mendax.org » design http://mendax.org WyldKard's mental brouhaha. est. 1996 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:40:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 What new Flash content? http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F08%2F31%2Fwhat-new-flash-content%2F&seed_title=What+new+Flash+content%3F http://mendax.org/2010/08/31/what-new-flash-content/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:40:46 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=2125

We wonder what sites Dave Winer visits when he argues that ’s boycott of Flash for its devices isn’t working.

I see new Flash content several times every day when I catch up on the news with my .

What Flash-heavy news sites is Dave visiting, because we don’t see them. Before the was released, we’d routinely see video embeds in RSS feeds that were Flash-based, but most of these have now been replaced or supplemented with HTML5-compatible versions. In fact, other than Flash video, what new Flash content is being created on anything other than a fashion/designer web page? Most web-savvy companies have moved on, or at the very least, now offer non-Flash versions of their sites.

Winer’s claim is akin to the argument that Barack Obama is a muslim – outlandish claims not backed by facts. We suppose, if someone sought out Flash-heavy news sites, one could find them, but why try to skew the big picture? Sites that only offer Flash content nowadays are effectively cutting out their mobile audience, considering that most Android devices don’t even support Flash yet. So any site that cares about readership (i.e. a good news site) isn’t throwing Flash in your face. And really, it’s not even about just mobile readership anymore, as more and more people are using devices like the at home.

When the was released, there were those who refused to buy it based on its lack of Flash support (or at least so they claimed). But those voices are dying, and the longer it takes for a proper competitor to reach the market, the more companies are foolish for not offering HTML5-compliant content. And no one’s going to support Flash long-term if HTML5 works for a broader audience, despite the fact that Flash was a preferred tool for many developers in years past. If that were the case, developers would still be writing code in FORTRAN.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/08/31/what-new-flash-content/feed/ 0 Still no iOS app data backup in iTunes? http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F06%2F30%2Fstill-no-ios-app-data-backup-in-itunes%2F&seed_title=Still+no+iOS+app+data+backup+in+iTunes%3F http://mendax.org/2010/06/30/still-no-ios-app-data-backup-in-itunes/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:09:46 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=2065

We’ve now seen four generations of iPhones, have witnessed iterations of the Touch, and seen the birth of the largest device, the . And, of course, we’ve seen numerous versions of iTunes supporting the various releases, with app management advances such as folders and the ability to import files like PDFs from iTunes itself. But yet somehow, despite all these advances, we’re still without core app management functionality like off-device data backup.

In other words, when we install an app on one of our iDevices, we can backup related data when we sync the iDevice with iTunes. In the even that our iDevice gets lost, breaks, or has some sort of upgrade problem, we can always restore from our backup to not only get our apps back, but the respective data for those apps also. This means we don’t lose our app configurations, game backups, et al.

However, if we delete a particular app from our iDevice, even if we’ve synced the iDevice with iTunes in the past, any data associated with the deleted app is not only removed from the iDevice, but from iTunes as well. Thus, if we delete, say, a game, we lose all our associated achievements, and if we ever reinstall that game onto an iDevice in the future, we have to start from scratch. How is this good ?

One of two things should happen when one deletes an app from an iDevice:

  1. If the iDevice was not synced with that app on it before, the user should be prompted with a message saying that deleting the app means losing all associated data too, unless the user first syncs the iDevice to iTunes before deleting the app.
  2. The user should be prompted as to whether they wish to delete the app and its associated data, or just the app. If the latter is chosen, the next time the iDevice syncs with iTunes, it off-loads deleted app data that is still resident, and only deletes it once it’s been copied to iTunes.

Users should then be able to manage associated app data from within iTunes. This doesn’t mean they should be permitted to edit that data, but choose whether to keep it or simply delete it (assuming they never want to use the app again, else start with a fresh install).

Right now, too many issues still present themselves with iDevices not to have app data persistent somewhere, regardless of whether an app is maintained on a given iDevice. Just this past weekend, when we had to bring in our 3GS because it entered a restore-cycle, and ultimately handed a new 3GS, we were advised to set up the as a new device, and not restore from a previous backup. Getting our mail, calendars, and contacts back were a non-issue thanks to Mobile Me, but everything else was a hassle. We can deal with moving icons around to once again set up our interface like we want it, but getting every app set up again is a pain, and in the case of apps that don’t themselves backup to the cloud (like games), losing all associated data is unacceptable. Do we really need to wait much longer for this problem to be properly addressed by ?

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/06/30/still-no-ios-app-data-backup-in-itunes/feed/ 0 The iPad should interface with the iPhone directly. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F03%2F29%2Fthe-ipad-should-interface-with-the-iphone-directly%2F&seed_title=The+iPad+should+interface+with+the+iPhone+directly. http://mendax.org/2010/03/29/the-ipad-should-interface-with-the-iphone-directly/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:15:53 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1990

As we checked out ’s latest guided tours for the , it occurred to us that since the is capable of grabbing photos off digital cameras and memory sticks thanks to the Camera Connection Kit, it should also be able to grab photos from an without having to rely on an intermediary computer. After all, some people’s digital camera is an , and they should be able to transfer pictures to the just as easily as everyone else can.

Yet as we watched these guided tours, we also realized that the ’s Photos app, as cool as it is, doesn’t seem able to do a lot of other things we’d want, such as the ability to tag faces, perform basic editing functions, et al. In other words, the Photos app isn’t mobile replacement for iPhoto as much as it is a way to simply view photos on the go. And that’s a shame, because the shouldn’t be a second (or third) mobile device in one’s bag, but a non-pro notebook replacement.

seems somewhat unsure of just how to market the with this philosophy in mind. For example, while the Photos app seems to suggest that users stick with iPhoto for tagging and editing, they’re told that the versions of the iWork suite are perfect mobile replacements for their normal OS X counterparts. Why the inconsistency?

Productivity-wise, it’s even a bigger shame, because we generally have more time when traveling to address tasks such as tagging, album management, etc, than when we’re at home or at work. The reality is that such photo organization simply doesn’t happen for us unless we’re on the road, and for the immediate future, that means we’d rely on the for these types of tasks. To even argue that an expanded Photos app, with these features present, would somehow threaten iLife sales is laughable, and yet is holding off on adding (or revealing?) such features. Might they release an AppStore-distributed mobile iPhoto app for more money?

