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- Apple retail store sales climb 8%
Filed under: Apple Financial
Apple just continues to ignore the bad economic conditions -- sales at Apple Stores have reportedly gone up 8% during the quarter that ended in March. That's a pretty wholesome figure considering no new Apple computers were offered -- before you protest and ask about the iPad and the new MacBooks, don't forget that that's all happened since April started. So there was more traffic in the stores even before there were new shinies to buy.
This good news for Apple comes from analyst Charlie Wolf, from Needham & Company. He told investors that the March numbers followed 19.8 percent year-over-year growth of same-store sales in December. In March of last year, Mac retail sales were down about 22%.
Same-store year-over-year March Mac revenues were up 31.2 percent, while non-Mac revenues -- including software, iPhones, iPods and accessories increased by 14.5 percent. Starting in September of 2003, Apple has opened 123 U.S. stores. Apple's U.S. market share went from 3% to 9% according to Morgan Stanley. Those are numbers any company would covet.
[Via AppleInsider]TUAWApple retail store sales climb 8% originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple - Unofficial Apple Weblog - IPhone - IPad - Apple Store
Переслать - Pyramid-shaped table with iPod dock makes you look like a tool
Filed under: iPhone
Do you miss the 1980s? Want all your friends to assume you still think it's cool to shop at the Spencer's in your local mall? Then I highly suggest you buy this pyramid-shaped multi-media table with iPhone integration. The table combines two speakers and an iPhone dock into what looks like a rejected production model of the Death Star before the Empire realized that planets are round.
The table is actually called "Horus" and you can buy it from designer Stephane Thivend. The base of Horus is made from colored concrete and the LED light is available in twenty-four different colors. Contact the designer for price info.
Future Fashion Magazine thinks this table looks "very much like a typical coffee table" until "closer inspection" when you find that, hey yeah, above that glaring neon LED, I can plug my iPhone in! Sorry, but Horus only looks like a typical coffee table to a Borg. No one is going to confuse it with mom's.
[via bornrich]TUAWPyramid-shaped table with iPod dock makes you look like a tool originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - EasyMix is DJ sequencing for the lazy. That's a good thing.
Filed under: App Review
The relatively recent boom in touch-enabled, portable devices has been a godsend for professional and amateur DJs. Well, some purist DJs may stick their noses up at the newfangled touchy-feely technology, but there's no denying that having a halfway decent beat sequencer in one's pocket is a lot more comfortable than lugging around sets of turntables and intricate soundboards.
There are already quite a few DJ sequencer apps available in the iTunes store, and the folks at BuzzyTeam have jumped into the foray with one of their own called EasyMix (US$2.99). Just as the app's title suggests, everything within it is easy to do, and not at all at the expense of quality.
When starting off, there are five basic styles to choose from: Techno, Trance, Progressive House, Breaks and Disco House, along with some specialized styles based on members of the Loopmasters team. Some of these are more obvious than others as far as how you're hoping your finished product will sound. For example, I had no freakin' idea who this Tai Jason guy was except that, by his photo within the app, I thought he was Vanilla Ice at first. Yeah, I guess I'm sorta old.TUAWEasyMix is DJ sequencing for the lazy. That's a good thing. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW TV Live: iPad love and some stellar Mac app demos
Filed under: WIN Business
This appears to be the week for iPad love, since we have tons of video clips to show you (and talk about). Games, development tools, and politicians with iPads are all covered. Your host Steve Sande is joining you today at 5 PM EDT live from his new studio! Well, there's not really a new studio, but he'll be facing a new direction so it looks new. And he's got a fancy schmancy new iMac, so the video rendering should be incredible, if not utterly fantastic.
To join in from your Mac or PC, just go to the next page by clicking the link at the bottom of this post, and you'll find a live stream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to join in on the fun by asking questions or making comments.
If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone by downloading the free Ustream Viewing Application.
iPad users haven't been forgotten, either, as you can tune in TUAW TV Live on your iPad! That link will send yo to a non-Flash page, although you won't have access to our chat tool.
TUAWTUAW TV Live: iPad love and some stellar Mac app demos originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Voices that Matter iPhone: August Trometer on UI design and the iPad
Filed under: iPad
August Trometer is a veteran iPhone and Mac developer -- along with his own stable of titles, he's also one of the developers behind the popular Yowza!! mobile coupon app, and the author of a book on web development for Apple's handheld device. He spoke not once but twice on the first day of the Voices that Matter iPhone developer conference in Seattle last weekend -- in the morning on "Designing a Killer UI" for the iPhone, and in the afternoon about what's new for developers in terms of code available on the iPad.
