June 28, 2012
Spec comparison: iPad, Surface, Nexus, Kindle ∞
If you’re the type who likes specs, check out this comparison chart from Bryan Chaffin.
A kickstand for the beard ∞
Justin Michael made this incredible illustration after I joked on Amplified 12 that I wanted a kickstand on everything I owned.
Google vs everyone ∞
Om Malik:
However, when you stand back from all the announcements made by Google today and increase the periphery, you start to notice that this is a company that is fighting a lot of battles on many fronts. In some places it is winning, but most places it is trench warfare.
Killing a wildly successful product ∞
Michael Lopp:
One of my favorite Apple product announcements happened on September 7, 2005. In an Apple music event announcement, Steve Jobs got on stage, gave the usual state of the business update, and then he did something I’d never seen before. He killed a wildly successful product.
I often use this as an example of how Apple beat its competition and drove them crazy trying to catch up. Who would kill a product as successful as the iPod mini? Steve Jobs would.
June 27, 2012
Podcast app: A UI breakdown ∞
Chris Armstrong takes a look at Apple’s new Podcast app. Personally I love the tape deck.
Retina MacBook Pro display ghosting ∞
It doesn’t just happen to Retina displays, but I’d be pissed if this happened to me.
The Google Nexus ∞
Here it is.
Amplified: Uncle Tim’s lunch money ∞
Jim and Dan discuss the Podcasts app for iOS and the implications it has for both existing podcast applications as well as for podcasting as a whole, Sirius and the Google TV, Epic games success on iOS, when Apple fanboys attack, Orbitz, the Retina MacBook Pro’s financial affect on Apple, and more. Jim also offers his advice for getting back into the guitar by practicing Megadeth.
Sponsored by Shopify (use code 5BY5 for 3 months free), Igloo Software (they’re giving away an Aeropress to a B&A listener), and MailChimp’s new Mandrill email service.
Infinity Blade for iOS is Epic’s most profitable game ever ∞
That’s impressive.
Understanding HTML5 and CSS3 for Web design ∞
When I redesigned The Loop, HTML5 and CSS3 were high on my list. I didn’t care so much about supporting older or non-compliant browsers.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned in the U.S. ∞
Apple finally made it happen.
June 26, 2012
iOS crushes Android in app retention
According to a new report from Localytics, app retention is increasing in the mobile market as developers move away from focusing just on downloads. The report says that the iPhone and iPad is crushing Android in app retention.
“But not all apps are created equally,” according to Localytics. “Delving deeper into the retention and user metrics, iPhone and iPad users are 52% more loyal to their apps than Android users. A healthy 35% of Apple iOS users launched an app more than 10 times after downloading, compared to 23% of Android users. The average Android app also suffers from 24% one-time usage rate compared to just 21% one-time usage rate for iPhone and iPad.”
The report noted that as users continue to purchase apps, they are becoming more educated and discerning about the choices they make.
iTunes Store opens in 12 countries ∞
Apple is bringing the iTunes Store to music fans in Brunei, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Hilarious letters from kids ∞
The one to Uncle Bryan is funny.
Heineken’s New York offices ∞
Where the hell is the beer?
Preparing to relearn Megadeth songs
There was a time when I could play a lot of Megadeth songs without even thinking about it, but if you don’t keep it up, eventually you lose your edge. It happens to all us — life gets in the way sometimes.
I decided a couple of weeks ago to relearn a lot of the songs that I used to play a lot. I went into my studio, picked up the guitar and played what I could remember — it wasn’t pretty. I decided I needed to do some preparation before learning the songs.
With many bands, getting back into playing songs is easy. The songs really aren’t that tough to play, but Megadeth is different.
Dave Mustaine is the master of chord progressions, so learning to play those songs takes a little bit more planning. Here are a few things I did to prepare.
