August 2011
More TouchPads on the Way Aug 30, 2011
Speaking of things that make you go “huh”, HP is making more TouchPads: Despite announcing an end to manufacturing webOS hardware, we have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand. We don’t know exactly when … (More)
Content Management Systems Rap Aug 30, 2011
Chuck the SEO Rapper: I have a new client with a site that uses Joomla. I seen that and told him that he sholda’ came soonah. (Via Noah Stokes.)
RSS Feed Sponsorship Openings Aug 29, 2011
I’ve been selling sponsorships of the RSS feed for almost a year now as one of the primary revenue streams that has enabled me take the site full time. Moreover, the feedback from advertisers has always been positive, and a … (More)
Who’s Going to Protect Us From Cheap and Mediocre Now? Aug 29, 2011
Fantastic, poetic article on Steve Jobs by Jean-Louis Gassée.
Introducing Tools and Toys Aug 29, 2011
I now publish two websites: shawnblanc.net and Tools & Toys. Tools & Toys is a collection of items for the pickiest of gadget geeks, software aficionados, snowboard junkies, music lovers, writers, coffee nuts, and all around collectors of fine paraphernalia. … (More)
Screenshot of Steve Jobs’s Calendar Aug 29, 2011
How Jobs planned to spend his first day as an ex-CEO. (Via Viticci.)
Saver for iPhone [Sponsor] Aug 29, 2011
My thanks to Alex Solonsky for sponsoring the RSS feed this week to promote his iPhone app, Saver. Saver is, by far, the most attractive and clever expense-tracking app I have seen on the iPhone. It’s been featured by Apple, … (More)
Dan Provost’s Kindle Tablet Concept Aug 26, 2011
I’m embarrassed to admit that I think Dan’s right. And by embarrassed I mean that I’ve been assuming that an “Amazon Tablet” would be just another Android Tablet Device Flavor of the Week that just so happened to be powered … (More)
The B&B Podcast, Episode 24: Weed Whackers Aug 26, 2011
Another action-packed episode: Shawn and Ben start with some Keyboard Maestro tricks as weed whackers run in the background. Then they start talking about the new The Brooks Review design(s) and blog design in general. Shawn gives us a sneak … (More)
One More Thing… Aug 26, 2011
Fantastic article by MG Siegler on the timing of Steve Job’s resignation. This is the best piece I’ve read so far on the news this week; I wish I had written it.
[Sponsor] Macchiato—Beautiful Markdown Editing for OS X Lion Aug 26, 2011
Macchiato is a simple and beautiful Markdown editor. Designed for a clean and pleasant writing experience, Macchiato is a tool made by and for the modern nerd: The coffee-drinking, Markdown-writing, shawnblanc.net and Instapaper-reading Apple lover. TextEdit is neat and Pages … (More)
Macworld’s Profile of Tim Cook Aug 25, 2011
Quoting Tim from Apple’s earnings call in January 2009: And the values of our company are extremely well-entrenched. You know, we believe we’re on the face of the Earth to make great products, and that’s not changing. We’re constantly focusing … (More)
Steve Jobs: A History in Magazine Covers Aug 25, 2011
See? He hasn’t always worn a black turtleneck.
Steve Jobs Resigns as Apple CEO Aug 24, 2011
He’s not quitting nor is he leaving the company. He’ll serve as “Chairman of the board, director and Apple employee.” We all knew this announcement would come sooner or later, and no doubt it will bring with it a lot … (More)
Vintage VW Logo and Brand Specifications Aug 24, 2011
A winning combination: vintage, design, and Volkswagen. (Via Antonio Carusone.)
Ryan Cash Interviewed Me Aug 24, 2011
Ryan Cash asked me some great questions about writing and life.
iPad Typing Tip Aug 24, 2011
I type like Randy does: with the my pointer, middle, and ring fingers while staring at the virtual keyboard. And I would add another iPad typing tip: cut your fingernails. But you know what? Even after using the iPad for … (More)
How to Hide Unused System Preferences Aug 23, 2011
Add this tip to that beloved list of Little Ways to Simplify, Tidy, and De-clutter Your System. And, so long as we’re on the subject, here’s another new-to-me tip: Not only does TextExpander not have to sit in your Dock, … (More)
Last Call for T-Shirt Orders Aug 22, 2011
I am only taking t-shirt orders for one more day. The shirts go to print this Wednesday morning and will begin shipping around the second weekend in September. If you don’t order yourself a handsome t-shirt by Tuesday night then … (More)
Macchiato [Sponsor] Aug 22, 2011
My thanks to Kenneth Ballenegger for sponsoring the RSS feed this week to promote his Mac writing application, Macchiato. Macchiato is a Lion-friendly, Markdown-loving, text editor with a caffeinated name. I do all my writing in Markdown. It is writer … (More)
Latest But Not Greatest Aug 22, 2011
Dan Frommer on the report that the iPhone 4 and 3G S were the two best-selling smartphones in the 2nd quarter of 2011. Or, put another way, a phone that came out in the summer of 2009 sold better than … (More)
A Simple Explanation for Why HP Abandoned Palm and Is Getting Out of the PC Business Aug 22, 2011
John Gruber: Palm wasn’t Apotheker’s acquisition. It was Hurd’s. And the PC business wasn’t why Apotheker took the job. [...] I suppose Apotheker gave the Palm/WebOS guys a chance, and let them get the TouchPad on the market. But apparently … (More)
What a Week Aug 22, 2011
Last week was jam packed with a plethora of announcements, and the Macalope’s weekly summary should not be missed.
