Alex Heath • Blog

Joe Kraus, a partner at Google Ventures, on our “culture...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:47:43 -0400

Joe Kraus, a partner at Google Ventures, on our “culture of distraction.” A fascinating talk.

Is it “bad” what we check our phones 27 times a day, or is this new generation’s shortened attention span merely a product of the world we live in? Is it a negative thing, or is it just the way we live now?

Things to ponder.

iOS Security

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:16:17 -0400

iOS Security:

A nice PDF from Apple that gives the complete rundown on iOS security. More information than most of us could ever hope to want to know, but interesting nonetheless.

Episode 15 of the CultCast

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:56:51 -0400

Episode 15 of the CultCast:

I had fun chatting with Erfon and Buster in the latest episode of the CultCast. We talk about Tim Cook, Mac rumors, Apple TV and more.

Mayor Of Batman, Turkey Sues Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros.

Thu, 31 May 2012 22:53:42 -0400

Mayor Of Batman, Turkey Sues Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros.:

Variety:

The mayor of an oil-producing city in southeastern Turkey, which has the same name as the Caped Crusader, is suing helmer Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. for royalties from mega-grosser “The Dark Knight.”

Huseyin Kalkan, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party mayor of Batman, has accused “The Dark Knight” producers of using the city’s name without permission.

“There is only one Batman in the world,” Kalkan said. “The American producers used the name of our city without informing us.”

So after decades of TV shows and movies, this is just now happening?

Also, coolest city name ever.

You Might Be A Self-Entitled Blogger If...

Wed, 30 May 2012 19:20:07 -0400

You frequently say you “called” a news story months ago, and you frequently link back to opinion pieces you wrote to backup your always-correct opinions. (Kinda like how a dog pisses to mark his territory.)
You occasionally embed your own tweets in your blog posts.
You spend half your work time calling out other bloggers for their terrible, misinformed, poorly written opinions and stories.

As I’ve slowly dug my feet down into the tech news scene, I’ve realized that it’s a lot like Hollywood: full of ego and severely lacking genuine compassion.

An Analysis of Blaster Fire in Star Wars

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:05:06 -0400

An Analysis of Blaster Fire in Star Wars:

Incredibly geeky wonderfulness.

If The Internet Was Completely Destroyed

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:03:34 -0400

If The Internet Was Completely Destroyed:

We need to begin by no longer treating the Internet like a ghost. It’s made of more metal, plastic, and fiber than you can fathom—and it’s spread across the whole world, a monster machine that hugs the entire globe. So we hunted down the web’s physical foundation, across land and sea, to pinpoint exactly what you’d need to take out. Hypothetically. It turns out, Anonymous’ threat isn’t insane—just the way they talked about doing it. You can’t destroy a signal while using it; the Internet’s destruction requires analog violence, not some beefed up DDoS strike.

We always think of threats agains the Internet as cyberwarfare or some abstraction, virtual to the point of meaningless. But this is mostly bluster and software-mongering. The enormous, invisible truth of the Internet is that it’s enormously strong. There’s no main switch, no self-destruct button, no wire to be snipped for an easy blackout. The Internet, through a mix of chaotic serendipity and brilliant planning, is redundant to the point of near invincibility. Like a fiber optic hydra, you can hack off great expanses of it, and the thing will keep chugging. It’s smart—almost self—sustaining, able to repair and reroute its paths from one continent and country to another, making up detours on the fly.

An incredibly fascinating piece by Sam Biddle at Gizmodo. Not only will you learn how the internet works at a global level, but what it would take to completely blow the thing to hell.

Essentially, you take out the fiber optic cables that connect continents (most of them are apparently collecting seagull poop on beaches), then destroy the main domain name servers around the world. You finish it off by leveling the key data centers. Boom. The internet is dead. (Of course it’s way more complicated than that, but that’s the gist.)

Not only did this article remind me of how the internet shares the exact qualities of Skynet, but I also think that “destroying the internet” would make for a fantastic movie script.