After the second talk, he agreed to sit down with us and discuss a little bit of his thinking about concepts of UI design for both devices. In the interview below, he chats with TUAW about what developers can do to make better user interfaces for iPhone and iPad users, why he believes Apple had a plan for the iPad all along, and what's next in terms of interface design Read on for more.TUAWVoices that Matter iPhone: August Trometer on UI design and the iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Russian President Medvedev loves him some iPad
Filed under: iPad
A few weeks ago we heard how Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was running his country from an iPad while stuck in New York thanks to the Icelandic volcano eruption. Now Russian President Dimitry Medvedev has an iPad in his hands although, if our Google Translate results are anywhere close to accurate, it was lent to him by his aide Arkady Dvorkovich.
Medvedev had the iPad with him at a recent meeting of the presidium of the State Council, the Council on the Arts, and the Council for Science and Technology. At the retreat, Medvedev expressed his support for electronic book readers, although he told the press that he found paper books "much more pleasant." Medvedev commented that he initially found the iPad "impossible to read," but later warmed up to the device to the point that he downloaded the classic Russian novel "A Hero of Our Time" for his son.
Office of Presidential Affairs Minister Viktor Khrekov did caution that the government was not going to order iPads for officials immediately, noting that a common comparison of prices and quality would be performed first.
For those of you who understand Russian, you can view a video of Medvedev and his (borrowed) iPad here.
[via LifeNews Russia]TUAWRussian President Medvedev loves him some iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iChocolates: Edible apps for you
Filed under: iPhone
If you like chocolate, have US$46, and always wanted to eat those app icons on your iPhone, iChocolates are for you.
iChocolates consist of twenty pieces of gourmet chocolate, crafted after the icons of iPhone apps and arranged in an iPhone-like package. Each individual chocolate app is made of organic, extra-dark, 100% cocoa butter chocolate and is hand cut and set by a French chocolate designer.
As of this writing, iChocolates are sold out, but they do have eight of their iChocolates Mothers Edition available (also $46). Perfect for mom? Perhaps, but then again, once you figure in the $17 shipping fee from Paris, you could just give her a 2GB iPod shuffle for less.
[via DailyWh.at]TUAWiChocolates: Edible apps for you originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Windows Live Messenger for iPhone previewed
Filed under: iPhone
Neowin.net has posted screen shots of the upcoming Windows Live Messenger for iPhone.
According to Neowin's sources, Windows Live Messenger for iPhone will officially be previewed by Microsoft later today, but will not ship its public beta until June, with a limited private beta expected in May.
Features gleaned from the screen shots include photo sharing, chat and a social stream for users.
Of course, MSN Messenger has been supported on the iPhone since the unveiling of the app store via thrid party apps. Some of the popular ones include Nimbuzz (free), IM+ ($9.99), and Trillian ($4.99).
Stay tuned for the official announcement later today and click on over to Neowin to see all the screen shots.TUAWWindows Live Messenger for iPhone previewed originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple: Please use the Firefox browser to sign up for WWDC 2010
Filed under: WWDC
Our good buddy Jim Dalrymple over at The Loop brought up this useful piece of information for those developers who are rushing to sign up for WWDC 2010: As per Apple's own recommendation, don't use Safari 4.0.4 or earlier; use Firefox or the latest version of Safari.
According to Jim's post, he was contacted by developers who ran into issues when trying to complete their transaction. One developer went so far as to do an online chat with an Apple support person and captured the screenshot of their conversation that is seen above.
Apparently devs who were using Safari 4.0.5 didn't run into the problem, but it's still pretty funny when Apple's own support personnel recommend using Firefox rather than the official browser.
TUAWApple: Please use the Firefox browser to sign up for WWDC 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple has purchased mobile assistant app Siri
Filed under: Apple Corporate
Siri, the so-called mobile assistant for iPhone, has been purchased by Apple, according to Business Insider (we first looked at Siri in February). Siri reps did not comment on the deal's details, but Business Insider suggests that "a $200 million to $250 million ballpark" is within reason.
Siri is a terrifically useful app. Basically, you ask it a question like "nearest cheeseburger" with your voice or by typing. It then notes your location, scours the web and returns the best results. I've used it out here in the middle of nowhere with much success. The speech recognition is quite good. It comes from Nuance, the company who's software powers both Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search.
What will Apple do with it? Essentially, it's a mobile, location-based search engine. Steve Jobs recently criticized Google for "...getting in the phone business." Does that mean Apple is getting into the (mobile) search business? Perhaps the technology behind the application will appear in a future iPhone update, perhaps as a standalone app. We imagine it could be a part of the next-generation maps application.