Understandably, relying on the normal OS X version of iTunes for synchronizing things likes movies may make sense to a degree (though not for movies taken with an ), but for smaller files, such as music purchased through the iTunes store, users should be able to synchronize the directly with an , else the iTunes store should be changed to allow users to re-download material they’ve already purchased. The AppStore already allows this, but iTunes media seems to be an obstacle for this happening with multimedia.

So unless releases a dock-to-dock connector for synchronizing two mobile OS X devices, we may have to hold out for a media-in-the-cloud solution from , else the long-sought-after wireless synchronization feature people have called for since the ’s debut.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/03/29/the-ipad-should-interface-with-the-iphone-directly/feed/ 0 A Five Fingers journal. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F03%2F19%2Fa-five-fingers-journal%2F&seed_title=A+Five+Fingers+journal. http://mendax.org/2010/03/19/a-five-fingers-journal/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:02:17 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1969

We randomly came across mention of Vibram Five Fingers over at the Mnmlist blog, where author Leo bought a pair despite his “less stuff” philosophy. Curiosity piqued, we had to check them out, and so we started to do our research on the Five Fingers, and the barefoot philosophy that’s earned a very strong niche following.

Background.

It turns out, our feet evolved into one of our most complex skeletal features for a reason. With so many bones and joints, our feet are designed to be incredibly adaptable to terrain changes, aided in part by the feedback our brains get when the terrain beneath us changes form (causing us to shift our posture, gait, stride, etc). In addition to our physical endurance, this evolution allowed humans to become persistence hunters, in which we effectively ran our prey to their deaths. And, we were able to do this despite the fact that we did not strap hooves to our feet.

That all changed when aesthetic variables came into play in the western world. Earlier generations wore leather footwear roughly equivalent to what we think of as a moccasin. This provided our feet with basic protection, but apparently not enough visual appeal. So, Europeans added impractical heels to our footwear, which required a thicker, less flexible sole. The result was an arguably more appealing figure, complete with the curves and stance still present in modern fashion. Of course, this change also resulted in footwear that cut off much of the tactile feedback our brains got from our feet feeling the ground beneath us. Furthermore, with more rigid soles and heels, we began walking “heel-first,” and rolling our feet to our toes before kicking off. This was a far cry from earlier days, when the balls or middle of our feet hit the ground first, and our toes sprung our next kick forward.

Interestingly, you can see the difference between walking with shoes and walking barefoot immediately. Even if it’s the same person. Try it out yourself and pay attention.

Some studies show that the thicker a shoe’s heel/sole, the harder a wearer slams their heel into the ground when walking, as though the brain is subconsciously trying to get the feedback it desires. This heel-slamming that we do in modern society, it damages our knees and joints, because it’s not how our bodies were designed to take shocks. Similarly, changes in posture, resulting from modern shoes, provide other problems as well, such as shin splints, back pain, and the aforementioned knee problems. All because shoes themselves, courtesy of thick soles, aren’t good for our bodies.

The shoe industry, of course, has adopted. It puts a band-aid on some of our problems by adding more cushion, or curving the toes up to make up for the lack of spring our toes would naturally provide. They add “pumps,” soles that flair out, arch support, and a whole slew of other changes (not to mention aesthetic ones), but few companies look to actually alleviate the health problems modern footwear has produced by directly tackling the underlying issues.

Vibram is a company that’s actually looking to address the core problem. They, and other companies, believe in producing shoes with very thin soles, allowing our brains to get far more tactile feedback than with conventional footwear. Most companies like this still opt for close-toed shoes that still benefit somewhat from additional toe movement, but Vibram took things to another level with their Five Fingers line.

Five Fingers are gloves for feet. They provide a thin Vibram sole and pockets for individual toes. This allows a wearer’s toes to move independently and provide natural spring to a run, and because the wearer can utilize their toes more naturally, and their feet too, stability and agility are enhanced accordingly. Vibram’s idea was to give people the barefoot advantage and still provide some level of protection, and judging from the many reviews out there, Vibram has succeeded stunningly with their Five Fingers line.

Models, and sizing.

When we decided to pull the trigger on a Five Fingers shoe, we first had to determine what model we wanted. The main factor in our decision was that we wanted a jack-of-all-trades shoe for daily use. We would still be wearing dress shoes to the office, but when at home, or working out, we wanted a shoe that would work just as well around town as it did running on pavement or going on light hikes. For us, this meant a shoe that was closed on top, and that eliminated three models from the get-go (Classic, Moc, and Sprint). One of three remaining models was ideal for watersports (Flow), but not necessarily for land sports, and one model (KSO Trek) came with a somewhat thicker sole offering better traction for more robust hiking. The “do-all” model that, perhaps, wasn’t overly specialized, was the KSO.

While REI carries the Five Fingers, their selection varies from store to store. Some stores, in fact, don’t carry them at all, and those that do have stocking issues because supply isn’t currently meeting demand. The KSOs and Treks require a size-down adjustment from the other models, so while our local REI didn’t have the KSOs in our size, we were able to try on three sizes in the Classics and Sprints. By the time we left the store, we figured we’d be a 40 in the KSOs, and immediately got online to place an order. Of course, by the time our order arrived, we were dismayed to find that the shoe was too small. It turns out that the black/black KSOs run small, so we returned our 40s and placed another order.

The 41s we received were quite snug. Arguably, we could have gone up another size, and we’re fairly confident that a 41 would be perfect in any other colour or model. Still, the 41s in KSO black/black didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. So, we took them for a spin.

Day one.

Because of the toe pockets, and that our toes are used to being scrunched up somewhat in traditional shoes, getting the KSOs on took a couple minutes. It’s not difficult, but it still takes a little patience to get the smaller toes lined up correctly. In our case, it was the little toe that didn’t naturally slide into its own pocket right away, and instead curled towards its neighbor for safety.

Walking around the house felt good, like some odd combination of socks and slippers. Stepping outside where it was around 50 degrees out, our feet immediately felt the chill. The mesh on top of the shoes doesn’t do much for keeping wind out, and though our long bootcut jeans may have helped a little, it wasn’t enough. With certainty, we can say that we felt the ground better, but we obviously didn’t notice small gravel on the sidewalks. It wasn’t until we stepped on a rock about the size of a marble that we felt uncomfortable pressure, which we would have just rolled over without much thought in our other shoes.

