TuawSocialClub
Latest
What Apple gear do you buy a reindeer for Christmas?
Maybe we're tipplin' the 'nog a bit too much here at TUAW Central, but we thought you'd enjoy joining in our poll on the best Apple-themed presents for Rangifer tarandus volans. These animals are responsible for an awful lot of hard work, distributing presents, defying physics (something with a lot of "quantum" appears to be involved in collapsing gift waves simultaneously), waiting on rooftops as a big fat man makes his way down ventilation ducts and other rooftop access points, and racking up frequent flyer miles. While most of the coverage today seems to focus on the big fellow, our hearts go out to the overlooked heroes of the Christmas distribution process: the reindeer. What would you buy Rudolph and his pals in gratitude for their service? %Poll-79740%
What are you looking for under your iTree on Christmas?
It's the weekend before Christmas, and all through the blogosphere, not a creature is posting, not even here. Are your stockings hung by your chimneys with care? In hopes that Santa Tim Cook soon will be there? We hope that you're nestled, all snug in your beds, while visions of Apple products dance in your heads. What are you hoping to see under your tree? An iMac for you? An iPhone for me? Please drop a note into comments below. (You'll find them down lower, near the TUAW mistletoe.) Tell us what you are getting and what you will share. When Tuesday arrives, what goodies will be there?
TUAW Social Club: Tell us about your new baby
Chances are really good that first day adopters will start receiving their new units this weekend. We are hearing some pre-order shipping dates have slipped. Whether you pre-ordered or stood in line, here's the post where you can discuss your new device. What model did you go for? And what color? Do you have it in hand or are you breathlessly waiting for it to arrive? And how does that puppy feel? Comfortable? Or oddly long? Did you scratch it with your keys? Vote in our poll and then hop into the comments and share your experience. Take advantage of the TUAW Reader Brain Trust if you have any questions about set-up and use. We've got a great community of readers, and you're likely to discover some great information. %Poll-77862%
The WWDC 2012 prediction post: Community edition
As we wait for Tim Cook to headline Monday's WWDC 2012 keynote, we're all getting excited about what's to come. We're dusting off the old crystal ball to see what WWDC will bring us this week. Here's what some of our TUAW bloggers predict for Monday. Plus, we want to invite you to join in as well. What are you most looking forward to on Monday? New tech, hardware, and software? Tell us what you expect to see and where you think our predictions have merit -- or are full of monkey wax. Jump into the comments and let us know your take on WWDC 2012. Predictions will be added by TUAW bloggers throughout the weekend, so revisit this post early and often! Steven Sande I'm predicting a surprisingly modest WWDC: iOS 6, a preview of Mountain Lion, and that's about it. Why do I think this to be true? Well, I think it's time for Apple to give devs some real lovin', and the words on the banner -- "Where great ideas go on to do great things" -- seem to be more focused on the act of development than on new hardware. Sure, it would be awesome to see a new iMac, new MacBook Airs, new Mac minis, a new Mac Pro, and maybe even some announcements of Apple-branded Thunderbolt peripherals. But my guess is that Tim Cook and Company are going to really focus on the software technologies that make Apple great. Erica Sadun The thing I most want to see on Monday -- and the thing I'm not really counting on -- is an Apple OS Roadmap, similar to the one that Steve Jobs offered in the October 2010 "Back to the Mac" event. During that presentation, Jobs announced Lion and the Mac App store and discussed how OS X would grow to take advantage of advances in technology innovated on the iOS side of the house. While I expect Tim Cook to introduce iOS 6 and demo Mountain Lion, which may enter its first "gold master" release at WWDC, I hope he will have the flexibility to discuss where the two operating systems are going next, and how much convergence we'll see over the next 3-5 years. I'd also like to hear about how supporting technologies like AirPlay, iCloud, and 802.11ac will bring the entire Apple line closer together over time. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some hardware introduced as well, specifically brief mentions of a new MacBook Pro (feels like an Air, works like a Pro, docks to upgraded Cinema Displays). I suspect a lot of the Monday keynote will focus, however, on iOS 6 and Mountain Lion features. I'd really like to see some 10.8 surprises due to hardware refreshes and iOS 6 innovation for iCloud, reminders, and other key lifestyle support technologies. Megan Lavey-Heaton Like Erica and Steve, I think the keynote Monday will be focused on Mountain Lion and iOS 6. However, I do feel that new hardware will be introduced as a means to promote development. This is the Apple hardware's moment to shine outside of the iOS family, and I'd be disappointed if new systems weren't announced. We know Mountain Lion is coming. iOS6 is a given. The only blank is the hardware, and it's past time it had a refresh. Victor Agreda, Jr. I believe there will be enough amazing features in iOS 6 to continually raise the roof and the bar on Monday. From advancements in maps to upgrades to Siri, Apple will show why anyone considering the use of tiles on Windows Phone or whatever it is that makes Android compelling should consider switching or keeping iOS on their phone or tablet. Mountain Lion is less of a mystery, although I would expect the cloud efforts from Cupertino to be a key ingredient of the wow soup they are no doubt rehearsing at this moment. We've seen a lot of nice, new features, plus integration of iOS notions that will make life easier for the average user -- several of which Erica mentioned above. As for hardware... Isn't WWDC a software thing? It's possible we'll see the new MacBook Pros, or they could do it a week later (when "normal humans" continue their annual blissful ignorance of WWDC's purpose) so as not to distract. Further, the Pro may be due for a revision, but unless there are developer-specific niceties baked in, why not wait a bit later? It's not like we'll be so busy with the latest BlackBerry to notice. Chris Rawson Guaranteed: iOS 6 and Mountain Lion demoed. Likely: "iMaps," Apple's replacement for Google Maps. Maybe: Updates to at least one Mac model announced. Apple TV apps/SDK. Third-party access to Siri APIs. I'll believe it when I see it: Updates to all Mac models announced. Retina Displays on the MacBook Pro, iMac. Not a chance: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad hardware updates. "Are you inebriated?": iPad mini, Apple HDTV.
Dubdub Monday: Upcoming WWDC 2012 metaliveblog and TUAW community events
TUAW isn't just a blog, it's a community. And we're getting all excited for Monday's upcoming WWDC keynote. We want you to be part of the fun. Please join us for all the events and coverage during the day. We'll be hosting a special edition of TUAW TV Live before the keynote. We'll kick off at 8:30 Pacific/11:30 Eastern with a lively Community Chat edition. Come join us and be a part of the discussion. Got predictions? Jump over to our community-powered WWDC 2012 predictions post, which will go live later this afternoon. We've put our best guesses out there about what Tim Cook and company will be introducing during the keynote. Now we want to hear yours. What do you think we'll see at this year's event. Participate in our metaliveblog. We'll be covering the WWDC 2012 keynote with live updates, lively commentary, and fun for everyone. It's the big event of the season, so make sure you mark your calendars and set your Siri reminders! The event starts Monday, June 11 at 10 AM Pacific Time (1 PM Eastern time), and we'll be kicking off the live blog a quarter hour ahead of that. Want to chat with other TUAW readers during Monday's Apple event? Join us in the #tuaw chatroom on irc.freenode.net. Kevin Avila (eddienull) will be moderating. We look forward to seeing you then! And thank you for being a part of our TUAW community.
TUAW Social Club: Chat about your new iPad and Apple TV
Happy iPad day, boys and girls! Congratulations on your new 3rd generation baby -- and possibly on your new 1080p Apple TV. If your gadget household just grew in size -- or if you're trying to decide whether to pull the trigger on buying some new tech -- come join the discussion in our comments. We and the TUAW social braintrust are here to help you get your new equipment set up and to answer questions to get you going. So jump on in -- whether you've got questions, or answers, or just want to brag about your new baby. We're excited, too!
You design the iPhone ... in crayon
Here at TUAW central, we're all getting excited about the upcoming new iPhone -- and by the size of our inbox, so are you. You wouldn't believe how many iFauxn submissions we've gotten since the invites went out. So we decided to share the joy. If you have a fake iPhone 5 (or 4S, we don't discriminate) in your soul, begging to get out, draw it, digitize it, annotate it, and send it in to: We'll share the best in a gallery. Feel free to let your imagination run wild. But send 'em in soon. Time grows short.
