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- App Review: GyPSii — Social Networking For Digital Nomads
App Quick Stats
GyPSii brings GPS-fueled social networking to the iPhone, but do we really need to sign up for yet another network?
Any effective social-network connoisseur will already have a bevy of accounts to frequently check. Aside from the regulars — Facebook, Twitter, and so on — there’s already a stack of networks I’ve tried and duly abandoned, including fading giant MySpace and location-centric services Dopplr and Brightkite.
GyPSii is a social-networking app for the iPhone which, similar to Loopt and Brightkite, is based around your mobile lifestyle. The app makes use of the iPhone’s GPS, camera, and on-the-go connectivity.
Navigating GyPSii
Due to the immense wealth of features and functions on offer, the app is split between several sections which, in turn, are separated into an array of sub-categories and menus.
With such a large selection of sections, categories, menus and buttons, the app will prove overwhelming for first-time users. There’s no tutorial or first-time guide either, so attempting to get acquainted feels like being blindfolded and thrown into the ocean for a game of Marco Polo with several friends who insist on whispering.
The general idea behind the app — and the service — seems to be based around tagging places you visit, ideally with images, staying in touch with friends in the vicinity, and making new friends. There’s no clarity of purpose that GyPSii boils down to, though, so it ends up being a blur of user-enriched maps and traditional social networking.
The News section, for example, features a compose message button and drop pin button, alongside sub-categories for recent events, friends in the area, local places and messages or invites. For one section to be jammed with so many different options suggests that the developers just kept jamming ideas in there, not knowing when to stop.
People & Places
Moving on from the aforementioned mess of options, buttons and pages — delving deeper into the app, it’s clear that GyPSii’s true potential rests in the People and Places sections. These areas of the app give you access to locations and individuals (friends and strangers) in your vicinity.
The People section brings up a list of other folk in your local area. It’s an enjoyable and almost voyeuristic way of window-shopping through the locals, incognito, picking and choosing who to make friends with.
The Places section is similar in that it grabs a listing of nearby venues, buildings and locations that other GyPSii users have tagged. The problem is that the list comes across as a slapdash random catalogue of questionable curiosities. There’s no quality control, and it’s certainly not comprehensive, meaning that apps like Locly end up proving more useful in the long run.
Having said that, iPhone owners with a sense of adventure may have fun with GyPSii’s People and Places sections. Assuming there’s an active GyPSii community in the vicinity, it could present some exciting options, particularly useful if you’re on vacation, or even moving to a new city and looking for new friends or places to go.
Summing Up
Using GyPSii, I can’t shake the feeling that, despite the app’s wealth of location-centric features, the service itself is somewhat redundant.
The obvious, but no less insightful, comparison is Facebook. With Facebook’s massive hive-like installed user-base, the first hurdle for any new GyPSii user seems to be convincing friends and contacts to download the app and register an account. And that’s all before getting to grips with the GyPSii app and platform, which is buggy at worst and crawls along like a confused baby at best. The app, like the online service, feels cluttered: For first-time users, it’s an overwhelming mess of menus.
There are alternatives, too: Brightkite and Loopt, which, while they may have slightly different feature-sets than GyPSii, are polished and have a higher penetration in terms of frequent social networkers.
Despite GyPSii’s best efforts to create a formidable service, the app isn’t up to spec, and the service feels redundant — as such, this is an app to avoid.
Переслать - TAB Welcomes: Chris Ryan
Hey, everybody! I'd like to introduce myself as another blogger to join the talented team at TheAppleBlog. So here's the quick rundown all about me.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm a bit of a rebel (I left the Twitter bandwagon ages ago, sorry!) but I love all things Apple. Like some, having had a bit of Apple retail experience, I hope that my articles will provide a unique insight into what makes Apple "think different." I also enjoy getting my hands dirty when it comes to OS X, so be on the lookout for some specialized, but fun "How To" articles. Other interests of mine include graphic design, video editing, web design, photography, and pop culture. In fact, I might as well confess that I am a bit of a science fiction "enthusiast."
For those who are curious about my Mac setup, it consists of a MacBook Pro 2.8GHz (the new unibody model) and matching 2.8GHz aluminum and glass iMac, both with 4GB of RAM. You never can have enough, can you? (Or perhaps I'm just really OCD and everything has to match.)
Outside of the tech world, I enjoy kayaking and a nice game of tennis. When I'm not enjoying the sun, I'm running a graphic design business. If you want to find out more about me and "socially network," feel free to check out my site here. Of course, it looks best if you are in Safari.
I love interacting with people, so please feel free to leave comments on any of my posts and I'll follow up with additional thoughts and conversation.
Переслать - The Sims 3 for iPhone: Bring the Franchise to Your Pocket
It arrived shortly after midnight on Tuesday, the same day as the release of the desktop version, and I was all over it. “Pumped” would probably be the best way to describe me at 12:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning as my iPhone was syncing with my Mac mini and the Sims 3 ($9.99, iTunes link) was being installed.
I only briefly tested the game last night, but today, I spent many an hour becoming well acquainted with EA’s latest offering for Apple’s mobile platform. So much so that I was tempted to run out and buy The Sims 3 right away. In some circles, they call that a “starter drug.”
But does The Sims 3 for iPhone hold up as a game in its own right? After playing for several hours, and looking at all aspects of the stripped-down portable version, I think I can finally answer that question.
Graphics
The Sims 2 was quite the graphics pig by Mac standards. I remember being able to run it on my black polycarbonate MacBook, but just barely, and it definitely wasn’t a pleasurable experience. Sims 3 for iPhone acknowledges the limits of the platform, but still gives you a look and feel that is true to The Sims franchise.
One of the limitations of the portable version is a significantly reduced character customization engine. People generally look similar, but at the resolution the game is rendered at, it isn’t that big of a deal. You can still get a character to more or less resemble yourself, so long as you’re fairly average-looking.
There are some clipping issues in the game where there shouldn’t be, and the isometric perspective and camera controls sometimes make it annoying to perform certain actions and interact with other Sims. Some graphics (the fish, specifically) are just re-colored to cut corners, which I find a little sloppy in a game of this caliber. By and large, though, graphics issues are minor and not cause for serious complaint.
Sound
Music is typically Sims-ish (light, whimsical), but is only really active when you change locations/activities. It fades out pretty quickly, and then you’re left with absolute silence (no sound effects, either). Buying a stereo allows you to play Sim-ish music, and hear that now-familiar nonsense language, but it quickly becomes grating, in my opinion. Sound is definitely not this game’s strongest suit.
Control
Generally, controls work the way you’d expect them to on a touch-sensitive Apple device. You tap things you want to interact with, which brings up a menu of options from which to select. Some menus have sub-menus, and some are can be scrolled through in order to access more options (took me a little while to figure this out). But they’re relatively simple, which is a smart move considering the platform.
