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Ted Landau's User
Friendly View
I currently
write the User
Friendly View column for The
Mac Observer. Postings are made
at least once a week.
Note: I am no
longer updating User Friendly Blog.
It had been a separate entity from User
Friendly View; its content has now
been rolled in to the User Friendly View.
For a
complete list of all UFV articles,
click here.
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As of May 2011, I no longer post links to individual
articles here. Check the TMO pages cited above to
obtain these links.
Selected Pre-May
2011 articles:
- What
You Need to Know About AirPlay Video
[November 2010]
- Exploring
AirPrint [November 2010]
- Should
You Get a MacBook Air? [November
2010]
- Full
Circle: The Return of the Mainframe?
[July 2010]
- Ten
Things to Know About the iPhone 4 Camera
[July 2010]
- iOS
4: Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth?
[June 2010]
- The
Stable State of Mac OS X [May
2010]
- An
Open Letter to Steve Jobs [May
2010]
- How
to Know If You Should Buy an iPad
[April 2010]
- File
Sharing with an iPad: Ugh!
[April 2010]
- Viewing
Mac Files on your iPhone [March
2010]
- Is
This Any Way to Run an App Store?
[February 2010]
- The
iPad: An Inside-the-Park Home Run
[January 2010]
- CES
Highlights: From iLounge Pavilion to 3D
Televisions [January 2010]
- Apple
Requires DigiDNA to Modify iPhone App
[December 2009]
- An
iPhone Killer App May Be Left to Die
[November 2009]
- The
Return of TypeStyler [October
2009]
- My
Quick Take on Apple Event 09-09-09: New
iPods, new iTunes, new iPhone OS [September
2009]
- Sweeping
Up after Snow Leopard [September
2009]
- The
App Store: I suggest a new strategy…
[August 2009] I offer a compromise for those who
want the iPhone App Store to remain as it is vs.
those who want a more open platform.
- Apple’s
LED Cinema Display: A Too Short Story
[July 2009] Why the cords on the Cinema Display
are too short – and what you can do about it.
- WWDC
Keynote Quick Take [June 2009]
My take on what you should absolutely know about
the Keynote announcements.
- Watching
Hulu (and much more) on Your Apple TV
[May 2009] With a hack that installs Boxee, you
can watch Hulu, and many other services, on your
Apple TV.
- iPhone
Reversi Games: A Bunch of Losers
[April 2009] There are Othello/Reversi games
available for the iPhone. But they don't know much
about how to win.
- Emoji
and Downgrading iPhone Apps
[March 2009] A look at Emoji access on the iPhone,
why this may lead to you wanting to downgrade an
iPhone app, and how to do it.
- Twittering
Your Life Away [February 2009]
Why I finally took the social networking plunge
and decided to start using Twitter. A look at the
pros and cons.
- Macworld
Expo Keynote: Software Yes; Hardware No
[January 2009] Why this year's Keynote was the so
disappointing.
- My
Macworld Expo Wish List
[December 2008] Some small things I hope Apple
will announce at next month's event.
- The
iPhone vs. Google Phone: No Contest
[November 2008] Why the iPhone still rules,
despite Google's new device.
- Gazing
into My Macworld Expo Crystal Ball
[October 2008] What big announcements, if any, can
we expect at Macworld Expo 2009?
- Is
Apple becoming too successful?
[September 2008] Is Apple's dominance in iPods and
iTunes too much of a good thing?
- The
iPhone Takes Some Hits [August
2008] The launch of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0
software hits some bumps on the road to success.
- The
iPhone's App Store won't fill in all the
gaps [July 2008] Why you still
may want to jailbreak your iPhone, even with the
new App Store.
- The
New iPhone: A Personal Q & A
[June 2008] Following Steve Jobs Keynote at the
WWDC, I offer a personal list of questions about
the new iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0 software (coming
July 11) -- and provide the answers.
- In
search of headphones for my iPhone
[May 2008] Wired or Bluetooth? I discuss the
various options for headphones for your iPhone,
with recommendations for each type.
- A
Guide to Installer for Jailbroken iPhones
[April 2008] Learn how to use the essential
utility for getting software on to your jailbroken
iPhone.
- The
iPhone: Everything in Your Pocket (Except a
Mac) [March 2008] In the wake of
the iPhone 2.0 software announcement,I speculate
about the future of the iPhone — as well as why it
doesn't yet qualify as a pocket Mac.
- Roll
Your Own iPhone Ringtones...for Free
[February 2008] If you don't want to pay for
ringtones from the iTunes Store, there are free
alternatives.
- Macworld
Expo: Past, Present, and Future
[January 2008] A look at why this year's Expo was
one of the best ever!
- Apple
2007: What a year! [December
2007] In the history of Apple Computer, it is
possible that there has been a better year than
2007. But you would be hard pressed to find it.
- Leopard's
Semi-Hidden Talents [November
2007] A look at some of the less-noted and
less-obvious, but still useful, features in
Leopard.
- iPhone
Software Update 1.1.1 = A sad day for Apple
users [October 2007] Apple's new
update shuts down the method for adding
third-party software to your iPhone (for the
moment). This column explains why this is a bad
thing.
