Mac

When Computers Marry Televisions

August 9, 2006 by Kassia Krozser

In an article at Slate, Paul Boutin muses about the lack of television/computer convergence. While his final conclusion — keep your television close, but keep your laptop even closer — makes sense, he doesn’t seem to consider the way our homes work in his analysis.

In order for a hybrid television/computer to work effectively, we will need a solid broadband connection to the spot where the television works. Cable companies will need to be able to deliver programming and the Internet to the same device. Phone companies will need to do the same — TiVo users generally have a phone line nearby for those nightly calls home. Satellite users will need to either figure out how to Google via DirecTV (not likely at this time) or install a second input method (more likely). Then the television will need to converge all this stuff.

That’s What I Like: SubEthaEdit

July 7, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

It should be no secret that the Medialoper team loves words. We’re crazy about tools that help us organize and clarify our thoughts. We’re suckers for outliners, and we really adore a good text editor. And while we use TextMate every single day, sometimes we want to work more closely with other members of the team. Collaboration is a good thing. That’s why we like SubEthaEdit so much.

What is this SubEthaEdit we speak of, and how can it be so great if you’ve never heard of it? So glad you asked. It’s a collaborative writing environment that allows multiple authors to work simultaneously on the same text file. It’s sort of like chat mode for writers.

Apple Does Windows – Big Deal (maybe)

April 11, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

I avoided writing about Apple’s new Boot Camp program last week because it just didn’t seem all that important. What’s so impressive about a program that lets you install and run Windows XP on an Intel based Mac? Since the Intel Macs are based on the very same technology that runs millions of PC’s it would be news if Apple had found a way to prevent users from running Windows.

It’s been almost a week since the release of Boot Camp and I’m still waiting to be struck by the epiphany that seems to have hit everyone from ars technica to the New York Times (not to mention Wall Street, which bid up the price of Apple more than 15% in the wake of the product announcement).

Apple’s Digital Convergence Strategy Comes Into Focus

February 28, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

“It took McDonalds 8 years to sell a billion burgers”
– Steve Jobs on the success of iTunes

It’s hard to say exactly what the folks at Apple were thinking when they promoted today’s special event as the announcement of some “fun” new products. For weeks I’ve been convinced that Apple was on the verge of announcing an extension to the current line of iPod socks. Cashmere, perhaps.

For any other computer company todays announcements would be minor at best. Hardly worthy of a special event drawing international media attention, not to mention dozens of live bloggers dutifully typing every word Steve Jobs uttered (has any executive ever had a larger pool of personal stenographers?).
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