Well, something is on. Everyone has been running around with their heads unscrewed drooling about the possibility of Apple introducing a tablet later this month. I’ve held off on the drooling so as to not make a total fool of myself until substantial information is available.
However, one of the rumors surrounding the unicorn tablet has been an event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (Apple’s favorite iPod event venue) on either the 26th or 27th on January. Apparently Apple sent out the invites to the media this morning (no, I’m not even close to their radar). An event is planned for January 27th and invites the press to “come see our latest creation.”
The invite features a multitude of paint splotches in various colors. Reminds me of the nanos. If it is the tablet, perhaps it will have some art focus? I could speculate a lot more, and likely end up very wrong. I think the safest bet is that Apple will amaze us all, yet again.
Before I started college, I read a lot of books. I remember one time I was so engrossed in a book that I read all 1,000+ pages in two days. But then, when I began college, my passion for reading books faded as I needed to read more and more dull textbooks.
(Seriously, textbooks are rather dry.)
Sad to say, I haven’t read many books for fun in the past 6 years.
Naturally, I had been intrigued for quite some time about eBook readers. But I’d been leery of dropping so much money on something I had never seen in the real world. I’d read plenty of reviews of folks praising their Kindle, but I wasn’t even sure if it would inspire me to read. So I put it to the back of my mind.
Things were stirred up again when Barnes & Noble announced their Nook eBook reader. I thought the industrial design was superior to the Kindle, and it actually looked like something that may come from beloved Cupertino. But once reviews of the Nook started rolling in, well, things didn’t look as pretty as the pictures. But everyone still loves their Kindle.
For Christmas, my parents gave me a Kindle. (Okay, it’s also for my wife, too.) (But it’s mostly for me.) I have to say, I’ve read nearly every day since then. It’s easy on the eyes, easy to navigate, light yet sturdy, and overall just a great experience.
I have the 6-inch Kindle with international wireless. The text on the e-ink display is crisp and extremely legible. The battery life is amazing. Page turns take no longer than if you were turning a physical piece of paper. I also find it to be a great size for holding while relaxing in a chair or lying on the bed. I actually prefer it to holding a paperback book. Or hardcover, for that matter.
In the “Welcome to Kindle” letter on the device when I turned it on initially, CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos said that one of Kindle’s goals was to get out of the way and let you experience a book. I believe the Kindle does exactly that, and it has, pardon the pun, re-kindled my enjoyment of reading.
If you decide to give Kindle a shot, there’s a handy link in the sidebar to go buy one. Using that link fills my pockets with filthy lucre. So buy a couple, okay?
Not only is a new year upon us, but also a new decade. When looking back at the past decade of technology advancement, it is hard to comprehend what to look forward to in the next ten years.
Think about it, the past 10 years have seen a move from desktop computers, to notebook computers, and now to pocket computers. PDAs and mobile phones have merged not only into smartphones, but with the advent of the iPhone, into what I call Genius-phones.
Speaking of the iPhone, look at what that did to the mobile phone market. Carriers aren’t calling as many shots anymore, buttons are so last-millennium, and everybody and their grandpa has an internet-connected phone.
The Mac has revolutionized computing from being just a tool to a lifestyle. The Mac lineup has become a source of design-inspiration for just about everything.
The noughties saw the arrival of Mac OS X, which has seen 7 major revisions. Apple even shifted from PowerPC processors to Intel. Let’s also not forget that Microsoft fumbled with Vista, but this past year finally gave Windows users a reason to get off of XP with Windows 7, which, in my opinion, is the most Mac-like Windows yet.
We’ve seen Apple return from near-death as a company to being one of the few super-successful corporations in a down economy. Not only is Apple debt-free and int he black, but they have $30 BILLION+ cash on hand.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t toss in something that we probably take for granted now. The iPod. This device changed everything. I remember when I first heard of the iPod in 2001. I didn’t understand it. I thought it would flop. I’m glad I was wrong. I’ve purchased very few CDs since I bought my first iPod in 2003, mostly because that is the year the iTunes Music Store landed. The iPod has helped Apple become the largest music retailer in the world! And now Apple has hit another home run with the App Store and the iPhone and iPod touch.
