Linked List: February 26, 2008

Tuesday, 26 February 2008

All New MacBook Keyboards Have Right-Side Option Key ★

Me, back in 2005:

My only actual complaint about the PowerBook keyboard is the Enter key next to the right-side Command key; I would much prefer to have a second Option key there. Yes, yes, Enter is a different key than Return on a Mac, but if you really need Enter while using the PowerBook keyboard, you can use Fn + Return. I’ve been baffled by this key arrangement for years — who uses the Enter key so much that it deserves such a prominent spot on the keyboard?

Today’s new MacBooks and MacBook Pros do just that. I’ve had my fingers crossed ever since I noticed that the Air keyboard had a right-side Option key instead of an Enter key. Update: Apparently the regular MacBooks — but not the Pros — have had this key arrangement since November. Have the MacBook Pros, too?

Update 2: Other MacBook Pro keyboard changes today: no more Num Lock; the volume and brightness keys have moved; and it now has iTunes fast-forward/play-pause/rewind keys.

Chinese State-Run News Agency Caught Running Doctored Photograph ★

They’re very sorry, and promise to do a better job in Photoshop next time.

Mobile OS X 1.1.4 ★

Apple’s entire description of what’s new: “bug fixes”.

‘Just Measure It’ ★

Jason Fried, regarding Wired’s profile of 37signals:

What about the backlash part of the story? Well, Andy Warhol once said, “Don’t read what they write about you, just measure it in inches.” True words those. Nonetheless, let’s set the record straight on a few myths mentioned in the story…

Apple Now Number 2 Music Retailer in the U.S. ★

Second only to Wal-Mart.

Gmail’s Buggy IMAP Implementation ★

Tim Altman, QA lead for Opera Mail, on Gmail’s IMAP support:

Gmail’s labeling system could integrate marvelously with IMAP clients if only it used IMAP keywords. Instead, IMAP mailboxes are used to represent labels. All messages (sent and received) are always available in the “Gmail/[All Mail]” mailbox, so any time a message is labeled, a duplicate message is added to the label’s IMAP mailbox. IMAP clients then receive several copies of the same message, none of which integrate with the client-side labeling system. If Gmail had instead used IMAP keywords, only one message would be needed and integration would be seamless.

Apple Revises MacBooks and MacBook Pros ★

Speed-bump updates for the MacBook and MacBook Pro, larger hard drives for both, and an Air-style multi-touch trackpad for the Pro.