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TheAppleBlog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products.
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Weekly App Store Roundup: Feb, 14th. 2009

Get your spoon and prepare to swallow a whole tub of awesome because we’ve got the freshest picks from the App Store to stuff in your mouth.

Before we get in to the latest releases, I’ve got a couple of interesting picks from the week’s Apple news.

First big thing, file sharing has been activated for MobileMe. Great news for users of the service, although when it comes to sharing files I’m a big fan of Dropbox – it’s packed with features, more so than MobileMe’s option, and integrates with OS X seamlessly.

Next up, Microsoft is joining the high street retail fray. Fresh from Wal Mart, David Porter is now onboard as Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Retail Stores.

A potentially profitable suggestion came from JB in TheAppleBlog’s comments: “They could put a McDonald’s inside to attract customers!” If that does happen, I’ll take my Windows Vista with a large cola and a side-serving of disappointment. Only joking, I don’t drink cola.

In this week’s roundup I’ll be looking at Harvest Time Tracker, Room, Kern and Flickit.

Harvest Time Tracker (free)
Being a freelancer I’ve got to keep track of my time, particularly which of my clients are making use of it — Harvest is a fantastic tool that keeps the brain-ache out of this task. The iPhone Web App does the job for me, but now there’s a streamlined native iPhone app dedicated to keeping track of time and tasks. Plus it’s totally free, so users of Harvest and those looking for such a tool should grab it now.

Room (free)
I’ve stayed in an array of hotels this year, tweeting my adventures across Europe, and yet for all the comforts that come from being a globe-trotting freelancing journo, I’ve hit on a major problem: there comes a point when the ever-changing rooms become a bit of a blur. This aptly-named app solves that problem, allowing you to enter a room number which — and here’s the excellent feature — is displayed as a badge on the app icon. A clever solution to a recurring problem.

Kern (99 cents)
I instantly fell head over heels for this game, created by U.S. design-studio FORMation, the folks behind color-matching iPhone dueler EYE vs. Eye. Kern is kind of a typographical take on Tetris as you slot individual letters in to different words while the leading rapidly shrinks. A super smart concept for a game which fellow designers in particular will adore.

Flickit (free)
This is the iPhone Flickr uploader to beat all others. The app has all the essential features — shoot within the app, batch upload, tagging and more — plus it really does look like it could have come straight out of Cupertino: designed purely with the user in mind. It’s totally free and I don’t know why — this is the sort of app that most Flickr users would certainly shell out a few bucks for.

That’s all for this week, I’ll see you next Saturday for more apps and more chat. In the meantime, drop by the comments and let me know which apps you recommend.

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New iPhone Case Backing Photos Making the Rounds

Some new spy shots of what some sites are claiming could be the new back case of an upcoming iPhone revision have been popping up in all the usual places recently. The images are surprisingly clear and in-focus, considering the general quality of early leaked shots, and depict what appears to be a matte black finish with etched or inlaid metal Apple logo and product detail writing.

The original source of one of the photos, iPodObserver, and the source of yet another that appears to be of the same casing, MacRumors, are both of the opinion that the case-back is made of metal, though I have my doubts. Metal casing would be a move backwards in iPhone development, since the original reason for switching to plastic was to improve signal reception by reducing interference. It could be a rough or rubberized plastic finish with the same shiny inlay as the current generation, though, which in my mind would be a sexy improvement.

Many suspect a new iPhone to be slated for a June release, marking the one year anniversary of the iPhone 3G’s official unveiling. Never before have images of the actual production model been leaked so early, which doesn’t say much for the authenticity of the photo. At the same time, the original source, iPodObserver, was responsible for leaking images of the iPhone 3G that turned out to be genuine, so they have a good track record. The apparent source of the photos is also China, which is where Apple has its manufacturing facilities.

If the photos are fakes, they’re very convincing ones. In fact, they already have me budgeting for this purchase come June. Yep, all it takes is photos of the back case that may or may not be real. I’m very weak.

More photos (from MacRumors):

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Sharpen Your MacGyver Skills With The Bomb and The Safe

Securicy Ventures, the folks behind the employment search app Job Compass, have come up with two ways to kill time while you look for your dream job. They’ve created a pair of games — The Safe and The Bomb — that will drive you nuts and keep you guessing for hours. Although no special skill is required to play them and they’re fine for any age, both games are compelling enough that they’re really hard to put down.

The Safe

The object behind The Safe is to crack the combination to unlock a safe, which then “just might take you on a whole new adventure,” according to its app store page. The trickiest part of the game is that it comes with no instructions other than a recommendation that you get the safe open before the cops come to take you away.

The games initial interface is nothing more than a dial like you’d find on any safe. Start spinning the dial to figure out the correct combination, but if you aren’t quick enough a brief video appears of someone being stuffed into a squad car and hauled off to jail. Part of the charm of this game is it lack of instructions, so I won’t give anything away here. I will say, however, that the App Store reviewers who recommend using your headphones while playing is good advice.