You're the Pundit: Does the classic iPod have a future?
When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is the iPod. Are the non-touch units examples of dead devices walking? The iPod classic and shuffle lines have had a big "expiration date" stamped on them for quite some time. Maybe it's time for Apple to hold the funeral for these formerly ground-breaking devices. The classic, with its large capacity hard drive and touch wheel, and the shuffle, with its tiny form factor and limited interface, have each served a niche market for quite a while. Does the shrinking demand for these items and the greater capacity and lower cost for the touch and nano mean an end to the ten-year-old classic collection? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-69103%
You're the Pundit: Windows 8
Other sites have rumors and speculation. We have the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is Windows 8. Will Microsoft's newest operating system prove a threat to Apple's OS X or iOS? The touch-friendly Windows 8 operating system has been heavily overhauled for greater stability and user friendliness. High resolution (think Retina for Microsoft) models may ship sometime in the next 12-18 months, with high touch accuracy, optimized finger control precision, and more. Features like Picture Password, which invites users to draw on pictures with a known set of shapes and lines for authentication (e.g. add a mustache on Mom and a hat on Dad) and a brilliantly colored tiled Start Screen, all add to Windows 8's appeal. Should Apple be worried? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-69095%
You're the Pundit: When will iOS 5 debut?
Other sites have rumors and speculation. We have the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is iOS 5. When exactly will this new firmware launch? So far, Apple has shipped seven iOS 5 betas. Will we see an eighth or ninth beta? Or is it time for the Gold Master release candidate? And if so, how long until iOS debuts and is distributed to consumers? Will it be in synchrony with a new iPhone? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-68865%
You're the Pundit: iCloud's Future
Other sites have rumors and speculation. We have the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is iCloud. With so much to offer, what will its true killer feature be? iCloud stands ready to revolutionize the way we think of cloud storage. It brings so many options to the table, it's hard to pick just one. So, of course, that's what we're going to ask you to do. Of all these features, which is going to truly change the Apple user experience most profoundly? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your iCloud predictions. %Poll-68871%
Reasons why USB thumb drives are the wrong choice
Photo: Dead Drops (Flickr) So yesterday, the TUAW backchannel got into a heated discussion about USB thumb drives. We had just posted about why Lion Version support was not available on non-HFS+ file systems. Our debate wasn't over whether they were good or not, but rather why they were a poor choice for day-to-day work. All of us had a number of drives around, but for the most part they are used for storing system installers, not for old-fashioned sneakernet-style file transfers. Nearly all of TUAW has moved on to some kind of cloud solution, be it Dropbox or Pogoplug or iCloud. These are all solutions that bypass any "HFS+ vs FAT, versions-support vs Windows-interoperability" issues, plus they don't have the "running apps from dmg"-like squicky feel to them. The fact that some people still use thumb drives for live-saving work files (update: saving live to the drive instead of to disk as described here) came as a bit of a surprise to us. We were determined to come up with a list of reasons not to do this. In the end, we brainstormed a bit and turned to Twitter for further inspiration. Our first knee-jerk reactions were the least motivational. Although several of us (and people on Twitter as well) mentioned "Aren't those drives always a bit failure-prone?", our googling indicated that the mean time between failures was relatively low high, and the number of supported read/write and insertion/ejection cycles surprisingly high, particularly for modern units. So "they're not reliable" turned out to be a bit apocryphal, even for relatively cheap drives. That being said, USB thumb drives don't appear to use load leveling of any kind, and are not designed for constant read/write cycles. As one of our Twitter buddies pointed out, they are designed for file storage above all. Instead, we focused on practical use, why thumb drives fail in the daily work process. Without further ado, here is our list of the top reasons you shouldn't be using thumb drives for directly saving your work. Thumb