512 Pixels

You can’t make this stuff up.

MG Siegler, on Google:

While the company is still largely beloved by the public, sentiment seems to have turned against them amongst their peers, and even amongst many of the startups around Silicon Valley. While these tensions have been building for months — and even years, in some cases — we’re seeing this on display more clearly than ever now thanks to the patent issue(s).

But why? Why is Google now a villain to many in the industry? I don’t believe it’s because they’re evil, I believe it simply relates to the Plainview quote. Increasingly, Google is trying to do everything. And they have the arrogance to think that they can. And it’s pissing people off.

“Microsoft and Apple have always been at each other’s throats, so when they get into bed together you have to start wondering what’s going on,” Google Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond, wrote this week when accusing those two companies of trying to destroy Android. And he’s right. After decade of being bitter rivals, Apple and Microsoft now seem to have aligned interests. But you don’t have to wonder what’s going on, it’s very apparent: they both hate Google.

The relationship between these three companies will shape the course of the industry for years to come.

Federico Viticci, in his review of the new 13-inch MacBook Air:

The truth is, if you follow tech rumors you’re never going to buy anything. Sure, you might get a new gadget or computer every once in a while, but then you keep it for years and even after you realize you need something better because your work or computing life in general could actually deeply benefit from it, your judgement gets obfuscated by the rumors and by the next great thing that’s perennially coming. For many people, potentially referring to themselves as “geeks”, nothing is new anymore. It’s just a headline, an unboxing, and some benchmarks to compare to last year’s headline. Rinse and repeat.

This is a great collection of wallpapers by my buddy Chris Herbert.

Alex Heath at Cult of Mac:

Earlier today, we told you that Apple was looking to discontinue the Magic Mouse in favor for the Magic Trackpad. This report was based off an inside source confirming that Apple was phasing out the Magic Mouse’s part number from its inventory.

Our source in Apple inventory has followed up with us, and it appears that Apple has instead discontinued the Magic Mouse’s old part number in favor for a new one. This move may indicate an update to the Magic Mouse, with the most logical prediction being better integration with advanced gestures in OS X Lion.

Got to love this in-depth reporting on things that matter. Oh, wait…

Sending your kids to a “summer camp” put on by the second-wealthiest corporation in the world is just so damn creepy. I mean, it is inside a retail store.

Saying “Apple doesn’t care about the enterprise” isn’t quite as true as it used to be, it seems.

The Javascript image might be my favorite.

Shawn Blanc:

Everyone I know who has owned a 12-inch PowerBook G4 looks back with fondness about that being the best Mac they have ever owned. It was a perfect blend of power and portability, and it invoked an affinity from its owners that few Macs in history have.

A few years from now, I believe we’ll look back and say the 12-inch PowerBook was the best laptop we ever owned until our MacBook Airs. The MacBook Air is the new 12-inch PowerBook — the new blend of power and portability that also invokes a fondness that few Macs in the lineup can.

Ryan Kim:

ReadItLater just raised $2.5 million to bulk up its content shifting operation while online document site Scribd, a start-up with $26 million in funding, just launched a new reading app that has similar features. Meanwhile Apple is preparing to go live with iOS 5 that also allows users to read web content later.

If you’re Marco Arment founder of Instapaper, known for popularizing the time-shifting reading genre that is now suddenly quite popular, what do you do? Nothing, really.

He told me that even with the new competition and funding news by ReadItLater, he feels no more compelled to take on venture capital.

The whole venture capitalist thing really is getting old to me. I’m glad to see the developer of one my all-time favorite apps taking the high road.

Casey Johnston:

A new Android trojan has cropped up that records phone calls and related information, according to a blog post by an employee of security company Total Defense. The trojan is triggered when the Android device places or receives a phone call. It saves the audio file and related information to the phone’s microSD card, and includes a configuration file with information on a remote server and settings used by the trojan.

The best part of this is that the app tells the user it has the ability to “intercept outgoing calls,” and people still seem to be installing it.

I really hate that Apple approves every app before it is available to the general public.

Chris Foresman at Ars:

According to reports from Engadget and Phone Arena, both Radio Shack and Target planned to offer between $30 and $50 off of the price of an iPhone 4 with a two-year contract. We verified Monday morning that Radio Shack has a current promotion running through Saturday, offering the iPhone 4 for $169.99 and $269.99 for the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively. Radio Shack is also offering up to $100 credit for the trade-in of a previous iPhone model, dropping the price to as low as $69 with contract.

It is always darkest right before the dawn.