Really, what is the deal with you guys. Every time you update iTunes, the Maximize button/Keyboard Shortcut (Ctrl-Command-Z) works differently. At first, tapping Ctrl-Command-Z would toggle the user between the normal view and the Mini Player:

Then updates started showing up that when the keyboard shortcut is used would cause iTunes to “Maximize” it’s window to the full screen. Then with iTunes 9.0-9.0.2, the shortcut was toggling between normal and Mini Player again.

Now with iTunes 9.0.3, the Ctrl-Command-Z maximizes the iTunes window again. I now see that there is a “new” shortcut: Shift-Command-M. That toggles between the Mini Player and the normal iTunes window.

Apple, please, make up your mind and stick with it. You guys are so much better than Microsoft and Windows, yet with iTunes, I feel that you decided to give the project to a bunch of Windows developers you recently hired.

So is it safe to assume that “Shift-Command-M” is the toggle now and forever? Please?

Today’s “The Joy Of Tech” hit the whole rumor/speculation/hype thing perfectly on the head! I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Thanks ‘Joy of Tech‘ guys, your humor always makes my day!

No sooner than the iPad news is released than rumors of yet another “real” Mac Tablet computer are floating around again!

Don’t get me wrong here, I consider myself to be a pretty faithful Apple Fanboy. I have quite a few iPods (3G, 4G, 5G and an iPod touch), two iPhones (myself and my wife), and two Macs (MacBook and Mac Pro). I lust for the new Unibody MacBook’s, I would love to have that new trackpad. I would also love to get the new iPad when it comes out and I am pretty much planning on getting the next-gen iPhone when it comes out.

However, I think all this speculation and rumor business is totally over the top and ridiculous. For probably a year, there has been nothing but rumor, speculation, and lust over a nonexistent Mac Tablet that finally turned out to be the iPad. We still haven’t heard the end of that damn thing. Why does the 3G cost so much more than the hardware ($500 vrs. $630), will it be able to make phone calls?, will it be able to record movies?, etc… Not to mention all the humor that has arisen from the whole feminine product name: iPad.

Will Apple come out with a real Tablet computer? Who the F**K cares! Oh My God people? You all are worse than stalkers! Unbelievable! You monitor web log files for browser types that could mean that a new device from Apple is coming. You even figure out that there were 50 iPad devices in Apple with various types of applications on them before the announcement.

Do you people have lives? I used to work for a company that makes MMORPG’s. In one of the games, the GM’s created a vine that started growing outside the main cities gates. Once someone noticed it (about 10 minutes after it was put into the game), players started watching the vine to see what would happen next to it. They organized watch schedules so that there was at least a couple of people watching that vine ever minute of every day. We’re not talking a graphical MMORPG either here. We are talking text based, so they had to “Look” at the room and the vine repetitively over and over again. That went on for over a month!

With Apple, it seems that I am seeing that behavior all over again. When the store closes for 5 seconds, blogs post about the closure as if something wonderful is going to happen. If a store that sells Apple products make a mistake, the blogs post an image of the mistake within seconds, if Steve Jobs blinks out of pattern, he’s either going to announce something or he’s dying! Just look at the over analysis of the invitation to the iPad announcement. Every paint splotch was analyzed trying to make heads or tails of what the announcement was going to have in it. Because they all knew that one of the announcements was going to be an Apple Tablet. (Which it wasn’t)

TUAW, even scored themselves over the predictions they made and way over scored themselves. They pretty much had all the predictions wrong, yet the worst they did was 5 out of 12 or something like that.

My God people, get over it. Get on with your lives. As William Shatner once said: “Get a life!”

If Apple comes out with new hardware, you will hear about it when Apple announces/leaks it, not a moment sooner. You can speculate all you want, but that is not going to make Apple/Jobs create a device that you folks have been having wet dreams about for over a year.

Just be happy that your favoriate computer company is making money and doing pretty darn well for itself. They are not likely to die anytime soon, and a real Tablet will not put them over the edge and become the new Dell/HP.

Sheesh!

Interesting…

Really! That’s about all I can muster. It’s really just a very large iPod touch with 3G and “assisted GPS” (what exactly is “assisted”?). It’s probably pretty fast. However, it’s hard to tell with a processor called A4. What exactly is an A4? What does it compare to?

The iLifeiLife suite of applications that will run on it sound pretty cool. Plus, $30 for the suite is way better than $80.