First I watched many of the Megadeth concerts I have on DVD and on my Apple TV. I watch concerts differently than most people — I don’t just watch the band play, I watch the guitarist and where he is playing the chords. There are many ways to play each chord, but there is a reason the guitar player chose to play it a particular way. That’s the type of detail I try to pick out.
Guitarists like Mustaine have a lot of cool notes in their songs that aren’t always easy to pick out on your own. I often go to YouTube and search for a song to see if anyone was able to get it — many times they do. That’s another great detail to pick out.
Keep in mind that I still haven’t picked up my guitar yet.
The last thing I did was to look at tabs to refresh my thoughts on how to play the songs. This is usually the last step before I begin to play.
This whole process takes a couple of weeks. It may seem like a lot just to relearn some songs, but when I picked up my guitar yesterday I was able to rip off a few songs right away. It felt good too.
The main point of doing so much preparation is to reduce the frustration of relearning songs you used to know how to play.
Apple releases Podcasts app for iOS ∞
Podcasts app is the easiest way to discover, subscribe to and play your favorite podcasts on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Explore hundreds of thousands of free audio and video podcasts from the Podcasts Catalog, and play the most popular podcasts, organized for you by topic, with the all-new Top Stations feature.
Orbitz shows Mac users more expensive hotels ∞
Dana Mattiolo for the Wall Street Journal:
Orbitz Worldwide Inc. has found that people who use Apple Inc.’s Mac computers spend as much as 30% more a night on hotels, so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see.
Orbitz says that users can overcome the issue by ranking results by price. If this leaves as nasty a taste in your mouth as it does in mine, though, the better solution might be to skip Orbitz all together in favor of a different site that doesn’t discriminate based on your platform. (The article suggests that Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity do not, by the way.)
Business BMX DVD premieres Friday ∞
Byron Kutchera and Ian Fleming (my daughter’s longtime boyfriend) are premiering their DVD this Friday. They are having a Facebook event as well. Very talented guys.
Dystopia ∞
Kyle Baxter on building products to last:
The issue is that the computing industry, and especially the mobile computing industry, are developing very quickly, so hardware and software that’s as good as it gets today simply won’t be in a year’s time.
Good point.
Apple’s magic dust ∞
Dilbert.
Woz defends MegaUpload’s Kim DotCom ∞
Karen Haslam:
Apple’s co-founder Steve Wozniak has spoken out about his recent visit to the founder of MegaUpload, who is currently under house arrest. Woz accused the US government of a “poorly thought out attempt to extradite” MegaUpload founder Kim DotCom, with prosecutors “attempting to take advantage of loopholes.”
San Diego school district buys 26,000 iPads ∞
I love seeing schools using the latest technology to teach students.
Apple store boosts sales of surrounding businesses ∞
Sales at restaurants, stores and other outfits rose 7.5 % between December and March compared to the same time frame ending in March 2011, Nancy Marshall, director of Grand Central development at the MTA, said.
[Via Techie Buzz]
Google tries to ban U.S. imports of iPhone, iPad ∞
The U.S. International Trade Commission said it will review ITC Judge Thomas Pender’s findings that Apple was violating one Motorola Mobility patent. The commission is scheduled to issue a final decision on Aug. 24, and has the power to block devices made in Asia from entering the U.S. The iPhone, iPad and related devices generate 78 percent of Apple’s revenue.
Indev email tools [sponsor] ∞
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RIM stock falls 7 percent ∞
The stock closed at $9.11 on the Nasdaq. The 7.6 percent fall is its steepest since late May, when it said it expected to report an operating loss for its fiscal first quarter and said it had hired investment bankers as part of a strategic review.
SHOOT IT ALREADY!
Peter Ha came so close ∞
I just finished reading TechCrunch Managing Editor Peter Ha’s “The Future Of Microsoft Is Sunny With A Chance Of Thunderstorms,” which is his take on the Microsoft Surface announcement. I wanted to reach out and strangle him when he said the iPad is a consumption, not a creation device though.
Overall, this is probably the most balanced article I’ve read on the subject.