Back to the jeans, the thin sole of the KSOs obviously reduces our height somewhat. In hiking boots, which we’re used to wearing, our jeans are the perfect length, but with most casual shoes, the edge of the back can drag on the ground. Similarly, with the KSOs, our jeans end up getting dirty because the back bottom either ends up dragging on the ground, else is outright stepped on. Without buying a new pair or becoming a seamstress, we figure we can just deal with it, else maybe cut a small slit in the back so the bottom flays out a bit more. Either way, future jeans purchases will take this into account.

A quick trip through town proved that the KSOs were comfortable. We were concerned with the snugness of the fit more than once, not because there was any discomfort, but out of buyer’s paranoia. In fact, our toes had great movement through the shoes despite that two toes on each foot were pretty much touching the end of their respective toe pockets. If anything, the feel of the wind, that we could spread our toes, and the thin sole, pretty much made our feet feel like they were barefoot, or at least close to it. But how would they hold up running?

We decided to go for a jog with our dog, and ended up doing a couple sprints along what amounted to approximately 16 blocks. It quickly became obvious that running on pavement and landing on the balls of one’s feet isn’t exactly super-comfortable. That is to say, impact to this area of the foot isn’t something we were used to while running. It didn’t hurt, but we half expected to bruise this area of the foot if we continued on. Beyond this expectation, however, our feet felt fine, and we naturally avoided landing with our heels. Indeed, it may simply have been a placebo of sorts, but we felt like we could spring forward from a stride much easier now that our toes we free from their typical footwear cages.

Stability-wise, our short jaunt felt good. So good, in fact, that we felt tempted to jump up on low walls like a newbie ninja-in-training. There’s a reason people don’t tend to roll their ankles when barefoot, and that stability is offered by the Five Fingers without question. It’ll probably take a while to acclimate our bodies to barefoot movement overall, but at slower speeds, the transition is automatic, if only because we’re used to moving around barefoot slowly. At speed is in another issue, because it’s rare that we run around barefoot, so it’s no surprise that when we enter speed-walking or running mode, that we tend to drop our heels into the ground pretty heavily.

By the end of our little jog, we noticed that our feet had warmed up considerably, and that they felt pretty cozy by the time we returned home. Given the temperature outside, we estimate that it’d be pretty comfortable running in these shoes most of the year on the east coast.

The next three days.

When we woke up the following morning, we definitely noticed soreness in our calves. Reports from other new Five Fingers users noted this pain, but we casually dismissed it. But no, it’s true: the muscles designed to stabilize our feet while moving barefoot atrophy in most individuals because they’re simply not used much thanks to modern footwear. In our case, our calves felt about what we expect them to the day after working them out at the gym, only in this situation, we didn’t intend to work them out specifically, and didn’t notice much stress on them in our very short run the day earlier.

With limited time to work out the next couple days, we simply managed to go on short walks after work in our Five Fingers, dog in tow. Nothing particularly notable about these walks other than an adjustment in gait to compensate for the heel-striking in our normal, long stride. We’ll add, though, that we naturally began to prefer walking on grass or dirt than pavement, because it feels so much better. In normal shoes, we like the idea of walking off pavement, but stability-wise, pavement feels better. In Five Fingers, walking off-road is simply a better experience all-around.

That said, hanging out in the dog park, which at this time of year is a little muddy, tended to make the bottom of our feet cold when we weren’t moving much. Just throwing a ball around with minimal movement around the field definitely impacted foot comfort, as our feet would have been more comfortable at least wearing socks. Given that our KSOs are already very snug, we’ll likely rule out socks unless we later decide to get a slightly roomier pair of Five Fingers. We’ll still wear our KSOs in these situations, but when autumn sheds into winter later in the year, we’ll obviously have to make a decision as to what to do.

On our last walk in the Five Fingers over the three day period owning the KSOs, we walked over an old cobblestone street, which made us realize the implications of barefoot movement. Modern society, or in this case recent , clearly dictated adjustments to footwear even beyond aesthetic considerations. Using the cobblestone street as an example, moving across the man-made pathway in our KSOs was about as uncomfortable as driving a car down the same stretch. While the walk was fine when we carefully chose our footing for each step, moving from stone-top to stone-top, a blind walk down the street simply wasn’t comfortable.

We’d be happy to hear that this was only because we’re not used to the feeling, and that our feet will toughen up to this type of terrain over time, but given the experience, we reckon we’d sooner avoid these types of streets in the future. Picturing us distracted where our gaze isn’t on the stones in front of us, we can only imagine a painful outcome to a run down this same street. That said, after returning home, the Five Fingers remained on our feet, where they felt super-comfortable just hanging out. We can definitely see replacing our slippers with a pair of Mocs in the future.

By day three, only a slight soreness in our calves remain. This weekend, we’ll opt for more activity in our KSOs, as we intend to wear them all weekend long. We’ll continue to comment on the experience as time goes on, and if there is reader interest.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/03/19/a-five-fingers-journal/feed/ 3 The iPad is the volkscomputer. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F02%2F24%2Fthe-ipad-is-the-volkscomputer%2F&seed_title=The+iPad+is+the+volkscomputer. http://mendax.org/2010/02/24/the-ipad-is-the-volkscomputer/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:00:13 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1950

We love this quote by Ed Finkler, which we spied over at Daring Fireball:

When folks need an elevator, we should give them an elevator, not an airplane. We’ve been giving them airplanes for 30 years, and then laughing at them for being too stupid to fly them right.

Finkler pretty much identifies what’s so great about the . Not necessarily for power users, but for the non-computer nerds out there (i.e. 99% of the populace). An interesting thing we noticed is that most people ( fans and otherwise) weren’t particularly enthralled by the when it was officially announced last month, but many have warmed to the idea since, despite the fact that hasn’t revealed anything further on the device.

The is already being called a “task-oriented” device, rather than what most are today: complex, prone to user-induced slow-down, and a great method to run multiple tasks at once. The benefit to this latter factor, however, remains questionable, and it’s certainly not a stipulation that 99% of the population needs.

The “old way” of thinking, insofar as computer development goes, is to build upon what’s already been done. Look at Microsoft: how many iterations of DOS were there before Windows, and how long did it take before Windows 95 stood on its own with DOS as a secondary consideration? And even though a windowing system made more sense to the average computer user, it wasn’t necessarily less complicated, because the underlying system was still exposed to a degree. Even OS X, which we consider the most usable desktop OS for the non-nerd isn’t entirely sensible out-of-box. For instance, we haven’t met a new OS X user yet who understands without our mention that closing a window in OS X doesn’t close the program. It’s not just as case of “Fuck, multitasking is hard,” nor one of simply staying attuned to visual indicators on the dock that a given applications, even sans windows, is still resident in memory. It’s an issue of multitasking (that is, at the user level) being mostly unnecessary in the first place. So why burden the user with cleaning up finite memory space, when all they want to do is write a letter while listening to some music in the background?

