Linked List: November 4, 2009

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Andy Ihnatko, Droid in Hand, on Verizon’s ‘iDon’t’ Ad Campaign ★

I think the main problem with the ad is that it doesn’t make any sense to non-nerds.

Dan Frommer:

The story we’ve heard goes that Arrington’s suppliers have come back with quotes significantly higher than they had initially predicted.

That could explain why we haven’t heard a peep about the CrunchPad since the summer. Arrington told the New York Times in July that he would host an event “at the end of July or the beginning of August to make a big announcement about the CrunchPad,” and that the device would go on sale “as soon as possible.” It’s now November, with no event and no gadget.

BBEdit 9.3 ★

Lots new, as usual, but I like this change best:

BBEdit offers a new behavior: when you ask it to open a folder, rather than creating a disk browser (which allows only one document open at a time), you can ask it to create a temporary project. This provides the multi-document behavior of projects, without requiring you to manage and save a project document anywhere.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Droid and 3GS Cameras ★

Nice comparison shots from Andy Ihnatko. Remember: megapixels are not an indicator of image quality.

Rod Begbie on Mockingbird and Cappuccino ★

Rod Begbie pushes back on Mockingbird:

If you load the app, you can see custom scrollbars and navigation, a complete lack of accessibility, non-native controls, and all those other things that cause geeks to hate Flash. What, to the end user, is the benefit of this being done with JavaScript instead of Flash? You can get the patronage of the 0.000001% of web users who don’t have Flash installed? (Sadly, I don’t think Richard Stallman needs many wireframes drawn).

Gruber’s definition of “true web app” and mine greatly differ. Clue: If it’s completely unusable on the iPhone Safari browser, it doesn’t matter if it’s built in JavaScript, Flash or Microsoft Visual Fortran 2012. It’s not a “true web app”.

I think there’s merit to using an open web platform that isn’t in the control of a single company, like Flash. Practical merit, not just philosophical merit. No one can hold HTML5/CSS/JavaScript hostage. After loading Mockingbird in Safari 4 (with no other browser windows open), Safari’s CPU usage drops back to 0. With, say, Balsamiq — a Flash app along the same lines as Mockingbird — Safari’s CPU usage never drops below 4 percent, even when idle.

But Begbie has a good point. As I wrote back in February about Cappuccino:

I still think building web apps that look and act like fake desktop apps is the wrong way to go, but if anyone is going to prove me wrong on that, it’s probably going to be these guys.

“Web apps” doesn’t feel like the right term to call apps like Mockingbird, but I’m not sure what would be. “Desktop web apps”? Whatever we should call them, I still haven’t seen one I actually use.

WebKit Web Inspector Updates ★

Joseph Pecoraro details the latest improvements to WebKit’s built-in web developer tools.

Mockingbird — Web-Based Wireframe App ★

Interesting new wireframe tool. It’s a true web app (no Flash), written in Cappuccino. (Via Justin Williams.)

Nick Kallen on Information Technology and Heaps ★

This piece by Nick Kallen really made me think. First on defining “heaps”:

Would you describe a single grain of wheat as a heap? No. Would you describe two grains of wheat as a heap? No…. You must admit the presence of a heap sooner or later, so where do you draw the line?

And then:

Consider the process of voting. If no one voted, one vote would affect the outcome. But if millions of people vote, one vote makes little difference. In fact, the defining characteristic of the modern era is that every aspect of society is heaping.

Letters From the Hellbox ★

Splendid new column at McSweeney’s by Martin McClellan, on typography and its effect on culture.

Personal Droid Data Plan Will Cost $30 Per Month, Even With Exchange ★

Gearlog:

If you have a personal account or family plan, your data will cost $30/month. It doesn’t matter if you’re using Microsoft Exchange, Facebook, Gmail, or whatever - it’s $30. This is the same for all Verizon Windows Mobile and Android phones.

Data on business accounts — “corporate liable,” multiple lines, purchased through business sales, usually mediated by an IT department — costs $45/month. Once again, this is the same for every Windows Mobile and Android phone.

The same deal as AT&T. And in other Verizon/Droid news, it looks like Droid users will have a $15/month tethering option in January. Still no word at all from AT&T about official tethering support for the iPhone.