MacHappens

Called it June ’08, iTunes Mac App Store [u]

MacHappens — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 01:33:29 +0000

This is the question posed by MacHappens June 29th 2008

How long until Apple introduces the official Mac [u] App Store [/u].

[update: Answer - Two Years and Four Months. The Mac App Store is expected to launch late January 2010]

Users can Try and Buy Apps using iTunes’ App Store, the most successful App storefront ever (iPhone App Store).

The latest edition of Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) provides developers with a full development and publishing environment. Xcode 4.0 makes publishing Apps and App Updates as easy as one click.

I have linked to Wil Shipleys venture Golden-Braeburn.com recently, and while I see a very successful niche for him, I’m sure a large section of the development community will drink the Cupertino KoolAid.

Apple has a way of pushing in house integration (ala iLife, .mac, etc.). Usually the features are neat, simple and leave the user longing for more. It’s just their style.

MacHappens

Apple Tablet Right Under our Noses

MacHappens — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:10:44 +0000

Apple has a history of subtly introducing design elements in both software and hardware that eventually end up defining cutting edge industrial design.

AlSiO2 (not plastic) MacTouch please.

Lights Off iPhone App

MacHappens — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:20:33 +0000

Lights Off by Steven Troughton-Smith with art by Adam Betts, has been released.

www.lightsoffapp.com

iTunes link

mini Interview with Writer Tina Gasperson

MacHappens — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:30:59 +0000

MacHappens . Tina Gasperson

1. How do you tackle a deadline?

I think it’s more like the deadline tackles me. On rare occasion I will work on something well before it is due, but most of the time if it weren’t for some kind of deadline I would probably just keep procrastinating forever. One of my main writing gigs for a long time has been Linux.com / Newsforge.com. They’ve never given me a deadline, so I made my own up just to keep myself straight. Besides, you don’t get paid if you never turn in a story – so I guess you could say an empty refrigerator is a universal deadline.

2. Give us a brief breakdown of your workflow on a given project.

For a while I was writing a lot of case studies for Linux.com, and really got into a nice groove with that. At the beginning of the week I send out queries to find companies using open source or producing it, or both. As the responses come in, I schedule telephone appointments to talk to the CEO or the director of IT or both, usually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Once I get my notes from the interviews, it’s just a matter of setting aside a day to write. I can write two stories in a morning or afternoon, and that’s usually all I have the energy for. After that, I have to go outside and do something else.

3. Your favorite OS and why?

It depends on what I’m doing, really. If I’m getting online to do research and to write, there’s no doubt that Linux is my favorite. It is faster, more reliable and more secure than anything else out there. And it keeps getting better and better. I like to use Ubuntu lately. It tells me when there are updates ready, and it makes it really idiot-proof to update and to find and install new applications. Plus, it is free. However, if I’m going to be working with video or editing photos, I still prefer Windows. I know that Linux has made great strides in working with digital photos and cameras, but I still find that it is easier with Windows. I don’t want to spend any time at all configuring my operating system when what I really want to do is color correct some photos and print them, or pull some of the best clips out of that birthday video I took and add a soundtrack. I’ve never used MacIntosh but I would really love to one day when I come into some money.

4. What applications do you use primarily to create your work?

If I’m in Linux I use whatever text editor is on hand. In Windows I use Notepad or Word. I haven’t been a big fan of OpenOffice.org (am I allowed to say that?), but I haven’t tried it recently so it may be much less clunky now. (I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to say that.) And that’s about it.

5. What hardware do you use primarily to create your work?

People may disparage the emachines brand, but I’ll tell you that this computer has been the longest lasting I’ve ever had (the hard drive will probably fail tonight because I am foolhardy enough to say how great it is). I’ve been using this refurbished desktop system that I bought from TigerDirect for several years now. I’ve partitioned and re-partitioned the drive, formatted it, reinstalled various iterations of Windows and Linux, and it is still going. I’ve been through three monitors with this computer and probably just as many printers.

6. Your thoughts on resolution independence?

I had to go look this up, I confess. What I gathered is that with resolution independence I might increase the resolution on my display without the corresponding decrease in font and image sizes. It sounds great to me, although sometimes I like having more text displayed on the screen. If I had the option to adjust font and image size according to my preferences that would be ideal.

7. How do you contribute/share with your community?

I guess my community is the community of IT writers and journalists with whom I interact on a daily basis through the Internet Press Guild. We share ideas, jokes, and insults and support each other through our various layoffs, and lend a shoulder to cry on when our editors get particularly testy. Not everyone on the list is a free software advocate, so those of us who do use and write about Linux get to boast and say “I told you so” when the others have virus problems and things like that.

8. Who would you like to work/collaborate with?

I really enjoy working with my colleagues at Linux.com. I’ve been working with a number of them since 1999, when we wrote columns and news pieces for Andover.net, and then Newsforge.com. Robin Miller gave me my first break at IT writing, and I’ve been working with him ever since. You get to the place where it feels like family.