Camera controls are also fairly straightforward. Slide your finger around the screen to pan the camera, and use a visual slider on the right-hand side of the display to zoom in and out. To rotate the view, you touch with two fingers and move your fingers clockwise or counter-clockwise accordingly. Pinch-zooming seems like it would’ve been a perfect fit, but it’s possible developers decided against it due to interference with camera rotation.
Mini-game controls leave something to be desired. While cooking, you have to tap on boiling pots to select and raise them, then shake your iPhone to cool down the pot you’re holding. The game is incredibly easy, but such fidgety controls and odd positioning make it a little frustrating at times.
Gameplay
Your main task in The Sims 3 is to keep your Sim happy, hale, and hearty. This goal is a lot easier to achieve than it is in the desktop version, having presumably been tuned down to accommodate the more casual mobile platform of the iPhone and iPod touch.
To give you an idea of how easy it is, by the end of the first weekend (I started my job at City Hall on a Thursday), I was Vice President, romantically involved with my boss, and friends with everyone in town. Shortly after that, I married another woman, and upgraded my house. At no point did my satisfaction meter dip below “Very Happy.”
There are some interesting new elements for veteran players thanks to mini-games like cooking, repairing things and fishing. I’ve described the cooking game above. To repair an object, for example, you have to swap out broken parts for good ones on a circuit board before the timer runs out.
Fishing, for me, is probably one of my favorite aspects of the game. To do it, you buy a Fishing Kit at the hobby shop, visit the lake in the middle of town, and tap on a Fishing Spot action icon. You can catch a few different kinds of fish, all of which carry a different value at the town’s store. I quickly mastered the fishing skill, and it then became a very profitable hobby. Much more profitable than my day job as Vice President, in fact. Fishing bought me an upgraded house, a big-screen TV and a fancy new bed, all in one day.
Verdict
Depending on what you’re expecting, you might want to pass on The Sims 3 for the iPhone. It starts out as a fun, addictive little game, but it quickly becomes boring and repetitive. And the speed with which you accomplish goals results in little satisfaction when you do well. EA may have wanted to dial down the difficulty to accommodate casual players, but even the most casual of players will find this far too easy, I fear.
That doesn’t mean all hope is lost. It’s still a Sims game, and as such, I’ll probably keep going back to it just to accumulate enough cash to buy all the nicest furniture available. Also, the demo at the initial iPhone 3.0 event and some in-game clues (the Pawn Shop, for instance, which isn’t yet open for business), leads me to believe that EA has much more planned for The Sims 3.0 following the release of 3.0.
For now, save your money for something more important. Like The Sims 3 for Mac.
Переслать - 10 Clipboard Managers for OS X
The clipboard in a modern operating system is one of the most useful and practical tools available. Being able to select some text or images, copy them to the clipboard, and then paste them in other places is indispensable (look at the uproar over the fact that the iPhone OS 1.0 & 2.0 did not support a clipboard to see how valuable it is). You most likely use it without giving it another thought.
The standard clipboard behavior is that when you copy a new item, it replaces the existing item. You can’t go back to the previous item as there is no history of items copied. This is what a Clipboard Manager does, providing a memory and browsing history so you can paste something, and then find it later, even after using the clipboard multiple times.
There are quite a few Clipboard Managers available for OS X, some free, some not. Here’s a quick overview of what is on offer and what they can and can’t do.
Clipper
Clipper is the most simple of the clipboard managers available. It sits in the menu bar and allows no-frills access to text clipboard history. It’s an open sourced tool that provides no keyboard shortcuts, but does the job for a simple text clipboard manager.
Jumpcut
Jumpcut is another open source clipboard manager that focuses on the basic text history. A customizable hotkey will let you cycle through the various items in the history with an on-screen overlay, or you can directly select an item from the menu bar.
Clyppan
Originally also known as Clipper in earlier versions (name changed to avoid confusion with the Clipper mentioned above), Clyppan is an open source solution that sits in the menu bar, popping up with a customizable hotkey to let you see what’s in the history. Clyppan only supports text clippings, but the history is searchable and pressing the spacebar will give you a Quick Look-style preview of the clipping. It also has a rapid paste function, which pastes the current item, and then sets the clipboard to the next item; this lets you copy lots of items in a row to then quickly paste later on.
ClipMenu
ClipMenu is a freeware clipboard manager that offers support for both text and images. It sits in the menu bar and will break the history into browsable menu sections to avoid UI crowding. It has customizable hotkeys and many functional aspects are configurable, including being able to hold control when selecting an item to perform configurable ‘Actions’ before pasting (such as converting to upper case). ClipMenu also lets you configure regular text clippings for quick access to items you use often.
Savvy Clipboard
Savvy Clipboard is the simplest of the paid offerings, costing $12 (a free trial available). It supports both text and images in the clipboard and provides customizable hotkeys for accessing it.
PTHPasteboard
PTHPasteboard is comprehensive clipboard manager that supports multiple text and image clipboards. The normal version is free, while a Pro version is available for $24.95 that allows you to share and synchronize clipboards across multiple Macs, as well as run configurable filters on text (such as converting to upper case). Full configuration of hotkeys and aspects of the UI is present and you can search the clipboard history to find what you’re looking for.
iClip
iClip is a beautifully designed application (perhaps too fancy for a simple tool) that can behave in a Dock-like way, staying attached to a side of the screen and popping out when the mouse goes to the edge. iClip can handle images as well as text, and also allows groupings of permanently availably items, providing quick access to often used resources. It has fully customizable keyboard and UI behavior support. iClip costs $29 and a free trial (which can be run 30 times) can be downloaded to try it out first. Also available is iClip Lite, which is a completely free Dashboard Widget that allows you to view the clipboard history. If you only need basic use and like using dashboard widgets, the lite version may fit your needs.
Clipboard Evolved
Clipboard Evolved offers multiple custom-named clipboards for both text and images for $15 (a free trial is available). It offers full keyboard hotkey customizing and various UI options (such as a Dock-like display) including various quartz graphics transition effects (and thus requires OS X 10.5).
Cute Clips
Cute Clips is another OS X 10.5 only clipboard manager. It costs $15 and a free 15 day trial is available. It supports both text and images and focuses on a rich UI experience and provides features such as ’stickying’ a clipping (so it will stay in that position and not drop off), naming a clipboard item, or giving a specific clipping a keyboard shortcut.
Stuf
Like PTHPasteboard, Stuf (formally known as Shadow) offers a shared clipboard across multiple Macs. It lets you create multiple clipboards and elect to make them visible to other Macs. It supports text and images, lets you search the clipboards, allows a customizable hotkey and provides Quick Look integration by pressing the spacebar. Stuf costs around $20 and a 30 day trial is available.
Which one?
