Sang Tang
Articles by Sang Tang
WSJ: New iPhone coming this summer, and may be coming to Verizon
Get ready for the "VeriPhone." The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will be releasing a new iPhone this summer, and "appears to be working" on a model for Verizon Wireless. They claim it's a CDMA-based iPhone, and that mass production is slated to begin in September, but it's unclear when Apple will make the model available. The report notes that one Pegatron Technology Corp. (no relation to Deceptacon Megatron) is contracted to build the model. There have been plenty of rumors already about a Verizon compatible iPhone, but this is the most credible report that we've seen, saying it's happening sometime this year. Since its launch, the iPhone has seen two major refreshes, both occurring during the early summer period, and it appears that Apple will be keeping with this trend. However, if true, the release of a Verizon compatible iPhone marks a significant break from the single-carrier, AT&T life that the iPhone has lived in the U.S. since its launch. In addition, a Verizon-compatible model opens the door for Apple to appeal to an audience that, whether due to a coverage, rate plan or any other issue, did not find the iPhone compelling enough to switch to AT&T. As always, we'll have to wait and see -- the WSJ says a product announcement will take place in "June or July" as usual.
WoodWing gives sneak peek at tools for creating iPad-based magazines
There are many great graphic artists out there, as there are many great computer programmers. However, it's difficult to find a great graphic artist that also has great programming skills. For artists more interested in content creation than programming frustration, WoodWing Software's recently unveiled iPad-magazine tools may hit the spot. The tools, designed with an Adobe InDesign workflow in mind, aim to facilitate the publishing of iPad-based magazines. WoodWing's Content Station serves as the main facilitator between artist and publication. In Content Station, the user can access and arrange (via drag and drop) the dossiers for a particular magazine brand or issue. Double clicking on the dossier will show the assets (images, movies, and InDesign document) that make it up. There, double clicking on an InDesign document will open it up in InDesign, where you can make your edits. When you're done editing the InDesign document or any other related asset and are ready to publish, publishing is just a click away in Content Station. Part of the fervor behind the iPad is its media consumption potential, in particular with traditional print media. The digital revolution has given birth to web versions of newspapers and magazines that, while more timely and convenient for readers, has also presented revenue challenges for traditional print media in the name of ad and subscription revenues. If Content Station can reduce the effort involved in moving from print to digital delivery, that's bound to help publishers leap over the digital divide. Thanks to TUAW reader Frank for the tip!
Found footage: 1993 Steve Jobs interview on Paul Rand
Paul Rand may not be a familiar name or face to many, but he created the public face of many of the world's most well-known companies. ABC Television, IBM, UPS and NeXT are a few of the many companies that Rand designed a logo for. While Rand didn't design the current Apple logo (which is a derivative of the multicolored Apple logo designed by Rob Janoff), his work is well respected in Apple circles. When Apple launched its "Think Different" campaign, it chose to feature Paul Rand on a print ad. Steve Jobs spoke of his admiration of Rand during a 1993 interview with Doug Evans and Alan Pottasch. To give some perspective, 1993 saw the changing of the guard at Apple from John Sculley to Michael Spindler. Jobs was CEO of NeXT at the time, which was busy porting the NeXTSTEP operating system for x86 processors. Known for his attention to detail and treating Apple employees as "artists" -- and verbally berating them if their work didn't meet his expectations -- Jobs called Paul Rand "a gem." "[Paul is] a pure artist that is very astute at solving business problems," Jobs said in the interview. But the most interesting moment of the interview comes when Jobs is asked his opinion on Rand's work. Jobs spoke of the emotional, yet intellectual nature of Paul Rand's designs. "When you scratch the surface of any of his work, you find out the depth of the intellectual problem solving that's taken place." While this statement took place 17 years ago, during which Jobs was away from Apple, it also reflects the ideal of Apple's current products. While the industrial design of Apple hardware will draw the attention of many, this design is shaped by the software beneath it and the anticipated interaction the user has with it. Paul Rand died in 1996, three years after this interview. However, his legacy lives on, as many of the timeless logos he's designed continue in existence today.
