Linked List: July 9, 2013

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Maximum Viable Products 

Allen Pike:

Prosumer software will always be ground zero for Maximum Viable Products, and great indie software in general. The consumer aspect drives the inspiration to build a maximal app, because developers can deeply relate to the users. The pro bent provides the viable part of the equation: the app’s purpose is important enough to its users that you can make a sustainable business out of creating a fantastic version.

If you want your maximal products to be viable, target prosumers.

And set your prices accordingly.

Tile 

Small location-broadcasting fob that ties in with a smartphone app. Looks like a great product.

Google Releases Fix to OEMs for Blue Security Android Security Hole 

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols:

Thus, Android users will, as they always have, need to reply upon their hardware vendors for this update.

I’m sure they’ll get right on that.

Mac Mini and the iOS 7 App Icon Grid 

I speculated on this week’s episode of The Talk Show that Apple’s round-square hardware products might conform to the same grid as the new iOS 7 app icons. Here’s the grid super-imposed over the bottom of a Mac Mini. The corner radius is quite different, but everything else conforms exactly.

My thanks to DF reader Zach Kahn, who sent me this image of the grid superimposed on the AirPort Express.

Update: More here, from Andrew Wood, and another from Stéphan Angoulvant that includes the old iPod Shuffle.

Apple, Amazon End ‘App Store’ Lawsuit 

Reuters:

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland, California, on Tuesday ordered that the case be dismissed at the companies’ request. This came after Apple issued to Amazon a covenant not to sue, eliminating the need for a related Amazon counterclaim.

“We no longer see a need to pursue our case,” Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said. “With more than 900,000 apps and 50 billion downloads, customers know where they can purchase their favorite apps.”

Martin Glick, a lawyer for Amazon, said in an interview, “This was a decision by Apple to unilaterally abandon the case, and leave Amazon free to use ‘appstore.’”

Book Titles Missing a Letter 

Olive Twist is my favorite.

‘Settled’ 

XKCD:

In the last few years, with very little fanfare, we’ve conclusively settled the questions of flying saucers, lake monsters, ghosts, and Bigfoot.