July 8th, 2008
Why does Adobe Lightroom look so different than its content-creation cousins?
In a recent video interview, Adobe Lightroom UI designer Phil Clevenger talks about what it takes to make a user interface and the evolution of the digital photo editing product.
The interview was posted on the blog of Lightroom marketing manager Frederick Johnson of San Francisco.
Clevenger worked on MetaCreations’ KTP Bryce and Photo Soap. (For those that are too young to remember them, the Kai Krause inspired products had a different UI sensibility. They were unlike the usual bread-and-butter programs of the day, or even today. An acquired taste for some.)
So, what are the qualities of a good UI engineer? His work on KTP Bryce provided the checklist.
Clevenger said that the first version of KTP Bryce was designed by an engineer for other engineers. While the results that could be had from the sofware was compelling, it wasn’t a program that “lay people,” including Clevenger himself, could use. The software needed to be taken apart, he said.
“I thought that it took men in white lab coats with very thick glasses and slide rules. [Instead] it takes an ear [to hear] what people need and the willingness to stand up and say ‘this needs to be different.” You know, it takes a thick skin. And some follow-through. … I really love the process.”
Clevenger said that the Lightroom interface was devised out of thin air. The team waqs “determined not to use any legacy Adobe frameworks or UI conventions, so it was a completely open book.”
July 8th, 2008
Apple touts iPhone 3G and Personal Setup service
In an email set to Mac.com/MobileMe members touts Apple’s launch of the iPhone 3G at 8am at Apple’s U.S. retail stores and a Personal Setup service where an Apple Specialist will “help you choose your phone, selecte a rate plan, and – best of all – have your new iPhone 3G ready to make calls, browse the web, and receive email right on the spot.” Could be an advantage over picking one up at the AT&T store, but them again, there aren’t exactly a ton of phone options to chose from…
July 8th, 2008
No lines here: O2 delivering iPhone 3G in UK via courier
While most of us will have to wait in line if we want to get an iPhone 3G on Friday O2 (in the UK) will be delivering iPhones on Friday to those that signed up via their online Web form (pictured).
Not a bad service and undoubtedly better than standing in line at 7am and then having to deal with phone store employees.
Anyone from the UK care to comment on the service?
(Tip: Michael Miller)
July 8th, 2008
iPhone hacked to run Flash Lite
According to a post over at Gizmodo, Belgian programmer Thomas Joos has hacked together a way to run Flash Lite on the iPhone. It requires a lot of work, mostly via b.Tween and eyeGT and its not sanctioned by either Adobe or Apple, but either way it gives us hope that some day flash will come to iPhone.
More information is in Joos’ blog post on the topic.
July 8th, 2008
Portuguese iPhone 3G unboxed
iPhone 3G won’t be on sale for another two and a half days (one and a half if you’re lucky enough to be in New Zealand) but some of the crew at iPhone Portugal got their mitts on an iPhone 3G – in full retail packaging – early and unboxed it.
Guys, we love you and everything, but you could have wiped off the back of the phone before taking the pics? Sheesh.
Three more pics at iPhone Portugal.
(Tip: Neal Hoskins)
July 8th, 2008
Softbank announces iPhone 3G rate plans for Japan
The iPhone 3G will be available in Japan on 11 July 2008 at 12 noon, but unlike in the United States, it will not be sold at the Apple Store Japan. Instead iPhone 3G will be sold by local carrier SoftBank Mobile Corp. (SMB) who has issued a press release with information on its 3G rate plans. The flagship SoftBank Shop at Omotesando will have their iPhone 3G launch early, beginning at 7:00am. One fan, shi3z, has posted a live UStream video of the store (which is offline at the moment). (Tip: Mitsunobu)
Update: iPhone in Japan is covering the local iPhone 3G news.
July 7th, 2008
MobileMe officially launching on 09 July
Apple is planning to launch its MobileMe service on Wednesday 09 July 2008 between 6pm and 12am PT (9pm and 3am ET) according to a post in the Support area of the left sidebar of .Mac, once you’ve logged in:
MobileMe Launch
7/9/2008, 6pm-12am PTAs part of the MobileMe launch, www.mac.com will be taken offline at 6pm PT on Wednesday, July 9th.
Members will be unable to access www.mac.com or any .Mac services during this time with the exception of .Mac Mail accessed via a desktop application, iPhone, or iPod touch.
MobileMe will be available as soon as possible during this maintenance window.
(Tip: MacRumors; Image Credit: Ars Technica)
Loading …July 7th, 2008
iFixIt is traveling to New Zealand to be the first to tear down iPhone 3G
And I thought that I was obsessive.
I’ll be heading to the Apple store in Atlantic City at 7 a.m. on Friday to cover iDay 3G with fellow PowerPage podcaster Rob Parker but just being in the eastern time zone isn’t soon enough for some people. The freaks over at iFixIt (actually, I love ‘em) are traveling to New Zealand to be the first to get their hands on (and subsequently tear open) the iPhone 3G.
iFixit is traveling to New Zealand! We will be live blogging the disassembly of an iPhone 3G immediately after its worldwide debut at 12:01 AM NZST, July 11 (5:01 AM PST, July 10). We will post live images and descriptions of the disassembly as we go. Our technicians will also be analyzing the internals and posting component descriptions and design analysis.
To be notified as soon as we begin disassembly, sign up for a notification e-mail or subscribe to our twitter feed.
The live disassembly will also be posted at www.iFixit.com/First-Look/iPhone3G. “We’re really excited to be going to New Zealand, and taking apart the iPhone should be fun, too. It’s going to be fascinating to see what Apple’s changed inside to add 3G and GPS,” commented Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit. “We’ll be posting internal photos as fast as we can take them.”
It’s funny, because Engadget posted a note daring people to go. The round trip ticket is about US$1,800 last minute, just in case you were wondering.
Update: The first stores in the world that will be selling the iPhone 3G according to New Zealand Mac Guide are:
- Vodafone - 171 Queen St, Auckland City
- Vodafone - 358 Lambton Quay, Wellington
- Vodafone - 681 Colombo St, Christchurch
Anyone got some extra frequent miles that are expiring?
July 7th, 2008
Apple and AT&T selling iPhone 3G at 8am on Friday
A new graphic on the front page of the Apple Retail Web site confirms that the iPhone 3G will go on sale beginning at 8 a.m. local time at Apple’s retail stores. My local Apple store usually opens at 11 a.m. Calls to several local AT&T stores confirms that they too will begin selling the iPhone 3G at 8 a.m. local time – which is about an hour earlier than their usual 9 a.m. opening times.
July 7th, 2008
Vodafone Portugal’s iPhone 3G rates
Vodafone Portugal just posted these iPhone 3G rates. Notice the paltry 250MB of downloads permitted. (Tip: Neal Hoskins).
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