This Week's Sponsor:

Winterfest 2025

The Winter Festival Of Artisanal Software

Posts tagged with "apple"

An Open Letter to Apple on Server Technologies→

An Open Letter to Apple on Server Technologies

Some of our smaller departmental or lab users may be able to run Mac OS X Server on a Mac Pro or Mac mini. At a campus level, we cannot, because these systems do not have the required mounting, power, management, and other functionality. While it is possible to rack mount a Mac Pro with third-party hardware, it is a non-starter because of the lack of dual redundant power supplies, management capabilities, and spare parts kits, to say nothing of space considerations.

Please allow virtualization of Mac OS X Server in non-Apple virtualization environments, with a commensurate license and pricing model.

Must read. [via Smoking Apples]

Permalink

Rumor: Apple Acquired Bluetooth Headphones Company Wi-Gear

According to a report from 9to5mac, who cites a reliable source, Apple acquired San Francisco-based company Wi-Gear two months ago for an undisclosed sum. Wi-Gear used to make Bluetooth headphones (called “iMuffs”) specifically meant for iOS devices, they were pioneers in the A2DP stereo audio field for iPhones and iPods – they even released an adapter for older devices that didn’t support the Bluetooth 2.0 standard.

9to5mac notes that Apple didn’t have that much of a success with its previous Bluetooth audio attempts and, for future iOS implementations, decided to acquire Wi-Gear instead of developing everything internally. Read more

How An Apple II Changed Kevin Kelly’s Life→

How An Apple II Changed Kevin Kelly’s Life

Kevin Kelly, editor of the Whole Earth Catalog and founding editor of Wired, on his first Apple II computer:

To my immense surprise, I found that these high-tech computer networks were not deadening the souls of early users like me; they were filling our souls. There was something unexpectedly organic about these ecosystems of people and wires. Out of complete nothingness, we were barn raising a virtual commonwealth. When the internet finally came along a few years later, it seemed almost Amish to me.

That was 30 years ago. Guess who else used to read the Whole Earth Catalog back then.

Permalink

Adobe: Apple Incites Negative Campaign Against Us (Yet We Followed Steve’s Advice)

We thought those days were over. Remember back in April, right after the iPad came out, the Apple / Adobe controversy about Flash somehow came back to where it started, The Internet. Hundreds of blog posts and pundits’ rants later, Steve Jobs managed to end the argument with his Thoughts On Flash. If you think about it, the whole Flash story kind of died after Steve Jobs’ “open letter”. Or maybe we just focused on the true meaning of “openness” more.

Anyway, Adobe is bringing the old debate back. Again, yes. Here’s Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch talking to FastCompany:

I just think there’s this negative campaigning going on, and, for whatever reason, Apple is really choosing to incite it, and condone it,” Lynch says. “I think that’s unfortunate. We don’t think it’s good for the web to have aspects closed off–a blockade of certain types of expression. There’s a decade of content out there that you just can’t view on Apple’s device, and I think that’s not only hurtful to Adobe, but hurtful to everyone that created that content.

Read more

Andrew Hyde’s iPad Experiment Gone Wrong→

Andrew Hyde’s iPad Experiment Gone Wrong

I like writing, and the touch interface just wasn’t cutting it, so I purchased the bluetooth keyboard for when I wanted to write posts. It was pretty brilliant as a setup. On my last flight I was forced to check my bag, and in the rough handling the keyboard was turned on, keys were pressed, the iPad took this as incorrect password guesses and it locked.

I had all sorts of screenshots and apps to show off, those are all gone, because once your iPad gets in this mode, the only way to get it out is to restore it to the computer it was last synced with. I, not owning that computer, had no choice but to delete everything.

Delete everything.

I can imagine the frustration – more evidence that the iPad still can’t live on its own. [via BrooksReview]

Permalink

What It’s Like to Work at Apple→

What It’s Like to Work at Apple

At Apple, it’s never, “How long did you work for the company?” but rather, “How many times did you work at Apple?” The Apple attitude seems to infect everyone who works closely with the technology – and, even after leaving the company, we all say that we still “bleed six colors,” in reference to the original six-color Apple logo.

Interesting post, perfect for some late night Instapaper.

Permalink

Reminder: .Mac HomePage Shutting Down Today

As reported in early October, Apple is shutting down the .Mac HomePage service today. The .Mac HomePage service was a feature that allowed users to publish webpages using their .mac account. The feature was first discontinued in July 2009 (users were unable to create new content); today Apple is pulling the plug on the service by disabling viewing of already-published content.

The files won’t be permanently deleted, though. As Apple explains in a support document:

Can friends and family still view my published pages?

After November 8, 2010, all photos, movies, and files shared using .Mac HomePage will be unavailable for viewing on the web. Web Pages published using iWeb or Aperture will not be affected.

Will my content be deleted after November 8, 2010?

No. All of your content is still on your iDisk and can be accessed by going to me.com/idisk and clicking Home in the sidebar. The HTML files that make up your site can be found in the Sites folder, and any pictures or movies you have used for your pages can be found in the Pictures and Movies folders respectively. You must remain an active MobileMe member to access your iDisk.

Apple’s current sync and web publishing solution, MobileMe, retails at $99 per year and comes with a 60-day free trial. We highly recommend it as a way to sync information across devices (bookmarks, settings, email accounts, calendar), although we’re huge fans of Dropbox when it comes to file storage.

Xserve Is Dead…Now What?→

Xserve Is Dead…Now What?

The Mac Pro is a great box, but it is not designed to be a server. That matters. The Mac Pro, in trying to equal the Xserve takes up 12 times the space, uses more power, and ends up costing you twice as much if you don’t want a single component able to turn your server setup into a brick. If you’re collocating your servers, the cost to colo a Mac Pro or two is going to be a lot higher than for an Xserve, because you’re going to pay more for power and a lot more for the rack space.

IT folks clearly aren’t happy about Apple’s decision. As far as the iOS environment is concerned, Apple needs to do a lot more there, too.

Permalink

ADC: Safari Extension To Search On Apple Developer Website

If you’re an iOS or Mac developer, you must have noticed that searching for framework keywords, reference documentations and guides on Google isn’t exactly the best experience you can get. Wouldn’t it be great to have everything always under control a few keystrokes away?

This extension, ADC for Safari (and Firefox), puts an additional “developer bar” in your browser with shortcuts iOS and Mac OS reference libraries, a search bar and a link back to the ADC home.

It’s unobtrusive and will save you lot of time going back to the developer’s website and / or searching for stuff. Go download it.