Facebook Buying Instagram Finally Makes Sense

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:07:31 -0400

Facebook Buying Instagram Finally Makes Sense:

Mike Isaac for AllThingsD:

It’s called Facebook Camera, and it’s essentially Instagram redux. One, it’s a standalone Facebook application, separate from the Facebook app proper, much like the company’s Facebook Messages app. Facebook Photos product manager Dirk Stoop told me in an interview this morning that it’s an instant portal to one of Facebook’s largest use cases: Photo sharing

…

In essence, Instagram was taking over mobile photos, and Facebook couldn’t wait around and watch the company snap up every user while still working on perfecting the Facebook Camera app.

I got the gist of why Facebook bought Instagram when it happened, but today’s release of the standalone Facebook Camera iPhone app finally brings it all together.

It’s about a complete takeover of photo sharing on mobile. I wouldn’t be surprised if Instagram and this new app merge into each other over time. Smart move, Facebook. Really smart move.

Also, the Facebook Camera app is actually really fast and slick. Kudos all around.

An Interview With Jony Ive

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:45:59 -0400

An Interview With Jony Ive:

The Telegraph has a great interview with Apple design guru Jony Ive.

My favorite part:

Ive has achieved an awful lot and still has a long career ahead of him. Even so, a knighthood is a good time to take stock. If he was to be remembered for just one of his Apple designs, I ask, which one would he pick?

There is the long pause. “It’s a really tough one. A lot does seem to come back to the fact that what we’re working on now feels like the most important and the best work we’ve done, and so it would be what we’re working on right now, which of course I can’t tell you about.”

Digitimes And Apple Rumors

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:00:00 -0400

Stephen Hackett:

Alex Heath, in a story titled, “Digitimes: We’re Sorry We Get All Our Apple Rumors Wrong” at Cult of Mac:

Digitimes has been one of the main sources of Apple rumors over the last several years, but anyone who follows Apple will tell you that the Taiwanese publication is more often wrong than right.

Heath wasn’t kidding when he said “main source.” A quick Google site search returned over 3,200 results for “Digitimes + rumor” on Cult of Mac.

I’m sure that number will be bigger if I run my search again in a year.

For someone who cares so much about “journalistic integrity,” Hackett didn’t bother to skim down a few more paragraphs and include where I say:

Cult of Mac has continued to cover Digitimes rumors throughout the years because we want to let our readers know about the information that’s out there, but that’s never stopped us from being skeptical. Our faith in Digitimes has significantly waned over the years, but we do what we can to let you know when a story seems credible or not.

This comes down to a fundamental difference in how people digest Apple rumors. At CoM, we label them as [Rumor] and try to make sure readers know how they fit into the bigger picture of what Apple is/isn’t actually up to. When it’s Digitimes, we frequently add a line about the skeptical nature of the source.

People want to know the rumors. “Journalists” can’t wrap their minds around this for whatever reason. There’s a difference between “news,” and “rumors.” Reporting rumors as hard news (say, being on par with Apple issuing a press release) is a problem. Reporting rumors themselves (with context) is not inherently evil at all. In fact, people like it. Heck, it can be fun.

I’m frankly shocked at how viciously certain bloggers and “journalists” devote time and energy to griping about the rumor mill.

Me? I try to not stress about stuff that doesn’t matter. I hear you live longer that way.

Ridley Scott And Prometheus

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:16:21 -0400

Ridley Scott And Prometheus:

A fantastic piece by The Hollywood Reporter on director Ridley Scott and his new movie, Prometheus.

Damon Lindelof, the guy who wrote the film, was also on the last episode of On The Verge.

Can I just say that I’m almost more excited for Prometheus than Dark Knight Rises?

UI design in The Avengers So awesome.

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:34:07 -0400

UI design in The Avengers

So awesome.

The Leap is a small iPod sized USB peripheral that creates a 3D...

Mon, 21 May 2012 17:15:27 -0400

The Leap is a small iPod sized USB peripheral that creates a 3D interaction space of 8 cubic feet to precisely interact with and control software on your laptop or desktop computer. It’s like being able to reach into the computer and pull out information as easily as reaching into a cookie jar.

The Leap senses your individual hand and finger movements independently, as well as items like a pen. In fact, it’s 200x more sensitive than existing touch-free products and technologies. It’s the difference between sensing an arm swiping through the air and being able to create a precise digital signature with a fingertip or pen.