9. When did you justify to yourself that you could make a living off what you do?

That happened around the same time I first met Robin and he asked me to get on board at Andover as a contract writer. I was astounded that I could ply my trade as a writer and actually make enough money to work from home, be with my kids, and pay the bills.

10. Your favorite creation?

That depends on the day. With all the hundreds and hundreds of tech related stories I’ve written over the years, it’s not the story that glean satisfaction from. As a writer, it’s still that particular sentence, or that beguiling lead paragraph, or that special quote at the end of the story, or that clever alliteration in the headline. These are the things that satisfy and propel me onward. The paradox is that I cannot hold on to my creations – I birth them and then surrender them to the editor. It is a transitory pleasure.

Thanks for your consideration, and your work.

Thanks for asking me.

Tina’s Jewelry Shop

MacHappens

mini Interview with Designer Coder Steven Troughton-Smith

MacHappens — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:15:37 +0000

MacHappens . Steven Troughton-Smith

1. How do you tackle a deadline?

In short – badly! Due to the pressures of university and the fact that I work alone most of the time, my time management is all over the place. I only have my leisure time in which to work, and must therefore struggle to motivate myself into getting the job done; if a project is getting awkward, I end up leaving it for a while to find something more cheery to do.

2. Give us a brief breakdown of your workflow on a given project.

Usually I start off with a ‘cool-looking’ idea in my head, and at once I jump into Xcode and don’t stop until I have something that resembles it running before me. I’m great for starting projects, but the usual ‘Programmer’s ADD’ clicks in and unless I get somewhere interesting fast I start to lose interest. Because of my limited time, I have to ensure my projects are small, and thus it allows me to think of fully fleshed-out ideas in my head and create them as fast as I can.

3. Your favorite OS and why?

iPhone OS – this is a brand-new platform with the UI layer and APIs built from scratch without twenty years of legacy code; to program for it’s a dream, and because the entire interface is designed on top of Core Animation it makes some awesome things possible. There are many parts of the iPhone APIs that I wish we had back on the desktop.

4. What applications do you use primarily to create your work?

That would be Xcode/Interface Builder and Photoshop CS4. I’m a designer at heart, and coding just comes as a means to an end. I usually draw out everything in Photoshop before writing a line of code.

5. What hardware do you use primarily to create your work?

Currently the Late 2008 MacBook Pro, before that was the Air and a previous generation MacBook Pro. I don’t use peripherals much; though I do have a Wacom tablet for more arty work, I have yet to use it in a software project.

6. Your thoughts on resolution independence?

This is something Apple have been pushing since the early seeds of Tiger and is an important step for the future. Eventually we will be designing UIs in centimetres or inches so that they always look the same size on screen (Microsoft’s Avalon / WPF already takes this step), but display technology is moving pretty slowly and I posit that it will be several years (on the desktop) before it is needed. For mobile devices, that’s another matter, as I see smaller and smaller devices with higher resolution screens.

7. How do you contribute/share with your community?

I have many open source projects, and keep active in the IRC channels for movements I’m interested in, i.e. Android, iPhone Linux, etc. I have small contributions all over the place from NES.app for iPhone to the iPhone Linux project to full-scale software testing for certain companies. Other than that, I help out and impart knowledge wherever I can =)

8. Who would you like to work/collaborate with?

Tricky question – I *would* have said the Tapulous team before it split apart: Mike Lee, Louie Mantia, Tristan O’Tierney, among others. I feel I already collaborate with some of my heroes, but I’m fully open to anyone who needs me!

9. When did you justify to yourself that you could make a living off what you do?

When the App Store was announced =) While I cannot say I make a living, being merely a part-timer, the income generated from the App Store is incredible. It is a veritable gold rush, where even the tiniest of 99c apps can bring in hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a month.

10. Your favorite creation?

Stack for iPhone – the 2.0 version. I broke a lot of new ground in this plugin, and learned a lot about the internals of SpringBoard, the iPhone shell. My biggest ‘ooh’ moment was when I figured out how to make drag & drop work from SpringBoard to Stack, and that is what made the project worth it for me.

Steven Troughton-Smith . Mac OS X & iPhone Developer

Steven on iTunes

MacHappens

mini Interview with Visionary Patrick Dinnen

MacHappens — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:07:31 +0000

MacHappens . Patrick Dinnen

1. How do you tackle a deadline?

Usually by procrastinating until achieving the project within the remaining time is nearly impossible. Then frightening myself with the near-impossibility of the deadline and killing myself getting it all done just in time.

2. Give us a brief breakdown of your workflow on a given project

My workflow varies a lot. Typically some scribbling on paper and then diving into computer code of one sort or another. Sometimes the code is replaced with electronic parts or cardboard, but a lot of the process looks the same anyway.

