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- Found Footage: Flight of the Bumblebee in concert on an iPad
Filed under: Found Footage
Chinese pianist Lang Lang headlined a concert at San Francisco's Davie's Symphony Hall on April 19th. For the first of three encores, he played The Flight of the Bumblebee on an iPad. To accomplish this, he used the Magic Piano iPad app. This is just one example of how amazing apps can allow people to do amazing things, and the party has just started.
[via 9to5Mac]TUAWFound Footage: Flight of the Bumblebee in concert on an iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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IPad - Unofficial Apple Weblog - San Francisco - Lang Lang - Flight of the Bumblebee
Переслать - SDK devsugar: Finding beta seed differences
Filed under: Developer
Just a quick heads up to developers: Are you struggling to determine what changes between one beta release and the next? There's an easy solution. Head on over to the pre-release reference library. This site lives behind the normal Apple firewall and can only be accessed by members of the paid ($99) iPhone developer program.
Normally, Apple's documentation on the main beta release page (also behind the paid developer wall) lists only those differences between the last major firmware version (currently 3.2) and the newest beta (currently 4.0 beta 2). Over the last few days, I've been able to point quite a few people over to the document that shows the differences the previous beta (4.0 beta 1) and the current (4.0 beta 2). By checking in there, you can easily see what's new right away when a beta build drops. Hopefully this will save some of you a bit of extra work.
Thanks, Emanuele Vulcano!TUAWSDK devsugar: Finding beta seed differences originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Hands on with OmniGraphSketcher
Filed under: iPad
Retailing for a relatively hefty US$14.99, OmniGraphSketcher may initially leave you scratching your head and wondering exactly who the app's target audience is. OmniGraphSketcher offers a free-form drawing application for creating graphs and charts. With it, you can illustrate many kinds of numeric information, just as you would by using the chart features in a normal spreadsheet. However, OmniGraphSketcher isn't powered by spreadsheets. It's powered by human drawing, and that's a rather odd combination; it's also the application's main feature.
There's not a lot you can customize creatively when working with a standard spreadsheet graph. OmniGraphSketcher helps build persuasive illustrations that break the cookie-cutter sameness of pie-charts and bar graphs and hopefully brings design excellence to the table. This app isn't about mathematical precision, it's about beauty.
You choose the axes, the labels, the drawing style, and so forth. Like OmniGraffle, most of the functionality is placed into a pair of modes (line drawing and filled drawing, which I used to create the graph at the top of this post). An inspector popover lets you customize how each feature is colored.
The software is, clearly, first generation. I ran into a fair number of bugs both before and after Omni issued a bug-fix 1.1 release. Even now, you cannot easily move labels within a shape. I worked around this by creating separate labels and dragging them to where I wanted them to be rather than where the app wanted to put them. I could not order my objects back to front, but I realized that deleting a shape and undoing that action moved each shape to the front. (I initially drew the shapes purple, then red, then green, but wanted them ordered in the sequence you see above.)
I admit readily that I'm an engineer, not an artist. (The picture shows this quite clearly.) While the idea of creating artistically enhanced illustrations appeals to me, I have no talent whatsoever to really make the most of this application. I'll stick with spreadsheets, I'm afraid. For anyone who does have that artistic spark, you may find that this application will help you build those persuasive graphics, even when you're on the go.
TUAWHands on with OmniGraphSketcher originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple throws Adobe a bone -- on the Mac
Filed under: Software
Adobe's Flash Player has never performed as well in Mac OS X as it does on Windows-running PCs. The traditionally poor performance of Adobe's plugin on the Mac has led many iPhone and iPad users to support Apple's decision to keep Flash off of its mobile devices. While the upcoming Flash 10.1 does boast some significant performance improvements over its predecessors, the performance is still pretty terrible compared to h.264, which has access to hardware-accelerated video decoding via the GPUs in Macs.
Adobe's stance has long been to blame Apple for the poor performance of Flash on the Mac, citing Apple's unwillingness to allow third-party developers access to APIs necessary for hardware-accelerated video. Adobe no longer has that excuse to fall back upon: Apple posted a technical note back in late March that removes this restriction and allows third-party developers access to hardware-acceleration APIs for h.264 decoding in compatible GPUs. The technical note describes "a C programming interface providing low-level access to the H.264 decoding capabilities of compatible GPUs" -- meaning only the latest Mac GPUs, the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, GeForce 320M and GeForce GT 330M. "It is intended for use by advanced developers who specifically need hardware accelerated decode of video frames," the note continues.
