalty of perjury.
HP was responding to an open letter that Lynch shot to HP’s board on Tuesday, asking for specifics of the U.S. company’s allegations that Lynch and former Autonomy executives inflated revenue and gross margins, which HP said last week forced it to take an $8.8 billion writedown on Autonomy’s value.
It really appears that both sides think they have something on the other. If Lynch really did do something, wouldn’t he just go hide and count his money? Now HP ups the ante with its “penalty of perjury” request.
It’s hard to know who has the upper hand here.
About the rumor that Apple decimated its pro audio team
A rumor began circulating earlier this week that Apple’s Pro audio team has been decimated.
Apple’s Pro Audio application team is virtually gone, according to recent conversations with a couple of ex-Apple employees. […] In the words of one of them, the team has been ‘decimated’.
Nope.
There’s no truth to this rumor.
Second Life makers introduce Creatorverse for iOS
Linden Labs, the folks behind the 3D virtual world Second Life, announced Tuesday the release of a new $5 app for iOS called Creatorverse. Creatorverse lets you create and animate 2D objects using physical rules, then share them with others.
The company describes Creatorverse as “a two-dimensional shared creative space, a digital canvas on which you can build unique creations, set them in motion, and share them with the world to enjoy and remix.”
Simple drawing tools enable you to create 2D objects, while other tools enable you to define physical rules for your creation such as gravity and velocity. Then you can set your creation in motion and see what happens. Your creations can either be stored locally or uploaded and shared with other Creatorverse users.
Creatorverse runs on iOS devices, Android and some Kindle devices as well. Here’s a YouTube introduction video:
More Amazon bullshit ∞
Amazon today announced that this Black Friday and Cyber Monday were the best ever for the Kindle family, and the popular new Kindle e-readers and tablets remain at the top of Amazon’s best sellers list worldwide.
How many exactly did they sell? Amazon won’t say. Could be they sold 10 Kindles between the two days, nobody knows for sure. Just more bullshit from Amazon.
Windows 8 bloatware ∞
Bloatware is a result of companies not giving a shit about their users. It’s alive and well in Windows 8.
Apple fires Maps manager ∞
Bloomberg:
Richard Williamson, who oversaw the mapping team, was fired by Senior Vice President Eddy Cue, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information wasn’t yet public. Cue, who took over last month as part of a management shakeup, is seeking advice from outside mapping-technology experts and prodding digital maps provider TomTom NV (TOM2) to fix landmark and navigation data it shares with Apple.
Eddy is cleaning house.
Ballsy ∞
Harry Marks rounds up all the excuses from major publications who falsely reported on Monday that Google bought ICOA. Not a single apology, but lots of finger-pointing.
Update: Matt Panzarino at TheNextWeb contacted Harry and pointed out that they did apologize for posting the wrong information on their Web site.
I think Matt and TheNextWeb are missing the bigger point here. They didn’t do their jobs. Posting the story in the first place was the big mistake. Picking at Harry because they did, in fact, admit to not doing their jobs is a pointless exercise that only makes people like me point out once again that they didn’t do their jobs.
Next time, leave it alone and take your lumps for not doing your job.
Samsung rewards developer for copying iOS game ∞
Samsung has announced the winner of its Smart App Challenge and look who made it to the top! Our old “friends” from Feeling touch with their Gun & Blood shooter! “Their” game is surprisingly similar to our very own Overkill. People with really sharp eyes might even call it a clear copycat, a rip off, a shameless robbery, and we would be inclined to agree with them.
Stay classy folks.
Happy 70th Jimi ∞
If a musician’s greatness is measured by the breadth of his influence — and how else should we gauge it? — Jimi Hendrix’s legacy commends him as one of the most inspiring virtuosos who ever lived. Consider just a few of the acts who explicitly cite Hendrix as central to their sound, or who pay tribute by incorporating at least something of him into their work: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Miles Davis (who, of course, influenced Hendrix, as well), ZZ Top, Stephen Stills, Public Enemy — the list is as long as it is dizzying in its variety.
Like your iOS 6 clock? Mondaine sells ’em for wrists and walls
iOS 6 featured a redesigned clock app that uses a design Apple licensed (post-release) from the Swiss Federal Railways.
If you or someone on your holiday shopping list likes the simple, bold design enough to wear on the wrist or hang on your wall, Swiss watch maker Mondaine reminds you that they’re the official licensee of the design for wristwatches and wall clocks.