3. Your favorite OS and why?

I’m on Tiger OSX after many years as a Windows XP user. I have my whole setup just as a I like it for my way of working and OSX just seemed to make that a lot easier.

4. What applications do you use primarily to create your work?.

I’d say Textmate, for writing code, and Firefox, for Google, are my main tools. Plus I use Processing (processing.org) and Arduino (arduino.cc) for my more arty projects.

5. What hardware do you use primarily to create your work?

I work on a 1st gen Macbook. At the office I use an external keyboard/mouse and a 24″ Dell LCD screen. That setup works really well for me. Though I do cast longing glances toward the new Macbooks with their much more powerful graphics systems (plus their added shininess).

6. Your thoughts on resolution independence?

I just had to look it up on Wikipedia to see what it was. I guess that suggests I don’t have any very valuable opinions on the matter.

7. How do you contribute/share with your community?

Recently I’ve been trying to be more active on forums that I have found useful for helping my work. In theory I am very pro-open source too, but I don’t really feel like I’m a good enough coder to release any of my stuff. I am always happy to answer questions on how my projects work though.

8. Who would you like to work/collaborate with?

Lately I’ve been getting into the tech/art scene. Though I’d say that I’m more of a technologist with some artistic clue. So I’d really like to collaborate with more ‘real’ artists.

9. When did you justify to yourself that you could make a living off what you do?

When it turned out I could consistently pay my share of the mortgage.

10. Your favorite creation?

I like the work I’ve been involved with through the Media Lab Toronto group. I love playing at the crossover between the physical and digital. TXTRis is one of my favourites and TXTRis Mark II is in progress so I’m looking forward to showing that to people.

Patrick Dinnen . Hogtown Consulting

MacHappens

mini Interview with Engineer Mike Lee

MacHappens — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:05:28 +0000

MacHappens . Mike Lee

1. How do you tackle a deadline?

I work. Deadlines are just the motivation I need to sit down and buckle in until the work is done.

Leading a team is a different matter. Those projects are larger, and I’ve learned the hard way buckling in is not my best move.

My strategy as an engineering manager is to ensure my team has what they need to get their work done. That can entail anything from provisioning food and caffeine, to coordinating between teammates.

Then I just step back and make work happen. If you hire good people, the hard part is leaving them alone to do what they do, while keeping everyone on track and tuned into a common vision.

2. Give us a brief breakdown of your workflow on a given project.

Each project starts with an idea, which is then fleshed out depending on the skills of the inventor. Some people draw wireframes, or create mockups in their application of choice. I tend to express my ideas by coding up a quick prototype.

It’s important to have the idea expressed by its creator before bringing other people on board. If you want to sculpt a lemur, all you have to do is see the lemur in a block of marble, and chip away everything else. If a project is going to be successful, everyone on the team has to see the same lemur.

The next step is building the team. This is the hardest part of the entire process, because the overall quality of the team will determine the quality of the application. At the very least, you need an engineer to build the application, and an artist to make it look good.

However, there are a lot more than two roles for these two people to fill. If the project warrants it, it’s worth bringing on experts to assume each of those roles. It also lets you parallelize the workflow to get more done in less time, and depends less on each individual.

The project is then broken down into a list of tasks and distributed to each team member. As each task is accomplished, the application begins to take form. Time projected become time spent, and tasks are adjusted accordingly.

Meanwhile, we’ll start showing off builds of the application to other developers, people at Apple, and sometimes trusted users. Their feedback is reflected in the task list. It’s not unusual for an application to undergo major revisions.

At a certain point, the application is about 80% done and the focus will shift from building to shipping. Alpha testing ramps up and the task list fills with bugs. A deadline is given for feature freeze, after which instead of looking for features to add, we’re looking for features to cut.

At beta deadline, any feature with unresolved bugs is cut. The beta testers are not there to point out bugs we already know about. They’re there to find bugs in software we believe to be bug-free.

As bugs are reported, they’re fixed, and new releases are submitted to testers. When the torrent of bugs becomes a trickle, betas become release candidates, and any bugs that aren’t show-stoppers are punted to point-one. And then, by gods, we ship.

Shipping is a process in and of itself. On App Store there’s a whole approval process, which takes up to a week. The nice thing about this is it gives the teams a chance to sleep before the public finds the inevitable stupid bug that has to be fixed right away in the dreaded point-oh-one.

If the reviews are good, the team pops the champagne and its members start shopping around for bigger, better projects. If the reviews are bad, the team quietly disperses and its members start pondering career change.

3. Your favorite OS and why?

I installed Mac OS X 10.0 on my iMac and never looked back. I have a lot of work to do, and I don’t like having to wrestle with my tools. Mac OS X is the only operating system that gets human interaction. That’s why the Mac has spawned an entire ecosystem of human-friendly apps which I found so refreshing, I quit my job and moved into Wil Shipley‘s basement to be a part of it.