The Bomb

Securicy Ventures’ other game, The Bomb, is just as easy to play and just as difficult to solve. If The Safe lacked clear instructions, The Bomb is completely devoid of them. “Disarm The Bomb? Yep it's that simple…or is it? That's all we can tell you, really, we promise…now hurry up before it explodes!” says its web site enigmatically.

When you start the game, a bundle of TNT with colored wires attached to a countdown timer appears on the screen. To disarm the bomb, simply tap the wires. If you don’t “clip” them in the correct sequence, a short video clip of an exploding building appears. Again, there’s not much I can say without giving too much away — you really just have to try it.

Neither of these games will increase your IQ by 100 points or win you $1 million, but they’re really fun anyway. Both games are perfect time wasters when you need something to fiddle with but your mind needs to pay attention to something else, like when you’re in a meeting or watching a Webinar. They’re also perfect games to keep kids occupied in short bursts, since each round of play in The Bomb lasts less than a minute, and The Safe limits each session to about five minutes each.

If nothing else, sharpening your safe-cracking or bomb-disarming skills might make you feel like MacGyver for a while.

Both games are available in the App Store for 99 cents, and you can also pick up an ad-supported version of The Bomb for free.

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Smule Raises a $3.9M Round of Funding

We here at TheAppleBlog have posted a fair bit about Smule and their iPhone/iPod touch applications. Their apps are a bit off the wall (which seems like a winner in the App Store), but pack a lot of potential under the hood (as I indicated here). Well yesterday they proved it — in case you felt my wild guesstimates weren’t trustworthy enough — by raising $3.9M in funding.

Despite the static on the web lately about the pros and cons of the App Store, there are developers making it big, as Smule has clearly illustrated here. They built up a following of a million customers within months of launching their first application, and only continue to grow in popularity.

Blending high tech, advanced audio processes, and unique social networking concepts seems to be the secret sauce behind Smule’s success. One bold move has been making their Sonic Modem technology available to other developers to allow different applications to communicate and worth with one another. (One such developer has already jumped at the opportunity that Sonic Modem offers, with Electric Smoke, which can be lit using Sonic Lighter.)

With this new infusion of cash, Smule plans to continue bringing music in presumably unique ways to the masses (of iPhone/iPod touch users). CTO and Co-Founder, Ge Wang had this to say, “Smule has only begun to tap the creative potential of people around the world, [and] we will help people experience music as it’s never been experienced before and in turn find new ways of bringing people together.”

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FDA Suggests Possible iPhone Health App Regulation…Or Do They?

Don Witters, Chairman for the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health, gave a presentation at a healthcare IT conference last week during which he suggested that the FDA ought to have some regulatory jurisdiction over healthcare apps developed for the iPhone. His reasoning is that the FDA is responsible for all healthcare monitoring devices, including those that work on mobile phones.

When the issue of FDA-regulated iPhone apps initially came up at the conference, Witters said the iPhone didn’t meet the criteria for a medical device, which he defines as:

“…an implementation, product, apparatus or other component or accessory, which is used in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, prevention of disease or effects any structure of the body–that could actually include some information technologies and performance technologies–but usually it's something that is performed on the patient, touches the patient or is performed between physician and patient."

Loosely put, a mobile device is anything portable that’s used for diagnosing or treating a patient. Obviously, as a standalone device the iPhone doesn’t meet that definition. While it’s possible to add applications that can assist someone with medical diagnostics or healthcare maintenance, it’s really unlikely that an iPhone app — at least in the near future — would function as much more than a way to keep track of medical information or perhaps communicate with physicians.

At first Witter dismissed the idea that the FDA should be involved in regulating iPhone apps, but he quickly backtracked when questioned further and said part of the reason he was attending the conference was “to begin this dialog and see where [the FDA] fits."

Now, before anyone gets worked into a frenzy, it’s important to realize that something like this is a long way off — if it ever happens at all. Witter himself admits that he isn’t sure how to go about developing regulatory standards, much less how to assure an iPhone app’s safety and efficacy.

Even if the FDA did get involved, the amount of negotiating that would have to happen with Apple about how to approve and distribute apps is enormous. Once those issues got sorted, then there are concerns over update processes, whether developers would need special certifications in order to develop medical applications, and how they would fit into any mandates President Obama puts into effect regarding digital medical records.

Talk about a can of worms. Given that consumer-oriented health apps developed for the iPhone aren’t likely to create life and death medical situations, it’s unlikely the FDA would elect to get involved in regulating them any more than they oversee similar apps developed for the desktop.

iPhone apps for healthcare workers aren’t a new phenomenon. They’ve been around almost as long as the iPhone itself. Paramedics use software like Life Support 360 to manage patient care algorithms or the native phone features to access patient case histories in the field. Physicians use apps like Epocrates to manage dosing, diagnostics, and other clinical information.