There is so much more that could be covered in tech for the past decade outside of Apple, but it would likely take me until after midnight to write about all of it.
I look forward to witnessing what happens in the next ten years, because right now, I can’t even begin to imagine.
Happy New Year, everyone! To Twenty-Ten and Beyond!
Merry Christmas to you, my dear readers! May your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day be filled with family, friends, fun, joy, wonderful food, and shiny new Apple toys under the tree.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a Magic Mouse. The iPods were extending their warranties with AppleCare, In hopes that Steve Jobs soon would be there.
I don’t usually post non-tech related things here, but this is my blog, and I can do what I want, right? Besides, circuits and code are inspired by geeks who consume mass amounts of caffeine, right?
Well, tonight, I had a great customer service experience at one of the local Starbucks.
10:10 pm. I have a half hour drive ahead of me and I am worn out. I want some coffee to perk me up for the drive, and I know a Starbucks is just down the block. I’m also pretty sure they close at 10.
As I approach, I notice that the lights are on and people are inside. I pull in. I walk up to the door, and go inside. The guy behind the counter glances up at me and says, “What can get started for you?”
I put in my order for a tall caramel apple spice for my wife, and a venti caramel brulée latte for me. (Yes, venti. Yes, after 10 pm. I know, I’m addicted to caffeine). The guy sets about to making the drinks.
I pull out my wallet, waiting for him to have a chance to ring me up. He glances up from the espresso machine. “Ah, don’t worry about it. The registers locked me out at 10. I just left the doors open so the folks sitting inside can take their time. It’s on the house.”
This is great customer service. Sure, the company lost out on five and a half bucks or so, but this deepened the loyalty of an already loyal customer. The server took care of the customer instead of turning me away, when he surely could have just said, “Sorry, we’re closed.”
Too often, customer service gets thrown down the drain these days. This experience was a refreshing change of pace.
I’ve been using 1Password by Agile Web Solutions for about a year thanks to my friend Samantha gifting a license to me during Agile’s Thanksgiving gifting program last year. Well, for the past 9 months or so, the team at Agile has been giving 1Password the biggest overhaul in the software’s history.
Since late August I’ve been beta-testing 1Password 3, which I am glad to tell you has been released for the masses today. If you are a Mac user, 1Password is a must-have application. It generates secure passwords for your web presence, and stores them all in a secure database that can be unlocked by your, well, one password you’ll never forget.
Too often I see people that use a word that can be found in the dictionary as their password (which means easily hacked) and then they use it everywhere. Even for their financial accounts online. This is a terrible practice that I even used to use.
Well, 1Password 3 has refined the user interface greatly from previous versions. Now everything is separated into different vaults, so you can easily access your logins, accounts, identities, secure notes, software licenses, and wallet. This program tracks everything for your digital life.
What I have found to be the most helpful is the web browser plugin. Whether you use Safari, Firefox, Camino, etc. (Chrome is in the works) you can easily have the plugin fill in user and password fields for you. Or if you need to fill in your credit card and billing address info for a merchant, the plugin will do it all in a couple clicks. The credit card info is very helpful for changing your info for many merchants when you receive a new card every couple years.
1Password 3 offers many enhancements for users of version 2, and is inescapably attractive for new users. This should be the first download for any Mac.
1Password 3 is available for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard. It costs $39.95 for a new license and users of version 2 may upgrade for $19.95 (until Nov. 30, 2009, then the price raises to $29.95).
For a complete list of what’s new, check out this page.
A week and a half ago, Apple refreshed some of its product lineup for the holidays. The changes included new unibody plastic MacBooks, gorgeous 21.5” and 27” iMacs, updated Airport Extreme and Time Capsule base stations, an aluminum Apple Remote, and the multitouch Magic Mouse. The Magic Mouse instantly became the object of my desire, and I placed an order for one as soon as the store was updated with the new merchandise. Today, it arrived.
