The Mac Newbie

The Mac Newbie http://antoniolopes.info by António Lopes posterous.com Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:34:00 -0800 Interesting take on page-turning technology for e-books http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/xo-SdhJrSoI/interesting-take-on-page-turning-technology-f http://antoniolopes.info/interesting-take-on-page-turning-technology-f <p> <p>It's quite interesting how you can get so much out of a touch-based interface in terms of delivering a more natural page-turning experience with just a few simple gestures. Check out the video from <a href="http://www.kaist.edu/edu.html" target="_blank">KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)</a> Institute of Information Technology Convergence:</p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rVyBwz1-AiE" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p> <p>Source: <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/23/2726379/smart-ebook-system-page-turning" target="_blank">The Verge</a></p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/interesting-take-on-page-turning-technology-f">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/interesting-take-on-page-turning-technology-f#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/a_BbaCOtT66yIbuXLQv-8hB4Krk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/a_BbaCOtT66yIbuXLQv-8hB4Krk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/a_BbaCOtT66yIbuXLQv-8hB4Krk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/a_BbaCOtT66yIbuXLQv-8hB4Krk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/xo-SdhJrSoI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/interesting-take-on-page-turning-technology-f Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:48:00 -0800 What's so different about the iBookstore? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/Jnel2PiIRBw/whats-so-different-about-the-ibookstore http://antoniolopes.info/whats-so-different-about-the-ibookstore <p> Let's sum it up:<p>1. Apple decides to enter the (digital) book publishing market and in order to actually build a wide catalog of books (especially for the textbook market) they offer a free authoring tool for anyone to use. </p><p>2. In order to offer the simplest and easiest experience to authors and users, Apple decided to use a mix of standards that ultimately produces a proprietary format through which anyone can publish a digital book for iOS devices. </p><p>3. If you want to giveaway that book for free on the iBookstore, you can do so at no cost. If you want to sell it, then Apple gets 30%. </p><p>Now where have I seen this before? Oh right, this is exactly what Apple has been doing with the AppStore!</p><p>So why is everyone so upset about this now? Were you really expecting for Apple to offer an excellent piece of software like the iBook author <b>for free</b> and allow exporting to a public format so that authors could monetize their products in someone else's marketplace (like Amazon)? Seriously?</p><p>The only aspect that really matters here (and that authors should really be aware of) is the copyright issue. When I publish something through the iBookstore, am I the copyright holder of the book's content? If so, I can then publish the same book in other formats to reach out to other "readers". If not, that's a more serious issue because then authors are "stuck" with Apple's format and cannot publish their books in more "widely-accepted formats". </p><p>But before you start shooting down Apple for this copyright issue, keep in mind that this is the rule in the book publishing world, not the exception. I'm a researcher and as a part of my activity i have to publish a lot of papers. Whenever I do so, I have to transfer the copyrights to the publisher and, except for very specific situations such as personal use, I cannot publish my paper anywhere else. </p><p>So, does anyone know what's Apple's position on this?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/whats-so-different-about-the-ibookstore">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/whats-so-different-about-the-ibookstore#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6siXqVctsQBB8iAcjm6rY7AcKXE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6siXqVctsQBB8iAcjm6rY7AcKXE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6siXqVctsQBB8iAcjm6rY7AcKXE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6siXqVctsQBB8iAcjm6rY7AcKXE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/Jnel2PiIRBw" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/whats-so-different-about-the-ibookstore Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:41:00 -0800 Happy Birthday, iPhone http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/kMKQCrD9C7s/happy-birthday-iphone http://antoniolopes.info/happy-birthday-iphone <p> <p>That's right, the iPhone was "born" 5 years ago and I think this may be a good time to remember how it was unveiled in 2007:</p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Lyx_va6f10s" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe> <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H3uaJIaIArs" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe> <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pK3eY9hyDKc" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe> <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pKESJRfTMPQ" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe> <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TBxua7EDRdo" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe> <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0nOdc5knf-M" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/happy-birthday-iphone">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/happy-birthday-iphone#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iit_QZsgnuwYWDux3nnDyIgcq2A/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iit_QZsgnuwYWDux3nnDyIgcq2A/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iit_QZsgnuwYWDux3nnDyIgcq2A/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iit_QZsgnuwYWDux3nnDyIgcq2A/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/kMKQCrD9C7s" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/happy-birthday-iphone Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:09:00 -0800 Awkward fight: Siri vs. Secretary/Assistant http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/ZF04F6hDNC8/awkward-fight-siri-vs-secretaryassistant http://antoniolopes.info/awkward-fight-siri-vs-secretaryassistant <p> <p><a href="http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-12-16/" title="Dilbert.com"><img src="http://dilbert.com/dyn/str_strip/000000000/00000000/0000000/100000/40000/5000/700/145777/145777.strip.gif" border="0" alt="Dilbert.com" /></a></p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/awkward-fight-siri-vs-secretaryassistant">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/awkward-fight-siri-vs-secretaryassistant#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SJAy_LzazBDQdG5yZML_9K7T--E/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SJAy_LzazBDQdG5yZML_9K7T--E/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SJAy_LzazBDQdG5yZML_9K7T--E/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SJAy_LzazBDQdG5yZML_9K7T--E/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/ZF04F6hDNC8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/awkward-fight-siri-vs-secretaryassistant Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:24:00 -0800 From Lisbon to Vietnam, to London and back to Lisbon in less than 5 minutes http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/cWyWamEDAAE/from-lisbon-to-vietnam-to-london-and-back-to http://antoniolopes.info/from-lisbon-to-vietnam-to-london-and-back-to <p> <p>So I was at a concert in Lisbon last night and when I picked up my phone to take some pictures of the show I noticed the iPhone was using the wrong time. It said it was 05:30 when it was actually closer to 22:30. Since I know the iPhone uses location to automatically set the time-zone and adjust the clock, I quickly opened the Maps app and to my surprise I was "located" in Vietnam.