Categories
Business Development

The realities of app development

Shifty Jelly Weblog: “It’s no surprise that most people don’t understand the sheer volume of effort that goes into creating and maintaining an application. Two years ago we didn’t really understand that either, and we launched so many new applications without thinking through the consequences.Who could forget our Pocket Weather AU app on Android, something which we’ll soon fix, but which has to go down as one of our biggest mistakes of all time. It turns out with just 2 developers and 1 designer, we can’t maintain 10 different apps…”

Yes, even mobile apps take time to build.

Categories
Business

DISH vs. AMC

Run, Rick, run!We’ve been DISH Network subscribers for at least 10 years, possibly longer. I know it’s been longer than that when you combine the times we’ve had DISH technologies. Our first system was an EchoStar system.

Recently there’s been a spat between DISH and AMC. AMC claims one thing, DISH claims another. I have no idea which story is accurate, and to be quite honest, I don’t care. What I do care about is AMC’s The Walking Dead. As a DISH subscriber I’d like to have AMC. That’s all there is to it.

Recently I sent an email to DISH asking them to sort out their differences with AMC. This is what I got in reply. You can read what AMC has to say about the matter and compare the two. Definitely different stories.

Dear Valued DISH customer,

Thank you for your e-mail. We value your business and the opportunity to discuss this situation with you.

It’s in our DNA to provide the best programming to our customers at the best value possible. That’s our first priority and it guides how we run the business. As we keep customers first, we’re constantly making evaluations on the value various channels bring to the DISH family.

AMC Networks requires us to provide and pay for channels beyond AMC, including WE tv and IFC which, as a whole, do not deliver value to our customer base for the price demanded. Providing value to our customers is at the core of our business. We are the only Pay TV provider to not have raised your programming prices this year and as a result, we cannot ask our customers to pay more for this extraneous programming.

We regret that AMC Networks has chosen to involve viewers at this time. Our contract does not allow us to go into further details, however, we remain hopeful that we can find a resolution that brings AMC’s networks at a value they’ve come to expect.

Please keep in mind that you are still able to watch programming on AMC (ch 9609 – SD/9610 – HD), IFC (ch. 9607), and WE tv (ch.9608), and you will still be able to view the finale of The Killing Part 1 on Sunday, June 10th and Part 2 on Sunday, June 17th.

Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.

Sincerely,
DISH

Here’s the bottom line for us, and I really DO NOT want to do this, but if we don’t have AMC, we don’t have DISH. That’s right, I will switch services for one channel.

I hope they can work it out.

UPDATE: AMC’s The Walking Dead Season 3 Preview airs July 7-8. If this mess isn’t sorted by July 2, I have to switch providers. I don’t want to switch providers.

Categories
Microsoft

Windows 8 requires a developer license

Kunal Chowdhury: “The straight forward answer to this is “No”. You can’t develop and deploy your Windows 8 Metro applications in your Win 8 environment or Win 8 simulator unless you have a Developer License synched with the PC. If you try to deploy the app without the license, you will get the error “Error: DEP0100: Deployment failed due to a Developer Licensing issue.” as shown in the following screenshot:”

Hopefully you don’t have to take a test.

Categories
Life Sports

Superokies

The Nation: “They loved their team but refused to pay for a new taxpayer funded $300 million arena. Seattle’s citizens voted down referendums, organized meetings and held rallies with the goal of keeping the team housed in a perfectly good building called the KeyArena”

I wrote about how frustrating the Sonics becoming the Okies was back in 2007. Very frustrating. Thing is, I can’t stand Lebron James.

I wish Boston could’ve pulled a rabbit out of the hat. It wasn’t meant to be.

Categories
Apple Development

WWDC tips from @buzz

Apptentive Weblog: “It’s hard to pick one thing, but when I was working for Square and flying out to SF every 6 weeks or so, I had kind of a tradition of taking the N Judah out to Ocean Beach every Sunday to have a cappuccino at Trouble Coffee, brunch at Outerlands, check out a few shops I like out there (General Store and Mollusk Surf Shop), and then walk along the beach up to the Cliff House. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even walk back through Golden Gate park and catch the N in the Haight. It’s exactly the kind of uniquely California experience you want out a visit to SF.”

I’m not going to WWDC this year, but I wanted to make sure I had a link back to this for next year. Who knows, maybe someone I know will also find it useful.

Categories
Mobile

The Facebook Phone?

Business Insider, Henry Blodget: “Although Facebook might want to be a mobile platform, there’s no obvious need for a Facebook phone.”

I can’t imagine how crappy this could turn out. If you’ve ever used the Facebook iOS application you know what a steaming pile of poo that is. An entire phone, dedicated to Facebook? I’d imagine it will appeal to the narcissistic, reality show, types. Think Kim Kardashian, perfect target for The Facebook Phone.

Good luck Zuck, I think you’ll need it.

Categories
Development

Old Man Coder

Nick Bradbury: “And because of the years we’ve spent creating software, we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t, regardless of the language or the platform. Operating systems rise and fall, development tools come and go, but through it all, old farts know how to write solid code.”

Great piece.

Us old guys gotta stick together.

Categories
Business Development

Responsive Developer

Red Sweater Blog: “In this case, I discovered a bug in MarsEdit 3.5.2 (and 3.5.1, as it happens) that would cause the blog settings editing panel in MarsEdit to fill up all of a blog’s settings with default values when you opened it to tweak a blog. Then, if you innocently click “OK”, wham, all your blog settings are updated with default settings. Not good.”

I use MarsEdit to manage this weblog as well as the Apple Core Labs weblog. It’s a great piece of software and I have a lot of respect for its creator: Daniel Jalkut. Every developer makes mistakes. It comes with the territory. Daniel made a mistake and fixed that mistake as soon as he discovered it. It’s nice to see a developer be so responsive. Hats off.

Thanks for the great software, Daniel.

Categories
Life

Cell Phone use in Theaters?

CriticWire: “At CinemaCon in Las Vegas this week, several movie exhibitors exhibited a willingness to relax their restrictions on cell phone use in their theaters. The kids today, you see, with their iPhones and iPads and IDon’tCareIfIRuinTheMovieForYous, want to be allowed to text and tweet and talk everywhere. Exhibitors worried about the loss of their core audience, are considering caving to their demands.”

Allowing phone calls and text messaging during a movie would be a really bad idea.

Categories
Life

Stephen King on Taxes

Pennywise the ClownThe Daily Beast: “What charitable 1 percenters can’t do is assume responsibility—America’s national responsibilities: the care of its sick and its poor, the education of its young, the repair of its failing infrastructure, the repayment of its staggering war debts. Charity from the rich can’t fix global warming or lower the price of gasoline by one single red penny. That kind of salvation does not come from Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Ballmer saying, “OK, I’ll write a $2 million bonus check to the IRS.” That annoying responsibility stuff comes from three words that are anathema to the Tea Partiers: United American citizenry.”

I think I need to move to Bangor and work with this guy.