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| The Evolution of Mac OS, From 1984 to Mountain Lion | | Friday, February 17, 2012 10:03 PM | Christina Warren |
|  Since the release of System 1 in January 1984, Apple has played an integral role in designing and implementing the graphical user interface (GUI) as we know it. With the announcement of OS X Mountain Lion this week, Apple is continuing the process it started with Lion by streamlining the connection between the Mac and iOS. We wanted to take a look at some of the biggest changes in the history of the Mac Operating System over the last 28 years. Looking back, I can't help but be struck by how many elements of the original Macintosh OS are still there more than 30 years after the project started taking shape. It's a testament to the work of Bill Atkinson, Andy Hertzfeld, Bud Tribble and the other members of the original Macintosh team that so many aspects from System 1 have become integral to personal computing as we know it today. There are a few phases in the evolution of the Mac OS that are of particular note. System 7 was the longest-running release for Apple (until OS X); it shipped with all Macintosh machines from 1991 to 1997. If you're in your mid-to-late 20s and used a Mac in elementary or middle school, chances are it was running some iteration of System 7. One of the many challenges Apple faced in the 1990s was figuring out a new operating system strategy. As revolutionary as the original Mac OS work was, by 1994 it was starting to look stagnant and stale. This was especially true after the first release of Windows NT in 1993, which cemented Microsoft's place in the corporate and enterprise space. After the Copland project was cancelled in 1996, Apple was left to search for an operating system it could acquire. That led to the purchase of NeXT and its NeXTSTEP operating system. Not only would NeXT technology serve as the foundation for the future of Apple as it is known today (OS X and iOS are direct descendants of NeXTSTEP), it was responsible for bringing Steve Jobs back to Apple. It would end up taking ten years from the beginning of the search for a next-generation Mac OS. But the hunt finally reached its quarry with the release of Mac OS X in 2001. But it would take until Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) before the system was really able to hold its own. Over the last decade, OS X has evolved into a powerful desktop and server platform -- while also serving as the core for iOS. With OS X Mountain Lion, Apple is bringing more of the elements and features of its mobile OS to the desktop. Vintage computer fans who want to take a look at more screenshots of classic Mac OS versions should check out Marcin Wichary's GUIdebook Gallery and Nathan Lineback's collection of GUI history. Gallery created by Chelsea Stark |
| Google Caught Tracking Safari Users: What You Need to Know | | Friday, February 17, 2012 9:22 PM | Pete Pachal |
|  Google is in a lot of hot water over recent revelations about how it tracks user activity on Apple devices -- particularly iPhones and iPads. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, an independent researcher has discovered that Google embeds hidden software on many websites -- software designed to circumvent the default settings on a web browser to record a user's behavior. The issue involves how Safari, the default web browser on Apple devices, deals with cookies. Cookies, of course, are the little pieces of information (such as a user ID) that a website can leave on your phone, tablet or computer and later retrieve. Cookies allow you to log in to a website such as Flickr, and return without needing to log in again. Cookies also enable advertisers to track your behavior. By keeping track of what you're looking at on one website, an ad network can serve you ads, based on those clicks, on another. Users can prevent that from happening via certain settings, but not all web browsers approach the issue in the same way. So how is Safari different? What's at stake? And what can a concerned user do about it? Read on: What exactly was Google caught doing? Google was using a software trick to get around a Safari setting that only allow certain types of cookies. That way the company could put cookies on a user's device, letting it track sites visited, which in turn let Google tailor advertising to the user. Why would it need to "trick" Safari into doing that? By default, Safari blocks cookies from third parties. Most browsers allow users to block cookies, but don't set it as a default. Google happens to operate many of its advertising services, including DoubleClick, from a domain outside Google.com -- a domain which Safari treats as a third party. So even if a user was logged into Google, DoubleClick was blocked from serving ads to the user -- unless that user approved the cookie by, say, filling out a form. How did Google get around that? The company put a hidden field in some of its sites that essentially acted as a form, even though the user never filled out anything. That told Safari it was OK for DoubleClick to serve ads to the unknowing, unwitting user. Why would Google do that? Google says it's all an accident. Even though Google's primary business is advertising and the Safari browser on iPhones and iPads is said to account for more than 50% of mobile browsing, Google says it was merely taking advantage of a known workaround in Safari that lets do things like use Google's "+1" buttons on sites outside the Google.com domain. Come again? Modules like the "+1" button and the Facebook Like button appear on many different sites, and users generally expect them to work without changing their browser settings. Facebook even encourages developers to