★

The moment so many Flipboard readers have asked for is here: Now you can get Flipboard for iPhone. It’s got everything you know and love about Flipboard, but now designed especially for the way you use your iPhone.

★

★

★

I’m not a Mac user because I want to look cool in coffee shops. I’m a Mac user because I believe in straightforward computing.

My sentiments exactly. Unlike Jonathan Poritsky, I was fortunate enough to sway my parents into upgrading to an all-Mac household. Tech support has never been easier.

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

Remember: potential consumers are voicing their opinions – dictating what they want – not what Amazon intends to provide.

★

★

★

★

Update: MacRumors has received new information, describing iTunes Match as being able to both download, and stream previously ‘matched’ (and uploaded) music.

★

★

Tap to zoom: Double-tap the trackpad with two fingers to magnify part of a web page. Tap again to return to the original size.

Hands down, this is my favorite – Safari-specific – feature.

★

We live in Miami. We understand what Hurricanes can do. Backup your Mac! We will take off 99% for 3 months. Just please protect your data!

Use Promo Code: irene99

Even though it is a (brilliant) promotion, I love it when companies do good by their users.

★

The iPad is causing such disruption in the PC business that HP, a company fundamental to the creation of the personal computer itself, is getting out of the PC business. Wow. Just wow.

I do not agree with the whole article (most likely, the wording), but I do appreciate Patrick’s opinions on everything that transpired this past week. These companies need to stop playing “follow the leader” and start playing “leap-frog”. This entire situation is disappointing at best.

★

Thanks to Google’s acquisition of Motorola and HP’s decision to get out of the PC and mobile industries, a lot has changed this week…

Undoubtedly the easiest to understand collection of links, regarding everything that happened last week.

★

What’s truly striking about the conversation is that they earnestly believe they’re getting the equivalent of an iPad by buying the TouchPad. They don’t come right out and say it, but it’s made very plain by their praise for the TouchPad that they’re convinced this is an iPad-esque device at a ridiculously low price.

This is going to be an interesting series.

★

Seriously, letting something auto-tweet to your followers? Didn’t we all agree that that’s an abuse, likely to get you unfollowed? Oh, but wait – since it mentions my Twitter username, I’ll see it even if I don’t follow you, in the Mentions tab, every day.

I am all for the unique and “consistent” user experience Twitter is thriving for, but something tells me  their “trust and safety efforts” are not as effective as they had hoped.

★

In addition, HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.

I stand by what I said yesterday,

Call it what you want – sad, true, harsh – I’d go with all three. The TouchPad has no momentum, no push with consumers; I would not be surprised to know that HP’s key customers (the non-geeks) did not know the tablet existed.

The reason Apple is succeeding, where others are failing, is fairly simple – they have a successful ecosystem. Name one other company that offers the plethora of multimedia options all of Apple’s products have at their disposal. Microsoft comes close, but not close enough. Killing-off a product line, before it has a chance to flourish (without even the minutia of promotion), is just dispiriting.

★

But I think it’s silly to say that this move is solely in response to iMessage. AT&T has nearly 100 million wireless subscribers. And the total install base of American smartphone users are still outnumbered by non-smartphone users 2 to 1. Put another way: there are a lot of AT&T customers who don’t use an iPhone.

I will admit that my initial reaction was directly related to Apple’s announcement of iMessage. After reading Shawn’s piece, I would agree – my reaction was indeed, silly. The new plans haven’t changed, as much as one has been removed; that’s right, no more $10/month for 1,000 messages.

★

First there was a $50 discount. Then there were spot discounts of $100 at outlets like Costco. Then the $100 discount became permanent. Adding insult to apparent injury, a deal on Woot for $120 off an entry-level 16 gigabyte TouchPad netted all of 612 takers.

I think most would agree that HP is not pushing the TouchPad with any gusto. These advertisements with Russel Brand provided us (the customers) with enough excitement to finish watching the commercial. They did not, however, give *anyone* the energy to actually purchase the device. Call it what you want – sad, true, harsh – I’d go with all three. The TouchPad has no momentum, no push with consumers; I would not be surprised to know that HP’s key customers (the non-geeks) did not know the tablet existed. Did I mention this little number?

Best Buy has taken delivery of 270,000 TouchPads and has so far managed to sell only 25,000, or less than 10 percent of the units in its inventory.

True story.

★

★

No Gawker charges, 2 misdemeanors filed against ‘finders’.

★

★

I’d say where by “anti-competitive” he means “competitive”. But I must say, I didn’t see this coming, and it’s a very clever solution to the mobile patent corner Google had painted itself into.

★

In fact what I value most in a cell phone is the ability to make clear phone calls, send reliable text messages, and occasionally contribute to Twitter while on the go. The Lotus lets me do all three.

