Google+ Sign-in
Google+ is a mostly worthless network. But as a sign-on service it’s really valuable. That’s a lot of users (think: anyone with a Gmail account) you can have using your product or service instantly.
Developer prevents his own app from being downloaded by giving it a crazy high price.
TL;DR version:
Twitter cut off new access requests from Falcon Pro and won’t extend the number of tokens. The developer doesn’t want to remove his app from Google Play because that prevents him from delivering updates to current users. So he hiked the price to more than $100.
Then there’s the price tag: $1,299, or $1,449 with an LTE connection and some data included.
How long before all laptops come equipped with LTE?
Source: theverge.com
App.net goes freemium.
I’d like to get an invite to this service. I’ve been curious but too cheap to try out App.net since it was released.
Interesting choice to put the keyboard in all lower case letters on the Chromebook Pixel.
Source: informationweek.com
Why Mountain Lion is Worth $20
Since its release last week Mountain Lion (10.8), Apple’s newest version of Mac OS X, has gotten plenty of reviews. Probably the most in depth was by John Siracusa for Ars Technica.
It’s avaiable from the Mac App Store for $20. And worth it for even the most casual of user. It took less than an hour to upgrade my MacBook Air from Lion.
Here’s 5 reasons I’m glad I installed it this weekend:
1. Notification Center
If you’re an iOS user you’re already familiar with Notification Center. It piles up all the little updates from social media, mail and messages in a tidy drawer.
Apple brought this to the Mac with Mountain Lion. You can activate it by clicking the list near your clock or by swiping two fingers right to left from off the edge of a trackpad.
Like iOS you’re also able to customize what applications fill Notification Center and how from within System Preferences.
2. Safari 6.0
Safari 6.0 integrates web search into the address bar like Chrome. Previously I used a plugin to get this functionality in Safari.
It also has a new way of viewing open tabs in the same style as iOS (shown above).
3. Integrated Sharing for Twitter (and soon Facebook)
In addition to adding mail accounts, you can now add Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo accounts to your system. This allows you to share virtually anything on your Mac. Highlight text and hit “Share” and it pastes it into a Tweet. Share from a webpage and it pulls in a link. In Notification Center you’ll see the @replies of people you follow on Twitter. And you can even post a quick Twitter update from a field at the top of the window.
Facebook sharing support is supposed to arrive in a future version. It’s currently available in the developer version.
4. Messages
Messages for Mac allows you to sync your messages from iPhone and iPad via iMessage. Including Read states and images/video. It also supports IM protocols like Jabber. Meaning if you’re a Google Talk user it works in there as well.
As an interesting aside: If they move Jabber support into to iOS it could mean never having to use text messages again if your Android using pals are also on Google Talk.
5. Reminders & Notes
The Reminders and Notes apps found in iOS are now replicated in Mac OS. They behave in nearly the same fashion and sync up tidily with iCloud.
There are dozens of other new features and changes in Mountain Lion. But these were the ones that made a difference in the way I use my computer and mobile. I think by putting the desktop OS on a similar schedule to iOS Apple is trying to make sure there’s strong (stronger) parity in the experience.
There are no confusing feature matrices, no monolithic installations and no giant learning curves like a Windows update brings.
And the $20 price tag makes it an easy decision.
IPS: Indoor positioning system
via extremetech.com
Never again be lost in a mall. Cool tech.
When adults behave like teenagers.
Mark and his signature hoodie: He’s actually showing investors he doesn’t care that much; he’s going to be him. I think that’s a mark of immaturity,” Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter complained to Bloomberg’s Mark Milian.
via news.cnet.com
I get a kick out of the way analysts, bankers & journalists read so far into things looking for insights. It reminds me of the way teenagers speak to each other:
“What did she say, exactly? I want to know every detail.”
“What do you think they meant by ‘cool’?”
“Do you think he wore that because he likes me?”
I think Michael Pachter was right about Zuckerberg: He doesn’t care that much. But I don’t think he planned to show he doesn’t care. There’s no “intent” here.
UK Court Blocks The Pirate Bay
Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media — the UK’s top ISPs — are all under order to block users’ access to The Pirate Bay. Based on 2009 figures, this means that roughly 51.5 million internet users in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be affected by the ruling.
via mashable.com
Bad precedent. And I suspect this is going to spur on some big innovation in the piracy sector. Can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
Magic Cube, projection keyboard and multi-touch mouse
via youtube.com
I wonder how long it will be until this tech is small enough to build into devices?