Screenshot Plus and iWork: the poor man's screenshot editing suite
Despite their office productivity leanings, the iWork suite of apps (Pages, Keynote and Numbers) also serve as good image editors. With each app, you can crop and mask an image, as well as create alpha channels. While a handful of useful paid-for screen capture apps are available for Mac OS X -- and many with very useful advanced features -- the one-two combination of the Screenshot Plus Dashboard widget and iWork can serve as an adequate pseudo screen capturing app. While you can use Command-Shift-3 (or 4) as well as Control-Command-Shift-3 (or 4) to accomplish similar tasks, Screen Capture Plus also includes niceties, such as timed screen grabs and image file type options that, in addition to its straightforward functions, don't require much fiddling with.
Rumor: Eric Schmidt chewed out by Jobs, gave iPhone to mistress
While Google CEO Eric Schmidt may wield enough power to influence search results in China, this power apparently isn't strong enough to develop and maintain good friendships -- this is according to a post at Valleywag. The piece examines the persona that is Schmidt, the head of one of the most well-known companies in the world, through the lens of the events at Burning Man 2007. While Schmidt longed to connect with his peers, Valleywag claims that he didn't exactly go out of his way to establish those connections. Rather than camp out in the desert at Burning Man, Schmidt chose, instead, to drive two and a half-hours back and forth from his Reno, Nevada hotel room in order to sleep on his cozy bed. During one of these treks, Schmidt received a phone call from Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The rest, as they say, is history. At the time, rumors had begun swirling about the Google "G-Phone" and, while Schmidt was on the road, word of the phone leaked from HTC. Feeling a sense of betrayal, Jobs allegedly berated Schmidt during the call. "Steve was very, very upset," Schmidt is said to have told his companion Kate Bohner (more on her in a bit). "My God, he was so angry." Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/ CC BY-SA 2.0
Apple preps 2010 school field trips
Apple, through the Apple II, served as the gateway to computing for me; my third grade classroom had two Apple IIs neatly tucked away in metallic lock cases. With them, I was exposed to word processing, printing and, most importantly, Carmen Sandiego. Education is deeply ingrained in the Apple ethos. During his keynote at Macworld 1997 -- where he made his return -- Steve Jobs, in a not so understated way, said that "Apple is the largest education company in the world" and that this provided the company "an incredible foundation...and legacy to build off of." This legacy lives on, as Apple, through its retail stores, offers a variety of mediums to teach kids about and expose them to computing and content creation. Last week, Apple opened up spring registration for field trips to its retail stores. Breaking with the tradition that students are to bring apples to their teachers, Apple provides a way for teachers to their students to the Apple...store, that is. During these field trips, K-12 students can create a variety of digital masterpieces: a photo album using iPhoto, an edited video using iMovie, or a song in GarageBand, among them. When complete, students can showcase their creations with others in the store. Now that's a class act. [hat tip to The Loop]
Steve Jobs helps push organ donation legislation
During a surprise appearance at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, California, Steve Jobs joined California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to help advance organ donation legislation. Last year, Jobs flew to Tennessee to receive a liver transplant, and spoke briefly of this. "There were not enough livers in California to go around," he said, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "I was advised by my Stanford doctors to enroll on a list at a Memphis hospital, because it was more favorable to get a liver there. I was fortunate." And without the transplant, Jobs said, "I could have died." Steve Jobs returned to work at Apple in June 2009 and, according to the report, told other transplant survivors that he is currently feeling fine. "It's been a pretty good last few months." If passed, the legislation could help save more lives by making it easier for Californians to affirm their preferred organ donor status. The current system, says Jobs, "is an obscure process." Full text of the legislation, Senate Bill 1395, can be viewed here. To find out more about organ donation, visit Donate Life America, the Mayo Clinic's 10 myths of organ donation, and, lastly, state organ and tissue donor registries at OrganDonor.Gov. [via Silicon Alley Insider]
Found Footage: Ridiculously fast iPhone typist