I’m highly skeptical of this thing, but it will be earth-shattering if it actually works. Pre-orders have started. It’s only $70.

If Pixar had made The Avengers.

Mon, 21 May 2012 11:50:07 -0400

If Pixar had made The Avengers.

A Battle Between Two Ways Of Filming At The Box Office

Mon, 21 May 2012 11:47:18 -0400

A Battle Between Two Ways Of Filming At The Box Office:

The Atlantic:

This summer, Hollywood’s blockbusters are engaging in a high-stakes format war between cutting-edge digital technology and old-fashioned, photochemical film. Digitally photographed thrillers like The Avengers, Prometheus, and The Amazing Spider-Man will be battling it out with equally epic movies shot on film such as The Dark Knight Rises, Men in Black 3, and Battleship. Indeed, no summer in recent memory boasts so much variety in terms of how films are photographed and exhibited.

Yet with studios looking to trim costs on increasingly expensive “tentpole” movies, traditional celluloid film—easily the more expensive of the two formats—may be on its way out as the cinema’s medium of choice. Still, advocates of film continue to make compelling arguments about why theirs is the more enduring medium, even as both sides pull out their biggest guns this summer in an effort to prove definitively the commercial value of their respective formats.

A great look at the state of film going into the summer. A lot of the information comes from a new documentary, called Side By Side, featuring America’s greatest directors. I will definitely be checking it out.

How To Write Good Science Fiction

Thu, 17 May 2012 22:19:47 -0400

How To Write Good Science Fiction:

Jon Spaihts, the screenwriter behind Prometheus:

You keep your stories rooted in the world we know. The more you re-invent, the harder your audience has to work to connect. If your fantastic world has recognizable families, or realistic workplace politics, or a spacefaring army that still dresses, walks, and talks like the army we know… then we have a starting place for that connection. Familiarity is an essential tool – and a great frame for your big re-inventions.

Above all, invest in the universal human experiences: love and heartbreak, ambition and frustration, rivalry and enmity. Loneliness, yearning, wonder.

A fantastic interview about writing sci-fi and storytelling in general.

‘Rise Of The Tech Bandits’

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:57:37 -0400

‘Rise Of The Tech Bandits’:

The newest issue of SAY Magazine is a must read for anyone interested in the evolution of tech media.

Android Fragmentation

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:39:34 -0400

Android Fragmentation:

Casey Johnston for Ars Technica:

The developers logged 3,997 distinct devices, the most popular of which was the Samsung Galaxy S II. This figure was inflated quite a bit by custom ROMs, which overwrite the android.build.MODEL variable and cause those phones to be logged as separate devices. 1,363 types were logged only once, and while some were custom ROMs bucking the numbers, a good few were just massively unpopular devices—for example, the Hungarian 10.1-inch Concorde Tab.

I’ve been saying this for a long time, but Android’s fragmentation is the key reason it can’t touch the iPhone in mind share. I’m not talking about technical market share, because Android shouldn’t be compared to the iPhone in terms of devices sold — Android is an OS on thousands of handsets while the iPhone is a literal phone.

You can’t have dozens and dozens of different Android OS versions across thousands of devices and expect to have any kind of unified experience.

Google And The Story Of Send

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:54:04 -0400

Google And The Story Of Send:

Click the above link for a really cool, simple walkthrough of how Gmail works. It’s mostly about Google tooting its own energy efficiency horn, but the graphic art and interactive design of the page is enough to warrant a visit.

The technology we use on a daily basis and take for granted is truly amazing.

Tech Company CEOs Are Idiots

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:58:02 -0400

Tech Company CEOs Are Idiots:

Being wildly successful in tech is about anticipating change, and altering the status quo; being the 14th chief executive of a stodgy old major tech company is about extracting as much value as you can from the success it’s already had. The CEOs of the Time Warners and Sonys and Yahoos and RIMs and even Microsofts of the world are experts only on their respective companies’ existing businesses. They say things that sound stupid to us because they’re not us, and because their goal for tech (to maximize profits at their companies) is not the same as ours (to get more awesome stuff that makes our lives better). They’re not even really talking to us. They’re talking to their boards.

Yes yes yes. Such a great post by BuzzFeed. Steve Jobs was successful because he thought about products like a customer, not a CEO.