Apple [finally] released the OS 10.4.3 update we’ve all been so patiently waiting for. Beyond the slew of bug fixes, there’s some new features as well. One of which seems interesting enough to note: iChat encryption.
Wonder what people are chatting about that is important enough to encrypt. I personally wouldn’t mind Uncle Sam or teenager-next-door “listening in” on Matt and me babble on about iPods and cellphones.
Stanford has launched an iTunes-based audio service. How come more people aren’t doing this? I had no idea you could build an interface to be browsed via iTunes. Excuse me while I lock myself away to do research for a while.
I just read an article that is sure to change the way I approach design … in a good way. I’ve always respected Cameron Moll, the author of the article. He’s a well-respected designer, but he’s also a great guy and dad. He’s also a good friend of a good friend.
The article changed the way I think about design aesthetic and purpose.
The desire to redesign is aesthetic-driven, while the desire to realign is purpose-driven.
If you’re a designer, it’s definitely worth the 10 minutes: Good Designers Redesign, Great Designers Realign
Halo may be “enhanced” for 360. Guess there could be a reason to upgrade after all.
Instructions on how to run Front Row on non-iMac Macs.
CSS Beauty relaunches with yet another 1024px-wide layout.
Interesting word choice Apple is using for their HotNews article about the new PowerBooks. No upgrade, update or “new.” It’s “enhanced.”
I got a chance to play with an “enhanced” 15-inch PowerBook today and I must say it was nice. The extra pixels really do make a difference, and the trackpad (though not officially updated) felt a lot nicer and tracked better than mine – I have the 1.67ghz model, introduced earlier this year.
In my extremely professional lab test (turning off the lights and placing the two laptops next to each other), I concluded that the so-called increased brightness isn’t real-world evident. Meaning I couldn’t tell the difference.
But whatever. It’s probably the last “enhancement” this line will see, as most of the world is anxiously awaiting the dual-core or Intel PowerBooks.
Thanks to Jesse, I’ve had somewhat of a breakthrough with my font situation. I’m now proud to report that my fonts are all organized, optimized and dutifully managed via FontExplorer X.
I think what it took was a little trust on my part. See, when a user’s so used to managing files the hard way, once a new (more intuitive) method is introduced to them, they sometimes have to unlearn what they’ve known to be the right way. I experienced this the first time I installed iTunes (version 1). “You mean it actually manages the song files for me using the ID3 information?!” I thought. Yes. And FontExplorer does the same, only with fonts. Imagine that.
Now instead of managing the actual font files in the Finder, all I’m doing is organizing them inside FontExplorer, and letting the program handle the dirty work. The key for me was allowing FE to manage my files by moving them. It felt a bit like letting go of the reins, but once I did it, my 1000+ font collection became much more manageable.
I’ve been trying out FontExplorer X from LinoType and I’m impressed so far (remember, I included it in my 10 most favorite apps?). I love the iTunes-like interface and the price (it’s, ahem, free). I must admit that when I first installed it I was a little confused as to how it managed fonts so I immediately reverted back to FontBook – I was under a deadline and had to have access to the fonts I needed immediately.
Now, after about a month of use, I’m still a bit confused. How come FE doesn’t manage Adobe Photoshop’s bundled fonts (stored in Library/Application Support/Adobe/Fonts/)? So my copy of NewsGothic is different from Photoshop’s one? 
How come there’s two in my font menu? Should I go ahead and remove the bundled fonts from that location manually, and import them into FontExplorer? Should I leave them alone? I don’t understand.
Font management sucks. I kinda liked it better with FontBook (gasp!).
Never gotten this error before:
… this just after launching Photoshop (CS2).
UPDATE: A quick restart and problem’s gone.
Remember last week I mentioned I was holding out for the announcement of the “Sakura”? Well, that announcement came yesterday as the introduction of the Sony Ericsson W900. Jeff Croft says Motorola should take a good hard look at it because it’s the true model of an iPhone, and I tend to agree.
Yes, I want one. More on this later.
iTunes history and even more proof that version 6 should be version 5.5.
One of these, one of these (or these), and one of these and you’ve got yourself an Apple media center. (Assuming, of course, your current TV has component inputs.)
After two days of thought-gathering, I’ve made some conclusions to my reactions of Apple’s announcements on Wednesday. In short, I believe they’re on the right track with the iMac, new iPod supporting video and upgrades to the iTunes Music Store. However, a closer look at what was revealed this week shows some interesting, and perhaps frustrating side affects.
Let’s go in order of the announcements, ala Steve’s three-act presentation.
First of all, I’m a big fan of the iMac G5 – and have been since it was introduced last year about this time. If I needed/wanted a home computer, I would choose it, hands-down, no questions asked. The upgrade announced (and released – way to go, Apple) is well worth the fanfare and excitement. I think the Front Row app is definitely a step in the right direction for Apple’s “digital lifestyle.” The increased specs, decreased dimensions, and matching pricepoint puts the new iMac in perfect position for the holidays. They’ll sell, alright … they’ll sell to students.
