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Recent Articles

  • At SXSW, Apple schools the marketing experts

    Since I have been at SXSW I have only seen three huge lines: this make-shift Apple Store, the Frog Design opening party and a session I failed to get into today. I have seen just as many original iPads in use as I have iPad 2s being used. I have also seen a deluge of…

    Since I have been at SXSW I have only seen three huge lines: this make-shift Apple Store, the Frog Design opening party and a session I failed to get into today.

    I have seen just as many original iPads in use as I have iPad 2s being used. I have also seen a deluge of Macs and very few Windows PCs.

    I have yet to see any Android tablets. I did see one Google phone as the user was smacking the side of the phone to try and get the screen to rotate.

    Apple has zero advertising that I have seen, yet has the overwhelming presence. Amazing.

  • Quick Takes on Five Apps (No. 4)

    I’m back with the latest installment of the Quick Takes series where I look at five apps. NHK World TV Live (iOS Universal) I didn’t even know this app existed until the tragedy in Japan. It’s a fantastic little app that streams live news from NHK in Japan, that is both fast and high quality…

    I’m back with the latest installment of the Quick Takes series where I look at five apps.

    NHK World TV Live (iOS Universal)

    I didn’t even know this app existed until the tragedy in Japan. It’s a fantastic little app that streams live news from NHK in Japan, that is both fast and high quality over 3G. I really dig this app.

    AroundMe (iPhone)

    This is not a new app to me and likely not to any iPhone user. What I want to say though is that this app is never more valuable then when you are in a city that you don’t know. Sometimes you just need to know what is around you.

    Grouped{in} (iPhone)

    This app is easily the most advertised at SXSWi and if you even look at the screenshots in the App Store you will be stricken with the thought: “Oh God”. Indeed, it’s ugly. Also it’s not very good at all — move along.

    PlainText (iOS Universal)

    When this app first came out I wasn’t a huge fan — I thought it was nice enough and quickly became happy with Writer. This trip though I downloaded PlainText again and have really started to like it. I don’t think it will replace Writer just yet, but the auto syncing has proven to be killer. I love the piece of mind that the couple of words I typed before darting into another session is stowed away safely in the cloud — without the archaic pressing of a sync button.

    9 Innings 2011 Pro (iOS Universal)

    It is a ridiculous little baseball game that has terrible graphics and questionable attributes to the players. ((For instance Washburn has never in his life thrown a 98 MPH fast ball — never.)) The game play is dead simple and not revolutionary. It’s really not that good, which is why I am embarrassed to say that I happen to be a bit addicted to it at the moment. I guess none of that matters when you have fun playing the silly little thing.

  • Quote of the Day: Andy Ihnatko

    “Google has done a great service to mobile computing by offering a modern and muscular multitouch OS free to anybody who wants to build and deploy it. But it’s becoming clear that Android is a house with empty rooms, plastered walls, bare subflooring, and pipes and wires sticking out from the places where appliances and…

    “Google has done a great service to mobile computing by offering a modern and muscular multitouch OS free to anybody who wants to build and deploy it. But it’s becoming clear that Android is a house with empty rooms, plastered walls, bare subflooring, and pipes and wires sticking out from the places where appliances and services should go.”

  • The B&B Podcast, Episode #3: Sissies

    Shawn and I talk about waiting in line for our iPad 2s and a few thoughts on our limited time with them. A huge thanks to our two sponsors Due app and Justin Blanton.

    Shawn and I talk about waiting in line for our iPad 2s and a few thoughts on our limited time with them. A huge thanks to our two sponsors Due app and Justin Blanton.

  • Twitter To Developers: Enough With The Twitter Clients

    For the first time I can think of, Twitter has made a greedy move. Without apps like Tweetie and TweetDeck I think it is safe today Twitter would not be where it is today. Now they are turning on these developers to seemingly protect thier revenue stream. Shame.

    For the first time I can think of, Twitter has made a greedy move. Without apps like Tweetie and TweetDeck I think it is safe today Twitter would not be where it is today. Now they are turning on these developers to seemingly protect thier revenue stream. Shame.

  • WordPress Guided Transfers

    Hew with WordPress: We’re launching a new upgrade called Guided Transfer where for a $99 one-time fee we’ll handle every detail and tech thingamajig involved in moving your content, theme, domain, and more to any one of the recommended hosts we’ve vetted. (And of course your new site will be Jetpack-powered.) That’s a bargain if…

    Hew with WordPress:

    We’re launching a new upgrade called Guided Transfer where for a $99 one-time fee we’ll handle every detail and tech thingamajig involved in moving your content, theme, domain, and more to any one of the recommended hosts we’ve vetted. (And of course your new site will be Jetpack-powered.)

    That’s a bargain if you ask me.

  • Helping Japan

    I would like to ask all of you to help Japan recover from this natural disaster they are currently experiencing. I have family there and thus far we have not been able to reach them. Anything you donate helps.

    I would like to ask all of you to help Japan recover from this natural disaster they are currently experiencing. I have family there and thus far we have not been able to reach them. Anything you donate helps.

  • What Your Email Domain Says About You

    Amanda Green: Yahoo! users are most likely to be overweight women ages 18-49 who have a high school diploma and are spiritual, but not religious. The funny thing about this report is that it seems pretty accurate based on my encounters.

    Amanda Green:

    Yahoo! users are most likely to be overweight women ages 18-49 who have a high school diploma and are spiritual, but not religious.

    The funny thing about this report is that it seems pretty accurate based on my encounters.

