Posts tagged with "mac"

Rumor: iPhone 5 To Hook Up With Any Mac via NFC Technology

We covered NFC (Near Field Communication) technology before: many rumors and patents surfaced in the past detailing how Apple might be interested in implementing NFC in future iPhones to turn them into “digital wallets” capable of doing things such as on-the-go instant payments. While NFC cellphone-based payments are already reality in Japan and there are a couple of applications that can already do that on the iPhone without NFC (like Visa payWare), we have been speculating about Apple deploying its own solution for months now.

According to new report by Cult of Mac from an anonymous source, Apple might implement NFC in the iPhone 5, but not just for mobile “iWallet” payments. The source claims Apple has been working on a solution to let iPhone users carry their whole OS X experience around and use any Mac as if it was their own computer through an iPhone-based transfer system. Neat stuff. Read more

Apple’s Next Macintosh OS→

Apple’s Next Macintosh OS

Compare the bulldozer approach to what Apple did when it designed the A4, the “dark inside” of the iPad. Apple’s next Mac processor could be a multicore (or multi-chip) ARM derivative. And the company has proven time and again that it knows how to port software, and its support of the Open Source LLVM and Clang projects give it additional hardware independence. We all know the Apple Way: Integration. From bare metal to the flesh, from the processor to the Apple Store. Hardware, OS, applications, distribution… Apple knows how to control its own destiny.

And indeed, they’re committed to making a centralized integrated ecosystem the bet on their destiny.

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Should Lion Be Distributed On USB Keys?→

Should Lion Be Distributed On USB Keys?

A Redditor wonders if Apple is going to ditch the CD for the new OS distribution:

The new MB Airs ship with their restore software on a USB key, as they have no optical drive. Obviously those machines will need a way to upgrade to 10.7, and the remote disc stuff, while it works, doesn’t seem very Apple-ish. We know next to nothing about Lion at this point, and I’m not convinced that Apple is out to kill the optical disc. But I wonder: Will the next version of Mac OS X ship, not on a DVD, but on a USB key?

Obviously DVDs are cheaper and faster to print. But if you think about Apple and the “dangerous” decisions they made in the past, this kind of makes sense.

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Alarms for Mac Updated With Better Timeline, Bug Fixes

Alarms is a Mac app developed by Media Atelier we previously reviewed here. For those who missed the review:

Alarms is a fast and lightweight reminder app for Mac that lives in your menubar. It’s not a GTD application, yet it’s a perfect companion for softwares like Things or OmniFocus. I basically use Alarms to save little things I need to do later that aren’t worth creating a new entry in OmniFocus.

Getting stuff in Alarms is simple and takes seconds. Once you install the app a new icon is added to your menubar. Click on it, or drag an item over it, and a white horizontal panel slides down (great animation) letting you choose in which part of your working day should the new entry go.

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The Value Of “Pro”→

The Value Of “Pro”

I say ‘Pro’ makes more sense only if you develop an app that has two versions, one free and one paid and the free version is made to be a scaled down version that can stand on its own (meaning you don’t run out of “levels” as you would in a game). You are in effect giving away a full version of your app for free, and selling a version with more features as a ‘Pro’ level which is in line with what the consumer mind expects.

Either route you go I doubt you will get rid of the rude comments that plague the App Store.

Game developers won’t stop using the “Lite” tag. But I also can’t picture an “OmniFocus Pro”. The Mac App Store is going to be an interesting subject.

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“The Mac App Store Isn’t For Today’s Mac Developers”→

“The Mac App Store Isn’t For Today’s Mac Developers”

But a huge new market is about to open next door. And yes, it’ll probably be dominated by Angry Birds and other inexpensive, often trivial apps. When this happens, a lot of traditional Mac developers are going to look down on it. But those with a bit of free time to develop their own inexpensive, often trivial apps might have a different viewpoint entirely when they see their sales numbers.

Marco Arment nails it.

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BulletTrain Express Keyboard: MacBook, Meet Desktop Mac

I bought an iMac about a month ago. It’s a great machine, it’s sexy and it’s powerful. Still, when I’m working on it I do miss one thing: they keyboard and trackpad configuration of the MacBook Pro. Having a full-size keyboard above the trackpad is undoubtedly more comfortable than having to constantly switch from the keyboard to a Magic Trackpad on its side. Placing the Magic Trackpad under the keyboard doesn’t help either as it’ll end up moving and sliding on your desk.

So what we have here is possibly the coolest gadget we’ve covered on MacStories in a while: the BulletTrain Express Keyboard is a solid aluminum platform that can embed a Magic Trackpad and an Apple keyboard, all in one single and ergonomic surface. Read more