This is purely a thing of beauty.
This has to be one of the sleekest designs to ever come out of Cupertino. The bottom is aluminum and the top is a curved blade of plastic. The top shell does depress physically for button clicks, but otherwise buttons do not exist.
The top surface is multitouch enabled. It detects when you want to perform a primary click or secondary click (aka right click) by how your fingers naturally interact with other mice. This function can be reversed via software if you mouse with your left hand.
Scrolling is achievable with a soft flick along the surface. The new software for the Magic Mouse even gives scrolling the visual feedback of momentum, much like the iPhone. (Please, Apple, enable momentum when I scroll with the multitouch trackpad built into my MacBook Pro!)
Swiping two fingers left or right allows you to move backward or forward, respectively, between web pages in a browser, or pages within a document, or items in Cover Flow view in Finder or iTunes.
Inevitably, comparisons must be made to the Magic Mouse’s predecessor, the Mighty Mouse. First of all, the Magic Mouse is only available with wireless bluetooth, whereas the Mighty Mouse had wired and wireless varieties (Apple still sells the wired Mighty Mouse, yet it has been rebranded as the Apple Mouse).
The Magic Mouse is much lighter and thinner than the Mighty Mouse. In fact, even though both contain two AA batteries, the Magic Mouse is on par with the light weight of the wired (thus without batteries) Mighty Mouse.
One stupendous benefit is the lack of the dreaded scroll ball. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the function of the scroll ball, but only when it actually functioned. Due to a poor design decision, there was no way to clean the scroll ball, and it would often gum up and stop working. I managed to sort of clean it with a cotton ball and some water, but cleaning it was at least a twice-weekly event. Scrolling with a touch sensor is much nicer.
Speaking of the scroll ball, here is one nagging difference where the Magic Mouse is lacking. On the Mighty Mouse, depressing the scroll ball acted as a third button, which I had set up to activate Exposé. Also, there was a fourth button on the side that you could squeeze, which I had set up to enable Spaces. The Magic Mouse lacks these buttons, or even a way to access any tertiary function. Perhaps Apple will be able to add in more gestures through software updates. One can hope.
Honestly, I rarely used the squeezable fourth button on the Mighty Mouse, but I used the tertiary button under the scroll ball a lot.
Thankfully, if you have a Mac notebook manufactured since late 2007 or any of the aluminum external keyboards, there is an Exposé button on the F3 key.
All in all, I am actually enjoying the lower profile of the Magic Mouse, as my wrist doesn’t have to bend at all for my hand to conform to it. Clicking is easy, and scrolling feels more natural than ever. The two-finger swipe is a bit tricky yet, but I think I just need to develop the muscle memory for it, like I did with the multitouch trackpads.
The only things lacking are the ability for at least a tertiary function, and I kind of wish the pinch/zoom gesture were available.
I highly suggest giving the Magic Mouse a try at an Apple Store. If you currently use a Mighty Mouse, I’d say overall it is an upgrade.
I’ve embedded some “unboxing” photos in the slideshow below.
I recently discovered a neat little trick about QuickLook. It occurred by accident, but I have since been using it quite a bit.
There is one requirement, you must have a trackpad that has all the multitouch capabilities, specifically the pinch/zoom gesture. Also, I have only tested this on Snow Leopard, so I have no idea if this works on Leopard.
Basically, highlight a file, tap the spacebar to enable QuickLook, then use the pinch/zoom gesture by drawing your two fingers away from each other. QuickLook will expand the document out into fullscreen.
To reverse the process, use pinch/zoom in the opposite direction, drawing your fingers together, and you’ll return to the normal QuickLook HUD window.
I have found this extremely useful for viewing images, and especially documents where I just quickly need some information, but the font renders too small in the HUD window to read.
I hope this little hint has helped you out. If any of you are still running Leopard, let us all know if this works for you.
Too bad the Magic Mouse doesn’t do pinch/zoom. By the way, mine is set to arrive Friday, watch out for a review around then.