4. What applications do you use primarily to create your work?

When I’m building an application, I use Xcode and its toolbox. I write Objective-C in the Xcode editor, build my interfaces with Interface Builder, debug my projects in Xcode, and optimize my code with Shark.

When I’m writing, I use BBEdit. It’s the application I switched to Mac for, and I still use it to this day. It does one thing amazingly well, and that one thing is words. It’s the closest thing to pouring my brain directly into text.

5. What hardware do you use primarily to create your work?

I do everything on my laptop, currently a 17″ MacBook Pro. I like having the same monitor and the same keyboard no matter where I am. It works out, because I don’t like having a lot of windows on the screen distracting me, and I have a very compact coding style.

6. Your thoughts on resolution independence?

The increasing pixel density of monitors is like the increasing temperature of the earth’s oceans. There’s no sense trying to wish it away. Resolution independence is inevitable. That doesn’t mean it’s not a pain in the ass, but change always is.

7. How do you contribute/share with your community?

Most of what I do is just making myself available. People come to me with their problems, and I help them find solutions. Maybe that means writing some code, or giving feedback. Often it just means pointing someone in the right direction. I meet a lot of people, and I make a lot of introductions.

That also means making myself available for interviews and speaking engagements. I’m a big booster for the indie community. It sounds silly, but if somebody’s going to be spouting off of some subject in the media, it might as well be someone with indie values.

8. Who would you like to work/collaborate with?

I have a long list of engineering celebrities I’d love to work with, but it’s hardly an exclusive set. I love working with people who love their work. Talent is awesome, and experience is great, but if you don’t have the love, you don’t have anything.

9. When did you justify to yourself that you could make a living off what you do?

I don’t know that there was ever an epiphany per se. I just worked hard and made what money I could. It’s never been about getting rich so much as getting by. I tend to pick projects I like over projects that make money, but the bills get paid. In a way, it’s very tenuous, but I don’t think of it that way. I’m just enjoying the ride.

10. Your favorite creation?
I was on the team that built the official Obama iPhone app. I take a lot of pride in what we accomplished with that project. It was covered by mainstream media worldwide, and is frequently pointed to as an example of the campaign’s technical revolution. When Obama won the White House, it was like shipping the ultimate project.

I served as a delegate in the primaries, contributed money to the campaign, and bought a lot of copies of Obama’s books for skeptical friends. On election day, I was in Las Vegas with some friends. We drove to Nevada to help get people out to vote.

The system they developed was ten times better than anything prior, but I could already see how to make it ten times better still. I’m not exactly looking for work, but if the Obama administration wanted someone to write the software of hope, I’d jump at the chance.

Cheers, Mike Lee. Chief Primate, United Lemur

MacHappens

mini Interview with Artist Louie Mantia

MacHappens — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:10:51 +0000

MacHappens . Louie Mantia

1. How do you tackle a deadline?

I tackle deadlines the same as anyone else, it’s all about priority management. I first need to find out exactly
what the client wants (when I can) and then start working on versions and checking up with them to make
sure they’re satisfied along the way. Honestly, I wouldn’t say I had too many deadlines in the past, the work
was generally open.

2. Give us a brief breakdown of your workflow on a given project.

First I’ll receive the request from the client for work, and if taken, they explain what their project is. I’ll ask if
they have any ideas already in their head before I start working. If they request sketches, I’m glad to oblige
and I move on to some comps and show them along the way (if a project is long enough) and then move
onto the final piece. Pretty simple, really.

3. Your favorite OS and why?

OS X of course, pretty silly question. If you mean between the Mac and iPhone OS X, I would say iPhone,
there’s so much interesting stuff going on, and I can’t wait to see more really exciting things happen on
that platform.

4. What applications do you use primarily to create your work?

When I’m working, I’ve got Photoshop and Illustrator open. I mostly use Photoshop right now, slowly
migrating to Illustrator. I use Illustrator now when I actually need to draw things with my Wacom tablet.

5. What hardware do you use primarily to create your work?

At work I have a Mac Pro with a 30″ display and a 20″ display. I also have a Wacom tablet on my desk.

6. Your thoughts on resolution independence?

Well, I’m sure if we get any more dense screens, we’ll be needing it. It seems messy still, and I don’t know
many other developers except Panic that have even gone to the measure of making an application
resolution independent.

7. How do you contribute/share with your community?

I’m always dreaming up icons and putting them on my website, lately I’ve had to opportunity to work on
a lot of free, fun things.

8. Who would you like to work/collaborate with?

I’ve done a few small collaboration works with David Lanham, and it’s great. I think perhaps some
collaborations with others at the ‘Factory would be great as well.

9. When did you justify to yourself that you could make a living off what you do?

Well, in the Summer of 2007 I was in talks with both VMWare and Apple, and it became clear to me that I
could create artwork for the rest of my life. Needless to say, I didn’t go with either company, and in the
Summer of 2008 I went out to the Bay Area to work at Tapulous. I was again in talks with Apple, but it didn’t
seem a good fit for me. Now I work at the Iconfactory in Greensboro, NC, and it’s absolutely wonderful.

