January 26, 2012
"

iBooks AuthorがなぜePub3フォーマットを出力しないのかという議論がウェブで賑わっていますが、簡単に言うとiBooks Authorはいわゆる電子書籍を作るものじゃないからと言うのが一番良い答えではないかと思います。ePub3の主眼は、印刷された書籍のレイアウトの自由度を電子書籍に持つ込むかです。日本語のルビ対応や縦書き対応というのも、印刷された書籍を再現するという次元の話です。インタラクティブなマルチメディア体験をePub3でもある程度は作れるみたいですが、まだまだの印象です。

一方、アップルが目指しているのは紙媒体に代わる電子書籍を作ろうというものではないと思います。紙媒体ではとうてい実現できないマルチメディアのアプリを、プログラミングすることなく作れるようにすることが目標だったのではないでしょうか。

既存の書籍に変わろうというのがePub3。デジタルの可能性を思いっきり広げようというのがiBooks Author。全く違う考え方です。

"

— iBooks Authorは電子書籍ではなくブックアプリを作るソフト。だからePub3じゃない。 at バイオの買物.com 制作者の頭の中

12:11am
January 25, 2012
"

That’s worth noting for a few reasons:

  1. Apple is clearly outselling the competition. Apple TV might be a hobby, but it’s already the top-selling device in its class. The next-best-selling Roku streaming boxes have sold 2.5 million units over the past three years, compared to Apple’s 4.2 million units in about half the time.
  2. There’s pent-up demand for the mythical “iTV.” Apple is expected to introduce a connected TV soon — possibly later this year — and Apple TV’s sales show that users are already interested in the company’s user interface and services that would likely be available on it.
  3. Users want Internet connectivity and access to streaming content on their TVs but might not be willing to buy a new set to get it. Last week, I wrote about how the latest batch of connected TVs from manufacturers like Sony, Samsung, Vizio and others probably won’t convince consumers to upgrade in the near term, but software improvements are likely to come soon. In the meantime, Apple TV is a good stopgap for those not quite ready to jump on the connected TV bandwagon.
"

— GigaOM - Why Apple TV is finally starting to matter (via pdl2h)

(via pdl2h)

6:14pm
(Notes: 1)
  
January 25, 2012
"Google today announced a new privacy policy and new terms of service that will take effect on March 1 and eliminate some 60-odd disparate policies across its myriad services. The new policies — admittedly inspired by federal demands for less-confusing documents — seemingly covers the entirety of Google save for Chrome, Wallet and Books. But fewer separate policies also means less privacy for some as Google finally delivers on its vision of a unified platform."

— GigaOM - Google delivers a unified platform via new privacy policy (via pdl2h)

(via pdl2h)

6:14pm
(Notes: 1)
  
January 25, 2012
"

「音楽をすることが怖い人」が恐怖を克服するための方法のひとつに「決まったことを決まった通りにしていたら安心」という心理があるため、「決まったとおりにタイミングよくボタンを押す」というのは心理的に非常に楽だったのではないかと思います。

「Wii Music」は「音楽をするのが好きな人」が「もっと自由に、もっと自分らしく音楽をすると楽しい」と思って作ったのですが、任天堂をもってしても「音楽をするのが怖い人」を導くには何かが足りなかったようです。

"

— ueBLOG | 音楽会議5 YAMAHA Y2Project ハモラボ発表 (via otsune) (via pdl2h) (via umi82mizuiro) (via nemoi)

6:14pm
(Notes: 117)
  
January 25, 2012
"

Apple spent $17.3 billion on semiconductors in 2011, driven mostly by the popularity of the iPhone, iPad and solid-state drives that ship by default with its MacBook Air. Apple’s spending increased 35 percent from 2010, when it spent $12.8 billion on semiconductors. HP, which had spent $17.6 billion in 2010, saw its PC shipments decline 16.2 percent year over year in the fourth quarter of 2011. That, combined with a lackluster year overall for PCs, drove HP’s spending down to $16.6 billion in 2011.

It is no coincidence that Apple’s biggest competition on the mobile device front was also its closest rival when it came to semiconductor spending. Samsung spent $16.7 billion in 2011, a 9 percent increase over its spending in 2011.

"

— GigaOM - Apple takes the semiconductor spending crown as mobiles trump PCs (via pdl2h)

(via pdl2h)

6:14pm
(Notes: 1)