Monthly Archive:: August 2014

HTC One M8 for Windows unveiled… For very few people

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-19 Windows 30 Comments

As expected, HTC has just announced a new smartphone with Windows Phone called the HTC One M8 for Windows. The new device is the same as the HTC One M8 with Android, albeit it comes with Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 preinstalled.

Sounds great, especially since it may be possible to dual boot or switch operating systems once the XDA crowd gets its hands on this thing. But then...

The HTC One M8 for Windows is an exclusive device for U.S. carrier Verizon.

Yeah. Good luck, with that.

How to boot a PDP-11

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-18 Hardware 26 Comments

Via TechCrunch:

You want to play Adventure, but don't know how to turn on the PDP-11? These instructions are for booting our dual rack machine from its RL01 drives, although booting the single cabinet machine from the RK05 is very similar.

How to boot a PDP-11. Yes.

Interview: Jim Yurchenco, creator of Apple’s first mouse, Palm V

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-18 Wireless 25 Comments

While the article focuses on Jim Yurchenco's work on building Apple's first mouse, as a Palm adept, I'm obviously more interested in his other great contribution to the computing world: he built the Palm V.

"That was a really important product for us, and the industry", Yurchenco says. "It was one of the first cases where the physical design - the feel and touch points - were considered to be as important as the performance." That wasn't lost on users; the device sold like wild and helped shape modern gadget-lust. Ars Technica's review of the device came with a disclaimer: "Remember, if you don't intend to buy a Palm V, under no circumstances should you allow yourself to look/touch/hold/feel/smell/see/inspect/rub/behold/taste or have any type of contact with one."

I touched upon this in a lot of detail in my Palm retrospective, but in this day and age of iOS vs. Android, wherein everybody seems to think the portable computer era started with the iPhone, it can't be stressed enough just how much Apple - and thus, the entire current smartphone industry - owes to Palm. Whether it's software - iOS draws heavily from Palm OS - or hardware. I wrote:

The Pilots that had come before were strictly utilitarian, focused on businessmen and women instead of general consumers. The Palm V changed all this. Its shape would define the company's products for years to come. It had smooth curved sides with a slightly wider bottom than top section, making it all not only look distinct and beautiful, but also very comfortable to hold. Whether you looked at other PDAs, smartphones, or mobile phones of its era - there was nothing else like it. Everybody else was building plastic monstrosities.

The Palm V was a smashing success. For the first time, a mobile computing device was designed to be beautiful, and "it turned out to be very successful. We turned it into a personal artefact, or a personal piece of jewellery or something and couldn't compete with that," according to Hawkins.

The Palm V made pocket computing fashionable. The relationship between Palm OS and iOS is very thick - but so is the one between the Palm V and the iPhone.

The anti-Facebook

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-18 Internet 21 Comments

Founded in 2010 and based in San Francisco, Nextdoor is a odd outlier among today's social networks. Signing up is an onerous process, requiring substantial proof of both your identification and address. People post messages, but they are seen only by others in the immediate area, and there is no share or retweet button to proliferate messages across the network. It feels more like a modern update on a message board or web forum than a social network. But it has struck a chord across the country. When The Verge first reported on Nextdoor back in July of 2012, it was in 3,500 neighborhoods. Today, the company is announcing that it reached 40,000 neighborhoods, or roughly one in four American communities, with 10 or more active users.

I had never heard of Nextdoor, but it sounds fascinating. Where Facebook has become an endless stream of crap because people willy-nilly added everyone to their friends list (tip: don't do that. I mostly only 'friend' people I truly care about and lo and behold, my Facebook feed is always interesting), Nextdoor prevents that by focusing solely on the people around you - literally around you.

I would love for this to come to The Netherlands. Sounds very useful in, say, remote communities.

Can smartphones break out of their rut?

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-18 Wireless 31 Comments

Since the introduction of the Apple iPhone in 2007, the design and function of most modern smartphones have not changed much. And that appears to be the case this upcoming season. Nearly all of the phones are expected to be sequels to existing models.

PCs have been the same for decades. Laptops have been the same for decades. Smartphones will be the same for decades. Get used to it.

‘MIUI 6 full review: visually stunning, stunningly simple’

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-16 Wireless 60 Comments

The long-expected MIUI 6 is finally here! Visually stunning, Stunningly Simple. It's a new chapter for MIUI. And here is a full review for you to get a taste of it.

We believe that it takes more than just good features to create a beautiful design. From orderly workflows, clear hierarchies and fluent responses, we believe that good design exists in every tap, drag and pinch you make. Natural and intuitive, just the way it should be.This is MIUI 6. It's visually stunning, stunningly simple. It's the start of anew chapter.

Had you told me these were shots from some other operating system, I'd have believed you. This is shameless (via Daring Fireball).

Windows ‘Threshold’ preview around late September

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-15 Windows 41 Comments

Microsoft is aiming to deliver a "technology preview" of its Windows "Threshold" operating system by late September or early October, according to multiple sources of mine who asked not to be named.

And in a move that signals where Microsoft is heading on the "servicability" front, those who install the tech preview will need to agree to have subsequent monthly updates to it pushed to them automatically, sources added.