10. Your favorite creation?

I enjoy typography a lot. I don’t think I’m fantastic at it, but it’s something I really enjoy. Apart from that, I really
like my Renaissance iPhone icons. They were so much fun to do, I really miss them.

Thanks Louie

MacHappens

Classics iPhone App

MacHappens — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:34:53 +0000

Get it “here“.

MacHappens

IPhoneDevCenter.org

MacHappens — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:11:27 +0000

iPhoneDevCenter.org looks promising.

MacHappens

SameGame

MacHappens — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:14:17 +0000

It’s addictive. It’s available here (iTunes link)

MacHappens

Speed 2.0

MacHappens — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 05:41:03 +0000

Steven Troughton-Smith will be hitting us with a version update to his iPhone app Speed.

Here’s a pre-release mockup “… A mere glimpse of Speed 2.0!”

It looks like a healthy upgrade to Speed version 1, available now at the App Store for $0.99.

Version 2 (when released) will be priced at $1.99, though if you purchase Speed now, you get free upgrades for life.

MacHappens

Puzzllotto Time!

MacHappens — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:26:37 +0000

Best wishes to Mike Lee and his band of revolutionaries at United Lemur, Inc.

http://bit.ly/puzzllotto

MacHappens

Called it in Sept ’07

MacHappens — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:53:03 +0000

This concept drawing is from our 2007 Al SiO2 series.
Also from the series, the Aluminum and Glass MacBook concept.

MacHappens

Christo’s iPhone Dev Page

MacHappens — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:52:34 +0000

Very fluid and constructive iPhone programming screencasts.

http://iphone.christosblog.com/

MacHappens

United Lemur: Puzzllotto

MacHappens — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:35:20 +0000

I am fortunate enough to have had a chance to play with United Lemur‘s first iPhone app offering – Puzzllotto.

Nice interface and amazing soundtrack.

I want more. Can’t wait.

Arahabaina!

MacHappens

P.S. http://twitter.com/unitedlemur

New nano = beautiful

MacHappens — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:17:21 +0000

Purchased a rare 4GB silver nano for 1st iPod-ers Birthday gift.

It’s gorgeous, and quite futuristic next to my old Gen 3 iPod.

Very impressed with the build quality and new features.

The 4GB nano was $30 cheaper than the 8GB model.

MacHappens

Playing with CrossOver Chromium

MacHappens — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:20:29 +0000

I really like Google Chrome. While waiting for the Mac/Linux versions, codeweavers’ CrossOver Chromium is keeping me company.

MacHappens

MacBook LCD Replacement

MacHappens — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:35:19 +0000

After two hours of surgery, I have replaced the broken LCD panel in my MacBook.

The new screen from ScreenCountry.com produces a significantly better image than the stock Samsung panel.

MacHappens

United Lemur

MacHappens — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:39:00 +0000

Looking forward to what dreams may come.

http://unitedlemur.org

MacHappens

Installed Vista and XP on dev MacBook

MacHappens — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:11:00 +0000

It was with a little hesitation that I installed Windows Vista (last week), and Windows XP (Right now… Just off the phone with India actually) on my development MacBook using VMWare Fusion.

I get to try out Chrome, install an anti-virus program again (oh the memories), and try hard not to compare both OS’s to modern Linux and Mac distros.

Is it worth it, just to test apps across multiple OS’s? I just gave the Evil Empire a Flintstones® vitamin.

It’s interesting to see how MicroSoft has evolved their flagship.

MacHappens

Twitterific Update

MacHappens — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:02:37 +0000

Twitterific iPhone/iPod touch 1.1 is a welcome update. Cleared user data similar to Pennies update.

MacHappens

Google Chrome: Modern Linuxish Feel

MacHappens — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:41:46 +0000

I simply love the execution of this browser. It comes across as straight forward, uses as few preferences as necessary, and is Open Source. Even if it is a means for Google to make (literally) a tone more money.

It’s a little choppy right now, though I won’t blame that on the app until I try it on Linux or Mac.

Will it become my default browser?

Updates:

Tuesday, September 2, 2008 – Ugly iWeb slideshow controls

Apple or Google’s fault? Webstandards? Proprietary?

MacHappens

iPhone Portable Charger

MacHappens — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:14:36 +0000

After searching long and hard (google did all the work), and bypassing the DIY route, I found the TC2 portable iPod charger.

It uses two “AA” batteries and works beautifully with my new iPhone.

Finally, a use for the twenty NiMH batteries I have left over from my old digital camera.

MacHappens

Glitchy

MacHappens — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:30:15 +0000

Glitch McGlitch Glitch

MacHappens

Loving eReader

MacHappens — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:50:57 +0000

Once upon a time I coveted piles of books, and literally tones of collectables.

