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Apple Adds VESA Mount Option to new iMacs⇢
For $40 more than the standard price, Apple will ship you an iMac without a foot, but with a VESA mounting plate on the back.
On Twitter as an RSS Alternative
Earlier today, Google announced that Reader is going away on July 1.
This is a big deal, and just about everyone has something to say about it. Most nerds I follow are upset.
Marco Arment has an interesting take:
It may suck in the interim before great alternatives mature and become widely supported, but in the long run, trust me: this is excellent news.
As Shawn Blanc points out, there are several alternatives already in the works, and hopefully Marco’s vision of what will happen plays out.
Google Reader is Dead⇢
While this isn’t surprising given Google’s lack of interest in the product over the last few years, it is frustrating.
Big Week: 70Decibels Acquired by 5by5⇢
My friend and podcast co-host Myke Hurley:
As the network continues to grow, our ambitions grow with it. Our hosts put out shows that deserve a larger audience, and my dream of a career in podcasting is within reach. To get to the next level, we need help. We need a better infrastructure and even more great people to support the network we have created. That’s why I’m thrilled to announce that 70Decibels is going to be moving to the 5by5 Podcasting Network.
Fake Thrift Savings Plan App in App Store⇢
A nameless government blogger:
A free iPhone app called TSP Funds is currently being offered through the Apple store. It asks Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) participants for their account log in information.
This is not an official TSP app and the TSP does not recommend using this app to access your TSP account.Providing your information could result in a security risk to your account.
So, what’s crazier: that this app was approved by Apple, or that the government has a Tumblr account?
The 512 Podcast 054 - In This Time of Experimentation⇢
This week, staggering like zombies away from the flaming wreckage that is Daylight Savings Time, Myke and I discuss Office for iPad, prototype hardware and streaming music services.
This episode is brought to you by Squarespace, the secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code 70decibels3 at checkout to get 10% off your first order.
Make Your Own Brushed Metal
Got a logo you like, but want to make way better? Add some Brushed Metal to it.
Here’s how to do it in Photoshop, courtesy of Brian Ashe:
- Filter –> Noise –> Add Noise: 100%, uniform, monochromatic
- Filter –> Blur –> Motion Blur: 30px
And, poof: it’s the early 2000s, all over again:
Dropbox for Mac and PC Gets Overhaul⇢
Alex Wilhelm:
Today Dropbox announced upgrades to its desktop client to allow for quick sharing of files with others, and improved updates that will help users keep up with the service. The most significant update involves an easier way to share files with a link – not a new capability – directly from the Dropbox desktop menu, which cuts down on the steps needed to send content to others.
In keeping with that change, the Dropbox menu has been improved to also accept files more simply, with access to shared files – in the new link form – in the menu itself. The notifications will be sent out in real-time, according to the firm.
Read and Trust: March 2013⇢
In this month’s Read and Trust magazine, Matt Alexander, Dave Caolo, David Chartier and Federico Viticci discuss mobile computing devices. It’s a great edition.
On Stamina Mode⇢
Vlad Savov, explaining a feature of the new Sony Xperia Z Android phone:
What Sony does is as simple as it is effective: all background apps and data transfers are disabled when the screen is turned off, thereby eliminating the vampiric power draw of running processes you don’t need while the phone idles. You still receive phone calls and messages as usual, plus you can whitelist apps that you don’t want affected by Stamina mode, meaning that after a bit of tailoring you can run this as your phone’s default setting. Sony claims that enabling Stamina mode can quadruple the Xperia Z’s standby time, and my experience with the phone confirmed this feature is no gimmick. Leaving the phone to mostly idle for one day, I found it barely consumed 15 percent of its charge, and even that power consumption was primarily down to the few occasions when I turned it on and used it. Stamina mode will do little to help power users or avid mobile photographers, but for the vast majority of people — with whom the phone spends most of its time inactive — it can have a definite positive impact.
On QuickTime 4 and the Interface Hall of Shame⇢
This is the best thing I’ve read on interface design in a while.
via the comments on TUAW’s post linking to my post here.