512 Pixels

Headlights as pixels. It’s great.

My favorite part:

All of your iTunes… the complete works of Kenny G

Don’t worry baby… we can download that shit for free

Apple Insider:

…speculation pointed to the adoption of the smoother iTunes-style scrollbars and a move towards a darker chrome motif for application windows alongside an inverted menubar with light text on a dark background.

I think this is right on the money. iLife tends to give little glimpses into of the next version of OS X. A darker, more subdued, and more minimal user interface seems to fit not only with the newer versions of Apple’s other software, but with the iPhone OS as well.

CNET took the new hybrid for a spin:

Toyota added driving mode buttons, so you can set the car for Eco or Power driving. The Eco setting maps down the acceleration curve at midthrottle, while Power increases it, resulting in noticeably better hill climb and fast start capability. The effect of these modes are negated when you mash the pedal, which tells the Prius to give it everything it’s got no matter what mode it’s in. Toyota also added an EV button, which tells the car to drive under electric power until either the driver calls for more acceleration than the electric motor can produce, the battery gets too low, or the car goes above 25 mph.

Computerworld:

The iPod Touch doesn’t have a cellular connection, but users can access the Internet via Wi-Fi. It generated 6.7% of mobile traffic for AdMob in February. That’s less than the 11.2% traffic generated from the iPhone, but more than any other mobile phone. Motorola’s Razr came in third place, with 2.9% of AdMob’s traffic.

iPhone OS 3.0 is set to include the ability to tether an iPhone to a computer to share the phone’s 3G connection - basically giving laptop users Internet anywhere via AT&T’s network. There have been successful attempts at tethering iPhones running the 3.0 beta already, but without any information from AT&T about pricing for the additional traffic. Here’s Ars Technica on the subject:>

We asked AT&T how Ars readers might update their iPhone 3G accounts to include tethering. AT&T responded by… not giving us any information. (The carrier said we must contact Apple instead.) After a brief back and forth, it became clear that any discussion regarding modification of iPhone accounts could only be handled by Apple. Our e-mail to Apple, which included AT&T’s redirect, was not answered by publication time.

This type of back and forth has become all too common in the Apple-AT&T relationship. It’s like as children, when mommy said no to ice cream and daddy would say yes and they would end up fighting… awkward for everyone.

In firmware versions before 3.0 Beta, apps like PDANet and others would allow for tethering, but with an official venue in the works, everyone will be able to use it. Granted, I’m sure AT&T will charge for tethering. But I’d bet that AT&T (and/or Apple) didn’t think people would get the beta working so quickly. As with all squabbles, time will tell.

Macworld:

Along with the introduction of the iPhone in January 2007, Apple also announced the iPhone Bluetooth Headset, a small, sleek-looking wireless earpiece that cost $129 and featured automatic paring with the iPhone. It originally shipped with a travel cable and dual dock, both of which allowed it to be simultaneously charged along with your iPhone.

In July last year, Apple stopped bundling the dual dock with the headset and dropped the price to $99, perhaps in an attempt to bolster disappointing sales. It didn’t seem to have helped, though, since the product has now been discontinued.

I don’t find it surprising. The product while beautiful, wasn’t functional (poor reception and battery life were common complaints), and definitely wasn’t popular when compared to the Jawbone and others.

CNN:

At least 120 newspapers in the U.S. have shut down since January 2008, according to Paper Cuts, a Web site tracking the newspaper industry. More than 21,000 jobs at 67 newspapers have vaporized in that time, according to the site.

From Newton Poetry:

There are still Newton-like features missing on the touch screen platforms: a wide-open application base, handwriting recognition, innovative file system, and kick-ass battery life. Newton users never have to worry about Apple rejecting a great app, or of losing service thanks to AT&T’s sub-par network.

But still. Eventually, Newton users will have fewer and fewer excuses not to make an upgrade of some kind. If the very thing Newton die-hards are looking for - a bigger iPod Touch with full PIM capabilities - comes out in the next few months, will a lack of handwriting recognition be enough to hold off on making the purchase? What will be left lacking?

[…]

Granted, no solution works for everyone, which is why some Newton users will never accept a system that (a) doesn’t allow for handwriting recognition and (b) features a crap-tacular battery life. The simplicity and intuitiveness of the Newton OS has lasting power, too. Apple may have had a hard time figuring out what to do with their device, but Newton users have no such hesitations.

Despite the typo in their name, the “Virtual Apple 2” is a very slick project. Here’s the info straight from the horse’s mouth:

Virtual Apple ][ is a site which will take you back to the 1980’s through its collection of more than 1250 game disks online. Play and enjoy old Apple ][ (Apple2) and Apple IIgs games and other disks through your Internet web browser. You will find games like Oregon Trail and Number Munchers which many of you played as kids, as well as games like Tetris, Battle Chess, Leisure Suit Larry, Choplifter, Archon II and Kings Quest.

It just made this rainy weekend way, way better.

CNET:

IE 8 does have more problems than mere JavaScript engine speeds. It scores a 20/100 on the Acid3 test, the lowest of the major browsers, and the installation process still requires a reboot. There’s no default “smart” location bar that many other browsers have, although you can search your history and most visited pages from it.

Sure, there is a lot more that goes into a browser that makes it a great browser, but doing well on the  Acid3 Test is one for me.

Sure, a browser can do just fine on most pages with a mediocre score, but not only is 20/100 pathetic, it shows that Microsoft isn’t interested in making Internet Explorer play by everyone else’s rules - the software giant seems to think that since the are the largest fish in the tank, people will follow their rules. Sad. And unfortunate for the majority of Windows users who never know that a better browser is just a few clicks away.

For comparison, Safari 4 Beta, Opera and Google Chrome all score a perfect 100/100, Firefox 3.07 scores a 71/100 (with the beta 3.6 making a 94/100).

The New York Times:

Palm has reported losses in the last seven quarters. The company, which introduced the pioneering Pilot device more than a decade ago, said on March 3 that sales declined because of dwindling orders for its older models.

Man, I bet those guys are really hoping the Pre takes off when its released later this year.