Monday, March 23, 2009

TUAW @SXSW: The "comics on handhelds" panel

TUAW @SXSW: The "comics on handhelds" panel

Filed under: , , ,

Chances are, if you're reading TUAW, you most likely love all things Apple and Mac. You may also be an iPhone or iPod touch user. And, like many Apple lovers (including myself), you may also be a fan of comic books. If so, what if you want to take your comics on the road with you and don't want to lug around a huge stack of titles? Instead of having to take paper comics, what if you could digitize them and read them on your handheld?

Well, those are just the type of questions I hoped to have answered by attending the Comics on Handhelds panel at South by Southwest Interactive last week. On the panel were Douglas Edwards, CEO of UCLICK, Molly Crabapple of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, Dave Bort, a Google/Android Engineer, Rantz Hoseley, CEO of the LongBox Group and Richard Stevens of "Diesel Sweeties" fame. The panel was moderated by comics creator and mobile comics proponent Dan Goldman.

First off, Goldman started with a definition of what comics are: stories told with words and pictures. He explained that comics can be in any form and do not have to be on paper in order to be considered "comics."

With that out of the way and hoping to provide a "common starting place," Goldman next went into a discussion of formatting comics for mobile devices and alternative delivery methods, using Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield's "FreakAngels" as an example; it works well on a mobile device despite being made originally for the printed page.

"Change in platform demands change in format," Goldman said.

Continue reading TUAW @SXSW: The "comics on handhelds" panel

TUAWTUAW @SXSW: The "comics on handhelds" panel originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple's Bluetooth headset gets the axe

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I'll admit it: I loathe Bluetooth headsets. It's impossible to walk around with one of those things protruding from your head without looking like a total tool. No one's impressed, Lieutenant Uhura.

I'd like to think it was that reason that prompted Apple to stop selling the iPhone Bluetooth headsets, but it was probably poor sales. We don't have sales figures, of course, but I've never seen one in the wild.*

It's also possible that Apple is up to something else. You'll remember that iPhone OS 3.0 touts support for A2DP Stereo Bluetooth connectivity among its features. The headset which shipped with the 1st generation iPhone had a built-in switch, similar to the one included with the current iPod shuffle. Perhaps a future model will control the iPod and answer calls over Bluetooth? If so, it had better be pretty cool.

*Out of fairness, I'll state that I live in a town of 4,000. Not exactly a hive of early adopters.

TUAWApple's Bluetooth headset gets the axe originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPhone apps: Cha-Ching, LocrUpload, TopVideo
Cha-Ching ($3) is a tool that can help manage a budget. Users can enter their expenses and set up a monthly budget to track these against. The application also features options for securing data with a password, tracking spending across custom categories, tracking income and expenses across multiple accounts and syncing transactions to a Mac with Cha-Ching 2....



EarMaster Essential offers interactive music lessons
EarMaster ApS has expanded its line of music training software to include EarMaster Essential 5. The program offers the core features of the Pro variant, but at a lower price. Over 130 progressive lessons are included, with styles ranging from classical music to rock or jazz. Exercises are designed to teach users how to identify and play intervals, chords and rhythms....



Vonage Companion now available for Mac users

Filed under: ,

Vonage, the international VoIP provider, has just released its Vonage Companion software for OS X. Vonage Companion is available to users who subscribe the the Vonage Pro plan and it basically allows users to use their laptops or desktops to make or receive phone calls. Think of it as Skype but for your Vonage account.

You can use Vonage Companion to record calls, set-up conference calls (or separate conference calls into separate phone calls), selective call block, call transfers and more.

I don't have a Vonage Pro account, so I wasn't able to check out the features firsthand, but flipping through the manual (PDF link) it looks pretty powerful. The biggest benefit to a service like this is the ability to make and receive calls from the road, using your Vonage number and account credentials.

