Newton
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Rumor: Microsoft motion controller code-named 'Newton'
After one of us who shall remain nameless had to sing Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" on a certain podcast as the result of a lost bet, we've learned not to doubt Jacob Metcalf. You may remember him as the first to report the Bungie/Microsoft split. He says he's once again tapped his inside sources to get more information about a motion controller reportedly under development at Microsoft, which he claims is codenamed "Newton."Metcalf reports that the controller is fundamentally like the Wiimote in design, with a USB-powered sensor bar and "rumble motors, wireless two way data communication with the 360, a built in Microphone for Xbox Live and voice-activated games." It's sounds great, but, as Metcalf says, we hope it comes with a free USB hub. We're filling slots faster than our grandmother in Atlantic City.
The 10th anniversary of the Newton's death
It was ten years ago today, February 27, 1998, that the Apple Newton was officially killed. During the five years that the Newt was in production it garnered nearly as many detractors as admirers, was the butt of jokes and set the ground work for Palm, Handspring and the like.There's still an active community of Newton users out there, and they've made some incredible accomplishments in those ten years, like: iTunes synchronization Web server Native sync with Mac OS X Blogging software WiFi support Phone It beat the Windows UMPC in CNet's head-to-head battle, and there's even been a successful port of the Newton OS to other handheld devices. The Newt is gone, but not really. Long live the green PDA!
Derailing the Apple touchscreen UMPC fantasy
So, if you've been paying any attention to tech news over the past few days, you have probably seen an Apple UMPC rumor floating around. The cats behind these latest whisperings seem to be super-duper whizzes with Photoshop and possess pretty active imaginations. Apparently, when they heard that people were speculating on a new type of touchscreen Apple device, they decided to whip up a couple of specs, the not-so-tasty image above, and a dust cloud of hype based off of a post made on a personal -- yet largely unread -- Apple news blog. It seems to have worked, save for one small problem: there isn't one verifiable or reliable piece of information in the whole thing. Maybe Steve Jobs will see the mock-up and decide to make this thing for real so we can all get a sweet new device -- but really just so the rumor-starters in question won't be proven wrong.
What to do with 4,000 Newton modems
When the cat's away, the mice will play.The cat being Steve Jobs (absent from Apple in 1996) and the mice a team of Newton developers who found themselves alone with 4,000 modems and a video camera. As you've undoubtedly surmised, they created an impressive domino-type arrangement of the modems in the halls of Apple.The video is longer than it needs to be, so skip ahead a bit. While you're at it, dig the 90's fashion statements. Flock Of Seagulls Nirvana concert, anyone?[Via Macenstein]
Rig of the Week: Newton as telephone
Who needs an iPhone when you've got a Newton 2100?Using a Nokia Card Phone 2.0 he got on Ebay for 10 Euros, a HDC-6D headset (Cost: 1 Euro), a prepaid T-Mobile SIM card (10 euros) and NewtSMS+ 1.10a beta (free), Marcus Hammerschmitt (original post in German and Google-translated) was placing calls with his Newt -- shades of 1997. He explains:"I installed [NewtSMS+ 1.10a beta] on my Newton MP 2100. I put the SIM card into my Nokia Card Phone. Plugged the card phone into my Newt. Let NewtSMS+ know the PIN of my SIM card, and was ready to go...For my money (exactly 35 euros / about 48 USD in this case), the Newton does a brilliant job."He goes on to note that the Phone Card also works with his eMate and old Compaq laptop, plus the SIM card works with his Nokia 6310i. Nicely done!
More "New Newton" rumors
What's more annoying than Chocolate Rain and the pointless Kid Nation uproar? The incessant "Apple is coming out with a new Newton" rumors.Here's one from 2003:"...There's good reason to believe that a jazzy new Newton II will be forthcoming, perhaps in January" (Yup, that's our good friend John Dvorak).Another from 2004:"...[A US company] 'approached Apple willing to buy [the] Newton and relaunch it. They are in ... negotiations with Apple...'"I think we all remember - and would like to forget - the iWalk.Today, AppleInsider is beating this decrepit, old horse. According to their "well-respected sources," a team has been very busy at Apple building a multi-touch handheld successor to the Newton. Sure. In other news, everyone who paid $7500 for a Twentieth Anniversary Mac will receive $100 Apple Store credit, OJ Simpson is Steve Job's personal hitman and the next AppleTV will play Pippin games.
Is Apple working on a multi-touch-based Newton successor?