If the FDA hasn’t already gotten involved in regulating existing healthcare apps for the iPhone, I don’t see it happening any time soon. After all, they kind of have their hands full right now. What’s your view on this? Should the FDA establish any sort of regulations or standards for medial iPhone apps? Or should they butt out?

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Microsoft Retail Stores: No Challenger to Apple

Taking charge of your own retail distribution is a questionable move even in the best of times, but it looks like Microsoft is bent on opening up another battleground between themselves and Apple, and that’s where they want to do it.

It’s a gutsy move on Microsoft’s part, and it’s hard not to offer up some begrudging respect for a company willing to lay it all on the line like this, considering the economic conditions. There’s no timeline for the actual opening of these stores, so they may just be preparing well in advance, and waiting to weather the storm.

The news of the plan to open retail stores comes via an announcement of Microsoft’s decision to hire 7-year retail vet David Porter as Corporate Vice President of Retail Stores, a move which pretty bluntly suggests that they’re planning on having some for him to oversee. And, in case there was still any question about it, they actually mention said plans in their official press release on the subject.

The big question from Apple’s perspective is: Does Microsoft retail pose a threat? I believe the answer is no, for a number of reasons. First, I think that any market share grab that occurs as a result of the new stores won’t come from Apple’s customer base, but rather from their own existing customers who would otherwise buy at Best Buy or some other large, multibrand electronic retailer.

Second, Microsoft still depends on third-party hardware manufacturers, at least in regards to their primary PC products. Apple sells third-party gear, but its own computers and software are the focus of the store. That means that Microsoft stores won’t carry as strong or cohesive a brand image as their rival, which has been a big part of Apple’s success over the years. Microsoft does have the advantage of having the Xbox to sell, and Microsoft-branded peripherals, but with a hodgepodge of PCs, style and reliability come into question.

Finally, Apple has the advantage of experience on their side. They’ve been in the retail game for eight years, and they seem to be fairly good at what they do. They won’t take Microsoft nosing in on their territory lightly, and you can bet they’re already formulating a response strategy as we speak. Yes, Redmond is bringing on experienced staff, but that doesn’t beat the experience of an entire company.

All of this isn’t to say that Microsoft can’t be successful in their own right. They have the advantage of being able to stock and sell netbooks, for example, which is huge, growing market that Apple doesn’t have a presence in. But if they think they’re going to deliver a knock-out blow to their competitors, they’re sorely mistaken.

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Drobo: The Ultimate Network Peripheral?

I was recently introduced to the Drobo box. If you're not familiar with it, simply put, it's the ultimate home backup server.

For $400, you get a BeyondRAID array that can support up to 4 simultaneous drives, and caps at 16TB. Even cooler is the ability to swap out your drives with a single push of a button. Drobo will backup your files across each drive, so if one fails, your files are still safely stored on the others.

Backing Up

Drobo makes it apparent how easily it integrates with Time Machine right from the start. You can set the limit to how much Time Machine will backup on your Drobo drives, and with FireWire 800, or via your network, it’s hassle free backup just like Time Capsule.

iTunes Streaming

To add a little envy to the product, DroboApps features an iTunes Media extension that allows you to share your iTunes library across your network. Keep in mind it costs extra for the FireWire and Network support as it's a separate attachment. So not only will it back up your data, but now it can stream your iTunes content to your Apple TV or computers across your network.

The Competition

Drobo may offer redundancy and media sharing, but let’s look at some other viable options. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you were to hook up a secondary drive to your Apple Time Capsule as a NAS drive, wouldn't it be the same thing? One drive for back up, and one for sharing media across your network?

I question Drobo, only because from the people I know who have experienced it, and based on Drobo’s Amazon customer reviews, the device doesn't seem 100 percent reliable. However their customer service record looks to make up for it.

Also considering other alternatives, such as HP's Media Smart Server, I'm left wondering which is the most effective, but ultimately cost effective device for my home. I guess it really comes down to what matters most to you. If you've had experience with any or all of these devices, please share in the comments.

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Another Step for MobileMe: File Sharing is Active
One of the things demoed by Phil Schiller when MobileMe was introduced was the ability to easily share files on your iDisk with others. The idea was that you’d select a file on the iDisk, choose to share it, and then add password protection and/or an expiration date for the link.

Then you’d key in the email address(es) of those you want to share the file with, and they’d get an email with a download link.

It all looked pretty slick, but there was just one little thing wrong: When MobileMe went live, this feature was MIA.

Well, not any more.

I tested the feature (with password) and it worked as advertised. One thing you’ll notice is that there’s a new “folder” listed on your iDisk in MobileMe. It’s called Shared Files, and is of course empty at first, but immediately contains a reference to any files you share.

Keep in mind you can only select one file to Share at a time. If you have multiple files you’d like to share, to avoid sending links for each one I suggest the following:
1. Select all the files.
2. From the Actions menu (Gear icon), select Compress.
3. A file called Archive will be created on the iDisk.
4. Now just Share the Archive file as usual.
When the user downloads Archive (on the Mac, at least), it’s automatically expanded into the original files.