So there you have it, Adobe. The one thing that's supposedly been holding you back from getting decent Flash performance on the Mac is now gone. Now that Apple has removed this "stumbling block" and you're unfettered by Apple's restrictions, the onus is on you to prove that you can deliver a well-crafted Flash plugin for the Mac -- preferably one that doesn't crash constantly or send my fans into a cyclone any time I try to watch full-screen Flash videos.
It will be interesting to see how Adobe responds to this. If Adobe takes advantage of the hardware-acceleration APIs, how much improvement Flash's performance sees as a result will settle the debate once and for all over who's been at fault for Flash's subpar performance on the Mac. Even if Flash sees substantial performance on the Mac as a result of this move, though, there's probably no chance that Apple will relent on its stance regarding Flash on iPhone OS.
[Via MacRumors]TUAWApple throws Adobe a bone -- on the Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple updates iPad guided tour videos
Filed under: iPad
Apple's guided tour videos explain a device's marquee features. Apple released a set for the iPad last month, and this week it's added two more: Maps and the App Store.
In the Maps clip, a user is in the now familiar "lap up" pose as she uses Maps to explore Paris. I must admit that the Google maps app looks fantastic on the iPad, though I doubt I'd walk around with it out as I've done with my iPhone.
The App Store video starts with users playing Plants Vs. Zombies (get your feet off that table!) and a few others before demonstrating to how to find, download and use the app of your choice, as well as store features like categories, features, etc.
The info in these clips won't enlighten most of us, but do send them to the novice Apple customers among your family and friends if they still need a little convincing on an iPad purchase.
[Via MacNN]TUAWApple updates iPad guided tour videos originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Google buys firm of former Apple employees
Filed under: Hardware
Google's purchase of a firm staffed with former Apple employees is surrounded by mystery, according to AppleInsider. Agnilux is a small San Jose startup founded by a few former Apple employees, most of whom left the mothership right around the time of the P.A. Semi acquisition.
Other than that, nothing is known about the company. And I mean nothing -- the NYT's Bits blog even tried to do a drive-by of what they were up to, and came up with bupkis. It's probably something processor-related, but whatever it is, Agnilux is guarding it so closely that they won't even talk abstractly about what they're working on, for fear that someone will "take our intellectual property before we're ready." The closest NYT gets is "some kind of server."
Google has purchased the company, for a (surprise) undisclosed sum. What do they want with it? We have no idea -- Google already knows their way around server architecture, and it certainly seems like they're a little late to start installing new processors everywhere. Conspiracy money says that they really just wanted a nice chunk of Apple -- if that's the case, then with Agnilux on the payroll, they probably got what they wanted.TUAWGoogle buys firm of former Apple employees originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW reader braintrust: Filling up your iBookShelf
Filed under: TUAW Bookshelf
Let's face it. iBook offerings are, at least for the moment, pretty limited. They're also on the slightly pricey side for anyone who emptied their piggy bank on a new iPad. Even those public libraries that offer ePub lending aren't set up to make those titles available for iPad reading. You generally need special Mac or Windows software, and there's DRM aplenty.
That having been said, there are many great readable books out there for the asking. The problem is, as with nearly all free options, a very low signal-to-noise ratio. Sure, you can download one of the top Project Gutenberg titles, but those top twenty lists tend to be uninspiring. Getting a peer recommendation for a truly excellent read is often a lot better indication of whether you'll like a book or not than popularity charts.
That's why we thought we'd open up this post to your free ePub recommendations. Our TUAW reader pool is full of passionate book enthusiasts. We'll get the ball rolling with a few of our suggestions and then we invite you to chime in in the comments with yours. Don't forget to say why you're recommending the book and who it might be a good match for, taste-wise.
Let's help each other to find some quality iBooks. And don't forget: Just because a book isn't already in ePub format, there's no reason that it can't be converted using a tool like Stanza or Calibre!