  • Flare: Fun photo editing for the Mac

    Stephen M. Hackett: It brings the fun of iOS to the Mac, in an app that is much more lightweight than something like Photoshop or even Pixelmator. With the ability to edit filters and save presets for later, it really is pretty powerful. Just from the looks of it, this app isn’t for me —…

    Stephen M. Hackett:

    It brings the fun of iOS to the Mac, in an app that is much more lightweight than something like Photoshop or even Pixelmator. With the ability to edit filters and save presets for later, it really is pretty powerful.

    Just from the looks of it, this app isn’t for me — but I think Stephen hits the nail on the head, in that it is a great little iOS type app for most Mac users.

  • Instapaper 3.0 is here!

    Marco Arment: You can find friends through your linked Facebook or Twitter accounts, your email addresses in Contacts (from the app), or by entering their email addresses yourself (on the website). Since we’re starting from zero, check back often over the coming weeks to find more friends who linked their Facebook or Twitter accounts with…

    Marco Arment:

    You can find friends through your linked Facebook or Twitter accounts, your email addresses in Contacts (from the app), or by entering their email addresses yourself (on the website). Since we’re starting from zero, check back often over the coming weeks to find more friends who linked their Facebook or Twitter accounts with Instapaper.

    This is a great update to one of the best apps and services I have used in the past 3+ years. This update is worth $20, but will cost you nothing — amazing.

  • Quicksilver: Mac OS X at your Fingertips

    I switched over to LaunchBar a long time ago, but it is good to see that Quicksilver has a new home and is being developed once again — adding not just bug fixes but new features as well. [via Cult of Mac]

    I switched over to LaunchBar a long time ago, but it is good to see that Quicksilver has a new home and is being developed once again — adding not just bug fixes but new features as well.

  • Square’s Response

    Jack Dorsey responding to criticism from VeriFone: The waiter you hand your credit card to at a restaurant, for example, could easily steal your card details if he wanted to—no technology required. If you provide your credit card to someone who intends to steal from you, they already have everything they need: the information on…

    Jack Dorsey responding to criticism from VeriFone:

    The waiter you hand your credit card to at a restaurant, for example, could easily steal your card details if he wanted to—no technology required. If you provide your credit card to someone who intends to steal from you, they already have everything they need: the information on the front of your card.

    You should read the entire letter because really it was a silly play on VeriFone’s part.

  • Readability Goes Full HTML5

    For all the whining over Readability’s App Store rejection I think the HTML5 version turned out quite nice.

    For all the whining over Readability’s App Store rejection I think the HTML5 version turned out quite nice.

  • Gruber’s iPad 2 Review

    John Gruber: The fact is, Apple got it right with the iPad 1 in almost every way, and the iPad 2 reflects that. If you didn’t like the original iPad, you’re not going to like the iPad 2. If you liked the original iPad, you’re going to like the iPad 2 even better. I suspect…

    John Gruber:

    The fact is, Apple got it right with the iPad 1 in almost every way, and the iPad 2 reflects that. If you didn’t like the original iPad, you’re not going to like the iPad 2. If you liked the original iPad, you’re going to like the iPad 2 even better.

    I suspect that is going to echo my sentiments when I get one.

  • Walt Mossberg’s iPad 2 Review

    Walter S. Mossberg: It never crashed in my tests, unlike every Android tablet I’ve tested.

    Walter S. Mossberg:

    It never crashed in my tests, unlike every Android tablet I’ve tested.

  • Engadget’s iPad 2 Review

    Joshua Topolsky: For owners of the previous generation, we don’t think Apple’s put a fire under you to upgrade. That seems to be the gist of most reviews.

    Joshua Topolsky:

    For owners of the previous generation, we don’t think Apple’s put a fire under you to upgrade.

    That seems to be the gist of most reviews.

  • MLB.tv on Apple TV

    It’s lame that there isn’t at the very least a free account that lets you look at the highlights of the game like you can on the iOS apps. It is even more lame that a subscription will run you $99/yr. What’s cool is that this is on the Apple TV — also NBA is…

    It’s lame that there isn’t at the very least a free account that lets you look at the highlights of the game like you can on the iOS apps. It is even more lame that a subscription will run you $99/yr.

    What’s cool is that this is on the Apple TV — also NBA is there, but that’s less cool.

  • Keyboard Maestro on the Mac App Store

    If you don’t have it already…well now is the time to rectify that. Here’s why.

    If you don’t have it already…well now is the time to rectify that. Here’s why.

  • VeriFone Releases Open Letter to the Industry and Consumers

    Douglas G. Bergeron, Chief Executive of Out-of-touch, on Square being insecure and vulnerable: Don’t take our word for it. See for yourself by downloading the sample skimming application and viewing a video of this type of fraud in action. That’s neat — I can’t wait for Microsoft to start making viruses for OS X to…

    Douglas G. Bergeron, Chief Executive of Out-of-touch, on Square being insecure and vulnerable:

    Don’t take our word for it. See for yourself by downloading the sample skimming application and viewing a video of this type of fraud in action.

    That’s neat — I can’t wait for Microsoft to start making viruses for OS X to show that OS X is just as vulnerable.

    (Also I doubt Apple will approve that app.)

  • “Better Together”

    Shawn Blanc: How long until Apple updates Mobile Me (or builds something new) that lets 3rd-party devs sync their apps over the air and that easily lets users keep their apps in sync just using our Apple IDs That’s a good question. I don’t think it really matters though, the Dropbox and Simplenote sync services…

    Shawn Blanc:

    How long until Apple updates Mobile Me (or builds something new) that lets 3rd-party devs sync their apps over the air and that easily lets users keep their apps in sync just using our Apple IDs

    That’s a good question. I don’t think it really matters though, the Dropbox and Simplenote sync services have been working pretty darn good. I loathe to think I would need to use MobileMe to do it and I am not one of those that think MobileMe will go 100% free.

    Though, admittedly, I still think Apple should buy Dropbox.