exploit the same Safari quirk Google targeted here. Google says it was only trying to enable such functionality with those hidden fields, and it "didn't anticipate" advertising cookies to be set on Safari. Is Google doing anything about it? Yes, it says it's started removing these cookies from Safari browsers. What does Google do with the information it collected? Until it started removing the cookies, the company used the information mainly to tailor ads based on the websites you visited. The cookie doesn't track personal information, such as your address or phone number. Will Google face any penalties for this? It's unclear. Google is under close watch by the FTC for privacy violations, and this might qualify. For its part, the FTC acknowledged to Mashable that it was aware of the issue, but didn't say if it would do anything about it. Is Google the only one doing this? No. The original testing by Stanford grad student Jonathan Mayer pointed the finger at three other companies -- Vibrant Media, Media Innovation Group and PointRoll -- all of which exploit Safari's quirks to serve ads to unsuspecting users. Can Apple do anything about this "quirk?" Apple says it's working on a way to "put a stop" to third parties circumventing Safari's privacy settings. What can I do if I'm concerned about this? To ensure that no one puts unwanted cookies on your device, simply go into your browser settings and choose the option to never accept cookies. However, that will also mean you'll have a hard time logging into many sites. Another option is to simply clear your browser of cookies regularly. You can do that in you settings as well. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Alija |
| iPhone Case Can Protect Your Phone and You -- With Pepper Spray? | | Friday, February 17, 2012 7:53 PM | AppAdvice |
|  Swiss manufacturer Piexon has devised a unique case that combines iPhone and personal protection. The SmartGuard iPhone 4/4S case comes with a slim red pepper spray dispenser that can be detached for use in case of an emergency. The pepper spray is 10% oleoresin capsicum, derived from the cayenne pepper plant. It is the same kind of pepper spray used by most law enforcement agencies to disperse protesters and subdue violent criminals. The SmartGuard case is made of hard plastic and automatically locks the pepper spray canister when stored to prevent accidental discharge in your purse or pocket. Pepper spray is legal in all 50 states in the U.S., but if you live in Michigan, this case would not be legal as state law restricts an oleoresin capsicum concentration to no higher than 2%. If you live in Massachusetts you would be required to obtain a Firearms Identification Card (FID) in order to legally carry the SmartGuard case. Red pepper spray is, by all accounts, a serious and nasty weapon that should be reserved for use in an extreme emergency (and no, getting the last toy for your child on Black Friday is not an emergency). For those with children, this iPhone case is not advised. Children are naturally curious and are irresistibly attracted to iPhones. Since the case does not child lock the spray, the likely result would be very painful for everyone. Keep in mind that having pepper spray with you is like having a knife as far as the TSA is concerned. If you decide to purchase the SmartGuard case, leave it at home when flying, unless you love drama. Another issue worth noting is if you leave the pepper spray in your car during the summer or live in an extremely warm climate, there is a good chance the seals of the container might leak. A leaking event is sure to be inconvenient, and possibly even disastrous if you are operating machinery or on a first date (first impressions tend to be negative when your date is crashed by the hazmat team). The SmartGuard iPhone case is available at Sabre Red for $34.99 Given the potential for accidental discharge if mishandled, we feel the SmartGuard would not be a good choice for the majority of iPhone users. It might be attractive to a college student who has to walk to her car at night, however, that same college student is likely to have friends who will want to see what it does at a party. On one last note, if you buy the SmartGuard case and have the unfortunate opportunity to need it, be certain that the wind is blowing away from you, or you might be disabled before your attacker. We would be remiss if we did not mention at least one app that could scare someone away. On AppAdvice Daily, Robin Rys reviewed both iTazer and Air Horn (Free!). While iTazer was a prank, Air Horn (Free!) emits a loud sound which could be a possible deterrent to a would-be attacker. Not perfect, but less likely to come back and cause you pain than carrying pepper spray in a vial close to your face. Would such a case give you a feeling of security? Have you even been exposed to pepper spray? What is your take on the SmartGuard case? |
| Your Bandwidth Will Be Throttled. Here's Why | | Friday, February 17, 2012 6:13 PM | Lance Ulanoff |