There’s a great range of choices for clipboard managers on OS X — all which add great utility to the built in clipboard. I personally have been using Clyppan for a while now as I don’t deal with images often — the fact that it handles text only is no problem for me. However all of the options do their job well so it really just comes down to your workflow requirements and personal usability preference. If you’ve never used a clipboard manager before, give one a try.
Переслать - iWork With Numbers: Conditional Formatting
This is the first in a series on some of the more advanced functionality of Numbers, my favorite spreadsheet app. If you’re new to spreadsheets, or just want to make them look a little less like Microsoft Excel, this article should be right up your alley. In this article, we’ll talk about conditional formatting.
What is conditional formatting?
The real power behind spreadsheets is not just how well they can crunch data, but how you can visually present the information in a variety of ways. Sometimes, however, you may want to give more attention to a particular area, or hide certain data if it’s not relevant. You often see conditional formatting applied to financial spreadsheets where positive values are in black or green, but negative values are always in "the red." So how do you do that? It’s where conditional formatting, or formatting based on certain criteria, comes into play.
Here's a quick example. Let's say I have something that shows you my net worth for each month of the year. (These numbers are entirely made up, for demonstration purposes.) Assuming that these numbers were coming from a different spreadsheet, I could likely have one of three possible values for each month. If I were doing well, the value would be a positive number. If I were feeling the toils on the economy and not so great at managing money, the value might be negative. The last option would be if we haven't gotten to a particular month yet, for example, in September 2009 the value reads "$0" as no data yet exists to calculate that value.
Net Worth without Conditional Formatting
Applying some formatting
Based on this example, you can see that before I begin to do any formatting, I have a mix of positive values, negative values, and some that read "$0" because we haven't yet entered data for those months. To apply formatting, I would select the first cell next to January.
In the Inspector under the Cells tab, you'll see an area that is labeled "Conditional Format" with zero rules applied. If I click "show rules" I will get a new window that allows me to start stacking on a series of rules that I want to compare this cell against.
For this example, I'm going to pick "Choose a rule" and select "Greater than." If I enter "0" as my value, I'm telling Numbers that I want to apply special formatting to any value that is greater than zero. This would be where my net worth was in the positive numbers. If I click the "edit" button, I can now start layering on formatting. To keep things simple, I'm just going to change the text color to green and press "done." You do have options here for a variety of other formatting choices, including bold or italics and changing the cell background. Looking back at your document, you should see that the value has now turned green!
Now I'm going to apply another rule, this time to address negative net worth. This rule is going to be "less than 0" and I am going to format the text to be a red color with bold styling.
Finally, I am going to apply one last rule, which will address the "0" values for upcoming months. Usually, you will not see a net worth perfectly at "0," so I have used this assumption to keep our "0" values open for this next example. If a value is "0," we're assuming its because we are at a month in which nothing has happened yet, so we will simply want to "hide" this value until an actual value (positive or negative) can take its place. To solve this, we're going to format the cell to take values that are "0" and turn the text white, so it will simply blend in with our background and therefore be hidden.
One down. A few to go.
Once we are finished here, we can close this window and go back to our spreadsheet. Now we've laid out the set of conditional formatting rules, but they currently only apply to the net worth listed in January. The next step most would take is to simply grab the little dot on the right of the cell and drag down to "fill" down, but do not do this. You will inadvertently fill down the value of that cell and not its formatting.
Net Worth with Conditional Formatting Applied
The last trick up my sleeve is how to copy formatting between cells and that is to use a feature called "Copy Style." This is similar to the "Format Painter" of Microsoft Excel. Simply highlight the cell we were working on, go to the Format menu and select "Copy Style." You can then highlight the remaining cells, go back to the Format menu and select "Paste Style" and you should end up with something that looks like the image to the right.
The Copy/Paste Style is a very useful tool and is found in all of the iWork applications. There is even a quick button to access it that you can add to your toolbar (open the View menu and then click "Customize Toolbar").
If you are familiar with Conditional Formatting from Excel, nothing has really changed except the limit to the number of rules you can apply. Microsoft Excel previously limited users to applying three rules to a cell (usually that was more than enough) and, as far as I’ve found, Numbers imposes no limit. In the next article, we're going to dig a little deeper into the power of Numbers with how to do horizontal and vertical lookups. If you have any Numbers-specific topics you would like me to cover, please use the comments below and let's get the discussion started!
Переслать - iTunes 8.2 Update Available Ahead of 3.0 Release; QuickTime Security Flaw Patched
iTunes 8.2 became available for anyone and everyone with a Mac, not just developers, late yesterday. A pre-release version of the update has been available to registered iPhone developers since the release of iPhone OS 3.0 beta 4 a few weeks ago, and is required for those hoping to run the 3.0 software on their Apple handheld devices. The release at this time strongly suggests that iPhone OS 3.0 will go live very soon, possibly immediately following the WWDC keynote speech taking place next week.
Aside from adding support for the upcoming firmware revision, the iTunes 8.2 update also brings the usual stability enhancements and bug fixes, including a security patch involving “itms:” links used to open iTunes locations from the web. Parsing the URLs could lead to a stack overflow or arbitrary code execution, which would allow an attacker to completely take over the iTunes process.
QuickTime 7.6.2, which became available alongside the iTunes update, also patches security flaws…10, in fact, all of which involve crashes or arbitrary code execution resulting from viewing malicious content.
A third update, GarageBand 5.0.2, improves the artist lesson purchasing experience, and allows access to installed jam packs in the loop browser. As with most Apple updates, it also includes various security fixes and bug squashes.
The iTunes update has arrived a little early, considering Apple has yet to release or announce the official release date of iPhone OS 3.0, but it’s probably just being smart about a major software update and spacing things out so that its servers can better handle the load when the millions of iPhone users rush to download the firmware revision at the same time. Hopefully, by staging releases, it will avoid the kind of frustrating experiences that accompanied the release of iPhone firmware 2.0 last year.
Some users are already reporting issues with the new updates, including odd behavior from iPhones running the latest firmware beta and iTunes 8.2 final, and a bug wherein a considerable number of songs went missing from one person’s library.
I actually have yet to install the iTunes 8.2 update. While the other updates show up for me without issue, I can’t get Software Update to find the iTunes update. I thought maybe this was because I had the latest pre-release version already installed, but others with the beta seem to have been able to install. My MacBook, which hasn’t been updated with the latest test build, detected and installed the new version without problem. Let us know if you’re having any issues with any of these updates.
Переслать - The Palm Pre is an iPod? Yes, But We'll See How Long That Lasts
A big story recently is how the Palm Pre syncs seamlessly with iTunes. It does so by making itself appear to be an iPod to iTunes.
Further details came out during an interview at the All Things Digital conference that indicate only non-DRM music and photos can be synced. It’s unclear whether non-DRM videos sync, or whether it syncs other iTunes data (bookmarks, contacts, podcasts, etc.).