I have to admit that my collecting days are over.

Don’t get me wrong. I love books and most tangible media, but part of my lower impact aspirations include not collecting more “Stuff”.

Gadgets? They don’t count as stuff do they? Hypocritically speaking.

Missing the point.

Cool iPhone App = eReader

MacHappens

MacBook 3G

MacHappens — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:44:59 +0000

At least as an option.

MacHappens

MacHappens iPhone icon

MacHappens — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:07:37 +0000

Here lies a my current iPhone home page.

Posted on my iPhone using the new WordPress app.

MacHappens

Design By A Knife = Austin Sarner ad-venture? (updated)

MacHappens — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:11:47 +0000

Pennies iPhone / iPod touch app.

$4.20 heh.

(update) AppZapper 2 link confirms Austin(+) as “a knife.”

“version two. design by a knife.”

(update2) Pennies is now available on the iTunes App Store

MacHappens

Using a MacBook Pro 85W MagSafe Adapter with your MacBook

MacHappens — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:51:34 +0000

According to Apple, one can use a MacBook Pro 85W MagSafe Power Adapter with an ordinary MacBook. The MacBook Pro adapter is only slightly larger, with lower gauge wire (larger), the capacity of powering either MacBooks, and is exactly the same price as its 65W sibling.

MacHappens

iPhone 3G Sales Canada

MacHappens — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:08:04 +0000

Due to limited availability, Canadian telecom giant Rogers’ iPhone 3G sales totaled only 30,000 during the first week of availability with the majority of sales made on the launch day July 11th, according to a source inside Rogers.

No word on Fido sales figures.

MacHappens

I love this thing

MacHappens — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:54:06 +0000

I love this thing

MacHappens

iTunes Mac App Store

MacHappens — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:51:25 +0000

How long until Apple introduces the official Mac App Store.

Users can Try and Buy Apps using iTunes’ App Store, the most successful App storefront ever (iPhone App Store).

The latest edition of Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) provides developers with a full development and publishing environment. Xcode 4.0 makes publishing Apps and App Updates as easy as one click.

I have linked to Wil Shipleys venture Golden-Braeburn.com recently, and while I see a very successful niche for him, I’m sure a large section of the development community will drink the Cupertino KoolAid.

Apple has a way of pushing in house integration (ala iLife, .mac, etc.). Usually the features are neat, simple and leave the user longing for more. It’s just their style.

MacHappens

Adam Betts + Delicious Monster = good idea

MacHappens — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:57:09 +0000

Adam Betts has posted a nice selection of thoughtful artwork created for Delicious Monsters “Delicious Library 2″.

MacHappens

MarsEdit 2.3.2 (2405) Released

MacHappens — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:32:53 +0000

Good Software

MacHappens

The Mac: The future is now

MacHappens — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:54:49 +0000

The Mac (a folding tablet, and an addition to the Apple Al SiO2ification series) uses Apples modern design and Multi-Touch technologies to bring a vision of the 1987 Knowlege Navigator concept to life.

Aluminum and glass construction
OLED display (video/photo capture capable)

Apple Knowlege Navigator Concept Video

MacHappens

Golden%Braeburn: Mac Software Revolution

MacHappens — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:58:05 +0000

Will Shipley has created a promising app delivery service called Golden % Braeburn, and is offering it up to the world.

Put your wares in front of a larger audience, at a lower cost, with hardcode integrated assets.

Details Here.

MacHappens

Mac OS X Snow Leopard

MacHappens — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:24:30 +0000

Apple gives us a glance into the future of the Mac OS X here.

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Remote Desktop Access on an iPhone

MacHappens — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:31:24 +0000

After reading this tuaw article’s comments, I was informed about logmein, a remote desktop webapp. Works great, it’s free, and it can turn your iPhone into a mobile desktop computer. Slow = yes.

MacHappens

Delicious Library 2: Because everybody’s doing it (updated)

MacHappens — Mon, 26 May 2008 03:22:37 +0000

Wil Shipley (of Delicious Monster) has announced a public beta of Delicious Library 2 via tuaw. As per the tuaw blog comments, the beta has been launched to test the integrated store. Talk about priorities. Check it out.

Here’s a great spoke Wil gave at the C4[1] confrence. The subject is The Creation & Maintenance of Hype.

(update)

My Delicious Library website

alternative content for browsers which do not
support iframe

(/update)

MacHappens

Post Script. Wil Shipley’s blog and/or follow on twitter

MacBook MagSafe Power Adapter Repair

MacHappens — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:38:49 +0000

Woke up to a plugged in, battery drained MacBook.

I had read about defective MagSafe power adapters, though this was my first contact with one.

The end that connects to the computer had started to fray, and became very hot when an intermittent connection was made.

After the long wait until Apple tech support woke up, I was instructed to buy a new power brick.

