Linked List: June 13, 2011

Monday, 13 June 2011

Neil Davey reviews Duke Nukem Forever:

If this was 15 years in the making, it makes you wonder what they did for the other 14 years and 10 months.

Josh Topolsky questions the lack of a web interface in Apple’s iCloud announcement:

Let’s be clear about what happens when iCloud goes live — according to what was described on stage at the event, and what I’ve confirmed with Apple PR — the service will effectively replace the current web offerings of MobileMe. That means that when the cutoff date of June 30, 2012 comes around for users, the web-based email client, calendar, contacts app, and other components of the web suite will cease to exist. You will no longer be able to log in and check your mail through a browser, change calendar events, or edit contacts. It’s unclear right now if the photo and video sharing aspects of MobileMe will continue, but there was certainly no mention of sharing or web views at the conference. Your devices will become not just the primary place where Apple intends for you to do your work and get your content — they’ll be the only place.

I think that’s a bad assumption. I would wager that, sometime between now and 30 June 2012, iCloud will offer a web interface just as good as if not better than MobileMe’s (and quite possibly, under the hood, based on MobileMe’s). They just haven’t announced it yet, and if Apple hasn’t announced it, they won’t talk about it.

In short, there is no reason to assume that iCloud as it will exist 12 months from now will be limited to what was announced one week ago.

iOS 5: What You Need to Know ★

Week-old, but new to me, this is an excellent overview from Macworld of what’s new in iOS 5.

(Note that Macworld is correct that FaceTime doesn’t work over 3G, there are some signs that FaceTime-over-3G might be coming to iOS 5 when it ships — albeit on a carrier-by-carrier basis, sort of like hotspot tethering.)

And another good look at some iOS 5 details here, from Chris Foresman.

How Many iPhone Users Backup Via iTunes Tethering? ★

David Chartier:

A little birdie says that about 50 percent of Apple Store customers who need to get their iPhones swapped have never plugged them into iTunes after the initial activation and sync. This is a big reason, according to this birdie, for why Apple Store Geniuses are excited about iCloud.

I believe it.

There’s a Reason iOS 5 Is Called ‘Beta’ Software ★

Malcolm Barclay, on bad reviews showing up in the App Store for apps that have problems running on the iOS 5 beta:

Downloading and installing beta versions of iOS is akin to moving into a near-new house with missing windows, no carpet and some furnishing. In other words, it’s a building site. If you don’t understand this distinction, then you have no business installing it. You may not even be able to roll back to a prior iOS because of the firmware (software written directly to internal chip-sets) updates that will occur. You could brick your phone.

Other companies mean different things when they say “beta”. Apple means, “This software is ready for testing but not ready for production use.”

Update: Neven Mrgan, two years ago:

Proposal for a simple change to the App Store: those running pre-release versions of the iPhone OS and iTunes (which is now required to install the OS) should not be allowed to rate and review apps.

Awesome People Hanging Out Together ★

Camaraderie captured. No pictures from WWDC, alas.