July 21, 2011
∞ Natural scrolling and Quick Look URLs in Lion
OS X Lion has a new feature called natural scrolling that is trying my patience, but I’m giving it a try anyway. I have a few tips that may help you get used to it too. (more…)
July 20, 2011
∞ Apple launches Business App Store for volume purchases
Apple on Wednesday launched its B2B App Store, allowing businesses to make volume purchases of apps. (more…)
∞ Make your own Lion USB drive
Christina Warren for Mashable:
Because installation takes place entirely from within the Mac App Store, the usual “clean install” option isn’t present. If you’ve followed our guide for preparing your Mac for Lion, you’re probably in good shape to proceed with an upgrade. If, however, you long for the ability to do a clean install without having to first install Snow Leopard and THEN install Lion, Mashable has you covered.
Christina takes you through the simple steps to create the disk. Great if you want to have the clean install option at some point.
∞ Apple on track to sell more iPhones in 2011 than all other years combined
Of the 25.09 million iPhones Apple sold in 2009, 35.8% of them came during Apple’s first and second calendar quarters. In 2010 that number was 36.1%. Using calendar 2011 iPhone sales numbers and a 36% average, Apple is on track to sell a whopping 108.3 million iPhones this year. To put that in perspective, 108.3 million iPhones would be 20% more than it sold in all of 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 combined.
This is just getting silly now.
∞ OS X Lion video tutorial released
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion has been referred to by Apple as “Back to the Mac”. That’s because iOS took a lot from the original Mac OS X and built on the unique touch interface of the iOS devices. In OS 10.7 Lion, Apple brings a lot of their iOS experience “back to the Mac”. Specially the interaction with touch surfaces like the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad have become a central feature of Mac OS, but there’s also a whole lot more.
Videos like this are great for new and old user alike. It gives new users the lowdown on everything Lion, and it also gives existing users a look into what’s new. It’s a 97-minute tutorial covers all the Core features of Lion.
∞ Dear RIM: it's you, not us
RIM investors must be holding their face in their hands this morning after reading how well Apple did in its latest fiscal quarter. While RIM bombed its most recent quarter, Apple blew away all expectations. (more…)
∞ Adobe outlines CS5 issues with OS X Lion
Adobe posted a page on its Web site today outlining any issues it found with Apple’s newly released OS X Lion. The page talks about everything from scrolling behavior to individual apps like Dreamweaver and Illustrator. Certainly a good resource for graphics pros.
∞ Safari 5.1 for Snow Leopard touts new features
If you’re not ready to get Lion yet, you can still download the version of Safari included with Lion. Safari 5.1 is available for download for both Snow Leopard and Windows. (more…)
∞ iTunes, iWork updated for Lion
Apple has released updates to its iTunes and iWork software to make them compatible with Wednesday’s release of OS X Lion. The updates are available through the Software Update system preference. (more…)
∞ Here's what to do If you have Lion GM installed and want to download it from the Mac App Store
I little tip that was sent to me on Twitter this morning. For those os us that had Lion GM installed, you found that you couldn’t download the retail version of the operating system from the Mac App Store. Mine said a newer version was already installed.
All you need to do is hold down the Option key on your Mac and click the install button on the Mac App Store and it will download for you.
∞ Counterfeit Apple stores popping up in China
We’re accustomed to stories about all sorts of counterfeit products popping up in China and elsewhere on the western side of the Pacific Rim – countries that don’t have nearly the same sort of intellectual property regulation that we take for granted in the United States. But this takes the cake. The blog BirdAbroad has a truly bizarre story about how the southern Chinese city of Kunming actually has entirely counterfeit Apple Stores:
“You have already guessed the punchline, of course: this was a total Apple store ripoff. A beautiful ripoff – a brilliant one – the best ripoff store we had ever seen (and we see them every day). But some things were just not right: the stairs were poorly made. The walls hadn’t been painted properly.“Apple never writes ‘Apple Store’ on it’s signs – it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit.”
