Kyle LeBoeuf

I was checking out some stuff on Apple’s website this evening and noticed that they made some interesting tweaks to the “Why Mac?” page. Scroll down on the page and hover your mouse on the reasons to get a Mac. Slick.

[Link]

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to write, but things have been so busy and I haven’t really had that chance. There’s some exciting developments around the corner though that I hope to be writing more about soon.

I recently accepted an offer to return to The Orchard, working in their IT division, and started my new job last week. I love it. I am once again working with a platform and group of products that I have come to know and love.

I am also going to be assisting in the rebirth of the Lafayette-area MacMeetings, known now as the Lafayette Area Macintosh User Group (LAFMUG). I’ll be running the blog there and flexing my social media chops through Facebook and Twitter, so keep an eye out!

You can follow me @Kyleleboeuf and I’ll also be tweeting occasionally through @lafmug.

You can also keep up with me here of course. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be working a complete site redesign, so be on the lookout!

Thanks for reading,

Kyle

Rumors about Verizon’s entry into the iPhone fray began almost as soon as the iPhone was announced. Even with the AT&T exclusivity agreement in place, everyone knew that it would only be a matter of time before Verizon would carry the device.

Now that’s finally arriving, I have a few thoughts about this. I’ve written about this subject several times, especially when the rumors reached fever pitch (which has happened a few times a year since the iPhone launched in ’07). Every time this subject has come up, my thoughts were always the same: the iPhone will bring Verizon’s network to it’s knees, just like it did to AT&T.

AT&T’s issues are related directly to the success of the iPhone. The iPhone brought a massive influx of data-hungry devices (and users) to the network in a very short amount of time. I don’t care how well you think you’ve prepared, network technology in place today is simply not built to handle such a massive influx at once. Network technology is built to scale over time, meaning network capacity grows with the demand, but having such a large increase in demand in such a short time usually leaves the network unprepared.

People are saying that Verizon has known for a few years about the iPhone. You think that AT&T didn’t? You don’t think that maybe AT&T was doing the best IT could to prepare for the iPhone? And the device wasn’t nearly as popular then as it is now.

I’m sorry, but nothing anyone can say will convince me that the iPhone won’t do the same thing to Verizon that it did to AT&T. The best thing about Verizon coming to the iPhone fray is that it will provide some balance and allow the networks to be stable. By giving customers a choice and not limiting them to a single carrier, it becomes easier for each carrier involved to handle the load, because they aren’t the exclusive carrier for the device.

To the complainers, I say this: go ahead and switch. You’ll free up bandwidth and lines for those of us that are sticking with AT&T. Oh, and I like to use my data and make phone calls at the same time.

I’m going to a) steal a page from my friend Julie Emerson and b) break away from my usual motif here on this blog and discuss some NFL.

My friend Julie likes to talk about her picks, which you can find here. Thought I would offer my own right here on the blog.

I’ll start this article with a bit of commentary on the Colts/Titans game, since that game was played already. Scroll down to see a quick summary without reading all of my commentary.

Colts at Titans (Thursday Night Game): Final Score: 28-21
The football world can calm down now. The world is balanced once again. Peyton Manning was Peyton Manning and the Titans are clearly spiraling out of control. I have two thoughts on this game. First-off, I never really doubted that Peyton Manning was going to make a comeback. He’s Peyton Manning. He’s a machine. Being an elite quarterback is more then just winning your football games and playing at a high level. If you’re an elite quarterback, when your game seems to be a little off, you find out what you’re doing wrong, and you bounce back. I see Indy winning out the rest of the season and securing their rightful place as 1st in the AFC South.

My second thought concerns Randy Moss. If you go through all of the trouble of getting the troubled but talented receiver, why do you never get him the ball? Randy clearly wants to play. You can see it in his face as he watches the game from the sideline. Jeff Fisher argues that because he plays the same position as Kenny Britt, the starter, Moss only gets a few reps, but I promise you that Moss, even at this point in his career, is a more talented wideout then Kenny Britt. If you own Randy Moss, you have to use Randy Moss. It should be a rule.

Browns at Bills: 12PM CST
This game to me seems like a snoozer. Both teams aren’t really going anywhere this off season and the Bills look like they are now competing with Cincinnati, Detroit, and Carolina for the 1st pick in the 2011 draft. Most sources are claiming that Jake Delhomme will get the start for Cleveland. Nothing to see here for this game, but I pick Cleveland to win by 3.

