512 Pixels

Mike Issac for Wired:

As unassuming as it seems, Angry Birds is an irresistible force. Globally, we log more than 200 million minutes of swine-sniping gameplay every day. We’re hooked.

Wired:

The craft successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 9 November (Moscow time), and separated from its Zenit–2 booster rocket some 11 minutes later. But its engines failed to kick in, and it’s now trapped in Earth’s orbit.

The Russian space agency says that it now has three days to correct the probe’s fault remotely, turn on its engines and break out of Earth’s orbit, before the £105-million craft’s batteries run dry.

Whoops.

Thomas Brand:

Developers are concerned Apple’s limited list of entitlements will make their applications incompatible with the future of the Mac. They have a reason to be concerned. It may not happen in Mac OS 10.8 or even 10.9 but someday soon the filesystem will be gone. Sandboxing is only the first step. The operating system on today’s Macs can already be restored from the net. The applications we use everyday can be already downloaded from the web. And very soon the data we use across all of our computers will be backed up in the cloud. Disk Utilities, Anti-virus software, and filesystem browsers will all be ill relevant. Computers will be more reliable, easier to use, and everything will be downloadable from the internet. Application and not the filesystem are the future of computing. You may not agree with this vision of the future, but mark my words it is coming. The sandbox is only the first step.

I’d like to thank Nate over at Design Feaster for interviewing me. Go check it out here.

Rosyna:

Currently, none of our products are enabled to work on Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion”. The core APE component part works, but that’s useless without haxies and it’s disabled because of it. So it’ll be a few weeks or a few months before we get these into beta.

Honestly, I had forgotten these guys were around.

It seems the new in-app EasyPay is as simple as it seems.

What is wrong with HP?

These photos are amazing. This really makes you realize just how crappy all the CGI in the trilogy really is.

via @mhedge

Koombea is a full service design and development shop that specializes in making web and mobile apps. For the past 4 years, we’ve been using agile methodologies to build lean startups. Recently, we’ve taken our same process to public companies to keep them fast and efficient. We’re on the hunt for great new clients looking to build amazing products.

Over the past 18 months we’ve seen our clients raise a combined $50M+ in early stage funding. We’ve seen an even larger figure in acquisitions. Right now, we’re working with some amazing companies in elite tech incubators such as Y Combinator, TechStars and AngelPad, just to name a few.

We’re Data Driven, Transparent and we have serious Experience building companies and shipping products. We’ve been reading Stephen here at 512 Pixels for a while and getting to know his audience. If we don’t know you yet, reach out and let’s talk!

The guys who made this video were rumored to have been canned for it.

Woot?

Vlad Savov at the Verge, on the new Apple Store iPhone App:

It allows you to scan the barcode on “select accessories” into your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S and then pay right inside the app, walking out of the physical Store without having to ever trouble a sales assistant. The Personal Pickup option is rather more self-explanatory, as it allows you to order up an item via the app and pick it up at your designated Apple Store, typically within an hour of placing the order.

Starting several years ago, as they were remodeled, Apple removed the cash registers from the fronts of the stores. The thought was that the stores would look less cluttered, and feel more open and inviting.

Of course, what really happened was confusion. Even though Apple’s hand-held “EasyPay” system had in place for years, customers still expected to see a place to stand in line and hand a hipster some money for a new iPod.

Over time, customers have gotten more use to Apple’s “wild west” approach to checking out at its retail stores. While they still set the standard for looks, quality of service and more, as the company has grown, nothing has felt the strain like Apple’s retail stores. Many are crowded and under-staffed at times, just adding to the confusion.

I hope this new app alleviates some of the stress on Apple’s stores.

I can see how this self-checkout feature — dubbed “EasyPay” within the app — will do just that. It is clear that with this new app, Apple is wanting tech-savvy customers — who don’t need help from a salesperson in skinny jeans — to be able to come in, pay and leave without being bothered.

Hopefully, it also means that the customers that need help can actually get it.

However, it can lead to issues — mainly making it possibly easier to steal from an Apple Store. I bet the inventory control guys are sweating this big time. Loss is frowned upon in all of retail, obviously, but Apple takes it very seriously. Back-of-house guys get judged on how accurate their inventories are, and loss screws with that pretty badly. Granted, Apple is only allowing customer to use the app to purchase “select accessories” at this time.

The “Personal Pickup” option may add stress to Apple Stores, though. Here’s Apple’s description of the new feature:

Buy in the app and choose to pick up your order at any Apple Retail Store. Most in-stock orders are available for pickup within an hour. (U.S. only)

When a purchase is made, the local store is made aware, and has to set aside the product. My understanding is that if something isn’t picked up within 24 hours,¹ a refund is issued, and the product goes back on the shelf.

Update: Several tips have said the timeline is “up to 14 days.”

Even if the transactions are automatic, the moving of product — both physically around in the inventory buckets² — involves humans. It seems like Personal Pickup may add stress to the stores.

Apple has always tested ideas in its retail stores. While sometimes, new initiatives are great, other times, they flop fairly badly. Time will tell where this new iPhone app falls on the spectrum.