Fresh Apple: The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) (20 сообщений)

rss2email.ru

На что подписаться? | Управление подпиской

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
http://www.tuaw.com
рекомендовать друзьям >>

Apple ranked #4 among online retailers
Filed under: Retail, Surveys and Polls, Holidays
A holiday survey of shopper satisfaction with e-retailers ranked Apple as number 4, with 78% of customers pleased with purchases made on the Apple website. The survey was conducted by ForeSee Results and FGI Research.

Only two online retailers scored above 80 percent, with Amazon and Netflix tied at 84%. QVC.com ranked third. The survey is intended to be predictive for how companies will do in 2009. Retailers losing some customer confidence included Circuit City, Gap, Home Depot, HSN, Neiman Marcus, and Overstock.com.

Larry Freed, President and CEO of ForeSee Results, said that too many e-retailers aren't paying attention to metrics like customer satisfaction and he said "that's just not playing to win in this economy."

Apple is down 1% from last year's rankings. In general, Apple does very well in surveys that measure customer loyalty, product reliability, and service and support.

2009 could be a tough year for brick and mortar and online retailers, so every little bit of customer pleasure really helps translate into sales.
TUAW Apple ranked #4 among online retailers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Rumor Watch: New Mac mini go for launch
Filed under: Macworld, Hardware, Rumors, Mac mini

When it comes to the Mac mini, there are people out there who know everything there is to know... and now, those savvy sources are telling TUAW that they are confident a new Mac mini is set to be announced at Macworld Expo 2009 next week. While many details are still vague -- we still have no idea if the dimensions of the new mini are at all different from the existing model -- some details are starting to emerge.

First, the internal optical drive is changing to a SATA optical drive that can be swapped out for a second SATA hard drive (probably as a BTO option). For those using Mac minis as departmental / small business servers, having a second internal hard drive adds a great deal of utility to the mini in a server role; RAID 1 mirroring becomes simple. Companies like MacMiniColo.net that colocate thousands of Mac mini servers will save rack space as external drives will no longer be mandatory for backups.

The second detail is that the new Mac mini won't be made of white plastic like the current model seen above; instead, it will follow Apple's new design meme by using black plastic and aluminum. No more smooth sides, either -- the new mini has a "lip" similar to the Time Capsule. The optical disc slot is hidden under the lip so it won't be obvious in case the owner chooses to have two hard drives instead of a hard and optical drive combo. The lip also provides cooling, so the vents on the back of the mini are no longer needed.

For those of you who have been hoping for a new mini, there are many signs that your dreams are about to come true.

Thanks Mr. X
TUAW Rumor Watch: New Mac mini go for launch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Rumor watch: TechCrunch says large-format iPod touch in 2009
Filed under: Rumors, iPod touch
Citing "three independent sources close to Apple" including "one source that has actually held the [prototype] device," TechCrunch is stepping into the pre-Macworld Expo rumor fray with the possibility of a large-format iPod touch device coming in the fall of next year. The hypothetical MegiPod would sport a 7" or 9" screen and, naturally, play media content and run apps from the iTunes App Store. Production conversations are ramping up now, say TC sources.

Why an iTablet, and why now? The post cites the presence of the App Store as the primary determinant that the market is ready for a touchable Apple product in supersized form: "Apple has been experimenting internally with large form tablet devices for years, one source says, but there was concern that users wouldn't like the device. The difference now is the iTunes app store, which has thousands of games and other applications that are perfect for a touch screen device with an accelerometer." TechCrunch says the big pod may not be a done deal, as we've seen a zillion Apple tablet rumors come and go -- but that Apple is still planning to move forward, this time.

I'm not sure I would personally be in the market for a 7-inch, unpocketable iPod touch with the text input system featured on present-day devices; however, the expanded screen real estate and advances in the touch tech might combine to make a true typeable surface with room to finger-breathe. The more pressing question, then: since it's hard enough now to keep other commuters and bystanders from peeking over your shoulder to see what you're watching -- how much worse would it be with that massive screen?