Congratulations to the Siri team.
[Via Robert Scoble]TUAWApple has purchased mobile assistant app Siri originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Steve Jobs to appear at All Things Digital 8
Filed under: Steve Jobs
Kara Swisher announced this week that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will appear on stage at this year's All Things Digital Conference, D8. In fact, Steve will kick things off with an on-stage interview on opening night. Other famous guests will include James Cameron and Steve Ballmer.
As Swisher notes, there's much to talk about: The iPad, the iPhone's future, Apple's tense relationship with Google and Adobe...one wonders if the Gizmodo affair will be discussed.
Steve has appeared at the All Things D conference several times, most famously aside Bill Gates for an on-stage interview in 2007. It was a great interview, complete with Bill's revelation that he is not Fake Steve Jobs (this was before Daniel Lyons had been revealed).
Good luck to all participants and attendees. It should be a great event.
[Via Mac User]TUAWSteve Jobs to appear at All Things Digital 8 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Developers speak up on the 2010 ADAs
Filed under: WWDC
Developers are talking, debating and speculating about the exclusion of Mac desktop apps from this year's Apple Design Awards. We contacted some of our friends in Mac development (and several former ADA winners), and gathered their responses for you. Some are outright disappointed, some portend that this belies good things to come, and some are pretty understanding of the way Apple is handling the current drive toward mobile development. Here's the first batch of responses:Aaron Hillegass, Big Nerd Ranch
"It seems likely that in the future everyone will be using mobile devices to access data in the cloud. At the moment, however, the applications that we use all day, every day are desktop applications. Eliminating the Apple Design Awards for desktop applications in 2010 is premature and an insult to the thousands of programmers who devote their days to making the Mac desktop a fun and productive environment."
Oliver Breidenbach, Boinx Software
"We are very proud that Boinx Software, together with TheCodingMonkeys, won what may turn out to be the last ever Apple Design Award for a Mac application with BoinxTV. Of course it is sad that Apple turns away from Mac desktop developers in what seems like a brutal fashion, but it is understandable that they focus their limited resources on the winning horse. At least, the momentum of the success of iPhone OS seems to fuel a growth in Mac sales, so keeping the momentum going is a smart thing and probably also benefits Mac developers. However, it would be nice if Apple could spend a little of the vast profits on additional staff for the developer relations team so that they could go on supporting the Mac developers as well as they do iPhone developers these days."TUAWDevelopers speak up on the 2010 ADAs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Coming up this afternoon at 5 PM EDT: TUAW TV Live
Filed under: Video
It's Wednesday, which can only mean one thing -- TUAW TV Live!
Your host Steve Sande won't have any guests today, but will be queuing up a lot of videos and demos of various apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. There's a lot of news in the Appleverse this week, including the announcement of WWDC 2010, 3G iPads finally shipping, celebrity iPad sightings, and more.
Remember, not only do we provide live streaming video for your entertainment, but you can also participate in TUAW TV Live through the built-in chat tool that is available. We always love to hear your comments and questions, so be sure to wath the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT) right here at TUAW.com.
TUAWComing up this afternoon at 5 PM EDT: TUAW TV Live originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - South Korea lifts ban on iPad, personal imports permitted
Filed under: iPad
South Korea's ban of the iPad is being lifted.
The Korea Communications Commission issued the ban earlier this month because it had not certified the iPad's wireless networking features. Under the restriction, customers would not be allowed to import the iPad for personal use. An additional concern, the Wall Street Journal notes, was that people would buy iPads in large quantity to re-sell.
Korean tech sites expressed their discontent, even exposing famous Koreans who had one. The issue came to a head when the country's minister of culture, tourism and sports, Yu In-chon, appeared at a news conference with -- you guessed it -- an iPad. The minister used the device as a prop while discussing E-Books, and did not activate its Wi-Fi capabilities.
On Tuesday, South Korea has announced that the iPad will be certified and that people and businesses wanting to import one would be allowed to do so. To prevent the creation of a black market, the Customs Service will delay shipments that contain more than five iPads at once.
Apple has not announced an official launch date for the iPad in Korea. You'll remember that South Korean customers waited two years for the iPhone to launch.
South Korea's decision comes days after Israel lifted a ban that prevented travelers from entering Israel with an iPad.
TUAWSouth Korea lifts ban on iPad, personal imports permitted originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Interview with Brian Akaka of Appular and Hand of Greed
Filed under: Gaming
Brian Akaka is an old friend of ours here at TUAW -- he is a veteran of Mac gaming, and was a familiar name in our inbox back when he was working at Freeverse and promoting their Mac software and iPhone apps. A little while back, he stepped away from Freeverse to form his own company, Appular, and since then, he's continuing to work with iPhone developers, both marketing and promoting their apps.
