As a nerd I would be pissed. I have to wonder though just how many Android users even know what version of Android they are on and if there is even a new version out — let alone what features are in the new version.
The Nokia Lumia 800
Nokia has announced its N9-esque Windows Phone 7 phone. My, it is handsome.
On the Creation of NeXT
My mini-series on NeXT Computer:
Installment 1: On the Creation of NeXT
Installment 2: NeXT: The Hardware
Installment 3: NeXT: The Software
Installment 4: NeXT: The Apple Purchase
Installment 5: Why Did NeXT Fail?
With the Steve Jobs biography being read this week by just about every nerd I know, NeXT is coming up in conversations more and more. Today, I’m starting a mini-series on the company and its products.
Creation
NeXT was formed by Steve Jobs after he was kicked out of Apple in 1985.
While still at Apple, Jobs created the Apple University Consortium to help get the Macintosh into schools across the country. Its mission statement was:
To enhance and increase computing technology on campus, provide low-cost computing to the University community and, in conjunction with Apple, further develop Apple products and share experiences amongst other tertiary education institutions.
NeXT — in many ways — was Jobs’ effort to keep the AUC alive. Joined by former Apple engineers including Bud Tribble, George Crow, Rich Page, Susan Barnes, Susan Kare, and Dan’l Lewin, he formed Next, Inc to build the computers for the high-end educational market.
Apple, of course, wasn’t thrilled that its co-founder had started a competing company with lots of former Apple employees, and sued the fledging company for “nefarious schemes” to take advantage of the cofounders’ insider information. Jobs replied to the lawsuit, saying:
It is hard to think that a $2 billion company with 4,300-plus people couldn’t compete with six people in blue jeans.
The suit was dismissed before it made it to trial.
In 1987, Ross Perot invested $20 million — in exchange for 16% of NeXT’s stock. The next year, he joined the board of directors.
The Logo
In 1986, Jobs hired graphic designer Paul Rand to create a brand identity for Next, Inc. Read all about it over at Imprint.
Hardware & Software
Originally, NeXT was just going to focus on hardware, but in mid–1986, the company decided it had to build its own software as well. Avadis Tevanian led the OS project, basing his work on the Mach kernel. But more on the hardware and software next time…
‘Astronomical’
I think TUAW’s Erica Sadun might be over-stating the “fail rates” of the iPad 2 in this article.
Apple Building Solar Farm Adjacent to North Carolina Data Center
Dianne Straley at The Charlotte Observer:
Apple has quietly begun work on a solar farm that apparently could help power its sprawling data center in southern Catawba County.
Permits issued by Catawba County show that the Cupertino, Calif., company has been approved to reshape the slope of some of the 171 acres of vacant land it owns on Startown Road, opposite the data center, in preparation of building a solar farm.
Good for Apple. I hope others follow its lead.
‘Maybe I Need to Commit Some White-Collar Crime’
Episode five of the best podcast in the world is up and ready for a listen.
Macworld Expo Gets New, Dumb Name
Apple TV Software Snafu Requires Erase and Install
Ouch.
A Correction on the Photo Stream Thing
So, as it turns out, iPhoto does import images from Photo Stream automatically:
Keeping a complete set of your photos on your Mac is as simple as turning on Photo Stream in iPhoto or Aperture. Every new photo you take appears in a Photo Stream album just as it does on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. But since your Mac has more storage than your iOS device, it automatically imports every picture from your Photo Stream into your photo library so you can edit, delete, and share the ones you want.
Thanks to everyone who emailed me about this. I try not to make such glaring errors in my writing — please consider this my apology.
The Clutter
Dave Caolo chimed in on Photo Stream.
Is Reading too Hard?
Don’t worry — ABC is ready to go and ruin the Steve Jobs biography for you!
Photo Stream Pitfalls
Chuck Skoda get his list right, but he left out a few things, in my opinion. All in all, I like Photo Stream — mainly as a way to quickly see photos I’ve already sorted into albums that might not be on my iPhone. That said, I think the system needs some clarification:
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In iPhoto (and I assume Aperture), the Photo Stream is one endless set of photos.
It is impossible to tell what’s been imported to iPhoto’s local library already.I would love for iPhoto to offer to delete images from the stream once they’ve been imported — just like it does when I import straight from my iPhone. -
iPhoto doesn’t make it clear that the Photo Stream is a temporary storage location. iCloud will only keep 30 days worth of photos (or 1,000 images).
After that, they’re gone. Even though they looked like they were in iPhoto. I imagine some people will lose some images before they figure this out. - Thirdly, there’s no way to view these images online. Why is there not a simple photo app at icloud.com?
Update: Go read this. Sorry!