|  The days of all-you-can eat mobile bandwidth are already ending, and landline broadband could soon follow suit. You, my data-hungry friend, my not be ready for it, but your Cookie Monster-like habit of gobbling up data has made this a certainty. You may rail at the injustice of it all, but that won't stop it from happening. AT&T has promised to start throttling the top 5 percent--their heaviest data users. It began sending out texts last week to inform those users that the time had come to occasionally reduce their 3G speeds down to 2G (that is, the molasses-like Edge network). Those who received these data notes, however, seemed shocked to learn they're among the top 5 percent: those who use more than 2 GB of data a month. One user, Fox News anchor Shep Smith, was apoplectic. I know. I was there when he went ballistic on live TV. He called AT&T names and accused the mobile service provider of getting users hooked on data, then charging more when they know users can't stop using their smartphone. Check it out: Smith could not get his head around how he used so much data. He never streams video. He did admit to browsing the web all the time on his phone. Plus he takes photos and send them to others. (Depending on the size and the frequency of the picture files, that could account for it.) He was so angry at AT&T that I didn't get to explain that Verizon will also throttle its top 5 percent -- though they may wait until there are any local network issues before doing so. I am unaware if they have ever sent notes to users informing them of what they're doing. You could say AT&T was brave in its transparency. The company could have quietly throttled its users; they would have noticed the difference, but might have chalked it up to the vagaries of the network. T-Mobile also does it (though they wait until you hit 5 GB). Even the unlimited data network, Sprint, will throttle users -- but only those in the top 1 percent. All of these networks would prefer, I'm sure, that we moved to tiered plans (where you pay more for 3GB or 5GB of data than you do for 2GB and 200 MB). They'll make more money and have more funds to support our ever-growing data needs. Whether or not you believe that, the truth is that we will witness the end of unlimited data, and sooner than we might think. Even average users will ultimately be throttled or pushed into tiered plans as their data appetite turns from healthy to voracious. What's driving this growth? I have some ideas: Location, Location, Location Virtually every app and mobile service wants to use your location. This can mean a quick GPS-based calibration, plus a ping to servers to find local deals or other information that the phone can push to you at any moment. These small acts eat data. It seems likely that more people allow location-based services than those who do not. Photos You smartphones are now equipped with 8 megapixel cameras that shoot high-resolution images, which you regularly post to social networks or share directly with friends. This has always eaten data, but better pictures also equate to bigger files. Sending, sharing and receiving ("oh, look, Janet's new baby!") all eats data. Email Your email app will troll for new messages as often as you let it. Sending and receiving e-mails, often image-rich messages that are more like full web pages than text, eats up data. Social Networking Every single social network you join uses the data networks to get its work done. You not only share all the time, you check in to see what other people are sharing. We're not just looking at one social network, we're looking at three or four: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, etc. The Cloud Apple's iCloud will only back-up and sync your data when you're on a Wi-Fi network. This means iCloud won't consume copious amounts of 3G data. Google, however, has a different approach. Google+ recently launched Instant Upload for photos and videos. Depending on your settings, it can use Wi-Fi only or your mobile network too. The latter option might as well read "Consume Mass Quantities of Data." Google acknowledges this possibility. In a note at the bottom of the Instant Upload setting page, it says: "Uploading over a mobile network will use your data connection and may cost you money." It may also get you thrown into data-throttling pokey. Video Stream video on your mobile device and you are eating lots of data. You won't be able to watch many two-hour movies before finding that your data speeds have been reduced to 2G. There is some good news here: You can track your own data usage. I'm a Verizon customer and the service helpfully shows me exactly how much of my metered 2 GB of data I've used, every minute of every day. What have I learned? In short, I use a lot of data. Most of it is in fairly small increments that could usually be measured in kilobytes. According to Verizon, I am using my full data allowance each month, and roughly a gigabyte every two weeks. Oddly, I have not gone over my limit, though sometimes my throughput does seem unnaturally slow. Am I being throttled? I have no idea. Verizon isn't telling me. Most other service providers will let you take a good long look at your data usage (on their web site and even via text alerts). You can use this to help monitor and control your usage. But make no mistake, based on the increasing power of our smart phones and tablets, the richness of our web sites, photos, video and email and our penchant for sharing, data usage is going nowhere but up. Just get ready to pay for all that data you use. |
| Examination of iPad 3 Screen Reveals Retina Goodness | | Friday, February 17, 2012 5:20 PM | Christina Warren |