If Not HP, Then Who? Aug 22, 2011
Kyle Baxter: Who else can compete with Apple on integrated, functional products? RIM had the potential, but has proven inept; Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, while well done, is plagued with subpar hardware; and the Android OEMs aren’t anywhere close. Let’s … (More)
Terminology for iPad and iPhone Aug 19, 2011
Terminology is a dictionary and thesaurus app on steroids, and I’m thankful to Agile Tortoise for sponsoring the RSS feed this week in order to promote Terminilogy and its Back to School Sale. It’s an app for iPad or iPhone and … (More)
Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? Aug 19, 2011
A generous piece by Marcelo Somers on HP’s announcement yesterday about killing its support for webOS devices: The tech industry is complex to say the least, maybe that’s why it’s so interesting. To be a winner in the industry you … (More)
Scott Adams and the Windows Phone Challenge Aug 19, 2011
Scott Adams: In a recent post I complained about both my old iPhone 3GS and my new Android phone. Brandon Watson, Senior Director of Windows Phone Apps challenged me to test a Windows phone. If I didn’t like it better … (More)
Dropbox 1.1.40 Aug 19, 2011
Of all the apps that automatically update themselves you would think Dropbox would be chief at it. But, alas, I always need to manually install the updates and often don’t even know about them until others tell me.
The B&B Podcast, Episode 23: Surprisingly Incredible Aug 19, 2011
The first half recorded properly with my Yeti Blue mic; the second half recorded on my iPhone because the power went out in my neighborhood. Never a dull moment on The B&B Podcast! Brought to you by the fine folks … (More)
WebOS Runs Better on an iPad Aug 19, 2011
According to The Next Web’s sources, HP hacked an iPad to test how webOS ran. Low and behold, it ran much faster: When webOS was loaded on to Apple’s iPad device and found to run the platform significantly faster than … (More)
HP Eats $100,000,000 Aug 19, 2011
Josh Ong at AppleInsider: HP announced on Thursday that it will take a roughly $100 million charge due to poor sell through of the TouchPad, likely in order to credit Best Buy and other resellers for their unsold inventory. That’s … (More)
AT&T’s New Text Messaging Pricing Aug 18, 2011
Starting Sunday, all new customers to AT&T will have a new pricing structure for their text-messaging plans: unlimited or pay-per-text. Starting August 21, we’re streamlining our text messaging plans for new customers and will offer an unlimited plan for individuals … (More)
Coleman’s Propane-Powered Drip Coffeemaker Aug 17, 2011
There are far cheaper ways to make crappy coffee while camping.
Survey: Application Launchers Aug 17, 2011
If you’ve got 60 seconds I would very much appreciate it if you filled out this survey and tell me about what application launcher you use (or don’t use).
Mused Aug 16, 2011
Sean Sperte’s take on Adobe Muse: If Adobe really wants to help print designers break into the web, they need to focus their efforts on actually teaching print designers how to design for the web — which requires knowing code.
TThor Aug 16, 2011
A free, weekly email newsletter from Tory Briggs that’s aimed at nerds. It’s basically a list of cool stuff that happened during the past week related to design, development, photography, and other nerdery. I’ve been getting it since it debuted … (More)
Google’s Android Press Release Generator Aug 16, 2011
“We welcome Google’s commitment to defending Android and its partners.”
