I came across a bulldozer this afternoon:
posts
A Perfect Example
There’s an event in May called “140 | The Twitter Conference” that is exactly what I was talking about yesterday:
On May 26th and 27th at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, we’re bringing together the top gurus in the Twitosphere to discuss all things Twitter, from understanding the business value of Twitter to exploring the what makes a great Twitter app.
Just a few of the other topics to be covered include: Utilizing Twitter data for brand monitoring and seeking Alpha * Creating compelling Web services with the Twitter APIs * Best practices: How smart organizations are utilizing Twitter * Attracting and keeping followers.
‘I’m Just Not Cool Enough to be a Mac Person’
Microsoft’s new ad, targeting the “Mac Tax:”
Hey, you get what you pay for, sweetheart.
Also of note: at one point, she picks up a netbook and pokes fun of it, saying, “This is like a phone.” Subtle.
Social Media Isn’t That Hard, Guys
Businesses can make use of Twitter as a public relations channel, but they need to be aware of security when sharing ideas, market-research firm Gartner has said.
[…]
Many businesses are using Twitter as a public relations and marketing channel, Gartner said. Businesses are “tweeting” about corporate accomplishments, distributing links to press releases, and responding to other Twitterers’ comments about their brand.
Gartner said this approach should be used with caution because uninteresting Tweets could hinder the brand image as much as help.
A Tour Through Windows 7’s Past
CNET has posted a nice collection of sketches and screenshots documenting the developement of the Windows 7 user interface:
Much of the early work in coming up with the Windows 7 desktop was done not at a computer, but in freehand drawings. Some was on whiteboards, others on notepads or scraps of paper. “We would sketch on anything available, (Microsoft designer Stephan) Hoefnagels recalled.
The best thoughts that have come to mankind over the years were drawn on scraps of papers and on napkins.
Biometric Security Coming to Apple Products?
Published for the first time this week, a patent filing for the process reveals that Apple wants to provide a more secure method for preventing unauthorized access to a whole device – or private information on that device – than current techniques like passcodes; however, it also wants to avoid taking up the owner’s time with a separate scan or consuming extra space with a distinct reader.
The solution, the company suggests, would be to automatically use a sensor either hidden within the device or else repurposed from its usual role. Devices could recognize a fingerprint* or finger vein pattern simply by waiting for the user to touch the display, which would hide the sensors on or behind the screen. A forward-facing camera could alternately look for retinal patterns or even recognize the facial features of owners when they’re in the right position for use.
Neat Honda Ad
Headlights as pixels. It’s great.
A Friendly Reminder
My favorite part:
All of your iTunes… the complete works of Kenny G
Don’t worry baby… we can download that shit for free
10.6 UI To Be Darker?
…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.
New Prius Gets Its Fancy On
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.
iPod Touch Users Love Their Wifi
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 Tethering? No One Knows Nothing
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.