Even with those restrictions, the ability to plug in and use iTunes to sync music is a pretty big deal. How can Palm do this? Why did they do this? What, if anything, should Apple do?
Back in Time
To help understand this, consider that Palm’s Executive Chairman, Jon Rubenstein, is an Apple alumnus. Steve Jobs approached him in 1990 to run hardware engineering at NeXT. Ultimately, NeXT couldn’t compete in hardware and became software-only. After disassembly of NeXT’s hardware manufacturing, Rubenstein formed a new company, Firepower Systems, that was bought by Motorola in 1996.
What did Jobs think of Rubenstein? Well, Jobs approached him after Firepower’s sale to work for Apple. Keep in mind, at this time Jobs was not CEO, or even the interim CEO. He was simply a “consultant” to Apple.
What did Rubenstein think of Jobs? Well, he accepted a position at Apple. Remember, at that time Apple was beleaguered, doomed, nearly bankrupt, etc. Many claims were exaggerated, but no one considered Apple a smart gig at the time. Further, Rubenstein had just sold a company; he could have kicked back, or written his own ticket for a more impressive job. Still, he went to work for Apple.
Rubenstein’s years at Apple were a great success, ones that saw him help to oversee the iMac, G4/G5 Macs, the Titanium PowerBook and of course, the iPod. I don’t mean to say Rubenstein “did it all,” rather only that he was part of a great Apple team doing great things. Perhaps Jobs’ greatest strength is his ability to assemble a team of like-minded individuals and keep them focused. Rubenstein was a vital part of that team.
Some in the Apple community are critical of Rubenstein now, but he didn’t leave Apple for Palm. He left in April 2006. It was 18 months — in October 2007 — before he assumed the position at Palm. Why? Look back at when he took the Apple job. It was a company in trouble, with extreme challenges ahead. Who would argue Palm isn’t in a similar position? I can’t presume to speak for the man, but it’s no surprise to me he’d want to get back in the game after more than a year, and at a place where there was much work to do.
Time at Palm
In the time he’s been at Palm, Rubenstein has attempted to bring with him things learned at Apple. Quoting him from the interview link above:
"I worked with Steve [Jobs] for many years and learned a tremendous amount from him, the value of user experience and design — taste. I also learned the idea of great marketing…On the engineering side, I helped created the engineering culture at Apple so obviously, the engineering culture at Palm bears some similarities to it."
It’s also interesting to hear Rubenstein speak of Palm. It's not unlike how Jobs spoke of Apple during his first years back in Cupertino:
"We hired a lot of new people into the company," says Rubenstein. "Palm is a new company today…Palm had tremendous assets. The DNA is there. The way of thinking about great products is there."
Discussing Apple’s DNA, and thinking about great products, are all a part of the Jobs mantra.
The culmination of this was development of the Palm Pre. There are volumes of opinions and information on this device so I’m not getting into it here. It’s launching June 6 exclusively on Sprint, and in a few weeks we’ll know more about its prospects for success than we can learn from any criticism or praise we can read about it now. Still, the revelation that the Pre is seen as an iPod within iTunes is a big deal. One that brings up issues for both Palm and Apple.
Look! It’s an iPod!
Making the Pre appear as an iPod likely required inside knowledge Rubenstein possesses that other smartphone makers do not. It’s not this “leg up” on other smartphones I begrudge Palm, but rather the appearance they'll have as being an “equal” in the iTunes environment. It's not known for sure how Palm did this, but this is a very likely hypothesis. I think using an “entry” into iTunes learned at Apple is something Apple should have something to say about. I see it as the use of software to which you’re not permitted.
Yes, if the sync is limited to non-DRM music, videos and photos, a large part of the iTunes ecosystem is left behind. But that’s not what Palm would be trumpeting, nor the likely perception. Even the recent headlines are about how the Palm syncs smoothly with iTunes, appearing just like an iPod. I’m not sure Apple should allow this. I’d think they’d protect their ecosystem from any non-Apple devices that intrude on it. I think Apple should correct the issue via an iTunes update ASAP.
Get Ready for Apple Bashing
Of course, if Apple releases an iTunes patch to address this — and therefore “breaks” the Pre — there will be howls of protest. Apple should do it anyway.
I've managed enough Technical Support groups to know that by appearing as an iPod, Apple will get iTunes support questions about syncing with a Pre. Sure, they can say it’s not their hardware, go to Palm, etc., but then we’re in the world customers hate the most: that of one vendor pointing fingers at the other. The fact that one of the vendors entered uninvited and unsupported will not be taken into consideration by those critical of Apple.
And, let’s face it, Palm knows this is wrong. When asked about it, Rubenstein dodged the question. Twice:
How is Apple going to feel about that, asks Walt. Rubenstein dodges a bit, noting that there are a variety of ways of getting music out of iTunes. Walt pushes back, pointing out that this is the first non-Apple device that is recognized as an Apple device by a Mac. Rubenstein dodges again. Seems he's pretty obviously using his Apple knowledge here. McNamee jumps in. Apple is "practically a monopolist," he says, adding that people should be able to use music that they purchase in whatever way they see fit.
It isn’t just that Rubenstein avoided the question, but McNamee jumping in with the “M” word sealed the deal. Palm has no legitimate answer, and would rather imply Apple is a monopoly so Palm can do whatever they want. Yeah, that argument will get you far.
Where Does This Lead?
Though a bit underhanded, I won’t excoriate Rubenstein's team for doing this. He knew of a non-iPod way into iTunes and used it. Maybe it’s a mistake by Apple; the exposure is there to begin with. However, I don’t agree with Palm’s decision; I think it’s more a deliberate PR stunt than anything else. Grab all the positive press they can about being an iPod, and then grab Apple-bashing press when (if?) Apple prevents it.
I certainly won't excoriate Apple for blocking a Pre “iPod.” It’s what they should do. The sooner, the better. McNamee will complain, but given his statements on the Pre the last few months, that won’t be a surprise. Rubenstein might complain, but I think from his dodging the question above he expects it to happen.
Finally, this has nothing to do with what Apple thinks about the Pre — the device has miles to go before Apple will have trouble sleeping at night (though Microsoft might need a sleeping pill or two). Rather, it has everything to do with denying Palm a seat at the table to which they’re not entitled. Let the Pre use the old iTunes API, if possible, as others have, but not appear as an iPod. I don’t see why Apple should stand idly by while a third party walks in and acts as an equal member of the iPod/iTunes system.
Переслать - Evom: Convert & Transfer Movies From Your Computer and the Web
I must admit, getting an iPhone has changed my media consumption habits a great deal. Pre-iPhone I would always have my iPod with me to listen to music, but that is all I would do. Now that I have my iPhone, I still listen to music from the iPod feature and stream music, but I also actually watch movies. Even though I had an iPod video before my iPhone I never watched videos on it; the screen was simply too small.
