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bye bye emusic.com
iTunes younger, cheaper, cooler cousin is no longer very young, very cheap nor very cool.
What with the creeping prices the leaking of indies and embracing of mainstream, eTunes… i mean emusic has just become a smaller, cheaper, crapper version of iTunes.
I’ve bailed after finding less and less of your catalogue appealing each month I was struggling to actually fill my (much diminished for the money) download quota.
What started out as a really cheap, risk free way of finding new bands became a much less cheap way of wading through mounds of crap, old music to discover the occasional gem.
Neither am I a diamond miner, nor am I a long-tail cool-aid drinker so I’m afraid I’ve had to say good bye after a fun (at first) five years…. I kept holding out on the hope that one day you would come to your senses. But you never did, so I guess it’s…
…Good Bye Emusic…
The End of the Mouse? (aka The Apple Magic Trackpad)
In the last week, I have come to feel that an end to an era is approaching: The Era of the mouse as the primary interface navigation tool for computing.
At least, it certainly is in my case.
I have used the Apple Magic Trackpad for less than a week and I am already in love with it. Far more so than the hybrid Apple Magic Mouse, which I found somewhat gimmicky and a little disappointing, so until this absolute gem came along, I was a devout fan of Wacom’s mouse and pen pad, the mighty Intuos 4: And I still am, to an extent. Insomuch as I use it now solely as a pen input device for my Photoshop/Illustrator work.
It just comes naturally
In terms of learning curve, if you own a MacBook or Power Book or indeed any form of capacitative touch screen device with multi-finger input (such as an iPhone, iPad or an Android) then you’ll be right at home the moment you use place your finger on its silky smooth surface.
For me, it came naturally within seconds, even though I rarely use a trackpad on a laptop. And I would not be lying to say that in terms of learning curve, nothing could be shallower!
In terms of being a trackpad, it is the finest example I have ever used. Every complaint I have had with other trackpads… (too small, too smooth, too rough, insensitive to dry fingers, sensitive to nearby gadgets, finicky, inaccurate, noticeable input lag, random response towards the edge)… And I mean every single one I can think of right now, has been addressed and overcome.
Here are some of the things I think make it stand out:
- Wireless – No more cables on your already cluttered desk.
- Quality – It’s not just a crappy, overstocked, last-year’s-model notebook trackpad shoehorned into a cheap plastic holder and resold. No, it is crafted as well as any Apple device I have used.
- Size – BIG! As I said above, it’s not a repackaged notebook device.
- Perfect frictional texture – You find your fingers don’t slide without tactile feedback and yet it’s not so rough that your finger is worn to a nubbin after 8 hours of constant use.
- Accuracy, stability and response speed – Seemingly instantaneous response with razor sharp accuracy. The mouse pointer may as well be tied to your finger!
- Attention to detail – For example, on other pads, if you overrun the edge of the pad, the cursor abruptly stops. However, on the Apple Magic Trackpad, the response gracefully degrades in such a way that you naturally return your finger to the centre of the pad. Very subtle, very Apple.
- System integration – The driver software and its integration with Apple’s Mac OS X is as close to perfect as one could ever wish for.
One word: Goodbye!
New Lower Japanese Pricing in App Store (Yay!)
I just went to the App Store today and was amazed to see the new prices… I had contacted Apple Japan by email, feedback form and finally by phone in an effort to ascertain why prices were so fracking expensive.
For example, until the new pricing came into effect, Japanese customers (me included) were paying nearly 50% over the odds… Due to the really high yen.
The Yen, as it stands is currently at an unfathomably high ¥78 per US$1.
For example.
- $0.99 was ¥115 = $1.47 at current exchange rates.
- $4.99 was ¥580 = $7.34
- $9.99 was ¥1150 = $14.70
- $49 software was ¥5800 = $73.41
Now, thankfully things are far more reasonable.
- US$0.99 software is now ¥85 = $1.07
- US$4.99 software is now ¥450 = $5.69
- US$9.99 software is now ¥850 = $10.75
- $49 sofware is now ¥4500 = $56.90
Indispensable Mac OS X Software : Window Management Utilities
I find myself setting up my home and office’s Macs perhaps a little more often than I would like and when I do, I find, more often than not that I install the following software.
In the first installment of this short series, I will mention a trio of window management utilities.
Note that this is not a list, just software that I am intimately familiar with and have used practically every day for over a year.
I’m running a 27″ iMac with the Awesome IBM T221 3840 x 2400 (yes, that’s right) monitor for photo editing. As such, I really need a bevy of good screen and window management software to keep the huge real estate in order.