Why’d become the platform of choice when PC offered better opportunities well before, say, first person shooters (FPS) ever grabbed the public’s attention? How many now-legendary FPS traveled through gamers’ hard drives before Goldeneye became a flashing success on the Nintendo 64? PC didn’t catch on because it was difficult, not in the gameplay sense, but in the setup sense. Under DOS, it wasn’t just a matter of installing a game, it was a matter of wrangling enough free memory to play it. For those of who who can’t remember tweaking the shit out of config.sys and autoexec.bat, you have no idea what lengths gamers will go through just to play the awesomest title ever. Messing with those two files became an art, one that’s now lost to time.

The point is, when it comes to , you pop a disc or cartridge into the console, and can start only moments later. When it comes to mundane computer tasks like laying out some pictures to send as a homemade Christmas card, users shouldn’t have to jump through a half-dozen screens just to install a new program after coming home from the computer store. Nor should they have to worry that once they’re done, they’ve left something running that will slow their computer to a crawl days later, because it ends up being one of ten things they didn’t realize stayed running in the background.

The is simple. All apps come from one place, and that place doesn’t require any physical travel. There’s no messing with a file system hierarchy, and when you leave a program, it’s closed down or simply doesn’t affect other tasks in the background. It’s not only simple, but straightforward.

A machine for everyone.

We’ve said before that the should serve most computer users admirably, without the need for another computer. Truth is, it’s not just grandma and grandpa who could benefit from the . If you think about it, most college students can do everything they need to with an also. The only stipulation are those who study and need more oomph, like Computer Science majors who need a platform they can develop on. For everyone else, the only potential obstacle is specialized , but with the power behind the A4, we’d argue that most specialized applications could probably be ported to the without issue. How long before CAD programs, analytical , etc makes it onto the AppStore? Sure, there will always be a small segment of the computer-using populace that will have to rely on an incredibly specific package that the respective developer refuses to port, but with accessibility the AppStore offers, and the support provides for an external keyboard, the sky is ultimately the limit for most programs.

While some applications will still shine brighter if they can be run on systems with larger screen sizes, this too isn’t necessarily an issue: an A/V cable may provide video-out for just these types of applications. For everyone else, including those who currently rely on 13″ screens for daily work, the is already capable of serving as a lightweight workhorse. And for those that do need more powerful machines, there’s always the local school lab, office computer, etc.

If the proves itself successful (and we think it will), it’s only a matter of time before the / platform is expanded to devices with larger screens. For all we know, the heralded the birth of a new computer interface altogether, and it may not be more than a couple years before ’s primary computer lineup looks more like the , and less like a Macbook.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/02/24/the-ipad-is-the-volkscomputer/feed/ 0 Transitioning to an iPad workflow. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F02%2F23%2Ftransitioning-to-an-ipad-workflow%2F&seed_title=Transitioning+to+an+iPad+workflow. http://mendax.org/2010/02/23/transitioning-to-an-ipad-workflow/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:37:38 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1946

We’ve long complained about toting our 17″ MacBook Pro around when we travel. The purchase was solid when we wanted a top-performing mobile Mac for , with the occasional trip requiring relative transportability. Since we’re traveling more and less these days, the bulk of lapzilla has caused us to look for a replacement, and we held off on picking up a used MacBook Air, or a newer (and smaller) MacBook, because we expected the to show up soon. And now that it has, we’ve made some definitive decisions on how we intend to handle our computing workflow.

Unfortunately, the can’t replace our MacBook Pro by itself. Still, for most computing tasks, the seems to fit the bill. Like the , it has all the makings of a good internet client for most tasks. With a larger screen and the likelihood that other internet apps (e.g. chat clients) will be ported to make use of it, surfing the digital waves shouldn’t be a problem, save for multitasking restrictions which many people expect to be relieved in a future OS version (4.0?). What’s left is some method to write, and with a $10 version of Pages designed specifically for the , this base also appears to be covered. This means that other text editors will undoubtedly show up on the in the future (ad be useable!), to include those with syntax highlighting for developers, as well as those designed for creative writers (like our favorite, Ulysses).

With text editing and internet use out of the way, we’re left with a couple tasks that the can’t do on its own (at least not in its present state).

Future features?

Camera/tablet integration: We already talked about this yesterday, so won’t go into it again. Suffice to say, the opportunities for integration with other peripherals is there, be it the iSight and tablet we already mentioned, game controllers, the PowerMate, etc.

Selective screen-grabs: While the and Touch have an easy method for grabbing screenshots (which the will likely inherent), the method is simple: it grabs a full-size screenshot. Sure, we can open this screenshot in a photo-editing app and crop out what we need, but that’s not as elegant a solution as using, say, Skitch. Even if user-defined multi-tasking presents itself in a future OS revision, we have to remember that there will still likely be restrictions on it. While editing screenshots manually to crop out content is not a deal breaker for us, we hope refines the screenshot method on its mobile devices, to allow users the option of, say, drawing out the area they want to capture (say, with a lasso tool), else simply clicking on the screen to capture it in its entirety.

Either way, the should present a quick and easy way to grab parts of a screen, be it part of the OS, or possible by running an app in the background (like a ported version of Skitch).

Why we still need a Mac.

iTunes: Obviously, this is the big obstacle for most people. It’s not an issue for many computer users, like grandma and grandpa, but for people already vested in the Mac world, it’s likely that there’s a media library that can’t be managed on the alone. These users, like us, need a way to hook the up to a core iTunes media repository, and selectively copy media onto the for whatever upcoming trips or time periods are pertinent.

With no announced way for the to important media from a source other than the iTunes store (and pictures/video from SD/USB sources via the camera adapter kit), the may also rely on a Mac for its optical drive. Otherwise, users won’t be able to rip CDs and DVDs to transfer their media onto their newest toy.

Server tasks/file-sharing: Seeing as apps were removed from the AppStore that merely controlled BitTorrent clients that actually resided on a Mac, it’s unlikely that we’ll see actual peer-to-peer (P2P) apps in the AppStore, particularly when is trying to fervently control the distribution of media via the iTunes store. Even if we could run, say, a version of Transmission built for the , it’d be a little silly unless we’re using it at home via wifi. Without a jailbreak-enabled application like 3G Unrestrictor, we ought not bank on /AT&T letting us download large files, and the download speeds on 3G would be pathetic anyway. This doesn’t even account for the ’s small storage capacity. So for those of you seeking to grab media via .torrent files or other methods, the alone won’t be your savior. Same goes for pretty much any other server-related tasks.