</p> <p>Yes, Vietnam, and I have the <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/tonyvirtual/status/147444682190888960" title="Tweet located in Vietnam" target="_blank">tweet to prove it</a>.</p> <p>When I opened Foursquare to make a quick check-in in some Vietnamese location (to freak out my friends), I noticed that it was now locating me somewhere near London by showing nearby locations. I quickly changed back to the Maps app and sure enough I "was" now in London.</p> <p>Yep, I also have the <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/tonyvirtual/status/147445248577118208" title="Tweet located in London" target="_blank">tweet to prove it</a>. And this time I was able to check-in at the Apolo Theatre :)</p> <p>A few minutes later, I noticed I was back in Lisbon as if nothing happened. At first I thought my iPhone's GPS antenna just had a meltdown (since my wife's iPhone still displayed Lisbon as her location) but then I came to know the same happened with other people at the concert and not all of them were iPhone users.</p> <p>Has anyone else experienced something similar? Is there an explanation?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/from-lisbon-to-vietnam-to-london-and-back-to">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/from-lisbon-to-vietnam-to-london-and-back-to#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YJgcmCwNEnxEPDNL9xDzZaPjgYA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YJgcmCwNEnxEPDNL9xDzZaPjgYA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YJgcmCwNEnxEPDNL9xDzZaPjgYA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/YJgcmCwNEnxEPDNL9xDzZaPjgYA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/cWyWamEDAAE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/from-lisbon-to-vietnam-to-london-and-back-to Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:39:00 -0800 Some tips for Mac OS X http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/dSJ0s-IiSSk/some-tips-for-mac-os-x http://antoniolopes.info/some-tips-for-mac-os-x <p> <p>I've been acumulating a lot of links to some interesting Mac OS X tips on my Instapaper in the hopes that I'll have the time to write a post about them individually but since I don't see any chance of that happening any time soon, here's the list for your enjoyment:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://osxdaily.com/2011/11/21/select-text-in-quick-look-windows/" target="_blank">Select Text in Quick Look Windows</a> - This one has bothered me for quite some time, but I'm glad there's a solution for that. It's perfect for when you need to copy a snipet of text or code from a document and you don't want to bother opening the clunky editor just for that.</li> <li>Always show the Outbox on Mail.app - <a href="http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=148975" target="_blank">This</a> together with <a href="http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20111117082334139" target="_blank">this</a> will do the trick.</li> <li><a href="http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/22/enable-full-screen-support-all-apps-os-x-lion-maximizer/" target="_blank">Enable Full Screen Support for All Apps</a> - Pretty self-explanatory</li> <li>iCloud Documents in OS X - If you need to create iCloud-stored iWork files on OS X, <a href="http://gigaom.com/apple/how-to-create-and-modify-icloud-stored-iwork-files-on-os-x/" target="_blank">here's the tip</a>.</li> <li><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-easily-share-files-across-mac-windows-computers/" target="_blank">Share Files between Mac and Windows</a> - I also used this tip to share a DVD that for some reason was not working on my Mac DVD drive.</li> </ul> <p>You're welcome.</p> <p><img src="http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-11-22/ehcEteyttqDmvAlIdggwamvzwqtBnauhBvHglymFEyHpCglhcaeFpdkjAhkl/tumblr_lo03ylxvra1qba0x7.gif" height="209" alt="" width="500" /></p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/some-tips-for-mac-os-x">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/some-tips-for-mac-os-x#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/b6Eu2cxTwL-aUXYTsJLmmdcvuhI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/b6Eu2cxTwL-aUXYTsJLmmdcvuhI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/b6Eu2cxTwL-aUXYTsJLmmdcvuhI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/b6Eu2cxTwL-aUXYTsJLmmdcvuhI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/dSJ0s-IiSSk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/some-tips-for-mac-os-x Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:29:03 -0700 Mac OS X Lion http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/uxmcrwCeaFo/mac-os-x-lion http://antoniolopes.info/mac-os-x-lion <p> <p>With the arrival of iOS5, I finally decided to make the change to Mac OS X Lion and although I had to make some adjustments afterwards, the whole thing went quite smoothly.</p> <p><strong>"Relax, I got this"</strong></p> <p>First up, the installation process. I fired up the install file and it stated that it needed about half an hour to finish. So I went on with my chores (like bathing the kid and preparing dinner) and about half an hour later I peeked and there it was the new and improved login screen ready to be used.</p> <p>The obligatory warning about the reverse scrolling thingy was up but in my case, as <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/to-reverse-or-not-to-reverse-that-is-the-ques" target="_blank">previously stated</a>, it didn't bother me... at all.</p> <p><strong>First impressions</strong></p> <p>The upgrade process was quite painless. My documents and apps were all there ready to be used and apparently nothing was affected with process of changing to Mac OS X Lion (10.7), including my macbook's speed and responsiveness. Some people have reported that Lion has transformed their macs into sluggish machines but I'm glad that my <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/warp-speed" target="_blank">previous ward speed upgrade</a> was good enough to make the change to Lion without compromising performance.