Month: April 2010 (Page 5 of 7)

      iPhone OS 4: FINALLY

      April 8, 2010 /

      iPhone OS 4The world got a look at the upcoming changes to the iPhone OS today and it seems there was just one response: FINALLY. Finally, the iPhone will have the ability to multitask. Finally, you can organize your apps into folders and customize the background. Finally, mail will support attachments for third-party apps, threaded conversations, and easier inbox switching. Finally, finally, finally.

      I know, it seems surreal. A lot of these features have been on other platforms for months, years in some cases. The multitasking support is really the best of the update, bringing the iPhone in line with WebOS and Android. It does make me wonder when we’ll see new hardware. The ad copy for the new iPhone’s bigger battery for that great multitasking feature practically writes itself.

      For now, you can keep an eye on Apple’s official site for iPhone OS 4. The OS is available in closed beta for developers. Expect more feature leaks soon.

      Apple, iPad, iPhone, News

      Twitter developers should stop plugging holes

      April 8, 2010 /

      Twitter logos.Fred Wilson laid out an interesting post at the Business Insider this morning. For those who don’t know, Wilson is a partner at Union Square Ventures and one of Twitter’s top investors. Wilson’s basic point was that current Twitter development focuses on plugging holes in the service, not creating new things with what the service can offer.

      Consider this – not terribly long after Twitter launched people realized they needed a way to share long URLs in a compressed format. Along comes bit.ly with its URL shortening service. How bout TwitPic for sharing pictures. The examples continue from there. Point is, though, that none of these things take any sort of interesting advantage of the Twitter platform or concept. They’re just methods by which people share the shortened versions of information encourage by Twitter. As Wilson says it, these are things Twitter should have had built in to the service at launch.

      Maybe you didn’t hear him correctly. These are things Twitter is going to do. Just like Facebook did with all of the crazy apps that just filled the gaps, Twitter will be rounding out its own feature set to compete with and provide the services of third-party developers. In some cases, as was the case with FriendFeed, that could mean acquisitions. Wilson didn’t say it overtly, but his message is loud and clear.

      It’s time for developers to do something great, like the social gaming apps for Facebook. Analysts estimate social gaming will hit $1.6 billion in revenue next year, and Wilson thinks that number is too low. That’s a pretty nice pie to slice up.

      Source: Business Insider

      Mobile, Websites

      General Business Tips for Discount Printing

      April 7, 2010 /

      You’ve established a small business and want to find ways to reduce your company’s overhead and increase your overall profits. When it comes to expanding your business, making sure that your bottom line remains as strong as possible is important, both in getting the financial leverage that you need to move your business forward, and in making your business more appealing to potential investors. One method for reducing cost is to track down discount printing for any print services that your company requires. Here are a few quick tips on obtaining discount printing.

      Do bulk orders. This tip will save both time and money since bulk orders usually result in a steep discount from the company doing the printing. Discuss the options with the company you choose, but always remember that discount printing costs are only effective if you use all of the products that are printed. There’s no point in printing 500 of something for a discount if you only think that you’ll be using a fraction of your order.

      Outsource tactically. You’re going to incur print costs related to using graphic designers, layout editors, and other “art division” individuals. While you can do these in-house, the cost to have in-house employees do these tasks goes beyond just the cost of the workers’ wages. If they don’t have a strong graphic design background, the decreased effectiveness of the print item in question will inevitably impact your bottom line. You can outsource to freelancers for a reasonable price and end up with a great final product.

      Use more online services. One of the best ways to get discount printing is to plan ahead and use online printing services that will allow you to save even more money. It can take a week or two for the printing and shipping, but you’ll find that online discount printing saves you a huge percent on print services.

      Websites

      Apple stores still have the iPad in stock

      April 7, 2010 /

      Apple's iPad in hand.You waited for hours in that line. It was hot, cold, rainy, snowing, windy, sunny, exhausting, tiring, irritating, lonely, funny, strange, whatever. It was unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong, I love standing in line for nerdy stuff as much as the next guy or gal. There’s a certain camaraderie you just don’t get anywhere else. It’s pretty damn frustrating, though, when you find out it wasn’t necessary.

      It seems that despite rumors of a day one sellout, most Apple stores across the country still have the iPad in stock. Some have even received second shipments. It’s a good position for Apple to be in, as you can bet there will be those who just had to play with one before they bought it (I’ll admit, I didn’t give two hoots about the iPhone until I spent about an hour with one).

      Most of the major retailers seem to have sold out (meaning all of the Best Buy locations) but you don’t have to overpay just to get your new tablet. Head to your local Apple store and your troubles are over.

      Apple, iPad, News

      Sorry film nerds, a widescreen iPad doesn’t make sense

      April 6, 2010 /

      Apple's iPad.When the iPad was first announced there was a lot of crying about the screen size. If the thing was meant for watching video why wouldn’t it have a 16:9 aspect ratio? I mean, who wants black bars on the size of an already smaller screen than you might be used to.

      I do, actually. Why? The iPad is about more than just visual media consumption. Yes, movies are going to look great on that pretty little screen, but it needs to do more than that. From everything we’ve seen about the iPad (and everything you probably know if you’ve held one) it’s meant to be wielded a lot like a book. Imagine that book on a 16:9 aspect ratio. It would be ridiculously awkward to hold.

      That says nothing of actually viewing content either. Reading websites, ebooks, and browsing content like photos makes much more sense with a 4:3 screen. The iPad is not a purpose-built device; it’s designed for all sorts of content.

      If you’re really that concerned about a 16:9 screen, get yourself a JooJoo. I hear that company is doing very well.

      Digital Media, ebooks, iPad

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