Tech-Saavy Parents Find Inspiration for
Kid-Friendly Apps at Home

post from prMac on 09 May 2011 11:39:00 PM. © prMac

Binary Formations has released their first children's app, Adam Learns Shapes and Colors, for the iPad. Created by the owners of Binary Formations for their two-year-old son, Adam, this iPad app is a fun, interactive way for your child to learn the basic shapes and colors. Adam Learns Shapes and Colors 1.0, helps toddlers learn how to recognize a wide variety of basic shapes and colors by interacting with hand-drawn art that is complemented by kid-friendly voice-overs and more.

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http://prmac.com/release-id-25268.htm

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WSJ: Microsoft Nears $7 Billion-Plus Deal for
Skype

post from Daring Fireball on 09 May 2011 11:04:35 PM. © Daring Fireball

Anupreeta Das and Nick Wingfield, reporting for the WSJ:

At a value over $7 billion, the Skype deal would rank at or nearthe top of the biggest acquisitions in the 36-year history ofMicrosoft, a company that traditionally has shied away from largedeals. In 2007, Microsoft paid approximately $6 billion to acquireonline advertising firm aQuantive Inc. Many current and formerMicrosoft executives believe Microsoft significantly overpaid forthat deal. But they are also relieved that Microsoft gave up on anunsolicited $48 billion offer for Yahoo Inc. nearly three yearsago. Yahoo is valued at half that sum today.

Skype for $7B sounds nutty to me. Skype loses money. Everyone agreed Skype wasn’t worth much after eBay took a bath on it a few years ago, at a far lower price than this. What’s changed?

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730804576313932659388852.html?mo
d=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

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Google Music Beta to Be Unveiled Tomorrow

post from Daring Fireball on 09 May 2011 11:04:35 PM. © Daring Fireball

Greg Sandoval, reporting for CNet:

“We’re launching a beta service called Music Beta by Google thatlets users upload their personal music libraries to their ownaccount on Google’s servers,” Levine told CNET. Users can “accessthose libraries anytime or anywhere from web connected devices”.

Why start talking to the press about this before the keynote address?

Levine said that Android owners will be able to access theirlibraries when offline as well.
While the service is still in beta, users will be able to join byinvitation only. Initially, to access the service, users willrequire a browser that supports Flash — that means no Appledevices — or on any Android device that’s version 2.2 or higher,Levine said. Currently the service will start off in the UnitedStates only and will be free.

Presumably, where by “no Apple devices”, he meant “no iOS devices”. But still, the future of online music is Flash? And still no music store?

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http://www.zdnet.com.au/google-music-to-be-unveiled-tomorrow-339314734.htm

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Peter Kafka on Condé Nasts Subscription Deal for
the iPad

post from Daring Fireball on 09 May 2011 08:04:49 PM. © Daring Fireball

Seems like a good deal for both.

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http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20110508/apple-brings-conde-nast-aboard-the-subsc
ription-bandwagon-starting-with-the-new-yorker/

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Codifying How Apple Works

post from Daring Fireball on 09 May 2011 08:04:49 PM. © Daring Fireball

Horace Dediu:

Apple University was first mentioned in 2008 when Joel Podolny washired from running Yale Management School to join Apple increating this new ?University?. […] But nothing was heardabout Apple University again. Until yesterday.
According to the article in Fortune and some additional detailsfrom another source, Joel Podolny has been building anunderstanding of how Apple is run. He?s then been asked tocodify this understanding into a curriculum that can be taught toApple employees.

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http://www.asymco.com/2011/05/08/codifying-asymmetry-how-apple-became-jobsian/

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YellowBrck, New Social Network Exclusively for
Parents Arrives on iPhone

post from prMac on 09 May 2011 06:42:00 PM. © prMac

Kima Ventures-backed YellowBrck, announces the launch of a new social network for iPhone that enables parents to stay in touch while earning coupons and discounts from local and online retailers by checking-in to day-to-day parenting activities like mealtime, laundry and playtime. Designed specifically for the growing demographic of connected on-the-go parents, YellowBrck allows parents to share and exchange ideas or activities and tips on parenting.

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http://prmac.com/release-id-25327.htm

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Joining the Club

post from Daring Fireball on 09 May 2011 06:04:37 PM. © Daring Fireball

John Lettice, writing for The Register back in 1999:

Further evidence of deterioration of relations between Apple and Microsoft emerged in court yesterday, as Paul Maritz was confronted with a February 1998 email saying that “MacOffice is the perfect club to use on them [Apple]”. Maritz had been on the CC list for this message, sent by Don Bradford to Ben Waldman (head of Microsoft’s Mac development team), but yesterday told the court that he didn’t know what Bradford meant by this, and no, he hadn’t asked him.

Don’t be evil.

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http://www.theregister.co.uk/1999/01/29/office_the_perfect_club/

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How Osama Bin Laden Changed America

Speaking of The New Yorker, David Remnick’s piece this week on Bin Laden is the best take I’ve seen.

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http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/05/16/110516taco_talk_remnick

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The New Yorker Adds Subscription Support to Its
iPad App

At last. My print subscription runs through next year, but I suspect I’ll go digital-only when it expires. More coverage here from Jim Romenesko.

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http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/05/ipad-subscriptions-app-sto
re-update.html

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Getting Jiggy is a New Innovative Puzzle Game for
iOS

Independent developer Joe Pitto has released Getting Jiggy 1.0 for iOS. This is no ordinary puzzle game, it is a completely new way of playing puzzle games. You don't actually build the puzzle, instead the puzzle gets built for you. You will be presented with a blank canvas that will slowly be filled with missing jigsaw pieces. This means that the image will be revealed to you bit by bit and your aim is to try and guess the picture in the puzzle as fast as you can.

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http://prmac.com/release-id-25267.htm

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