According to an IBM-University of Michigan study [link to PDF], when transcribing, those using a traditional hardware QWERTY keyboard type at an average rate of 33 words per minute. This means that YouTube user "konceptzoflife" is 152 percent faster than the average typist. The only thing is, he can do it on his iPhone. Using iTextSpeed to test his typing speed, the Usain Bolt of iPhone typists registered 83 WPM; his ultimate goal is to hit 90 WPM. The 83 WPM, which is the fastest I've seen on an iPhone, is still markedly shy of hardware QWERTY keyboard record holder Barbara Blackburn. The late Blackburn, whose fame made her a guest on Late Night with David Letterman (when he was on NBC after Johnny Carson), can maintain 150 WPM for a full 50 minutes, and can top out at 212 WPM. [via 148Apps]
HP attacks Apple iPad over Flash
During CES 2010, HP gave the public a slight tease of its upcoming slate device. The touchscreen device, which runs Windows 7, sports a form factor similar to Apple's iPad, as well as similar uses; it supports eBooks, music, videos, and of course, the Internet. But wait, there's more. According to a post on HP's Voodoo blog, the device will give you a "full Web browsing experience," not a "watered-down Internet" with "sacrifices." In other words, the HP slate device supports Flash and, well, the iPad doesn't. While the blog posting didn't mention the iPad by name, it was fairly clear that the statement in question was an indirect jab at it. Accompanying the post is a short, 30 second clip. The highlight of the clip, which occurs toward the end, shows the user going to Hulu.com and watching a Flash-based video. The reason that the clip is only 30 seconds long, and the Hulu portion is at the end of it, is that running Flash may have drained all of the device's batteries before all footage could be shot. (Just kidding! I couldn't help myself). On a serious note, while the lack of Flash on the iPhone, and now the iPad, has its drawbacks, these drawbacks have been muted to a degree. The advent of the App Store created a non-Flash, potentially monetizable, playground for the creations of developers and content creators to play in. In addition, HTML 5 is emerging as a potential Flash development alternative. via [AppleInsider]
Microsoft updates Office for Mac 2008 and 2004
Microsoft has just released updates to the 2004 and 2008 versions of Microsoft Office. According to the company, the updates, which weigh in at 9.7 MB and 221.5 MB respectively, provide "fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code" as well as improvements to stability and performance. The update for Microsoft Office 2004 can be downloaded here, while those with the 2008 version can find it at this link. As with most Mac OS X-related updates, whether from a third party app or a system update, you should consider backing up your data before proceeding. Keep in mind, as you install this update, that right around the corner is Microsoft Office for Mac 2011. Notable updates for the next version of the suite for the Mac include the replacement of Entourage with Outlook, the return of VBA and, gasp (or hurrah!), a more ribbon-oriented user interface, à la the Windows version of Office.
A look at the framework of Apple's iPad ad
The iPad, like the iPhone, used the Oscars to make its ad debut. As is typical with an Apple ad, the iPad's ad featured a montage of different uses for the device, all while set to the backdrop of a catchy tune. In making his case for the iPad, Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted that it would offer a better experience than a smartphone and a notebook computer in the following areas: Browsing Email Photos Videos Music Games eBooks The iPad's first ad reflects this ideal. The ad, when analyzed based on the on-air time dedicated to a particular function, reveals a device that will be marketed for jack-of-all-trades functionality, with a particular focus on its media consumption appeal and differentiation. About 80 percent of all 720 frames (30 seconds of total ad's total time multiplied by 24 frames per second) of the iPad's ad showed an app being used. And within this time, the photo app was shown the most, accounting for 26 percent of total frames where an app is being used. The mail app came in second, with 22 percent. With 20 percent of airtime, the iBook app highlights Apple positioning the iPad to compete against eBook readers. While a New York Times app wasn't shown, the ad, which shows the paper being displayed in a Safari browser window instead, also points to Apple positioning the iPad to appeal those who consume traditional print media publications -- such as newspapers and magazines. Although a Safari browser was briefly shown toward the end of the ad browsing Facebook, almost all Safari activity displayed the New York Times. In a September 2009 interview with the New York Times' David Pogue, Steve Jobs provided somewhat of a glimpse into how Apple would market and differentiate the iPad. Jobs argued that while dedicated devices such as Amazon's Kindle will always exist and that they may have offer some advantages in doing just one thing, "general-purpose devices will win the day" because "people just probably aren't willing to pay for a dedicated device." The iPad's first ad clearly follows this ideal.
