By John Gruber
WorkOS launches auth.md — an open protocol for agent registration.
Linked List: May 4, 2007
Friday, 4 May 2007
- iPhoto: How to Change the ‘Open Automatically’ Preference ★
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If you want to tell iPhoto to stop launching automatically when you connect a camera or mount a memory card, you can’t do it within iPhoto itself. You do it in Image Capture. (You can also use Image Capture to specify another app to launch automatically to handle image capturing.)
- Twitter Launches Mobile Interface ★
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Web-based alternative to SMS for using Twitter from your phone.
- WSJ Reports Microsoft-Yahoo Merger Talk ‘No Longer Active’ ★
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Robert A. Guth and Kevin J. Delaney, reporting for The Wall Street Journal:
Microsoft and Yahoo in recent months discussed a possible merger of the two companies or some kind of match-up that would pair their respective strengths, say people familiar with the situation. But the merger discussions are no longer active, these people say. The two companies may still explore other ways of cooperating.
Interesting sidenote to the story: It was The New York Post that originally broke the Microsoft-Yahoo-in-talks story. The Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., which just made an unsolicited $5 billion bid to buy the Journal.
- AppleInsider on Roxio Crunch ★
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$50 utility from the maker of Toast; aims to simplify converting video to different formats for playback on various devices. Set to ship on Monday.
- Fake Steve: ‘God I Hope Murdoch Buys the Journal’ ★
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Fake Steve:
Suddenly these bigshot free-market reporters who always talk tough about layoffs when it’s GM or IBM now are running scared. Of course they say they’re wringing their hands about the “quality of the paper” and “editorial integrity” but come on — they’re worried because they know the place is 30% overstaffed and the Bancrofts don’t have the stomach for cuts. Murdoch, on the other hand, could squeeze a quarter between his butt cheeks and produce two dimes and a nickel plus a penny for his trouble.
- Another PC World Staffer Comments on McCracken’s Departure ★
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In a comment on Kim Zetter’s article on the McCracken-Crawford conflict, a PC World staffer, defending McCracken, writes:
It’s worth noting that these pieces were produced for the web site only. We’re under a lot of pressure to attract more traffic, and these list stories can be blockbusters. We do view them as an opportunity to be less serious — fluff is as good a word as any — but why that should be such a problem is beyond me. If the New Yorker ran the headline, nobody would flinch.
So in other words, the killed piece was sensational “less serious” fluff intended to generate hits to the web site. It’s hard to believe this person has ever even seen an issue of The New Yorker, the most literate and least sensational magazine I know of.
- Paul Thurrott on Microsoft’s Platform Centricism ★
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Good observation from Paul Thurrott:
But Microsoft thinks in terms of platforms, not great products. Apple does it the reverse way: Ship something drool-worthy and watch people snatch it up. Do it again. And again. Suddenly, there’s a platform sitting there. Microsoft spends so much time plotting platforms that by the time the vision is complete, the world has already moved on. The old way of doing things doesn’t work any more.
- R.I.P. Sudan’s Married Goat ★
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BBC News:
The goat, known as Rose to close friends, became a web phenomenon when it was reported that she had been “married” to Sudanese man Charles Tombe. The wedding was enforced by elders after a drunken Tombe was found taking advantage of the poor animal. He was also made to pay a dowry to Rose’s original owner.
- Microsoft Rekindles Its Pursuit of Yahoo ★
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The New York Times:
Microsoft has made a preliminary overture to Internet giant Yahoo, and the two companies are in very early discussions about a possible merger, according to people briefed on the discussions.
Oh now this is interesting. And it feels more like the old, combative Microsoft. If it happens, it’d be a $50 billion dollar deal.
- David Lynch on Shooting Digital Video ★
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David Lynch:
Once you start working in that world of DV with small, lightweight equipment and automatic focus, working with film seems so cumbersome. These 35mm film cameras are starting to look like dinosaurs to me. They’re huge; they weigh tons. And you’ve got to move them around. There are so many things that have to be done, and it’s all so slow. It kills a lot of possibilities. With DV everything is lighter; you’re more mobile. It’s far more fluid. You can think on your feet and catch things.
(Via James Wolcott.)
- The Great HD Shoot-Out ★
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David Kender and John Neely compare four consumer HD video cameras: Canon HV20, Sony HDR-HC7, Panasonic HDC-SD1, and JVC GZ-HD7. The Canon wins. (Thanks to Was Felter.)
- Mike Davidson: Building a Better Conference Badge ★
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Nice design for conference name badges, placing the emphasis on people’s names. Good nit-picking debate in the comments, too.
- Why the iPhone Will Be a Flop ★
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Noted for future reference: Matt Maroon is an iPhone doubter.
- Tony Smith Reviews the Nokia N95 ★
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Another very expensive smartphone: £549 (about US$1100). I’m impressed by the photo quality in Smith’s examples (at least by the standards of cell phone cameras). (Thanks to Chris Pepper.)