Thomas S. Nielsen's blog

Yes, all the statements above are now facts. My iPhone app is happily waiting to be reviewed by the Apple fairies, my homemade inventory system is now working hard remembering all the hardware serial numbers at work, and just about an hour ago, a pack of pigs flew by my window. An awesome day, in other words.

Okay, one of the above might be a little questionable. But whatever. Let’s celebrate this great day in history by watching a great movie.

Yes, you heard it here first: I am getting close to completing my first iPhone app! The functionality is nearly complete, and it looks great so far! Here is the todo list of remaining stuff:

• Refine interface
• Find that last memory leak
• Find out why it crashes at one function call
• Test on real device (not in simulator)
• Get through Apple’s approval process
• ???
• Profit

And you know you will read it here first when it launches. So check in regularly!

You’ve probably heard a lot of myths about Apple over the years, knowingly or not. Here are the most common ones, and why they aren’t true.

Macs have only one mouse button

No they don’t. Previously they did, then Apple added support for two-button mice, and now their own mice have many buttons.

The Apple Magic Mouse can even be configured with as many buttons and gestures you can imagine using third party software, like MagicPrefs.

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iPhone doesn’t do (insert feature here)

Most likely it does. MMS? Yes. Tethering? Yes. Multitasking? Yes. It is just a question of how far you want to go with your iPhone.

With the 3.0 software update, Apple implemented almost everything people complained about: Cut and paste, MMS, tethering and more. It also does partial multitasking, but if you want you can get full multitasking with doing a jailbreak.

I would advice not to jailbreak because of warranty and battery life, but go ahead if you feel adventurous. That said, I believe the next iPhone and the iSlate will have full multitasking.

Steve Jobs is dying

No he is not. He was ill last year, but he is healthy now. He wouldn’t be announcing products if Apple was getting ready to live without him.

If you don’t believe me, check this awesome site: http://www.isstevejobsdead.com/

Macs are more expensive than PCs

Sometimes. But if you buy a Mac at release, they are most likely similarly priced to their PC equivalents. And that is not even considering all the Mac-only features, like MagSafe, OS X, multitouch trackpad, better battery, and more.

Apple are control freaks

Apple's 1984 ad

Sort of. But they want control because they think they can make better selling products that way. For example the iPhone is still immune to viruses, unlike Windows Mobile and Symbian OS. If you think Apple want to own you, you are wrong. I would be more afraid of Microsoft’s lock-in tactics or Google’s privacy invading operations. You can always export your content from Apple’s software quite easily, unlike much of Microsoft’s software.

Steve Jobs can walk on water

No he can’t. At least not as far as we know.

There are so many rumors out there right now about an Apple tablet that you can easily get confused. As a self-proclaimed techoholic I will give you my summary of the most credible rumors combined with my own assumptions.

Apple will announce the iSlate tablet January 27. It will ship in March. This will fit well with Apple’s non-computing release cycles: Spring (iSlate), summer (iPhone), fall (iPod).

• Name: iSlate
• Form factor: slate (aka a portable touchscreen with a computer hidden inside)
• Most probable hardware:
  • 7-11″ multitouch screen
    • Possibly e-ink and oled/lcd hybrid
  • Arm processor
    • Likely multicore (2 or 4 cores)
    • Probably designed or influenced by PA-semi (bought by Apple)
    • 1Ghz or faster
  • Powerful graphics
    • Tegra 2, iPhone 3GS-like or PA-semi designed
    • Capable of OpenGL or OpenGL ES2
  • Operating system and software
    • Based on OS X, somewhere between Snow Leopard and iPhone OS 3.0 (or 4.0)
    • Can run iPhone software, either as windowed applications or as widgets
    • Multitasking. Will run several iPhone apps at once.
    • Comes with much more powerful software than the iPhone
    • Some kind of e-reader software
    • App Store
  • Great battery – 8 hours or more.
    • Great standby time
    • Battery-saving reading mode. Possibly e-ink hybrid
  • Design and hardware
    • Extremely thin
    • Lightweight
    • Thin bezel around the screen
    • Not too far from the iPhone design
    • A couple of needed buttons (power, volume, possibly home button)
    • Camera, possibly in front for video chat
    • Wifi and bluetooth
    • Possibly 3G, or a version with 3G
    • No stylus
  • Price
    • Unexpected (low)
    • My guess: $499-$699
    • Bundled with 3G plan: $299-$499

Unlikely specs I want:

• First device with Light Peak
• USB 3.0 host (can use external drives++)
• HDMI or mini displayport connector
• Extreme battery (24 hours of use)
• Can run software not purchased in App Store

In an CES event that surprised most of us, Palm today announced enough news to make me reconsider the perception that the Pre was just a dud.

Palm has made it possible to use C++ to develop parts of their programs, suddenly making 3D games possible. They also announced that powerhouses EA games and Gameloft will be launching games for the Pre.

They also announced video recording, flash 10 beta (both coming in February), a hotspot tethering app (share your 3G wia wifi), and other news for developers.

For a full rundown of all the news, check out Engadgets Live event coverage.

Palm also announced Pre+ and Pixi+ devices for Verizon wireless. Still no word about any launch here in the land of the polar bears though, so I probably won’t be touching one any time soon. I will however keep my eyes out for any announcement, as I never pass up the chance to play with some new hardware.