I'm excited about this 'Windows 9', because experience has taught us that Windows releases follow an up-down-up-down pattern. Windows Vista was down, 7 was up, 8 was down, so hopefully 9 will be up again. The rumoured changes are all positive, but it's not like Microsoft does not have a history of over-promising and under-delivering.

The third smartphone ecosystem is ending with a whimper

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-15 Windows 131 Comments

Speaking of Windows Phone - it seems like it's not happening.

Telecom executives for years have trumpeted the need for a new cellphone platform to provide a counterweight to the dominance of Google's Android and Apple's iOS. Maybe it could be BlackBerry. Or maybe Windows.

Or maybe not. According to the data from IDC, the two top players are only getting stronger, grabbing 96.4% of global smartphone shipments in the second quarter, up from 92.6% a year ago.

Windows Phone’s share of shipments fell to 2.5% of the total from 3.4% a year ago, as shipments dropped by more than 9%. BlackBerry’s share fell to 0.5% from 2.8% - below the market share of the "other" category - amid a total collapse in shipments.

This is a two-horse race, and the rest is fighting over the scraps. Those scraps are enough for newcomers such as Jolla, who don't really need the massive numbers to keep a small company alive, but it's the death knell for platforms from larger, established companies with demanding shareholders.

So far, the whole Windows Phone experiment has been a disaster for Microsoft (and Nokia). They've had to pour so much money into Windows Phone just to keep it alive that it will take them 5-10 years before they will ever make any profit on the platform - and that's assuming it actually takes off. If it continues to muddle as it does now, it will remain a huge money pit - and at some point, shareholders and the new CEO will question its existence.

Microsoft considered renaming Internet Explorer

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-15 Internet Explorer 36 Comments

Microsoft has had "passionate" discussions about renaming Internet Explorer to distance the browser from its tarnished image, according to answers from members of the developer team given in a reddit Ask Me Anything session today.

In spite of significant investment in the browser - with the result that Internet Explorer 11 is really quite good - many still regard the browser with contempt, soured on it by the lengthy period of neglect that came after the release of the once-dominant version 6. Microsoft has been working to court developers and get them to give the browser a second look, but the company still faces an uphill challenge.

Windows Phone faces the same problem. I'm fairly certain 'a Windows phone' just sounds dirty to many people, associating it with viruses and other issues from the past. Can't blame them.

Samsung announces Galaxy Alpha

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-14 Wireless 21 Comments

Samsung has officially announced its first metal phone in a very long time: the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. Normally, Samsung goes all-out in the specs department and puts all the pieces in a plastic case - but the Galaxy Alpha is all about design over specs.

Or, as I like to call it, the Samsung Galaxy Oh Crap.

Simplifying the bull: how Picasso helps to teach Apple’s style

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-12 Apple 45 Comments

Steven P. Jobs established Apple University as a way to inculcate employees into Apple’s business culture and educate them about its history, particularly as the company grew and the tech business changed. Courses are not required, only recommended, but getting new employees to enroll is rarely a problem.

Although many companies have such internal programs, sometimes referred to as indoctrination, Apple's version is a topic of speculation and fascination in the tech world.

Mildly interesting puff piece on Apple, but what I found kind of hilarious is how the author chose Apple's mice as a shining example of Apple's philosophy. Apple makes some great, defining products - but Apple's mice are absolutely horrible. The little mice timeline also curiously omits the most horrible mouse in computer history.

About 7-10 years ago, I was talking to a sales person at the oldest and then-largest Apple retail chain in my country (founded by the first Dutchman to own a Mac). The sales person was obviously a fervent Apple fan, but as we were detailing my Mac purchase, he said "do you want an Apple mouse, or a mouse that works?"

The first thing I do when I buy a new Mac is toss out the Apple mouse.

Submitted by shotsman 2014-08-11 Microsoft 23 Comments

When Microsoft announced its plans to scrap its Asha feature phones and shift its Android-based Nokia X to Windows, it appeared the company might be getting out of the low-end phone business entirely.

That's apparently not the case, though, as Microsoft is introducing the Nokia 130, a 19 euro ($25) cellphone that lacks an Internet connection but includes the ability to play digital music and movies along with an FM radio and flashlight. The new device sits in between the even more basic Nokia 105 and the Nokia 220, which does have some Internet abilities.

I'm glad Microsoft will continue to make phones like this. They are very important in large parts of the world, and these are the kinds of phones that made it possible for Nokia to bring the mobile phone to every corner of the world.

Xiaomi fixes privacy leak on Redmi 1s

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-11 Privacy, Security 3 Comments

A recent article in Taiwan and a related report by F-Secure raised privacy concerns by stating that Xiaomi devices are sending phone numbers to Xiaomi's servers. These concerns refer to the MIUI Cloud Messaging service described above. As we believe it is our top priority to protect user data and privacy, we have decided to make MIUI Cloud Messaging an opt-in service and no longer automatically activate users. We have scheduled an OTA system update for today (Aug 10th) to implement this change. After the upgrade, new users or users who factory reset their devices can enable the service by visiting "Settings > Mi Cloud > Cloud Messaging" from their home screen or "Settings > Cloud Messaging" inside the Messaging app - these are also the places where users can turn off Cloud Messaging.