Bypassing the Leap Aug 16, 2011
Speaking of misunderstanding yet trying to emulate the success of others, here is Seth Godin on the matter: It’s not enough to be aware of the domain you’re working in, you need to understand it. Noticing things and being curious … (More)
Misunderstanding Apple’s Success Aug 16, 2011
Kyle Baxter: We can’t make superficial analysis of other people’s success and expect to have their success, too. It won’t happen. You’ll fail every time. You have to understand the deeper reasons for it—market trends they’re taking advantage of, changes … (More)
That Squiggle of the Design Process Aug 16, 2011
Okay, so this is a fantastic visual. I think it explains so well why so many of us love our creative professions. I know for me, regardless of the project (writing, designing, planning) I love taking a big jumbled mess … (More)
The Perils of Licensing to Your Competitors Aug 15, 2011
Horace Dediu on Google’s acquisition of Motorola, and the unintended consequences that will come from what is now a classic channel conflict. In short, when the supplier of a license is also a competitor of others who use that license, … (More)
“Protecting the Ecosystem” Aug 15, 2011
Smart piece from Ben Brooks on the naive and ironic (or hypocritical) differences between Google’s actions and their words. Also, in an aside, Ben hits on another byproduct of the acquisition: modems: Motorola has long made the best modems a … (More)
Andy Ihnatko on Googorola Aug 15, 2011
A generous piece from Andy Ihnatko: The only way to firmly define Google as a top-tier maker of a mobile OS, as opposed to just another company that cranks out toasters, is to take control over Android and enforce the … (More)
How to Be a Faster Writer Aug 15, 2011
Michael Agger on the challenges of writing: “Serious writing is at once a thinking task, a language task, and a memory task,” [Ronald Kellogg] declares. It requires the same kind of mental effort as a high-level chess match or an … (More)
[Sponsor] Terminology for iPad and iPhone Aug 15, 2011
Terminology is a dictionary and thesaurus app for people who care about words. Concise definitions, deep word relations — paired with a great, modern user interface — make Terminology the best way to explore language on iOS. Lookup words in Terminology directly … (More)
Shadoe Huard Reviews a 7-Year-Old 12-Inch PowerBook G4 Aug 13, 2011
Shadoe Huard, who spends around 3 hours commuting each day, needed a cheap, portable Mac for writing during those commutes. He picked up a 12-inch PowerBook for $200, and his review of this 7-year-old piece of Macintosh history is fantastic: … (More)
Billings Pro 1.5 with Marketcircle Cloud Aug 12, 2011
My thanks to Marketcircle for sponsoring the RSS feed this week to promote Billings Pro and their new cloud sync. Billings Pro is a Mac app for anyone and everyone in need of tracking tracking and sending invoices — especially … (More)
The B&B Podcast, Episode 22: Fo’ Drizzle Aug 12, 2011
Ben and I talk about the ups and downs of running a link list on your weblog / web column / wordcast. Also in this episode, I take a crack at reading the sponsorships, who are Paste Interactive and InVision.
Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader: A nice complement, but not an app replacement Aug 12, 2011
Great overview of Amazon’s new Kindle Cloud Reader from Dan Frommer.
Well That’s Unfortunate Aug 12, 2011
Marco Arment received his Coffee Joulies a few days ago (I am still waiting on mine), and it looks like they do very little to actually keep his coffee hotter for longer. Sigh.
Revisiting the 101 Ways to Save Apple Aug 11, 2011
In June 1997, James Daly wrote a feature for Wired titled: “101 Ways to Save Apple“. Jobs became CEO in September 1997 — three months after Daly’s article — and now that Apple is the most valuable company in the … (More)
If Text Editors Were Places in The Lord of the Rings Aug 11, 2011
Then TextMate would be Minas Tirith: A once-great but now decaying city. Only the King has the power to renew it, but he is a long absent, indeed half-legendary figure—though there are persistent rumors that he is alive still in … (More)
The Last Rocket Aug 11, 2011
Shaun Inman’s newest 8-bit game is a lot of fun. I should know, I’ve been playing it all morning. Just $3 in the App Store.
Coming Soon: the 7-inch HP TouchPad Go Aug 11, 2011
And just yesterday HP announced a permanent $100 price drop of the TouchPad.
MacBook Air SSD Benchmarks: 2010 vs 2011 vs Lion Encryption Aug 10, 2011
Benchmarks like these are coming in from all over the place, proving that Lion’s FileVault does not cause a significant bottleneck to your system’s performance. In fact, it’s likely you won’t even notice that it’s on. The truth is, the … (More)
Elliot Jay Stocks’ New Setup Aug 10, 2011
Several years ago, if you one who needed a portable the conventional wisdom was to buy the best possible desktop you could afford and the cheapest laptop you could get by with. Then, as laptops became more powerful, the general … (More)
Omni Group Customer Adoption of Major OS X Releases Aug 9, 2011
It took less than 3 weeks for Omni Group customers to reach 30% adoption of Lion. Snow Leopard took 2 months to reach 30% adoption; Leopard took more than 3 months. This falls in line with the current stats for … (More)
Performa 578 Review Aug 9, 2011
Kevin Lipe’s review of his family’s first Apple computer, a Performa 578, that they bought 20 years ago: These were the days of System 7.5, when extensions were extensions and men were men. (Lipe’s article is the first in a … (More)
Lion Recovery Disk Assistant Aug 9, 2011
A new utility from Apple that lets you put Lion Recovery onto an external drive without hacking: The Lion Recovery Disk Assistant lets you create Lion Recovery on an external drive that has all of the same capabilities as the … (More)
Levenger’s Circa Action Method Notebook Aug 9, 2011
Let the productive, office-supply aficionado take note: The Levenger Circa (which I love) now comes in Action Method notebooks and inserts.