Two months after my first year of MacBook ownership lapsed, and not feeling like whining or forking over $79.00, I decided to repair my scorched adapter.

Off to Google and found a plethora of forums to choose from.

This was not an isolated issue, though the common solution seemed to be “buy a new one”.

Here’s the step by step pictorial process I used to repair my MacBook MagSafe power adapter…

…that no one else should even think of doing… at all… ever… just buy a new one… don’t electrocute yourself.

I would be happy to add comments to any photos or steps upon request.

Mac Happens

adaptive path | Subject To Change

MacHappens — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:16:14 +0000

“creating great products and services for an uncertain world”

Subject To Change is a book by Peter Merholz, Brandon Schauer, David Verba, and Todd Wilkens of adaptive path (a great experience company).

I discovered the existence of this venture while skimming the ap website looking for a some posts on Charmr: “A Design Concept for Diabetes Management Devices” for a friend of mine.

Just started reading it though I was captivated by the preview chapter.

Nice prices.

Nice endorsement.

Nice 45 day free online edition.

Use this coupon code: ZOZFJGA

MacHappens

Everything Mac, Everything iPhone

MacHappens — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 02:55:45 +0000

An email (including the image below) perks my interest.. as was intended.

WWDC 2008 “A landmark event. In more ways than one… Everything Mac. Everything iPhone. San Francisco, June 9-13, 2008.”

This leads me to think that either a divergence or synergy is about to happen. Apple, a long proponent of single devices for single purposes, seems to be swaying the way of convergence lately.

I for one think a tablet would be cool, though I’m really in the mood for a Mac version of the Eee PC.

Here it is.

9″ Wider Widescreen
Aluminum and Glass
Built in cellular wireless (AT&T I’m sure)
iChat updated to include VoIP service
Touch screen (optional)
Yadda, Yadda

MacHappens

Aluminum and Glass Apple Stream

MacHappens — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:40:03 +0000

This inclusion in the Al SiO₂ series, isn’t even an existing Apple Product. While it does look exactly like a Photoshoped iPod touch…., in distorted reality it is so much more.

After a fruitless search for a mobile, streamlined way to extend the storage capacity of the iPhone and iPod touch (without nand soldering or time travel skills), the *Apple Stream concept is born.

The Apple Stream is a mobile WiFi content server, the same size as the iPod touch.

You connect to it as you would any wireless network, and navigate the content through a built in website. The advantage is that this battery powered network is in your backpack or pocket.

This solution enables all rich internet devices to extend their capacity.

The Stream has varous storage capacities, and can also connect to an external drive for limitless storage.

*If apple ever did offer a device like this, it would retrieve and integrate the content automatically… with your favorite Apple branded device.

I prefer the open content idea, though I’m not a billionaire either.

via MacHappens

Safari and WebKit alternate icons

MacHappens — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:51:05 +0000

Download Safari and WebKit Mac OS X Leopard ready alternate icons.

Safari icon

MacHappens — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 06:29:17 +0000

Download Safari Mac OS X Leopard ready alternate icon.

Firefox icon

MacHappens — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:26:44 +0000

Download Firefox Mac OS X Leopard ready alternate icon.

Aluminum and Glass QuickTime

MacHappens — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:06:23 +0000

The renovated QuickTime.

While QuickTime is not a physical product like a Mac or an iPod, I can not think of any Apple software more deserving of Al SiO₂ification

Download Aluminum and Glass QuickTime Mac OS X Leopard ready alternate icon.

via MacHappens

Open Source Phones

MacHappens — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:39:29 +0000

Google is doing its part in the open source mobile phone revolution with Android™ and the open handset alliance.

Android™ is an mobile handset platform delivered under the Apache version 2.0 open source license.

Google isn’t the first to try for an open mobile handset platform, though it sure has some weight to throw around with the members of the handset alliance.

OpenMoko was introduced as an open mobile phone platform in 2006 by FIC (First International Computer, inc.), owner of Everex. OpenMoko is currently limited to one phone.

Regardless of their intentions, I hope that all open source groups can work together to untether the world of mobile handsets from the stone age.

via MacHappens

Adam Betts Leopard Art

MacHappens — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 02:16:35 +0000

Some more gorgeous artwork from graphics artist and interface designer Adam Betts.

A pair of Apple Mac OS X Leopard inspired desktop backgrounds: “CONQUER THE UNIVERSE”

Two versions make up one large galaxy background image for use with a dual display system.

MacHappens

Apple Insider: Road to Mac OS X Leopard Series

MacHappens — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:05:09 +0000

AppleInsider.com has recently treated us to a great series of articles under the name Road to Mac OS X Leopard

which has been followed up with the Introductory Mac OS X Leopard Reviews

MacHappens

AirPort Extreme BeoLink

MacHappens — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:01:22 +0000

Looks like this house could get a little crowded.

Apples AirPort Extreme vs. Bang & Olufsens BeoLink website graphics.

