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 their chance was a one-strike-and-you’re-out opportunity to gain traction in the market immediately.
Last week was jam packed with a plethora of announcements, and the Macalope’s weekly summary should not be missed.
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 consider what Apple’s done. They have the best hardware, the best software, and their prices are lower than competing, lower-quality products, due to Apple’s supply chain strategy, all while their margins are larger. That’s difficult to compete with, and HP has effectively pulled out their white flag.
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 is the most feature-rich, thought-through, well-built dictionary and thesaurus app I have used. The iPad app I keep on my Home screen.
I have used other dictionary apps and Terminology is one of the best. Primarily thanks to the information it draws and the way that information is displayed. Once you’ve used Terminology for a little while you’ll instantly realize what a great tool it is — especially for writers.
In fact, this is precisely how Terminology bills itself: “The perfect tool for anyone interested in honing their language. From writers working on the next great novel, to marketers craving the perfect tagline.”
You see, in addition to being shown the definition of the word, you’re also given synonyms, antonyms, and similar suggestions for other words. The raw information found in Terminology is not new, but the way that information is presented is done so in an extremely helpful manner which is a big part of what makes this app so fine.
Moreover, Terminology hooks in with certain apps you may already own, such as Articles, Twitter, and Instapaper. You can add one-tap access to additional online resources such as Google, Wikipedia, and Urban Dictionary. Marco Arment even likes Terminology so much that he added support for it right in to Instapaper. If you have the former installed then the latter will use it when you look up the definition of a word.
Terminology is like a friend who is incredibly well versed in the English language — not just knowing definitions and meanings, but also educated in usage and suggestions as well. Using Terminology is like having that friend’s undivided attention as they help you find just the right word or turn of phrase that you’re looking for.
If you’re going to snag a copy, you should do so soon because Terminology is currently on sale, but only until Sunday.
My name is Thomas Brand, and I am technology enthusiast from Boston, Massachusetts. Before starting a career at Children’s Hospital I spent time behind the Genius Bar as a lead Mac Genius. These days I am known for my website Egg Freckles, which I write using an Apple Newton MessagePad. When I am not working or writing you can find me taking digital photographs, or preparing for the Boston Marathon.
What is your current setup?
I own a handful of Newtons, but the one I like the best is my MessagePad 130. I prefer its streamlined form factor over other MessagePads, and its capabilities fall somewhere in between the mint condition OMP I am scared to touch, and the two 2×00 series MessagePads I leave at home.
My MessagePad 130 has a 20MHz ARM processor, 2.5MBs of RAM, a telescoping stylus, and a 320×240 pressure-sensitive monochrome display with electroluminescence backlight. On its own, my MessagePad 130 weighs one pound, but for most writing assignments it is accompanied by a Newton Keyboard that attaches via the 130’s sole serial port.
I carry my MessagePad and keyboard separated in two large jacket pockets, or sandwiched together in the Newton keyboard case. When I am writing I position my MessagePad in a landscape orientation with the keyboard in front, and my wallet underneath to give my Newton the desired viewing angle. My MessagePad can only display ten lines of text at a time so I tend to write in small paragraphs correcting my prose with the stylus as I go.
When I am finished writing I return home and transfer the notes from my MessagePad 130 to a MessagePad 2100 via infrared. I use a 802.11b wireless card to email what I have written from the 2100 to whatever modern Mac I am using at the time.
My MessagePad keeps me portable and on target the way no modern computer can. I can’t browse the internet with my MessagePad, I can’t use Twitter, IM, or iTunes. There are no preferences to get in the way of my writing. With my MessagePad I don’t need to be sitting at a desk to be productive. If a thought compels me I can pull out my MessagePad and jot down the idea for later. I have written whole blog posts while standing on the subway with my MessagePad.
On my Newton I use very little additional software. Most of my articles are written in the included notes application. When I feel I need more structure there is always Newton Works, an extensible word processing application. On my MessagePad 2100 I use SimpleMail to email finished articles, and Screen Shooter to capture screen shots. Just like on my Mac I like to keep the working environment on my Newton as simple as possible. You will not find any any replacement dashboard or backdrop applications on my MessagePad.