It’s hard to believe that 8 years ago today the original iPod was introduced to the world. It’s even harder to see how much it has changed over the years. I mean, the primary iPod of Apple’s arsenal doesn’t even use a wheel anymore!
I remember thinking back in 2001 that this would never take off. I’ve since owned a 3rd generation ipod, a 4th generation iPod, an iPod photo, a 2nd generation iPod nano, and a 1st generation iPod touch. Oh, and now I use an iPhone 3G, which has an iPod app.
I’d say my skepticism was greatly misplaced.
Dear iPod, I lift my glass in your honor. Happy birthday.
(Also, happy birthday to my sister-in-law, Michelle!)
(She’s a recent switcher to the Mac, to boot, which makes her doubly awesome!)
Since my second year of college (which was 5 years ago) (crap, I’m getting old), I’ve been using an AirPort Express base station for my home wireless network. Recently, I’d noticed my household was beginning to stretch its limits.
Between several Macs, an iPhone, iPod touch, TiVo, XBox 360, Wii, etc etc and so forth…things were getting crowded for the little AirPort Express, which supports a maximum of ten clients. Also, the AirPort Express just wasn’t transmitting enough to reach the places like the kitchen and bedroom.
A couple days ago I picked up a dual-band AirPort Extreme for our cozy little home. This was quite the upgrade for our network, as we had never realized the 802.11n capabilities of our computers. So now I am running simultaneous 802.11n and 802.11g networks. The iMac and MacBook Pro run on the 5GHz n network and everything else runs on the 2.4GHz g network.
I was curious how well syncing app data from Mac clients to iPhone clients (think 1Password) would work, since the different spectrums appeared as different networks to the Mac. I’m happy to report that the AirPort Extreme allows devices on both networks to interact with each other as if they were on the same network. Everything is absolutely seamless.
It took a grand total of about ten minutes to set up the g and n networks from the unboxing to being up and ready to go.
I even noticed quite the improvement in download speed on the 802.11n network. As illustrated in the image above, I tested my MacBook Pro on both the 802.11g and 802.11n networks using Speedtest.net. The speed difference was just under 7.5 Mb/s! I had never seen results come in above 16.3 Mb/s.
Needless to say, I am very pleased with upgrading to the dual-band AirPort Extreme. It’s a little spendy compared to other dual-band base stations from D-Link and Linksys, but I much prefer to use AirPort Utility to manage my base station than a web browser.
I’d recommend this even to Windows users, but it’s a no-brainer for a Mac house.
Update Oct. 24, 2009: Sure enough, I bought my AirPort Extreme on Saturday, Oct. 17 and Apple goes ahead and updates the darn hardware on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Well, my local-ish (it’s 40-minutes away) Apple Store finally got the new ones in. And thankfully, Apple has a policy where if they update the hardware you just bought within 14 days, you can exchange it.
Since only 3 days had passed, I was golden. I stopped there last night with the now-old-generation Airport Extreme all boxed in its original packaging with the receipt, and the guy helping me did a flat-out exchange. I had been told when I called earlier that I would be charged a 10% restocking fee, but looking at the new receipt, that didn’t happen.
There isn’t much different about this one and the one I picked up last week. In fact, externally, they are identical. Apple says the antenna has been re-engineered. So instead of being a 2x2 antenna it is now a 3x3 antenna. Apple claims this allows 50% better performance and 25% greater range. I ran Speedtest.net again and I had marginal improvement in download speed at 23.02 Mbps, and upload of 0.97 Mbps.
I doubt I’ll realize much difference, but I figured if I am going to have this router for around 5 years or more, I might as well take advantage of getting the latest and greatest since I had the opportunity.
Also, make sure to actually use the disc in the box to install a new version of AirPort Utility. I had v. 5.3.2 from Snow Leopard, but this new base station requires v.5.5, which Apple has not pushed through Software Update yet.
If you’re considering purchasing an AirPort Extreme, flip the box to see the bar code label and look to make sure the part number is MC340LL/A. That’s the freshly re-engineered one.