Meanwhile, we've made a conscious effort to steer clear of the other Macworld-related rumor today, floated by Gizmodo and irately attacked by CNBC. Whatever the source and whatever the motives, publishing unconfirmed Steve's-health stories is (as we've seen) not a particularly prudent game to play.
TUAW Rumor watch: TechCrunch says large-format iPod touch in 2009 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Did it seem like a long year?
Filed under: OS, Odds and ends, Internet
You might not notice it, but actually 2008 will be one second longer than a standard year (or, as comments point out, one day + one second -- it is a leap year as well!), as scientists add that leap second to make up for variations in the speed of the rotation of the earth.

The change will come on the stroke of midnight Universal Time. That adjustment will take place automatically for GPS systems, Internet time servers, and radio time signals around the world.

Like most things in our world, there is a bit of a debate on all this time changing, with some serious proposals to abolish the leap second completely.

You'll be happy to know that your Mac will take the time change in stride, and add the appropriate second when needed. Modern Windows versions are also ready to sync up.

Just make sure your computers are using an Internet time server to set the date and time automatically, which in OS X is switched on by default. If you are not connected to the Internet, the sync will happen next time you are. Now, doesn't all the anxiety you had about this go away?

via [Silicon Alley Insider]
TUAW Did it seem like a long year? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Lugaru shows why game devs should support OS X and Linux
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Cult of Mac, Odds and ends, Developer
Jeff Rosen of Wolfire Games has an intriguing post up about why developers of videogames like himself should go out of their way to support the OS X and Linux markets. Their game, Lugaru, is available on Windows, OS X and Linux, and the upcoming sequel, Overgrowth, is also being developed for OS X.

Rosen says right out that the prevailing opinion, that the smaller markets aren't worth developing for because the audience isn't there, is just plain wrong -- Mac sales accounted for a full half of Lugaru's sales. The people who are buying software, his data seems to say, are using Macs.

And he has five main points why it's worth the time and effort to release builds on these smaller platforms: you have sites like ours (and the great Inside Mac Games) to talk about your game for you. We Mac gamers respect companies that take the time to make sure we have just as great a gaming experience as our PC counterparts, and we talk about it when they do. He says that a Linux version gained them a mention on Slashdot, one place they'd likely never have been mentioned if they were "just another Windows game." And power users are often Mac users as well -- you want someone who will spend an entire night coming up with new content for your game just because they love it so much? Mac users are nothing if not disturbingly obsessive about the software they love.

Good points all around. Many game developers, both large and small, continue to scoff at the Mac markets as too small while at the same time wondering why they can't get a foothold of a community on the Internet. Of course, releasing a Mac version doesn't guarantee you higher sales and a rabid group of fans -- you have to make a good game first and foremost. But some of the most influential and insightful game players online are Mac users, and by shrugging them off as "not a big enough audience," you're shooting yourself in the foot.
TUAW Lugaru shows why game devs should support OS X and Linux originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Munster: New Macs for MWSF, small iPhone by second quarter '09
Filed under: Macworld, Analysis / Opinion
Our favorite-named analyst, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, predicts that Apple will announce new Mac models at Macworld Expo, and a smaller iPhone for the March quarter.

Piper Jaffray expects that Apple will sell 45 million iPhones during 2009, though that estimate is predicated on the fact that Apple will release a lower-cost iPhone model early in the year, priced between $99 and $149.

As for Macworld Expo, the expectation is that there won't be any groundbreaking announcements, since Phil Schiller will be giving the presentation. They do expect new iMac or Mac mini models, however.

Piper Jaffray is maintaining its "buy" rating, and $235 price target, on shares of AAPL. The stock was up slightly during morning trading.

[Via StreetInsider.]
TUAW Munster: New Macs for MWSF, small iPhone by second quarter '09 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Apple makes Fortune's list of bonehead moves (twice), still a best place to work
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Humor, Bad Apple
With the end of the year comes the cavalcade of best and worst lists, just in case you didn't know what was best and what was worst over the course of the year.

Apple made glassdoor.com's list of "50 Best Places to Work," placing 19th. It scored a 3.8 out of five, and 90 percent of employees approved of the job that CEO Steve Jobs was doing. 303 employees completed reviews at the site, contributing to its score. (The reviews themselves are interesting to read, incidentally, if you have a few minutes to kill.)

