The Brooks Review

Category: Links

  • Improving Alarms in Clock App

    I second this motion, I always have to change my ringer volume before I fall asleep so that I don’t have a heart attack when it goes off the next morning.

  • How to Get Rid of DigiNotar Digital Certificates From OS X

    Best get rid of this certificate for the time being and this is a nice write up on how to do just that.

  • A Markdown Primer

    Following-up on my post [yesterday](https://brooksreview.net/2011/08/terpstra/), TJ Luoma has an old, but great Markdown Primer for those interested in learning an incredibly useful language.

  • Multi-Platform Is a Feature

    David Sparks:
    >Expect to see a lot of familiar apps on unfamiliar platforms soon.

    Sparks is making the argument that apps on more than one platform are going to basically become the standard before a consumer considers an app for use. It has been my standard since the iPhone was gifted the App Store.

  • Why Markdown? A Two-Minute Explanation

    Well done. Read this, then take the 5 minutes to learn Markdown.

  • Byword Daily File

    A pretty clever use of Lion’s versioning system. I like it.

  • U.S. Files Antitrust Complaint to Block AT&T, T-Mobile Merger

    Tom Schoenberg for Bloomberg:
    >In the complaint filed today in federal court in Washington, the U.S. is seeking a declaration that Dallas-based AT&T’s takeover of T-Mobile, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE), would violate U.S. antitrust law. The U.S. also asked for a court order blocking any arrangement implementing the deal.

    Total penalties to AT&T if the merger does not go through? Round-about $7 billion. ((3 in cash alone.))

  • Action, Reaction

    Mike Vardy was kind enough to let me jump on his podcast this week. We talk about productivity and reacting versus being proactive.

  • More TouchPads on the Way

    Mark Budgell:
    >Despite announcing an end to manufacturing webOS hardware, we have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand. We don’t know exactly when these units will be available or how many we’ll get, and we can’t promise we’ll have enough for everyone. We do know that it will be at least a few weeks before you can purchase. See more information in the updated FAQs below.

    I checked the FAQ they posted and they did not ask themselves: “Do you know what you are doing anymore?”

    Clearly the answer has become: nope.

  • OmniFocus and Geektool

    houthakker in the Mac OS X Tips Geeklets section:
    >It can be useful to glance at a key OmniFocus action list on the desktop, without having to fire up OmniFocus and choose a perspective. (A red Due Now list perhaps, or an orange Due Soon, or a context list, or simply the Inbox, as a spur to getting it clear). Here is an applescript which enables you to attach a range of customized list specifiers to one or more Geektool ‘windows’ (shell geeklets) at the same time.

    Basically you can print a bunch of OmniFocus data to your desktop. The value? I don’t know, but is sure looks cool. ((Haven’t tested it yet, intend to this weekend.))

  • Paul Thurrott on Explorer in Windows 8

    Paul Thurrott points out another odd thing about the Windows 8 Ribbon UI in Explorer:

    >The Microsoft post describing the new ribbon UI goes into great detail about telemetry data, which provides the company with information about what users are really using in Explorer and elsewhere in Windows. And according to that data, the top 10 commands represent over 81 percent of all commands used in Explorer. The bottom 18 percent of commands (by usage) include such things as Open, Edit (Menu), View Toggle, Organize, New Folder, Send To, and Edit. And yet, looking at a Microsoft screenshot of the new ribbon, what do I see in the default first tab? A bunch of commands–including Open and Edit, by the way–that are not in the 81 percent most-frequently used commands.

  • Shawn Blanc’s Amazon Tablet Thoughts

    Shawn Blanc speculating on the Amazon Tablet:
    >If Amazon is going to make an inexpensive device that is backed by their brand and ecosystem, then why not make a better Kindle rather than a crappy tablet?

    Shawn poses some very interesting questions and thoughts. That said I think he is wrong about the iPad 3 (or any iPad with a retina display) obviating the need for a dedicated reader like a Kindle.

    Reason being that there are three (main) advantages that the Kindle has over the iPad (from my perspective as a Kindle owner):

    1. Non-backlit screen.
    2. Weight
    3. Weight

    To my eyes the resolution is a wash between the Kindle 2 and the iPad 2 — perhaps the Kindle 3 is better, but I doubt that this is the main concern. The Kindle screen looks like paper because it is reflective — not in the way that the iPad’s screen is reflective — and that makes a huge difference when you are reading and for the overall “feel” of the reader.

    The biggest factor that makes me prefer my Kindle to the iPad? The weight, my arms don’t get tired and I can read laying in bed with the Kindle above my head — no problems.

    *Now* having said all that there is one important distinction to be made: converting potential-iPad users and converting Kindle users. An iPad with a retina display would likely steer owners of neither device more towards the iPad, if they were even considering the iPad to begin with. However, if you are talking about converting a Kindle user to being an iPad user — you will need more than a retina display.

    That said: retina display iPad please.

  • What Does the Amazon Tablet Need to Do?

    Marco Arment responds to [my post](https://brooksreview.net/2011/08/speculation/) about his [Amazon Tablet speculation](http://www.marco.org/2011/08/27/amazon-tablet-guess). What’s interesting to me is how he views the usage of iPads versus how I view that same usage. I would love to see more concrete data on this matter — so email me if you have some data on it.

    One thing I can’t agree with is a tablet without a web browser — that just shouldn’t be called a tablet to begin with.

    My guess is that Amazon launches a Kindle on steroids.

    The best part of Arment’s response:

    >This is how the e-ink Kindle gets away with relatively poor interface design: most of the time, you’re seeing almost none of it.

    That is a very good point.

  • Apple’s Vision for the Future of Computing Versus Microsoft’s

    Looks about right.

  • Monoprice PoweRocks Universal External Backup Battery

    *Purchased.*

  • Forkbombr: Extortion & Jackassery

    As if you needed another reason to steer clear of the “9to5” sites.

  • ‘Streamlined’

    Tom Warren on Windows Explorer in Windows 8:

    >Essentially, Microsoft wants to optimise explorer for file management tasks whilst creating a streamlined command experience and keeping the user interface and heritage of previous versions of Windows.

    From the screenshots it would appear they are taking the “more is more” approach to UI design.

  • “Appears to be Clueless”

    Groklaw:

    >I don’t usually like to predict outcomes on motions, but I will go out on a limb here and predict that Apple is granted the right to intervene if for no other reason than Lodsys appears to be clueless with respect to the law.

  • IGG Software Sales for Relief

    IGG Software:
    >In response to the flooding in Vermont due to tropical storm Irene, IGG Software is donating the proceeds from all of today’s sales to relief efforts in the state. We will also contribute a matching donation to the cause. Our hearts go out to the people of Vermont during this difficult time.

    I highly recommend iBank — it is my current financial app of choice — no better time to buy it.

  • “Market’s Expectations”

    Yenting Chen and Joseph Tsai responding to iPhone 5 rumors:
    >[…] however, the sources believe that the leaked specifications are rather the market’s expectations for iPhone 5.

    Shocking.