</p> <p>I love the new look and feel of Lion and especially the way it resembles iOS. Since I'm also an iPhone and iPad user, the way the <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/lion-ios5-merging-and-killing-the-competition" target="_blank">two operating systems merge</a> actually feels natural when switching between devices. This makes the whole Apple experience even more interesting.</p> <p><strong>Is the screen bigger or are you just happy to see me?</strong></p> <p>With Lion came full-screen apps and for my 13-inch Macbook this upgrade was very much appreciated. Now that there's no waste in screen real-estate, the screen actually looks bigger and I feel like I got a new machine. And since switching between apps has become so simple with the <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/gestures.html" target="_blank">new gestures</a>, full-screen apps are really a great addition to the Mac OS. The only problem is that I now get really annoyed when a third-party app doesn't have full-screen support.</p> <p><strong>Now that you mentioned gestures...</strong></p> <p>...yep, the <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/gestures.html" target="_blank">new gestures</a> in Lion are great but there's one particular gesture that was ruined for me. I got used to using the three-finger right swipe to go back on the browser and other apps (like Finder, Twitter and others...). Since changing between spaces is now done through that three-finger swipe, to get access to that previous behaviour you now have to add the Option key to the swipe.</p> <p><strong>Talking about annoyances...</strong></p> <p>...what about NTFS? Sure, Lion has native NTFS support but only for reading not writing, which makes sharing an NTFS drive between a Mac and a Windows machine a real hassle. But worry not, as in most things, it is most likely that someone has already had the same problem on the Internet as you have and this case is no exception: I present you a <a href="http://blog.nolar.info/ntfs-3g-in-mac-os-x-lion-10-7-with-read-write-support/" target="_blank">free solution for getting NTFS working on Lion</a>. I tried it, it works like a charm.</p> <p><strong>Other annoyances and their solutions</strong></p> <p>TRIM Native Support also comes with Lion but alas only to Apple-branded SSDs, which is quite ridiculous considering <a href="http://digitaldj.net/2011/07/21/trim-enabler-for-lion/" target="_blank">how easy it is to change that</a>. Do not use <a href="http://www.groths.org/?p=313" target="_blank">this previously-mentioned solution</a> since it is not adequate for Lion.</p> <p>Lion is now a full 64 bit operating system and if your Mac is recent, Lion will boot in 64 bit mode. This is painless for most cases but for particular cases like my own, in which I'm stuck to using the Cisco VPN Client that only works in 32 bit mode, this becomes a problem. Sure, there's a simple solution: when you boot your Mac just hold the keys "2" and "3" at the same time and it will boot in 32 bit mode. But if you want a more permanent solution (or simply because you can't get around to remember pressing 3 and 2 every time your mac boots) here's an <a href="http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t261617.html" target="_blank">hack for that</a>. I tried it and works just fine and my VPN is now working on Lion.</p> <p>Lion also introduced a new mechanism, called <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4878" target="_blank">Local Snapshots</a>, that keeps copies of files that you create so as to act as a local Time Machine. Considering that these backups are placed in the same disk as the original files, they do not constitute a reliable backup solution. Plus, it fills your disk and sometimes it will feel like the computer is sluggish (especially if you have a slower hard disk solution) because it is updating those backups. If you feel like this is not that useful for you (because you have a regular backup solution like Time Machine already working) you can turn it off. But this is a decision that only you can make since it may involve loosing information that is important to you. I recommend reading <a href="http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/30.html" target="_blank">this post on this subject</a> since it is quite complete and very well explained.</p> <p><strong>More hints on Mac OS X Lion (10.7)</strong></p> <p>If you need to know more, Macworld has a great compilation of 10.7-related hints <a href="http://hints.macworld.com/index.php?topic=system107" target="_blank">here</a>. Enjoy</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/mac-os-x-lion">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/mac-os-x-lion#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nybo2pb0r5HpN2kDTnlduovFcmQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nybo2pb0r5HpN2kDTnlduovFcmQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nybo2pb0r5HpN2kDTnlduovFcmQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/nybo2pb0r5HpN2kDTnlduovFcmQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/uxmcrwCeaFo" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/mac-os-x-lion Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:19:00 -0700 Steve Jobs http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/JeZBtjlkvic/steve-jobs http://antoniolopes.info/steve-jobs <p> <p>Today is the first day of a post-Jobs era. A man that has been praised, loved and hated by so many but that has never been indifferent to anyone with the bit interest in technology.</p> <p>It's pointless to try to make a heart-felted and deep post about the man whose professional achievements are well-known but whose private life was so, indeed, private. What I can only testify is the way his legacy has affected my life.</p> <p>I've been an avid user of all things Apple for a few years mainly because of the way their vision of technology makes sense to me. Everything seems to be connected around a simple concept: to offer the best products that just work the way people expect them to. Sure, there are a lot of people that disagree but one thing is undeniable: the man has spurted a movement in the technology world that very few have done in such a profound and lasting way.</p> <p>And it was not only technology that was affected by him. In 1986, after been thrown out of his own company just a year before, Steve Jobs bought Pixar and changed the way animated movies were made.</p> <p>I still remember the day I went to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Story" target="_blank">Toy Story</a>. I was with some friends at the mall (which at that time and age was probably the most interesting thing one could do) and we decided to go to the cinema and we ended up seeing Toy Story, even though many of my friends (and myself, I have to admit) were not so keen about going to watch an animated movie. Remember, at that time, the only reference for animated movies were the Disney movies that were mostly musical-based love stories. But since the cute girls that we were with wanted to see it, we conceded and ended up leaving the cinema with that feeling of wanting to run back in and watch it all over again.