“Mondaine would like to welcome all iPad users to the worldwide club of Swiss Railway Clock enthusiasts – a club Mondaine and its consumers have been part of for 26 years,” said the company in a statement.
Mondaine sells the watches worldwide through retailers, e-tailers, museum shops and elsewhere.
Strong iPhone 5 sales knock Android into second place
Apple’s iPhone 5 sales have pushed iOS into the No. 1 spot for smartphone operating systems in the US, according to a new report released on Tuesday.
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s study shows that iOS now has 48.1 percent of US smartphone sales, while Android has 46.7 percent, pushing it back to second place.
Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar said the last time Apple was able to overtake Android was after the release of the iPhone 4S. However, this time the research company expects Apple to beat its previous high of 49.3 percent, achieving its highest share ever of the smartphone market.
The study shows that 61 percent of iPhone 5 purchases have come from existing iPhone owners upgrading, but there have been some crossgrades as well. People switching from Android accounted for 13 percent of iPhone 5 purchases and 6 percent of BlackBerry users have switched to the iPhone 5.
“An impressive 92% of existing Apple owners in the US said they will choose an iPhone the next time they upgrade,” said Sunnebo. “While loyalty is clearly key, it is also important to make sure that new customers are attracted to your brand. With roughly 60% of US iPhone 5 sales coming from existing customers and 40% from new consumers, Apple is achieving this at the moment – a clear sign of the strength of the brand in the US marketplace.”
Kantar noted that Apple is also enjoying share gains in four of the five major European countries, although Germany and Spain remain tough markets for them.
Quilter Labs MicroPro guitar amp ∞
Great sounding amps. Check out the videos on the page for some tone samples.
Apple: New iMac due in stores on Nov. 30
Apple took the wraps off the new iMac at a special event in San Francisco where the iPad mini was released, but the new slim desktop computer is only hitting store shelves now. Apple announced Tuesday that the new iMac will be on store shelves on Friday, November 30, 2012.
The new iMac has been redesigned with an aluminum and glass enclosure that’s a scant 5mm thick at its edge. The new iMac comes equipped with 8GB of RAM, a 1TB hard disk drive and Intel Core i5 or i7 processors depending on the configuration.
Another new feature of the iMac is “Fusion Drive,” an optional configuration that pairs the hard disk drive with a 128GB Solid State Disk (SSD), paired together to provide maximum performance.
The new iMac comes in 21.5 and 27-inch configurations starting at $1,299. Expect the 21.5 models first.
Vectrex Regeneration coming to App Store later this week
Great news for classic gaming enthusiasts: RantMedia Games announced on Twitter Monday that its Vectrex Regeneration software is expected in the App Store “in just …. three days !”
Vectrex Regeneration recreates the original Vectrex home video game system on iOS devices. While the Vectrex was never a huge hit, it’s a cult classic that’s achieved legendary status in the years since its release.
The Vectrex debuted in late 1982. Unlike other video game consoles of the era, it didn’t plug into a television set – it came with its own integrated nine-inch black and white display. This was because the Vectrex displayed vector graphics, similar to those you may remember from classic coin-op games of yore like Asteroids and Tempest.
A game controller sported a small joystick and four buttons. While the display was limited to black and white, games shipped with colorful translucent plastic overlays that would be inserted in front of the display to provide a color effect. Unfortunately, the Vectrex – never a huge hit for its original creator – ended up cratering in the video game crash of 1984.
Vectrex Regeneration seeks to recreate the experience of using the Vectrex on the iPad. The app will include thirty games. Additional games and features can be unlocked using in-app purchases, like support for the iCade controller.
Siri coming soon to Chevy budget cars ∞
Chris Woodyard for USA TODAY:
GM says today that it has found a way to link Siri to the new infotainment systems in its two smallest cars, Chevrolet Spark and Sonic.
What’s interesting about this is that Chevy is launching this feature on a minicar and a compact model ahead of doing it on luxury brands. You’ll need an iPhone, of course, but if you have a 4S or 5, you’ll be able to activate Siri using steering wheel-mounted controls.
Estimating the size of Bad Piggies ∞
Rhett Allain for Wired:
Clearly, I am now addicted to Bad Piggies. Well, I’m not actually obsessed with Bad Piggies, I am obsessed with the analysis of Bad Piggies. My first Bad Piggies post looked at the size of stuff. The basic method was to look at the acceleration of objects in the game and assume that the events take place on Earth where the vertical acceleration should be -9.8 m/s2. I don’t think I did the best job.