If I were getting a computer for my parents now, I would probably get them this iPad. It will be way easier to maintain since they would have a much harder time messing it up than the Mac Mini they have now. It would be way faster than the Mac Mini. My mother only does email and web surfing so she would be fine with it. My father plays games so would probably find most the casual games on it perfect for him.

As a “netbook” it’s severely lacking. No USB port or any expansion capabilities at all. No CD/DVD drive. No physical keyboard, but I suspect the on screen keyboard is probably just fine. The biggest problem, the AppStore and Apple’s censorship/review policy. Programs for the iPad will be vetted just like for the iPhone/iPod touch. This means that it’s not, I repeat, NOT a laptop/netbook at all. It’s a very large iPod touch!

That said, if I were getting a portable computing device (notebook, netbook, etc…), I would seriously be looking at an iPad. It’s really lite at 1.5lbs yet still pretty large for screen space. 10 hour battery life is pretty nice, but lack of expansion and the AppPrison AppStore makes it a tough option to fully decide on.

Also, as an ebook reader, I would have to say that Amazon, Sony and Barnes & Noble, don’t have a lot to worry about. The reason e-ink was invented was to make a display that was easy on a readers eyes. Back-lit screens, no matter how they are back-lit, are not easy on a readers eyes. Otherwise, reading books with notebook computers would be way more popular. That said, the fact that the iPad can do so much more than just be an ebook reader, that Amazon, Sony and Barnes and Noble probably should worry a bit.

So, all that said, will I be running out to buy one when they are available? Even if I had the money to get one? Probably not. I’ll play with someone else’s iPad and if some generous relative gives me one for Christmas, I certainly won’t return it. However, I’m not all that excited about it.

I also, don’t see this being the “tablet computer” that will attract current tablet computer users. I’m thinking of doctors here. I could be wrong, but it just doesn’t seem like a device that they would want to switch to. Even if all the software that they currently use were available.

So, good luck Apple. I hope you do well with it. I just don’t see this being the iPod/iPhone device you are hoping it will be.

Absolutely Perfect!

OMG!!! I can’t get over all the “speculation” that is going on with the Mac Blogosphere these days over the announcement that Apple is going to make on the 27th. There have been times when the anticipation of an announcement was pretty high and blogs were buzzing, but nothing at all like now.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see Apple come out with a tablet device. However, I’m not about to wet myself with anticipation. Maybe that’s because I’m unemployed and wouldn’t be able to afford the device. I really just think that I am sick to death of reading post after post about what Apple is going to announce on the 27th.

I’m going to be laughing my ass off when Steve comes out and announces new iMac’s and maybe some new iPods and that’s it.

However, I suspect that it will be more than that. There will probably be an announcement of an iPhone OS 4 (it’s due), it won’t be ready for a few months after the announcement though since developers haven’t seen anything yet.

I suspect that there will also be an announcement of a tablet device of some kind. Since if there is a new iPhone OS, it would make sense to keep it secret if it works with a tablet device.

Still, the blog post that cracked me up the most was the deep analysis of the image that came with the invitation to the announcement. Almost each paint spatter was analyzed to justify the rumor of a tablet device.

Its great that Mac enthusiasts get excited about upcoming products and announcements. You really don’t see that with Windows products. Still, I’m almost tempted to unsubscribe to the blogs I read until after the 27th just to get some relief from all the tittering.

If the headline is a true statement, then Apple needs to get off it’s backside and work out a way to protect applications from being pirated.

Via: 24/7 Wall St.
Apple and the companies that sell software for the iPhone and iPod touch at the App Store have lost over $450 million to piracy since the store opened in July 2008 according to an analysis by 24/7 Wall St. There have been over 3 billion applications downloaded since the App program began. Bernstein analyst, Toni Sacconaghi, estimated that between 13% and 21% of those downloads are from paid applications. According to this analysis, the average price of an application purchased at the App Store is $3. Sacconaghi estimated that Apple’s revenue from the App Store is between $60 million and $110 million per quarter. That amount has certainly increased since this research report was published because of the rapid growth of the number of applications.

If what that article is saying is true, then it’s clearly up to Apple to solve the problem. If for no other reason than to save the $135,000,000 that Apple is losing per 18 months.

There are folks out there that question the $450 million number and I must say that I have to wonder a bit too. The only way people can pirate iPhone/iPod touch apps is to jailbreak their iDevice. There are those that are doing this. In fact, some say that 10% of the iDevices out there are jailbroken. That comes to about 7.5 million jailbroken devices. Now, are we saying that, on average, each jailbreaker pirates $60 of software every 18 months? That sounds like a doable number. However, I really doubt that every jailbreaker is also a pirate. Now, what percentage of jailbreakers are pirates needs to be figured out.