I think this is a pretty slick solution for sharing a few files with someone as opposed to trying to have them navigate your Public folder. Especially if the intended recipient is not technically savvy. Getting an email with a download link is about as simple as it gets.
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The Perfect Girl for iPhone

Hey guys (and yes, I do just mean the guys on this one), lonely for Valentine’s Day? Need some positive reinforcement? Maybe just a quick, chauvinistic laugh? If you answered with an emphatic “Yes!” to any of the preceding and have an extra 99 cents to spend in the App Store, it appears to be your lucky day! Perfect Girl is a novelty app for your iPhone or iPod touch, and is purported to play all of the things you may want to hear from the fairer sex.

Look, by no means am I the perfect man (despite Perfect Girl assuring me otherwise), but much of this app comes across as horribly offensive to women — and no, I’m not saying this under duress from my wife! That said, there were a couple of chuckle-inducing comments. My favorites being:

“I repaired your permissions.”

“I stole you some spray paint.”

“I love ninjas!”

“Happy birthday, I got you a monkey!”

The app is totally bare bones and there are no settings to Perfect Girl. All you get is a button labeled, “Speak.” (Demeaning much?) If you shake the phone, that will also initiate some sort of positive feedback from your iPhone/iPod touch.

Honestly, this app seems like a major waste of 99 cents to me. But if you’re in a bad place right now, or need your spirits lifted with the impending lover’s holiday, maybe it’ll be worth it to you. Me, I’ll take one of the dozens of fart apps for a good laugh, any day of the week. And twice on Valentine’s Day.

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Separating Your iPhone Favorite Contacts
Has the Favorites list within your iPhone’s Contacts app grown so long that you might as well be using the entire Contacts listing? As it turns out, I have a lot of favorite people too. So as the list grew out of control, I started using a little hack that has helped to organize the many people I like to call with a single touch. Keep reading to see how I tackled this issue, and see some possible App Store solutions as well.

You’ll obviously want to decide what sort of grouping works best for you and the contacts in your iPhone’s Favorite list. Start by editing your favorites list, and ordering the contacts by your desired categorization. For me, it’s ‘Friends’, ‘Family’, and ‘Work’. So I’ve created a new contact for each.

The first name field looks something like ——FRIENDS—— and then a bogus 1 (234) 567-890 number has been created (since the Contacts app will argue with you if you try to create an empty listing).

Then make sure to favorite these new contacts to add them to your list. Once in the list, move your new separator contacts to the top of the ordered categories you previously decided on. Sure, it makes your Favorites list just a bit longer, but the usability (at least for me) is increased significantly.

The App Store has a few possible solutions as well:
- Fast Contacts is sort of a ‘kitchen sink’ option that does all kinds of sorting with your contacts data. It’s $1.99.
- Q Contacts adds a search feature to your list, and buttons next to the results allow you to text, email, or call the contact right from there. The two latest reviews when I looked seem to like it, but ask for more speed, and a Favorites list…maybe this won’t help solve the problem I started this article with. It’s free though, so give it a shot.
- InTouch Contacts appears to be another full-featured Contacts alternative that sorts in 5 different views, though it’s not immediately clear if you can create any custom lists. This one will cost you $2.99.
If you’ve got some useful tips for managing a lengthy Favorites list, or know of a killer contacts app for the iPhone (or iPod touch), do tell! It’s nice to share, and that’s what the Comments are for.

Author’s Note: I’ve been using this technique for a while and don’t recall whether the original inspiration for the idea was my own or not. I’m getting up there in my years, so if this was something I actually found elsewhere, it’s poor memory to blame for the lack of a shout-out, not a lack of respect…
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A Continuing Discussion of the Unibody MacBook 13″ vs. PowerBook 12″

Charles Moore wrote a great article about the unibody 13″ MacBook compared to the much-loved 12″ PowerBook. A friend of Charles argued that until the dimensions were nearly identical it could never be considered a replacement. Charles feels there’s a little more to it than that.

I think they’re both right (yes, life is good sitting on top of this fence).

I don’t disagree with Charles’ friend that width is a big factor, and here the new MacBook is much bigger than the 12.” However, I would suggest that depth is the more critical (for use on a table, airline tray table, etc.) and here the new model is only slightly bigger. Further, weight is a big factor and the two are pretty much identical.

So you need to consider just what you’re getting for those extra couple inches of width. It’s more than just a much bigger screen (in resolution, not just size). The larger case allows a larger thermal envelope so they can pack all that power in there. Remember that Apple could never get a G5 in a notebook no matter what. The G4 in the 12″ initially ran at 867MHz, less than the 17″ introduced the same day.

I’m just not convinced one must insist that every dimension be equal or smaller to be a true replacement. Given the near-equality of each dimension except width, and what you’re getting for that width — and its value — I’d say the 13″ kicks some serious butt. And I put my money where my text is, since I own one and love it.

