stuart test blog

I’m usually a fence-sitter when it comes to making predictions, but in an attempt to be a bit bolder and put myself ‘out there’, here go my predictions on what the Apple Tablet will look and feel like.

Caveat: obviously this is all based on the assumption that there is a tablet being produced by Apple. I don’t have any insider information – I’m about as far removed from Cupertino as physically possible.

• Name: the name of the tablet won’t be iSlate, and I’d go further to predict that the name won’t start with the letter ‘i’.
• Screen: the screen will be 10″ diagonal with a resolution of 1280×800. It will be backlit-LED and will be easily usable in bright sunlight.
• Form factor: obviously the form factor will be in the shape of table, but unlike Microsoft’s Courier device, it won’t be foldable. The tablet will, however, have a stand to allow it to stand upright in either portrait or landscape mode and it will work with Bluetooth peripherals such as Apple’s wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse.
• OS: I’m betting that the OS will be based on iPhone OS 4.0 but will be renamed to OS X Mobile, or something similar. The interface will be similar to current iPhones, but will expose more of the underlying file system and utilities (e.g. Finder, Terminal)
• Applications: Apps will feel similar to current iPhone apps in regards to interface and usability, but the standard apps will be enhanced with more advanced features, e.g. the Mail App will allow saving attachments to disk, Safari will allow downloads. 3rd party apps will be purchased and installed through the App Store only, and current iPhone apps will be able to be ported to the Tablet with minor modifications. I wouldn’t be surprised if the iLife and iWork suites are ported to the tablet interface
• Tech specs: the CPU will be a proprietary Apple design as opposed to one from Intel or ARM. There will be 1GB RAM and at least 64GB of flash storage. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth will be standard but no 3G. A single USB port and possibly an SD card reader. Built-in microphone, speakers and webcam, but not a still camera. There won’t be an iPod dock connector.
• Price: it won’t be cheap. I’d expect pricing around the same as an entry-level MacBook.

These specs and features will place it between an iPhone and a MacBook Pro, and if you already own both a smartphone and a laptop, you would still feel that the tablet is suitable for you.

I’m prepared to be proven wrong on all counts… your thoughts?

This doesn’t seem to expose any hidden functionality that a Windows enthusiast wouldn’t know already, but still pretty cool to get all the customisation options under a single control panel icon.

Although it’s name suggests perhaps even grander capabilities, Windows enthusiasts are excited over the discovery of a hidden “GodMode” feature that lets users access all of the operating system’s control panels from within a single folder.

via Understanding Windows 7’s ‘GodMode’ | Beyond Binary – CNET News.

I say congratulations to AppMakr for filling a need, but I’m betting that there’s nothing in these apps which couldn’t have been done in a web-app. I have a general dislike for native apps that are created for websites&emdash;and especially SaaS websites&emdash;as it is counter-productive to moving towards web-based apps. I really don’t see the point in creating a native app that displays an RSS feed from a website.

Where developing iPhone apps can typically cost upward of $10,000 and take weeks or months to build, AppMakr promises to deliver a quality app in less than an hour for only $199. Users of the online service, formally launched today, enter a site Web site address or keywords and get back a sample iPhone app built with that content in less than 30 seconds, according to PointAbout.

via MediaPost Publications AppMakr To Make Anyone An iPhone App-Builder 01/04/2010.

I love the fact that this site is so brash and un-PC.

Dating and social network site BeautifulPeople.com has axed some 5,000 members following complaints that they had gained weight.

The members were singled out after posting pictures of themselves that reportedly showed they had put on pounds over the holiday period.

via BBC News – BeautifulPeople.com axes holiday weight gain members.

After over a million downloads of WordPress 2.9 and lots of feedback from all of you, we’re releasing WordPress  2.9.1.  This release addresses a handful of minor issues as well as a rather annoying problem where scheduled posts and pingbacks are not processed correctly due to incompatibilities with some hosts.

via WordPress › Blog » WordPress 2.9.1.

I won’t ruin the review by giving you Engadget’s summary here. It’s a thorough write-up and definitely worth a read, even if you’re just vaguely interested in The Mobile Phone Wars.

Nexus One review — Engadget.

The ideal monitoring software for home and small business

Vitamin D Video detects people and moving objects in video streams for security and monitoring purposes. It runs on a PC or Mac, and uses off-the-shelf USB webcams or network (IP) cameras.

For the first time, professional performance with real-time alerts is available to everyone.

via vitamin d : features.

One day, I’ll assemble a list of tips that I’ve picked up from reading various diet books, but until then read this.

“How can I lose weight?” “Simple, eat less food than your body burns.” “How can I learn to do that?” Read this book.

via The Hacker’s Diet.

Is Microsoft’s Tablet PC operating system going to go the same way as Windows Mobile?

Don’t let Apple steal what you birthed and raised. If you keep doing what you’ve been doing the past six months, though, you’ll look back dumbfounded about what was snatched from your hands. Doctors, students, and every day folk are all carrying iPhones, iPod Touches, and Android devices. If you are not careful, they’ll all be carrying Android Tablets and iSlates, next. Is that what you want?

Don’t let 2010 be defined as the year Microsoft lost Tablet.

via 2010: The Year Microsoft Lost Tablet? | GottaBeMobile.com.

I don’t have any good or bad feelings towards FreeHand, but it really annoys me when a company buys another company just to shut down the competition. There should be laws against this…

FreeHand is quite possibly the best vector drawing application ever made. For those of us who still use it in our every day work as designers, this statement is indisputably true. Despite this, when the competition wished to gain complete control over this lucrative market, thereby securing many millions of dollars in future revenue from designers the world over, FreeHand was buried after being purchased (as part of a larger transaction). In the briefest terms possible, that is what really happened. For now our lawyers have us avoiding any direct accusations, but it isn’t hard to guess who we’re referring to. However, if your curiosity is piqued you can read more about the FreeHand story here.

via Free FreeHand organization.