File processing: Betwixt P2P and iTunes media management is the issue of file processing, be it in the conversion of video files so they can be played via the iTunes app, or simply unzipping them in the first place. Really, it’s simple: if the media you want is not from the iTunes store, then the itself won’t cut it.

There’s also the issue of very niche apps or those that will be impossible to get through the AppStore approval process. Emulators, utilities for connecting to, say, a console, or even just custom scripts for accomplishing file renaming or other tasks.

Solution?

For us, the solution is rather obvious. For the few tasks we do need a Mac for, we can run a mostly headless Mac Mini tucked away somewhere. We’ll probably just use our HDTV as a monitor for when we need to do more than handle automated tasks (e.g. updating our / firmware), and access it via one of our mobile devices thanks to one of the many mouse/keyboard apps already in the AppStore, else the bluetooth keyboard we’ll pick up for the anyway. The Mac Mini will handle all our iTunes media management tasks, as well as whatever media processing we might need to do. (We just lost our iTunes library, so we need to rip all our old CDs again, for example.)

In the event that we don’t want to use the HDTV as a monitor (such as when the TV is already in use), we can always access the Mac Mini via the thanks to utilities like VNC. Or, we can just have a small LCD handy (which we do, thanks to our discontinued carputer project). With this setup, it’s doubtful we even need a mouse.

Apps we’d like ported to the .

With a Mac Mini powering what we can best describe as stationary tasks done at home, and usually with little needed interaction, we can focus on the apps we’d like to see transition over to the , or simply be improved versions of existing AppStore apps. While we’re convinced that we can get by with the on release, there are definitely things (like multitasking) that will be necessary to make our workflow as fluid as, if not more fluid than, the work we do on the MacBook Pro when on the road.

Adium/Conversation/iChat: We never did quite settle on a single chat application, though we predominantly use iChat because of the iSight integration. Regardless, we’d like to see AppStore chat clients move over to the ’s larger-screen format, else see apps like Adium be ported to the . Multitasking for an app like this would be ideal, but let’s at least be able to see chats in multiple protocols.

Bento: There’s already a mobile version of Bento available, and we expect an version to come out that would pretty much duplicate the features of the desktop version. The folks who develop Bento have confirmed that an version will be in the works.

JBidwatcher: Our preferred eBay sniper. Ideally, we wouldn’t need to access it remotely on the Mac Mini, but could tote it around and rely on 3G to keep us sniping (assuming we have multitasking, of course). JBidwatcher’s developer would like to bring the program over to the /, but the multitasking issue remains.

MacFamilyTree: Another app with a mobile version already on the AppStore. The would be perfect for showcasing a full-featured version of this app, and the developer supports the idea.

PandoraJam: Given what it does (rips audio from Pandora), it’s unlikely we’ll ever see this on the . Even if we did see it, there likely wouldn’t be a method to copy songs over to the iTunes library, so we’d have to rely on the Mac Mini to copy audio from the app to the server iTunes library, and then re-sync the . An easier solution would simply be to run PandoraJam as part of a media center setup. (Still, we’re listing it anyway because we’d love it to work somehow.)

Pixelmator: Image editing apps on the are already coming into their own, with many desktop features. If we could get something like Pixelmator on the , though, it’d be fantastic.

Ulysses: A mobile version was already announcement, so hopefully the developers, now aware of the new SDK, will port most of the Mac version’s functionality over to the .

Vassal: Okay, this isn’t part of our work flow per se, but we were recently re-introduced to this wargaming platform and can see how awesome it would be on the . Someone please work on this!

VoodooPad: Another app with a mobile version already existing (which only lets one read files, unfortunately), we expect the developers to release a more full-featured version for the . Our use of VoodooPad has waned over time, in part because there’s no way to edit the files on the . We may come back to this app now, though.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/02/23/transitioning-to-an-ipad-workflow/feed/ 1 iPad extensibility: the key is in the adapters? http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F01%2F28%2Fipad-extensibility-the-key-is-in-the-adapters%2F&seed_title=iPad+extensibility%3A+the+key+is+in+the+adapters%3F http://mendax.org/2010/01/28/ipad-extensibility-the-key-is-in-the-adapters/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:35 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1939

While the won’t sport much more than a dock connector for interfacing with other devices, that dock connector may be pretty flexible. In addition to the obvious use for syncing iTunes media to and from a Mac, will offer numerous adapters. For instance, there will be a camera “kit” consisting of an SD and USB adapter, presumably to download pics and videos without having to get a Mac. This means that on-release, the will have access to external media, as well as an external keyboard, all via the dock connector.

The obvious question is whether external storage access will be extremely limited. We guess it will be, but if the could write to external storage devices, that would open a whole new world of possibilities for the device, making it ever-so more versatile. Otherwise, the relies exclusively on networking to transfer files to and fro. There are other interesting possibilities for future accessories, however, which could leverage the USB adapter, or otherwise leverage the 30-pin dock connector. Two such examples follow.

iSight, anyone?

One of the disappointments people have with the is the lack of a front-facing camera. Some will remember that PowerBooks didn’t have iSight cameras embedded in the display frame, but that the original iSight form factor was rather large, and slide onto a laptop via a plastic attachment. These iSights sold for over $75 on release, and releasing a new, smaller version, is a financially considerate move for , who may not want to tack on more money to the ’s currently alluring price-tag.

We can see releasing an iSight attachment to the later this year, or early next year, once the mobile version of OS X is more mature, and when its distribution includes a mobile iChat application. The camera could simply orient itself to however the is positioned, and potentially, this attachment could be used on the and Touch as well, since the connector is the same. Releasing such an iSight would allow it to be used on all mobile devices, and test the popularity of video conferencing on mobile devices before decides to include it in a later revision. In the meantime, the fact that the iSight remains an out-of-box option for the MacBook lineup serves as just another example as to how the fills a category between the / Touch and the MacBook line.

Drawing tablets.