|  For months now, it has been a foregone conclusion that the iPad 3 will feature a high-resolution retina display. Now further evidence has surfaced, this time with an examination of one of the screens. MacRumors obtained a display purported to be the same that will be used in the iPad 3. The panel appears to be the same physical size as the display used in the iPad 1 and iPad 2 but looking at the display under a microscope showed that its pixel density is double that of the older devices. MacRumors wasn't able to power on the display, however its photographs compare the densities of the two screens. When comparing the same area on each screen, the older display shows a cluster of 4 pixels (2x2) while the new display is 16 pixels (4x4). That would mean the final resolution of the iPad 3 will be 2048x1536, twice the linear resolution of the iPad and iPad 2. Application developers will need to convert or start creating new artwork for existing iPad apps with the retina display in mind. As with the iPhone 4, it might take a few months before existing titles get updated with new assets. For new developers, however, keep those vector files handy! Frankly, I can't wait for a retina display iPad. The iPad 2 is an amazing device but when I switch between my iPhone 4S and the iPad, I instantly wish I could view text and graphics with the enhanced clarity of the iPhone. The latest rumors have Apple announcing the iPad 3 at a press event in March. The new device is also rumored to have support for 4G LTE networks from Verizon and AT&T. Will you upgrade to a retina display iPad 3 or is standard resolution good enough? Let us know in the comments! |
| Microsoft's New Windows 8 Logo: Design Triumph or Ho-Hum? [VIDEO] | | Friday, February 17, 2012 4:42 PM | Lance Ulanoff |
|  As Microsoft frantically programs and polishes what may be its most important Windows update ever -- Windows 8 -- it has also revised the operating system's image. Obviously, Windows 8 is a bold departure from previous editions. Now the Windows logo is being reimagined, as well, and the results may surprise some people. Microsoft hired the global design firm Pentagram, which has done rebranding for Nissan, Walgreens, The Metropolitan Museum and countless others, to reimagine the logo. The result is a pale blue imprimatur that leans toward the clean lines of Windows 8's new Metro interface, while paying homage to Windows logos of the past. What some people think of as the "flag" has been replaced with a four-pane window that angles off into the distance. Early versions of the Windows logo made it clear that the flag was originally intended as a Window -- what Sam Moreau, Principal Director of User Experience for Windows, called "a metaphor for computing," in the blog post announcing the design change, However, with each iteration, the Window became wavier, until it was, well, a flag. Interestingly, the logo is probably most inspired by the very first Windows logo design, which also had a four-pane box, though it looks little like a Window. Considering how strikingly different Windows 8 is from any Windows OS that's come before it, this austere and slightly dull design is a bit of a disappointment. Still, the outcome clearly aligns with the goals of the project. Microsoft wanted it to be "modern and classic" and to eschew any "faux industrial design characteristics" like rendered glass, wood or plastic. And the software giant wanted it to be "humble, yet confident." The default color may strike some as too weak for a logo, but Moreau said in the post that the logo will change color when you change your system colors. What do you think of the new logo? Tell us in the comments. |
| iOS 5.1 Will Add Japanese Siri Support, New Lock Screen [REPORT] | | Friday, February 17, 2012 3:17 PM | Pete Pachal |
|  A new report says Apple will push out an update to iOS in the coming weeks. Although not much is known about it, iOS 5.1 will add Japanese-language support for Siri, the digital voice assistant on the iPhone 4S, as well as a new lock screen that will make it easier to access the phone's camera. Boy Genius Report says it somehow got a look at Apple's coming iOS 5.1 update, which it reports will be hitting the the streets around March 9. With the update, Apple continues to improve Siri, adding Japanese language support. The iPhone 4S has been available in Japan since October, but if the report is true soon its people will actually be able to the digital voice assistant. You might also want to get ready for a new wave of humorous viral videos surrounding Siri's answers, possibly with more Manga references. With iOS 5, first released to the public last fall, Apple added the ability to launch the camera app straight from the lock screen. Since camera-worthy moments often strike fast and evaporate just as quickly, being able to quickly switch the phone to camera mode was a great improvement. It brought iOS in line with competing mobile devices (such as many BlackBerry models, which have a dedicated button to launch the camera), and it addressed security by giving the user access to the camera only from the lock screen. SEE ALSO: Top 10 iOS Apps of 2011 According to the report, calling up the camera from the lock screen is about to get even more immediate. Currently, iOS 5 users must double tap the home button and touch the onscreen camera icon. With iOS 5.1, all they'll need to do is call up the home screen, which will have a permanent camera icon, and slide a finger upwards. It's a minor change, but anything that cuts down the time to launch the camera can help capture those rare, unrepeatable moments. Apple doesn't comment on rumor or speculation, so we'll just have to wait until early March to see if these upgrades are for real. BONUS: The Best of iOS 5 Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mbbirdy |
| 3D Printer Brings Internet Memes Into the Real World [PICS] | | Friday, February 17, 2012 2:23 PM | Lauren Drell |
|  Calling all nerds! Pop quiz: What's better than a meme? A meme produced by a 3D printer (duh). This week I stopped by Shapeways HQ in New York to learn about the company and the 3D printing technology. The staff there was showing off some of the fun little things they've produced, and a 3D printout of Nyan Cat struck our fancy. I returned to the Mashable office, Nyan Cat in hand, and shared it with fellow web dorks. We had but one thought: What if there were more 3D memes? Luckily, the Shapeways folks and their army of designers are a step ahead, and they've already got memes aplenty for sale in their marketplace. Take a gander at the images above and LOL at the beauty of web humor in three dimensions. Brandon Smith contributed to this post. |
