512 Pixels

Apple Support:

Learn which fonts are used in iOS 5.

via @macfusiongirl

Dave Winer, on the Steve Jobs biography:

Also, while Isaacson is a good writer and a good reporter, he doesn’t really understand how this stuff works. And you might think that’s what it takes to explain it to someone who doesn’t understand it, but I don’t think so. So much of the Jobs story is how he related to people who actually made the products. If one doesn’t understand the substance of those relationships, it’s impossible to tell the story, imho. It would be like writing a romance without having ever experienced love.

I’m only a couple of chapters into the book, but so far, this hasn’t bothered me.

Ben Brooks:

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.

Nokia has announced its N9-esque Windows Phone 7 phone. My, it is handsome.

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…

I think TUAW’s Erica Sadun might be over-stating the “fail rates” of the iPad 2 in this article.

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.

via Mac Rumors

Episode five of the best podcast in the world is up and ready for a listen.

It’s now Macworld|iWorld. Seriously.

The tag line? “The Ultimate iFan Event.”

So long, cool Macworld full of guys with ponytails talking about how wicked their Mac SEs were in the day. I had suspected you’ve been dead for some time, but this really seems like the last straw.

Releated.

Ouch.

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.