I am always on the hunt for software that makes my life easier, and I have finally found the holy grail of simple video conversion: Evom.
Before I found Evom, I was using HandBrake. HandBrake is “an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded video transcoder, available for MacOS X, Linux and Windows.” I will be the first to admit that HandBrake can handle pretty much any video thrown out it (and it’s free!), but it is definitely not “drag and drop.” I am sure a lot of users love the ability to tweak every little video setting, but I simply do not care. I want to drag a video into the program and completely forget about it. Enter Evom.
Converting a video is a two-step process: Select or drag movies, folders, or links into Evom, and then select your destination. If your destination is your iPod, Evom will automatically import the video into your iTunes library. Next time I sync my iPhone, my files are already there waiting for me, which is great because I usually load my iPhone with videos the night before traveling while I am trying to pack, so having my videos ready to go is a great time saver.
Another cool feature of Evom is the browser bookmarklet. Add the Evom bookmarklet to your browser, and you get one-click-downloading on flash video sites like YouTube.
As you can probably tell, I love the simplicity of Evom and am very excited for the final version to be released; however, Evom is currently in beta. There is no price listed on Evom’s web site, but after poking around in the preferences of the current version, it is clearly going to be a paid application. Unfortunately, when I clicked the “Buy a License” button in the preferences section of Evom I was brought to a broken URL, so I have no actual evidence of what the application will cost when the developers take the software out of beta.
It should be noted that a single user license of iPod Rip, the software that lets you copy music and movies off your iPod onto your computer that was developed by the same company, costs $19.95, so I would guess that Evom would be priced similarly.
Переслать - TAB Welcomes: James Dempsey
James Dempsey
Coming to TheAppleBlog from the dry, barren desert of Phoenix, Arizona, I wanted to introduce myself as the newest TAB writer and tell you a bit about myself.
A graphic designer by trade, I’ve been working in the business for over 20 years, both as a freelancer and for local and national ad agencies. As an Apple fanatic, I’ve been using Macs since 1984 starting with the 128k, up to my current desktop/laptop combo — and with the exception of the infamous hockey-puck mouse, I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m excited to be here at TheAppleBlog, and look forward to sharing my experiences with you.
You may recognize my name, or my ugly mug from my hobby, The Graphic Mac, where I post tips, reviews and commentary for graphic designers running Mac OS X. Or perhaps you’ve read one of my articles at Macworld.com or CreativeBits.org. While my writing for those sites focuses almost completely on graphic design-related topics, I'll spare you that here, and offer a wide-range of software, Internet, and Apple-related topics — I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do writing them.
As for my current setup, I have a MacPro with 11GB of RAM, a 30-inch Dell Ultrasharp LCD, and a Logitech Wireless Wave Pro keyboard/mouse combo on my desk. When I need to take work on the road, I use a MacBook Pro 15-inch with 2GB of RAM and an Apple wireless Mighty Mouse. I also have a really old G3 iBook that I have no idea why I keep around, but I still use it on occasion. And of course I have an iPod, as does my wife and 2-year-old son (yeah, we're starting him off early).
Being a Mac and Internet junkie, you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or my blog. And of course, please leave comments on my articles — even the flaming arrows of death comments are entertaining!
Переслать - Apple Bringing Geolocation to Mobile Safari
Since Apple doesn’t provide detailed release notes with each of their beta installments, it’s understandable that details about less obvious features and changes would only come to light gradually, as people poked around and tried different (and sometimes unusual) things with their devices. Computerworld’s Seth Weintraub was fooling around with the Mobile Safari browser included with the latest firmware update (3.0b5), and discovered that it has become a touch more self-aware since last we checked.
In fact, the new version of Safari has been quietly updated to tap into the iPhone’s geolocation abilities so that it can deliver location information should a web site request it. Weintraub tested the new feature using a web page designed by Doug Turner to test Mozilla’s upcoming geolocation API (which is built into the latest beta builds of Firefox, by the way). Visiting the site brings up the familiar location services permission request dialog box that opens when using other third-party apps and Google Maps.
Once Safari receives approval, the individual site you’re visiting also needs authorization, which is great for security purposes. As soon as everything is approved, the site displays coordinate data relevant to your current location. Not fancy, but a promising taste of what’s to come. Geolocation is part of the W3 consortium’s web standard, though the specification isn’t finalized yet, and it should see inclusion in the next generation of every major browser, which means web developers should start incorporating it regularly soon enough.
There are already plans from one major player to use it in a web app. Google announced last week their plans to release Latitude, their location broadcasting service, as a web app for the iPhone platform (it’s already a native app for Symbian, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Android). iPhone and iPod touch owners will be able to visit the Latitude URL in Safari, which will ask for and use their location information to make their position available to other contacts using the app, on any platform. The disadvantage, of course, is that closing Safari will end your location broadcast, and your ability to see the location of others, but this would’ve been true with a native app, too.
Google’s Latitude implementation is impressive, but more practical and generally useful applications of browser geolocation come to mind. How about never asking me for my zip code again when it comes to searching for stuff in my immediate area? Or tourism sites that generate location-specific content automatically upon each visit depending on where in the world you are? Combined with the rumored magnometer that’s meant to appear in the next new iPhone hardware, Safari geolocation could revolutionize the way we use the mobile web.
Переслать - 43 iPhone Development Resources
Programming for the iPhone is still pretty new. It might be a bit tougher to find iPhone developer resources, but we found a bunch that will get you through building any iPhone app you might be starting on. Check out our list of our favorite developer books, blogs, podcasts, screencasts, open-source libraries, communities, forums, conferences, training, and more!
Books
Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK
This is the go-to book for beginning iPhone developers by Jeff Lamarche and Dave Mark. It takes you from downloading the SDK to creating your very own apps. The official page and support site: http://iphonedevbook.com/
Programming in Objective-C 2.0
This is the book to get if you’re just starting out programming. It assumes you have no prior programming knowledge before picking it up. It’s highly recommended for people who don’t know any programming and want to learn Objective-C. Not a lot of iPhone-specific stuff in this one, but a lot of this knowledge will carry over when you do want to create iPhone apps.
Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X
This book assumes you know a bit of C/C++, and it’s a really good book for getting started with Apple’s developer frameworks. There isn’t a lot of iPhone-specific stuff in this book, but a lot of what you learn carries over into iPhone development.
Pragmatic Programmers iPhone SDK Development
This book is in beta still, so you can only get the PDF. It was originally scheduled to be released by now, but they are updating it to include iPhone SDK 3.0. It’s still worth it to get the PDF. I’ve gone through it, and it is fantastic. The book is now set to be released in September.