Vonage Companion is free for Vonage Pro customers (existing Vonage users will need to upgrade to a Vonage Pro account) and it works with OS X 10.4.11 Tiger and OS X 10.5 Leopard, though Vonage strongly recommends having the latest security updates and latest OS updates installed. You can download Vonage Companion here (direct .DMG link)

TUAWVonage Companion now available for Mac users originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ngmoco's Neil Young claims iPhone beats DS, PSP
Neil Young, co-founder of ngmoco, praised the iPhone during his keynote address at the Game Developers Conference, according to Gamasutra. "Our love affair with the iPhone began by simply touching it," he said. "This was rapidly becoming the most important device I had ever owned, it was an all-encompassing, complete device. And I knew that that device was going to enable incredible things for gam...



AT&T execs said touting new, faster iPhone for mid-June
One or more of AT&T's more senior officials have reportedly slipped important details about the next iPhone, including a June unveiling and a continued emphasis on speed.


First Test of Elgato Turbo 264HD

The test has been performed on an iMac Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz. While it takes 160 seconds for the hardware to encode a video file into HD video 720p for the Apple TV, the Turbo 264HD reduces it to 62 seconds, while the previous model of Elgato H264 key would help completing the work in 106 seconds.

For encoding a video into 1080p, Core 2 Duo alone performed the job in 399 seconds whereas when associated to the turbo H264HD it took only 92 second. So the performance level and the gain are rather huge, and PowerPC-based Mac users will for sure be disappointed to hear that this device is only compatible with Mac Intel. The Turbo 264HD will for sure seduce Pro users (one will need to compare encoding quality in details), but also Mac users having to deal with a lot of videos. Such booster USB key might even become a must have in the future if one could associate several units to even boost further encoding speed.

 



Sigma DP2 pseudo-DSLR available to pre-order
Amazon is now taking pre-orders for Sigma's DP2 pseudo-DSLR camera. The device, first seen in September, features the same 14-megapixel FOVEON X3 image sensor that is found in the company's SD14 DSLR. The DP2 follows the DP1 and is claimed to offer most of the capabilities of a full-fledged DSLR but in a compact package. A 24.2 mm F2.8 lens provides Super Multi Layer Coating to battle against ghos...



TUAW @SXSW: The "comics on handhelds" panel

Filed under: , , ,

Chances are, if you're reading TUAW, you most likely love all things Apple and Mac. You may also be an iPhone or iPod touch user. And, like many Apple lovers (including myself), you may also be a fan of comic books. If so, what if you want to take your comics on the road with you and don't want to lug around a huge stack of titles? Instead of having to take paper comics, what if you could digitize them and read them on your handheld?

Well, those are just the type of questions I hoped to have answered by attending the Comics on Handhelds panel at South by Southwest Interactive last week. On the panel were Douglas Edwards, CEO of UCLICK, Molly Crabapple of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, Dave Bort, a Google/Android Engineer, Rantz Hoseley, CEO of the LongBox Group and Richard Stevens of "Diesel Sweeties" fame. The panel was moderated by comics creator and mobile comics proponent Dan Goldman.

First off, Goldman started with a definition of what comics are: stories told with words and pictures. He explained that comics can be in any form and do not have to be on paper in order to be considered "comics."

With that out of the way and hoping to provide a "common starting place," Goldman next went into a discussion of formatting comics for mobile devices and alternative delivery methods, using Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield's "FreakAngels" as an example; it works well on a mobile device despite being made originally for the printed page.

"Change in platform demands change in format," Goldman said.

Continue reading TUAW @SXSW: The "comics on handhelds" panel

TUAWTUAW @SXSW: The "comics on handhelds" panel originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple's Bluetooth headset gets the axe

Filed under: , , ,

I'll admit it: I loathe Bluetooth headsets. It's impossible to walk around with one of those things protruding from your head without looking like a total tool. No one's impressed, Lieutenant Uhura.

I'd like to think it was that reason that prompted Apple to stop selling the iPhone Bluetooth headsets, but it was probably poor sales. We don't have sales figures, of course, but I've never seen one in the wild.*

It's also possible that Apple is up to something else. You'll remember that iPhone OS 3.0 touts support for A2DP Stereo Bluetooth connectivity among its features. The headset which shipped with the 1st generation iPhone had a built-in switch, similar to the one included with the current iPod shuffle. Perhaps a future model will control the iPod and answer calls over Bluetooth? If so, it had better be pretty cool.