’s demo of the redesigned Brushes app made for a great presentation, but for many artists, the feel of a pen/brush, along with pressure sensitivity, is important. There’s a clear market for drawing tablets out there, which is why Wacom products sit in every store we’ve ever stepped in. If such tablets could be used with an , we could certainly see many artists jumping on board ’s new product niche, as the portability of such a canvas, with a drawing interface aimed at the more artistic crowd, makes for a solid combination. Rather than sitting in front of a computer at one’s desk, artists could bring their /tablet combination outside, to practically anywhere, and expect amazing battery life in a more inspiring location.

Understandably, is all about pushing multitouch, but there’s no reason that the two input mechanisms can’t go hand-in-hand. Literally smudge paint with one’s fingers, but finely draw lines via the tablet, in a more controlled and usual fashion that many artists are used to. Turn the as though manually plopping a canvas on its side, and continue working with virtual brush. Even as non-artists, we find the prospect enticing.Similar Posts:

]]> http://mendax.org/2010/01/28/ipad-extensibility-the-key-is-in-the-adapters/feed/ 1 Initial thoughts on the iPad. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F01%2F27%2Finitial-thoughts-on-the-ipad%2F&seed_title=Initial+thoughts+on+the+iPad. http://mendax.org/2010/01/27/initial-thoughts-on-the-ipad/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:41:21 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1932

We weren’t exactly surprised with ’s revealing of the today. Aside from our dislike of “,” the device does look pretty good, though it’s clearly not as revolutionary as many people hoped. While usage reports are sure to trickle in soon, we’ll take this time to look back at the post we made last week on what we thought the should have, likely wouldn’t, and what would be nice for to include.

Our must-haves.

Readable screen size: Check. As expected, the sports a 9.7″ screen, just under the 10″ rumoured size. When we first saw the in Steve Jobs’ hands, we actually thought it looked bigger. From the virtual keyboard size alone, we think the screen size is adequate, though admit that the virtual keyboard takes up an awful lot of room in landscape mode.

User-defined multitasking: Sadly, no mention of this was made. This is perhaps our biggest let-down with the reveal, because jumping back and forth between apps and the springboard is cumbersome at best. Fortunately, with Backgrounder already existing on the and Touch, once a proper exploit is found on the , we can assuredly rely on the dev-team or other hacking group to come up with a homebrew solution. Still, a pity didn’t announce additional multitasking for the out-of-box.

Update: A key point some people have made is that while multitasking wasn’t featured in ’s presentation today, there’s no reason that couldn’t reveal multitasking in the 4.0 OS announcement in a couple months. Remember that the presentation today was all about the itself, not intricacies of the OS.

Decent text-input: We were bummed with the idea of having to rely purely on the virtual keyboard for text input, because though the size of the keyboard in landscape mode looks adequate, it takes up too much of the screen. Losing almost 50% of one’s screen-realestate in a 9.7″ display is losing a lot. When we saw images of the virtual keyboard in vertical mode, however, with the new Pages app up, it looked like there was still plenty of screen left to preview written content. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if the keyboard in this mode is large enough for quick typing.

Of course, with the announcement of an dock/keyboard accessory, our desire for the grew considerably. We’d still be happier with integration with a bluetooth keyboard, but until the jailbreak community gets BTStack or similar running on the , we can certainly live with an accessory, even if it will only work with the .

Update: The word from the blogosphere is that any bluetooth keyboard can be used with the , so one doesn’t need to buy an -specific keyboard. We wonder if this means that iPhones will support bluetooth keyboards also. Better yet, from the pictures we’ve seen with the dock keyboard attached, the virtual keyboard does indeed disappear. Assuming the same is true for linked bluetooth keyboards, the will truly be a bloggers wet-dream, multitasking aside.

Our need-nots.

Cellular data connection: The will be released in wifi-only versions (in 60 days) and in wifi/3G versions (in 90 days). Proof that doesn’t consider 3G a necessity for the , but more of a luxury. Of the units that will sport 3G, the iPads will be unlocked, with an initial data offering via pre-pad AT&T. We have no qualms with this other than the lack of tethering support with an . With a 250MB plan for $15/month or unlimited for $30/month, we’d expect a discount for existing AT&T subscribers, or at least a discount if we’re tethering with an . Alas, tethering doesn’t even seem to be an option yet, but perhaps more will come to light in upcoming weeks as AT&T makes their own /tethering announcement.

Also, for those of you who thought Verizon would come in to save the day: we told you so.

GPS: We didn’t think it would happen, and only mentioned the existence of a compass. No real surprise here, since the is too big to use as a standard GPS device.

Ports: We’re looking at an connector here, to tether the to one’s Mac computer. Not really unexpected.

Our nice-to-haves.

No desktop tethering: The connector means that the is still designed to hook into a full version of iTunes to serve up non-iTunes media, which is a disappointment. On the other hand, with the keyboard dock, the can easily become a stand-alone computer for many people, including grandma and grandpa, who probably don’t care about importing their home media library anyway. The downside for many is that the largest storage offered for the is 64GB, and with no external storage options, this means that for power-users, desktop tethering is still mandatory. Overall, it’s rather surprising that more storage wasn’t offered in an even more expensive model, but 64GB is more than enough for general travel.

Front-facing camera: The has no camera at all, which is pretty much what we expected. Lack of a front-facing camera, though, will be a disappointment to many. One of the nice things about the MacBook line is the integrated iSight camera, which is a huge boon for professionals to still be able to see their kids while on the road. We entirely expect to see an integrated iSight in a future model, but maybe just wants to role out big features at a time, especially since they still want to position the MacBook line as a mobile product for professionals.

Greater cloud connectivity: No mention of the ’s use of the cloud was made, though we naturally expect the device to leverage Mobile Me in the same way the does, and definitely expect versions of existing Mobile Me apps to be released around the time the ships.

Conclusion:

With the exception of more multitasking, our expectations were pretty much dead-on for what thought was important and what wasn’t. We’re surprised at just how accurate some of the purported “leaks” were in the past several weeks, and how bad some of the hype got. Overall, we think the is a decent version-one product, with definite room for growth. We’re disappointed at the lack of data tethering with an , and would prefer to see bluetooth keyboard connectivity, and even an iSight, but none of these are excuses not to get an . As a device for writing on-the-go, the seems to fit the bill pretty well, and is a traveler’s dream, coming in at half the weight of the MacBook Air. While the won’t replace a full-on Mac just yet, did well in positioning the between its Mac and / Touch products, adding yet another gadget to our lives.

