Rumor: Photo may show retail packaging for Apple's low-cost "iPhone 5C"

Rumor: Photo may show retail packaging for Apple's low-cost "iPhone 5C": "The photo, which appeared on the same WeiPhone forums that have produced several other early peaks at Apple devices, shows a manufacturer's bin full of dozens of new plastic retail boxes in the size, shape, and style "

It's in the color you want: cheaper.

Three Terrific Freehand Sketch and Drawing Apps for the iPad

Saying more downloads means an app is better is like saying more lemmings makes jumping off a cliff better.

You've probably heard of Paper 53 and Apple Design Award winner Procreate, but you may not of heard of these three terrific freehand sketching apps for the iPad:

1. FLIPINK - I was amused to read the user reviews complaining that Flipink had "copied" Paper. Steve Jobs is rumoured to have said "good artists copy, great artists steal" So pipe down fanboys and just download and try it. The drawing tools are really, really great.
2. SKETCHES - Sketches by Tayasui is another terrific freehand drawing app for the iPad. Not only it free. It's also free of gratuitous UI animation chrome and candy. More like an actual set of papers and ink.
3. ZEN BRUSH - Finally, a list of this kind would not be complete without my favorite app for the iPad, Zen Brush. Zen Brush isn't so much a freehand drawing app as it is an introduction to traditional Japanese calligraphy. The UI is uncluttered and free of bogus animation and distracting crapola which seems to dominate "popular" apps. Not that popular has ever meant anything in pop culture.

Why Startups Are Sporting Increasingly Quirky Names - Lindsay Gellman - News - AllThingsD

Why Startups Are Sporting Increasingly Quirky Names - Lindsay Gellman - News - AllThingsD: "The New York cousins who started a digital sing-along storybook business have settled on the name Mibblio."

I think high tech VC funded startups are this generation's rock bands. Which is probably a good thing because A) rock is dead and B) startups probably make you smarter, unlike heroin, which makes you a better singer.

On the other hand, I think it proves that people started rock bands to get famous and make money, which seems to be what startups are doing these days as well.

Google to Host July 24 Event With Sundar Pichai - Bonnie Cha - News - AllThingsD

Google to Host July 24 Event With Sundar Pichai - Bonnie Cha - News - AllThingsD: "Google has sent out invites for a July 24 event in San Francisco, hosted by Sundar Pichai, senior vice president for Android and Chrome at Google."

I like Chrome, but every once in a while, Chrome will get in a sockets war with other TCP apps running on the Mac. Neither app will have any performance and the spinning color wheel takes precedence.

Apple's free promotion led to 5.7M new downloads of 'Infinity Blade II'

Apple's free promotion led to 5.7M new downloads of 'Infinity Blade II'
The success of the promotion was revealed by Chair publicist Laura Mustard in an interview with AllThingsD. She revealed that 1.7 million downloads occurred on the first day of the promotion, totaling 5.7 million by the end of the week."

Like I said before, er, like the publicist said, "The App Store is a meritocracy."

Amar Bose, Pioneer of High-End Audio, Dies at 83 - Stephen Miller - News - AllThingsD

Amar Bose, Pioneer of High-End Audio, Dies at 83 - Stephen Miller - News - AllThingsD: "Mr. Bose, who died Friday at age 83, had been a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His discoveries led to new designs for speakers and other audio components that reputedly made him a billionaire."

Being in Boston, he had a front row seat to the post-Edwin Land Polaroid experience. Good call Mr. Bose!

FlixMaster brings interactive videos to the iPhone and Android | VentureBeat

FlixMaster brings interactive videos to the iPhone and Android | VentureBeat
FlixMaster’s platform for editing and publishing interactive videos is going mobile."

Close your eyes and say web instead of mobile and this article reads like it's 1997.

Apple drops 'App Store' lawsuit against Amazon, says no need to pursue case

Apple drops 'App Store' lawsuit against Amazon, says no need to pursue case
Apple and Amazon on Tuesday asked U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton to dismiss Apple's lawsuit over the App Store name, according to Reuters."

Hopefully this is an example of Apple wising up to Kleenex and the seminal marketing classic "Positioning" (Al Ries and Jack Trout) and not some other thing.

Editorial: Apple, Google and the failure of Android's open

Editorial: Apple, Google and the failure of Android's open: "The ideological allure of 'open' is very strong. Really, who doesn't want technology to scramble ahead as quickly as possible, unfettered by the proprietary barriers erected by companies trying to make money? Except, of course, said companies trying to make money."

Kind of an embarrassing article for Apple enthusiasts if you take into account how long it took Apple to become as successful as it is at the present moment. As far as I can tell, Apple would not have a single product on the market without GCC or LLVM, let alone any of the other open technologies that are present in all their products. How's that proprietary network based on IPX/SPX working out for you? Or that telephone that only calls other telephones in it's own loop?