On the other hand, Apple made Fortune magazine's list of 21 Dumbest Moments in Business for the year, twice -- but the second time really wasn't its fault.

The first head-smacker, at number six, was for the approval (and subsequent removal) of the "I Am Rich" iPhone application. "The real losers?" Fortune asks: "The eight suckers who bought it."

The second blooper, number 19, actually goes to CNN and Bloomberg for two false stories about Steve Jobs' health. Bloomberg accidentally released an obituary on August 28, and retracted it the same day. In a similar gaffe, a post on CNN's iReport site falsely claimed that Jobs had suffered a heart attack. CNN took down the post -- but not after Apple's stock dipped 10 percent in 10 minutes. Ouch.

[Via Macsimum News and MacNN.]
TUAW Apple makes Fortune's list of bonehead moves (twice), still a best place to work originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Beta Beat: MacRabbit's Espresso released as public beta
Filed under: Software, Beta Beat, Developer
Espresso, the highly-anticipated web design and development platform from MacRabbit (creators of CSSEdit), has been released as a public beta (originally predicted for late November). It's not finished (that's why it's called beta, silly), but it's far more complete than what we've seen thus far. The auto-completion capabilities of the editor are well-developed, support for HTML, XML, CSS and Javascript is included, and the live preview is working nicely. The array of available Sugars, as the extension packages are called, is frequently being added to by users, and support for additional languages is already available. A few themes, some ported from TextMate, can also be found on the wiki.

Web developers who have used CSSEdit are familiar with the simple interface which belies many powerful features. You can expect the same from Espresso. Coda users will be interested as well; when Espresso is feature-complete, you can expect a TUAW-style head-to-head comparison of the two. Personally, I'm a die-hard TextMate user, which any of the TUAW crew can attest to. I always have trouble getting into new editors, no matter how rich their feature set may be. I stopped editing CSS in TextMate when CSSEdit came out, though; there's just no comparison. Knowing CSSEdit the way I do, Espresso may be the platform which finally pulls some of my TextMate loyalty away ... at least for web design.

You can grab the time-limited (30 days) beta from MacRabbit's site. If you're a developer, make sure you check out the wiki. For me, the most appealing aspect of Espresso is its extensibility, and a look through the SDK should pique the interest of any code-sligner.
TUAW Beta Beat: MacRabbit's Espresso released as public beta originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Chilli X seeks the savage wit of TUAW readers
Filed under: Humor, Productivity, App Store
iPhone developers Chilli X are looking for a little help with the App Store promo materials for their new ToDo list app, Done. First, though, a little bit about Done.

You're probably thinking, "there are too many task lists available for the iPhone, and they all do the same thing." You'll get no argument from me there. For me, it's a matter of how well they do it, and Done has the potential to be very fluid to use, taking a little more advantage of the iPhone platform as a user interface. Not having tried it yet, I'm judging by the features listed on the promo page: multiple lists, priorities, colors, shake to sort, as well some more novel innovations. It looks simple ... maybe too simple for some, but potentially ideal for those who shudder at the mention of GTD (sorry, did I say that too loudly?).

One novel feature which I don't believe exists in other task managers, yet, is a snapshot capability which will replace your iPhone/iPod touch wallpaper with an image showing your top 6 tasks. The app was recently submitted to the App Store, and is awaiting approval. That's where you -- with your highly-developed sense of humor and savage wit -- come into play.

Chilli X would like to have clever task lists in the promo shots for the app. They are -- by their own admission -- developers and not comedians. You can see their prior attempts at their website, but -- and I say this with love -- they're not great. If you think you have the comedic chops to write a truly fun, interesting and humorous list, leave a submission here in the comments. Chilli X will be watching and picking their favorite entries, the authors of which will receive free copies of Done, in addition to the glory of having their carefully-crafted task sequences displayed in the screenshots of the app in the App Store.

I've heard rumors indicating that App Store glory is often accompanied by prolonged health benefits and above average success with dating prospects, but your results may vary (the TUAW legal department kindly asks me to inform you that TUAW makes no such promises, and takes no responsibility for this post).