Packers at Lions: 12 PM CST
At first glance this game looks like a severe mismatch. Aaron Rodgers and that staunch Green Bay defense verses an ailing Detroit team with Drew Stanton as their quarterback, but this game is going to be a lot of closer then you might think. With Ryan Grant out for the season, Green Bay has struggled to get its running game going (read: it’s nonexistent) and has become an entirely one-dimensional offense. Despite this, the Lions are the Lions, and their QB did the dougie in the end zone last week vs. the bears. Their doomed. Green Bay by 4.

Bengals at Steelers: 12PM CST
A lot of pass-first teams have been able to put up points on the Steelers this year, including the Saints, the Patriots, and even Buffalo (whom the Steelers were one ridiculously dropped ball away from losing to). Despite this, don’t expect this one to be close. Steelers-D is insane. Two words: Troy Polamalu. Also, when your team loses a game thanks to the most bone-headed off-sides penalty this season, you don’t get any credit. None. Zero. Zilch. Steelers by 10.

Bucs at Redskins: 12PM CST
I was rooting for the Buccaneers last weekend since the Saints need Atlanta to lose a game before their matchup in a few weeks on Monday Night Football, but alas, Freeman was picked up with less the two minutes remaining. Despite the loss, the Bucs continue to plow ahead, though they have experience some injuries at key positions, including star cornerback Aqib Talib. Despite the injuries, the Bucs are facing an awful Redskins team that can’t seem to do anything right. I root for them this week too because A) I think Josh Freeman is the real deal and B) I hate Dan Snyder. Period. Bucs by 10.

Falcons at Panthers: 12PM CST
While I desperately need Atlanta to lose, I don’t think it happens this week. Not much worth writing about. Carolina is pathetic and looks to be a lock for the No. 1 pick in the draft next year. Atlanta by (at least) 10.

Raiders at Jaguars: 12 PM CST
The Jags are one team that has really flown under the radar this season. They come to work and win games without much fanfare. They are currently No. 1 in their division. They face a Raiders team who seems to be an up and down this season. Al Davis should never be one to make decisions on choosing a quarterback. The last couple of decisions he’s made doesn’t seem to have worked out. Also, West Coast teams that travel to the East Coast usually have a hard time adjusting to the time change and get crushed. Jags by 3.

Rams at Saints: 3:05 PM CST
I like the Saints’ chances in this game, especially with it being in the Superdome, but the Saints have been beaten by two rookie quarterbacks already this year, and this rookie is by far the best this season. He’s certainly having one of the best rookie seasons (statistically) ever. I think Bradford is the real deal, but the Saints have too much to play for. They are one game behind Atlanta and have to keep winning games if they want a shot at claiming the NFC South title for two weeks in a row. Saints by 7. WHO DAT!?

Seahawks at 49ers: 3:05 PM CST
This season could mark the first time that a team with a losing record makes it into the playoffs. The teams in the NFC West are pretty much awful. I think the Rams are the best, but the division overall is lackluster when compared with the rest of the league. Not to see here, I think Matt Hasselbeck has a decent game against a 49ers defense that doesn’t have anything to play for because they aren’t gonna catch Seattle or St. Louis. Seahawks by 3.

Patriots at Bears: 3:15 PM CST
After the absolute dismantling of the Jets last week in Monday Football Game, the Patriots have to roll into Chicago on a short work week. A lot of people talk about how these games typically wear on teams at this time of the year, but not the Patriots. I think Bill Belichick is the best NFL coach to have ever been in the game and I think he has this team playing a level that few can rise to in the NFL. I doubt the legitimacy of the Bears overall, I think Jay Cutler is too flaky to come up big in this matchup. Patriots are going into Chicago and shutting down the Bears. Patriots by 4.

Dolphins at Jets: 3:15 CST
I loved Rex Ryan’s moving illustration he used this week in meeting with his players. He gathered his players around outside of the Jets’ complex and literally buried the a game ball from Monday night’s game. Although they got embarrassed by the Patriots, I still this is a good football team and I think they outgun the Miami Dolphins in a lot of areas. Also, warm weather team playing in a cold weather game? Ouch. Jets by 4.

Broncos at Cardinals: 3:15 PM CST
The Cardinals serve as a perfect example for the impact of one stellar player. Without Kurt Warner, the Cardinals are irrelevant. You need a Quarterback to succeed in the NFL. I don’t count the revolving door of players put in that position by Arizona as quarterbacks. Yeah, they take snaps, but they can’t freaking throw the football. Not to their own guys anyway. Also, by the current rule of the season, a team will win their game when it’s immediately following the firing of their head coach. See the Dallas Cowboys (Wade Phillips) and Minnesota Vikings (Brad Childress) for evidence on this theory. Broncos win by 3.