What Apple Could Do

Can Apple do better? One thing to consider is that, while I believe 1280 x 800 a minimum reasonable screen resolution, does that have to mean a 13″ screen? No, it doesn’t. Apple could drop to a 12″ screen (maybe even 11) and still support 1280 x 800. Look at how beautiful 1920 x 1200 looks on the MBP’s 17″ screen to convince yourself.

The smaller screen could address the complaint about width. However, this is where fantasy ends and reality begins.

Cost

The 13″ screen size is ubiquitous. In short, they’re rolling off the assembly lines even as we “speak,” and have come down in price to make those models more affordable. Gearing up for a”non-standard” 12- or 11-inch might actually cost more. The smaller 10″ displays are certainly becoming common, but I’m not sure they could support 1280 x 800 well enough.

Power

OK, you’ve managed to shave a couple of inches off the width. That’s great, right? Well, maybe not for the electronics inside, who suddenly begin to wonder why it’s so hot in here. (Yes, I know I shouldn’t anthropomorphize electronics. They hate that.) Anyway, would the smaller model support the 2.4GHz like the current high-end MB does? Likely not. Would it install the “full” NVIDIA graphics, or would it have to be slowed down like in the MacBook Air?

Other

Do I think Apple could pull the CD drive from this new model? Personally, yes. Sell an external one as an option and use the “air sharing” software. I’m surprised at how little I actually use the CD in my MacBook. Still, many people want an all-in-one to be, you know, all-in-one, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

So then here’s the issue. Let’s say Apple uses an 11″ screen, and even removes the CD drive. Now the machine is small and light. And let’s say they use the 17″ battery technology to cram as much as they can into the thing. Even with a resolution of 1280 x 800, how powerful can this machine be? It would probably have to be even lower power than the MacBook Air. In short, not a primary laptop. That’s fine, you say? Yeah, except we’re talking about a 12″ PowerBook replacement, remember? The 12″ was perfectly capable of being a primary machine, so any machine dubbed as it’s replacement should be, too. A “netbook” will not be a 12″ replacement.

What’s That Leave Us With?

So what can Apple do? Well, to keep it affordable, stick with the common and relatively inexpensive 13″ display. Better keep the CD as well. Try to make it as slim and light as possible given those constraints, then pack as much power as can reasonably be kept cool in that footprint (preferably reaching “pro” levels).

In the end you’ll have something that balances all the factors in creating something simultaneously small, powerful, and affordable. And when Apple tosses all that in the margarita blender, what do they pour out? Well, well, it’s the unibody 13″ MacBook!

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EmotiFun! Emoji Enable Approved, Pulled by Apple

Any of you who happen to follow me on Twitter will know that when the original method for unlocking iPhone emoji on non-Japanese phones had me fairly excited. Bubbly, even. I lived in Japan for a brief time, and I came to love, and even depend on emoji for communication. Imagine my chagrin when Apple chose to enable it only for Japanese phones, since I’d already moved back to Canada.

So I paid the 99 cents for FrostySpace, an app that provided the privilege of thwarting Apple’s senseless censure, and I don’t regret it, even though the only people who can view the emoji are other iPhone users, and, presumably, those with Japanese cell phones. But then earlier this week, a new free app called EmotiFun! provided the same advantage as FrostySpace (also no longer available) without the $1 price tag. Which meant that I could finally convince my cheap brother to join in the fun.

Sadly, it was not to be. Apple mysteriously pulled EmotiFun! from the app store after it was only available for a day. A move like this recalls the App Store of old, before the arrival of fart apps, landscape email, 3rd party browsers, and the reimagined version of Podcaster. Why the change in stance? Did someone fall asleep at the switch and allow EmotiFun! through when then shouldn’t have?

I think this is probably a move like they pulled with Podcaster, and the original iPhone tethering app, in that they are probably intending to offer the same service themselves in the near future. Meaning, I hope, that emoji will be enabled in an upcoming firmware update for users outside of Japan. At least that’d better be the reason, because otherwise, I can see no benefit for Apple in blocking the app. Maybe you don’t care about emoji, but you should care about Apple arbitrarily dictating what you can and can’t do with your iPhone.

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Apple Documentaries for the 'Fanboy' in All of Us

Apple has been a “recent” devotion for me. Within the last six years have I come to appreciate the quality and design that goes into the products I use daily. So why not better understand the culture and devotion behind the company? If you love your Apple product enough to sit through a documentary or two, here are a few to get you started.

MacHeads

MacHeads is a deep dive into the culture and aura surrounding Apple. Meet dedicated people, probably not too far from ourselves, as they reveal their inner devotion to everything Apple. You’ll meet some interesting, and possibly random people through this journey, but it will give you a better understanding of why so many love their Apple products. Enjoy interviews from Guy Kawasaki, and other Apple cultists. Currently the video is available for sale or rental through iTunes and Amazon.