Chilli X does offer one stipulation: "keep them clean(ish) and don't say nasty things about anybody." Easy enough.
TUAW Chilli X seeks the savage wit of TUAW readers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Mac 101: Enter directory paths when in open/save dialogs
Filed under: Mac 101

Last week I told you about easily switching directories (folders) while in an open/save dialog. This was great when you knew where a folder was located in a specific place, and you could drag + drop it on the dialog. But what if you want to type in a directory path (i.e. ~/Desktop)?

While in an open/save dialog, pressing Command + Shift + G will allow you to type in a directory path. For instance, if I wanted to open my Documents directory for my user, I would type ~/Documents. The tilde (~) tells the computer to look in the current user's home directory.

Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 section.
TUAW Mac 101: Enter directory paths when in open/save dialogs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Print photos from your iPhone with HP iPrint Photo
Filed under: Software, Freeware, iPhone, App Store
How would you like to be able to shoot photos on your iPhone, and then immediately print them on your HP printer?

HP has a new product called iPrint Photo (click opens iTunes) available in the App Store that makes it very simple to print your iPhone pictures. The free download opens to a list of photo albums that looks very similar to the list in the Photos app on the iPhone. Tapping on a photo brings up a Print Photo page with a large Print button on it (see photo at right). If you only have one networked printer available, just tapping the Print button sends a 4x6 inch (10x15 cm) print job to that printer.

If more than one HP inkjet printer is on your local Wi-Fi network, tapping on a printer search icon brings up a Chooser-like list of printers that you can select one from. This is an excellent free app -- it took no setup and I was able to print a picture immediately after downloading the software from the app store.

Between this software and HP's announcement of their Mac-compatible media server, it looks like HP is starting to play nice with Apple!

Check out the gallery below for a few more photos of this app in use.

Gallery: HP iPrint Photo App
TUAW Print photos from your iPhone with HP iPrint Photo originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Seeing the future from the past
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Cult of Mac, Odds and ends, Found Footage
We'll be seeing a lot of predictions about the immediate future in the coming days. We're not immune here at TUAW and you'll likely get some predictions from your humble bloggers, but it is really interesting to look back and see how our current technology was (or was not) predicted in the past.

Here is a link to a talk by Nicholas Negroponte from 1984. At the time, Negroponte was head of the MIT Media Lab, and company CEOs were always taking their people there to see what the future might have to offer. This video is from the year the Macintosh appeared. Negroponte talked about touch screens, high resolution monitors, and the future of user interfaces. It is a fascinating presentation, and his predictions for the most part are right on target. It's almost 30 minutes long, but give it a try and I think you'll find it pretty eye-opening.

It isn't easy predicting the future. I remember seeing the General Motors film about the future done for the 1939 Worlds Fair in New York. Most of those predictions were wrong, and very 'Buck Rogers.' Robots doing housework, automated cars and a lot of other things that haven't come to pass, at least not yet.

Negroponte, who now is behind the One Laptop Per Child project, has had a very keen eye over time. Many of the things he predicted came to pass in products released by Apple, which have benefited users immensely.

[via Funky Space Monkey]
TUAW Seeing the future from the past originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Things 1.0rc now available
Filed under: Software, Productivity
Cultured Code has issued the 1.0 release candidate for Things, its popular GTD application, a little more than a week ahead of its official launch on January 6.

Things 1.0rc has a huge list of changes including new icons, the ability to reorder to-dos in the Today list across project and area boundaries, the ability to edit titles and reorder projects in the sidebar (my biggest pet peeve prior to this), fixes to syncing and compatibility issues with the iPhone version of Things, and numerous big fixes. A complete list can be found here via MacUpdate due to site difficulties with Cultured Code. An official mirror detailing the release notes can also be found here.

Things 1.0rc is available at the mirror of the Cultured Code website, since the main site is either being sluggish or not responding at all due to demand. An alternate download location can be found through MacUpdate, along with the complete list of changes. Full price for a Things license is $49USD, but a coupon for 20% off can be used until January 15 - even if you missed out signing up for the newsletter. That code is THINGSPRESALE20.