The iPhone Developer’s Cookbook: Building Applications with the iPhone SDK
This book is full of code snippets that will help a lot of people with common tasks that Apple’s iPhone SDK doesn’t provide. There are some code blunders in this book, but luckily they’ve fixed the code and put it up here. They also have movies at this site that demonstrate what each mini-project does.
iPhone in Action: Introduction to Web and SDK Development
The iPhone in Action book covers both native and web programming in step-by-step tutorials. It’s a complete primer to iPhone development.
Blogs
Mobile Orchard
The best iPhone developer blog I’ve seen. It’s written by Dan Grigsby and Ari Braginsky. I recommend you start with the top posts on the right sidebar and go through all the archives. Pretty much all of the articles are gold.
iCodeBlog
This blog has some of the best iPhone app building tutorials on the web. They have newbie tutorials as well as multi-part advanced tutorials ranging from Hello World to game development. The “ToDo List Using SQLite” tutorial series is a good start for a new developer to learn a breadth of concepts.
iPhone Development Central
The meat of this site is the video tutorials. The videos are separated into different levels of complexity. Good site for audio/visual learners.
Dr. Touch
Dr. Touch gives us a mix of specific programming solutions as well his experiences with the App Store and his sales. The recipes section of his blog have really useful code snippets to help you build your app.
iPhone Development
Jeff Lamarche is also the author of Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK. He keeps his blog updated constantly with cutting-edge code and even a guide to surviving WWDC.
Keyvisuals iPhone Development
This blog isn’t updated as often as some of the others, but the articles that do come out are really useful. My favorite recent one is How to Detect Network Availability.
71squared
71squared has some great iPhone game development tutorial collections. It is updated quite often, and anyone interested in iPhone game development should check it out.
How to Make iPhone Apps
It’s a fusion of iPhone app marketing and coding. Most of the site is focused on marketing your app.
iPhone SDK Articles
This blog isn’t updated that much these days, but the articles are still useful. It’s 100 percent dedicated to code tutorials.
148apps.biz
Jeff Scott writes about various iPhone app marketing tips and analytics. The blog is focused on the business side of iPhone apps. It’s fairly new and looks very promising.
iPhone developer:tips
A how-to focused blog run by John Muchow. The posts are put together in nice bite-size pieces.
PrEV
Bill Dudney is an author/screencaster with the Pragmatic Programmers family. The books and screencasts he makes are good for beginners, but a lot of the stuff on his blog address more complicated coding issues and bugs in the SDK.
Podcasts/Screencasts
Stanford iPhone Application Programming Course
Stanford open-sourced its lecture, slides, and course material to the world. It’s available for free in iTunes. Watch the presentation by Loren Brichter of Tweetie fame when you get a chance.
Mobile Orchard Podcast
Awesome podcast series with iPhone app developers and their successes (and struggles) running iPhone app businesses. They always have A-list guests.
Pragmatic Programmer’s Screencast Series
If you’re more of a video learner, start with the Coding in Objective-C 2.0 and Becoming Productive in Xcode screencasts. Follow that with the five-part Writing Your First iPhone Application screencast. If you really want to get fancy with transitions and animations, check out the Creating a Compelling User Interface with Core Animation screencast.
Objective-C for Rubyists
Peepcode is usually known for its Ruby resources, but it has a great screencast that teaches you about Objective-C. It’s edited by Scott Stevenson of great Objective-C resource, CocoaDevCentral.
The App Show
Great conversations about everything related to iPhone apps. The podcasts are about an hour or so long.
iPhone Alley
The iPhone Alley Podcast is a weekly roundtable with different iPhone app media peeps and creators. Each episode is very entertaining.
Schenk Studios
This site has some great video tutorials — and a lot of them, too. He’s made 25 of them, including a sneak peek at some new 3.0 features.
Open-Source Libraries
Joe Hewitt’s Three20 Open-Source Objective-C library
Three20 is a collection of iPhone UI classes, like a photo viewer, and general utilities, like an HTTP disk cache. Three20 is derived from the Facebook iPhone app, which is one of the most downloaded iPhone apps ever.
Bullet Physics Engine
Bullet is a free, professional 3D game multiphysics library used in some popular games in the App Store.
Cocos2d Framework
Cocos2d for the iPhone is a framework for building 2D games for the iPhone and iPod touch. There’s a great community around this open-source engine, so there’s plenty of support to help you get your iPhone game out there.
Matt Legend Gemmell – Cocoa Source Code
Matt Gemmell has some great code out there for the community, including MGTwitterEngine, the Twitter API used in iPhone apps Birdhouse and Twitteriffic.
Appsamuck
An open-source collection of 31 mini-iPhone app projects to get you up and running fast.
Communities/Forums
iPhone Dev SDK
The greatest iPhone developer community on the Internet. Chris Stewart’s site boasts nearly 6,000 registered users. The forums are very active. You’ll find yourself visiting this site at least once a day.
Stack Overflow
Stack Overflow is a collaboratively edited question and answer site for programmers — regardless of platform or language. Every question asked on the site will almost always get a correct answer.
MacRumors Forums for iPhone Programming
Great community of developers on this forum. They even include some nice guides for getting started with iPhone development.
Conferences/Training
Apple Worldwide Developers Conference
WWDC is Apple’s official developer conference. All the cutting-edge programming topics are taught here. The 2009 one runs from June 8-12. WWDC is the Mac daddy of all iPhone conferences. Get it? Mac daddy? I’m here all night, folks.
360|iDev
360|iDev is the premiere iPhone, iPod touch developer conference in the world. The next one will be a four-day event and will take place September 27-30, 2009 in Denver, Colo. They have a call for papers right now if you want to make a debut as a conference speaker.
Pragmatic Studio’s iPhone Development Course
Here you will learn how to build iPhone applications from experienced iPhone developers Bill Dudney and Daniel Steinberg in this four-day training course. The next one runs August 4-7, 2009 in Reston, Va.
iPhoneDevCamp
iPhoneDevCamp is the brainchild of Raven and Dom. The event format is “unconference” or Barcamp-style, featuring content from the participants themselves. There are satellite events held all over the country. The next one is this August.
Game Developers Conference
This conference is for all game developers, and there’s an increasing number of mobile app game developers. If you’re a game developer or want to be one, this is the one game developer conference to go to.
StackOverflow DevDays
This is more of a general developer conference, not just iPhone developers. The beauty of this conference is that it’s in multiple locations and dates, and it only costs $99. Plus, you get to hang out with Joel Spolsky.
Other Collections Of Resources
Apple’s Official iPhone Dev Resources
The Apple engineers give us a lot of information to get started with app development. There are a lot of resources that Apple provides including documentation, how-tos, videos, code samples and forums.
iPhone Flow
This site is updated daily with the best iPhone developer links on the web. It’s driven by the community submissions, and all the links are top-quality here. The site is maintained by the Mobile Orchard crew.
XCake iPhone Dev Resources
MattJ’s collection of iPhone developer resources. A lot of good stuff here including our very own Create A Drum App tutorial.