Some of the applications I use to publish Egg Freckles on my Mac include:
My Newton not only keeps me on task and portable, it also inspires. Using a MessagePad as my primary writing machine more than ten years after its untimely demise keeps my thoughts about technology in perspective. While staring into its monochrome olive colored LCD I can’t help but take a step back from the technology I am reviewing and decide wether or not today’s story is really such a big deal. Technology platforms come and go, but it is how we use them that makes a difference. My Newton has certainly strengthened my belief in open formats like like plaintext and PNG.
What I wouldn’t give for a modern carbon fiber encased Newton with a capacitive E Ink display, and even longer lasting battery. The iPhone can keep its multimedia capabilities, and all too-colorful app store. What I want is the modern equivalent to the reporter’s notepad. A true getting things done machine built for writers, planners, and creative people that is easy on the eyes and always connected to my greater body of work in the cloud. Then again, who am I kidding. I would settle for any Newton I could comfortably fit into my pants pocket.
Thomas’ setup is just one in a series of sweet Mac Setups.
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 have to overcome twin challenges – fast change and complex system interactions. In a nutshell, you have to be able to adapt quickly while dealing with technology that is very difficult to change.
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 than the iPhone and the Android, he would donate $1,000 to the charity of my choice.
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 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 and software at Paste Interactive.
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 the device for which it was originally developed.
With a focus on web technologies, webOS could be deployed in the iPad’s Mobile Safari browser as a web-app; this produced similar results, with it running many times faster in the browser than it did on the TouchPad.
What else is new? Apple has been building hardware that runs its competitors’ operating systems faster for years.
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 about $400 credit per device.
Earlier this week we learned that Best Buy is sitting on 245,000 unsold TouchPads. Today, HP announced that it will be discontinuing the TouchPad.
And so what in the world is Best Buy going to do with all those unsold TouchPads? If HP doesn’t take them back, here are a few suggestions for Best Buy:
Printer promotion: buy an ink jet printer, get a free TouchPad.
Give TouchPads away as an incentive for anyone who purchases an extended warranty for a new home appliance.
Christmas bonuses to Best Buy employees.
New product idea: Full-Size, Touch-Screen Head Units for Car Stereos with Twitter and Facebook Integration!
Partner with Radiohead and use the TouchPads as the delivery channel for their next digital-only, pay-what-you-want album.
Give away a free TouchPad to all Black Friday shoppers this coming November.
Turn the boxes upside down, move them closer to the Apple section of the store, and hope nobody notices.
New product idea: Digital Photo Frame with Twitter and Facebook Integration!
Attach some TouchPads to the table that has the demo units of the TouchPads and use them as interactive guides for the TouchPad demo units and see if that does anything.
Sell the hardware dirt cheap to Whoever Android Tablet Maker of the Month has an upcoming product release.
Open up the boxes and sell the USB cables for $25/each.
Sell them to gazelle.com for $237/each.
New product idea: 16 GB Jump Drive with Twitter and Facebook Integration!
Goodbye, TouchPad. We barely knew thee.
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 for $20 per month and an unlimited plan for families of up to five lines for $30 per month. The vast majority of our messaging customers prefer unlimited plans and with text messaging growth stronger than ever, that number continues to climb among new customers. Existing customers don’t have to change any messaging plan they have today, even when changing handsets.
The cost will still be $20 for the unlimited plan (and $30 for family) just like it is but that’s the only text messaging plan that will be available. If you don’t go with a plan then you’ll pay $0.20/SMS and $0.30/MMS.
This is a smart move by AT&T. If you send more than 3 text messages a day then it’s cheaper to get the unlimited plan. The vast majority of new customers will go with the unlimited plan. Especially any and all new customers who may be switching to AT&T later this fall due to a certain new phone and a certain new OS.
With the previous plan option of $10/1,000 you could send 32 text messages a day before the unlimited plan became cheaper. And with iMessage rolling out this fall it means new (and current customers) on iPhones who likely would have gone with the $10/1,000 plan will instead go for the $20 unlimited plan.
But I think it’s silly to say that this move is solely in response to iMessage. AT&T has nearly 100 million wireless subscribers. And the total install base of American smartphone users are still outnumbered by non-smartphone users 2 to 1. Put another way: there are a lot of AT&T customers who don’t use an iPhone.
On a personal note, Anna and I will be sticking with our unlimited family messaging plan. At $0.20 per text we could only send 150 text messages per month before the $30 plan got cheaper. We each send close to 150 texts in just one week. And, except for one cousin on my mom’s side, not a single person our entire family owns an iPhone. Thus, iMessage won’t be incredibly helpful to us.