Welcome to Macintosh

If you're looking for a more historical approach to the world of Apple, Welcome to Macintosh covers everything from the early beginnings, to its revitalization, and now to its evolution. Featured guests also include Guy Kawasaki. In my opinion, this one feels a bit more polished then MacHeads, and offers more than just the cultists viewpoint.

Pirates of Silicon Valley

The “classic,” if there ever was a classic, regarding the history of both Apple and Microsoft would be Pirates of Silicon Valley. Not so much a documentary, but definitely worth of mentioning. You’ll at least glimpse the early beginnings of Mac vs. PC commercials.

Non-Mac Documentaries

Just in case you like documentaries or design, I recommend checking out Sketches of Frank Gehry. It’s amazing to see the thought process and inspirations that go into his greatest buildings. Also Helvetica is a really interesting look into typography and graphic design. Coming soon from the makers of Helvetica is Objectified, a documentary on industrial design. It features an interview from none other than Apple’s industrious Jonathan Ive. It’s still in its early screening phase, so sign up for announcements and future screenings.

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Rockstar Switching Horses, From Amazon to iTunes

Rockstar Games, makers of the extremely popular Grand Theft Auto franchise, are picking up and moving a very lucrative music partnership from Amazon to iTunes, which offers players of GTA IV the opportunity to purchase tracks used in the game’s soundtrack.

The reason for the switch? Apple’s (a AAPL) decision to finally go DRM-free. Rockstar had apparently always wanted to go with the big fish (how could you not, when they command more than 90 percent of the digital music distribution market?), but also wanted users not to be tied down with the music they purchased using it.

The switch will come alongside Rockstar’s upcoming downloadable expansion for GTA IV, which will also introduce a major addition to the game’s existing soundtrack. This is a perfect example of why Apple’s decision to move to a DRM-free music library was the right decision, from the consumer’s standpoint, yes, but also as a sound business decision. Formerly wary prospective partners will now embrace iTunes with open arms.

For us as iTunes customers, this sets a precedent that other companies will hopefully follow, which would lead to more choice, and innovative content purchasing models. With GTA IV, you purchase the music via the in-game “Zit” service, and you can then download the track outside of the game through Amazon’s MP3 store (soon to be iTunes). Video games are an obvious partner, since the interactivity is already there, but movie and television soundtracks could soon follow. I’d also like to see the reverse implemented, whereby you can use any of the tracks from your existing iTunes library in-game.

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Could Apple Bring Streaming Content to iTunes?

Everyone talks about the trend towards cloud computing, and for a while, it seemed as though computers would eventually become nothing more than net-connected screens and keyboards, since the need for local storage was slowly but surely being eroded. If you use a media download service like iTunes, though, you are probably very aware of just how dependent on storage space we all still are, and we have 1 TB Apple Time Machines to prove it.

If, judging by the sales figures, you’ve turned to Apple for the core components of your home theater (via Apple TV, iTunes music, etc.), the problem you inevitably come up against is where to put all that data you download. Sure, you can take the expensive route of buying to maximum capacity what Apple offers in each device, but you’ll still inevitably have to delete something to make room for something else.

One solution, and one which Apple has in the works, according to AppleInsider, is iTunes Replay, a streaming content delivery system that would alleviate the storage burdens of iTunes customers. Apple would house TV episodes and movies on their own servers, set up for this purpose, and users could then access it as needed without having to download and store the file.

While it isn’t clear which specific iTunes-enabled devices would benefit from the new streaming service, a likely candidate is Apple TV, because of the size of video media, and the fact that many of its competitors already offer streaming media. If I was the optimistic type, I would hope that the service would also be accessible via iPhone and iPod, but that probably won’t occur as part of the initial release.

This move has obvious drawbacks for the computer manufacturer, since it might dissuade customers from opting for the more expensive, higher capacity devices. It might, however, be intended to buttress media sales in uncertain economic times, if they are predicting that new hardware spend will dwindle regardless. AppleInsider also suggests Apple may charge for the service, above and beyond the price of individual episodes and films, which would somewhat offset their losses in hardware sales.

The streaming service is said to be coming as an iteration of iTunes 8, so it won’t bring a major update to the existing software. No word on when the introduction is specifically planned, though. My guess is that it might arrive alongside an Apple TV hardware update, and possibly the one I wrote about yesterday.

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First Look: Postbox

Do we need another Mac email client? Well, the folks at Postbox believe we do. They have taken the core of Thunderbird 3, reskinned it, added some goodies and given us something new to use.

Is Postbox ready for primetime? Well, let’s weigh in on the merits of this new app. Essentially, Postbox wants to be your central hub for managing all things email, with a new twist - integration of additional functionality (tags, integrated maps and more).

Postbox takes a different approach to managing conversations of email. Rather than talking about it, let’s have a look at some screenshots. Please note, these screenshots are from the Postbox web site. I am one of those Inbox Zero folks, so showing you my inbox would be pointless…

Features

In a new way of looking at email, Postbox provides the ability to view your inbox and other folders as individual tabs. Yes, this is also a new feature in Thunderbird 3.0, although the presentation really works in helping to interact with the deluge of email we all see from multiple email accounts.