Sizeup
$13 / OS X 10.5+
by Irradiated Software
http://irradiatedsoftware.com/
Used on my smaller iMacs, this allows for a window to be sized automatically by user defined shortcuts into full-screen, top / bottom / left / right halves and quadrants. Has some fine tuning functions, too. For example, to adjust the balance between left and right and top and bottom, such as a 60:40 split or 70:30 split or to enable the screens to avoid edges and the dock, etc.
Simple to set up and effortless to use.
Useful rating: ☀☀☀☀☀
Cinch
$7 / OS X 10.5+
by Irradiated Software
http://irradiatedsoftware.com/
Made by the same company that made Sizeup. Best new UI feature stolen from Vista, drag a window to the top of the screen and watch it maximise. Drag it to the left or right edge and have it neatly resized to half the screen width! The only reason it doesn’t get a rating of five is that cinch doesn’t integrate with the custom left/right settings of Sizeup, and as such screens cinched to the sides tend to interfere with screens manipulated using Sizeup.
Takes 10 seconds to install and get working. Simplicity itself.
Useful rating: ☀☀☀☀
Divvy
$14 / Mac OS X 10.5+
by Mizage
I consider this the king of window management software. You can divide your screen into a user defined grid and assign shortcut keys to resize windows to an arbitrary shape and size for the ultimate flexibility. Alternatively, if you need a custom size window, you can press a hotkey and rapidly assign a window to anywhere on the grid using the mouse!
As with most powerful utilities, the trade off is time required to set up the software in a personal and meaningful way. Still, if you’re willing to invest a little time in it, the payoff is increased productivity and more efficient screen use.
Useful rating: ☀☀☀☀☀
Isolator
Free / Mac OS X 10.5+
by Willmore
A little different to the others here, Isolator allows you to focus on just one task or window and thus reducing distractions on the average, cluttered desktop by darkening or blurring the other windows out with a simple definable keystroke or a click of the mouse on the menubar.
Elegant and simple.
Useful rating: ☀☀☀
iCal and Power PC / 10.5 leopard, 5 days to the end to push notifications!
So long and thanks for all the fish! In Apple’s eternal quest for your money, they are continuing their disrespect for Mac OS 10.5 Leopard users less than two years after 10.6 came on to the market. forcing you to upgrade your OS at an increasing pressure rate that would make Microsoft blush.
In seven days, Mobile Me will no longer support iCal push to Leopard clients. F*** the What?
I run a shed load of Power PC macs which refuse to die…. And their OS was only superseded only in June 2009, less than two years ago… At which point all updates ceased abruptly, with only security patches from that point on.
I always remembered the adage…. “You don’t need a new PC because the old one will always continue to do what it always has done…”
Bah humbug. Not any more… With the cloud centred life that we are all starting to live, they can rescind anything they want at any time…. And with MobileMe, they’re doing just that… already…
Looks like I’m not the only one whose Intel iMac 27″ beautiful screen is discoloured and dirty, with dark patches, stripes and bands.
I think Steve’s video is worth transcribing because what he said certainly casts a shadow over Apple’s legendary customer service.
—-
Hello everyone… Well, my name is Steven and I used to be a proud owner of an iMac 27″
A state of the art…. their flagship computer.
And basically after 90 days they invalidated my warranty and said that they’re not gonna fix it because it’s been used in a TOXIC ENVIRONMENT.
First of all, let me just take you on a journey… I’ll bring you over here…. to the environment that my iMac is used in.
Erm… let’s see, it’s almost like any normal person’s home office. maybe much smaller of course you know… but… well…
[Here he takes us on an impromptu tour of his humble, yet well kept, and might I say, well kitted… abode.
highlights include
microwave, plasma TV… iPhone and docking station…. and…. heaven forbid, he even has a Cup Noodle in to cupoard!!!!
It is during this tour that he shows us his iMac.
“
My iMac… My iMac… let me show you my iMac. I think you can see fairly well on the right hand side of the screen: Marks running from top to bottom. That’s actually… those seem to be getting worse. But even on a greyish background you can still see it fairly clearly. Bring it in….
Argh!… look at a that man! It’s disgusting!
But, erm… Apple have turned around an’ said I’ve been using the Mac in a TOXIC ENVIRONMENT.
YEAH. MY HOME OFFICE. YEAH. MY BLOODY HOME OFFICE!
Yeah, it might be attached to my kitchen…
”
[He continues the tour]
”
Look, my computer’s running absolutely bloody fine but…
The screen is a complete mess!