</p> <p>And as I was watching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratatouille_(film)" target="_blank">Ratatouille</a> with my son this morning before taking him to school, I realized that I was probably right <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/steve-jobs-is-not-dead-yet" target="_blank">one month ago when I wrote this</a>: "his legacy is strong enough to endure for years after he's gone".</p> <p>Let's hope it's true. To a great visionary.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/steve-jobs">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/steve-jobs#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hzU-gI2C6O5rAzD4H0k684TbJ6o/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hzU-gI2C6O5rAzD4H0k684TbJ6o/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hzU-gI2C6O5rAzD4H0k684TbJ6o/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hzU-gI2C6O5rAzD4H0k684TbJ6o/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/JeZBtjlkvic" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/steve-jobs Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:15:00 -0700 The subtlety of Apple's invitation http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/RHvAKIsrOjw/the-subtlety-of-apples-invitation http://antoniolopes.info/the-subtlety-of-apples-invitation <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Apple" height="478" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-09-27/klkozkitgAxfqvaqFbouxHmJFcCwCeGdBfjqjpcndwjJtkqHCkpFsucjDCjm/apple.png.scaled500.png" width="438" /> </div> You have to admit that this is subtlety at its best. They have the date (Tuesday, 4th), the time (10:00), the place (Infinite Loop, Cupertino) and the little badge on the phone (hinting to a new iPhone) all in the same simple invitation. And to finalize it: "Let's talk iPhone"... so, it looks like the "voice controls on the new iphone" rumors were right.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/the-subtlety-of-apples-invitation">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/the-subtlety-of-apples-invitation#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/asG63_aSKAUc7pShwiZ_8mgnVNc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/asG63_aSKAUc7pShwiZ_8mgnVNc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/asG63_aSKAUc7pShwiZ_8mgnVNc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/asG63_aSKAUc7pShwiZ_8mgnVNc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/RHvAKIsrOjw" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/the-subtlety-of-apples-invitation Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:03:54 -0700 Steve Jobs is not dead yet http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/P9auzvTrHpQ/steve-jobs-is-not-dead-yet http://antoniolopes.info/steve-jobs-is-not-dead-yet <p> Reading the news this morning, one would think that Steve Jobs has already left this earth. Steve's resignation is far from unexpected considering the fact that Steve has already been on a medical leave (the third, nonetheless) since January.<p>Sure, it's a sad day but hold off the obituaries for now. The man is not dead yet. And remember, his legacy is strong enough to endure for years after he's gone.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/steve-jobs-is-not-dead-yet">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/steve-jobs-is-not-dead-yet#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SU_EJg4BNbilf38dL23aDECX_bQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SU_EJg4BNbilf38dL23aDECX_bQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SU_EJg4BNbilf38dL23aDECX_bQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SU_EJg4BNbilf38dL23aDECX_bQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/P9auzvTrHpQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/steve-jobs-is-not-dead-yet Tue, 02 Aug 2011 06:10:00 -0700 The jogging documentary http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/m7oiPyujJU8/the-jogging-documentary http://antoniolopes.info/the-jogging-documentary <p> <p>There's something special when a music that has the same BPM (beats per minute) as my current running pace starts playing on the iPhone while I'm jogging. Especially, if it has a strong beat or rythim. It feels like a jolt of energy going through your body and it gives you that extra push for the next kilometre.</p> <p>Now imagine if at the same time a narration would kick in, by mr. Morgan Freeman (who else?), to make you feel as if you're inside your very own documentary with a text like: "The avid male jogger starts his journey early. He chooses his equipment wisely, he sets his ambitious goals and he plans his route to new territories as part of his self-discovery path. No cold rain, gusting wind or hot summer day will stop the jogger's epic journey to sculpt his body to please his female partner."</p> <p>It would be epic, indeed.</p> <p>I think I just got a great (and probably profitable) idea for an iPhone app. Now if I could only get in touch with mr. Morgan Freeman...</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/the-jogging-documentary">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/the-jogging-documentary#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/aFH5crfSyOI9qLhRM8G2OxAQ7KM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/aFH5crfSyOI9qLhRM8G2OxAQ7KM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/aFH5crfSyOI9qLhRM8G2OxAQ7KM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/aFH5crfSyOI9qLhRM8G2OxAQ7KM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/m7oiPyujJU8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/the-jogging-documentary Thu, 21 Jul 2011 04:58:00 -0700 To reverse or not to reverse, that is the question... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/KB9ExffE6iI/to-reverse-or-not-to-reverse-that-is-the-ques http://antoniolopes.info/to-reverse-or-not-to-reverse-that-is-the-ques <p> <p>About 4 months ago, <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/in-case-youre-still-doubting-the-future-of-co" target="_blank">I posted about Apple's decision to reverse scrolling in the new version of Mac OS X</a>. But now that Lion has been released, people are starting to complain a lot about this and contesting the decision. Well, if people read my blog they could have gotten used to the idea by installing and using <a href="http://blog.pilotmoon.com/post/4041089648/scroll-reverser-get-in-practice-for-lion" target="_blank">Scroll Reverser</a>, which I've done ever since I first knew about this decision.</p> <p>But the discussion is only natural considering that Apple has decided to change something that has been the standard for years. So, evidently, the question remains: why do it and why now?</p> <p><strong>Why do it?</strong></p> <p>Because our way of interacting with our devices is changing. I got used to the new scrolling direction quite quickly and oddly enough it felt natural. And then I realized it was because I also own an iPhone and an iPad and this is the natural way of scrolling with your fingers.</p> <p>Naturally, you may reply: "But the iPhone and the iPad have been around for awhile, so..."