You have to see the pictures to believe them. I’m sure that the vast majority of the customers in these stores have no idea whatsoever that this isn’t real. BirdAbroad suggests that even the employees of this store they went to genuinely believe they’re Apple employees.
Apple currently lists four stores in China. None of them are in Kunming.
(via IfoAppleStore)
∞ Apple execs discuss Lion, MacBook Air, Mac mini, Thunderbolt display
It’s been a busy day for Apple. The company released its next generation operating system, OS X Lion, and new a MacBook Air, Mac mini and Thunderbolt display. I had some time to sit down with Apple executives to talk about the releases. (more…)
∞ AAPL target price raised to price of original Apple I
“Brian White, Ticonderoga Securities: Reiterates a Buy rating and raises his price target from $612 to — Gasp! — $666! White raised his fiscal ’11 estimate to $109.1 billion in revenue and $27.58 from a prior $106.1 billion and $25.52 per share. He raised his fiscal ’12 estimate to $132.1 billion and $31.23 from a prior $130.9 billion and $29.41. ‘Looking into the second-half of 2011, we believe Apple enjoys the hottest tech portfolio for the back to school season and holidays. As such, we expect this rally to have legs and the 100 plus point uptick in the stock price that we have been highlighting is on track.'”
Other analysts raised their targets for Apple, too, though White’s seems the most sanguine. Any way you slice it, it seems that after yesterday’s earnings report, a lot of Wall Street agrees that Apple’s stock price is far from peaking.
Outside of the obvious Satanic implication, $666 has another important meaning for students of Apple history – it’s what the very first Apple computer, the Apple I, retailed for (more precisely, $666.66). (Woz and Jobs weren’t devil worshippers, btw – Woz just had a thing for repeating numbers, according to Apple folklore.)
∞ My four word Mac OS X Lion review
People have been reviewing Lion since the first developer preview was released a few months ago. Every Web site known to man is posting a detailed Lion review this morning, with pictures, that say many of the same things that are already known. So here is my concise Lion review. (more…)
∞ Apple offers Thunderbolt Display
Apple on Wednesday introduced the Thunderbolt Display, a 27-inch monitor with built-in Thunderbolt high-speed I/O interface, integrated FaceTime camera, audio, FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0 interfaces. It’s designed specifically with Apple’s laptops in mind, and it’ll cost $999 when it hits stores sometime in the next 60 days. (more…)
∞ Mac mini gets Thunderbolt, Lion
Apple on Wednesday refreshed its Mac mini desktop computer with new processors, Thunderbolt high-speed I/O technology and Mac OS X Lion. The new systems will be available beginning Thursday, starting at $599. (more…)
∞ MacBook Air gains Thunderbolt, backlit keyboard, Lion
Apple on Wednesday introduced new MacBook Air models with high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology, a backlit keyboard and Mac OS X Lion pre-installed. It’s available in 11 and 13-inch models starting at $999. (more…)
July 19, 2011
∞ PlayBook product manager leaves for Samsung
Wow. Another RIM employee has left for Samsung. Just a month after Brian Wallace, the VP of Digital Marketing and Media for RIM, left for Samsung, another well-known RIM employee is packing up and leaving Waterloo for Dallas, Texas. Note, this addition comes less than two weeks after Samsung chief product and technology officer Omar Khan left for a job with Citigroup, so it seems things be changing like crazy here.
The exodus is in full swing now.
∞ New Beatles photos discovered
I saw a link to the Beatles photos tonight on John Nack’s Twitter stream and just had to post a link to them. Apparently they are from the lost collection of Mike Mitchell.
∞ Apple confirms Mac OS X Lion will be released Wednesday
During its third quarter earnings conference call with analysts and press on Tuesday, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer confirmed that Mac OS X Lion would be released to the Mac App Store tomorrow. Lion will only be available as a digital download, making it the first major OS release from the company that will not be available on physical disks.
Lion will cost $29.99.