Chiefs at Chargers: 3:15 PM CST
This game’s been mentioned a few times this week for several reasons: it has big playoff implications for both teams, since Kansas City can clinch the AFC West with a win here and the Chargers need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. It’s also been mentioned because the Matt Cassel being out with a surgical procedure. Without Cassel, I don’t think KC stands a chance. Chargers by 4.

Eagles at Cowboys: 7:20 PM CST – Sunday Night Football on NBC
Last year, the Cowboys beat the Eagles three times in a single season. Twice in the regular season and again in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Philadelphia is out for blood. They got shellacked in those last two games and want some serious payback. I like Jason Garrett and I like what they have going on in Dallas right now, but I don’t seem them extending that streak to 4. Eagles by 3.

Giants at Vikings: Monday Night: 7PM CST
The funny thing about this game is that it was originally scheduled for Sunday, but some travel delay occurred for New York and they has to postpone the game. The Giants are doing well this year and are currently staying in the thick of the NFC playoff race. Brett Favre’s streak has been threatened, but I don’t seem sitting. He might only make a couple of throws at the start of the game, but he’ll be in the game. Expect Tavaris Jackson to take a lot of the work though. I don’t see Brett making it through the full 60 minutes. Without Favre in prime shape, New York will win by 3.

Ravens at Texans: 7:30 PN CST – Monday Night Football on ESPN
Most people aren’t talking about this matchup, primarily because the Texans are once again turning this season into one of disappointment. Hopes were high this after their victory against the Colts to start the season but after completely collapsing on defense, this team is once again probably going to end up on the outside looking in when it comes time for playoffs. The Jags and Colts are currently competing for the AFC South title, and with so many AFC teams in contention (Primarily, Chargers, Chiefs, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Jags, Colts), the Texans are too far outside of it to be in the conversation. Despite this, I think they play the Ravens close, but that staunch defense holds. Ravens by 3.

Looking forward to catching this week’s slate of games and I’ll try to have some thoughts about the games when the dust settles.

Summary:
Browns at Bills: Cleveland Browns by 3
Packers at Lions: Green Bay Packers by 4
Bengals at Steelers: Pittsburgh Steelers by 10
Buccaneers at Redskins: Tampa Bay Bucs by 10
Falcons at Panthers: Atlanta Falcons by a ton
Raiders at Jaguars: Jacksonville Jaguars by 3
Rams at Saints: New Orleans Saints by 7
Seahawks at 49ers: Seattle Seahawks by 3
Patriots at Bears: New England Patriots by 4
Dolphins at Jets: New York Jets by 4
Broncos at Cardinals: Denver Broncos by 3
Chiefs at Chargers: San Diego Chargers by 4
Eagles at Cowboys: Philadelphia Eagles by 3
Giants at Vikings: New York Giants by 3
Ravens at Texans: Baltimore Ravens by 3

Last week: N/A
This week: TBD

I managed to catch most of the keynote from Apple’s Press Event today thanks to live stream. I jotted down a few notes from the event. Below my notes are some thoughts on the announcements.

iLife ’11: Looks sweet. Major update to iPhoto. Tweaks to iMovie and GarageBand.
- iPhoto: Fullscreen mode is a very nice addition. Deeper integration with Facebook. Favorite feature is the new e-mail integration. E-mail photos from within the iPhoto app. Nice.
- iMovie: Includes a new tool to build trailers from movie footage. Editing tools have become more robust. Apple’s Video app team is beginning to blur the lines between iMovie and it’s Final Cut family of video editing products. Also includes an interesting feature called “People Finder” to help you find faces in your film. Other tweaks galore, check the product page.
- GarageBand: Biggest additions are two new tools called “Flex Time” and “Groove Matching”. Helps with tweaking rhythm and timing in your GarageBand tracks. Again, Apple seems to be bluring the line between its consumer (GarageBand) and professional (Logic) products.

