http://gigaom.com/2012/01/26/soundcloud-goes-html5/
One of the main reasons Soundcloud went HTML5 was of course to support sound sharing on the iPad and other mobile platforms, but the user engagement was definitely a welcome bonus as well.
Um, simple answer, Flash died last year.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/26/google-now-open-to-teens-13-and-up/
Google will also place limits on its video chatting feature called Google+ Hangouts when used by teens. If a stranger (someone outside the teens’ circle) joins a hangout, Google will temporarily remove the teen from the hangout by muting the mic and video feed.
Here comes the barrage of animated GIFs (I know, already around Google+), cyber bullying, and web immaturity, LOL Cats, self mirror pics, etc. And these “protections” for teens? Ya, just sign up for another account and indicate that you are 18. Pretty easy to do and to hide it from your parents.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/26/google-bing-illegal-music
“Google and other search engines “overwhelmingly” direct music fans to illegal copies of copyrighted tracks online, a coalition of entertainment industry groups has told the government.”
Couldn’t you say that ISP’s make it easy for users to pirate by allowing users to access these search engines? You can also blame Apple, Mozilla, Microsoft, and Google for providing browsers to access piracy sites. Why not blame computer manufacturers for making internet-connected devices? What about the power companies that provide electricity to power devices that allow users to pirate?
One of the things that annoys me about design is following a strict standard that we are all taught in school. For example, I’ve been taught to define the colors, shape, size, etc. of logos. But what happens when we design a logo to take on the attributes of where it is used.
To explain what I mean, take a look at the Antartico logo I found on Design Shack.
The logo is design by Lorenzo Franchini.
I’m not sure what his intention is for the design, if it will always take on the texture background. But that’s exactly what I want to point out. The logotype and symbol just isn’t a simple color or gradient. It takes on the attribute of the background.
So my question for my fellow designers, should logos take on the attributes of background textures and colors? How does that change the dynamic? Should we allow that but also limit the use?
What is the perfect design? Is it something that fulfills the target audience’s needs and wants? Does it expand outside the normal realm of thinking? Is the perfect design simply fulfilling the objective? What are your thoughts?
Photo Source: http://flic.kr/p/ubG6g
Sometimes a full reset in any aspect of life can be beneficial. Progressive computing has benefits, that when used sparingly, can allow for a great increase in productivity and efficiency.
Progressive computing involves using a fresh new system. Clear of any old documents and applications, progressive computing starts with a clean install of the OS. Applications are only installed as needed. Documents are usually created or copied when needed.
Migration assistants that Apple and other vendors provide is not a solution to progressive computing. The best strategy I’ve used is storing all of my documents and old e-mails on an external drive or on Dropbox. I only copy them to my system as needed, progressively building a new foundation for working.
Progressive computing should only be used sparingly. If you keep “resetting” yourself, then you’ll never get anything done. But it should be used when you are unorganized beyond repair, or find yourself being unproductive because of the distraction of a bogged down system and workflow.
Photo Source: http://flic.kr/p/5XiESx
“Because of our routines we forget that life is an ongoing adventure.” – Maya Angelou
Since 10.8 and 10.9 are the last two major revisions of the Mac OS before Mac OS 11, what do you think it will be like? Here are my predictions for Mac OS 11:
These are just some of my predictions Feel free to share your own.
Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/loop_oh/3404859720/
Part of my journey towards a minimalist computing experience is to replace everyday tangible items with apps. With the continued perfection of both the iPad and iPhone, I have been able to easily replace many items with free and paid apps available through the app store. I’ve compiled a list of some of these apps. Feel free to share your favorite apps. If you have something better than what I use, do share!
Sketchbook:
Sketchbook Pro for iPad
This app is the closest to a sketchbook as possible. It contains an array of pencils and brushes, literally an entire artists toolkit full of erasers, brush sizes, colors, opacity, etc. If you are an artist or designer, I highly recommend investing the money and adding this app to your toolkit.
Alternative Sketchbook Apps:
Penultimate for iPad
Brushes for iPhone
Notebook and Code Editor:
Textastic for iPad
There are countless of things this app can do. Compatible with many different files formats including text, markdown, HTML, PHP, Ruby, etc. The app is highly customizable with font, text size, syntax highlighting, and more. I love this app because it quickly downloads files via FTP and Dropbox, but also provides its own WebDAV server for sharing files.
Alternative Notebook Apps:
Apple’s Notes App
Cash:
Venmo for iPhone
I’m constantly recruiting my friends to download this free app. In many social situations, you have to split a bill. Sometimes it is easier just to have one person pay with their credit card. If you don’t have cash, just instantly transfer money to them using Venmo. It securely connects to bank accounts and/or credit cards. Money instantly transfers between Venmo accounts with other users.
Additional App for Managing Money:
Mint for iPhone and iPad
Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yagankiely/4647067847/
The rumor mills are chugging at full steam and everyone is throwing in their two-cents related to Apple’s Education Announcement this Thursday at the Guggenheim in New York.
Generally, I agree with most of the rumors. They all surround the textbook market and iBooks. I’m a one-device-for-all-tasks kind of guy. I no longer carry a camera with me because of the iPhone 4. I no longer buy paper books because of iBooks. I no longer carry a notebook because of the iPad. I no longer…you get it.
Do note, Apple has such a large history with education, partnering with schools across the nation, and even developing the now-discontinued eMac.
I’m not a student, but if I was I would be having an orgasm right now. Throughout high school and college, I always carried heavy textbooks which caused me to buy new backpacks 2-3 times per year. And when I needed to pack booze for after-class parties, well then I’d have two backpacks. Having all of those textbooks available on the iPad is extraordinary, saving so much room and saving students’ backs across the nation. But what features can Apple include that will compel the industry to adopt this method (These are all completely unfounded guesses)?
First, the obvious is video/audio. Built directly into the pages of the virtual textbooks, students can quickly gain additional explanations and visuals without ever leaving to view an “online version” of the textbook. What if a professor could record their own audio to remind the students of something from a lecture and include it on specific pages?
Next, class comments/notes. A student can take notes directly in the pages, including highlighting, when the professor is speaking. Much like students can do with a paper version. But this could also allow students to record the professor, share notes with other students, and view class-wide comments. This could also lead the way for students to organize, bookmark, and file their notes for easy reference without flipping through hundreds of pages.
Finally, a grab bag of features could be included. This could be links to external websites, pop-ups with updated/edited information, screenshots, print capabilities, assignments assigned within the textbooks, companion guides, etc. Really, the options are endless.
Yes, all of these features are already availble using an array of apps. But having this all built and unified into one app allows students to focus on learning. Perhaps the American education system will finally be saved by the innovation of Apple.
Around the Web
Cult of Mac’s “Apple’s War on Amazon Starts Thursday”
Apple Insider’s “Apple Announces Education Event…”
Interesting Philosophy from The Loop Insight
Photo Source: http://flic.kr/p/yDdaK