iPad Dock Perfect for Writing

 

One of the best features of the iPad is its lack of features, especially when it comes to writing. Knowing that chat is not running and Twitter is turned off lets the writer focus entirely on the task of writing. However, typing on the iPad’s software keyboard for anything more than a couple of paragraphs is frustrating, for me at least. That’s where the Apple iPad dock comes in. Putting the iPad in the dock presents the writer with an elegant and enjoyable environment perfectly focused on cranking out text.

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Apple is Abandoning the Mac…and Why I’m Wrong

 

Leading up to this year’s WWDC in San Francisco, the amount of articles and speculation about Apple’s commitment to Mac OS grew when Apple announced practically zero tracks dedicated to Mac OS and threw out the IT track completely. Apple also didn’t give any Apple Design Awards this year to Mac OS Apps. The winners (listed here) were only iPad and iPhone apps.

That decision actually inspired Ars.Technica to hold its own ADAs (Ars Design Awards) celebrating Mac OS developers and their work in the past 12 months. Developers gave their opinions on TUAW.com and this quote from Justin Williams of Second Gear Software gave his opinion:

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Ashes Brings Slick RSS Reader Fever to iPad

Fever, a gorgeous RSS reader we dubbed one of the top syndication technologies of 2009, is now available in iPad format by way of a new mobile application called "Ashes." Like its desktop sibling, the Ashes RSS reader offers the same ranking features that make Fever so much fun to use.

Instead of overloading you with information as you increase your RSS subscriptions, Fever actually works better the more feeds you add. It automatically picks out the most-discussed feeds from a given period of time and surfaces those to the top of the reader, assigning temperatures next to the headlines (hence the name "Fever" - Get it? These feeds are hot!) The more feeds it has to work with, the better these rankings become. Meanwhile, unread counts are hidden so you can focus on the signal while ignoring the noise...and do so completely guilt-free.

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Chrome OS Gets Ready for Gaming

When Google's new Web-based operating system Chrome OS launches later this year, it may be ready to serve not only as a simple netbook and tablet OS, but also as an interface for playing casual games like those currently found on Apple's iPhone and iPad.

On Apple mobile gadgets like the iPhone and iPod Touch, a combination of hardware-based motion sensors allow the device to know how you're holding it - up, down, sideways, etc. - and changes the orientation accordingly.  And in the iPhone 4, a new gyroscope allows for additional motion-sensing capabilities, too, like the ability to track orientation, velocity and rotation.

But Web browsers, like IE, Chrome, Safari and Firefox, haven't traditionally been able to detect which way is up. That may soon change for Google Chrome, the browser that forms the core of the upcoming operating system of the same name - it's getting orientation capabilities that will tell apps running in the browser which way the device is being held. 

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Doc Sign Brings PDF Signing to iPhone

A new iPhone application called Doc Sign enables users to manage and sign PDF documents from their phones.

Doc Sign can open PDF files attached to incoming emails, from a public URL or the via Drop.io file sharing service. The user can then touch any part of the document and add text or write their signature, then save and email it back or transfer it to their desktop via iTunes.

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Are We Entering the Age of Augmented Trademark Infringement?

The use of logos or insignias to symbolize a product, service or company is one of the oldest ways for a brand to stand out from competitors and similar products. These days, laws protect the misuse or copying of trademarked brand logos, but as technology evolves and companies find new ways to market their brands, these laws must adapt to cover new possibilities for infringement.

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EMC Buys Greenplum and Analytics is the New Hot Trend

The data boom is making analytics companies some of the hottest properties in the market. That's evident from today's news that EMC is buying Greenplum, a data warehouse, big data and analytics company used by Skype, T-Mobile and a host of companies including NASDAQ and Fox Interactive Media.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Greenplum is a privately held company that has raised $61 million in venture financing. Greenplum is just 7 years old but, according to eWeek, already has proved a formidable challenger to such technology giants as Oracle, which ironically has an investment in the company.

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