The Flying Jalapeno Lives
Great list of iPhone development blogs written by Corey.
Those are my favorites. I’m not a human Google, so I may have missed some gems. What are your favorite iPhone developer resources?
Переслать - Microsoft: We Couldn't Kill the iPod, Maybe We Can Kill the iPod touch
You've got to give Microsoft credit. Having failed at making the Zune an "iPod killer," they've given up and are trying to make it an "iPod touch killer." Why go after big brother when little brother has kicked your butt for two years? Beats me; you'd have to ask Microsoft. All I can do is look at the Zune HD and see what it's about.HD Radio
FM radio was touted in the original Zunes. Lots of music players added radio since it was considered a major feature the iPod lacked. Nope. Including FM didn't make the devices more desirable than an iPod.
Now it's HD radio, which is FM (and AM) with better quality because it's digital (remember, the word "digital" makes everything better). So Microsoft is clinging to the belief that FM radio is still what every music device needs, it was obviously just the quality of the signal that was the problem.
HD Output
You'd think a device with "HD" in the name would play HD video on the device, but this one doesn't. Not sure what the point of HD on a 3.3" display would be anyway. However, it does output HD via a special dock. Here's the process:
- Get an HD movie (four times the size of SD)
- Get the special dock (no price is listed)
- Hook it up to an HDTV
- Enjoy movie!
Basically, you're using your portable device as a source HD player. When it's not being used as a source player (obviously not its primary purpose), it's just a portable video player with files larger than they need to be, downscaled to fit the screen at 480 x 272.
Touchscreen
Two years after the iPod touch, Microsoft will have a touchscreen on their music player. To Microsoft's credit, it's an OLED display. Good, quality stuff. To Microsoft's discredit, it's a cheaper 16:9 ratio. Some people make a big deal out of this (as do PC makers) because it's a "true" HD ratio, but the reality is that when you're not watching a video it's nothing but a smaller display (480 x 272 instead of the touch's 480 x 320).
Wireless
With Wi-Fi you can download tunes from the Zune Marketplace. Nice, but functionality that's old hat to an iPod touch user. You can also stream music from the marketplace if you're a Zune Pass subscriber (which is also a feature of current Zunes). This is a use for Zune Pass that makes sense. Seriously, it’s one thing about the Zune I can give it credit for.
Web Browser
The web browser is a heavily customized version of Internet Explorer, so it's probably bad. Go ahead, criticize me for bashing it when I haven't even seen it yet, but then again no one's seen it because the Zune HD is primarily just talk now anyway. What I have seen is IE in it's best possible setting — IE 8 on Windows 7 — and it still falls behind Firefox, Safari, and Chrome. Heck, Opera, too.
Other Stuff
- OS is based on Windows CE. WinCE? Wince? That's still around? Whatever, we don't get to see much of that either.
- Accelerometer
- Software keyboard
- Check out the UI. Why would your stock photo clearly show that your UI guys can't even fit one of the menu items on the screen? It's that small 16:9 screen, I bet. Way to show off that deficiency, guys.
The bottom line: Unless you're sucked in by "HD" in the name, the only thing that'll grab you about this thing is the propaganda campaign Microsoft has going on for it.
I wrote about this before, but Microsoft is being "old school" lately. They're partying like it's 1999, pre-announcing months in advance and getting the tech press in high gear. We won't know until September — assuming Microsoft is on time — what this thing is really like, but by then it will almost certainly have a new iPod touch with which to compete.
Переслать - Re-Downloading Deleted iPhone Apps May Become Costly in OS 3.0
Naively, I used to think that once I’d purchased music, I could easily download it again, for free, on any other computer or WiFi-connected iPhone or iPod touch as long as I was signed in with my iTunes account. As most of you probably know, that’s not the case. Instead, if you try to download it again, iTunes recognizes that you’ve already purchased the content, but notifies you that should you download it again, you’ll actually be paying for it twice.The nice thing about the App Store, whether on a computer or using an iPhone or iPod touch, is that you can re-download titles you’ve already purchased elsewhere, or maybe deleted for whatever reason. I’ve used this feature many, many times, because I don’t really like having a cluttered springboard, so I regularly cull apps that fall into disuse. I honestly couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve re-downloaded Shazam just to find out the name of a song I hear in passing. You’d think at some point I would just keep in installed, but those occasions where it comes in handy are just so few and far between.
This much-appreciated ability to download an app as many times as you want from wherever you want may be in jeopardy in iPhone OS 3.0, according to The iPhone Blog and others. They recently posted an article in which they describe how some users with the 3.0 beta on their phones are receiving notification that should they wish to download an app they’ve previously purchased, they either have to buy it again, or sync with their computer to re-install for free.
I tested this out on my own devices, and was able to replicate the new “feature,” which you can see in the screenshot attached to this article. The iPhone Blog proposes that the new measures are designed to prevent people from installing apps they don’t own while on the go quickly and easily using the new iTunes account switching-feature included in the latest builds of the upcoming firmware revision.
Even though I’ve taken to installing and updating apps exclusively via iTunes on my Mac and syncing (which is why I haven’t noticed this before, I guess), the ability to re-install on the fly is still very useful in cases like the one I describe above with Shazam. In fact, in terms of pure convenience, account switching is far less of an advantage if it means sacrificing re-downloads. This is inevitably going to cause some folks to pay twice for the same app, too. So far, 3.0 has been nothing but roses, so hopefully this occurrence of thorns is an isolated example.
Переслать - Apple Extends MacBook Pro NVIDIA GeForce Service Policy to Three Years
Addressing what evidently is a common defect in the NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT graphics processor units used in the May 2007 and Early 2008 revisions of the original MacBook Pro (remediation of which involves replacing the entire logic board), Apple has announced that it will lengthen coverage of its extended service program for this defect for at least another year.
A revised announcement on the Apple Support web site reads:
In July 2008, NVIDIA publicly acknowledged a higher than normal failure rate for some of their graphics processors due to a packaging defect. At that same time, NVIDIA assured Apple that Mac computers with these graphics processors were not affected. However, after an Apple-led investigation, Apple has determined that some MacBook Pro computers with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor may be affected. If the NVIDIA graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within three years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty.
Last January, I commended Apple and NVIDIA for stepping up and taking some responsibility for this defect, but contended that the two-year coverage in effect at the time almost certainly did not go far enough. It seemed likely that the problem would eventually afflict most examples of those MacBook Pro models if they were used long enough, and once repaired, owners could not be confident of the issue not repeating itself after the two-year extended service eligibility or even three years of maximum AppleCare extended warranty coverage.
Anyone buying a computer as expensive as a MacBook Pro should have reasonable expectation of it providing reliable service much longer than two, or even three, years. The Pismo PowerBook I’m typing this on is nearly nine years old and still going strong.
