Food for thought: Despite the fervor surrounding Apple’s announcement today, and the thousands of rumors that have surfaced as a result, the biggest change to the iPhone is going to be an already announced feature: Apps.
Many of these apps are going to be games, and so far, it looks like many of the major game manufactures are on-board and developing for the new platform, which got me thinking; could these partnerships develop into full gaming support for Apple’s full-sized computers as well?
Gaming has long been a missing aspect of the Mac experience, but a few key converts could change all that, meaning the iPhone Apps could be a door for Apple to use to enter the lucrative gaming market that it needs if it’s going to continue its growth and market share acquisition.
Makes you wonder…
[Apple - iPhone]
CHDK, or Canon Hacker’s Development Kit, is a firmware enhancement that turns your Digic II and Digic III camera into a high dollar impersonator.
Because it’s a firmware enhancement and not a firmware modifier, CHDK is also non-permanent and non-destructive, so even those with a fear of killing their camera can give it a go without worrying about the long-term consequences.
To install, simply copy a few files onto a memory card and then start the camera like you usually do. The software will automatically activate, and then de-activate when the camera is turned back off again.
So what does CHDK do for you?
- Enhanced Image Capture (RAW)
- Additional Information On-Screen
- Additional Photographic Settings
- Support for Small Programs/Scripts
Plus, because it’s open source and still in development, CHDK is still being actively developed, and new features are still being added.
Ready to take the plunge?
Then check out Lifehacker for a full rundown of what’s involved.
[CHDK]
[Via: Lifehacker]
Wired Magazine has a fantastic article about Apple called “How Apple Got Everything Right By Doing Everything Wrong” that dives into the Apple development world and discusses how the company goes against the silicon valley norms, yet manages to churn out amazing products time and time again.
If you’d like to know more about the often mysterious company, it’s a must read, and should be paired with Fortune Magazine’s article, “The Trouble With Steve Jobs” for a full rundown of one of the most talked about companies of the last ten years.
[Wired Magazine - How Apple Got Everything Right By Doing Everything Wrong]
[Fortune Magazine - The Trouble With Steve Jobs]
The Stray Shopping Cart Project is “dedicated to developing a system of classification that allows stray shopping carts to be identified based on the situations in which they are found”.
The system consists of two classes (false and true strays) and thirty-three subtypes that can be used singly or in combination to describe and thereby “identify” any found cart.
The goal is to use this system of formalized language to help people “think critically about stray shopping carts”.
Finally!
[The Stray Shopping Cart Project]
[Via: The Presurfer]
On the car scale, Ferrari is definitely at the top; and on the Ferrari scale, the Enzo is definitely at the top, which is why a special edition Enzo is no ordinary supercar. Called the FXX, it was sold only to “select” buyers, and was used by Ferrari as a test bed for development of their latest equipment.
Two years, and 20,000 miles later, they’ve gathered up enough data from the 20 cars to make an even better version of their wondermobile, and they’re calling it the FXX Evoluzione.
Again available only to a “select” group of buyers, the Evoluzione features 860 hp, a 9,500 redline, 60 millisecond shifts, a less invasive, more adaptable traction control system that can be adjusted in the cockpit on the fly, modified suspension geometry, and a new aerodynamic package.
Being a test driver for Ferrari doesn’t come cheap, but if you had the cash, would you turn down the offer? (Oh, and the $2 million it takes to own one comes with “a 15-member official team made up of engineers, electronics experts and mechanics capable of providing complete assistance to clients”. And you thought you had a comprehensive warranty!)
[Via: Autoblog]
My Dream App, the Apple software revolution, is over. After calculating nearly 14,000 votes, three winners have been announced. Though they weren’t my top choices, Cookbook, Portal, and Atmosphere will soon see production as full-fledged Mac Apps, and the world should be a better place for it. My only hope is that some other app development teams jump all over the loosing apps, as there were a few ideas buried in there that I was really looking forward to seeing come to life. Congrats to those that made it, and condolences to those that didn’t.
[My Dream App]
[Via: Digg]