drives don't integrate well into backups. Although HFS+-formatted USB sticks can and will use Lion versions and metadata, if your workflow involves saving directly to the drive and skipping your primary hard drive, you're missing out on a lot of what Time Machine can offer, especially when you go mobile. Consider updating your workflow to save to disk (in a normal work folder) and then copying to a thumb drive for transport. This way, you ensure that all file data is not just versioned but also passively brought into the normal Time Machine backup schemes. Thumb drives don't integrate well with pockets, bags, dogs, and small children. Portable USB sticks are small. They are tremendously easy to lose or misplace. What's more, thumb drives can be inadvertently swallowed, flushed, put through the laundry, and more. If you're saving your only file copy to a thumb drive, you're putting that data at unnecessary risk -- especially if your two-year-old just learned how to flush, or you're figuring on giving your dog enough laxative to poop out the data he just licked off your desk. That's not to mention the "good friend" scenario, pointed out by one of our Twitter buddies, who reformats your stick for "some linux install tests" without your permission. Thumb drives are physically flimsy. It's a lot easier to break the connector port by accident, losing access to all the data stored on the drive, than you might think. Their relative fragility make them a risk for anyone who relies on them for primary storage. Thumb drives are subject to corruption. When you unplug a drive without unmounting it -- a common thoughtless mistake that many of us make -- your data could get corrupted. Combine this with a natural exclusion from backups, and a corrupted USB drive could cost you that data. Thumb drives have low read-write speed. If you tend to engage in edit-save-edit-save cycles, writing directly to a USB stick can slow down your work a lot, especially when working with large data files like images. Thumb drives aren't ubiquitous. Unless you're prepared to walk your drive to another location, their data doesn't naturally integrate with net-based cloud storage. And if you do use net storage, why are you using a thumb drive as a primary storage solution? Thumb drives take up extra slots. Who amongst us have enough USB slots on their system? Every thumb drive occupies a space that could otherwise be used for external Time Machine storage or any number of other peripherals. So that's our list of crowd-sourced reasons, beyond our instinctive knee-jerk "don't do that" response. If you want to gawk at a dizzying array of USB drives, check out the list on Engadget. Got more suggestions? Add them to the comments! Thanks to everyone who tweeted suggestions, including (but not limited to) Arepty, Redbits Apps (for 2-year-olds learning to flush), Ed_h, Mark_Coker, Jecoffey, Biosblob, Niels_K, Dddat, DannoWatts, Endareth, Yittsv, Yboy403, JayFuerstenberg, TB10 (for load leveling), Cranies, Ech0riginal, Innoying, ChunkyGuy, JohnSea66, LMahesa, JasperJanssen, GoJohnnyBoi, GianLovesSurf, PaulRysz, Frank2Oh, StoreClock, David_Dre (for Linux friends), Savobien, Bosh (inconsistent mount points), JTokash, DanUdey, AEberbach, MikePuchol, RJALPHAdog, Hack3rsInc, iMacDan, JohnNelm9r, WiseQuark, Zad0xsis, McElhearn, AbrahamVegh,WeatherAngel, MBrit, and everyone else!
You're the Pundit: Are we going to see a touch iMac?
Other sites have rumors and speculation. We have the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is the iMac. Are we about to see a touch iMac debut? For years now, Apple patents have hinted at iMac and MacBook touch screens. A year ago, rumors arose that Sintek Photonics were producing touch panels for those units; rumors that were quickly quashed by Sintek spokespersons. Third party Touchscreen iMacs were actually launched in 2006 by Troll Touch, although they never seemed to take off the way some people expected. In 2010, Steve Jobs talked about vertical touch screens in the Back to the Mac press event. Jobs told the world that "[t]ouch surfaces don't want to be vertical. It gives great demo but after a short period of time, you start to fatigue and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off. It doesn't work; it's ergonomically terrible." Of course, that assumes a primarily touch modality. In the last four years, i.e. since the iPhone debuted, how many times have you reached out to your computer screen in the midst of doing other work and were surprised that the screen didn't respond to touch? Maybe vertical interaction is best as an augmentation of standard mouse/trackpad/keyboard input rather than a replacement. You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-68704%
You're the Pundit: Will iOS and OS X merge?