The fact that Thomas Brand is able to write this article, says a lot about our society. “A Month Without A Smartphone”, should not give the impression of being as audacious as the title suggests – but it does. I cannot help but wonder whether my reaction is pathetic, or simply natural evolution. I’d say it was a combination of the two.

★

With the “Amazon Student” app, college students can perform instant price checks on textbooks and other items, keep lists of items they want to buy, and post used textbooks, games, movies, or gadgets for trade-in.

Let’s just say the “Amazon Student” app has replaced a frequently used app of mine, “Price Check by Amazon”.

★

I love being able to swipe between a fullscreen app and my main workspace. I can keep my email or my music off to the side, to slide in when gestured or clicked and to be easily dismissed with another quick swipe. Swiping back and forth between fullscreen apps and different desktop spaces is elegant and effortless.

It’s true – though many don’t seem to like Lion’s new “Spaces” design – I am absolutely taken with fullscreen apps, the gestures, and the whole concept of Spaces. Fullscreen writing apps only came into fruition quite recently. These apps were not only designed for the fullscreen experience (UI), they were designed to help keep you focused on writing. With Lion, this metaphor has transferred to all of our window-based tasks.

★

That kind of seamless integration is how you push through change, not with standalone apps. Facebook Messenger may succeed, but it’s not going to hurt iMessage.

Can iMessage be counted as the “winner” if it’s users don’t even know they are using it? Yep.

★

You would be amazed at what better service you get when you put care into your outward appearance, even if you stop short of wearing a suit.

This is more important today, than it has ever been.

★

Apple will be updating their iconic Cube structure at their midtown Manhattan retail location, replacing the current cube of 90 panes with just 15 massive, and I mean massive, pieces of glass (rendering at bottom). The slabs will be roughly 10 feet wide by a whopping 32 feet high, and held together using some sort of secret, proprietary connector that will reportedly be embedded within the glass itself, rather than being comprised of mere external clips.

★

I’d love it if Skype, Adium, and Linkinus were Dashboard applications. They would be easily accessible, they wouldn’t clutter up my main work environment, and more importantly they would rid me from the distraction they cause when they accidentally catch my attention because I hit CMD+TAB one too many times.

Apple has solved these “problems” with Spaces. There is nothing stopping developers (not Apple) from creating dashboard-specific apps. Nothing. ¹

★

Brow­sing the web using Safari on an Apple Cinema Dis­play, however, is an example where full screen should, but doesn’t, work very well.

Apple has hinted for designers, and app developers, to redesign their apps for Lion’s full-screen mode. The best example – to date – is iPhoto. Certain elements (such as the color scheme & layout) change as the app takes control of your desktop. Photo Booth is another great example.

These same app developers and designers don’t seem to the the hint. It is true, some apps do not need to be redesigned. It is also true that most apps do need to be redesigned. I would argue that apps which do not effectively make use of the full-screen (at any screen resolution), should not scale at all. Think Address Book.

As a quick mock-up, I like most of the ideas presented in the article. As a finished product, however, the mock-up would be lacking.

★

People keep asking me about my new iMac-plus-Air set-up, so I wanted to write a quick note it: so far, it’s absolutely bloody fantastic!

I am absolutely envious of  Elliot’s set-up. The latest iteration of the MacBook Air is proving to be a very capable machine, forcing us designers to change our perception about work, where we work, and how we communicate – and interact – with others.

Shawn Blanc has it right:

… the pendulum is swinging back to the dual-machine setup — people who were once MacBook Pro-only are going to MacBook Airs plus iMacs.

★

Messenger is a separate app, so it only takes one click to get to your messages or send a new one. Messages are delivered through notifications and texts, so your friends are more likely to get them right away.

If the marketing goes right (which it will), this app will be huge; this changes everything we thought about iMessages and BBM.

★

It doesn’t do everything, but it does a helluva lot.

Agreed. I was reluctant to share this article because of the section discussing content creation on the iPad; we are not on the same page. However, you can’t let one bad apple spoil the bunch. It’s a light read, with some basic — and noteworthy — insights on traveling with the iPad.

★

Loving any Apple product is like being in an roller coaster relationship, though. Apple — unlike most companies — is not afraid to break things, change direction or piss off its users. But at the same time, it just wants everyone to be happy and hugging each other.

Running a 27″ iMac deems Launchpad useless. The icons are too large, and swiping to another page takes way too long.

• My personal feeling about Launchpad: I hate it.

• My mother’s would-be feeling about Launchpad: I like it.

However, Stephen’s closing remark sums-up Lion (and Apple) really nicely:

Mac users evolve as Apple sees fit. We all stick around, and endure the changes. This time, though, it just seems like a lot to swallow.

★

★