The article states that 40% pirate, so now we are talking about 3 million jailbroken pirates would need to be stealing $150 worth of apps per 18 months. This still sounds like a doable figure. I mean we are talking less than 1 $0.99 app per month per jailbroken iPhone/iPod touch pirate. Assuming all the numbers are close to accurate.

If this is all true, then Apple is loosing way too much money to be sitting back and letting it happen. They must be working on something. If Microsoft can put together a system to prevent Xbox 360 pirating, then Apple can sure do something.

With all the whining about Apple’s review policy in the AppStore, its a little comforting to read about fraudulent applications getting into the Android Marketplace:

12.22.09 Rogue Android Smartphone app created

We recently learned that a fraudster developed a rogue Android Smartphone app. It creates a shell of mobile banking apps that tries to gain access to a consumer’s financial information.

Droid09 launched this phishing attack from the Android Marketplace and it’s since been removed. It’s called phishing because scammers go fishing for information about you or your financial account that may be used for identity theft.

Please note that this attack didn’t target First Tech accounts. Accessing your First Tech account from your phone’s web browser is completely secure.

If you did download the Droid09 app, please remove it from your phone and take it to your mobile provider to ensure it’s completely removed.

As a reminder, we don’t currently have an app for the Android phone.

It’s interesting that Google doesn’t seem to have much to say about the incident. If I were an Android user, I would want to hear from Google about the issue to know that they are doing all that they can to prevent future occurrences of similar incidents.

I know I have been one of the many voices complaining about the review process in the AppStore. However, I am well aware that the main purpose of that review process is to prevent just such occurrences as the one that Android is dealing with now.

With more than 100,000 apps in the AppStore, we have yet to see any malicious applications appear. Sure, there have been some apps that AT&T didn’t like (tethering and video streaming) and some that were just rude (the Baby Shaker app comes to mind), but overall, the applications we have had were very safe to use.

Its a shame that Apple was proven correct by this incident. I would have liked to see an open marketplace for mobile applications. However, now that mobile apps are taking off in popularity, they are going to be attracting all kinds of unsavory developers and open marketplaces are going to be very dangerous places to be purchasing/downloading mobile applications.

It’s been an amazing year for the AppStore this year. 1 Billion apps downloaded, over 100,000 apps approved and in the AppStore. We have seen absurd rejections, strange approvals, thousands of flashlight, fart, and semi-porn apps. The list goes on and on, but overall, Apple’s AppStore has been an amazing success. Both for Apple and the developers submitting apps.

I’d like to highlight some of the most amazing apps I have come across in the 1,126 apps I have downloaded so far. This list is a list of just that, the apps I have experience with. There are probably 10 times more apps out there that are just as good if not better. These are just ones I have found and can’t live without or enjoy playing more than my PS3/Wii/PC games.

Starting with games, there have been some amazing stuff published this year. None mark more headaches for the developer than Edge by Mobigame. Thanks to Tim Langdell, Edge has been removed from the AppStore more than any other application. Currently 3 times. It’s changed it’s name twice from Edge, to Edge by Mobigame, to Edgy and yet it’s still not in the AppStore currently. Yet, it’s one of the best games in/not in the AppStore.

I was lucky to have purchased it before the first removal. It’s truly a unique game and is very entertaining to play. The music to the game is done by Romain “Ninomojo” Gauthier, Simon Périn, Jérémie Périn, Matthieu & Richard Malot and is available for download here: http://www.mobigame.net/edge/iphone/soundtrack. You can download it for free, but donations are encuraged. I even sent them $10.

Edge by Mobigame is my “Game of the year” title, but it’s hard to have it be that since it’s not currently in the AppStore. If I had to pick another title that would qualify it would be:

Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid [$4.99] or Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid – Chapter 1 [Free] by ngmoco, inc. This amazing platformer stands right up there with Edge when it comes to unique games for the iPhone/iPod touch. Rolando 2 added depth to the first incarnation of the game making Rolando 2 truly astounding in appearance.

The free version or Chapter 1 gives you the game just like the paid version, but only the first few levels. When you are ready for more, just drop a dollar or two for the next “chapter” or $4.99 for all the chapters. A really nice way to incorporate in-app purchasing.

I played Rolando (the original version) for days and days. I haven’t finished it yet, but am pretty close. There are just tons of levels in the first version. Many hours of playtime. I started Rolando 2, played a couple of the levels, then put it aside so I could finish the first game. However, I’ve been so wrapped up with other games, I haven’t had a chance to get back to Rolando. I certainly will though. Both versions.