</p> <p><strong>...why now?</strong></p> <p>Up to now, people have been using the scrollbars to go up and down pages of information. In that sense, the traditional scrolling direction makes sense. But ever since the advent of more capable trackpads and Apple's introduction of two-finger scrolling, people started using the natural touch-based scrolling that defies the conventional scrolling direction.</p> <p>With the iPhone and the iPad, Apple introduced us to a more natural way of scrolling in the screen... the touch. Devices such as the magic mouse and the trackpad are slowly doing the same for laptop users. Which brings us to the new version of Mac OS X, which is nothing more than the first step in the ladder of <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/lion-ios5-merging-and-killing-the-competition" target="_blank">unifying Mac OS X and iOS</a>. The new <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/gestures.html" target="_blank">multi-gesture capabilities</a> introduced by Lion shows us that the touch-based interaction may very well be the future, which in turn leads to other changes such as the removal of the traditional scrollbars (except when you're actually scrolling) that are now less useful and allows to regain some screen space back.</p> <p>It's true that this is a change that will not be welcomed by a large part of Mac users, especially those that do not own Apple's touch-based devices. But I'm guessing Apple's decision will prevail and people will slowly understand that this is actually the way to go.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/to-reverse-or-not-to-reverse-that-is-the-ques">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/to-reverse-or-not-to-reverse-that-is-the-ques#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/71MK2Kpsg3qi4oQ7ACgDGPFIoLc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/71MK2Kpsg3qi4oQ7ACgDGPFIoLc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/71MK2Kpsg3qi4oQ7ACgDGPFIoLc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/71MK2Kpsg3qi4oQ7ACgDGPFIoLc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/KB9ExffE6iI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/to-reverse-or-not-to-reverse-that-is-the-ques Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:14:00 -0700 Retro-gaming on the iPad...kind of...! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/SfSC3Pt_dno/retro-gaming-on-the-ipadkind-of http://antoniolopes.info/retro-gaming-on-the-ipadkind-of <p> <p>Remember this?</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-14/ftDGnJaDyAptCmwqmqthmFcgHEjvDnjbyecxInfoDxdCwDDCpwkHxjdmmmeI/superoffroad.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Superoffroad" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-14/ftDGnJaDyAptCmwqmqthmFcgHEjvDnjbyecxInfoDxdCwDDCpwkHxjdmmmeI/superoffroad.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> This is a screenshot of (the very old) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Off_Road" target="_blank">Super Off Road</a>, commonly known as "Ironman", a game that I used to spend hours and hours playing on my MS-DOS computer.</p> <p>Well, if you liked this game and you have an iPad (or an iPhone), you'll love this one:</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Recklessracing" height="352" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-14/cBkHozCgrHwJpyrEavevwGAlhlwdHBJrejFrujgkHmsqCEhhmpfkdvcAuyog/recklessracing.png.scaled500.png" width="475" /> </div> This is <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/reckless-racing-hd/id386237505?mt=8" target="_blank">Reckless Racing HD for the iPad</a> and it brought me the feeling I used to have while playing Ironman: hours and hours of fun. It's basically the same kind of game where you command tiny cars on off-road tracks racing other tiny cars. But now, with cool graphics and sounds. I was lucky enough to buy it when EA was having a sale on several games and it cost me only $0.99. </p> <p>Highly recommended!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/retro-gaming-on-the-ipadkind-of">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/retro-gaming-on-the-ipadkind-of#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qtv4qQ-0x1Ex6ev-q_UNfpXouxY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qtv4qQ-0x1Ex6ev-q_UNfpXouxY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qtv4qQ-0x1Ex6ev-q_UNfpXouxY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/qtv4qQ-0x1Ex6ev-q_UNfpXouxY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/SfSC3Pt_dno" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/retro-gaming-on-the-ipadkind-of Tue, 05 Jul 2011 06:03:00 -0700 Oh this thing is fast http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/TyJejXOpuec/oh-this-thing-is-fast http://antoniolopes.info/oh-this-thing-is-fast <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/tonyvirtual/rDwwdnxhJqhcatzgmuCvozxdumIroghCmfthnjGxdzzjBiDyGtvGfmqygkdf/media_httpimagesinsta_Akzmt.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Media_httpimagesinsta_akzmt" height="500" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/tonyvirtual/rDwwdnxhJqhcatzgmuCvozxdumIroghCmfthnjGxdzzjBiDyGtvGfmqygkdf/media_httpimagesinsta_Akzmt.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p>For reference, read <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/warp-speed" target="_self">this</a>.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/oh-this-thing-is-fast">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/oh-this-thing-is-fast#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RGKL0A-DmRryZ44dHJ9g7Dcimt8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RGKL0A-DmRryZ44dHJ9g7Dcimt8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RGKL0A-DmRryZ44dHJ9g7Dcimt8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RGKL0A-DmRryZ44dHJ9g7Dcimt8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/TyJejXOpuec" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/oh-this-thing-is-fast Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:20:00 -0700 Macbook Warp speed http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/xHT7ejiOtI0/warp-speed http://antoniolopes.info/warp-speed <p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/look-how-fast-i-can-upgrade-the-ram-on-my-mac" target="_blank">I installed 4GB of RAM</a> on my <a href="http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook/stats/macbook-core-2-duo-2.26-white-13-polycarbonate-unibody-late-2009-specs.html" target="_blank">Macbook</a> 6 months or so ago and, although I noticed some improvement on its performance (especially on video editing tasks), it still was having some stupid slow-downs that can only be interpreted as the Macbook's "coffee break", where it simply stopped responding and presented me with the wonderfully hypnotic <a href="http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/sbbod.html" target="_blank">beachball of death</a>. Considering I still had a lot of RAM to spare and the CPU was usually very low during these breaks, there's only one more part to blame: the ridiculously slow 5400 RPM Hard Disk that comes bundled with these Macbooks.