Things requires OS X 10.4 or later. It is also recommended for those who own the iPhone version to update to version 1.3 once it becomes available through the App Store.
TUAW Things 1.0rc now available originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
12seconds, Animoto release iPhone apps for video slideshows
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Developer, iPhone, Graphic Design, App Store
12seconds.tv is a site that started up a little while ago that seems to be aiming at a "Twitter-for-video" kind of idea -- you upload just twelve seconds of video, whether that's you saying something, video of a short scene, or whatever else you want. The site was in alpha but has recently opened up to beta (so anyone can join), and they've also released an iPhone app, available for 99 cents in the App Store right now.

"But wait, Mike," I hear you saying, "the iPhone doesn't record video!" And it still doesn't, but it does record pictures and audio, and the 12seconds app will combine a slideshow of three pictures you take with any 12 seconds of audio you record, thus creating a close approximation of a 12 second video. You can see my sample upload here, just a few pictures of my apartment's hallway and some Mountain Goats playing from my speakers. You can use pics you've already taken, and the whole process of recording, combining, and uploading works pretty well. You don't have any control over how the images slide across: it's more of a "throw it all into the mix and hope something good comes out" thing.

It's an interesting idea, and while you're paying a buck for a social networking video app that can't actually record video (not that that's 12seconds' fault, Apple), you could probably come up with some pretty creative stuff, from the artistic and witty to the requisite cat videos (because no video site is complete without a cute kitty). It's definitely not a video replacement for the iPhone, but for uploading quick and simple snippets of experience from wherever you are, it does the job.

For a different approach to photo-based videos generated on your iPhone, you can check out the free Animoto app, released last week by the website of the same name. Animoto will take 8-16 photos from your iPhone or iPod touch, let you order them and select musical accompaniment (from a provided but fairly ample list of tracks; you can't use your own music or record a soundtrack). The app then uploads your images to the Animoto site and cranks out a 30 second, montage-style video for you. You can stream the video back to your iPhone, or send it along to friends. If Techcrunch gushes about it, well, you know it must be just awesome, right?
TUAW 12seconds, Animoto release iPhone apps for video slideshows originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Christmas iPod touch and iPhone gifts boost App Store volume
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Humor, Holidays, App Store

Hello and welcome once again to The Obvious News. Our top story today: the sky remains blue, and we'll have a full report by our man on the scene Chip Thompson about that later. But first, this: apparently App Store downloads are up thanks to large holiday sales of the iPhone and iPod touch. This comes as a shock to absolutely no one, but reports are coming in from developers, publishers, and browser reports and search terms alike that App Store downloads and interest have jumped up three and four times over, thanks, it seems, to more people receiving iPhones and iPod touches for Christmas and the other winter holidays.

John Sargent of The Obvious Institute tells us why: "Well, iPod touches are pretty boring without apps, you know? And I guess people probably want to try out apps on their new iPod touches." Thank you, John -- painfully obvious. Our technology analyst Ms. Common Sense also tells us that any time Apple sees a bump in sales of their devices, the App Store will have its own sales bump soon after.

In other Obvious News, having too many meetings can apparently make you grumpy. We'll be back after these messages. Obviously.
TUAW Christmas iPod touch and iPhone gifts boost App Store volume originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Rumors abound, Apple working on media server?
Filed under: Rumors, Mac OS X Server
Just when we thought we were done with rumors for the day, another one pops up. 9to5 Mac is reporting that Apple could be working on a media server that might rival HP's MediaSmart Server. They suggest the server will be similar to a Time Capsule, only with more functionality.

According to 9to5, the new product will include a Dynamic DNS system to tie in with MobileMe; this will provide username.me.com domains for easier access across the Internet. In addition, the device will include AFP filesharing and Time Machine backup stores. The device will not run off of Mac OS X Server, as you might suspect; rather, it would run the same system and processor that the Time Capsule does.

You can read more about this rumor, and read more details about the rumor on the 9to5 Mac website. Do you think Apple is about to jump further into the NAS market with a supercharged Time Capsule?