Other sites have rumors and speculation. We have the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is operating systems. Are iOS and OS X set to merge? Under the hood, these operating systems are very close cousins. They share many frameworks and many APIs. Sure, there are differences, particularly in system services, multitasking support, and windowed UIs. Apple said, though, that Lion was designed to integrate the best features of iOS. Could the two grow even closer? Will we be seeing a merged universal Apple OS in the next few years? Or will we see more platform definition as the operating systems grow apart? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-68668%
You're the Pundit: What's the Apple "Product Transition" going to be?
Other sites have rumors. We have the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is Apple's mysterious fall "product transition." During Apple's Q3 Financials, Peter Oppenheimer mentioned an upcoming product transition due to take place this autumn. Without giving specific details, Oppenheimer hinted that it could impact earnings. So what is this "future product transition that we will not talk about today" that will affect the fall quarter? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-68613%
You're the Pundit: iPhone 5 US Carriers
Other sites have rumors. We have the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is the iPhone 5 and its carriers. As Autumn rolls around and the iPhone 5 gets ready to launch, what carriers do you expect to see joining Verizon and AT&T with official Apple support? By "official", we're not talking about putting a T-Mobile SIM into an unlocked Apple GSM iPhone. We're talking about announcement and roll-out in integration with the company. Place your vote and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-68460%
Re-discovering the iPhone magic in real life
Has the iPhone become...blasé? Recently, I was at the check out at my local supermarket, watching the guy in front of me enter things into his iPhone. "Hey, whatcha doing with the iPhone?" I ask. Turns out he was checking his balance before deciding which debit card to use to pay. The iPhone has long since passed parents recording videos at school concerts. During a recent trip home, I saw any number of people used their iPhones with boarding pass scanners, checking connections, finding gates and so on. These things that used to be stand out are now ordinary occurrences. Has the revolutionary become the norm? This morning, as we're sitting in the TUAW situation room and chatting about the iPhone in real life, we decided to throw this question to our readers: What iPhone uses have surprised, delighted or just plain excited you recently? Are there ways you've seen the iPhone being used that have startled you, that took you out of the moment and convinced you that there's some new app you must buy or some new approach you can't ignore? Let us know in the comments. We can't wait to hear what secret gems you've uncovered.
iPad Social Club: Share your new baby
%Poll-61527% Congratulations! You just bought a new iPad, whether a discounted first generation or an updated iPad 2. Now it's time to socialize and chat about your new baby. Please join us in this post's comment section. Did you order your iPad online? Or did you stand in line at an Apple Retail Store or other vendor? How did your purchase go? Was it smooth? And, importantly, did you accessorize??? And how do you like your new device (especially if it's your first iPad)? Is it everything you hoped? Or are there features you'd like to see improved? For those of you moving up from the first generation to the second, how does the new one compare? Can you feel the difference? Or is it more of the (wonderful) same? Let us know!
Getting ready for iPad: black or white?
Today's the day. As consumers are getting ready to head off to their local Apple retailers to start the line wait for their new iPad, the question lingers. Black? or White? The overwhelming TUAW blogger consensus is white. We're tired of black. We want more Stormtrooper, less Vader. We want our new device to match our MacBook Airs. What about you. If supply allows, which color will you be opting for? %Poll-61552% In related news, analysts believe that as many as a fifth of original iPad owners will be upgrading to iPad 2, making this an excellent time to be scouting eBay for iPad bargains. The updated iPad will be sold at nearly ten thousand stores.
TUAW social club: What did you get for Christmas?
Were you nice and not naughty? Did Santa reward you with Apple-branded products for all your hard work and effort this year? If Santa left a few Apple goodies under your tree (and helpfully cleaned up your Safari browser cookies and milk), here's where you can share the joy of new ownership. So what did you score? A new iPad? An iPod? A Mac? Apple TV? An iTunes gift card? A patented iPhone SIM removal tool? Come share your excitement in the comments. We want to hear what you got and how you love it so far! It's time to brag about your new toys and maybe get a little peer-support for any technical issues you've encountered from our other readers. Because TUAW readers are the best. Bless you all. Each and every one of you! Happy holidays and a healthy New Year.