Postbox Multiple Tabs

Of the standout features in Postbox, the Conversation View is very powerful. Being able to see your entire conversation a la GMail is very handy. This is a feature that Mail.app sorely lacks and I hope we get to see when Snow Leopard ships.

Postbox Conversation View

Another great feature is the Compose Sidebar. This handy tool has an integrated search for attachments (you can insert any attachment from another email message), photos - with the caveat of local disk(s) or from Picasa.

Postbox Compose Window with Sidebar

Another standout feature that many mail clients should have is the ability to add notes to messages. Postbox includes an annotation tool to do just that.

Postbox Mail Message Annotation Tool

Postbox has many more features, including message tags (similar to MailTags), support for Growl and a powerful message search that uses operators similar to Gmail. For example, from:Matthew.

Postbox Search

Alternatives & Comparisons

Postbox is an interesting new player in the email client space. Other competitors to Apple’s Mail.app that offer richer (smarter) functionality include Outspring Inc’s Outspring Mail. In fact, Outspring Mail takes a different approach to managing your inbox my applying intelligence to message handling (automatic filing) rather than using manual tagging.

If you are a Mail.app person running Leopard, then moving to Postbox can pose challenges. For one, there is no QuickLook support. Further, there is also no integration with the iLife suite (for adding photos, movies, etc.). Less importantly, there is no stationary support. On a positive note, Postbox does integrate with Address Book.

If you use MobileMe, Postbox doesn’t support MobileMe aliases natively. Microsoft Entourage 2008 has a similar problem. The workaround is to create separate accounts for each alias (which just adds to the visual clutter).

If you use the Daylite Productivity Suite and its integration into Mail.app, you won’t be able to archive your email messages outside of Postbox. This might not be an issue for some, although it is fundamental to my daily work.

Conclusion

Remember, Postbox is still in beta, so do be careful. I ran into a few glitches where by selecting a header while reading my inbox, my email messages were deleted. Thankfully, they were just moved to the Deleted Messages folder. However, this was somewhat disconcerting, especially when the email is from your Editor…

Most importantly, it is unclear is how the folks at Postbox plan to monetize the product. Will it have a license fee? Will it have an advertisement model? These questions remain unanswered and should cause you to heavily consider using the product.

When I asked the folks at Postbox, I received an answer from their PR team telling me that they do not have a monetization model yet and will be working with the beta community to figure one out. One word: scary. The beta testers get to be the guinea pigs for the monetization model too? Nice.

As an another example, Outspring Mail has a retail price of $59. Leopard retail is $129. You do the math and ask if it is worth spending the additional dollars for a “suped-up” email client.

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Universal and Sony Strike Out Again. Totally.

Billboard recently reported that Total Music, a joint venture between Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, has finally ceased operations. The two music giants have “agreed to stop funding the effort, citing both business and economic factors for doing so.”

As far as I’m concerned, this thing was doomed from the start. It was born, like many of the hare-brained music companies’ schemes, out of thinking they could out-do iTunes. It was just one of several ventures that some of the labels entered into in ridiculous attempts to damage iTunes so they could somehow get back to the wonderful world of selling albums, not singles, at $15 a pop, like the good ol’ days of CDs.

For those of you sorry to see Total Disaster Music go, cheer up. This isn’t the only time Sony and Universal have teamed up to do something stupid. Maybe their other effort will do better.

Meanwhile, I’d like to think that the recent deaths of Ruckus, Total Music, and others are finally why the labels caved in on removing DRM from iTunes. Sure, they got variable pricing as well, but if these services hadn’t quickly withered on the vine and died, I believe the labels would just keep slugging away at it in an effort to do anything other than get behind iTunes.

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Daily Apple: Pushy Leopard, Beta Shut Down, & Broken Hearts

iPhone Push to Be Delivered Alongside Snow Leopard? - Warning: this post is long, very involved, and pretty detailed. That said, it is very informative, and it presents a well-reasoned argument for why background push notification for third-party apps might be integrally tied to Apple’s upcoming Snow Leopard operating system. It better be.

Adobe eBooks Support Coming to Stanza - The Kindle 2 may have only just recently come out, and it looks like it may be a very nice little reading machine, but Stanza isn’t about to stand by and let it take back some of its many readers. They’ve just announced upcoming support for Adobe eBooks, which will broaden their huge library even more. Take that, Bezos.

Windows 7 Public Beta Starting to Shut Down - Microsoft opened up the initial pool of public beta testers for Windows 7 beyond their initial limit, but now they’re starting to shut down the servers that house the image file for download. All new downloads have already been cut off, and now they’re just letting those who’ve started finish up.