| Bump 3.0 Brings Interface Overhaul and Not Much Else | | Friday, February 17, 2012 1:40 PM | AppAdvice |
|  Bump, the mobile app that's famous for letting users share contacts and other information between two devices by just bumping them together, has just received a major update. This update is quite an unusual one. As opposed to the typical app update, which usually adds new features to an app, the latest update for Bump actually removes some of the app's features. Apparently, for Bump 3.0, less is more. "Most product launches tout a series of new features," says Bump CEO David Lieb in a post published on the company's blog, "this one does not." He then points out that the number of features they've removed is greater than the number that they've added. The third version of Bump gets rid of calendar, music and app bumping. These are supposedly the types of content that don't get much attention within the app, and are thus eliminated. What's left for bumping are just contacts and photos, the two most frequently shared content types on which Lieb and the rest of the Bump team intend to focus from now on. As a matter of fact, the only added feature also deals with contacts. The new feature allows for the discovery of mutual friends between two sets of bumped contacts. SEE ALSO: 10 Free iPhone Apps You'll Use Every Day Apart from the significant reduction in features, Bump 3.0 also brings an interface overhaul. Gone is the crowded springboard of the old version, having been replaced by a clean and crisp three-frame arrangement for the separate sharing of user contact information, photos and contacts. |
| Hands on With Messages for OS X Mountain Lion | | Friday, February 17, 2012 1:12 PM | Christina Warren |
|  Apple may have killed off iChat with Thursday's announcement of OS X Mountain Lion, but the company replaced it with something even better: Messages. Currently available in beta for OS X Lion users, Messages takes the best parts of iChat and adds in support for iMessage, the instant-messaging service Apple introduced in iOS 5. We've spent some time playing with Messages for OS X and we're impressed with its feature list. In addition to supporting iMessage, Messages also supports other instant messaging services, including AIM, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger and Jabber. Users can also make integrated FaceTime calls within the application. To use the iMessage portion of Messages, users need to set up or sign in with an Apple ID. In the beta, there doesn't appear to be an easy way to login with multiple Apple IDs, which might make the tool problematic for users who share a computer (but don't use different user accounts) or for people like me with multiple Apple IDs. The interface is clean and Apple has brought linen to the Messages party. All of your favorite iChat features are here but the layout makes the app feel new and more modern. Apple has embraced the unified contact list -- long a standard feature of open source OS X IM client Adium. The end result is that it doesn't matter what service a person on your contact list is using; you can chat with them without thinking. SEE ALSO: Apple OS X Mountain Lion: Top 15 New Features The iMessage functionality is what really sets Messages apart from its iChat roots, so that's what I've focused on. I'm happy to say that it works great. I was able to receive messages on my phone from people on Messages for Mac and send messages right back to them. I also had success sending messages to a user's email address (that is associated with iMessage) and a phone number (also associated with an iMessage account). Just as with iOS, Messages doesn't distinguish between a phone number or email address, though you can choose what contact source you want to use when sending a message. Likewise, I've had entire conversations with my iOS friends all while on my Mac. If you are signed into the same account on an iPhone/iPod/iPad as in Messages for Mac, you'll see your conversation everywhere. That means that when you get a message in OS X, it will also show up on your phone (and vice versa). This is a great feature, but it might be annoying for some users who are engaged in long conversations and have a phone nearby. In the final release, we'd like to see Apple introduce a toggle that will "silence" phone/tablet messages when a user is using the desktop app. Because iMessage conversations are ostensibly stored in iCloud, you can very easily view a history of your entire conversation (whether it started on iOS or OS X) on either platform. As someone who had AIM accounts on her phone as far back 2002 or 2003 (to the extent that I had a separate account just for my phone), fusing a desktop messaging client with mobile messaging initially didn't strike me as that big of a deal. After all, Google lets users send text messages from Gmail and for those that use Google Voice, you can bring ubiquitous messaging across devices -- what's the big deal? The big deal is that it is simple and it works. The only thing that would be better would be if full IM capabilities came to Messages in iOS. One important thing to note -- at least in the beta, if someone sends a message specifically to a phone number associated with an iMessage account, that message is not delivered to Messages for Mac. Hopefully we'll see this worked out in the final version of the product. Messages is still in beta but for OS X Lion users -- especially if you or family members use iOS 5 -- it's worth the download. You can get it directly from Apple. What do you think of Messages? |
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