And Apple have said, “Go get stuffed, you’ve got a dirty house you’ve got a toxic bloody environment.”
And I will not accept that.
They want me to pay four hundred and seventeen frigging pounds for a new screen!
What? Because of this toxic environment? This toxic environment?
Jeezus! There’s millions upon millions of people around the world who have an office just like this…
Probably guys…. probably guys who have even small offices than this… Jeezus!
”
[Back on the tour]
”
Well. I’m afraid it’s over… You know like Apple… You know like…
Your firm… Steve Jobs….Your representative called my home a toxic environment!
And you need to get that sorted!
If you’re treating customers like this after 90 days… after 90 days… not even a year…
You are BREAKING THE LAW, sir… You are BREAKING THE LAW…
And you are breaking the covenant with he customer.
And I’ll not take…. I’ll not take it!
—-
I sincerely hope they see their stupidity and you get your problem sorted out as rapidly as I did.
I think I’m going to send this to The Register. They always seem to know what to do with material like this!
Intel iMac 27″ developing dirty, dark spots and patches on the screen : The zombie problem that just won’t die!
Like one of those nightmare zombies that never stays dead, the dreaded screen dirty dark patch screen problem has recurred….
Started with this:
My Intel ‘Aluminium’ iMac 24″ roasting with dark spots on screen
Admittedly, it did come back from repairs in record time.
But that was only the beginning, Since this battle for a replacment continued for over a year!!
Then, my new iMac 27″ started to develop dark patches on the screen too.
FFS Apple, fix it.. I just had a new screen for my replacement iMac in November!
I’m running it in a cool, clean dry environment.
As usual, the discolouration appears to be behind the glass. Or even behind the pixels themselves, in the underlying lighting panel. So there’s no way it could be dirt from regular use.
This time, the discolouration looks somewhat like hand prints…
Or, forget trying to describe it. Let me show you some pics…
Photos taken with an old D70, so vignetting and sensor dirt is a little bit of a problem.
Please note, that these marks only appeared last week so I’ve upped the contrast of the pictures. But I can assure you that within a month they will be quite visible without tweakage.
Ignore the yellow piss-like tinge at the bottom of the screen, although it’s there, it’s hardly noticeable at honest contrasts.
Here is a closeup of the left hand side. Note that I had to intentionally blur the picture when taking it since the moire effect of the pixels made the final image unviewable. What a mess of dots and a fine patina of blobs! Yuck!
Now for the right hand side:
This looks a little bit like the heel of someone’s hand, perhaps…?!?
What more can I add?… This is my second iMac 27″ screen and my 7th (or 8th) iMac screen in total. Grrrr Arrgh! As the phrase goes.
Apple’s quality control has not improved over the last three years.
I’ll keep you posted.
iMac 27″ screen repair complete
The new iMac 27" with LCD backlit screen.
My iMac 27″ came back from Apple after it developed dark patches on the screen and has had its screen repaired. It is now as good as new (well, technically better because I only actually bought a 24″ iMac, and this one was a replacement).
In any case, the machine is back and has been restored to its former glory.
My real worry is that, since it took 8 months for the patches manifest and suddenly, over the course of a month, spread to cover the whole screen, will I be in for another replacement in nine month’s time? I hope not because my guarantee runs out in March of 2011…. I think I’m going to have to get Apple Care, Again!
Fingers crossed.
iMac 27″ screen displays dark stains, spots and patches
My iMac 27″ which has performed flawlessly since I acquired it in March of 2009, has started to develop dark patches here and there, across its once pristine façade. And this pisses me off, mightily.
It all started in summer of 2008 when my first iMac (the new Intel Aluminium 24″ iMac) started to develop dark stains on the screen…
Mac 24″ roasting with dark patches on screen (12th August, 2008)
There were various theories bandied about, such as overheating, condensation leading to mould, dust sucked into the system, etc… But my room is airconditioned and on the 9th floor of an apartment, above the majority of dust and grime. And although the room sometimes reached 35 degrees (right on the edge of operating spec) or so, there was never any condensation and I always used air conditioning when I with operating the computer.
Before discussing, let me fill you in on a little background with this post:
Aluminium iMac 24″ screen displays patches, uneven brightness and dark spots saga recap
So you can see that I have a history of nasty screenage.
The effects are not so great that the screen is unusable, but in my experience these things never improve with age.
So, here we go again, it is with a sense of deja vu and disdain that I contact Apple this afternoon to see what can be done.