The Case Against Gill Sans Aug 9, 2011
Josh Farmer: Many people adore the Gill Sans family. It has its own significant following amongst professionals in the know, and, due to its ubiquity there, it is called the Helvetica of England. This quintessential “British typeface” can seem straightforward … (More)
The Trivialities and Transcendence of Kickstarter Aug 8, 2011
Nice profile of Kickstarter on The New York Times by Rob Walker. I did not know that when Chen, Adler, and Strickler started Kickstarter they asked their friends to post projects to get things rolling and to set the tone.
Method & Craft Interview with Christian Helms Aug 8, 2011
A great interview with designer, Christian Helms. It’s worth reading for a look at the Frank branding alone.
[Sponsor] Billings Pro 1.5 with Marketcircle Cloud Aug 8, 2011
Billings Pro is a multi-user time tracking and invoicing solution for the Mac and iPhone, that includes a Web app for timekeepers. With Marketcircle Cloud you get the Mac and iPhone experience with the convenience of the Web. Let us … (More)
Timing – Automatic Time Tracking for OS X Aug 5, 2011
My thanks to Timing for Mac for sponsoring the RSS feed this week. Timing is a utility app that runs in your Menu Bar and keeps track of where you’re spending time on your computer. Something I said in my … (More)
Why HP is Smart to Slash the TouchPad’s Price Aug 5, 2011
Speaking of the HP TouchPad, they’re on sale this weekend for $400. Dan Frommer has a good perspective on the price drop: “it’s better to seed the market than to sit still, especially when you have inventory to move.”
TouchPad Updated to webOS 3.0.2 Aug 5, 2011
Joshua Topolsky, reporting on the over-the-air update to the TouchPad that was released earlier this week: The TouchPad post the 3.0.2 update feels much more like the device it was supposed to be. Snappy, tight, sure of itself. When you … (More)
DaisyDisk Aug 5, 2011
With smaller-storage SSDs finding their ways into our lives an app that helps you keep tabs on large files is worth its weight in gold. I remember when DaisyDisk was a hot topic a little while ago, but when I … (More)
The B&B Podcast: In-Ear Monitors Aug 5, 2011
On episode 21 of Ben’s and my technology talk show we talk about the pros and cons of owning a desktop computer instead of or in addition to a laptop. We also talk about patents, app pricing, and more. This … (More)
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Automation Release Notes Aug 4, 2011
Overview of the new features for Automator and Services in Lion. It’s amazing how much you can do using Automator and Services and yet how few people take advantage of it.
FunctionFlip Aug 4, 2011
I mentioned this clever little app in my MacBook Air review yesterday as the way I got the F4 key to default to launching Dashboard again (instead of Launchpad). But it deserves a link of its own. FunctionFlip is a … (More)
1Password’s Safari Extension Update Aug 4, 2011
A big update to a great application. I’ve been using 1Password for quite a while and never has it been more helpful or useful in my day-to-day activities than since the extension was updated.
YouTube5 Safari Extension Aug 1, 2011
Just a reminder for those who want to keep Safari Flash-less after upgrading to a clean Lion install or a new Mac, that the YouTube5 Safari Extension is the perfect companion. It supports Vimeo and Facebook video as well.
The Base Camp X Hardcore Hammer Aug 1, 2011
“Quite possibly the last hammer you’ll ever have to buy.”
Garrett Murray Gets Fresh Aug 1, 2011
Until last week, Garrett Murray hadn’t done a clean install of OS X since Tiger shipped in 2005: That OS X made it so simple and safe to upgrade to each major release, and that Macs made it so simple … (More)
A Great Article About Standing Desks Aug 1, 2011
I’ve read many articles and personal stories about standing desks, but this article by Corbett Barr is one of the better ones. Corbett not only shares his personal experience about moving to a standing desk, but he also lists out … (More)
[Sponsor] Timing – Automatic Time Tracking for OS X Aug 1, 2011
Timing is the best way to keep track of the time you spend with your Mac. It automatically tracks which documents you are editing, applications you use, and the domains of the websites you visit. You’ll never have to worry … (More)
