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Apple unleashed a rash of Slashdottings when they turned on podcast support in iTunes. “It’s very bizarre. The only reason why I found this funny was because I have unlimited bandwidth in my server package. If I were some of the others who got caught unaware, I would probably be apoplectic.”
Apple announces the Harper’s Special Edition iPod. “Number of media legends who came together to create this exciting new Apple product: 2. Chance that literary-minded American consumers will find this new iPod impossible to resist: 1 in 1.”
Podcast subscriptions through iTunes top 1 million in the first 48 hours. Also, “podcasting is like cappuccino”…read on for the punchline.
Apple has merged their iPod and iPod Photo lines. All iPods will now have color screens.
How to record a podcast using GarageBand. Using GB like this is overkill, but there it is anyway.
iTunes 4.9 now supports podcasting. Boy, podcasting went from zero to corporate in no time flat. Will that pace stunt the growth of indie podcasting before it even has a chance to get started?
Interview with Errol Morris. He says he’s going to be doing some more commercials for Apple.
A collection of Apple.com home page screenshots from 1996-present.
MacRumors has live coverage of Jobs’ keynote at WWDC. I’ll be following along and reporting if anything significant happens.
Apple’s obsession with simplicity has gotten a bit out of control with the latest release of OS X.
Locket is the best Dashboard widget yet. “Locket is a Dashboard widget that provides an ambient monitor for a single iChat user on your buddy list. When the person is available, the locket opens. Otherwise, it is closed.”
Cringely on the future plans of Microsoft, Apple, and Google. MS is shipping their own PC, Apple is pushing into video on demand, and Google is building a massive supercomputer with the help of their customers.
50 Things to Do with Your iPod. Besides listen to music with those white earbuds.
New iPod ad features some poppin’ and lockin’. And I’m pretty sure David “Elsewhere” Bernal is in there somewhere as well. Finally!
Apple employee and Slashdot poster “As Seen On TV” with some great posts about video on iTunes and other stuff. I posted about him a few weeks ago and now Gizmodo has outed him…how long before Apple cans this guy/gal?
iTunes 4.8 does video. An interesting development. Why is video in iTunes and not iPhoto? (Update: iPhoto 5 does video. Hard to breathe with my head in the sand here…)
Apple says the iPod shuffle has captured 58% of the flash memory mp3 player market already. That’s kind of astounding.
Slideshow of iPod shuffles made out of food. The winner of the contest is made out of banana, apple, and spaghetti. And there’s one made of Spam!
A quick take on Apple’s control freakishness. “Running a tightly controlled company has worked well for Jobs. But being a little out of control can pay dividends, too - by fostering creative freedom, not to mention goodwill. Jobs need only look at his own slogans. Life Is Random. Enjoy Uncertainty. At Apple, this is marketing, not a way of life.”
Apple’s codename for the new version of OS X clearly inspired headline writers to dust off a few of their favorite cat expressions. Here’s a sampling of actual headlines (thanks, Google News) about Tiger’s release:
Apple Sets Tiger Free on Public
New Mac System ‘Tiger’ Roars
Apple’s new Tiger springs into action
Apple lets Tiger OS out of cage
Apple unleashes Tiger in Taiwan
Apple’s Tiger unleashed in San Francisco
Apple’s Tiger earns its stripes
Longhorn on Tiger’s tail
Apple unleashes Tiger
Apple users are likely to be on the prowl for Tiger
Apple takes Tiger by tail with free installation
‘Tiger’ roars into stores
Apple to let loose its sleek Tiger system, good at hunting down files
Apple Lets Tiger OS Out of Cage
Apple unleashes Tiger operating system
Apple’s Core Supporters Roar Approval At Tiger
Apple aficionados grab Tiger X by the tail
Apple Unleashes Highly Anticipated ‘Tiger’
Tiger roars onto the Mac mini
Apple’s Mac OS ‘Tiger’ Ready to Pounce
Tiger is out of its cage.
Apple’s powerful Tiger leaps to the forefront
Apple’s Tiger stalks Windows market
Mac users will be happy to have a Tiger by the tail
Apple’s “Tiger” aims to take a bite out of Microsoft
Apple’s Tiger Leaps Out To Operating-system Fore
Apple’s Tiger Begins To Prowl, Set for Release Friday
I’m somewhat disappointed I couldn’t find a headline that depicted a battle between Tiger and Microsoft’s Longhorn, something like “Apple’s Tiger Slays Microsoft’s Grazing Longhorn, Leaving Bloody Entrails Strewn All Over OS Marketplace”. I mean, why even bother if you’re not going to go completely over the top? Amateurs.
Keyword Assistant plug-in fixes iPhoto’s stupid ass keyword-adding interface. Software developers, say it with me: “auto complete, auto complete, auto complete!”
Tiger, the new version of Apple’s OS X operating system, is out on April 29.
Information design hero Edward Tufte has some thoughts on Mac OS X:
The OS X interface design is distracting and self-conscious, with a marketing slickness rather the straight-forward transparent charming style of the past. It is out of tune with the superb industrial design of Apple hardware. Mac users will probably get used to it.
For my own current work (Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark with large files on large monitors), I see no particular reason to prefer the new design to 9.04. Indeed I regard 9.04 as nearly ideal (large flat-screen monitors are key; the Apple Cinema monitor is an enormous advance in design and as a working tool). Maybe when we do digital video that will make a difference in favor of OS X.
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