The Wall Street Journal has been reporting on Google’s mobile phone efforts and how it is beginning to draw some interest from carriers, especially in the United States. Here is what Om Malik has been able to gather from his sources.
read more | digg story
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Hulu Launches! Should YouTube Be Worried?
While it may not live up to its billing as a “YouTube killer,” Hulu is as different as a web video service could possibly be from the market leader.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, October 22, 2007
HTML5 Wrapper for Google Gears
"...Gears is a capable and much more mature implementation, both WebKit and Gears use the same SQLite server, so it should be just a matter of writing a simple wrapper to bring Gears back into the standards fold...."
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Sunday, October 21, 2007
MySpace Gets in Bed with Roommates
MySpace continues its march into original content with the launch of Roommates, a new, scripted original web series, today. The move represents MySpace’s first co-development project and first original web series created specifically for MySpace TV.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, October 08, 2007
Safari on Windows: Beyond the Browser, Apple's Decoy into Microsoft's World
On June 11th 2007, Apple introduced a beta version of Safari 3 for Windows. Safari is Apple's flagship browser, built on-top of possibly the fastest web browser engine, WebKit.
As soon as it came out, I threw it at our DWR-driven CSS-rich/DOM/script-intensive Used Cars Search results-page and compared rendering/execution speeds with IE6 on the same Windows XP machine. I counted 2+ seconds on IE6 vs 1+ seconds on Safari. Not bad for beta software, i thought, most especially software developed by Apple for its competitor's operating system.
The speed of Apple's web browser on Microsoft Windows is a testament to the maturity and strength of WebKit.
That's all dandy, but here's the twist: Safari 3 on Windows is a Decoy, something to stimulate pundit, media, and industry's attention, generate buzz, and throw them off the scent of the real story underneath. The real story here is WebKit. iTunes. Quicktime: The makings of an enabling software platform, and Safari and iTunes being the manifestation of what underlying platforms such as WebKit and QuickTime can do.
History just may prove me wrong, but I can't imagine Safari-on-Windows, in and out of itself, being part of Apple's longer-term strategic product offerings. I don't picture them running ads on TV encouraging users to switch from Internet Explorer to Safari, in a World where so many Windows users don't even know what their web browser is, and still consider it "that Internet Icon Thingie in the Start Menu".
On the Mac, WebKit enables far more than just "Safari". It also enables a whole realm of useful mini-applications, called "Widgets", running inside "Dashboard". With theoretically little added engineering resources, Apple could create great opportunities by developing a WebKit-only equivalent of Dashboard for Windows.
One of Windows Vista's "touted features" are "Gadgets", Microsoft's attempt at cloning frameworks such as Apple's Dashboard Widgets, Yahoo's Konfabulator, which provide application development platforms that leverage web standards.
Why would this be great opportunity for Apple? Bring more value to their developer community, and establish a budding footprint of Mac Developers releasing narrowly-focused applications simultaneously to Mac and Windows, thereby allowing them to multiply their audience by a factor of ... uhm ... a lot.
While Mac OS X Dashboard Widgets have access to the full underlying Cocoa APIs to provide rich functionality, there already exists a vibrant ecosystem of great widgets built solely with Web Standards, simply leveraging WebKit. A WebKit-only version of Dashboard would nicely cater to this community ... today.
"Gadgets" on Windows are a Vista-only feature. It will take some time for Vista to supplant XP. It will take some more time for Windows developers to release great "Gadgets" for Vista.
If a WebKit-only version of Dashboard was available for Windows tomorrow, Apple could release it to millions of PC users as part of one its routine iTunes updates for Windows. And many of these mini applications would be available to them, near-instantly.
By doing this, Apple would add value to its existing developer community, catch the attention of Web Developers who are on the fence as to where to start their development efforts for Mac Widgets vs Vista Gadgets, by giving them the opportunity to not have to choose.
While leveraging web standards to build useful desktop applications on both platforms would be an encouraging development, the rabbit-hole may yet go even deeper.
Consider iTunes and Safari, two applications that look absolutely identical on both Mac and PC. Are we to believe both applications live in two radically different code bases? What if Apple had internally developed an easier way to code applications for both Mac and Windows? What if XCode was to one day also produce Windows binaries?
Could this hurt Apple's competitive edge? I don't believe so, quite on the contrary. It comes down to providing even more value to their developer community, and help grow it by "reaching out to the other side". Windows users looking to switch to Mac don't make this decision based on specific pieces of 3rd-party software they'll be able to run on their shiny new Mac. They'll switch because of the iApps, which Apple doesn't have to release to Windows and likely never will, and an overall more pleasant, secure, stable, fun computing experience.
