Linked List: October 27, 2010

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

Display Resolution of the New MacBook Airs ★

Dr. Drang:

This is a huge resolution range. On an 11″ MacBook Air, a 72-pixel line — which would measure 1 inch long against an onscreen ruler — is just 0.53 physical inches long. On a 21.5″ iMac, that same line is 0.70 inches long. User interface items, like buttons, menu items, and scroll bars are 30% bigger on the iMac than on the Air.

How Google Is ‘Closed’, Just Like Apple ★

Mike Elgan:

In this analogy, Apple is like Trump. Both Apple and Trump make something in order to sell it. Google is like McDonald’s. Both Google and McDonald’s make something in order to sell something else.

The companies are different, and what they’re “open” about reflects that difference. For example, Trump is very secretive about pending real estate transactions, but would probably be happy to share the details of food served at one of his golf courses. McDonald’s on the other hand, isn’t all that secretive about real estate transactions but they’re very secretive or “closed” about their Secret Sauce.

In other words, companies are very closed, secretive, and controlling about the part of their business that makes the money.

Ask “open” Google how they design their data centers, or how to clone PageRank for example.

Jeff Carlson Reviews iMovie ’11 ★

Seems like a great upgrade — the first version that really delivers on the revamped iMovie design.

The Rise of HTML5 Video on the Web ★

Peter Kafka:

Video search engine MeFeedia, for instance, now says that 54 percent of Web video is now compatible with HTML5. That’s more than double the tally the company had back in May — less than six months ago.

Just look at the graph from MeFeedia.

Chairman of British Airways Attacks U.S. Airport Security Demands ★

CNN:

In remarks at the annual conference of the UK Airport Operators Association in London, he said that the practice of forcing people to take off their shoes and have their laptops checked separately in security lines should be ditched.

What’s the #1 Most Crazy Idea Steve Ballmer Has Ever Heard? ★

Nice bit of vintage claim chowder from Fake Steve.