Mac OS X Lion: Holy cow. Apple dropped a giant bomb with this one. Essentially, Apple is taking some of the major concepts of iOS and integrating it into OS X. Some of the highlights:
- Mac App Store: Apple is bringing it’s wildly popular App Store concept to the Mac.  Works just like it’s iOS counterparts. Browse and download apps in the store, Store application automatically installs apps and alerts you about app updates. This is huge. Will be available for Snow Leopard within 90 days. More thoughts below.
-  Launchpad: Essentially brings the iOS home screen to the OS X desktop. Swipe through pages of apps. Also includes Folders, just like in iOS. Also huge.
- Full-screen apps: The green button at the upper left hand corner of windows in OS X will soon cause your apps to go full-screen. Interesting feature.
- Mission Control: Probably the biggest change to the OS X interface since Leopard, Mission control combines Spaces, Expose, and Dashboard to bring you a summary of everything going on in your system. Multiple windows of a single app are grouped together. Will enchance productivity in a big way for a ton of people.
- Availability: As of right now, Summer of 2011

FaceTime for Mac: Another big iOS feature comes to OS X. Mac users with Snow Leopard can now chat with other customers running FaceTime either on their Mac or their iOS device. Awesome. Beta is now available on Apple’s FaceTime for Mac page

MacBook Air:  They took one of the thinnest computers on the market and made it even thinner. They also made it faster. Includes SSD that is integrated into the motherboard, unlike traditional SSD implementations which involve putting the flash chips into a housing that is shaped like a standard drive. This thing is absolutely ridiculous. Available in 13-inch and 11-inch. 11-inch starts at $999. Apple is clearly targeting the NetBook market with this one, but with a different approach. Maintains the tiny profile without sacrificing the keyboard.

A thought:

The most interesting thing about the announcements today has to do with OS X Lion. One of things that’s commonly discussed in business circles is Apple’s ability to use one class of their products to convince consumers to buy into another class of product. For example, the original idea behind the iPod was to get consumers familiar with the Apple brand and to hopefully get them to consider a Mac when they make their next purchase. Apple hoped that consumers would be pleased with the iPod and therefore expect the Mac to be similarly pleasing.

I think Apple’s strategy with OS X Lion is similar. By adding popular elements found on iOS devices, like apps, the app store, FaceTime, and the “Launchpad” (home screen on iOS), Apple is hoping that OS X will appeal to customers when they make their future computer purchases.

Adding apps to OS X makes sense, as it unifies Apple’s two biggest product lines (iOS and OS X) and will decrease customer confusion when it comes down to how to the two product lines relate to one another.

I’m looking forward to Apple’s future, both in OS X and in iOS. Will be an interesting one, and it starts with Lion.

I’ve started this post at least 10 times over the last year. Every time a rumor creeps out about Verizon carrying the iPhone, the tech world explodes and everyone starts speculating about Big Red carrying the iPhone, but I resist, because a couple of days later the talk dies down as everyone realizes that we’ve been here before.

It’s sort of like the story of the boy who cried wolf. Many of us have heard this rumor one-too-many times to get worked up over it. But this time it seems like the story might actually be true.

Yesterday the Wall Street Journal published a story claiming that Apple is developing a new iPhone with CDMA technology. They later updated the story to say Verizon would carry this new CDMA iPhone here in the US and that it would release early next year. The Wall Street Journal usually doesn’t publish stuff on Apple unless they have concrete evidence (meaning legit leaks) and this probably signifies that there is some truth to the story.

Of course, the tech world went crazy, and many people are excited about the possibilities of a new iPhone carrier, and that’s a big deal. Apple will earn a lot of new customers this way, and many people that are on AT&T will switch over the Verizon to use their iPhones under that carrier. That’s all fine and dandy, but I have a theory:

I recently heard that the iPhone generates a ridiculous majority of the data traffic on AT&T’s network. AT&T has millions of iPhone subscribers, but 100s of millions of subscribers total. So a very, very small minority of subscribers on AT&T’s network generates the majority of the traffic.

That’s absolutely ridiculous. The iPhone’s problem is not AT&T. The iPhone’s problem is that it’s the iPhone! It’s the most popular phone in the world, and everyone wants one. This primarily is the reason why AT&T has so many issues. It’s impossible for them to keep up with the demand of the iPhone.

What makes everyone think that Verizon will be any different? It’s network is supposed to be more reliable, but right now, Verizon does not have the iPhone. Verizon does not cater to the most data-hungry set of phone users in the world. I have a theory: Verizon will carry the iPhone, millions of people will either get their first iPhone with Big Red or switch to Verizon from AT&T and the traffic will bring Verizon to it’s knees. Then Verizon will get some of the bad press for awhile before everyone realizes that the problem is simply the popularity of the phone, and not necessarily the fault of the networks.

And the rest of us with AT&T will enjoy better network performance thanks to the shifted load.

In summary, I’m not jumping on the Verizon iPhone bandwagon. They are headed to the same wreck that AT&T is in. Count on it.

