September 2011
[Sponsor] Geekbench Sep 30, 2011
Wondering if your computer’s performance is up to par? Download Geekbench and find out! Geekbench runs processor and memory tests designed to quickly and accurately measure your computer’s performance. Geekbench works on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux, meaning you … (More)
Why Michael Laccheo Bought a Plain Kindle Sep 29, 2011
Yesterday I wrote that the only two Kindles which matter are the Kindle Touch and the Kindle Fire. Michael Laccheo argues that there is a place for the “plain” Kindle, and he put his money where his mouth is by … (More)
That’s a Good Question Sep 29, 2011
Lukas Mathis: So how would you design a piece of hardware that is only used for reading? One where people do a very specific thing — turn a book’s page — hundreds of times a day? Would you remove the … (More)
It’s Still an iPad Market Sep 28, 2011
Marco Arment articulates much better than I did on why the Kindle Fire likely won’t affect iPad sales: What we’ll see with the iPad depends on why people buy iPads. My theory is that there’s an iPad market, not a … (More)
The Duo Dock Sep 27, 2011
Speaking of the Thunderbolt Display, Stephen Hackett just posted this great piece reminding us about Apple’s first laptop docks from the 1990s.
‘Apple’s New Laptop Dock’ Sep 27, 2011
Thomas Brand on Apple’s Thunderbolt Display: If I sat down with Apple’s Thunderbolt Display earlier I would have never bought a 13 inch MacBook Pro instead of a MacBook Air. I compromised and got the Pro because it was the … (More)
Quantity Leads to Quality Sep 27, 2011
Seth Godin on how to cure writer’s block: Just write poorly. Continue to write poorly, in public, until you can write better.
Next Tuesday, October 4 Is the Big Event: “Let’s talk iPhone.” Sep 27, 2011
My bet is that the next iPhone will be much more substantial than an “iPhone 4 S”-type of release.
“Can’t We Get Buggy, Crashy, and Incomplete Now?” Sep 26, 2011
Dr. Drang, writing about the announcement of the soon-coming TextMate 2 public alpha.
GQ Profiles Jesse Thorn Sep 26, 2011
Great profile in GQ with the guy who taught the Internet how to dress like a grownup.
Geekbench [Sponsor] Sep 26, 2011
When the new MacBook Airs came out earlier this year, deciding which model to get actually came with a bit of drama. I knew I wanted the 13-inch Air with the 256 GB solid state drive. But which processor? Ordering … (More)
Infographic: The Rise of E-Readers Sep 26, 2011
According to a Harris Interactive Poll, people with e-readers buy more books and read more books than people without. Surely these poll results are primarily due to the ease of buying and downloading ebooks onto a device. I wonder how … (More)
What Should Apple Do With the iPod? Sep 26, 2011
Great piece by Dan Frommer on what the future of the iPod may look like. Like Dan says, there’s no way Apple is going to kill the iPod off (just because the iPod line isn’t seeing the same revenue growth … (More)
Natural Scrolling Sep 26, 2011
Michael Agger, writing at Slate about natural scrolling: Apple had decreed that “natural scrolling” was the new standard, overturning 25 years of convention. This was more discomfiting than rearranging furniture. This was pulling out the chair as you were taking … (More)
Thomas Brand’s NetNewsWire Lite Review Sep 26, 2011
On my Air I go back and forth between NetNewsWire 3 and Reeder. NNW Lite is a great app and I’d probably be spending a lot more time with it if it offered G-Reader syncing. I read feeds on my … (More)
What’s Next for TextMate 2.0 Sep 26, 2011
Michael Sheets: There will be a public alpha release this year, before Christmas, for registered users. Is there a more popular text editor for OS X than TextMate? Exactly half of all the Sweet Mac Setup interviewees use TextMate.
Viticci, We Love You Sep 23, 2011
Episode 28 of The B&B Podcast: Shawn and Ben talk about the adventures of roasting coffee beans in a popcorn popper which leads to the possible invention of a new product (just in time for the holidays!). Then they get … (More)
[Sponsor] Caren Sep 23, 2011
Caren is a free site for people who take care of others. The site offers an easy to use shared calendar and messaging system. You start by inviting everyone who shares in the care of your loved one. Together you … (More)
Current Status Sep 22, 2011
This evening I’ll be taking my first crack at roasting my own coffee. I’ve got a some Guatemalan Chajulense fair trade organic, my Craigslist-find West Bend Poppery, and this Sweet Maria’s tutorial. I’ll report how it goes tomorrow morning on … (More)
Unitasking Sep 22, 2011
Trent Walton: I have a big monitor that sits on a big desk, which is littered with stacks of paper the same way my iMac is littered with stacks of apps. I see corners of windows everywhere, peeking out and … (More)
The Average Font Sep 22, 2011
Moritz Resl shows us what a font would look like if it consisted of a mashup of all the typefaces installed on his system (over 900, including the ugly ones). (Via Kottke.)