This one is purely in the realm of rumor, folks, but AppleInsider is now reporting the tantalizing detail that Apple is currently working on a multi-touch-based successor to its Newton handheld. As the story goes, Apple has actually had a "small team of engineers" working on the project for the past 18 months, during which time they were occasionally forced to put the project on hold in order to help get the iPhone out the door on time. Now, with the iPhone out of the way, AppleInsider says it's "full steam ahead" on the "modern day Newton." Delving even further into the rumor mill, AppleInsider says the device will about 1.5 times the size of the iPhone, and sport a 720x480 display that fills nearly the entire surface of the unit (no surprise there). What's more, it seems that the device is intended to compete as much with UMPCs as with PDAs (something the original Newton's already taken a shot at) and, if the rumors are to be believed, it could be released "sometime in the first half of 2008," with a possible announcement as soon as MacWorld in January. [Image courtesy of audiopollution/AppleInsider]
Monopoly Here and Now released at Macgamestore
I never even realized such a thing existed, but apparently Hasbro (which now owns the Monopoly brand) had released a computer version of the famous real estate game, completely updated for 2007-- as in, there are Hybrid cars and RAZRs in the game (yeah, yeah, I'll get to that in a second), and luxury tax now costs you $150,000, instead of the quaint old $75. And it's now been released for the Mac-- you can pick it up for $20 over at Macgamestore, or grab the demo for free at Macgamefiles.Gamespot users thought the PC version was pretty all right, so if you like the game a lot but don't always have the real opponents around to sit through the whole thing with you, this might be right up your alley.But of course, what I'd like to see, in either virtual or realspace, is an actual Apple-branded edition of Monopoly-- the Newton and Lisa can be Mediterranean and Baltimore, and Park Place and Boardwalk get to be the iPhone and the iPod touch. You can have little Jobs and Woz figurines to move around the board (the shoe stays-- love the shoe), although I'm not sure what the railroads would be-- Apple keynotes at Mac conferences? Get on that, Hasbro![via IMG]
How to "Get things done" with a Newton
Several of the TUAW bloggers are fans of David Allen's Getting Things Done. There are also a couple of Newton fans among our numbers (myself included), so it's inevitable that the two would come together.Eckhart Köppen took it a step further and described the evolution of his Newton GTD system, from the very start to his detailed solution. With simple applications like DateMan, Super NotePad and More Folders, Eckhart has constructed a nice solution for his Newton.Thanks for posting this, Eckhart! I'll try it myself.
Connecting the Newton as a serial terminal
A little while back we linked to ByteCellar's Apple //c terminal, and now he's gone and put a Newton online. You can check out the whole setup in the gallery, but the short story seems to be that he hooked up the eMate 300 to a serial-to-USB terminal, and then ran it through his Mini. Pretty easy, he says, since he'd already done it with the Apple //c, and apparently it's just an experiment-- while he could easily keep it around for IRC, he says the eMate is bound to its eFate as a paperWate.And if getting the Newton hooked up as a terminal revs your engine, I was surprised to find out that TUAW houses the original Newton serial connector. Very impressive-- even in 1993, Sadun was doing stuff with Apple hardware that makes my head spin. Figgles, apparently, is her Newton.And finally, if you don't have the knowhow or the patience to hook your Newton up to a serial internet connection, you could always just pull an Ihnatko and fake it. How long has he had that sticker sitting around? If you're not up for actually stickering your iPhone, Jer Wood's wallpaper might be more your speed.[ via MacBytes ]
Flickr find: Apple protoypes group
While browsing Flickr from the luxurious TUAW offices this afternoon (read: That Starbucks on the corner), we came across the Apple Prototypes Flickr group. There's some very cool stuff pictured, including a penlite prototype with duodock and a transparent SE/20. As the group's administrator notes, prototype Apple hardware rarely sees the light of day. If you've got something cool lying around, consider adding a few shots to this pool (Anonymity will be granted, if desired). Because sharing is caring.Photograph used with permission from Sonny Hung. Photographer anonymous.
Apple form factor evolution
Donationware app MacTracker is great for those times when you need to look back at the history of Apple's products or the stats of one particular machine. If you're interested in more of a visual history, however, this picture from art director and designer Edwin Tofslie should satisfy your cravings for pretty pictures. Tofslie collected images from most of the major design revisions Apple has made to many of their most significant products, including the Mac, Newton, iPod, Xserve and iPhone, as well as their displays, mice and even the AirPort Extreme stations. It's an interesting look back over the evolution of Apple's industrial design that seems to include all the major landmarks.