Parnassus on Wheels is a warm, delightful novel about a woman who buys a traveling bookstore and the adventures she encounters. Its full of fun for anyone who loves books and practical homespun self-reliance.
Recommended for: Readers who like chick-litThe Egg and I tells the nearly-real story of Betty MacDonald's days as a child bride and chicken rancher. This hilarious comedy is the source of the "Ma and Pa Kettle" characters you may have heard of.
Recommended for: Readers, especially women, who like humorous first person memoirs.Wizards Bane wonders what would happen if a computer geek got transported to a world of magic. Could you create a programming language for spell casting? It's a solid but silly fantasy that's fun to read.
Recommended for: Computer geeks.Sheepfarmer's Daughter demonstrates what happens when classic fantasy meets an author with a military background. There are elves and gnomes -- but also patrols, cold weather, wet socks and a heavy dose of realism.
Recommended for: Readers who like fantasy, military lit, or bothFive Children and It is one of E. Nesbit's many amazing fantasy books for children. It's full of that "sense of wonder" that so many children's books strive for and never achieve. If you like this one, you'll want to try some of her other titles as well!
Recommended for: Children and former childrenMagic Pudding offers a classic tale of silliness and mayhem among the Koalas. Make sure you download the illustrated version of this children's book!
Recommended for: Fans of Pooh who want to range beyond A. A. Milne. Good for story time with younger readers.Marvelous Land of Oz proves that the Oz story doesn't end with the Wizard of Oz movie. I loved these books as a kid, both the Baum ones and the later ones by Ruth Plumly Thompson.
Recommended for: Fans of the original book Wizard of Oz even more than the movieAlso of interest:
TUAWTUAW reader braintrust: Filling up your iBookShelf originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Cigars all around: AAPL catches MSFT on S&P 500
Filed under: Apple Corporate
[This is officially the most times I have had to change a headline. -MR.]
Remember "I would shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders" and "the future of Apple looks like Silicon Graphics"? How about "doomed to fail?" Remember "The Mac market is ending?" Good times, good times.
You've come a long way, baby. VentureBeat notes that as of today's market close, Apple'stotal market valuationposition on the S&P 500 index passed Microsoft's. Apple is now #2 on the US list after ExxonMobil.
Update: Looking at the valuations, as of the close Apple is still behind by quite a bit. Not sure where VB's numbers are coming from, but we'll find out.
Update 2: Looks like MarketWatch ranincorrectconfusing numbers at the close today, which is where theerroneousinfo came from. Apologies to all.
Update 3: Trust the WSJ to clarify matters. While Microsoft still has a larger full market value than Apple, the Standard & Poor's index is "float adjusted market capitalization weighted" (gesundheit!), meaning that it is tracking the smaller number of shares actually available for public purchase, as opposed to the larger number tied up in instruments such as employee options. Based on that measurement, Apple has in fact pulled ahead of Microsoft, according to S&P's Howard Silverblatt: "AAPL has an index market value of $241,534 million and MSFT has a market value of $239,515 million - AAPL is #2." [Thanks Tim!]
Disclaimer: I have a small, long-term position in AAPL.
[via Techmeme]TUAWCigars all around: AAPL catches MSFT on S&P 500 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - What almost three weeks with an iPad has taught this blogger
Filed under: iPad
OK, I've had my iPad for exactly 19 days today. Over that time, just about everyone who knows that I have the device has asked the same question: "So, how do you like it?" The easy answer is that I love this device in a very unnatural way, but there's more to the answer than that. I've learned a lot about myself and how I use my computers through the time I spend with the iPad every day.
The iPad provides a different computing experience than, say, a MacBook. While some actions, such as e-mail and browsing, are quite familiar and comfortable, things like using iWorkare very different due to the method of interacting with the device. Fortunately, I've found the experience to be a positive one, and I sometimes find myself tapping on the screen of my iMac to try to open or move things.