</p> <p>So, after being tired of hearing people saying how much faster their computers were after installing an SSD I decided to finally go for the jump. At first, after a friend suggested the <a href="http://www.anandtech.com/show/4010/kingston-ssdnow-v-plus-100-review" target="_blank">Kingston SSDNow V+ 100</a> I really considered buying it since it was so cheap at Amazon. However, after looking at these <a href="http://www.anandtech.com/show/4256/the-ocz-vertex-3-review-120gb/6" target="_blank">benchmarks</a> (thanks, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ptnik/statuses/77333399290908672" target="_blank">Carlos</a>), the OCZ Vertex series felt more like the best option.</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-06-17/FcugcisEdjxxmmDrcJFwdfBeCawuCrCdHkEafrGnFjripEHojftwJsJBysJx/Photo_13-06-11_16_53_49.jpeg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Photo_13-06-11_16_53_49" height="500" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-06-17/FcugcisEdjxxmmDrcJFwdfBeCawuCrCdHkEafrGnFjripEHojftwJsJBysJx/Photo_13-06-11_16_53_49.jpeg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Takes us to Warp 5, Mr. Sulu</span></strong></p> <p>I settled for the <a href="http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-vertex-2-sata-ii-2-5-ssd.html" target="_blank">OCZ Vertex 2</a><sup>(<a href="http://antoniolopes.info/warp-speed#f1">1</a>)</sup> on Amazon and after a simple installation and a clean install (which was long overdue) I was really amazed at the performance difference. It's not only the time it takes to boot<sup>(<a href="http://antoniolopes.info/warp-speed#f2">2</a>)</sup>, it's the (not so) little differences across the entire OS. Applications now open instantly. And you know that time it takes to open a folder on Finder that is not that long but it's long enough for you to notice that it's there? Well, now it isn't. Or how quicker Spotlight and <a href="http://www.alfredapp.com/" target="_blank">Alfred</a> are that you can actually call them productivity tools now? It's that amazing. Overall, it's a new world of responsiveness that makes you feel like you just bought a new computer.</p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Keeping your SSD healthy</span></strong></p> <p>However, not everything is perfect in the SSD world. You don't have to have crazy Google-fu skills to find a lot of people with SSD problems mainly due to their short lifespan (of the SSDs, not the people). So, if you're the lucky owner of a brand new SSD you may want to prevent (or at least, delay) those problems by taking some simple measures.</p> <p>First of all, activate TRIM support. Since native TRIM support will only come in Mac OS X Lion (due in July), the solution for now is to hack your way through that TRIM activation. Luckly, some guy has made the process as simple as to press a button, so, go grab the <a href="http://www.groths.org/?p=313" target="_blank">TRIM Support Enabler here</a>.</p> <p>Secondly, you'll want to reduce the amount of writes that are done to the disk, especially those superflous writes that may be useful for special features but are far from being vital. <a href="http://poller.se/2010/08/optimizing-mac-os-x-for-ssd-drives/" target="_blank">This post</a> is wonderful to guide you on some of those situations.</p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">In conclusion</span></strong></p> <p>Go for it! Really! It may be only a few months or a year before I have to buy a new SSD but this was definitely the best investment on any computer that I've made so far.</p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a name="f1">(1)</a> Before you ask why I didn't get the OCZ Vertex 3, consider that my Macbook HD Interface is only Serial ATA (3 Gb/s) and the only difference from the Vertex 2 is that the Vertex 3 is 6 Gb/s</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a name="f2">(2)</a> Which now is merely a 4 or 5 seconds boot. But, actually, to me this makes no difference since I only reboot my machine for update purposes.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/warp-speed">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/warp-speed#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sYJ_AGP7PTDlJQcKyEPhann-Hyc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sYJ_AGP7PTDlJQcKyEPhann-Hyc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sYJ_AGP7PTDlJQcKyEPhann-Hyc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sYJ_AGP7PTDlJQcKyEPhann-Hyc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/xHT7ejiOtI0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/warp-speed Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:13:00 -0700 The "next-generation" digital book is very disappointing http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/ur-ZRJRvnUE/the-next-generation-digital-book-is-very-disa http://antoniolopes.info/the-next-generation-digital-book-is-very-disa <p> <p><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-06-15/eAjwDngpjakoJHqdziDiCIqBFECtnrJCubvyybrxlyiwwmAzBiJahvBHuzep/ourchoice.png" height="150" align="left" alt="" width="150" /></p> <p>Having heard about the availability of Al Gore's latest book "<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/our-choice/id432753658?mt=8" target="_blank">Our Choice</a>" as an iPad app, I decided to give it a try and see what this <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_matas.html" target="_blank">next-generation digital book</a> was all about. About the content of the book, a review will be available soon in one of my "<a href="http://antoniolopes.info/what-ive-been-reading-vol-iii" target="_blank">What I've been reading</a>" bits.</p> <p>Regarding the book format, I have to say I was skeptic about the fact they decided to use an app format instead of the iBook format (that already allows for the use of some rich content), but I remained curious considering an app format has the advantage of not constraining the way the content is delivered.</p> <p>However, after reading the book I was very disappointed because, except for a few of the multimedia elements, it fails at too many levels to justify this kind of format:</p> <ul> <li>No portrait mode. For many people (especially Kindle users), this is simply unacceptable;</li> <li>No clear way of assessing the reading progress. There are no page numbers, no reference to the current chapter and no table of contents. The book is sequential and doesn't allow simple random access. That's the most basic feature of books!</li> <li>No customization whatsoever. You can't choose font type, size or color (including for background). No brightness controls too;</li> <li>Multimedia components do not follow iOS' best practices. For example, there's no way to control sound or video playback or volume. If something wasn't clear at first, you have to wait until the video finishes to play it again and listen to the whole thing again;</li> <li>Some of the controls are not intuitive, which forces the reader to learn yet another set of gestures.