Opera: “Flash as a Video Container Makes Very Little Sense”

Flash is under fire again, and this time the attack comes from Opera Software. In an interview with Techradar, Opera’s product analyst Phillip Grønvold said that the future of the web is made of open standards, and that Flash is not open. If Opera wants to stay in the market, they need to support them and Flash for video really doesn’t make sense.

“Today’s internet content is dependant on Flash,” said Grønvold. “If you remove Flash you do not have today’s internet. We are trying to give the best internet experience for our users therefore we need Flash - there is no way to beat around that bush.”

But at Opera we say that the future of the web is open web standards and Flash is not an open web standards technology. Flash does have its purposes and will have its purposes, the same as [Microsoft’s] Silverlight and others, especially for dynamic content. But flash as a video container makes very little sense for CPU, WiFi battery usage etcetera – you can cook an egg on [devices] once you start running Flash on them and there’s a reason for that.”

So there you have it, Opera joins the debate as well. I think they’re making the right move.


Task This, Icon Driven Projects

Project management applications. Getting things done. There’s always something for the iPhone & iPod touch that relates to task management. And hell, Apple just opened up a brand new section exclusively for us perhaps OCD individuals. I mean, are all Apple owners productivity freaks or what? The next time someone tosses the term “hipster” out there, I might be inclined to add that we happen to be “productive” hipsters. With icons! Task This icons.

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Apple Adds a “Get Stuff Done” Section to the App Store

Apple is constantly refining the App Store experience, in order to showcase the best apps (App of the Week) or just show off the capabilities of a device by grouping the most interesting apps into a specific section.

It seems like Apple has just launched a new one, called “Get Stuff Done”, which groups the best productivity / business apps to get things done on the iPad. Lots of good apps are in there, and I think this is an interesting move from Apple to tell people that the iPad isn’t just meant for consuming media - but for producing content as well.

Check out the new section here.


Steam for Mac Redesign

Steam for Mac is coming in a week, and we can’t wait to try it out. But, I think it’s a given that the app doesn’t look very Mac-like and that Valve simply went for a unified interface design across all the platforms Steam will be available on.

Can Steam for Mac look better on OS X? Sure, and Sebastian de With (@cocoia) gives us a peek of what he’d like it to be.

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Macbuzzer’s Newest Bundle with Nine Mac Apps

Another bundle? It seems Mac applications are practically raining from the sky at ridiculously low prices. This bundle offers a different twist yet, as it becomes more expensive the longer you wait. If you’re going to add some apps to your stash, do it now, and get a copy of Cockpit for free (honestly a coincidence).

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ReaddleDocs: It Could Have Been Good, But…

If you read my Good Reader review last week, you should have noticed that I’m pretty satisfied with the app, even though it has some UI quirks and it surely can get a lot better. I know that the developers are working hard on improving the app, and I guess that an update addressed to fix the aforementioned problems is already on its way to the App Store.

Are there any alternatives to Good Reader though? Not so many, and most of them are very poorly executed applications that let you import documents and, in the best case, upload them somewhere on the internet. Can ReaddleDocs for iPad be any better than the others?

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The iPad, A Story [Part II] - Details

As I held the iPad in my hands for the first time I knew that it was going to change something about the way I consume the internet and produce content for MacStories. I mean, I had no justified reason to believe the iPad was going to change anything, at least not after holding it for a few seconds and simply staring at its screen. But just like every revolution in our fast running technology world, it’s about the details, even those that you don’t see but perceive after a few seconds. My first encounter with the iPad was an impression, more than an approach.

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