Despite what Steve Jobs said in the presentation, the Front Row application isn’t perfect for enjoying your Mac from your couch. No, the perfect environment for the iMac is going to be the close quarters, and shared rooms of the college student. Every dorm room in the nation should have an iMac G5 with Front Row running. It’s a match made in heaven – a [simple] remote to control music, DVD’s, music videos, photos, etc. “from your bed” (or bean-bag chair or futon) not “from your couch”.
Note that this is not an “iPod video” but just “iPod.” Smart, I think, of Apple to drop the functional naming convention. “Mini” and “nano” work because they’re descriptive names for the device itself, not for what it does. You know, there’s some [CSS] lesson in here, but I can’t seem to put my finger on it.
I think Apple’s right on time delivering an iPod that “does video.” Too early (last year) would’ve robbed the podcasting movement of its glory and introduction, too late (next year) and the market would have already been too saturated. It’s perfect right now, though, because:
The design of the new iPod is genius. Then again, did we expect anything less? I’m glad they didn’t veer too far from the original design, keeping the clickwheel and layout of the previous model(s). I’m also glad they offer it in black. I don’t think the black model will sell as well (ratio-wise) as its smaller counterpart (the black nano), but it’ll still be the more popular choice. I want the white 60GB – uh, thinner than the previous 20GB model? Where do I swipe my card?
Some other points of interest with the new iPod:
A moment of silence for FireWire …
It’s an interesting irony: FireWire’s shining grace (video) has finally found its place in the iPod featureset – only to be ignored. With the new (video) iPod, Apple has officially abandoned FireWire support on its entire iPod line of products. FireWire is now the bastard child, having been forsaken by its creator. And for USB 2.0?! I can only assume it’s a decision based on Windows users’ preferences. Ugh. Again, let’s pause in remembrance …
Remember how I said iTunes 5 barely deserved its versioning? Well I must’ve hit a nerve! Apple high-ups read my post and decided to stuff it to me by releasing a minuscule update and jumping an entire number version. As Gruber said, “iTunes 5 we hardly knew you.”
Let’s look at the changes to the iTunes app (not the Music Store), shall we?
Yeah. That’s it. No new preferences, no new layouts, no new interface, no new features. I’m sure a lot changed under the hood, but that’s what dot-numbers are for! I would have been fine with 5.5 even!
Bottom line: It was the Music Store that received the big update this week, and not the iTunes app itself. So let’s talk about that.
iTunes is no longer just tunes, and neither is the Music Store just music. In my opinion, iTunes 6 should have never been released, and iTunes should have died at version 5. iMedia, iLibrary, iEntertainment, iDon’tCare … The app and store should’ve been renamed and refocused. Don’t tell me it’s too hard to rebrand or revamp a product line. It’s not. Not for Apple. This version 6 crap is basically just laziness.
(I bet most of 1 Infinite Loop has probably had their office lights on 24-7 for the past 9-12 months. There’s no doubt those guys work hard, that’s not what I’m saying here.)
Unlike the new iPod supporting video, I think the TV thing is a little out of place – and time. I think it’s a tad too early.
When you look at the success of the iTunes Music Store, you can immediately attribute it to the popularity of music downloads. At the time the Music Store was first introduced, illegal music downloading was at its peek (Napster, KaZaa, anyone?). The Music Store was Apple’s cure to the disease and the record labels (that dared) took a chance which paid off. The RIAA also began going after people, which scared ‘em, and forced them to use the iTMS if they wanted to continue to download songs.
TV is not being downloaded like music yet (note: if you’re reading my blog, chances are you’re a geek and you are the exception to this point). There’s no doubt it will be someday, because the idea is amazing – it’s just not mainstream yet.
Apple is taking a risk, as they often do. By providing the device and interface with which to download shows, they’re creating the vacuum in hopes that it will get filled automagically by default. They’re counting on networks’ agreement in the pricing structure and delivery method. They’re banking on previous successes with music record labels … which could be argued. And they’re assuming the public doesn’t care about the quality of playback as much as the availablity of content. (Which I think may be a safe assumption.)
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the very thing TV download needs is Apple’s push. It’s working for podcasts, right?
Still, until NBC, CBS, Fox and other big hitters in television come on board and start offering their content, I see little room to celebrate this new “feature.”
Apple is a unique company in that they never do anything blase. The announcements on Wednesday were so much more than a strategic holiday offering (though they were that as well). The new iMac with Front Row, the video iPod and the increased featureset in the iTunes Music (and video) Store are exciting, pacesetting offerings that should change the way we enjoy our “digital lifestyle.”
I’m excited for them. I’m excited for me too, I guess. Even though I don’t plan on getting an iMac or downloading any TV shows soon, I’m definitely going to get a new iPod (when cases are released). They continue to change the world in which I live, and I continue to alter my habits to conform. I love it.
TV shows I’d be excited to download, with or without an iPod to play them on:
It is a sad day. No announcements from Sony Ericsson (so far) and Hanson has covered Radiohead. It is truly the end times.