A Tale of Broken Networks and Broken Hearts - Over at GigaOm today, network head Om Malik has a post up about the end of his love affair with Apple’s iPhone. It wasn’t you, iPhone, it was AT&T’s network. Somehow, that doesn’t make it hurt any less.

Jailbroken iPhone Gets Turn-by-Turn, The Rest of Us Still Lost - A Cydia app called xGPS, which has been around for a while, just got a big update, which allows it now to deliver true turn-by-turn navigation, like the talking kind, on top of Google’s Maps app. If only that feature weren’t more lost than background push notification for legit phones.

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Beginning Mac: Dashboard

When the Mac operating system OS X 10.4 (aka “Tiger”) was first announced, there were two things that I instantly fell in love with: Automator and Dashboard. While Automator is great when you really want to geek out, Dashboard is a great companion for new and veteran users of the Mac.

Dashboard is a semi-transparent “layer” of the operating system that contains small, self-contained applications called “widgets.” These widgets allow you to do everything from convert currency to check the local weather. With thousands of widgets available — and even the ability to create your own — Dashboard can be a very useful (and powerful) tool for a new Mac owner.

How to View Dashboard

One of the best features of Dashboard is how it sits quietly in the background until you ask for it — and there are multiple ways to ask. The easiest way is the keyboard shortcut, which depends on your keyboard configuration. For my iMac the shortcut is F12 (there’s a small picture of a speedometer). For the new unibody MacBook it’s Fn+F12 (the function key bypasses the default volume controls). Of course, these default keyboard shortcuts can be customized in System Preferences.

You can also access Dashboard by creating a “hot corner” that will activate Dashboard when you hover your mouse over the corner of your choice. You can set up a hot corner by going to Preferences and navigating to the Desktop and Screen Saver pane.

And finally, you can access Dashboard by clicking on the icon in your dock. If you’ve removed it then you can easily find Dashboard in your Applications folder where you can drag it back into the dock for easy access.

How to Use Dashboard

Once you’ve activated Dashboard, the real fun begins. If you’re looking at Dashboard for the first time, you’ll most likely notice a handful of the 20 widgets that are included with Dashboard (if I counted correctly). Luckily, with each update to the operating system Apple adds a few new widgets (most recently Movies and Web Clip) so the true Mac fans don’t get bored.

But the widgets you see on the screen are only a few of these built-in widgets. In order to see the rest, click on the small “plus” button in the lower left-hand corner.

A small toolbar will pop out containing all the widgets installed on your computer and available for use.

To add a widget to Dashboard simply single-click or drag the widget onto the screen. This will add an instance of the widget to Dashboard. I say “instance” because each widget is self contained — meaning you can run multiple copies of your favorite widgets at the same time. This is especially useful when placing multiple sticky notes or for tracking multiple time zones.

Done with a widget? While the Dashboard toolbar is open you’ll see each widget has a small ‘X’ in the upper left-hand corner. Simply click and the widget will vanish. You can also use Dashboard’s “Manage Widgets” feature, but I find it easier to simply click and disable the ones you don’t want.

Now when you first add the World Clock widget you may not be too impressed that it only shows the local time in Cupertino, California. The World Clock, along with most widgets, are customizable. When you hover over a widget you’ll see a small ‘i‘ appear (see above screenshot). Clicking on that icon will bring up additional information about the widget, as well as any options that you can tweak.

Dashboard Widget Resources

If you like the functionality of Dashboard you’re in luck… there are hundreds if not thousands of Dashboard widgets available. New ones are being developed every day too — in fact many popular applications include a Dashboard widget version of their program in the installation package and many websites have created specialized widgets for their RSS feeds and other information.

One of the largest sources of widgets is Apple’s own download page. There you will find more widgets than you’ll know what to do with. In addition to browsing the various categories (games, sports, news) you can see the Top 50 list or the most recently added widgets.

Dashboardwidgets.com also has a strong collection of widgets in addition to forums and development guides (if you’re inclined to begin creating your own widgets). The site allows you to sort by date, downloads, or rating which is very helpful in finding the most popular widgets.

How to Install or Remove Widgets

Once you’ve downloaded your favorite widgets, the next step is to install them. And in true Apple fashion, installation is the easiest part. After downloading your widget, simply double-click on the icon and you’ll see a prompt asking you if you’d like to install the widget. Click install and Dashboard will open and place your widget in temporary “test drive” mode where you can use the widget before actually keeping it on your Dashboard. If you click delete while in “test drive” mode then the widget is moved to the trash never to be heard from again.

As mentioned above, if you don’t want to use a widget anymore, simply click the small ‘X’ in the upper corner and it will be out of sight. But if you want to remove the widget from even coming up as an option in your Dashboard toolbar, then navigate to to /Library/Widgets for Apple original widgets or ~/Library/Widgets for your own user folder. Then simply drag the widget into the trash.

Just Getting Started

If you enjoyed this introduction to Dashboard then check back soon for a future post on more advanced features and tricks — like moving widgets to your desktop and syncing your widgets with Mobile Me.

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