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Life Scholar β€’ World Philosopher
Soul Uplifter β€’ Tech Strategist
Art Curator β€’ Sport Analyst

Make Apple TV, Not Airplay TV

This is a response to a great blog post by Joe Hewitt entitled Airplay TV.

Thoughts

  • I agree that it won't matter if people have cable or DVDs in the future when the real IPTV comes, which looks to be more about apps on smart TV devices which could eliminate the need for a traditional set top box with "On Demand" or "IPTV" services.
  • However, I wonder if Airplay isn't just a temporary solution, though a pretty good temporary one.
  • The real improvement to some of the limitations he talks about may come with a new version of Apple TV that doesn't need Airplay and another iOS device to work, but just works on its own with its own user interface improvements.

Features

  • A version of iOS with an improved user interface which works with the remote from 10 feet away.
  • Its own App Store for apps and games which work with the remote.
  • Possibly a "TV" app that has a guide with content providers for live channels as well as previous archived shows for a price.
  • Possibly a camera and microphone for FaceTime and Siri input as well.

October 26th, 2011

Allow Designs To Be Copied

Maybe I don't value law as much as most people do or understand how and why patent or other laws work. But all I can think about after hearing of the $1 billion verdict awarded to Apple is that I don't think Apple should have chose to sue Samsung in the first place. It may help them to survive and prosper over the short term and allow them to feel justified that it was proven that someone copied their design. But in the end it just doesn't feel right to me how they handled it, and regardless of the law, I don't think it was the right thing to do.

They come across as a big company that is greedy and willing to criticize other companies and people who are trying to compete and create companies and products that allow people outside of Apple to earn a living. Even if everyone is stealing from them, I just don't feel that going to the extent they have will be rewarding in the long haul for them or for others. I guess, really what I'm saying is that the patent system is flawed. But even though Apple is playing by those rules, suing other companies may not be the best strategy.

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Choose To Be Happy

Choose to be happy with your current situation and life, as research has shown happiness may come down to your attitude and perception, not our faulty estimation of what we think we want, even big changes like getting a dream job, goal, partner, or money.

  • Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, challenges the idea that we'll be miserable if we don't get what we want.
  • Our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things don't go as planned.

The Surprising Science Of Happiness - Dan Gilbert - YouTube

Eliminate Mouseovers And Tooltips

I don't like pop ups, tooltips, mouseover menus, and information popups used in the design of software and websites.

On Windows 95 and 98 I used a program called TweakUI to disable tooltips throughout the operating system, but I miss it when using Windows 7. So I don't think I have ever really liked tooltips or mouseovers, but having used iOS for a couple years now I feel even stronger about this. I feel that tooltips or anything that automatically pops up in a little window or changes the interface when you move your mouse over it is distracting to the user interface and gets in the way of the user interacting with the computer. I think if software and websites were designed completely without mouse rollover effects and tooltip popups that the user's experience with computers would benefit greatly.

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