A Back Button Labeled “Back” Is Never a Good Option Sep 21, 2011
Neven Mrgan on labeling the Back button in iOS apps: The Back button should never show the text “Back”. [...] This is redundant and it provides no context. Note that Apple never does this, not in any app. Instead, they … (More)
Good to Know: ifttt is Pronounced “Ift” (Like “Gift”, But With No G) Sep 21, 2011
If you’re still discovering ifttt, Jon Mitchell has a nice writeup at Read Write Web about how to use it to pretty much automate the backing up of your entire online life. I don’t think I would ever take the … (More)
Revenue From In-App Purchases Sep 21, 2011
Darrell Etherinton reporting on this slide deck from Distimo: Free apps with in-app purchases made up 48 percent of total App Store revenue according to Distimo, while paid apps with in-app purchases accounted for 24 percent and the remaining 28 … (More)
Apple Event on October 4 Sep 21, 2011
When Jim Dalrymple confirms it, you can count on it. (Personal note: October 4 is the day Anna and I find out if we’re having a boy or a girl, so I’ll be out of the office most of the … (More)
Recipe for Any Android Phone Review Ever Sep 20, 2011
Templates like this can be quite helpful for tech writers working late hours trying to keep up with the latest Android phones.
Chart of the Day: The World’s Largest Photo Libraries Sep 20, 2011
Facebook is winning by a couple of miles (1000memories even estimates that Facebook hosts 4% of all the pictures taken ever in the history of humanity). Flickr is in second place, and in third place is Instagram.
The Sad State of Desktop Notifications Sep 19, 2011
Thomas Houston hits on that pain point so many of us feel: notifications. It’s not just the various forms and priorities that notifications take shape on the desktop, it’s also the lack of any sort of unification. Some notifications are … (More)
Caren [Sponsor] Sep 19, 2011
My thanks to Caren for sponsoring the RSS feed this week. Caren is a free website that helps you plan, organize, and delegate the tasks and appointments that go along with caring for a loved one. Not to get too … (More)
Fusion and Carbon Ads Bundle Sep 19, 2011
You know the drill: ten great apps, one low price. But what’s special this year is who the bundle is for. In past years the Fusion Bundle has been geared towards designers and developers, but this year it’s for the … (More)
Makers and Managers Sep 16, 2011
I think this is an especially good episode of The B&B Podcast this week. Ben and I talked about email workflows and values, priorities, making value choices, daily scheduling, and more.
BreakTime App Sep 16, 2011
This study from Cornel University suggests that standing at our desks isn’t as healthy as we may think, and that sitting may actually be better after all. Moreover, it tells us what we all already know: it is important to … (More)
[Sponsor] VirtualHostX Sep 16, 2011
VirtualHostX 2.0 is the easiest way to host multiple websites on your Mac. It’s the perfect solution for web designers working on more than one project at a time. (Aren’t we all?) No more nesting folders or asking the programmer … (More)
Welcome to 512 Pixels Sep 15, 2011
Stephen M. Hackett re-booted his weblog — what once was Forkbombr is now 512 Pixels. What a great new name and brand. Stephen is a fantastic writer and his site is one of my favorites. Highly recommended.
Enough: Coffee Talk Sep 15, 2011
And speaking of podcasts, I joined some other fine fellows this week and we recorded a very caffeinated episode of Enough — The Minimal Mac Podcast.
Creatiplicity, Episode 14: The Purge Sep 15, 2011
I don’t link to Creatiplicity every week, but I probably should. This show has turned into a truly great podcast. Most weeks Chris and I get to talk with one of the fine publishers on the Fusion Ads network. This … (More)
Federico Viticci’s Review of Keyboard Maestro Sep 14, 2011
Federico Viticci: The hardest thing to do when configuring Keyboard Maestro is trying to take a look at yourself and how you work with a Mac from the outside, and ask your hypothetical external projection “how can this guy improve … (More)
Pear Note for iPad Sep 13, 2011
Chad Sellers’ new note-taking application for the iPad is like no other. Pear Note can record audio as you’re taking notes and it then maps the time stamps of the audio track to the text that is typed and when. … (More)
The B&B Podcast, Episode 26: The Web Never Sleeps Sep 13, 2011
Ben and I had to reschedule last week’s Friday episode to yesterday. And apparently recording at the beginning of the week gives us more to talk about. Such as pens and hipster PDAs, the old Palm Pilots we’ve owned, Ben’s … (More)
VirtualHostX 3.0 [Sponsor] Sep 12, 2011
My thanks to Tyler Hall for sponsoring the RSS feed this week to promote his Mac app, VirtualHostX 3.0. In short, VirtualHostX is a Mac app for setting up, running, and managing virtual hosts on your Mac. As any professional … (More)
Twenty-Five Pieces of Basic Sartorial Knowledge So You Don’t Look Dumb Sep 12, 2011
Apparently many of my friends dress like nine-year-olds.
Ground Zero: September 11, 2001 – September 11, 2011 Sep 12, 2011
Forty images on The Big Picture weblog chronicling the destruction and cleanup of the towers and the building of the memorial site.