Like iPhone, iPad ad premieres at Oscars
Talk about big premieres. Like it did with the iPhone and its "Hello" ad, Apple used the Oscars as the platform to debut its iPad commercial. The ad, set to the background of The Blue Van's "There Goes My Love," shows the iPad being used in a variety of ways: viewing a movie, reading an eBook, displaying photos, editing an iWork document and viewing email among them. The ad follows Apple's recent announcement that pre-orders for the device will be accepted beginning March 12, with shipments slated for April 3. Here's a link to the ad at Apple's site. The ad is also embedded in the second half of this post. As we noted on Twitter earlier, Apple chairman Steve Jobs was spotted on the red carpet before the awards... maybe he brought his iPad with him.
reMail may be reIncarnated as it goes open source
Several weeks back, we noted that Google had acquired reMail, and had placed founder Gabor Cselle and others from the reMail team on other Google projects. The reMail app distinguished itself from the iPhone's built-in Mail.app in several ways: It could download all of your emails in a way that takes up a much smaller footprint than in Mail.app on the iPhone. Its search feature is much faster than Mail.app, and is accompanied with niceties such as autocompleting the names of your contacts, remembering your past searches, and text mark up matches in your search results. And lastly, reMail's search is full text, unlike the header search like in the Mail.app. Though reMail is no longer being offered in the App Store, we may see its likeness spring up in other ways in future apps. As had been rumored shortly after the acquisition, reMail is now open source. Its source code now lives at the Google Code and is available for your viewing here. By making reMail open source, Gabor Cselle hopes that those interested in "making email-related apps can use reMail code as a starting point."
Mac 101: Going Commando with Command-key shortcuts in Mac OS X
One of the adjustments those new to the Mac need to make is to familiarize themselves with the Command key. Although I switch hit and use Windows at work and a Mac when I'm not working, I've always preferred it over Control. Its proximity next to the space bar allows me to use my thumb, as opposed to my pinky finger with the Control key, for keyboard shortcuts. I find it particularly faster for copying and pasting. The clover-looking key (it's actually an infinite loop), which had always been accompanied by an Apple logo until recently, sometimes behaves in ways similar to the Control key in the Windows world. At other times, however, it doesn't. Whether you're a recent Mac switcher or a seasoned Mac user, here are some shortcuts using the Command key to help you speed your way through tasks.
Mac OS X's Automator: I learned it by watching you!
Mac OS X's Automator has the ability to perform specific tasks from its given set of actions. For example, with a Finder-based action, you can batch move copy, move or rename files that fit a certain criteria. Similarly, image-based actions allow you to batch edit images, be it resizing, rotating or changing their file type (i.e., from JPG to PNG or vice versa). However, there may be situations that call for more unique tasks to be performed. And this is where Automator's "Watch Me Do" feature may come in handy. It performs keyboard- and mouse-based actions based on your movements and inputs during a Watch Me Do session. To initiate a Watch Me Do session, launch Automator and choose a template (you can incorporate it into an existing Automator workflow, service or app as well). Then, click on the "Record" button in the upper right hand corner. A small grey translucent window with an Automator icon will now appear in the upper left hand corner indicating that your inputs and movements are being recorded; to stop recording, just click on the stop button. The whole concept is similar to how you'd record a macro in Microsoft Excel. [Whoops, bad example, as macro recording isn't in the VBA-free Excel 2008 version. How about QuicKeys instead? –Ed.] I've found Watch Me Do actions particularly handy, especially when I'm too lazy to figure out how to do something in AppleScript. Watch Me Do requires that you enable access for assistive devices, so you'll need to hop on over to the "Seeing" pane within the Universal Access section of Mac OS X's System Preferences. Yes, Automator really can learn by watching you.
