Timing is Everything
Is this the modern, open, progressive, democratic, tolerant, knowledge-based, clever country we aspire to be? Or are we seeing the same rise of the oligarch as in Russia where the resource-rich billionaires also dominate the media? Or Italy, where Silvio Berlusconi owned the majority of the TV stations and newspapers and imposed his right-wing agenda, and ultimately won control of the country as Prime Minister?
This is an important moment for all those who cherish democratic and pluralistic debate and a freedom to information that is factual and reliable to inform decision-making.
Given that both the Fairfax and News Ltd. papers are “interested parties” in the outcome, you will be hard pressed to get a full and dispassionate account of the next few weeks’ momentous events.
My Perfect 10 Gadget
Having just listened to last week’s Vergecast (about technology culture, culture culture, cult-culture, cultural culture…), I got to thinking about what I thought was my ‘Perfect 10 Gadget’. Here is my Perfect 10, and my Perfect 9.
Unibody Macbook (late-2008)
In 2009, I started Law School having just finished high school (yeh, you can do that here in Australia). It was pretty crazy - I was (am) quite slack and I was fairly disinterested in the first semester. I’d go to classes and almost everyone had a laptop and I was there using pen and paper. I thought nothing of it until my grades came back for that semester. So then, I decided to buy a new laptop. I was poor, very poor. I jumped on a forum and had a look around for some laptops and stumbled upon an interesting post for a Unibody Macbook for $950 (it retailed for $1500 in 2008-09). Bargain! So, I met up with the guy and purchased it. He looked pretty dodgy (I think it was stolen) so I finagled a lower price out of him since the meet up was in a very public place. $900 later, and I’ve had a laptop to use for almost four years.
Four years. That’s pretty crazy. This is my Perfect 10 Gadget because the hardware (sans internals) remains relevant. There is seldom a scratch on the aluminium surface, my keyboard runs perfect, and the trackpad shits on every other one that isn’t Apple-manufactured.
Now, this computer is not without it’s faults. In early 2011 I purchased a Logitech Cooling Pad because this thing just overheats like you wouldn’t believe. I can’t even run Skype for two minutes on this without the fans spinning out of control. This computer died on me early this year (partly my fault - I smashed the palm rest). Alas, it was saved when I walked into the Apple store (it had to be reformatted, but luckily all my important docs are back-upped to Dropbox).
The battery life now sucks (just on two hours). Applications bounce on the dock for an eternity before deciding to open. I have to always manage how many apps I open. Microsoft Word (ugh) is prone to crashing. There is no backlit keyboard. It’s slow. And fast at the same time (reboot’s around a minute since reformat). HD videos sputter.
But, man o man, do I love this machine. It has basically taken me through University (not quite - I still have two years left). I run everything off this and I am grateful for this machine beyond these words I type. It’s at its end-life and if not for my run-on-your-last-dollar-attitude, I would have upgraded. I think I will sometime soon (weighing up between the just-announced 13-inch Air or choosing to wait for the Retina 13-inch Air). I don’t know if I want to let go of this device just yet. I don’t think I ever will. It will be my Apple II that sits in the home office in 20 years time. It is my love.
Motorola v70
This device was the first true design-centric products I ever owned. I think I was about 14 or so when I shelved out something like $300 (it had already been released for about two years) for a pre-paid version of this phone.
Just look at. It is beyond sexy. It even had an aluminium casing all around! The hardware is absolutely superb. It’s thin-non-user-friendly number pad is just beyond words beautiful. I think this to be the best designed phone Motorola has ever produced - even more so than the Motorola RAZR v3. Oh, and that backlit keypad is super sexy, too.
The screen was beautiful. In a world of non-colour screens, this was the first inventive way to make it not look bland. Unlike the Nokia’s of the time with their quasi-green backlit screens, the v70 had a pure black background, with neon-green loving on the typeface. Speaking of which, that thin sans-serif font that Motorola was known for, was absolutely gorgeous for the screen it was employed on. It allowed so much more to be displayed on that 96 x 64 pixel rectangular screen (there was dead space between the circlular and rectangular shape).
This phone was inventive, lovely and unexpected. It was something that never was thought of back then. And probably something of such calibre will never be thought of again by the design team at Motorola. It’s design was loved so much so that they released a shitty-looking, obese, overly-designed “modern” version called the Aura. In 2009. You do the math. (The v70 was released in 2002. But I digress.)
I think I will jump on eBay and buy a v70 right now. I guess my Macbook Air will have to wait a bit longer, then.
The Age Rips You a New One
The media isn’t failing because it’s not giving people what they want. We know exactly what you want, even if you don’t care to admit it. Worthy but dull reporting of landmark health legislation? Not so much. Upskirt shots of Lindsay Lohan spilling out of a limo at The Viper Room? Not just yes, but hell yes!
The whole piece is a worthy read and forgets prose in favour of raw truth. It rips into the diatribe comments that descend into trolling. Whether it addresses those comments though, I’m not so sure. I don’t know what the best model moving forward is, but there must be a model beyond this free one. Even independent bloggers bemoan the ad-driven revenue of news.
News isn’t free. Unfortunately everyone believes it should be.
The iOS Maps Dealbreaker
Bringing in Maps internally and cutting off Google’s limb in iOS is a huge gamble by Apple. Flyover is cool, but so is Google Earth. And when was the last time you used Google Earth as a utility service?
Apple needs to put in just as much effort in global Maps as they do American Maps. This really sucks if this is the final render of Maps in iOS6. Melbourne streets and alleys must be better represented than this, or there will be big, big problems with the next iPhone, no matter how great it may be otherwise.
Apple is Fashion
Those hats look pretty cool.
Kogan levies Internet Explorer Tax
Don’t know what to think about this…
Apple Design Award
Just over a year ago we started developing Paper. Our idea: to make mobile creation better. Today at WWDC, Apple recognized our work with an Apple Design Award. Thank you. It really could not have happened without the support of Apple’s platforms and the ingenuity of your creations.
Paper is where ideas begin… and in the truest sense of the word, we’re only beginning. Ideas have places to go. We want to be part of that voyage, and we hope you will too. Keep creating. We’re hiring.
Worthy win. Awesome response.
(via parislemon)
Source: fiftythreenyc
Reeder 3.0 for iPhone
Reeder launched 3.0 for iPhone last night. I have Reeder on my iPad and its my most used app on it. Waking up to all the news from the day in America is easy and centralised in Reeder.
I never did buy the iPhone app because frankly, I didn’t think I’d ever read on it. Also, I have an aversion to buying the same app that releases two versions - one for iPhone, one for iPad (here’s looking at you Tweetbot, too).
But, I crumbled after reading Shawn Blanc’s extremely favourable review.
I like it so far. I like how clean the design is. I don’t know how much I’d use it, but I guess it’s good for that snuggle up in bed time and catching up on news after alarm time.
And heck, what’s $2.99 at the end of the day for something that’s great and used everyday? People (myself included) need to put everything in perspective when deciding to not buy an app because of its “exorbitant” price.
This is the most awesomest Job Application Video. And they are launching in Australia. In Melbourne. Give me a job, please.
The Big iOS 6 Maps issue no one is asking: Would you prefer Flyover at the expense of Street View?