Save a permalink to this post now, and come back in a couple of years and see if I’m right.

Now I’m just waiting for T-Mobile to get it, so I can make my girlfriend switch and prove to her how awesome it is.

While browsing lifehacker this afternoon I came across this nugget (emphasis mine):

“Over at ZDNet, Windows expert Ed Bott shows how to install iTunes components piece-by-piece, starting with extracting the components from the installer so that you can install each piece separately—he also walks through exactly which pieces you’ll need to install depending on which iPod model you have, or which features you are using. It’s a great read for anybody stuck using iTunes on Windows.”

I don’t like this because it’s phrased as if using iTunes on Windows is a bad thing. Great media player/iPod manager

“Install iTunes 10 Without the Extra Bloatware” (Lifehacker)

Pretty much everyone by now has heard of the iPhone 4 antenna “issue”, since information on the “issue” trickled down into the mainstream media.

Because of the mainstream media picking up the story, there’s of course been wild speculation on what’s truth, what’s just rumors, and what’s been blown way out of proportion.

I’m not going to get into the details of the situation too much. You can find plenty of good information on this subject on the internet (informative sites include Daring Fireball and Engadget). Essentially, some users encounter issues with cell quality in already low-quality areas when they bridge the gap on the lower left antenna with their hand (now nicknamed the “death grip”.) The issue is usually resolved by a) moving into an area with better coverage, b) holding the phone a different way, or c) using a case to put a gap in between the antenna (part of the structure of the phone) and your hand.

Apple’s argues that every other smartphone has this issue. This is fact. You can effect signal on most phones by holding it in a similar manner. I can and have done it with my iPhone 3GS. I have a problem with this argument though.

Marketing is a huge part of Apple’s strategy, and it works really hard to get it right. Since the introduction of the original iPhone, Apple has bragged that their phone is different from every smartphone on the market. Notice however, that Apple quickly takes the opposite viewpoint when faced with this antenna issue. “Every other smartphone has this issue” they say.

But according to your marketing language, this phone is different from every other phone, so why is it plagued with the same problems?

Anyone who knows me knows that I drank the kool-aid. I’m a huge Apple fan. However, I’m somewhat put off by this whole ordeal, and Apple’s insistence on calling it a non-issue. If it’s a non-issue, why do you offer free bumper cases to correct the problem?

I don’t buy all of the BS about wanting to please all their customers. I love Apple and their products, just want to see it a little bit of honesty and transparency when it comes to stuff like this.

Valve recently released it’s monthly hardware survey detailing various statistics on hardware in use by its vast Steam user base. The newest survey now includes data culled from its new OS X user base, and the effects that OS X has on the hardware survey is interesting.

Of the biggest note is OS Share. According to the survey, every version of Windows indicated in the survey saw a decrease in users (with Windows XP taking the biggest hit at 4.70%).

All told, OS X took 8.46% of the Steam user marketshare in May. It should be noted that Steam support for Mac officially began on May 12, so the numbers should see some increase in the June survey.

It will be interesting to see the effects of OS X on the Steam user base as time goes on and developers release more titles on the Mac through Steam.

For the past couple of weeks I have been playing around extensively with Valve’s recently-released Mac version of their Steam software distribution platform for games. I really like it, and I think it has the potential to make a huge impact on both the Mac and gaming markets. Here’s why:

Game developers have long resisted porting their products for Mac, and for good reasons. Until recently, Apple products used special hardware that was different from most PCs and made porting games complicated due to the highly differing hardware configurations between the platforms. This is no longer the case, as Apple’s Mac products are running the same software as their distant PC cousins, making it easier for developers to make the switch.

Another problem plaguing developers has been one of exposure. How do you get the word out to Mac users about games? If you walk into any electronics retailer or any retailer in general that sells games, you can find large, easily distinguishable sections in the store that are dedicated to PC games. Unfortunately, there are very few retailers that carry Mac games (since very few retailers carry Macs in general), and this presents a problem of exposure. Even when there are Mac games available, the selection is usually limited to a few well-known titles.

The Steam platform solves this is a simple way: it allows users to download their titles. Its been a proven platform in the last several years on the PC and as this platform moves to the Mac I think it will be successful there. Apple users are already quite accustomed to getting most of their software via downloads, as a majority of Mac software is distributed in this manner already.

Through the well-known and already established Steam platform, developers now have a window through which can be visible to Mac users. They can promote their products through Steam, get their word out to gamers, and increase their bottom line (and make up for development costs associated with porting).

I just hope that developers take the risk and make the plunge.