∞ Apple reports $28.57 billion in revenue, $7.31 billion profit
Apple on Tuesday reported a $28.57 billion in revenue and a third quarter profit of $7.31 billion. (more…)
∞ Steve Jobs calls CEO succession talks 'hogwash'
WSJ:
The conversations weren’t explicitly aimed at recruiting a new chief executive and were more of an informal exploration of the company’s options, said these people. The directors don’t appear to have been acting on behalf of the full board, some of these people said. Apple has seven directors, including Mr. Jobs.It is also unclear whether Mr. Jobs was aware. In response to questions from The Wall Street Journal about the discussions, Mr. Jobs said Monday in an email, “I think it’s hogwash.”
Some Apple directors taking chances with their lives.
∞ BBEdit 10 hits the Mac Store
Bare Bones Software on Tuesday released a major update to BBEdit, the company’s HTML and text editor. (more…)
∞ Gameloft Auckland accused of sweatshop conditions
“Some weeks I was work ing 100 to 120 hours a week”, says Glenn Watson, former Head Studio Programmer at Gameloft’s New Zealand arm. “Starting at 9:30 AM, going home at 2:30 AM, and then com ing back into the office at 8:30 AM to start work again was not unusual”.
It’s worth pointing out that Glenn Watson is fingering Gameloft Auckland as mistreating employees, specifically, and not the entire organization – though he implies the poor working conditions are a result of directives coming down from the top. Gameloft, a major iOS game publisher, has thousands of employees worldwide (they’re based in France).
(via IndustryGamers)
∞ Google+ comes to iPhone
If you’ve hopped on the latest social networking bandwagon and gotten a Google+ account, you may be interested in the new Google+ app for iPhone. It’s available for free download from the App Store. (more…)
∞ Rupert Murdoch attacked during hearing
I was sitting all morning watching James and Rupert Murdoch give testimony and all of a sudden there was a ruckus and the video went out. (more…)
∞ Id Software co-founder pooh-poohs 'snooty' indie devs
“… So I am pretty down on people who take the sort of creative auteurs’ perspective. It’s like ‘Oh, we’re not being creative.’ But we’re creating value for people – that’s our job! It’s not to do something that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s to do something that people love so much they’re willing to give us money for.”“So I do get pretty down on people that – you see some of the indie developers that really take a snooty attitude about this. It’s almost as if it’s popular, it’s not good. And that’s just not true.”
Much like indie musicians, indie developers are happy to cop a hipster attitude about how cool and unique and misunderstood their products or their colleagues’ products are right up until the checks start rolling in. Then they’re only too happy to cash out. It’s easy to be smug when you’re poor, because that’s all you’ve got. But John Carmack is right – first and third person shooters will continue to evolve and be refined, because people love to play them and developers still need to innovate the genre.
∞ Apple retail stores boast over 1 billion visitors
Patrick Avenell writing for the Current:
“Apple Retail has been in business for 10 years. During this period, we have had over 1 billion visitors through our doors, many of whom are new to the Mac, as the Apple Store is the best place to learn about all the latest products from Apple,” said the spokesperson.
Keep in mind that all this happened during a time when other large retailers are closing their doors. Really remarkable.
∞ Google's Schmidt says Apple is suing because it lacks innovation
9to5Mac quoting Google’s Eric Schmidt:
The big news in the past year has been the explosion of Google Android handsets and this means our competitors are responding. Because they are not responding with innovation, they’re responding with lawsuits. We have not done anything wrong and these lawsuits are just inspired by our success.
You could say a lot of things about Apple, but saying the company that brought us the iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes Store, successful retail and so much more, lacks innovation is just stupid.
July 18, 2011
∞ Rupert Murdoch may be replaced as CEO, Web site hacked
News Corp. executives who watched Murdoch, 80, rehearse for his appearance before Parliament were concerned about how he handled questions, according to three people, who weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Murdoch is scheduled to discuss the company’s role in the phone hacking of murder victims, members of the royal family and others by the News of the World, which was closed last week.
Another one bites the dust.
As if the day wasn’t bad enough for Murdoch, the New York Times has this:
The hacking group Lulz Security claimed responsibility for planting a fake article about the death of Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of the News Corporation, on one of the company’s Web sites Monday.
All traffic was later redirected to the Lulz Twitter page. These guys are good.