iLuv iPhone dock includes "bed shaker"
The iLuv iMM178 shares a lot in common with many iPod docks available in the market today: Play and charge your iPhone or iPod -- check. Alarm clock scheduling based on full-week, weekdays and weekends -- check. Alarm clock with customizable sounds -- check. Alarm clock that vibrates to wake you up -- wait, did I read that wrong, or did that say that this alarm clock will vibrate to wake me up? That's right, folks. The iLuv iMM178 (couldn't they have thought of a more friendly name?) is equipped with a corded "bed shaker" that, as its name suggests, will vibrate in tandem with your alarm. As the iLuv iMM178 wakes you up to The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," it can also literally give you some good vibrations of its own with its bed shaker. iLuv suggests that the bed shaker be placed underneath your pillow. In addition to these niceties, the iLuv iMM178 also plays FM radio, and has a time sync feature that reconciles time between it and your iPhone or iPod. iLuv's website lists the iMM178 at US$99.99, where it's available for purchase. Alternatively, you can improve your sleep habits with Sleep Cycle (available for $0.99), a bio-alarm clock iPhone app that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you when you are in the lightest sleep phase.
Some things we may not see again from Apple
Conan O'Brien once had a recurring segment on Late Night called "Guests We Won't Have Back," during which he would look back at guests (who were fake) that he regretted having on the show. There was bug expert Sara Wiggins, who ate a live beetle in front of the camera. And there was wine expert Charles Nance who, during his on-air wine tasting session, drank himself into a drunken stupor. digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Some_Things_We_May_Not_See_Again_From_Apple'; Despite its fairly strong record over the last decade, Apple has not been without its lapses and major changes. And, in the spirit of Conan O'Brien's "Guests We'll Never Have Back," let's take a look at "Some Things We'll Never Have Back" on the Apple front.
Directly connecting and syncing content between your Mac and Apple TV
After many years together, my Linksys WRT54G and I have parted ways. In its place, I'm now using an 802.11g-based Apple AirPort Express with AirTunes that was passed along to me. Besides not wanting to fork out the extra beans (c'mon, who here isn't saving up money for an iPad) for a shiny new 802.11n Airport Express, the devices living in my current wireless ecosystem are more g-leaning. That, and I don't really need the speed of 802.11n or the ethernet cable connection afforded to me by the WRT54G. Or so I thought.
PC World study: AT&T network has undergone "drastic makeover"
According to AT&T's commercials, they provide both "a better 3G experience" as well as "the nation's fastest 3G network." And, based on PC World's latest 3G wireless performance study, they've got more meat and potatoes (as if Luke Wilson wasn't enough) to back up their claims. The study, a collaboration between PC World and wireless analysis firm Novarum, took place from December 2009 to January 2010, and compares the four major U.S. wireless carriers (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile) in 13 "broadly representative" cities in the U.S. During the study, 51,000 separate tests were run, in which 850 square miles, and 7 million wireless subscribers, were covered. AT&T showed marked improvements over their figures from a similar study conducted during March and April 2009. Highlights of the most recent study include: Using notebook computers (e.g., with a built-in or external 3G card), AT&T had the fastest download speed in 11 of the 13 cities, and the fastest upload speed in all 13 cities. For smartphones, AT&T had the fastest download speeds in nine of the 13 cities, and the fastest upload speed in all 13 cities. Of the smartphone-carrier-based combinations, the AT&T-iPhone pairing had the fastest download and upload speeds, although its reliability slightly trailed the T-Mobile-G1 combination, which posted the highest figures. Given the nasty back-and-forth between AT&T and Verizon Wireless, which resulted in AT&T taking legal action (which they dropped in December 2009) against Verizon Wireless, the study could serve as a feather in AT&T's cap. Readers, what do you think? Does the study mesh well with your experiences with AT&T Wireless? Let us know in the comments! [Via PC World].
5 tips for switchers
Every now and then I'll have an "I never knew about that" moment as I come across a setting or nuance in Mac OS X that I never realized existed. Take, for instance, character viewer, which allows you to display a variety of characters in your document. Whether you're a switcher or seasoned Mac veteran, here are five tips that could help improve your Mac experience.