October 20 should be exciting.
That Text on the Instapaper Icon
I love this attention to detail, and I love the article that text comes from even more.
Gizmodo Posts Photos of Rumored VZW iPhone
Notational Velocity Fork Gets Loads of Goodies
On Edito, a Markdown Editor for iPad
For those of us who spend most of their time in Markdown, this tool allows to simply type a document using the Markdown syntax, and visualize its HTML equivalent immediately in a web-powered window, without leaving the app. In other words, it does the Markdown to HTML conversion in a breeze, and lets you email the resulting files. Use it in conjunction with your text editor on your workstation, or just email directly to your blog…
While this app is sure to do well, I really hate when app designers re-create the real world within their UIs. Why is there a pencil next to the workspace in this app? Why does it all exist on a corkboard background?
How to Setup Gmail Over IMAP to Play Nice Within Mac OS X Mail
Edit: This blog post is very old and probably not very helpful anymore.
So, you want to use Mac OS X Mail with Gmail, which is an excellent, free webmail service from Google? While Snow Leopard makes the default setup is very easy, there are some rough edges of Google’s somewhat-wonky IMAP setup that need to be smoothed off for a better experience.
I’ve written out the steps to reach “Gmail IMAP in Mac OS X Mail” nirvana. While that doesn’t roll of the tongue, it does soothe the soul of the Gmail-using Mac lover.
Download my helpful PDF here, and if you find any bugs in it, please let me know.
Please note this was written using Gmail in Fall 2010 and with a Mac running 10.6 Snow Leopard. Mail in older versions of OS X should behave the same way, however.
Release Notes:
- Version 1.4: Added note about Gmail over Exchange in iOS and folder weirdness.
- Version 1.3: Added note about the “All Mail” label and threads.
- Version 1.2: Added note about creating new labels online.
Microsoft Avoiding Fragmentation and Poor Software Intergration Via Control
The crucial part of Microsoft’s new phone strategy is the quality control it imposes onto its hardware partners. Rather than code an operating system and allow manufacturers to do whatever they want with it–like Google is doing with Android–Microsoft is requiring hardware partners to meet a rigid criteria in order to run Windows Phone 7.
Each device must feature three standard hardware buttons, for example, and before they can ship with Windows Phone 7, they have to pass a series of tests directed by Microsoft.
[…]
With brand new test facilities, Microsoft is taking on the duty of ensuring that touchscreens and sensors are calibrated properly, for example, and each hardware model undergoes software stress tests to catch bugs and system errors. The end result should be getting very close to the same OS on smartphones made by different manufacturers. That in turn could mitigate the issue of fragmentation for third-party developers: They can effectively code the same app for a large party of devices without much tweaking.
It really seems that Microsoft is trying to have its cake and eat it, too. By letting third-parties build phones, they can stay out of the hardware game, while still having the oversight companies that build their own hardware and software do — like Apple.
The other day, I said this about OEM-built Android interfaces:
These UIs are in place by hardware manufacturers so their phones don’t have to stand on the merit of their hardware alone. Without custom skins, every Android phone would have the same software, making the phone market an much more even playing field.
Looks like Microsoft is going to force an even playing field, which isn’t bad news at all. It will make being a consumer much easier and less frustrating.
It goes without saying that universal software will make life easier for third-party app developers, who often have interoperability issues across Android devices.
More importantly, Windows Phone 7 will be able to avoid fragmentation, which is a huge problem right now in the Android universe. It looks like Microsoft is playing this one the smart way, by being heavily involved in what their hardware manufacturers can do with their software. Google could learn a thing or two here. Some customization is good, but Android is feeling more and more out of control.
On Selection
Just soak these in:
- Comparison of Windows Phone 7 handsets[1. I would have linked to Microsoft’s page, but it kept crashing my browser. Seriously.]
- Comparison of Android handsets
- Comparison of iOS handsets
The moral of the story? Less is sometimes more.
The Difference Between a Microsoft Announcement an an Apple Keynote…
This morning, Microsoft officially launched Windows Phone 7. Boy Genius Report live-blogged the entire thing, and as great as their coverage is, I can’t tell you what really happened. I know that HTC launched 5 handsets, LG launched a WP7 QWERTY phone, Samsung unveiled a new phone and AT&T’s U-Verse is bundled with some phones and with the Xbox 360. Additionally, copy and paste is coming “early 2011” and that PC-maker Dell is even in on the action.
It’s a very messy affair, indeed.
Of course, this isn’t too surprising. Microsoft is a messy business, and with their “we build the software, you build the hardware” gig, it’s inevitable that their announcements would get mixed up with hardware manufacturers’ announcements.[1. Of course, Google takes the same approach with Android, but they seem to have much more streamlined keynotes than the boys in Redmond.]
Keynotes reflect the company that is giving them. Apple’s product lines are neat and simple, so their keynotes are neat and simple. Often, the devote an entire event to a single device, especially since they aren’t attending Macworld Expo anymore.[2. Even so, the fact that the Apple TV and the iPhone were announced at Macworld 2007 still seems odd to me.]
The big question is: will Windows Phone 7 do well? That, my friends, is a separate blog post entirely.
On Android UIs
Dustin Karnes, on HTC Sense, Motorola Blur and Samsung’s TouchWiz:
I’m not saying I don’t like these UI overlays. I simply think that the manufacturers should give users the options to shut off these overlays without having to hack their devices or download home screen replacements to do it. I know they’re probably just trying to keep us loyal, but hey – we already bought their device, shouldn’t that be enough? So, manufacturers, if you’re listening, take this to heart, and give us the freedom to choose what our open-source experience should look like.
I think the issue here is bigger than loyalty. These UIs are in place by hardware manufacturers so their phones don’t have to stand on the merit of their hardware alone. Without custom skins, every Android phone would have the same software, making the phone market an much more even playing field.
While each different skin does offer various improvements to the stock Android experience, this is all about selling more phones.
The Rumored 7-inch iPad
Analyst are predicting that Apple will begin work on its 7-inch iPad very soon. They are wrong.
The fact is, Apple already has a 7-inch iPad. They have had one of the smaller devices since they started making the 9.7-inch iPad that we have now.
To be clearer, the two devices were developed at the same time. They have pretty much the same specs, except, of course, the 9.7-inch model has a lower density screen than its smaller counterpart.
If a 7-inch iPad is in the works, it without a doubt has been around for a long time. The iPad on my desk was in the works for years within Apple. Analysts just don’t get it, but Dalrymple seems to. That said, I’m not sold on 7-inch tablets. Time will tell if Jobs and company are.
Jailbreak Drama
Earlier today, a beta version of an iOS 4.1 jailbreak was released, just before the official iPhone Dev Team release was due. While a little unusual to see an exploit by another group so close to an announced release, it seems that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than what’s on the surface.
According to iPhone Dev Team member Joshua Hill, Geohot’s new Limera1n jailbreak uses an ill-advised, unstable exploit to get into iOS. By showcasing an exploit other than the iPhone Dev Team’s exploit, Geohot is giving Apple two bugs to squash, not just one, making future jailbreaks more difficult.
So, in an effort to keep their exploit protected from Apple, the iPhone Dev Team’s “Greenposi0n” jailbreak is more than likely going to being delayed, as the group re-tools their jailbreak around Limera1n, leaving iOS 4.1 users just this beta, buggy, Windows-only jailbreak for now.
Who knew the jailbreaking community was so much like a middle school? Crazy.