The way I see this unfold isn't thru the release of a Windows binary of the Cocoa framework. This would mean that to run Mac apps, an additional framework would need to be loaded on a Windows User's machine, much like .Net. This would strike me as redundant.
I don't either see XCode ported to Windows. It'd be rather pointless as the key audience for this product would be Mac Developers looking to release their apps on Windows, not Windows developers who are primarily .Net developers and already enjoy Microsoft's awesome IDE.
Instead, picture the ability for Mac OS X's XCode to load-up key windows APIs, translate Cocoa source-code into .Net source code, and compile the whole thing into a binary to be tested ... in Parallels ... or a Windows box nearby :).
As soon as it came out, I threw it at our DWR-driven CSS-rich/DOM/script-intensive Used Cars Search results-page and compared rendering/execution speeds with IE6 on the same Windows XP machine. I counted 2+ seconds on IE6 vs 1+ seconds on Safari. Not bad for beta software, i thought, most especially software developed by Apple for its competitor's operating system.
The speed of Apple's web browser on Microsoft Windows is a testament to the maturity and strength of WebKit.
That's all dandy, but here's the twist: Safari 3 on Windows is a Decoy, something to stimulate pundit, media, and industry's attention, generate buzz, and throw them off the scent of the real story underneath. The real story here is WebKit. iTunes. Quicktime: The makings of an enabling software platform, and Safari and iTunes being the manifestation of what underlying platforms such as WebKit and QuickTime can do.
History just may prove me wrong, but I can't imagine Safari-on-Windows, in and out of itself, being part of Apple's longer-term strategic product offerings. I don't picture them running ads on TV encouraging users to switch from Internet Explorer to Safari, in a World where so many Windows users don't even know what their web browser is, and still consider it "that Internet Icon Thingie in the Start Menu".
On the Mac, WebKit enables far more than just "Safari". It also enables a whole realm of useful mini-applications, called "Widgets", running inside "Dashboard". With theoretically little added engineering resources, Apple could create great opportunities by developing a WebKit-only equivalent of Dashboard for Windows.
One of Windows Vista's "touted features" are "Gadgets", Microsoft's attempt at cloning frameworks such as Apple's Dashboard Widgets, Yahoo's Konfabulator, which provide application development platforms that leverage web standards.
Why would this be great opportunity for Apple? Bring more value to their developer community, and establish a budding footprint of Mac Developers releasing narrowly-focused applications simultaneously to Mac and Windows, thereby allowing them to multiply their audience by a factor of ... uhm ... a lot.
While Mac OS X Dashboard Widgets have access to the full underlying Cocoa APIs to provide rich functionality, there already exists a vibrant ecosystem of great widgets built solely with Web Standards, simply leveraging WebKit. A WebKit-only version of Dashboard would nicely cater to this community ... today.
"Gadgets" on Windows are a Vista-only feature. It will take some time for Vista to supplant XP. It will take some more time for Windows developers to release great "Gadgets" for Vista.
If a WebKit-only version of Dashboard was available for Windows tomorrow, Apple could release it to millions of PC users as part of one its routine iTunes updates for Windows. And many of these mini applications would be available to them, near-instantly.
By doing this, Apple would add value to its existing developer community, catch the attention of Web Developers who are on the fence as to where to start their development efforts for Mac Widgets vs Vista Gadgets, by giving them the opportunity to not have to choose.
While leveraging web standards to build useful desktop applications on both platforms would be an encouraging development, the rabbit-hole may yet go even deeper.
Consider iTunes and Safari, two applications that look absolutely identical on both Mac and PC. Are we to believe both applications live in two radically different code bases? What if Apple had internally developed an easier way to code applications for both Mac and Windows? What if XCode was to one day also produce Windows binaries?
Could this hurt Apple's competitive edge? I don't believe so, quite on the contrary. It comes down to providing even more value to their developer community, and help grow it by "reaching out to the other side". Windows users looking to switch to Mac don't make this decision based on specific pieces of 3rd-party software they'll be able to run on their shiny new Mac. They'll switch because of the iApps, which Apple doesn't have to release to Windows and likely never will, and an overall more pleasant, secure, stable, fun computing experience.
The way I see this unfold isn't thru the release of a Windows binary of the Cocoa framework. This would mean that to run Mac apps, an additional framework would need to be loaded on a Windows User's machine, much like .Net. This would strike me as redundant.
I don't either see XCode ported to Windows. It'd be rather pointless as the key audience for this product would be Mac Developers looking to release their apps on Windows, not Windows developers who are primarily .Net developers and already enjoy Microsoft's awesome IDE.
Instead, picture the ability for Mac OS X's XCode to load-up key windows APIs, translate Cocoa source-code into .Net source code, and compile the whole thing into a binary to be tested ... in Parallels ... or a Windows box nearby :).
Friday, September 21, 2007
This used to be my house :'/
They apparently started at 1pm. That's all that was left when we got here
at 5pm.
at 5pm.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The real story behind the iPhone unlock GUI drama
There has been bit of drama today around the iPhone unlock program written (in part) by our own Erica Sadun. Lots of rumors are flying around, and lots of folks have it almost right. But none of them knows the real story. And since Sadun works for us, we have kind of an inside track on what really happened.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, September 03, 2007
Five Facts About Google Phone
Is Google Phone fact or fiction? Engadget says Google’s entry into mobile phone business is for real, and the company is going to announce it soon. Scott Kirsner talked to a bunch of folks over who are intimately familiar with the effort and outlined his findings in an article for The Boston Globe.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Friday, August 31, 2007
Open Source Goes Hollywood
DrupalCamp comes to Los Angeles with the help of major media companies AOL and Warner Bros. Records. The future of Enternainment is Open Source
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
EarthLink Announces Restructuring
Today EarthLink announced a corporate restructuring that included downsizing and organizational changes that refocus us on our core business.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, August 20, 2007
iPhone Saves Golfer's Life
The iPhone may be a pretty versatile piece of machinery, but did you know it can save your life? That’s what 53 year old Irwin Koss of DeWitt, New York discovered after a trip to the golf course ...
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Phone Number For Life? Not Quite
A few weeks after Google bought GrandCentral for many millions, there are some changes afoot at the service. There is word that some GrandCentral users who had signed up for a phone number for life are finding out that it isn’t exactly the case, and are being told that their numbers are going to change on August 25, 2007.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Did AT&T Censor Pearl Jam WebCast?
Ma Bell seems to be acting like the big brother. Apparently, AT&T censored parts of Pearl Jam’s performance over the weekend. Rock band was performing as part of Lollapalooza. AT&T blamed the censorship on an aggressive content monitor.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
.Mac Upgrade
Apple writes-in:
Dear .Mac member:
We'd like you to know about some exciting changes to your .Mac service. Read below to see how .Mac gives you new ways to share, more online storage, larger email attachments, and better control over spam in webmail.
Introducing .Mac Web Gallery. You can now easily share photos and movies directly from iPhoto '08 and iMovie '08. Friends and family can see your photo albums in a variety of views. With your permission, they can download photos suitable for 16-by-20-inch prints and contribute photos by browser upload or email. To create a Web Gallery you will need iPhoto '08 version 7.0.1.
http://www.mac.com/web/en/Tips/98656C4C-5D25-4BE6-8B6D-446C6CF0509F.html
10x the storage. To make room for your photos and movies, your .Mac online storage will increase as follows:
- Basic memberships will have a total of 10 GB of combined email and file storage.
- Family Packs will have a total of 20 GB (10 GB for the master account, 2.5 GB for each sub-account).
- If you upgraded to 2 GB, you will have a total of 20 GB of storage; if you upgraded to 4 GB, you will have a total of 30 GB.
You should see the storage increase in your account by August 14th.
Improved iWeb site hosting. Using iWeb '08, you can embed dynamic web widgets like Google Maps, Google AdSense, Web Gallery albums, or HTML snippets in your .Mac site. You'll also find new themes and one-click theme-switching. And if you have your own personal domain, new settings in iWeb '08 let you assign it to your .Mac site.
Larger email attachments. You can now send and receive larger email attachments - up to 20 MB.
Improved webmail spam filtering. .Mac Mail also helps you better manage unwanted email with enhanced junk mail identification and sorting in webmail. To activate this new feature, just turn it on in your webmail preferences - go to www.mac.com, click Mail, and select Preferences in the upper right.
We hope these improvements help you get even more from your .Mac membership. And, as always, thank you for being a .Mac member.
Sincerely,
The .Mac Team
Real-Time 2K Playback for Film and HD Content: Frame Thrower at SIGGRAPH
Those of you working in the film industry, or any industry leveraging real-time playback of high-resolution imaging, ought to stop-by Digital Ordnance's booth at SIGGRAPH San Diego. It should be fairly easy to find ... look for the tallest guy on the floor, manning the smallest booth, with the biggest crowd of on-lookers.
While i won't make it this year, as beyond personal interests, this isn't technically "my industry", it's always nice to see Daryll show-off their network-attached real-time 2k playback system: The Frame Thrower. It's amazing to watch stock footage unfold on a big monitor while being able to use a simple jog shuttle to granularly control playback speed, zoom-in on any portion of the image, apply a rich selection of "on-the-fly" color corrections and effects ... during playback . I hear directors and editors eat this up.
Daryll's company has grown into a well-established player in the digital intermediate industry with a loyal and growing customer-base that swears by their products, shaking pre-established moguls at their core, as industry professionals realize they shouldn't have to fight their digital intermediate tools.
While i won't make it this year, as beyond personal interests, this isn't technically "my industry", it's always nice to see Daryll show-off their network-attached real-time 2k playback system: The Frame Thrower. It's amazing to watch stock footage unfold on a big monitor while being able to use a simple jog shuttle to granularly control playback speed, zoom-in on any portion of the image, apply a rich selection of "on-the-fly" color corrections and effects ... during playback . I hear directors and editors eat this up.
Daryll's company has grown into a well-established player in the digital intermediate industry with a loyal and growing customer-base that swears by their products, shaking pre-established moguls at their core, as industry professionals realize they shouldn't have to fight their digital intermediate tools.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Wikicars Turns 1
One year and almost 4,000 modified, solidified and beautified pages later, Wikicars is celebrating its first birthday! Congratulations to the World-Wide Automotive Enthusiasts for reaching a great milestone!
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
New version 1.2 of InputDraw! Draw Widget that integrates with your forms.
Has new features: background image, grid, plain editor, transparency, background color, etc..Still is cross browser, easy and quick and uses SVG standard
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, July 16, 2007
AJAX Web 2.0 Used Cars Search
123 days ago, CarsDirect.com released the first ever Web 2.0 Used Cars Search. It's fast and AJAXy, and can ultimately save you some money so give it a whirl!
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
The Immediate Media Age: Of Broadband & Blogs
Our whole lives are about doing more in less time, trying to cram everything into 24 hours, in a day that is filled with constant interruptions. Instant messages, emails, and the constant chirping of cell phones have surely and slowly squeezed our attention spans. We have responded to this by customizing the digital world according to our lifestyles.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, July 09, 2007
Props to Facebook
It turns out that there is technology talent that works outside of Google. Facebook is a shining example.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Jelsoft Acquired by Internet Brands, Inc.
Jelsoft Enterprises, the company behind the vBulletin Forum software, announced today that they have been acquired by Internet Brands, Inc, a "leading provider of automotive, travel and home-related sites and communities." The acquisition gives Jelsoft more resources to continue the development and expansion of their vBulletin product.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, June 28, 2007
$10,000 to anyone who creates an Open Source .Mac Replacement Service
To win it, you will need to come up with "a free replacement to dotMac's client-based services that's easy enough for a first-time Mac user to install and so fully and transparently integrated that a long-time dotMac user wouldn't notice the difference."
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Google Apps to Launch Mail Migration
Google will be adding mail migration to Google Apps this week, along with some new features for Google Apps.This is being promoted as especially helpful for organizations looking to better organize their emails, and migrating them to Google Apps is a great way to start. Mail will be migrated to a user’s GMail account, organized into...
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
iPhone: Apple's VoIP End-Game
Picture unlimited free calls over WiFi/IP without even having to "think about it", by simply picking a Person from your Address Book, and hitting "call" ... The same way you'd make a Normal Phone Call. All this powered behind-the-scenes by an outstandingly executed convergence of enabling technologies and open-protocols.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
10 Lessons from the Criminal Trial of exBrocade CEO
Ex-Brocade CEO Greg Reyes helped found the storage area network company in 1995, and coached it into one of the dotcom-era’s highest fliers by 2000. Now Reyes is being prosecuted for an alleged conspiracy. His trial has a lot of lessons for start-up founders.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, June 18, 2007
Apple announces iPhone now delivers up to 8 hours of talk, 250 standby
In a press release today, Apple has revealed a number of significant upgrades to both the iPhone's battery life and touch screen.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
iPhone JavaScript Interface with Digg API
In lieu of an iPhone SDK, we can emulate the interface with JavaScript... this is my one-night proof of concept. If its popular, I'll develop the interface into a class or template. It works best in Safari, of course. Source code is available for download.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Ferrari Enzo: 0-62.5mph in 3.2 seconds
The Enzo's V12 engine is the first of a new generation for Ferrari. It is based on the architecture of the V8 found in sister-company Maserati's Quattroporte, using the same basic architecture and 104 mm bore spacing.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
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