*Out of fairness, I'll state that I live in a town of 4,000. Not exactly a hive of early adopters.

TUAWApple's Bluetooth headset gets the axe originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPhone apps: Cha-Ching, LocrUpload, TopVideo
Cha-Ching ($3) is a tool that can help manage a budget. Users can enter their expenses and set up a monthly budget to track these against. The application also features options for securing data with a password, tracking spending across custom categories, tracking income and expenses across multiple accounts and syncing transactions to a Mac with Cha-Ching 2....



EarMaster Essential offers interactive music lessons
EarMaster ApS has expanded its line of music training software to include EarMaster Essential 5. The program offers the core features of the Pro variant, but at a lower price. Over 130 progressive lessons are included, with styles ranging from classical music to rock or jazz. Exercises are designed to teach users how to identify and play intervals, chords and rhythms....



Vonage Companion now available for Mac users

Filed under: ,

Vonage, the international VoIP provider, has just released its Vonage Companion software for OS X. Vonage Companion is available to users who subscribe the the Vonage Pro plan and it basically allows users to use their laptops or desktops to make or receive phone calls. Think of it as Skype but for your Vonage account.

You can use Vonage Companion to record calls, set-up conference calls (or separate conference calls into separate phone calls), selective call block, call transfers and more.

I don't have a Vonage Pro account, so I wasn't able to check out the features firsthand, but flipping through the manual (PDF link) it looks pretty powerful. The biggest benefit to a service like this is the ability to make and receive calls from the road, using your Vonage number and account credentials.

Vonage Companion is free for Vonage Pro customers (existing Vonage users will need to upgrade to a Vonage Pro account) and it works with OS X 10.4.11 Tiger and OS X 10.5 Leopard, though Vonage strongly recommends having the latest security updates and latest OS updates installed. You can download Vonage Companion here (direct .DMG link)

TUAWVonage Companion now available for Mac users originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ngmoco's Neil Young claims iPhone beats DS, PSP
Neil Young, co-founder of ngmoco, praised the iPhone during his keynote address at the Game Developers Conference, according to Gamasutra. "Our love affair with the iPhone began by simply touching it," he said. "This was rapidly becoming the most important device I had ever owned, it was an all-encompassing, complete device. And I knew that that device was going to enable incredible things for gam...



AT&T execs said touting new, faster iPhone for mid-June
One or more of AT&T's more senior officials have reportedly slipped important details about the next iPhone, including a June unveiling and a continued emphasis on speed.


First Test of Elgato Turbo 264HD

The test has been performed on an iMac Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz. While it takes 160 seconds for the hardware to encode a video file into HD video 720p for the Apple TV, the Turbo 264HD reduces it to 62 seconds, while the previous model of Elgato H264 key would help completing the work in 106 seconds.

For encoding a video into 1080p, Core 2 Duo alone performed the job in 399 seconds whereas when associated to the turbo H264HD it took only 92 second. So the performance level and the gain are rather huge, and PowerPC-based Mac users will for sure be disappointed to hear that this device is only compatible with Mac Intel. The Turbo 264HD will for sure seduce Pro users (one will need to compare encoding quality in details), but also Mac users having to deal with a lot of videos. Such booster USB key might even become a must have in the future if one could associate several units to even boost further encoding speed.

 



Sigma DP2 pseudo-DSLR available to pre-order
Amazon is now taking pre-orders for Sigma's DP2 pseudo-DSLR camera. The device, first seen in September, features the same 14-megapixel FOVEON X3 image sensor that is found in the company's SD14 DSLR. The DP2 follows the DP1 and is claimed to offer most of the capabilities of a full-fledged DSLR but in a compact package. A 24.2 mm F2.8 lens provides Super Multi Layer Coating to battle against ghos...


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