What follows is a list of thoughts I've jotted down (in Penultimate, naturally) over the last few days. I'd be intrigued to see how many of our TUAW readers have had similar experiences, or if you've had completely different feelings about the iPad.TUAWWhat almost three weeks with an iPad has taught this blogger originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Found Footage: Android running on the iPhone
Filed under: iPhone
Hacker David "Planetbeing" Wong has posted a video of Google's Linux-based Android OS running via OpeniBoot on the iPhone. Obviously, it's way off of Apple's reservation, but as you can see in the video above, it works very well -- you can browse the web, play media, and even send and receive calls and messages. If you want to give it a shot (and of course, with all iPhone hacks, the usual disclaimers apply -- you might brick your iPhone or worse, cause Steve Jobs a headache), the files are all available for download from his site.
Currently he's only got it running on the 1st generation iPhone, but he says that it should eventually be able to work with later versions. His goal, he says, is to eventually provide iPhone users with a supplementary or even an alternative OS, but as with most of these hacks, it seems like more of a novelty rather than a useful implementation. Still, if you've been itching to free the OS bonds of your 1st gen iPhone, now's your chance to try and slip free of the chains.TUAWFound Footage: Android running on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - What could your business do with 20 iPads? Box.net & TUAW want to find out
Filed under: TUAW Business
There are plenty of cloud storage and collaboration services that sound good in an elevator pitch or seem promising when sketched on the back of a napkin; precious few ever really get working at a scale and sophistication that truly can make a difference for the vast majority of users. One service that has the track record to claim that crown (not to mention a long list of happy customers) is Box.net, which has been pushing bits and making friends since 2005.
Beyond the web-centric file storage and laundry list of distributed applications that Box offers, there's an item of keen interest to iPhone and iPad users: the new and improved Box.net app, which gives you easy and rapid access to your entire file library on the go. You can also find Box.net API support in apps like Goodreader, giving you plenty of options when it comes to getting at your stuff.With all this mobile support in place, it's interesting to think about the usage scenarios and new solutions that businesses could devise ... if only they had some iPads, and some help. Wouldn't it be exciting to experiment? And wouldn't it be that much more exciting if, say, the iPads were free?
The hunt begins for one fortunate firm that's ready to answer the question "Is the iPad ready for business?" Box.net is offering 20 iPads and a Box business account to the company that comes up with the best fit and workflow for how your business would take advantage of the iPads and the collaboration tools. In 200 words, in the widget below, upload a text or Word file with your rationale, and put your contact info/company name in the description field. If your story resonates, your shop may benefit. The Box account lasts a year, and the iPads are yours to keep.Meanwhile, TUAW will be checking in with the winning firm frequently through the course of the program, sharing the lessons learned and the experience gained with other would-be iPad adopters in the business world. We'll be chatting by video, visiting the office (geography permitting), and helping share your stories during the year to come.
Full details and FAQ are here. Give it a shot -- you could find yourself sitting atop a stack of 20 iPads.
Do not submit your application in comments; use the upload widget.
Disclaimer: Box.net is the sole administrator of the iPads for Business program and will determine all the conditions and requirements of participation. TUAW is not responsible for the iPads for Business program and cannot answer questions or provide support for any device or application on the iPads. No advertising contract or financial relationship exists between TUAW and Box.net.
TUAWWhat could your business do with 20 iPads? Box.net & TUAW want to find out originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Designer clock for iPad available free for Earth Day
Filed under: iPad
I love clocks. My house is filled with different digital and mechanical clocks. I've always loved the Alien Clock, and I have an Atmos Clock I picked up on eBay a few years ago.
Now a nice designer clock has made it to the iPad and today only it is free to commemorate Earth Day. click.clock HD presents a striking display of time as the digits rotate around the screen. You can tap the screen and get iTunes controls. To skip from one track to another, drag your finger to the left or the right. Tapping and holding the screen will dim the clock, and if your are connected to external power the iPad auto-lock is disabled and you have a nice animated clock to display on your desk or a table. The clock works in either portrait or landscape mode.
Negatives? I'd like to see an alarm clock function. I was surprised the Apple clock app didn't make it over from the iPhone. I liked the world clock, and the alarms on the Apple app. Even the timers were handy.
Remember, click.clock HD is free today only in honor of Earth Day. Grab it if you 'have the time.'
TUAWDesigner clock for iPad available free for Earth Day originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Hands on with Facemakr for iPhone
Filed under: App Review
Developer Hawken King sent along an e-mail this morning about his new Facemakr application. After watching the video, which I've included here, I decided to give the software a try. Facemakr, which is featured in the App Store as a Social Networking tool, lets you create custom avatars using an interactive face editor (which sounds like high-risk surgery).
The reason this caught my eye and made me want to give it a spin had nothing to do with social networking, however. My kids spend hours and hours creating Miis on our Wii gaming system. It seemed to me that Facemakr might offer the same sort of creative engagement.
So did it?
The problem with Facemakr is that whoever put this app together seems to have tested it on a simulator, using mouse input rather than on an actual iPhone and a big old screen to work with. As a rule of thumb, buttons should never be smaller than 44-by-44 pixels. The buttons in Facemakr are tiny. A single real-world fingertip easily covers three button choices.
The second problem is that the icon design is weak. When you use icons rather than words, the picture really need to be able to express themselves the first time they're used, not the fifth, tenth, or hundred time after you learn what they mean. It's all about recognition (a good thing) versus recall (a bad thing, forcing users to learn your system because your icons don't work). Facemakr really needs better pictures (not to mention larger ones) because the beard icon looks like lips, the lips icon looks like an eye, the glasses icon looks like the letters "bd", and the hair icon -- well, a half circle really doesn't scream out "hair" at first glance.
Facemakr has a good idea. I really love the concept behind it but I wish the execution lived up to that concept. It needs to be redesigned and, hopefully, upscaled to the iPad where the complex interface has a chance of matching real world physical human interaction limits, specifically finger sizes.
TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page. Promo code requests are not guarantees of reviews.TUAWHands on with Facemakr for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW review: Data Robotics Drobo FS NAS
Filed under: Peripherals
Network Attached Storage (NAS) is gaining in popularity as an alternative to a home or small office server. A few weeks ago, I reviewed LaCie's Network Space 2, which is a non-expandable 1TB storage solution. For those who want a solution that will be expandable in the future, Data Robotics has recently introduced the Drobo FS.
Like its predecessors, the Drobo FS has multiple drive bays -- five in this case -- into which you can insert standard SATA hard disk drives. The array can be set up for either single or dual-disk redundancy, meaning that one (single) or two (dual) drives can fail without compromising the integrity of your data. Data Robotics' proprietary BeyondRAID technology makes the array easy to set up and expand.
The Drobo FS is easy to set up. The review unit sent to TUAW by Data Robotics was removed from its box, three disk drives were installed by sliding them into available slots on the unit, the power supply was connected, and a gigabit Ethernet cable run from a router to the back of the Drobo. Upon powering up the Drobo FS, the device showed up under the Shared list in the Finder -- so far, so good.TUAWTUAW review: Data Robotics Drobo FS NAS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple announces dates for iTunes Festival London 2010
Filed under: iTunes
Apple has announced dates for the 2010 London iTunes Festival. The festival will run every night in July this summer. Sixty artists will be performing over thirty-one days at Camden's Roundhouse in London. The first three nights will feature performances from Scissor Sisters, Tony Bennett and Ozzy Osbourne.
Tickets to the shows are only available for free via competitions. Apple will be giving away 25 pairs of tickets for each showing. The entry form for the competition is here. Users may apply for as many of the gigs as they'd like. Those who can't make the festival can still watch highlights, read the latest news, and see behind-the-scenes photos on the event's Facebook and Twitter pages. All performances will also be recorded and sold on the iTunes Music Store worldwide.
[via 9to5]TUAWApple announces dates for iTunes Festival London 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - 99 year-old loves her first computer -- an iPad
Filed under: iPad
Virginia Campbell, a 99-year-old woman from Lake Oswego, has finally bought her first computer -- an Apple iPad. "It's changed her life," one of her daughters told OregonLive.com. Virginia has been an avid reader most of her life, but she suffers from glaucoma, making reading increasingly difficult.Because of the iPad's ability to adjust the brightness of the page and to increase the font by simply tapping, Virginia has been able to take up her beloved past-time again. Not only is she reading again, she's writing again too. So far she has composed twelve limericks on her iPad, including this little ditty:
Here's to you and your technological wonder, Virginia! We hope to read many more of your limericks well into the future.To this technical-ninny it's clear
In my compromised 100th year,
That to read and to write
Are again within sight
Of this Apple iPad pioneer.
Thanks to Ian for sending this in.
TUAW99 year-old loves her first computer -- an iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple quietly updates design of MagSafe power adapter
Filed under: Accessories
Apple has quietly updated the design of 85-watt MagSafe power adapter used with the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros. The new connector design features an aluminum tip instead of the plastic one which is still available on the 60-watt MagSafe power adapters used for 13-inch MacBook Pros and MacBooks.
Beyond the aesthetic redesign, there doesn't appear to be any added features. The new 85-watt MagSafe now mimics the form of the 45-watt MagSafe power adapter used by the MacBook Air. The advantage the 45-watt and new 85-watt MagSafe power adapters have over the existing 60-watt version is that the design allows for a more slimline interface while connected to the MacBooks they power.
Thanks to reader Max M. for the tip.TUAWApple quietly updates design of MagSafe power adapter originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Desktop for iPad plays some 'multitasking' tricks that are useful
Filed under: iPad
Desktop for iPad tries to bring a little (sort of) multitasking joy into your life. Through some split screen tricks, it can give you a browser and let you write an email on the same screen. Of course, you can cut and paste between the two. You can also use the split screen functionality to accommodate a calculator, currency converter, dictionary, maps with geolocation, a translator, unit converter, and a weather app.
It's a pretty clever idea, and I found a few good uses for it, like selectively sending parts of a Web page to someone in an email. Yes, you could do it with the standard cut and paste, but it was nice to see the body of the email and the Web page at the same time.
The app supports landscape and portrait modes, and you can split the screen vertically or horizontally.
Of course, when Apple brings its flavor of multitasking to the iPad later this year, such apps might not be so helpful. On the other hand, I don't see anything in the Apple previews that leads me to believe I'll be able to have two Web pages open on the same page or a Web page and translator app visible at the same time.
To get around the strict Apple rules, this app plays some games. It's not using Safari as the browser, just a built in WebKit version. That means your bookmarks aren't available; you have to type everything in manually or save the bookmarks again in the included browser. You're not really seeing your mail app either. You type on a blank slate, and when it's time to send, your page is copied into a regular iPad mail message. It works fine, but it's still a workaround dictated by Apple.
Desktop for iPad is on sale for U.S. $0.99 until Friday.
Pictures of Desktop in action are in our gallery:
TUAWDesktop for iPad plays some 'multitasking' tricks that are useful originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Found Footage: iPhone OS 4.0, multitasking, app switching
Filed under: iPhone
As you may or may not know, a beta of iPhone OS 4 is out in the wild for developers; ever since its announcement and subsequent release, little tidbits of information have been sneaking out. Today's found footage comes to you by way of a nice little YouTube video displaying the latest OS's multi-tasking chops.
In the video we see an anonymous finger switching between multiple, running apps and there is a nice little animation to accompany the transition. I won't spoil the fun for you but needless to say, I can't wait to get this on my iPhone!
[via Engadget]TUAWFound Footage: iPhone OS 4.0, multitasking, app switching originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily App: Powder
Filed under: App Store
TUAW's Daily App spotlights one great App Store app, every single weekday.
Powder probably isn't the most polished roguelike RPG experience on the App Store (Sword of Fargoal is generally considered to be among the best), but what it lacks in graphical quality, it makes up for in ease-of-use. The genre is sometimes tough to get into, but Powder, originally designed for the Game Boy Advance, uses easy buttons and icons to let you guide your turn-based RPG character through random dungeons, killing monsters, gaining XP, and drinking weird potions of various colors, all while trying to avoid cursed gear. It's still not easy (roguelikes are notoriously ruthless affairs, and permadeath is still the rule), but the controls are surprisingly intuitive, and the included tutorial makes an often steep learning curve much more gentle, even if you're new to the genre.
