June 23rd, 2008
So whilst out jogging today (I’ve just started trying to get back in shape), I was thinking about the lack of a nike+ adapter that’s compatible with the iPhone. That got me thinking how great it would be if they made a bluetooth version, so you didn’t need the adapter for your iPhone, just the sensor for your shoe.
Posted in iPhone | 4 Comments »
June 16th, 2008
A question that never stop being asked is where new Mac users can find OS X equivalents of their favorite Windows apps. Whilst some people would say to just head over to VersionTracker or MacUpdate, I’ve found they’re usually a bit overwhelming: I don’t want to sift through every update, utility or abandoned freeware if all I want is to find a semi-decent FTP client.
So here are 3 sites I’d recommend anyone new to the Mac should check out if you’re looking for the right app for the job:
Posted in JetLinks, The web | Comments »
June 12th, 2008
So the iPhone is now only $199 - huzzah!
But wait - the phone is cheaper, but the data plan is more expensive… and there’s no convenient home activation ”buy and sim unlock” option either.
“Would Sir like technical or legal shackles”?
Getting the 1st Gen. iPhone to work with a cheaper carrier (or just with a less comprehensive service plan) was primarily a technical challenge. This time around Apple is using a different tactic: Since locking down the phone’s software has proven to be nearly impossible, they’ll now require you to sign a contract before you can buy the phone instead.
That makes the carriers who have paid to be able to offer the iPhone happy and Apple can also claim to have reduced the price of the iPhone. But the cheapest AT&T voice & data plans combined now amount to $70 a month - a $10 hike over the plans for the previous generation.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Opinions, iPhone | Comments »
June 10th, 2008
So Apple took the wraps off of the iPhone 3G and the latest 2.0 firmware yesterday. But what I found particularly interesting was Scott Forstall’s brief explanation of how Apple is going to tackle the issue of background applications.
Basically Apple will rely on a data connection to their “Push Notification” servers to send messages to 3rd party applications with information that would normally be displayed by an app running in the background. For example: If you were to receive a new chat message whilst your IM client isn’t running, the IM service servers would notify Apple’s Push Notification servers, which would in turn send a message to the iPhone to add a “1″ icon to your IM apps home screen icon.
Posted in Opinions, iPhone | Comments »
June 7th, 2008
Automator - which was introduced in 2005 as one of Tiger’s major new features - is a great concept, but unfortunately one that I think is let down by one minor flaw: speed (or more to the point: the lack of it).
For those of you who have never used it, the short explanation is that Automator is a tool to automate repetitive tasks. You don’t need any programming knowledge and instead create “Workflows” by visually arranging “actions” (e.g. you could create a workflow to convert, rename and upload a folder of photos).
Sounds like a brilliant idea, right? The basic premise actually works very well: Apple includes a lot of actions for common tasks and some 3rd party developers also include their own actions that allow you to integrate their apps into your workflows
But there’s one caveat: On both of the Macbooks I regularly use, workflows can sometimes take as much as 10 - 15 seconds to launch. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Mac, Opinions | Comments »
June 2nd, 2008
Just a quick note to let you know about some changes I’ve made: As well as a new slimmer layout I’ve also made one or two minor cosmetic changes to make the site look a bit better in Firefox on Windows (apparently even Windows users love reading articles about their iPhones).
Let me know if you experience any weirdness!
Posted in Wordpress | Comments »
June 1st, 2008
So it looks as though this year the long-rumored .mac overhaul might finally be on the cards.
Not only did the 10.5.3 update introduce a placeholder for the word “.mac” in various locations across the system, the domains “me.com” and “mobileme.com” are both apparently being held for Apple.
(Perhaps Apple will also try to nab one of those fancy new Montenegrin “.me” domains - “mobile.me”.)
So here’s my predictions for some of the changes we’ll see to .mac:
Posted in Opinions | 1 Comment »