For us, the probably will replace our MacBook, though only if we pick up, say, a Mac Mini also as a sort of server for handling some of our larger media files. The big question for us now is whether we want to wait for a 3G , or if we’d be plenty happy with a wifi-only version.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/01/27/initial-thoughts-on-the-ipad/feed/ 0 Three iTablet needs, three need-nots, and three things that’d be nice to have. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F01%2F21%2Fthree-itablet-needs-three-need-nots-and-three-things-thatd-be-nice-to-have%2F&seed_title=Three+iTablet+needs%2C+three+need-nots%2C+and+three+things+that%26%238217%3Bd+be+nice+to+have. http://mendax.org/2010/01/21/three-itablet-needs-three-need-nots-and-three-things-thatd-be-nice-to-have/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:30:03 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1915

The reason we’re so enthused about ’s rumoured tablet computer is because its proposed mobility suits our lifestyle. Simply put, our MacBook Pro is too big to comfortably cart across the country often, and our doesn’t offer key functionality that we need in our road-warrior lifestyle. While there’s already some middle ground in the likes of a smaller MacBook, or even moreso in the overpriced MacBook Air, the iTablet proposes less power in a smaller package. The key with the iTablet will be in how balances trade-offs, because their goal will be to ensure that the iTablet feature pendulum doesn’t swing too far in the direction of the , nor to the MacBook. This is consistent with the concern, mirrored by John Gruber, that the iTablet simply won’t offer enough over the to justify the price.

It’s eyebrow-raising that “too big” and “too expensive” were the major knocks against the Newton, and here we are facing the arrival of the mythical Tablet, which, according to the Wall Street Journal, has a big 10-inch diagonal screen and will cost around $1,000. But I’d argue that the Newton wasn’t too big, too expensive, period — I’d say it was too big and too expensive given what it offered.

For the iTablet not to succumb to the Newton’s fate, it has to set itself apart from the . This is even more important when one considers that the iTablet will most likely run on the same version of OS X that the and Touch do. There will need to be some key differences in OS load-out, however, and these differences become quite clear when we’re on the road with only our , and consider what we can’t do well.

Three things the iTablet needs.

1. A readable screen size: The is small for a reason, and while certainly capable of browsing the web, the reality is that non-mobile pages are still inconvenient to browse at length. There’s a reason that mobile web pages are often preferred on the , and why apps designed to replace web interfaces are designed with a different interface in mind. This issue has already addressed, of course, because the iTablet’s screen is expected to be 10″ long diagonally. Arguably, this means that few users will need to zoom in on full-size web pages on the iTablet’s screen to read the respective content. Would a 12″ screen be better at this? Sure, but 10″ should be manageable, while anything smaller offers questionable benefits.

2. User-defined multi-tasking: When Backgrounder came out for jailbroken iPhones, it changed the way we did business. It didn’t play as important a role in our use of the before we picked up a 3GS, but now it’s an invaluable tool for us. We can run Pandora in the car while getting directions from Navigon, or we can jump back over to the app to switch podcasts without having to restart Navigon (it still doesn’t handle podcasts properly). We can leave a game to check on e-mail, and jump right back in with nary a delay. The funny thing is, when we’re using Backgrounder, we rarely do it with more than a couple apps at a time. This is revealing: while people would love native support for third-party apps to have multitasking capabilities like the core apps do, most people don’t really need to keep many apps open in the first place. So even if the iTablet has a much slower processor than what we’re used to in a MacBook, it shouldn’t matter too much. As of right now, the 3GS already meets our requirements for horsepower as far as multitasking is concerned, so a slightly more powerful processor would be sufficient for most users.

What may want to consider, if they haven’t done so already, is letting users define a limited number of applications to run in the background. Say, a user can launch a given app, and via some gesture, send that program into a multitasking state. Maybe a small bar at one side of the screen has three empty boxes, and when a program is told to run in the background, its icon is sent to occupy one of these three boxes. That way, users can see which apps are running in the background, and with another gesture, stop the background process for a given app, whereupon its icon is removed from one of the three multitasking boxes.

Since we’re bloggers, we’ll use a typical blogging workflow as a perfect example for this. We launch Byline, our RSS reader. We drag its title bar to an empty multitasking box. We return to the springboard and launch a photo-editing app, and also drag its title bar to an unoccupied multitasking box. Finally, we do the same for the WordPress app. We can now jump back-and-forth between these applications by simply clicking on one of the multitasking boxes for the application we want to switch to. This allows us to easily copy content from Byline into WordPress, mock up graphics to do same, and voila, no needing to launch applications again and again just to switch between them. When we’re done with an app, we press and hold its icon in the respective multitasking box, and the icon explodes in a cloud of virtual dust as the application closes. This type of multitasking would make the iTablet a much more efficient work-buddy than the is today.

3. Decent text input: Dan Moren wrote a great piece collecting various text input methods that the iTablet could use. Regardless of which method goes with, we’ve said for some time that text input is the ’s greatest weakness. This is where the iTablet can really set itself apart from the , because most travelers will want some easy form of text input, and ideally one that doesn’t drop a giant virtual keyboard across half of one’s screen. Netbooks may have cramped keyboards, but at least they stand out of the way of the already-small display. A 10″ screen may be of a sufficient size for viewing full-screen content, but if half that screen is used as a keyboard, that 10″ will seem unreasonably small.

We figure that a bluetooth keyboard approach is the most logical, though definitely expect to have something up their sleeve as far as a unique input method is concerned. Without this, the iTablet doesn’t seem like it would offer enough, especially when one can buy a Macbook for around the same price.

Three things the iTablet doesn’t need.

1. A cellular data connection: The has 3G data for a reason: it’s a phone. In a world where every telecom is on LTE, and it’s ubiquitous across the country, then it makes sense to slam LTE-capable into the iTablet. In the meantime, there’s already the , which has the capability to tether its cellular data connection to any nearby computer. (AT&T just has to turn the feature on.)

There’s also the issue of supporting CDMA if they decide to work with Verizon. CDMA doesn’t let one use data and voice at the same time, which would be an issue for consistent functionality if released a CDMA on Verizon, but this is hardly an issue for the iTablet (since it wouldn’t have voice service anyway). Instead, the issue is one of customer satisfaction: if the iTablet is linked to Verizon, current customers who are tied to AT&T will be annoyed at having to get a second data subscription. Even if the iTablet were capable of both CDMA and GSM, so it could work under any of the major cellular services, one must wonder if this would be a solid business move. More likely, would leverage the iTablet as yet another gadget to compliment one’s life with. If the iTablet doesn’t sport cellular data, then users will still need to get an to enable tethered data access on the iTablet. It’s a win for , and with so many iPhones out there already, one wonders who would seriously complain if the iTablet required an for data. Verizon hold-outs shouldn’t be too displeased either, assuming that the will eventually head to Verizon in 2011. In our opinion, the iTablet should be carrier neutral, insofar that it doesn’t support any cellular data subscription natively, and instead piggy-backs whatever the user’s is on.

