Linked List: June 11, 2010

Friday, 11 June 2010

Resolving the iPhone 4 Resolution 

Phil Plait on the iPhone 4’s Retina Display:

This prompted the Wired article editors to give it the headline “iPhone 4’s ‘Retina’ Display Claims Are False Marketing”. As it happens, I know a thing or two about resolution as well, having spent a few years calibrating a camera on board Hubble. Having looked this over, I disagree with the Wired headline strongly, and mildly disagree with Soneira. Here’s why.

The Economist on Anti-Distraction Software 

The Economist:

Software that disables bits of your computer to make you more productive sounds daft, but may help keep distractions at bay.

I’ve never tried any of these things because, yes, they sound daft. But I’m intrigued.

Tynt-Blocker Safari Extension 

Nice little piece of work by Brad Dougherty. Works perfectly for me: just install it and Tynt’s clipboard jiggery-pokery stops working. (Get the 1.1 update if you started with 1.0.)

Photos of a Mexican Drug Lord’s Home After a Police Raid 

I guess it is a cash business.

FBI Opens Probe of AT&T iPad Customer Email Address Breach 

The WSJ:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into a possible security breach of AT&T Inc.’s website that exposed the email addresses of some owners of Apple Inc. iPad devices. […]

A small group of computer experts that calls itself Goatse Security said it discovered the flaw, explaining that it was able to find the email addresses by guessing numbers that identify iPads connected to AT&T’s mobile network.

The Wall Street Journal said “Goatse”.

The Antitrust Implications of Apple’s Mobile Ad Policies 

Dan Frommer, summarizing a report by analysts Rebecca Arbogast and George Askew:

The analysts’ preliminary view is that it is unlikely the DOJ/FTC will bring an antitrust suit against Apple. But, Apple is walking a fine line, and will be increasingly scrutinized by the government. Each time provides additional risk for regulation.

Matt Drance on Apple’s Updated Section 3.3.2 Terms on Interpreted Code 

Matt Drance:

While explicit approval from Apple is still required, these new terms seem to acknowledge that there’s a difference between an app that happens to have non-compiled code, and a meta-platform. It’s a step that should allow for many new possibilities.

This hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as Apple’s change to the advertising analytics guidelines, but it might be just as big a deal. In addition to allowing the use of scripting engines in games — many of which are already in the store, in apparent contradiction to the previous blanket ban on interpreted code — I’m pretty sure this is going allow some apps that had previously been rejected to be published.