Imitation really is the sincerest form of imitation.

MacHappens

Samsung SSD Flash Drives

MacHappens — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:35:02 +0000

Many have been eagerly awaiting the emergence of affordable, high capacity Flash drives on the market.

Enter the Samsung SSD (Solid State Drive) series of Flash drives.

Samsung has posted a video revealing some impressive specs and vs. HDD benchmarks.

Low capacity Flash thumb drives have been affordable for some time. They are very useful for usbooting a Linux OS, or transferring files. That said, some of us simply want more room to move, and a speed increase to boot.

While Samsung has been shipping similar flash and hybrid-flash drives for some time now, it finally looks like they’re ready to enter the mainstream with the slick SSD series.

My future solid state MacBook…

Apple has a history of packing innovations like this into their Macs, though usually with a gradual phase-in, and/or a premium price tag.

Update: Check out Ryan Blocks Samsung 64GB SSD transplanted MacBook Pro here.

MacHappens

43 Folders: Multi-Mac Sync

MacHappens — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:23:17 +0000

Before heading off for paternity leave (Congrats!!), 43 Folders founder Merlin Mann posed a Geek Throwdown: How to sync two or more Macs?

“Sync” in the sense that every file, app, and system preference is the same on each mac.

Until someone writes a Time Machine sync app, I (as well as a few commenters) figure the best way is to boot off an external firewire drive that you move between machines. Portable drives are getting faster, smaller, and cheeper. For a little hassle, you can sync without syncing.

I love The Throwdown idea. Many people working to resolve a common problem.

MacHappens

Apple Official Web Apps Directory

MacHappens — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 01:06:04 +0000

Apple has officially launched its own list of web apps.

In fact they have also re-written the definition of web apps.

“Since web apps are websites designed specifically for the 3.5-inch screen…”

MacHappens

The Merlin Show is Good tv

MacHappens — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:19:15 +0000

Merlin Mann and Ben Durbin are making some good tv here.

MacHappens

Support The iPhone Dev Team

MacHappens — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 04:21:30 +0000

The iPhone Dev Team

iPhone Forum

MacHappens

Flash iTunes Cover Flow – Version 2

MacHappens — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:38:26 +0000

The evolution of open source coverflow.

MacHappens

read more | digg story

Aluminum and Glass Apple tv

MacHappens — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:42:30 +0000

The renovated Apple tv.

.

Glass top
Black anodized aluminum
11mm thin
All in one cable
Portable hard drive

via MacHappens

Aluminum and Glass Mac mini

MacHappens — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 02:50:44 +0000

The Mac mini is by far the simplest Mac in the Apple Al SiO₂ification series.

Click images to view larger.

Glass top
1″ thin

via MacHappens

Aluminum and Glass MacBook

MacHappens — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:34:28 +0000

The MacBook/MacBook Pro is the second Apple product
to be Al SiO₂ized.

Click image to view larger.

Black anodized aluminum
Glass display
Flip down hidden connectors
Built-in WiMax

via MacHappens

Aluminum and Glass Cinema Display

MacHappens — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 03:20:48 +0000

How would every Apple product look
after getting the Al SiO₂ treatment.

First up Apples cinema display.

Black anodized aluminum
Glass display
Integrated iSight
Integrated Apple Remote receiver
(bringing front row to every mac)

via MacHappens

iPhone Apps for iPod Touch

MacHappens — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:18:28 +0000

Many people have been left wanting with apples unveil of the apps included with new its iPod Touch.

Specifically those outside the United States who have been pining for the iPhone.

Enter “Hack the iPod Touch” a site dedicated to bringing the omitted iPhone apps to your internationally available iPod Touch (once it’s internationally available that is).

via hacktheipodtouch

AddFone for iPhone

MacHappens — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:34:09 +0000

AddFone.com is a website created by Magno Urbano to help people search for and find apps for their iPhones.

The sites interface is perfectly suited to the iPhones screen.

(yet another site serving us the iPhone sized internet).

via addfone

Keyboard Treasures

MacHappens — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:50:40 +0000

” Aluminium Apple Keyboard: Special features ” Posted by Marc Edwards on islayer.com reveals some of the little known, built in features of Apples new thinner aluminum/aluminium keyboard.

via islayer

Gotta Have Apps?

MacHappens — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:17:34 +0000

Here is a link to the recently updated “Essential Mac OS X Apps” page on Mac Specialist.org.While I know and have used many of the apps mentioned, I have only kept the following.

Carbon Copy Cloner – Easy-to-use backup/cloning utility
Delicious Library – Catalogue your books, cd’s, games, dvd’s
Firefox – Open source web browser
iPodDisk – Utilize your iPod as an iDisk
Little Snitch – Alerts you of outgoing network connections
!!! Quicksilver !!! – Application launcher and much more
Transmit – FTP client
VLC – Play DivX encoded movies (and more).

via macspecialist