thinkenhaus

FarmFresh NYC, a new iPhone app from thinkenhaus debuting this week, helps New Yorkers find out what local produce and seafood is in season and where to buy it. Developed exclusively for the five boroughs of New York City, FarmFresh NYC is a guide for both professionals and home cooks to buying fresh, local food. FarmFresh NYC takes the guesswork out of eating local. It informs users which local fruit, vegetables, fish, and shellfish are in season, then guides them to the closest farmers market. The app automatically updates its harvesting times, which allows users to get an accurate picture of what is actually being sold on the market at any given time. Users can create a virtual grocery list, as well as keep track of their selections as they come in season.

By focusing on New York City, FarmFresh NYC highlights interesting local products that other food apps don't include, such as
ramps, bay scallops, and morel mushrooms. In total, FarmFresh NYC includes over 90 local products and over fifty farmers
markets.

thinkenhaus plans to release FarmFresh editions for San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Orleans. Each app will be a
local production, focusing on food that is harvested in the area and the tastes of local eaters.

You can get an official copy of the Press Release here:

www.thinkenhaus.com/farmfresh/FarmFreshNYC-PRESS_RELEASE.pdf

Or click here to purchase FarmFresh NYC:

linktoapp.com/FarmFresh+NYC

Here is an insightful article into the development process for creating Apple software. Macformat magazine interviews the folks from Equinux. It's always interesting to see the methodologies being employed by other software firms. The interview does a good job of outlining the tedious but rewarding process. Incidentally, Equinux develops in a very similar style as thinkenhaus.

"One of the best things about the Mac is the community of dedicated software developers that create high quality software. But what is involved in the process that goes into planning and developing new software for the Mac? To find out, MacFormat magazine spoke to the following folks from equinux, the firm behinds apps including iSale, CoverScout and SongGenie."

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/before-you-buy-how-apple-software-is-born-601111

Japan marked the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo Game Boy on Tuesday and one can't help but reminisce about the mobile device that effectively launched the handheld market.  We here at thinkenhaus remember fondly the joys of holding all the fun of a Nintendo Entertainment System in your hand, able to go with you wherever you went.  For many of us, this monochrome device was the catalyst for our own personal technology addictions.  Over the years the Game Boy inspired a slew of handheld devices, all paving the way for the technology we have today - Sony PSP's, Nintendo DSi's, and yes...now the iPhone. 

Excerpt:

"The Game Boy was created by Gunpei Yokoi, a Nintendo employee who had moved up in the ranks from being a janitor to working on product development. It was originally a simple device with a monochrome screen, four buttons (A, B, Start, Select), and a four-way directional pad. But over the years, Nintendo transformed that simple handheld into a full-featured gaming platform, complete with a color screen and outstanding titles."

news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10224930-17.html

In a not so surprising move by AT&T, the company is pushing to remain the exclusive iPhone carrier as their contract approaches its end. The success of the iPhone has allowed AT&T to expand their customer base and increase revenue, partly due to the required iPhone data plan each customer is required to pay for. Incidentally, AT&T was only able to snag this contract in the first place because of the uncertainty surrounding the potential success of the iPhone at the time of its initial introduction. It will be interesting to see how these current negotiations pan out as Apple is now very clearly aware of the immense value of their product. The question remains: is it more beneficial for Apple to remain with one carrier or should they offer the iPhone to a larger customer base through all carriers? Also, how many more additional concessions will AT&T have to make to keep the iPhone to themselves?

www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/iphone/showArticle.jhtml

And also,

online.wsj.com/article/SB123973238611017715.html

As an Apple developer, thinkenhaus has experienced firsthand the frustrations associated with Apple's App Store approval process. I recently stumbled upon this old article from Macblogz.com in which the author details the many reasons so many developers have already given up on iPhone development.  That said, the boutique nature of iPhone development creates enormous opportunities for small companies and start-ups.  Few platforms can match the App Store's speed at which a developer can bring a product to market, regardless of a clear set of guidelines. In a way the App Store has leveled the playing field, allowing small companies to be featured right alongside the big boys.  This is why we continue on our own development quests...

“Without development guidelines, there is no way to know for certain if an application or game you are spending your time on, will get approved by Apple. In which case, you can organically appeal the decision and hope the community picks up your story, in which case word gets around to Apple that people are angered and they reverse the decision. Or perhaps they will realize that they made a mistake in rejecting your application/game and reverse the decision. Either way, Apple’s communication thus far has not been comforting to say the least.”

www.macblogz.com/2008/11/18/all-i-want-for-the-holidays-are-app-store-development-guidelines/

Google has just launched Google Ventures, their very own venture capital fund. This will provide much needed capital to many small technology companies at a time when venture capital is decreasing as is start-ups that actually make it to an IPO.

From the Google Blog: "Google Ventures is charged with finding and helping to develop exceptional start-ups. We'll be focusing on early stage investments across a diverse range of industries, including consumer Internet, software, clean-tech, bio-tech, health care and, no doubt, other areas we haven't thought of yet."

vator.tv/news/show/2009-03-31-googles-newest-venture

Just like Research in Motion, Nintendo is now jumping on the App Store bandwagon by adding a mobile software store to their new DSi.  It seems Apple's App Store has provided Nintendo with some hefty competition by selling such a wide array of mobile games that can be downloaded directly to your iPhone or iPod Touch. Yet another example of the continuing micro-computing revolution!

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/04/AR2009040400098.html

An intriguing video depicting the view of an imaginary observer as they fall through a black hole. Who doesn't enjoy approaching singularity?

"Falling into a black hole might not be good for your health, but at least the view would be fine. A new simulation shows what you might see on your way towards the black hole's crushing central singularity. The research could help physicists understand the apparently paradoxical fate of matter and energy in a black hole."

www.newscientist.com/article/dn16885-what-would-it-look-like-to-fall-into-a-black-hole.html

An incredible video that breaks down the current financial crisis with ease into a visual representation of exactly what happened.  Informative and brilliant. 

"The goal of giving form to a complex situation like the credit crisis is to quickly supply the essence of the situation to those unfamiliar and uninitiated." -Jonathan Jarvis

vimeo.com/3261363