Well CRAP! BYTE bites the Dust
Many of you who know me or have been following me over the past few years know that I had the extreme pleasure of being part of the original launch team that helped bring back BYTE.
BYTE is a UBM property and runs off of an InformationWeek URL. Unfortunately, UBM went through a HUGE strategic shift last week. Long story short, BYTE is done. After almost 2 years, the site has seen its last story published.
BYTE will likely still be accessible. All of the content that was published will likely still be readable for the foreseeable future. However, as Larry Seltzer, our (former) Editorial Director said, “the party is over…”
Unboxing–Dell Latitude 10 ST2 Windows 8 Pro Tablet
The Dell Latitude 10 ST2 is a Windows 8 Pro tablet that is a direct competitor to Microsoft’s Surface Pro. In this unboxing, we take a first look at the hardware, directly from Dell and get ready for the review, yet to come.
Apple & Samsung No Longer BFF’s: My Take on the Trial Results
I really expected the trial deliberations to go a lot longer than they did. The fact that the verdict came back so quickly speaks volumes about design, perception, and what the public believes when it comes to computing and the patent system. I’ve got a quick summary of the results and a couple of opinions on where the trial went south for Samsung.
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| The Results are in – Samsung: GUILTY as charged |
Apple Releases OS X 10.8.1 Mountain Lion
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Apple has released OS X 10.8.1, the first update for its Mountain Lion operating system, featuring fixes for iMessage, Migration Assistant, and audio on Thunderbolt displays.
Today is Mountain Lion Day
If you’re going to upgrade your Mac to OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, then you’re going to want to take a look at this article that will help you get ready for the upgrade…
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| Apple’s Mountain Lion OS is now available for puchase for $19.99 |
Review – GPS Navigation Apps for iPhone
I have the worst sense of direction in the world. I couldn’t find my way out of a wet paper bag with a fork and a flashlight.I’m also the kind of male driver who won’t stop and ask for directions.
I’ve used PNA’s (personal navigation assistants) or PDA’s/smartphones with GPS receivers and apps since about 2004, and have since graduated to both Android phones and the iPhone. On Android, Google Maps with Navigation is an awesome application, and free to boot. No one has yet come up with something to beat it.
On the iPhone 4S, though, I’m at a disadvantage. Google Maps for iOS hasn’t seen any real improvement of note since July of 2008. To fix that, I took a hard look at a number of GPS apps for iPhone.
A couple of important points about GPS apps, first. First, GPS apps are totally map-dependent: outdated, inaccurate, or missing maps makes the navigation app useless. GPS apps also come in two flavors: those with maps on board (storage-based) and those that serve up maps on demand via a cellular data connection (connectivity-based). Both have their pros and cons:
- Needed Storage
Navigation apps with maps on board use a lot of storage. Maps and their metadata (points of interest, etc) aren’t small files. If you use this type of application, you may need to limit the amount of other data – photos, music, videos and apps – you keep on your iPhone. The storage-based navigation apps within this roundup consumed approximately 1.25-1.75 GB of space, each.
- Needed Connectivity
Navigation apps that download maps on an as-needed basis require a solid 3G/4G/LTE cellular data connection. Anything slower (GPRS or EDGE) won’t work, as your vehicle is likely going to be moving faster than your device can download data. Please note that in well-covered, metropolitan areas this likely isn’t an issue. However, I have found that when when I’m driving out in the middle of nowhere, with spotty cell coverage – is when I need the app the most.
A couple of other important points before we get started:
Apple Releases iOS 6 Beta 2
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| iOS 6 Beta 2 was released and was a relatively small device download |
Its clear and obvious – Apple is hard at work. They’re due to release Mountain Lion in a few weeks. I’ve got a nice preview of Developer Preview 4 over at BYTE that you can check out. Its long, but an informative read.
If you’re an iDevice lover, then you’ll also be pleased to know that iOS 6 is also moving forward. I’ve got a nice preview of iOS 6 Beta 1 over at BYTE that is also a bit long, but an informative read. The changes that Apple is introducing to its ecosystem are big, but evolutionary, not REVolutionary.
