A Penguin in the Orchard

minimalmac:

This is the biggest update Instapaper has ever had in one version, and I’m proud to finally show it to you.

It is a very impressive update. Full featured native sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinboard, and Evernote. You can browse for your Instapaper using friends on Facebook and Twitter and easily subscribe to the things they “like” (formerly “starred”). There is a new Editor’s Picks section featuring some of the best curator on the web (A group I, surprisingly, was not included in). Even a much improved in-app web browser. 

This is one of those times when I could not imagine how an app I thought was so perfect could be greatly improved upon but then the developer goes and gives me things I had no idea I even needed. 

I’m not sure about the iPhone updates. Minimalism has always been the forte of Instapaper, but the new interface adds some new buttons within the reading area. I’d prefer that that area, in particular, remain unchanged.

(Source: patrickrhone)

Apple is facing another potential issue with the iPhone 4, according to a new report. Citing sources both inside and outside Apple, Ryan Block of GDGT reports that the company has found that certain iPhone 4 cases—specifically those that slide-on to the device—are prone to small particles getting stuck between the case and the rear glass panel of the iPhone 4.

via iLounge

This is the case with my iPhone 4. I ordered the Incase Snap (Smoke) as the free case for the phone. I wasn’t even sure I’d use it, but, being free - nothing lost if I didn’t. I actually liked the look of it when I received it and have continued to use it. But, I was very surprised to find a scratch on the back when I took the case off a few days ago. I was especially surprised because I’d cleaned both the phone and the case carefully before snapping the case on. I’ll continue to use the case - I like it both for the style and the resolution of the antenna issue - but it’s a bit disappointing to have a protector actually cause slight damage.

These 10 apps, all of which are compatible with iOS 3.0 and higher, are among the best out there for working with others. Best of all, most of them leverage the cloud to let you shift seamlessly between your phone and your desktop as you move in and out of the office.

via PCWorld

Last month, a few hundred Microsoft Corp employees acted out their fantasy with a mock funeral for Apple Inc’s iPhone at its Redmond, Washington campus.

via Reuters

This just seems delusional, at this point. The iPhone and the Android phones have such a lead on Microsoft, both in features and in PR, that MS would have to run flat out, making no mistakes, for the next 5 years to even get close. They don’t seem to have leadership that can make that happen. Even the time spent in the mock funeral would have been better spent with heads down, actually trying to innovate.

We’ve been hearing for ages about a refresh to the iMac lineup that’ll borrow form iPad/iPhone tech to turn the all-in-one PCs into a tiny version of Microsoft’s Surface product—Apple’s even patented elements of the design and shown how one may be able to adapt the iMac stand to swivel the screen flatter for more finger-friendliness.

via Fast Company

That’s why Apple’s entire developer ecosystem is different, because believe it or not, Apple’s developers are amazing designers that make beautiful things, and they happen to know how to code. That’s entirely different from someone who’s the best coder in the world and trying to create something that looks, works, and feels great.