2. GPS: Look, the iTablet is too big to sit in one’s windshield, and it’s too big to cart around while hiking in the back-country. Sure, one can argue that the costs are negligible at this point, but so is the benefit to having GPS in the iTablet outside of location-based apps. Again, doesn’t want the iTablet to replace the . There’s no reason couldn’t integrate sharing of GPS data to a computer tethered to an , and that sounds like a much more reasonable business solution than throwing GPS into every device that’s not a desktop. After all, most use cases for the iTablet will be indoors, anyway, and that means not having a GPS signal in the first place. (Besides, tethered to an ’s data connection, the iTablet could use cell-phone triangulation to roughly determine location regardless of GPS availability.)

3. Ports: With the iTablet using the AppStore, there’s no need for an optical drive because we wouldn’t be installing anything from CD or DVD. wants people to use iTunes, and since most mainstream media can be acquired there, there’s no reason to let people rip optical media for playing on the iTablet, either. Maybe will allow wireless sharing of a drive from another computer (just as the MacBook Air can do), just to rip media in iTunes, but the feature isn’t really necessary. There’s also no reason to attach USB devices other than an /, so while we may see a USB port for this reason alone, there’s nothing else we would expect to see connecting to the iTablet other than a magsafe power cord. Of course, we could just as easily see finally integrating wireless synchronization of iTunes over wi-fi, so we can easily envision the iTablet without a single USB port also. Assuming still requires the iTablet to tether to a computer running legacy iTunes, the question of a USB port is clear.

Initially, we proposed that the iTablet should have a mini display port, but with the realization that the device would be built around the mobile version of OS X, this seems less likely, since apps will be built around a certain resolution. Even with resolution independence built into apps, all attaching a large monitor would do is scale the existing graphics up to a larger size, not allow one to actually display more content. Perhaps there would be some benefit to this if text could be scaled down on a per-app basis when a larger monitor is connected, but we just don’t see many people doing something like this, even if we would.

In the end, chances are good that the iTablet will not have a single port to its name other than a power connection, be that a magsafe connector or a typical interface if the iTablet is designed to synchronize with legacy iTunes.

Three things that would be nice to have.

1. No need to tether to a desktop: The isn’t a stand-alone product, even though many users probably use it as such. However, for the to truly shine, it needs to be tethered to a computer with a full-fledged OS, if only for the to interface with a full iTunes library. Sure, the can be used to purchase movies and music, but its limited storage means that older content needs to reside somewhere and the cloud isn’t quite there yet. Never mind that the will even complain when certain downloads fail, telling the user to try again via iTunes.

The iTablet, hopefully, will stand on its own: it should serve as a device that iPhones can tether to, and not become yet another gadget that needs to be synchronized with a computer running a full-fledged version of iTunes. That would likely call for a magsafe power connector, versus the typical connector a tethered device would have.

Of course, as a stand-alone media device, one would expect the iTablet to have plenty of disk space, so we’d expect to see a fairly large SSD drive. The MacBook Air sports a 128GB SSD HD, and we’d expect to see at least that much storage capacity in the iTablet, so it can hold most user’s complete multimedia libraries.

2. Front-facing camera: The idea of a device with a 10″ screen being burdened with a rear-facing camera is just silly. The iTablet won’t have a camera in the same sense as the , but we can definitely see how it might sport an iSight to use iChat with. In fact, with better text-input features than the , the iTablet will most likely sport iChat for quick, real-time communication. The ability to enable video-chats, however, would be nothing short of gangbusters.

3. Greater cloud connectivity: If the iTablet had everything already mentioned, it would already be a pretty spectacular device. But with greater cloud integration, thanks in part to a more evolved Mobile Me service, the iTablet could leverage features like Back to my Mac to grab files remotely, perhaps even to add such files to the iTablet’s own iTunes library (such as grabbing ripped mp3s remotely to alleviate the lack of an optical drive). With rumours that iTunes may well come to the cloud in the near future (as well as iWork), there’s some hope that Mobile Me will become a true competitor to the various free cloud-based services, and the iTablet is the perfect platform to showcase such cloud evolution.

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]]> http://mendax.org/2010/01/21/three-itablet-needs-three-need-nots-and-three-things-thatd-be-nice-to-have/feed/ 1 WoW’s easy-mode is what makes the new LFG system win. http://mendax.org/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Posts+%28RSS2%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fmendax.org%2F2010%2F01%2F12%2Fwows-easy-mode-is-what-makes-the-new-lfg-system-win%2F&seed_title=WoW%26%238217%3Bs+easy-mode+is+what+makes+the+new+LFG+system+win. http://mendax.org/2010/01/12/wows-easy-mode-is-what-makes-the-new-lfg-system-win/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:00:41 +0000 WyldKard http://mendax.org/?p=1911

In a reply to SynCaine over at Hardcore Casual, commenter Mig borrows from Palahniuk’s Fight Club by acutely noting how World of ’s (WoW’s) glorified new looking-for-group (LFG) system does little more than create “single-serving friends.” The lack of difficulty in most instance encounters, combined with the ease of being able to quickly enter such content with strangers, means that in many ways, WoW’s guild system is deprecated. Whereas in the past, guilds served primarily as a way for like-minded gamers to approach content together, guilds are now left to serious raiders and socializing.

Interestingly, the creep isn’t even a staple of just end-game characters anymore. Old content is now routinely attempted by under-leveled characters who happen to have comparatively awesome . Combined with class changes like dual-specs, more crowd-control, and other evolutions that have occurred during WoW’s lifetime, there’s definitely little argument left for WoW being anything more than a casual game. A time-sink, still, but not a pursuit appropriate for someone who wants a real, concerted challenge.

As we’ve said before, this is rather discouraging as a former player who looks back on the early days of WoW with adoration. Sure, there were class balance issues and other areas that needed fixing, but being able to form a group and reach the end of an instance was gratifying. Now, it’s just part of the perpetual grind. It’s a evolution that has done Blizzard well financially, but one that has also alienated former players, who might have returned to the game if it offered anything more than a casual, Farmville-esque experience.Similar Posts:

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