https://techpad.in/ Tech news, tutorials, and personal notes from techpad. en-us Sat, 30 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/30/google-now-android-4-1-jelly-bean/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/30/google-now-android-4-1-jelly-bean/ Google just announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at I/O, and Google Now might finally be the killer feature that gives Android a real edge over iOS. But Google's track record makes me nervous about betting on it. Sat, 30 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/29/ios6-apple-maps-decision/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/29/ios6-apple-maps-decision/ Apple's decision to replace Google Maps with their own mapping service in iOS 6 is ambitious, but nobody can stop thinking about how much this could go wrong. Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/28/surface-keyboard-skepticism/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/28/surface-keyboard-skepticism/ Microsoft revealed the Surface tablet with a keyboard-cover hybrid, but the author questions whether fabric buttons and Windows on a tablet is actually what the market wants. Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/27/ios6-maps-beta-impressions/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/27/ios6-maps-beta-impressions/ Apple's decision to rip out Google Maps and build its own for iOS 6 is half-baked and kind of a mess right now. But there's something oddly exciting about watching a giant company admit it's still learning. Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/26/apple-maps-cost-grudge-ios6/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/26/apple-maps-cost-grudge-ios6/ Apple's decision to dump Google Maps from iOS 6 feels petty. But the real question is whether their own maps engine is actually ready to take over one of the most critical features on the iPhone. Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/24/apple-maps-ios6-disaster/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/24/apple-maps-ios6-disaster/ Apple's decision to dump Google Maps in favor of its own mapping service in iOS 6 is ballsy and probably going to be a mess. But honestly, the web needs Apple to take risks like this, even if it crashes and burns. Sun, 24 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/21/microsoft-surface-tablet-announcement/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/21/microsoft-surface-tablet-announcement/ Microsoft announced its own tablet three days ago. After years of letting partners handle hardware, Redmond is making a bet that nobody saw coming. Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/20/apple-leaves-google-behind-wwdc-2012/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/20/apple-leaves-google-behind-wwdc-2012/ WWDC 2012 wasn't just about incremental updates. Apple announced iOS 6 with a brand new Maps app, dropping Google Maps entirely—a bold move signaling Apple's shift toward building its own services. Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/19/apple-maps-not-google/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/19/apple-maps-not-google/ Apple's ditching Google Maps in iOS 6 and replacing it with their own solution. It'll be rough at first, but it's the right move for long-term control. Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/18/apple-maps-ios6-google/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/18/apple-maps-ios6-google/ Apple dropped Google Maps from iOS 6 to use their own mapping service. I get the strategic play, but I'm genuinely worried about what this means for users. Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/17/apple-maps-ios6-goodbye-google/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/17/apple-maps-ios6-goodbye-google/ Apple's ditching Google Maps in iOS 6. They're replacing it with their own mapping system, and I'm skeptical it's ready. Sun, 17 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/13/macbook-retina-display-web-design/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/13/macbook-retina-display-web-design/ Apple's new MacBook Pro Retina display raises an uncomfortable question for web designers: when your development machine has twice the pixel density, can you trust what you're actually building? Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/12/apple-dumps-google-maps-ios-6/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/12/apple-dumps-google-maps-ios-6/ Apple announced yesterday that iOS 6 will ditch Google's Maps in favor of its own mapping solution. It's a bold move that nobody really asked for, and I'm genuinely not sure they're ready for it. Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/11/wwdc-2012-starts-today/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/11/wwdc-2012-starts-today/ Apple's annual developer conference kicks off this morning. After months of rumors, we're finally going to hear what iOS 6 actually includes—and what Tim Cook's been planning for the Mac. Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/10/facebook-mobile-ipo-aftermath/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/10/facebook-mobile-ipo-aftermath/ Three weeks after Facebook's IPO, the stock is tanking and everyone's suddenly asking the uncomfortable question: how does a company make money on phones? Sun, 10 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/09/facebook-ipo-hangover-june-2012/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/09/facebook-ipo-hangover-june-2012/ Three weeks after Facebook's disastrous IPO, the questions aren't about its business—they're about whether anyone actually learned what a company is worth. Sat, 09 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/05/android-phone-compromise-june-2012/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/05/android-phone-compromise-june-2012/ Ive spent the last six months jumping between Android phones trying to find one that doesn't make me want to throw it. Spoiler: I haven't found it yet. Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/04/android-recommendation-fatigue/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/04/android-recommendation-fatigue/ The Android market has fractured so badly that there's no single phone I can honestly recommend to friends anymore. Manufacturers keep chasing specs while drowning the OS in custom skins. Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/03/facebook-mobile-ad-problem/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/03/facebook-mobile-ad-problem/ Two weeks into Facebook's disastrous public life, the real issue isn't investor hype—it's that their entire advertising model is broken on phones. Sun, 03 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/02/google-io-2012-android-future/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/02/google-io-2012-android-future/ Google I/O wrapped yesterday, and they made some genuinely bold moves. The Nexus 7 is coming, and Google Now might finally be the voice assistant that actually feels useful. Sat, 02 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/06/01/facebooks-ipo-isnt-a-tech-story/ https://techpad.in/2012/06/01/facebooks-ipo-isnt-a-tech-story/ Two weeks after Facebook's IPO disaster, the real issue isn't hype or bad timing—it's that we still don't know how to make money from mobile. Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/05/31/facebook-ipo-morgan-stanley-selective-disclosure/ https://techpad.in/2012/05/31/facebook-ipo-morgan-stanley-selective-disclosure/ The Facebook stock drop isn't the real story from its IPO. The real story is that Morgan Stanley quietly cut its revenue estimates and only told its big clients before the shares even started trading. Thu, 31 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/05/30/error-37-and-a-capsule-that-actually-worked/ https://techpad.in/2012/05/30/error-37-and-a-capsule-that-actually-worked/ A week of getting locked out of Diablo III by Error 37, and getting unexpectedly hooked on NASA TV as SpaceX's Dragon capsule berthed with the ISS. Wed, 30 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/05/29/raspberry-pi-first-boot-setup/ https://techpad.in/2012/05/29/raspberry-pi-first-boot-setup/ A walkthrough of finally getting my long-delayed Raspberry Pi board up and running, from imaging the SD card to first boot, including the power supply mistake nobody warns you about. Tue, 29 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/05/27/alarm-for-a-robot-arm-dragon-iss/ https://techpad.in/2012/05/27/alarm-for-a-robot-arm-dragon-iss/ I got up at 5:30am to watch a NASA livestream of the Dragon capsule getting grabbed by a robot arm, and it made me think about how bad we still are at streaming the moments that actually matter. Sun, 27 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/05/25/watched-canadarm2-catch-dragon-before-coffee/ https://techpad.in/2012/05/25/watched-canadarm2-catch-dragon-before-coffee/ I got up early to watch SpaceX's Dragon capsule get grabbed by the ISS's robot arm, and it was a much better tech story than another week of Facebook stock headlines. Fri, 25 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/05/24/error-37-diablo-3-nine-days-later/ https://techpad.in/2012/05/24/error-37-diablo-3-nine-days-later/ Nine days into Diablo III, still annoyed about Error 37 and the always-online requirement, plus a quick aside on Facebook's sliding stock price. Thu, 24 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/05/23/two-3am-alarms-for-one-rocket-launch/ https://techpad.in/2012/05/23/two-3am-alarms-for-one-rocket-launch/ Two 3 AM alarms this week for one Falcon 9 launch, a scrub half a second before liftoff, and why I think SpaceX's Dragon flight deserves more attention than it's getting. Wed, 23 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/05/22/3am-dragon-launch/ https://techpad.in/2012/05/22/3am-dragon-launch/ I woke up at 3 AM to watch SpaceX launch the Dragon capsule live, three days after the first attempt aborted with half a second left on the clock. Tue, 22 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT https://techpad.in/2012/05/21/half-a-second-from-liftoff/ https://techpad.in/2012/05/21/half-a-second-from-liftoff/ I got up at 4:15 a.m. to watch SpaceX try to launch Dragon to the ISS, and it aborted half a second before liftoff. Some thoughts on that, plus a Diablo III error 37 rant. Mon, 21 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT