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- Intel uses iTunes for benchmarking
Filed under: Hardware, Software, iTunes
Here's a bit of interesting for you from the folks over at APC: during a press event at CES 2010, Intel used iTunes to tout its latest processors rather than one of the other oft-used performance-testing suites. Specifically, they showed off an i5 processor not by running some complex graphics simulation or commercial benchmarking algorithm, but by launching iTunes and synchronizing with an attached iPod.
Intel is attempting to make processor specifications more useful to normal people by focusing less on engineering statistics and more on actual applications. What is interesting here is that Intel is essentially admitting the difficulty in quantifying the improvements of their latest hardware. It is, however, easier to qualify their improvements by showcasing their hardware using applications people use everyday.
This de-obfuscation of a processor's ability is a good thing. It means that my mother-in-law can stroll through Best Buy and understand that a given set of hardware is going to perform better at the tasks she cares about most. In the end, it really is less about GHz and more about GTD.TUAWIntel uses iTunes for benchmarking originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Hardware - Best Buy - Apple - iTunes - ITunes Store
Переслать - Former Apple engineer: FingerWorks may be a part of the tablet
Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, Software, Apple, Developer
The New York Times is the latest big source of tablet rumors today, and they went way back for the latest stab in the dark. All the way back to 2005, when Apple purchased a little company called FingerWorks, known for their work with gesture recognition on a multitouch interface like the Touchstream keyboard above. The Gray Lady says they spoke with "former Apple engineers" who have worked on the tablet itself, and those guys claim that it makes use of gesture recognition to operate: "for example, three fingers down and rotate could mean 'open an application.'" Another former employee told them that Apple's been putting together a multitouch version of iWork for years, and that the tablet is actually a full-featured Mac, not just an e-reader or larger iPod touch.
Of course, we don't know how long ago these Apple engineers worked for the company -- given that the App Store has vastly changed things over there in just the last year and a half, the tablet itself could have changed its focus in that same period of time. At this point, given all of the things you can do with a multitouch screen, finger gestures are probably the least impressive. But then again, Apple's been obsessed with multitouch for a while, so it's not a stretch to think they might be included some of this FingerWorks technology in a larger multitouch screen. Wait and see, wait and see.
Update: MacRumors now notes that some content on FingerWorks' website has been pulled despite being online since Apple made the purchase in 2005. Very interesting.
[via MacRumors]TUAWFormer Apple engineer: FingerWorks may be a part of the tablet originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Rumor: The iPhone's next GPU
Filed under: Hardware, Apple, iPhone
The Graphics Processing Unit, or GPU, of any modern computing device is an important piece of hardware that offloads 3D graphics rendering from the main processor. At CES 2010 last week, chip manufacturer Imagination Technologies may have spilled the beans on the GPU for the next generation of iPhones.
Imagination unveiled the PowerVR SGX545 GPU core design at CES, which is the only mobile phone GPU capable of OpenGL 3.2 and DirectX 10 level effects. The SGX545 also includes OpenCL support, which means that unused processing cycles on the chip can be used to offload work from the main CPU. The SGX545 is also multithreading-aware, and can provide an additional speed jump when used with multi-core processor designs such as the ARM Cortex-A9.
Imagination noted that they have produced a test chip for an unnamed "lead partner," which could very well be Apple. The Cupertino Kids have used PowerVR graphics in every iPhone and iPod touch, and many industry pundits believe the next generation of devices could be powered by a variant of the ARM Cortex-A9. Apple is also an investor in Imagination, having purchased a 9.5% stake in the chip manufacturer in 2008 and 2009. So it's very possible that the SGX545 could be churning out pixels in the next handheld you buy from the Apple Store.TUAWRumor: The iPhone's next GPU originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple announces Q1 financial conference call
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Apple Financial
It's that time again. Apple will be live streaming their Q1 financial conference call on Monday, January 25, 2010 at 2pm PDT/5pm EDT. To follow along (Quicktime required), visit this page on the 25th.
Of course, TUAW will be live-blogging the event with commentary, so feel free to join us for all the announcements plus a lively discussion. If the analyst's predictions are accurate, we should anticipate a blockbuster report. For example, Brian Marshall at Broadpoint.AmTech has estimated that Apple sold 3.3 million Macs during the last quarter, which would be an all-time single-quarter sales record.
Meanwhile, estimates of iPhone sales during the same time period range from 11.30 million units sold (according to Brian Marshall at Broadpoint AmTech) to 8.17 million units (according to Mark Moskowitz, J.P. Morgan). The interesting thing is that the low estimate, 8.17 million iPhones sold, would represent a 10.8% increase from the last September's record of 7.37 million if true.
We'll have all the facts in a few days.TUAWApple announces Q1 financial conference call originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - MacBook prices around the world
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Hardware, Retail, Mac Pro
While researching MacBook Pros, the folks at cmyplay produced an infographic charting the relative prices of MacBook Pros around the world. The variation is amazing.
The lowest cost was found in the US ... mostly. Certain models cost less in Hong Kong, but as the author notes, that could be due to exchange rate fluctuations. Prices were significantly higher in South Africa. For example, an entry-level 13" MacBook Pro 2.26GHz in South Africa retails for about the same prices as a mid-level 15" MacBook Pro (2.53GHz) in the US. Note that Apple does not have official representation in South Africa.
However, the highest prices were found in Brazil (where Apple does have official representation). As cmyplay notes, "For the amount to purchase a top-of-the-line MacBook Pro 2.8GHz in Brazil, a person could buy two of the same machine in the US." One Brazilian commenter noted that Brazil's import duties and sales tax, especially on electronics, is very high.
Good work, cmyplay! Your graphic is beautiful and offers a perspective we might not otherwise have considered. Make sure you visit the post to see the full image.
[Via Gizmodo]TUAWMacBook prices around the world originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Droid doesn't. Have touchscreen accuracy, that is...Now there's a nicely-documented fact that you can throw back in the face of that annoying friend of yours who got a Verizon Droid and who keeps saying "It's just like an iPhone!"
According to a report cited on AppleInsider this morning, the touchscreen accuracy of the iPhone is much better than that of three Android phones: the Motorola Droid pushed by Verizon, the HTC Droid Eris, and the new Google Nexus One. Why is that important? Well, when you're trying to tap a link on a website, for example, chances are very good that you're going to be successful on the iPhone and not on the Android phones.
The tests, performed by MOTO Development Group (no relation to Motorola), measured touchscreen accuracy with a simple test. On each device, a drawing app was launched and a tester drew straight diagonal lines in both directions across the screens with a finger. iPhones showed straight lines in situations with both light and medium finger pressure, while the Android phones showed zig-zag wavy lines across the screen. MOTO stated:
Several user comments on the MOTO site validate the findings. Have any TUAW readers been able to compare touchscreen accuracy on an iPhone and an Android device? Leave a comment below."On inferior touchscreens, it's basically impossible to draw straight lines. Instead, the lines look jagged or zig-zag, no matter how slowly you go, because the sensor size is too big, the touch-sampling rate is too low, and/or the algorithms that convert gestures into images are too non-linear to faithfully represent user inputs. This is important because quick keyboard use and light flicks on the screen really push the limits of the touch panel's ability to sense."
[via AppleInsider]TUAWDroid doesn't. Have touchscreen accuracy, that is... originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Microsoft to patch Word for Mac as per court order
Filed under: Software
Last month, a federal appeals court banned sales of Microsoft Word as of today, January 11th. To avoid a stoppage of sales and to comply with the court order, Microsoft is issuing a patch that will remove custom XML editing features.
In 2007, developer i4i accused Microsoft of illegally using its XML editing technology in Word 2007. On Saturday, Microsoft issued a similar patch for Word 2003. Please note that users who bought or licensed Word 2003 or Word 2007 before Jan. 10 do not have to apply the patches.
Even thought the Mac versions of Word were not mentioned in the suit, Microsoft will be patching those as well. "While Office for Mac products were not accused of infringement, we are changing the product to allay any potential concerns about compliance with the injunction," said Microsoft spokesman Kevin Kutz. Users of Word 2004 for Mac or Word 2008 for Mac will want to keep an eye out for these patches. As usual, if you experience anything unusual after patching, let us know.
[Via Macworld UK]TUAWMicrosoft to patch Word for Mac as per court order originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - VP for France Telecom verifies Apple tablet on the way?
French tech blog Nowhereelse.fr had a scoop of sorts this morning.
It turns out that Stéphane Richard, VP of France Telecom, was interviewed by Europe 1's Jean Pierre Elkabbach today. During the interview, Elkabbach made a comment to Richard: "According to the weekly Le Point, (in) a few days your partner Apple will launch a Tablet with a webcam."
To that, Richard simply replied, "Oui." ("Yes")
Elkabbach, probably sensing that French television viewers would love to know if they'd be in line for the new device, continued: "Is it that Orange users will also benefit?" This is in reference to the Orange wireless brand in France.
The long, complicated answer from Richard: "Bien Sûr!" ("Of course!")
Our French is not the best, so it's impossible to verify the rest of the discussion or the context in which these comments were taken, but according to the translation of the Nowhere Else page, the tablet is to at least be announced (if not sold) by the end of the month. In addition, the blog reports that the tablet will have a webcam and videophone capability built-in.
Update: TUAW reader Florian translated parts of the video and sent this to us: "They [the customers] will benefit more easily with the webcam. It will indeed be transmitted from the image real time, we will update this [use] in a way that videophone has been a few years ago and is also the network size and network quality that we put in place to serve the French will allow the new uses to develop." While that translation obviously leaves a bit to be desired, it seems to be the source of the information about videophone capabilities.
The original video (in French) follows on Page 2 if you wish to translate for us and provide additional commentary.
TUAWVP for France Telecom verifies Apple tablet on the way? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - What to do when your Numbers' charts don't paste correctly
Filed under: Software, How-tos, Productivity
The iWork suite of apps (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) play nice with each other -- for the most part. Objects such as shapes, text boxes and tables created in one app can easily be copied and pasted onto another and retain their styles. Even an image with an instant alpha filter applied will retain its transparency when pasted onto another iWork app. However, the iWork apps don't always play nice with each other when it comes to charts.
In particular, copying a chart created in Numbers and pasting it onto either a Keynote presentation or Pages document doesn't always bring the chart's legend with it respective to how it looked in Numbers. Sometimes, the legend may be misaligned, and sometimes it may even show up on a completely different page in the document.
To address this annoyance, just highlight all of the elements (the entire chart and the legend, or anything else you want retained) of the chart that you'd like to copy. Then click on Numbers "Arrange" menu and select "Group" (or hit Command-Option-G). Now, the legend of your chart retains its alignment when pasted onto either a Keynote presentation or a Pages document. To alter or undo this, just select "Ungroup" (Command-Option-Shift-G) from the same file menu.
TUAWWhat to do when your Numbers' charts don't paste correctly originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Scratching the surface: DJ'ing with your Mac
Filed under: Accessories, Peripherals, Software, iTunes, Macbook Pro, MacBook
It's Saturday night and you're out and about painting the town red, or whatever color it is that towns are painted these days. Whether you end up at a night club, a lounge or a bar, there's a good chance there's going to be a DJ spinning up some tunes at the venue. And there's a good chance that you'll see a glowing Apple in front of the DJ, as said DJ may be accompanied by a MacBook or MacBook Pro. If you've ever looked into doubling your Mac as a virtual turntable, then this post may help you scratch the surface -- err, vinyl.
At the top of my list for DJ apps is Serato Scratch Live, commonly known just as "Serato". Although the software-hardware combination of Serato is also compatible with Windows-based machines, most DJs that I know, and most of the DJs in the venues I've been to, outfit their Serato setup with a Mac. Here's what's in a typical Serato DJ config:
- There's Serato Control Vinyl. Although it looks and feels like a traditional vinyl record, Serato Control Vinyl doesn't have any pre-recorded music on it. Instead, the record contains a control signal that allows Scratch Live (the software on your computer) to track the motion of the record -- allowing you to control and scratch the the MP3s or AACs on your computer. The price for Serato Control Vinyl records ranges between USD $10 and $20.
- Scratch Live, which is the software that's installed on your computer.
- To bridge the digital world (Scratch Live and your digital music) and the vinyl analog world, you'll need to use special hardware: either Rane's SL 1 or SL 3 audio interfaces. These breakout boxes connect to your computer via USB. Audio is passed to the breakout box by connecting your left and right turntables' respective RCA cables to Serato's inputs, and likewise Serato's outputs to your mixer.
While you can purchase Serato Control Vinyl and a Rane SL 1 or SL 3 box separately, they can can also be purchased as packages. For example, a package with Scratch Live, two Serato Control Vinyl records and the Rane SL 1 box is usually priced at about USD $540.
Similar vinyl-based digital solutions are also offered by Stanton's Final Scratch, Native Instruments' Traktor Scratch, and Torq DJ.
But if you're just looking to get your feet wet without the need for expensive hardware, there are software-centric options to tickle your beat matching and vinyl scratching fancy. Here, instead of using digital vinyl, you'll be using your Mac's trackpad and some keyboard combinations to perform your mixing trickery. Of the paid-for options available, I've found algoriddim's Djay (USD $49.95) to offer the best balance of simplicity and ease-of-use for novices, as well as providing some advanced features for the more seasoned DJ.
Like a traditional DJ setup, DJay's interface presents dual virtual turntables to the user. Playing a song on one of the turntables is as simple as dragging and dropping songs from your song library (which is very nicely integrated with iTunes) to the desired turntable. Besides EQ, gain level, record speed and mixer controls, you can also set looping and cue points. To facilitate your workflow and mixing, the app features an "analyze library" feature that analyzes your songs and provides the beats per minute (BPM) of them. But if you're feeling lazy and not in the mixing mood, you can choose the app's "Automix" option. As implied in its name, the feature puts DJay on autopilot and automatically mixes your music for you. While DJay is suitable for use without any special hardware, Vestax has developed Spin, a USB controller that provides for more physical, turntable-like control. Spin is available at the Apple Store for USD $249.95.
Advances in technology have changed DJ'ing, as the sight of seeing DJs carrying in large carrying cases and milk crates full of 12" records has become less frequent. Serato and DJay represent two DJ'ing offerings available on the Mac, but by no means are they the only options. Readers, we'd like to hear some of your recommendations to the aspiring DJ or the mixmaster in all of us.
TUAWScratching the surface: DJ'ing with your Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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