The New Gowalla Sep 12, 2011
MG Siegler reporting on the upcoming Gowalla app that is being announced today at TechCrunch Disrupt and will soon be shipping: The main middle tab is now “Guides”. Here you’ll find curated travel guides for various places around the world. … (More)
Updated TestFlight SDK Sep 12, 2011
A hefty update to the TestFlight SDK today brings in-app upgrading for users, crash reports for developers, and much more. TestFlight is the greatest thing to happen to iOS app beta testing since Apple’s iPhone SDK.
Ten Years of The New Yorker’s September 11 Covers Sep 9, 2011
This year’s September 11 cover of The New Yorker is wonderful. It makes a great tribute to their 2001 September 11 cover that was black on black, as well as nodding to the reflecting pools and the memorial that will … (More)
Lowe’s Is Buying 42,000 iPhones for Its Employees to Use to Help Customers Sep 9, 2011
CIO Mike Brown: “Forget about the competition, we are playing catch-up with the customer psyche.”
[Sponsor] WhereCloud: Beautifully Crafted Mobile Apps Sep 9, 2011
WhereCloud is proud to sponsor the RSS feed this week. We are a talented mobile creative studio! We build custom-made applications that are state-of-the-art, user-oriented and easy to use. Founded in 2006 with a focus on technological innovation and the … (More)
Tablets are Empowering Users Sep 8, 2011
Ben Brooks: For the very first time in computing, the user has been put in control of how best to utilize the display portal they have been given — not the manufacturer.
If This Then That Sep 8, 2011
This new-to-me website — officially known as “ifttt” (how do you pronounce that?) — is brilliant. I signed up yesterday (it looks like it’s currently in public beta), and it only took about a minute to realize ifttt’s potential handiness. … (More)
A Supercomputer in Every Backpack Sep 7, 2011
A great article by Fraser Speirs regarding iPads, public schools, and the need for a better student:computer ratio. Speirs sites the GSMA’s prediction that there will be 50 billion internet-connected devices on the planet by the year 2025. This would … (More)
What Are the Best Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block? Sep 7, 2011
Great answer thread on Quora about writer’s block. I very much agree with K.M. Weiland’s suggestions to ask yourself questions to answer and to show up every day are two big ones. Though I think Devin Friedman probably has the … (More)
Jetpack Joyride [iTunes Link] Sep 7, 2011
My goodness. This game figured out how to cram the maximum amount of adrenaline into the iPhone that it could handle. And then they went and squeezed in a little bit more.
The Half Life of a bitly Link is About 3 Hours Sep 6, 2011
An interesting look by bitly at the lifespan of their links: The mean half life of a link on twitter is 2.8 hours, on facebook it’s 3.2 hours and via ‘direct’ sources (like email or IM clients) it’s 3.4 hours. … (More)
Apple Also Has the Best Prices Sep 6, 2011
Great piece by Dan Frommer: Apple, once a victim of the pricing game, is now able to exploit it, while still recording record profits. It’s true. For $499 you can’t buy a better tablet than the iPad. For $999 you … (More)
D.A. Sanborn’s Fire Insurance Map Typography Sep 6, 2011
These map covers are stunning. When was the last time you wanted to frame something your insurance company sent you? (Via Kottke.)
WhereCloud [Sponsor] Sep 5, 2011
Many thanks to WhereCloud for sponsoring the RSS feed this week. WhereCloud is an iOS app design and development studio. You can hire them to help you build an app, and they would love to work with you. They “breathe, … (More)
Michael Lopp’s Homescreen Interview Sep 5, 2011
On MacSparky: How many times a day do you use your iPhone? Whatever the maximum amount is.. I’m +1 on that. Aren’t we all, Michael? Aren’t we all?
Idsgn’s August Design Roundup Sep 5, 2011
Nice roundup of some notable design sites, articles, and other miscellany from last month. The 7-minute episode on Typography by PBS Arts is definitely worth watching.
The B&B Podcast, Episode 25: WhaatsAaaapp? Sep 2, 2011
A fun show with Ben and I as we unknowingly talked about the Amazon Kindle tablet just a few hours before MG Siegler posted his scoop.
Put This On: Season Two on Kickstarter Sep 2, 2011
Put This On is one of the best things on the Internet. I’m backing season 2 — which promises to be significantly more exciting than season 1 — and you should, too.
[Sponsor] Saver: The Easiest Way to Track Your Expenses Sep 2, 2011
Want to know where your money goes? Meet Saver, the easiest way to track your expenses. Simple and intuitive, it lets you make entries on the go, with just a few taps, and keeps everything organized in your pocket. Designed with … (More)
Wren in Full-Screen Mode Sep 1, 2011
Who says full-screen mode has to mean “use up the whole screen even if you have nothing to put there”?
“The Entire Personal Computing Industry is Aligned With His Vision.” Sep 1, 2011
Great piece by Dr. Drang on the legacy of Steve Jobs: In a sense, you’re using a Steve Jobs product whether it has an Apple logo or not. (Via Viticci.)
Do I Need to Know How to Code? Sep 1, 2011
Frank Chimero: The mental leap in coding HTML and CSS is to learn the particular tags necessary to define the structure, hierarchy, and aesthetics. My belief is that learning them is a short step if a designer already understands typographic … (More)