Allain uses a lot of math and analysis to figure out the physics of Rovio’s hit game, “Bad Piggies.”
Kinda scary, actually.
iOS and Android usage share ∞
Michael Bartholomew takes a look mobile market share, usage share and the disconnect between the two.
Oopsie ∞
Arik Hesseldahl got to the bottom of rumors that Google bought ICOA Wireless:
But people within the company say that contrary to a press release posted on PR Web, Google has not bought ICOA, a Rhode Island-based player in public Wi-Fi Networks.
It fooled a lot of people this morning. Good job Arik.
Apple’s astonishing profits ∞
From October 2011 through September 2012, the combined net profit of Microsoft, Google, eBay, Yahoo, Facebook and Amazon was $34.4 billion. Apple alone made $7 billion more.
In the same period, Dell, Asus, Intel, Acer, IBM, Lenovo and HP, i.e. virtually the entire PC industry, made $19.3 billion or less than half of Apple’s profit.
How’s that for some context.
Review: USB Fender Squier Strat
A long-time Mac user, Mark has been writing about technology in some form for over ten years. Recently returning to the guitar after a lengthy absence, he feels he is personally responsible for guitar shops in his area posting record quarters this year. Mark enjoys Fenders, Gibsons, and the distance between his house and the neighbors. His rarely-updated personal site is markcrump.com and you can follow him on twitter at twitter.com/crumpy.
My main Strat is a 30-year-old American model, but I don’t like to gig with it. It’s kept nice and safe at home. I’ve been looking for a gigging Strat for a while now and had decided to get a cheap Squier and trick it out. I’d create a sleeper guitar — one that looked cheap but had decent hardware.
With the new Fender USB Squier guitar1 I may have found that Strat. As an added bonus, I can plug it directly into my Mac or iOS devices.
Most of the recording I do these days is through a direct interface like the Apogee Jam so I’m thrilled this guitar has a micro-USB output. The Squire shows up as a USB Guitar in GarageBand’s Audio Inputs section in the app’s preferences, so there is no extra configuration needed — just plug it in and go.
For $200, you get a decent guitar. I was expecting I’d be replacing most of the hardware, but it doesn’t look like that will be necessary. Made in Indonesia, the tuners and bridge on this Strat are decent at least. The neck is nice and thin, and is very close to the neck on my American Strat. The biggest complaint I have is that the fret edges are very rough and need a good going-over with a fret file. That’s an easily correctible problem. I haven’t given it a proper setup, but out of the box the action was fine.
I’m not sure what wood it is made out of, but it’s by far the lightest guitar I own. It’s much lighter than my basswood Ibanez RG 570 guitar, even accounting for the difference in thickness (and obviously, it’s far lighter than my American Strat). As a result, even with the humbucking pickup it’s a tad on the bright side, even for a Strat.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the humbucker is actually a hot little pickup. I was getting some good pinch harmonics out of it, which requires some gain and cooperation from the guitar’s pickups.
At some point, I’ll probably put in some Fender Fat 50s and a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickup, but that’s more for my love of those pickups and compensating a little bit for the ultra light body.
The logo is reminiscent of the old Fender spaghetti logo, which I love.
I wasn’t sure how the guitar would sound when I used the digital outputs. I’m happy to report there is no noticeable latency and I detected no tonal differences when I used the micro-USB port on the guitar. As a control test, I also used my Apogee Jam and it sounded the same through that interface.
You can also plug it directly into your iOS device with the included micro-USB to 30-pin cable. I tested it out via AmpliTube Slash on my iPad and again, I experienced no latency issues.
The included cable is a 30-pin plug, so you’ll need one of the Lighting adapters for it to work on the newer iOS devices. Obviously, if you’re using the direct connection ports you cannot use your stomp boxes, so if a lot of your sound comes from your pedals, you’re out of luck.
Using my iPhone as an amp reminds me of when I’d throw a Rockman X100 into my gig bag so I could practice at school. With the Squier Strat, I can now do that with one cable, instead of an analog cable and an Apogee Jam.
Even through my live rig, it sounded great. This guitar is a lot of fun to play. It does not feel like a cheap guitar at all (other than the frets requiring a dressing and lighter body). Most importantly, it sounds like a Strat.
The Fender USB Strat is sold exclusively through the Apple Store. ↩