Plus, Powder wins points from me for its flexible save state process; it's very easy to work your way through a dungeon floor, exit out to make a call or do something else on your iPhone, and then dive back in and pick up right where you left off. Best of all, it just recently went free; that makes sense, considering the other versions are free as well. If you still want to support programmer Jeff Lait, you can do so by donating on his Web site. Meanwhile, Powder is a free download in the App Store, and definitely worth checking out.TUAWTUAW's Daily App: Powder originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Why Apple might want to buy ARM
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Rumors
--- Last January, Apple COO Tim Cook stated, "We believe we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products we make." That motivation, backed by Apple's 41 billion cash on hand, makes its rumored acquisition of ARM Holdings so compelling. ---
What would you do if you had $41.7 billion in cash reserves? That's what Apple has and, as Ken posted earlier, the rumor du jour suggests the company might use a modestly large chunk of it to acquire ARM Holdings. If such a deal is in the works, it would be Apple's largest purchase ever by an order of magnitude; the suggested £5.2 billion (US$8 billion) sticker price dwarfs the biggest prior buyout, which brought NeXT into Apple for $400 million and delivered the foundations for Mac OS X (along with a certain iCEO).
ARM licenses its chips to many consumer electronics heavyweights; in addition to powering the iPad and iPhone, ARM processors power other smartphones, including those running on the Symbian, Windows Mobile/Windows Phone 7, and yes, Android operating systems. An Apple acquisition of ARM, therefore, could have far-reaching implications on consumer electronics, especially when it comes to competitive access to the latest and greatest ARM chips.
In the London Evening Standard article, a trader was quoted as saying "A deal would make a lot of sense for Apple .... That way, they could stop ARM's technology from ending up in everyone else's computers and gadgets." That may be taking it a bit far -- ARM's licensing and product lineup couldn't be made completely private in the short term -- but it would make Apple the most-favored customer for ARM's designs. It would also help Apple's other recent buyout, chip shop Intrinsity, make the most of its expertise.Back in January 2009, Apple COO Tim Cook stated, "We believe we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products we make." As the processor plays a pivotal role in shaping the user experience on mobile devices (think performance and power consumption) an acquisition of ARM could provide Apple the ability to better integrate and leverage ARM technologies in order to stay ahead and differentiate from the competition. The A4 chip in the iPad is based on an ARM design, which was first whispered about almost two years ago.
In the last two years, Apple has made several notable acquisitions: of semiconductor company P.A. Semi, mapping company Placebase, music streaming service Lala, and mobile ad firm Quattro Wireless. So far, the Quattro Wireless acquisition has produced the most visible results, in the form of iAds. If an ARM acquisition is indeed happening, it'll be fascinating to see what comes out of it.
TUAWWhy Apple might want to buy ARM originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Another iPhone ad debuts, "Family Man"
Filed under: iPhone
Following on the heels of the "Backpackers" and "Dog Lovers" ads earlier this week, Apple has released another iPhone ad titled "Family Man." The ad details how a man has, apparently, lost control of his iPhone to his family.
As usual, the ad features three third-party apps. The wife uses the man's iPhone for Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals ($7.99), his son uses it for Elmo's Monster Maker ($3.99), and when he actually get his own phone back he uses it for ... opening his car trunk with Viper SmartStart (free). The ad ends with the family man saying, "Yep, I think we'd all be lost without my iPhone."TUAWAnother iPhone ad debuts, "Family Man" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - UK rumor has Apple eyeing takeover of ARM
Filed under: Rumors
Say hello to the rumor du jour: Apple is considering a bid for ARM Holdings. The Web site for the London Evening Standard says that investors across the pond seem to like the Apple/ARM idea; so much so that shares of the chip designer jumped fromby 8 pence to just over £2.51 by midday, a 3.2% gain. [Share prices corrected -Ed.]
It's hard to tell where, exactly, the rumor came from. According to the paper, "the takeover speculation was fueled by stellar second-quarter figures from Apple (on Tuesday) smashing Wall Street's forecasts," though there was nothing about such a buy mentioned on Apple's earnings call.
Still, Apple is ARM's biggest customer, and traders in the UK seem to think the idea is a good one. The price would be pretty steep for an Apple acquisition, though. Traders mentioned in the piece say that ARM could fetch more than £5.2 billion, or roughly US$8 billion. While Apple's got the cash, its recent purchases have cost much less, such as the Quattro Wireless buy in January for around $275 million, and the 2008 purchase of P.A. Semi for a rumored $278 million.TUAWUK rumor has Apple eyeing takeover of ARM originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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