Erica Sadun

Senior Writer

Erica Sadun holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She has written, co-written, and contributed to dozens of books about technology, particularly in the areas of programming and digital media. An unrepentant geek, Sadun has never met a gadget she didn't need. Her checkered past includes run-ins with NeXT, Newton, and a vast myriad of both successful and unsuccessful technologies. When not writing, she and her geek husband parent three adorable geeks-in-training, who regard their parents with restrained bemusement.

Erica Sadun's Latest Posts

Dear Aunt TUAW: Can I boot from a RAM disk?

by Erica Sadun (Feb 3rd 2012 12:00PM)

Dear Aunt TUAW, I would like to run Mac OS X 10.6.7 off a RAM disk, for better performance/security while browsing the World Wide Web (I don't want to save the image with all those gnarly cookie crumbs to disk). I understand that a family living down the street from me is able to run Linux from a ...

iBooks Author Challenge: Adding spelling quizzes to iBooks

by Erica Sadun (Feb 3rd 2012 10:00AM)

Dave Caolo and I were chatting this morning about iBooks and spelling. "It's not my daughter's favorite subject," he said, "and I'm looking for a way to make it more appealing to her." He asked if there could there be any way to incorporate spelling quizzes into iBooks via Author. The answer is, ...

Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me find a WiFi stumbler app for Lion

by Erica Sadun (Feb 2nd 2012 7:00PM)

Dear Aunt TUAW, I'm a Mac IT professional, and often find myself configuring, troubleshooting, and optimizing wireless networks. In the past I used AP Grapher to graph wireless strength and find competing Wi-Fi networks as I walk around my clients' offices. This allows me to pick the best channel ...

Hands on with NuTouch Gloves

by Erica Sadun (Jan 26th 2012 2:30PM)

iPhone owners who live in cold climates have many solutions for staying warm while using their devices. I've seen gloves with metal dots on their fingers, cutoff gloves with caps that transform into mittens, and gloves with conductive fabric tips designed for use with capacitive screens. The ...

Inside Apple offers a quick read, corporate insights

by Erica Sadun (Jan 26th 2012 1:30PM)

I just finished Adam Lashinsky's "Inside Apple", now available for sale at most major vendors. It's a quick, easy read and clocks in at just over 200 pages with large, readable type. If you're looking for an exhaustive Tracy Kidder take on how Apple works and operates, this book isn't it. Instead, ...

Apple Q1 2012 results liveblog

by Erica Sadun (Jan 24th 2012 4:50PM)

Today, TUAW liveblogs Apple's first quarter conference call. If you'd like to listen live, point your browser to Apple's dedicated page. I'll be doing live updates as they're discussed, including coverage of the Q&A followup. The liveblog appears in reverse chronological order, with newer ...

iPod line experiences major decline year-over-year

by Erica Sadun (Jan 24th 2012 4:45PM)

Apple has just posted its first quarter fiscal 2012 results. (There is a live conference call to follow). One of the biggest items to pop from the press release is the status of the iPod. Unlike iPhones, iPads, and Macs, all of which experienced terrific gains, the 11-year-old iPod line experienced ...

iBooks Author owns your format, not your content

by Erica Sadun (Jan 24th 2012 2:30PM)

There's been a lot of heat and fury surrounding the iBooks Author terms and conditions ever since the service was introduced last week. To boil the controversy down to basics, Apple has introduced a private protocol extension that takes EPUB to the next generation. And then they created a business ...

AudioBooks introduces all-you-can-eat book streaming

by Erica Sadun (Jan 24th 2012 2:00PM)

If you're a commuter with a taste for the spoken word, you'll be pleased to hear that Audiobooks.com is introducing an all-you-can-eat service, including thousands of best-sellers. It's like Spotify or Rdio for audio books. Launching today, the new Audiobooks.com plan runs $24.95 per month, and can ...

Avatron retires Air Dictate tool for remote Siri dictation

by Erica Sadun (Jan 23rd 2012 6:30PM)

Avatron is a company well known for their iOS and Mac utilities. We are particularly fond of their Air Sharing apps and Air Display, among others. They have a reputation for building solid, reliable products. I could sense the dismay in CEO Dave Howell's message when he pinged me today to let me ...