Here’s the money shot:
This iMac 27" LED backlit screen has recently developed a mottled appearance
*edit* THIS WAS SHOT IN A PITCH BLACK ROOM, IT IS NOT A REFLECTION.
Aluminium iMac 24″ screen displays patches, uneven brightness and dark spots saga recap
My Aluminium iMac 24″ started to develop dark patches and black spots during the summer of 2008. It was well into it’s second year of Apple Care, so I was glad I’d purchased the extended cover.
—> For 27″ iMac story, click here.
Here is a picture of my disfigured screen, which I posted in the original blog entry.
Dark patches are clearly visible on the left with the right hand obviously darker
My Intel ‘Aluminium’ iMac 24″ roasting with dark spots on screen
I first sent it in for repairs a couple of days after that, as detailed here.
My iMac 24″ comes back from repairs in record time.
My initial feeling of satisfaction remained for almost a year, and the screen performed flawlessly for most of it. But as time progressed, I couldn’t help noticing that the bottom left hand corner was
was subdued by the quality of the second screen which was much lower than the original it replaced. I contacted Apple again and sent the screenshot below.
The lower left region was less than half as bright as the centre of the screen.
A call back from a more senior engineer suggested a further replacement screen.
So, I zeroed my drive, reinstalled tiger and sent it back with screenshots and explanations saved to the desktop.
The machine came back a couple of days later and no sooner had I powered it up than a horrible feeling came over me.
Second New Screen
The second replacement was just ghastly. After leaving it to “warm up” for an hour, I took the above screenshot. I didn’t even reinstall. I just put it straight back in the box, contacted Apple again and had the bloody thing replaced forthwith.
This screen clearly shows striping down the left hand side and a dark central region
This time, a more senior member of staff contacted me, since this was now the third time to “fix” the problem.
She explained that the next screen would be the final screen I would be able to receive, since a screen could be replaced a maximum of three times.
So I explained to her that in actual fact, the screen would be replaced as many times as was necessary to ensure that I could do my work on it again, as I had done when I first purchased it. She seemed a little surprised by the concept.
I explained that the new screens were clearly inferior in clarity, regularity and colour balance and were clearly a different make from the originals. She would neither confirm nor deny this.
Once more she asked me to realise that this would be the last free replacement they would give, and I was once more forced to explain that this was not a favour to a mate, this was in order to fulfill the legal requirement of “fit for purpose” and obey advertising standards as on their original advert: A built-in professional grade screen perfect for editing photos and videos, and serious graphical applications, the screen was far from professional or perfect.
I asked for the screen to be fully tested and have an engineer report the fact to me before returning the machine, a demand to which she acceded graciously.
The engineer called and said that the screen had been calibrated for both colour and brightness and was found to be well within specifications.
Great! Finally, we were getting somewhere… Surely this time, the machine would have a lovely, clear screen, like the one it first came with.
The computer came back the next day.
I fired it up.
Bong. Came the chime. It was immediately and, by this point, unsurprisingly apparent that this screen was also substandard.
This screen shows a terrible, dark band on the left hand side
I contacted Apple again and this time, they put me straight back though to the lady in charge. I showed her the picture above and asked her if this was typical Apple quality.
No she admitted…
I asked her who had tested the screen and who had assured me that it was within spec. She couldn’t release the information, she said, but she would speak with him before contacting me back.
An hour later the phone rang and with an apologetic tone, the lady asked me to send the machine back in and confirmed that “some irregularities in the testing procedures had been found.”
Off it went.
The next day, a call from the chief engineer confirmed that the screen was below standard. But since there were no more screens of the original standard, the next screen might well be of the same quality or even worse. But, if I was not satisfied with the next screen, I could have the whole machine replaced.
The machine was back in my hands the next day, with another substandard screen, with almost the same patterns of distortion as the second replacement I’d received.
This photo clearly shows the nasty banding on the left, a dark central region and a severely pink-tinted right hand edge.
‘Since there are no more 24″ iMacs in stock, I’m afraid we are going to have to replace it with a different model. But we guarantee that it will be of at least the same spec or higher than your last model.”
“Whatever,” I said resignedly, as long as the screen is clear.
Two days later, the machine below arrived on my doorstep.
The new iMac 27" with LCD backlit screen.
Now we’re talking…
Thank you Apple. It was a long and winding road, but well worth it. A machine nearly 3 years newer than the one it replaced. Although they had some quality control issues, they were constantly polite, attentive and very forthcoming with “fixes”.
Here’s another satisfied Apple customer (albeit with caveats).
The Nanchatte Technojunkie 
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