Other games worth mentioning are:

Space Invaders Infinity Gene [$4.99]

Soosiz [$0.99]

Flickitty [$1.99]

Mahjongg Artifacts [$2.99]

Mahjong Artifacts 2 [$2.99]

As well as countless others, but those I have played the longest and have been on my iPhone the longest.

As for non-game applications, I have found a few that I really and truly can’t live without. They sit on the first page of the Springboard for easy access:

Grocery IQ [$0.99]: This amazing application is probably the most improved since it’s release of the group I own. It was a pretty good time-saver when I first got it, but they have added barcode scanning (without the need to actually take a picture), barcode entry, list sharing, coupons, and much more. Making Grocery IQ an absolute killer app for me. Using Grocery IQ, I shave probably half an hour off my grocery shopping each week. Really! With this app, I only have to go through the aisles once. You would be surprised how efficient that makes shopping.

The fact that it’s only a dollar truly astounds me. I would easily pay a dollar or more for some of the updates they have introduced recently. Barcode scanning is really amazing. It works just like Delicious Library does with a webcam, but with the iPhone. No need to take a picture, just put the product in front of the camera putting the barcode between the arrows and beep, the product is scanned and an item appears that can be added to your list and/or favorites.

1Password Pro [$7.99] or 1Password [$4.99]: Anyone with passwords they need to remember or want to have a secure place to save credit card numbers and social security numbers would be foolish to put them anywhere other than in 1Password. There are other secure note keepers out there, but 1Password is the top of the heap.

If you use a Macintosh, using 1Password/1Password Pro with the desktop version of 1Password allows you to keep track of just about everything you do that uses passwords. Secure websites are easy to enter with 1Password on the iPhone/iPod touch. Just sync your 1Password desktop data with the iPhone/iPod touch version and you have access to everything in the palm of your hand. (Sorry for sounding like an ad, but its true.)

As I have said, I have well over 1,000 apps in iTunes right now. Most are 3 star or better (my ratings), most of the apps that are less than 3 stars are typically free or a dollar. It’s hard to know if an app is any good from the 5 screen shots that Apple supplies. Some have YouTube videos, but most I just took a chance with and was disappointed.

However, I would say a good 90% of the games I have downloaded/purchased have been well worth the purchase. Full price or on sale.

AppShopper.com is a great resource for keeping track of apps you have and want. They notify you of updates and when apps go on sale. Perfect for folks who want to buy apps when they are on sale. My list of apps are here: http://appshopper.com/user/vesperdem. Not all of them are in there, but most are. I have missed some and haven’t been able to figure out which ones they are. The list even shows my ratings.

Well, that’s my list. No huge amount of research was done to produce the list. I just posted a few of my absolute favorites. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Yep, that’s right. Furry Scurry and Furry Scurry Lite both have icons with the image of an iPhone in them. Is this a sign of a new Apple and AppStore approval policy? Or is it just another example of Apple’s reviewers messing up.

It was just under 2 months ago that Apple rejected an update to RSS Player Podcast Client due to the image of an iPhone in the splash screen that RSS Player used. The image was of the logo of a podcast in a montage of many podcast logos.

RSS Player was forced to change the splash screen to remove the “offending” podcast logo and resubmit the application. One month later, the application finally made it back into the AppStore.

Now all of a sudden, Apple is approving an application that clearly has the image of an iPhone in the apps icon. This is the kind of mixed signals that has been messing with developers minds for the past year and a half.

There have been other examples of Apple rejecting apps due to images of Apple products other than RSS Player. A recent update to Airfoil Speaker Touch by Rogue Amoeba was also rejected for displaying images of Macintosh hardware to indicate where Airfoil Speaker Touch was getting it’s sound from. Later, after Rogue Amoeba decided to stop development of iPhone/iPod touch software did Apple change it’s mind and allow the images to be displayed.

I have no idea why Furry Scurry was allowed to have the image of that iPhone in it’s icon. I suspect that the reviewer just missed it during the review. However, this is exactly what the problem is with Apple’s review policies. There are so many “rules” that have to be followed that not every reviewer and/or developer can know every rule.

Yet, so long as there are all the rules that there are, there are going to be mistakes made. CodeSource Solutions is going to find out later, when they try to update their application, that the application is going to be rejected and they will have to change their icon in order to get the app approved again. Until that time, or until someone else at Apple notices the icon, Furry Scurry will be the only application in the AppStore that is allowed to have an image of an iPhone in it.