Newton's Mogo Mouse X54 Pro gets seriously professional
Newton, inventive maker of the ultrathin, wireless MoGo Mouse has added a new variation to its game, called the MoGo Mouse X54 Pro. Just like its Bluetooth-utilizing progenitor, the X54, the new model is a credit card-thin optical mouse meant to be stored in your open ExpressCard 54 slot, but the Pro version extends functionality by rocking double-duty as a wireless presentation remote. The mouse has a small laser pointer embedded in its front, and the top panel includes buttons for navigating through your slides, blanking screens, and switching the laser on and off. It also, of course, does mousing tasks. Available in August for £54.99, or around $112.[Via Tech Digest]
WWNC 2007 Roundup
The 2007 World Wide Newton Conference took place in Tokyo last month. If you were unable to attend, you can browse the weekend's highlights here. The big news was the announcement that the Einstein Project - which brings the Newton OS to current hardware - has gone open source. It's now known as Open Einstein, and can be found here. This is great news, as more collaborators means the more handhelds that can "go green" (and I'm not talking about environmentalism).Also, Hiroshi Noguchi has released the source code to his Newton WaveLAN drivers. WiFi Newtons for all!There's more of course, and you can get the full run-down at the link above. Here's to WWNC '08. Might I suggest the east coast of the US?Thanks, Grant!
Newton vs. iPhone photo gallery
If you've configured your dual-wield gadget skill for both Newtons and iPhones (as I have), you may want to check out this Newton 2100/iPhone photo gallery at Flickr. The images are beautifully lit and composed, and provide a nice comparison of the two devices. It makes us happy to know that we aren't the only ones who love our toys this much.[Via Daring Fireball]
Switched On: Comparing Apples and Blackberrys (Part 1)
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: Apple has just introduced an incredibly promoted portable touch-screen device touted as revolutionizing an entire industry. Lines formed in anticipation of its release. The most controversial aspect of it, though, is its text-input method. And one more thing, the year is 1993 and the product is Newton. The disappointment of Newton's handwriting recognition resulted in negative reviews that left Apple with egg freckles on its face and the bold Newton MessagePad and its successors all but doomed. Will history repeat itself with this year's model? The first sign that the iPhone's touch-screen keyboard may have a learning curve came during the Steve Jobs interview at the D: All Things Digital event when Apple's CEO offered to buy Walt Mossberg dinner if he wasn't happy with the iPhone's keyboard after coming up to speed on it. Reinforcing that, in Apple's video walkthrough of the iPhone, the black-shirted narrator notes that "it's easiest to begin typing with just your index finger" but encourages that "as you get more proficient, migrate to using two thumbs" for the payoff that "in about a week, you'll be typing faster on iPhone than any other small keyboard. Perhaps the keyboard's tag line should be, "Give us a week. We'll take off the wait." Fortunately for Apple, most reviewers have not thrown Apple's baby out with its backspace.
2007 Worldwide Newton Conference to be held in Tokyo
WWDC isn't the only Apple-centric conference taking place this summer. The third annual World Wide Newton Conference will take place at the Salon de G in Tokyo, Japan on July 7th and 8th. While the programs are still being finalized, developers Paul Guyot (who ported the Newton OS to a Zaurus handheld) and GNUE are scheduled to talk. Registration is now open for ¥3500 (this includes a 2-day passport to the conference, lunch and drinks). While you're waiting, check out these highlights from previous years' conferences.Someday I'll attend one of these. But for this year...Tokyo is quite a ways away.
On iPhones and Newtons
Michael Simon at Mac | Life takes a cautionary look at the iPhone from the perspective of the failed Newton. In the months before its launch, the Newton generated a lot of buzz and excitement, and boasted similar functionality. As Mr. Simon notes, the original Newton introductory video states, "The Newton MessagePad can find a phone number and dial the phone for you, fax a note, format a letter, and even set up a lunch appointment."It's an interesting comparison, but I don't think it's entirely fair. When the Newton was introduced, not may people - if any - knew what a "PDA" was. The concept was even new for Apple.Conversely, everyone knows what a cell phone is, and nearly everyone has used one. While it's true that Apple has a lot riding on the iPhone - you could argue even more so than the Newton - its path will be very different.
Blast from the Past: Under Siege 2
Casey Ryback, Steven Segal's character in Under Siege, never had it easy but he had great toys. Sure, he was "just the cook" but apparently SEAL cooks have access to some amazing gadgets. Like special communicators, explosives and Miss July. Under Siege was so successful, the filmmakers decided to create a sequel, Under Siege 2, which takes place on a train with his niece (that actress from Roswell and Grey's Anatomy) and a Newton. No, really! Not kidding here. Behold the glory that is Newton in Under Siege 2.Update: My bad. This seems to be a repeat of a post from before my time here at TUAW. If you have a great (but non-repeat!) idea for Blast from the Past, drop us a note via our Tip form.