</li> </ul> <p>It's just sad that people keep reinventing the wheel when we should have had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Back_to_the_future_part_II_Poster_B.jpg" target="_blank">Flying Deloreans</a> by now.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/the-next-generation-digital-book-is-very-disa">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/the-next-generation-digital-book-is-very-disa#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/eY-7BZslvJjUc-GYhmJgjAMrABs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/eY-7BZslvJjUc-GYhmJgjAMrABs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/eY-7BZslvJjUc-GYhmJgjAMrABs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/eY-7BZslvJjUc-GYhmJgjAMrABs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/ur-ZRJRvnUE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/the-next-generation-digital-book-is-very-disa Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:20:00 -0700 Lion & iOS5: Merging and killing the competition? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/Ot4GtYNUzpU/lion-ios5-merging-and-killing-the-competition http://antoniolopes.info/lion-ios5-merging-and-killing-the-competition <p> <p>As many Apple fans out there, I followed the news at the <a href="http://www.apple.com/apple-events/wwdc-2011/" target="_blank">WWDC keynote</a> yesterday. I was quite pleased with the amount of new features both on Lion and iOS5 but what really caught my eye was the way Lion and iOS are starting to walk towards a unified operating system for all Apple devices. And in doing so, they are filling out the holes that were previously occupied with third-party apps that will now have to rethink their future.</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>One OS to rule them all</strong></span></p> <p>Both Mac OS X and iOS are walking towards each other in the sense they keep borrowing features from each other, but between Lion and iOS5, I'd say Lion is the one taking the biggest leap.</p> <p>Let's start with <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/gestures.html" target="_blank">Multi-touch gestures</a>. This has an impact on the way people browse in Safari or iPhoto, all to make it look and feel more like if you're working on an iPad. Consider even the subtle change of <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/in-case-youre-still-doubting-the-future-of-co" target="_blank">reverse scrolling</a> in Lion.</p> <p>Then there's <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/full-screen.html" target="_blank">Full-screen</a>. Let's not waste any display real estate, exactly like you have on the iPad or the iPhone. It actually makes a lot of sense, especially in smaller displays like in the Macbook Air or my white unibody Macbook.</p> <p>The new version of <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/mail.html" target="_blank">Mail</a> looks really familiar, doesn't it? That's because it is almost the same as in the iPad!</p> <p>And if you still need more proof, check out <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/launchpad.html" target="_blank">Launchpad</a>:</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-06-07/IegsiipwcaAExaGDcGfsxJywCfsipEudcqBeiFDrxtodgntozzjdvqeJIAxn/launchpad.png.scaled1000.png"><img alt="Launchpad" height="288" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-06-07/IegsiipwcaAExaGDcGfsxJywCfsipEudcqBeiFDrxtodgntozzjdvqeJIAxn/launchpad.png.scaled500.png" width="500" /></a> </div> I rest my case!</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>More Apple, less third-party apps</strong></span></p> <p>Another thing that really surprised me in yesterday's keynote was the way Apple seemed to be launching new features that were fulfilling most of their users' desires. Apple is known for their innovative features but it is also known for not launching simple features like MMS or copy-paste on the first iPhone (when the competition had already done it 4 or so years ago) or the simple fact that we still don't have SMS receipts on the current version of iOS. Yesterday was different. They sounded a lot like a company that was actually listening to their users and decided to act upon it by presenting some interesting features that aim at filling out some holes in the current version of iOS and Mac OS X.</p> <p>But Apple's faults on missing features are third-party developers' opportunities. And if they have been taking advantage of those missing features by creating great apps (and gaining some money in the process), now they'll have to rethink their future.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.apple.com/ios/ios5/features.html#imessage" target="_blank">iMessage</a> vs. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pingchat-2/id371769677?mt=8" target="_blank">PingChat</a> (and a bunch others)</strong></p> <p>I've been using PingChat to exchange SMS and MMS-like messages (with reading receipt) with family and friends and it works great. But now Apple is launching their own version of this kind of apps. And I bet the integration with the rest of iOS is much more subtler than in PingChat, so... guess which one I'll be using in the future? :)</p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.apple.com/ios/ios5/features.html#reminders" target="_blank">Reminders</a> vs. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/app/2do-tasks-done-in-style/id303656546?mt=8" target="_blank">2Do</a> (and a bunch others)</strong></p> <p>This is one of those things that Apple haters love to point out: why doesn't iOS include a simple way to sync ToDos with the Mac? This is 2011 and I still have to use apps like 2Do to manage my tasks between iCal and the iPhone/iPad. Finally, Apple has come to its senses and is now releasing the Reminders app that I hope will finally make my life easier on this end. 2Do is great and all but it still creates some (really hard to manage) conflicts when it comes to sync tasks between 3 different devices. I'd much more rather use an elegant Apple solution, which I hope Reminders will be.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.apple.com/ios/ios5/features.html#safari" target="_blank">Safari (with Reader and Reading List)</a> vs. <a href="http://www.instapaper.com/" target="_blank">Instapaper</a></strong></p> <p>The only downside I see on this Instapaper-clone of the new Safari on iOS is the fact that it will only work on Safari and since I use Chrome on the Mac, I'm not quite sure I'll stop using Instapaper. If only Apple would release the API for Reading List... (pretty please, with cherry on top?).</p> <p><strong>AirDrop + <a href="http://www.apple.com/icloud/" target="_blank">iCloud</a> vs. <a href="http://db.tt/p8WqI0A" target="_blank">Dropbox</a></strong></p> <p>Don't start your flame-throwers just yet, I don't really think that the AirDrop and iCloud combination will make me stop use Dropbox altogether. But I'd say Apple's getting there and if they do it the right way in the future, I'd say Dropbox will lose a great chunk of Apple users.</p> <p><strong>Oh, and Wi-Fi Sync (vs. jailbreaking alternatives)</strong></p> <p>Finally! No more USB-based syncing!