[via MacRumors]
TUAW Rumors abound, Apple working on media server? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Smule's Zephyr sends snowy messages around the world
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Internet, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
As much as I hate to do it, I'm always willing to admit when I'm wrong, and I was wrong about Ocarina. Not about the app itself, per se -- I still think it's one of the silliest, most pointless apps I've seen on the App Store. But it has been nothing but popular since its release, so apparently lots of people out there are into it. That's fine -- I'm willing to accept that there are best-selling apps out there that I think are dumb.

And maybe this will be another one: Smule, the company behind Ocarina, has decided to follow up with a new app called Zephyr (not to be confused with the MacBook cooling system) that seems just as silly to me. You can draw out messages with an airy sound-and-snowflake interface, and then send those messages blowing around the world (represented, in the official video above, by Las Vegas) to random people who, if they like your messages, will pass them on around the Internet. "What's the point?" you might say, and in that opinion, I'd agree with you. There are lots of ways to send messages around the world, and more than a few of them are quite free and will let you be clearer than drawing snow with wind sounds in the background.

But then again, I didn't see a point to Ocarina, and that made plenty of money. Zephyr is available on the App Store right now for 99 cents. And if you do jump in and buy it, make sure to tell us exactly why in the comments below.
TUAW Smule's Zephyr sends snowy messages around the world originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Contract-free iPhones selling in France
Filed under: iPhone
When Apple was planning to sell the iPhone in France, Orange was identified as the exclusive carrier. The problem was that France prohibits a carrier lock to extend beyond 6 months. Additionally, French provider Bouygues Telecom SA filed a complaint with the Competition Council about that agreement back in September.

A decision was reached earlier this month when the Competition Council decided that any French carrier should be able to offer the iPhone 3G. While Bouygues Telecom and SFR (the second-largest carrier in France) haven't begun selling iPhones, retailer FNAC has, and they're unlocked as far as we can tell. It's unclear (at least to us) if they're unlocked completely or only open to French carriers.

For the low, low price of €799 (or $1,122US as of this writing), you'll get an unlocked 8GB iPhone. The 16GB model will set you back €899 ($1,262US).

While we're on the topic, you can learn how to unlock your iPhone here.

[Via Ars Technica]
TUAW Contract-free iPhones selling in France originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Rumors swirling around new iMacs
Filed under: Macworld, Rumors, iMac
It seems that an upgraded iMac is a shoe-in at Macworld Expo in January. It's a consumer show, and the iMac is Apple's consumer desktop. Plus, it hasn't received a significant change in a while, so it's due. Now that the winter holidays are just about over, the Expo rumors have begun to circulate.

AppleInsider has posted a few iMac rumors. First is mention of a new "...magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis," as well as a "cooling module." That's all the details there are, folks, so your guess is as good as ours if the current fan system will be replaced. We all know Steve and Jon Ive like quiet machines.

The more solid rumor is about the new 65W, low-power, quad-core desktop chips Apple is expecting from Intel. Along with Acer, HP and Dell, Apple has decided to make use of these chips, according to DigiTimes, though their target machine has not been identified. DigiTimes claims that these chips are suited to small form factor and all-in-one PCs.
TUAW Rumors swirling around new iMacs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать
Traveling? iPhone can help!
Filed under: Productivity, iPhone
Update: As many noted below in the comments a lot of the functionality mentioned in the article is not iPhone-specific. As such please find below updated information providing details as to what can be accomplished on the iPhone, iPod Touch or both.

If you're a road warrior and an iPhone or iPod touch owner, chances are you are not using your beloved technology to its fullest potential. There are many applications and services that can make your trip a lot less stressful so you can focus on enjoying the trip rather than making sure everything goes according to plan. Everyone by now is accustomed to using the iPhone for browsing the web while waiting for a plane or listening to music while sitting on a bus. But did you know you can do things like check in for your flight, listen to the radio in your home town from a thousand miles away, and at some airports even get through security all using just your iPhone/iPod Touch?

Read on, weary travelers, if you too want to learn the many ways in which Apple's touch screen devices can make your entire traveling experience pleasant, even if you're traveling for business.
Continue reading Traveling? iPhone can help!
TUAW Traveling? iPhone can help! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Переслать