- iPhone
Hacking: Is It safe? Should you
add third-party software to your iPhone? Yes.
[September 2007]
- Apple's
New iPods: Which One to Buy? [September
2007] Apple has updated its entire iPod line-up.
Which one is the right one for you?
- iWork
'08, AppleWorks...and the New iMacs
[August 2007] Find out why iWork '08 finally
passes the "AppleWorks test." Plus a comment about
why the new iMacs made me yawn.
- Two
Cool Gadgets that have Nothing to do with
iPhone [July 2007] A look at
DYMO Desktop Mailing Solution and Elgato's
Turbo.264 Video Encoder Hardware.
- WWDC
Keynote: Come on and Safari with Me...
[June 2007] A look at what Steve Jobs did (and did
not) reveal in his latest Kenote address...and
what it may mean for Apple's future.
- The
Internet: Serial Killer? [May
2007] Is the Internet systematically "killing off"
a variety of businesses that were thriving before
its arrival? And is that a good or a bad thing?
- You
talkin' to me? (Make Your Mac Listen)
[April 2007] A tour of Mac OS X's Speech
Recognition technology. It's cooler than you may
think.
- Apple
TV: Apple Scores Again [March
2007] Why I believe the Apple TV should be and
will be a big hit.
- For
Your Consideration: The Mac micro
[February 2007] My speculation about
the future of Mac hardware, especially a
potential new member of the Mac family which I
call the Mac micro.
- Macworld
Keynote: Apple...Redefined [January
2007] My reactions to Steve Jobs' keynote address
at Macworld Expo and especially the iPhone.
- Do
You Really Have the Time for that New Gizmo?
[December 2006] Which Mac products do I continue
to use, which ones ended up in my dust bin, and
why.
- MacMania
and the Mac Collector [November
2006] My take on the MacMania V cruise and the
surprising hobby of one of the l attendees I met
on board.
- DVD-RAM
Reconsidered: Version 2.0 [October
2006] I get to actually try out a DVD-RAM drive
with my Power Mac G5. Is it worth getting one?
- From
Discs to Downloads: Apple Leads the Way
[September 2006b] Apple announces it will carry
feature-length movies on its iTunes Store. What
are the implications?
- MacBooks
vs. PC laptops: A Tale of Two
Brothers-in-Law [September
2006a] Are PC laptops still cheaper than Mac
laptops? And how do PC users decide whether or not
to switch.
- Will
Mac users Pounce on Leopard?
[August 2006] An early assessment of the new
features in the just-announced Leopard version of
Mac OS X (due out in 2007).
- Should
You Care About AppleCare? [July
2006] Extended warranties are almost always a bad
deal. This even extends to AppleCare. The column
explains why.
- A
Microsoft Keyboard and Mouse Just for Mac
Users. Whoa! [June 2006] Should
your next Mac keyboard and mouse come from
Microsoft?
- DVD-RAM
reconsidered. Seriously. Macs
once shipped with DVD-RAM drives. But no more.
Perhaps it is time for their return. [May 2006]
- Windows
on an Intel Mac: A Retrospective
[April 2006] A peek at the status of Windows on a
Mac two years from now.
- Fair
Use Under Fire. [March 2006] A
look at the extremes to which the entertainment
industry wants to go, in the name of digital
rights management (DRM), to limit your "fair use"
of media.
- Three
Cheers and a Jeer. [Februray
2006] Mini-reviews of 4 multimedia-related
products, only three of which are recommended for
purchase.
- Before
You Buy an Intel Mac. [January
2006] Some cautionary facts you should know before
rushing out to purchase one of Apple's new
Intel-based Macs.
- Spoiling
the Surprise: On Apple Rumors & Movie
Trailers. [January 2006] What
do movie trailers and Apple rumor sites have in
common? This column gives the answer.
- Confessions
of a Video iPod Junkie.
[December 2005] A look at how to maximize your
enjoyment with Apple's latest hot product.
- Who'd
Have Thunk It? [October 2005]
Apple's new iPod video is a sure success and is
just the latest highlight in an incredible
turn-around for Apple. This column looks back on
the last 10 years.
- Navigating
the Digital Keyboard Maze: Part II.
[September 2005] Want to get a digital keyboard to
work with GarageBand? Or to use on its own? This
2-part tutorial walks you through the maze of
keyboard types and features and helps you figure
out the right one for you.
- Navigating
the Digital Keyboard Maze: Part I.
[August 2005] Want to get a digital keyboard to
work with GarageBand? Or to use on its own? This
2-part tutorial walks you through the maze of
keyboard types and features and helps you figure
out the right one for you.
- Apple's
$440 piece of plastic. [July
2005] The story of how Apple wanted to charge me
$440 for a piece of plastic, to repair my Cinema
Display.
A reply
to reader comments on this column.
- Road
Trips with your iPod. [June
2005] This column offers my recommendations for
connecting your iPod to your car stereo.
- Tiger:
Because it's worth it. [May
2005] This column offers my initial reaction to
Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and why I believe it's worth
your time and money to upgrade to it.
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