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/lion-ios5-merging-and-killing-the-competition">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/lion-ios5-merging-and-killing-the-competition#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OquDNFxJY7Bi6n3DX5-fVmSZKCE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OquDNFxJY7Bi6n3DX5-fVmSZKCE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OquDNFxJY7Bi6n3DX5-fVmSZKCE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OquDNFxJY7Bi6n3DX5-fVmSZKCE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/Ot4GtYNUzpU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/lion-ios5-merging-and-killing-the-competition Tue, 24 May 2011 01:53:00 -0700 i3D - An app to turn your iOS device into a glasses-free 3D-ish display http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/F07-NT7YC1Q/i3d-an-app-to-turn-your-ios-device-into-a-gla http://antoniolopes.info/i3d-an-app-to-turn-your-ios-device-into-a-gla <p> <p><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/i3d/id434844658?mt=8" target="_blank">i3D</a> is an app that tracks your head movement through the front-facing camera of iOS devices (which means it will only work on the iPad2, the iPhone4 and the last generation iPod Touch) and uses that info to manipulate the objects on the screen to make it look like actual 3D, without the need for any kind of glasses.</p> <p>The app is still a bit buggy but it can definitely make you wonder about the potential for such a technology. The app is free, so <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/i3d/id434844658?mt=8" target="_blank">go get it now</a> and enjoy. Here's a quick video of me trying it out on my iPad2:</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_video_embed'> <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/i3d-an-app-to-turn-your-ios-device-into-a-gla"><img alt="" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/video.posterous.com/temp-2011-05-24/AfhdDJheusayxlhgxzippeEHigiHpIbcBleajfdcwIEAaHBceyDnjjljbyJj/frame_0000.png" /></a> <div class='p_embed_description'> <strong>IMG_2353.MOV</strong> <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/i3d-an-app-to-turn-your-ios-device-into-a-gla">Watch on Posterous</a> </div> </div> </p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/i3d-app-brings-glasses-free-3d-to-ios-tracks-your-gaze-like-a-c/" target="_blank">Source</a></span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/i3d-an-app-to-turn-your-ios-device-into-a-gla">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/i3d-an-app-to-turn-your-ios-device-into-a-gla#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QhjKzgWte7Y1tG7ayX-XOTIuExE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QhjKzgWte7Y1tG7ayX-XOTIuExE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QhjKzgWte7Y1tG7ayX-XOTIuExE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QhjKzgWte7Y1tG7ayX-XOTIuExE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/F07-NT7YC1Q" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/i3d-an-app-to-turn-your-ios-device-into-a-gla Wed, 20 Apr 2011 01:28:00 -0700 A 3D scanner iPhone app! Seriously, what are they going to come up with next? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/UgjtKsUnQRA/a-3d-scanner-iphone-app-seriously-what-are-th http://antoniolopes.info/a-3d-scanner-iphone-app-seriously-what-are-th <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object name="VIDpreview2993" data="http://cdn.physorg.com/tmpl/v3/mediaplayer/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="375" width="500" style="display: block !important;"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="flashvars" value="netstreambasepath=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.physorg.com%2Fnews%2F2011-04-scientist-d-scanner-iphone-app.html&id=VIDpreview2993&className=centered&skin=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.physorg.com%2Ftmpl%2Fv3%2Fmediaplayer%2Fskins%2Fbekle.swf&image=&plugins=gapro-h&allowscriptaccess=always&logo=%5Bobject%20Object%5D&file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Da3IQcF2jO8k&gapro.accountid=UA-73855-14&gapro.idstring=VID%3A%202993&gapro.pluginmode=FLASH&controlbar.position=over" /></object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-04-scientist-d-scanner-iphone-app.html">physorg.com</a></div> <p>This idea is just as simple as it is amazing!</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/a-3d-scanner-iphone-app-seriously-what-are-th">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/a-3d-scanner-iphone-app-seriously-what-are-th#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/J4vVfRBYiNBmUVaSTYev4bdk-Bo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/J4vVfRBYiNBmUVaSTYev4bdk-Bo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/J4vVfRBYiNBmUVaSTYev4bdk-Bo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/J4vVfRBYiNBmUVaSTYev4bdk-Bo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/UgjtKsUnQRA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/a-3d-scanner-iphone-app-seriously-what-are-th Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:27:00 -0700 iPhone 4: kicking point & shooters' ass http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/themacnewbie/~3/xV_SSbb5H6s/iphone-4-kicking-point-shooters-ass http://antoniolopes.info/iphone-4-kicking-point-shooters-ass <p> <p>Look at this interesting <a href="http://www.flickr.com/cameras/" target="_blank">graph from Flickr</a> showing the popularity evolution of several different cameras:</p> <p><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-04-18/eDdimsBdrsEwwaejJwCnFEpjmoznGimCvhtkpnheIAqvkcqCDmHEchGHdtzm/flickr1.png" alt="" /></p> <p>Looking at this might make you wonder: "Sure, the iPhone keeps getting more popular but it doesn't seem to be affecting all the other cameras as their use is more or less the same thougout the entire time".</p> <p>Now look at this graph showing the popularity of Point & Shoot cameras (you know, those small ones people carry around in their pockets and bags):</p> <p><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-04-18/jDClolHknstCsFFGagelaCypigcfsJJdgbqFietFnsEfFpyweErlnvvJgpHl/flickr2.png" alt="" /></p> <p>'nuff said!</p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/17/iphone-4-camera/" target="_blank">Source</a>)</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://antoniolopes.info/iphone-4-kicking-point-shooters-ass">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://antoniolopes.info/iphone-4-kicking-point-shooters-ass#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2IcnwOmKioSl8QiSOg4qNuJg1WA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2IcnwOmKioSl8QiSOg4qNuJg1WA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2IcnwOmKioSl8QiSOg4qNuJg1WA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2IcnwOmKioSl8QiSOg4qNuJg1WA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/themacnewbie/~4/xV_SSbb5H6s" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/670262/escocia0363.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4aqg5aeWkvqp António Lopes tonyvirtual António Lopes http://antoniolopes.info/iphone-4-kicking-point-shooters-ass