We apologize for any concern caused to our users and Mi fans. We would also like to thank the media and users who have been sending us feedback and suggestions, allowing us to improve and provide better Internet services.

Fast response, but it's exactly this kind of shitty behaviour that especially a Chinese company simply cannot afford out here in the west. If Microsoft, Apple, or Google does something like this, they'll have armies of defenders and a huge PR department to solve it. Upcoming Chinese companies are generally much, much leaner and do not have that at all.

In any case, you're generally much better off with a custom ROM anyway, and this just yet another reason.

Judge rejects $324.5 million settlement over Apple, Google hiring

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-08 Legal 56 Comments

Four Silicon Valley companies including Apple and Google failed to persuade a U.S. judge to sign off on a $324.5 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit by tech workers, who accused the firms of conspiring to avoid poaching each other's employees.

In a ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, said the class action settlement was too low, given the strength of the case against the companies. Intel and Adobe were also part of the proposed deal.

Good on her.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Eric Schmidt, Tim Cook, and the other criminals behind this crime belong in jail. If a poor member of a minority steals a wallet, he gets jail time. Rich CEOs steal hundreds of millions - and if you do the math, it actually comes down to billions - and they can get away with a paltry sum and walk free.

This is unfair and unjust. Eric Schmidt, Tim Cook, and the others are criminals. They belong in jail.

Submitted by themwagency 2014-08-08 Apple 4 Comments

Apple Inc products such as laptops and tablets are not banned from Chinese government procurement lists, according to the country's chief procurement center, refuting a report claiming Apple was blacklisted on national security concerns.

According to a Bloomberg News report published on Wednesday, 10 Apple products, including MacBook laptops and iPad tablets, were taken off a government list of approved hardware due to security concerns.

The Central Government Procurement Centre, as well as the finance ministry and Apple, said the company never applied to be on the list in the first place.

Earlier reports were wrong.

Sailfish port for Nexus 5 released

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-08 Wireless 5 Comments

If you have a Nexus 5 you can experiment with, you can now experiment with Sailfish OS. A community port has been released, and while it's clearly not stable or anywhere near production-ready, it's still interesting to try out on your Nexus 5. It's not feature-complete, and several things don't yet work, but it's getting there.

The flashing instructions are pretty straightforward - in a nutshell, flash CyanogenMod, flash Sailfish on top of it, done. It's weekend, so have fun!

NuttX becomes tickless

Submitted by Alan C. de Assis 2014-08-08 OS News 18 Comments

Some of the recent discussions on this forum regarding "Tickless OS" support NuttX inspired me. So I implemented it! It really was not that difficult... About a day and a half of work with only a few spills and chills.

I did all of the testing on the NuttX simulator using the OS test. I built in a simulated interval timer for the simulator and ran the OS test against the tickless OS support. The OS test is probably more exhaustive than what the typical application does so I am fairly confident in the implementation. Of course the simulator can miss certain classes of bugs.

NuttX is a 32bit embedded realtime operating system, licensed as open source under the BSD license.

Microsoft has lost about $1.7 billion on Surface so far

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-07 Windows 78 Comments

Microsoft continued to lose money on its Surface tablets throughout its just-concluded 2014 fiscal year, adding hundreds of millions of dollars in red ink and boosting total losses to $1.7 billion since the device's 2012 launch.

It doesn't look like Surface has really been working out for Microsoft. I think the hardware's pretty great, the software is well below par (as a tablet!), but yet, people aren't buying them. Combined with Windows Phone's and Nokia's inability to make any form of profit, it looks like Microsoft's 'devices' focus has been a pretty big failure. At the glacial pace with which Lumia sales are growing, it might take the company several years before turning a profit and recouping all the investments made (e.g. Nokia acquisition).

Android L to bring multi-account support to phones

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-06 Android 19 Comments

Earlier today, someone decided to post to the Android issue tracker complaining about the lack of multiuser support for smartphones. Within a few hours, a developer at Google responded and closed the issue, remarking that "the development team has implemented this feature and it will be available as a part of the next public build." Sounds pretty definitive to us.

On tablets, the use case for multiple accounts (of course, Android has always been multiuser) is clear. The device is often shared among family members, so each user having her or his own account is very useful. For smartphones, though, this feature seems more for business use cases than for home user, where most people will have their own phone.

Pretty sure business users are going to love this: one device, two accounts. One for work, one for play.

China bans iPads, MacBooks from government use

Thom Holwerda 2014-08-06 Apple 25 Comments

China's government excluded Apple Inc. iPads and MacBook laptops from the list of products that can be bought with public money because of security concerns, according to government officials familiar with the matter.

Windows 8 was already banned from Chinese government computers.

I can't really blame the Chinese government. American companies have cooperated very closely with the US intelligence industry, so it was only a matter of time before the Chinese government started doing to American companies what the American government did to Chinese companies.

The several billion dollars question formulated in one word: iPhone?