An extended service program, more along the lines of the seven-year one Apple implemented for PowerBook 5300 and 190 models back in 1996, after that model proved excessively prone to a constellation of hardware and software problems, would be more appropriate in addressing this GPU issue, which is arguably as bad or even worse than the PowerBook 5300 troubles.
Last month, Computerworld’s Gregg Keizer reported that owners of Apple, Dell and Hewlett-Packard laptops had pooled lawsuits against NVIDIA in an attempt to force the graphics chip maker to replace the allegedly flawed processors, and if granted class-action status, the case could involve millions of laptop computer owners, possibly influencing Apple’s decision to extend service coverage by 50 percent.
Here are the specific Apple products affected:
- MacBook Pro 15-inch and 17-inch models with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors
- MacBook Pro (17-Inch, 2.4GHz)
- MacBook Pro (15-Inch, 2.4/2.2GHz)
- MacBook Pro (Early 2008)
These computers were manufactured between approximately May 2007 and September 2008.
If you have one of the potentially affected machines, here’s what to look for:
- Distorted or scrambled video on the computer screen
- No video on the computer screen (or external display) even though the computer is on
If your MacBook Pro is exhibiting any of the symptoms described above, you are instructed take it to an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for evaluation, or call your local Apple Contact Center.
Apple is also issuing refunds to customers who may have paid for repairs related to this issue. Contact Apple support for details on the refund process.
Переслать - The Problem With Variable Pricing
How quickly we forget the way things used to be. It was only in early April when Apple introduced variable pricing in the iTunes store, and already we've learned to accept that nearly every “popular” song costs $1.29.
If you're not familiar with the subject, here's the issue in a single sentence: The Big Four record labels put the screws on Apple and forced them to hike up their prices. (The Big Four, by the way, is industry parlance for Warner Music Group, EMI, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group.)
Now, it depends on your level of cynicism as to how you interpret the details, but those who feel generous suggest that variable pricing is necessary in order to cover the cost of making iTunes music available to customers DRM-free. Critics feeling less generous argue that Apple bowed to pressure and now customers are getting screwed.
How so? Well, before April, every track on iTunes cost the same amount: 99 cents. In retail, that's a sweet spot. Customers don't think of it as particularly expensive, and it means old products that have depreciated in value can be sold at a higher price.
99 cents, it seems, suited everyone but the record labels, which — let's face it — are dying. They've always been horribly short-sighted and slow at reacting to the digital age. First they tried to block digital downloads. Then they insisted on locking up digital media in what ultimately became poorly thought-out and unfairly implemented DRM protocols. (Remember Sony's rootkit fiasco?) Finally, they grudgingly joined forces with online distributors but it took them years to make all their popular music available for download, and they were never happy with the one-price-for-all model favored by the likes of Apple, Amazon and Wal-mart.
So committed to variable pricing were they that back in 2007, Universal Music Group refused to renew its long-term agreement with Apple, opting instead for an "at will" agreement that provided greater flexibility and influence in the label’s dealings with other distributors. This was basically a pay-as-you-go agreement that allowed them to change their mind and bail at any time. Not good news for Apple, nor any other online music retailer treated similarly.
Now that the few remaining record labels are faced with their lowest profits in decades, they've finally agreed to take digital distribution seriously by removing DRM — but at the same time insisting distributors set very specific, varied prices. The labels loosely describe their prices as "geared to the popularity of individual artists."
Former EMI executive Ted Cohen said of variable pricing, "This will be a PR nightmare. It is for the music industry what the AIG bonuses are for the insurance industry.” Nine Inch Nails' outspoken Trent Reznor, meanwhile, said, “Wouldn’t it make sense to try to price it cheaper instead of squeezing the handful of people who are still willing to pay for music?”
So what? So some of the music costs about 20 cents more than before, but most of iTunes' 10 million songs are still only a dollar. Why the outcry?
The Myth of Supple and Demand
Well, much of the furor is focused around the misconception that the prices are set by the record labels according to the economics of "supply and demand."
In a report by Dawn C. Chmielewski in the LA Times, Russ Crupnick, a senior analyst for NPD Group says the variable pricing is the mark of a mature market that saw digital music sales top $1 billion in 2008. “If you’re not drawing new people and your spending isn’t growing, it’s a natural part of the product life cycle.”
While Chmielewski suggests the change in pricing reflects the natural condition of supply and demand in the market, critics have argued the iTunes store has an unlimited supply of music. As long as the Big Four keep renewing their contracts with Apple, any perceived lack of supply is entirely artificial and completely fabricated by those labels. So if the supply and demand reason is a misdirection, what's really going on?
Valuable Junk
Another, far more duplicitous idea is floating around the Internet. It suggests that the Big Four strategically price tracks not, as you might expect, according to artist popularity (thereby maximizing revenue on the most-downloaded tracks at any given time) but instead use variable pricing as a means for influencing customers' perception of value.
This means that a label can promote whomever they wish, irrespective of whether or not that artist is currently trending well in the charts. A contractually inexpensive artist could be promoted at the full $1.29, creating a perception of quality and value in the minds of customers. Conversely, an older, contractually expensive rocker who's pushing for a bigger share of royalties or music publishing rights can be stopped in their tracks (no pun intended) with the death threat of "economy" pricing in online stores. Certainly the notion many customers have of 69-cent music is that it's pretty rubbish. Particularly if the latest tracks from some unknown newcomer are appearing at full whack.
If this is true, variable pricing appears to be less about raw profit and more about maintaining control and influence over content producers in the music industry.
A Little from Column A, a Little from Column B
So which is more likely? Bare-faced price-fixing to squeeze every remaining penny out of customers? Or political wrangling in order to maintain control over artists? I suspect it's a combination of both that makes variable pricing so appealing to the record labels.
What's so sad is that the Big Four still don't appear to have figured out that their customers aren't the same people who, once upon a time, parted with hard cash to pick up a vinyl record. Customers know there’s a compelling alternative to unbalanced pricing — it's called zero-cost pricing, or, more commonly, piracy. It's immoral, unethical, illegal…and fast and easy. Random (and often ridiculous) prosecutions from the RIAA haven’t dissuaded a great many people from getting their music by less-than-legal means. As long as the labels insist on finding ways to manipulate and disrespect their artists and customers, illegal music downloads will continue to thrive.
We can only hope that the success of super-distributors like Apple will endow them with the financial and political might to force the labels to rethink their strategies. Steve Jobs' open letter to the record labels certainly helped push them into DRM-free distribution far sooner than they might otherwise have managed under their own steam.
Variable pricing is still reasonably new, but already common at the iTunes Store, Amazon MP3, Lala, Rhapsody and Wal-mart (to name a few). It will take something significant to change it now — be that a mass slowdown in customer spending, coordinated pressure from online distributors or just the collapse of the few remaining major record labels. I suspect all of these things will happen, sooner or later.
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