Just recently, however, Appular has moved from simply promoting iPhone apps into actually publishing them. Their first title is named Hand of Greed -- it's a game that actually first appeared on the App Store in January, and has now been repackaged and republished by Appular in an effort to give the app some visibility. I got a chance to play the game last week, and then met up and spoke with Akaka this past weekend at the Voices that Matter conference in Seattle. After the link below, find both my impressions of the game, and a quick interview with Appular about why they've decided to not only promote iPhone titles, but publish a few themselves.TUAWInterview with Brian Akaka of Appular and Hand of Greed originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple disses the desktop?
Filed under: WWDC
Photo by Magic Madzik
As we noted, the WWDC 2010 dates have been set, and the new pages have been posted. Several folks are noting with dismay, though, that the Apple Design Awards appear to have completely forsaken desktop apps this year, instead only allowing submissions which are available on the App Store. This obviously would make the ADAs specific to iPod touch, iPhone and iPad apps, disallowing any of the magnificent software for the desktop that we've seen highlighted in years past.
I passionately support mobile development, but I can't say that I do most of my computing on an Apple mobile device. Desktop software still rules my computing world, and not supporting its development seems to me to be a travesty. An ADA is a pretty big deal, especially for the independent developers who've been stars of the show previously. Without recognition, and the sales boost that goes with it, desktop developers will have one less reason to keep making great software. I'm hoping I'm missing some information here, but it looks pretty cut and dry to me: Apple is shunning the developers who make the Mac the great platform that it is.
Update:
One of the first to notice this desktop snub was Daniel Jalkut of Red Sweater Software. We contacted him for comment, and I think his response reflects what a lot of developers are feeling this morning:"Mac developers are some of Apple's most passionate and faithful boosters, and they build most of the software that makes the platform great. It's understandable that Apple is focused on the iPhone and iPad this year, but they shouldn't squander the huge success of the Mac. I think the omission of Mac software from the ADAs represents a missed opportunity for Apple to sustain enthusiasm among Mac developers.
It makes me wonder if Apple will make an announcement at WWDC about the future of the Mac, and whether the omission will make more sense in light of that. Otherwise, it just seems like botched publicity, and an unnecessary jab at developers who are already feeling less appreciated by Apple than they did in years past."
TUAWApple disses the desktop? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - The floppy disk is dead (and Apple helped kill it)
It was 1998 and Apple had just released the iMac G3. It was abeautifulinteresting computer: a sleek, all-in-one case, with something new called USB. One thing it didn't have was a floppy disk. At the time, many believed Apple was insane for leaving a floppy disk drive off the iMac, but did Steve Jobs care? Nope. The floppy was archaic technology to him. A CD-ROM drive was where it's at.
Well, thirteen years later -- almost a decade after most people stopped using floppy disks, Sony, the inventor of the floppy disk, has officially announced that they are killing the 1.44MB storage device. As of next year, Sony will no longer manufacture the floppy disk.
Most of my Word documents are larger than 1.44MB nowadays and I can't think of a single file I've created on my computer that I would need to transport to another computer, that would even fit on a floppy. Now that I think about it, I haven't actually used my Superdrive for reading or writing any optical media since I bought my MacBook Pro two years ago either. In another ten years, will optical media have gone of the way of the floppy?
So, what have we learned? Steve was ridiculed for leaving the floppy off the iMac because he saw it as archaic. Now he gets to say "I told you so." If Steve does have the power to gaze into the tech future, Adobe should be worried about Flash going the way of the floppy, as Steve reportedly told the Wall Street Journal, dropping Flash is no different than the decision to drop the floppy drive from the iMac. Will he be right again? Only time will tell.TUAWThe floppy disk is dead (and Apple helped kill it) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - WWDC 2010 officially announced
Filed under: WWDC
At long last, the wait is over. Apple has officially announced WWDC 2010. The "center of the app universe" will take place from June 7th - 11th at Moscone West in sunny San Francisco, California.
This year's event has five major sessions and lab categories: Application Frameworks, Core OS, Developer Tools, Graphics and Media and finally Internet & Web. For those who have wondered if Apple will be giving equal emphasis to traditional Mac development versus the iPhone OS platform, well, this picture says a thousand words. This is not a new OS X year but it is a big new iPhone OS device year and the conference schedule reflects that emphasis.
This is certainly the latest date that Apple has ever announced its WWDC dates in recent years (typically, it's announced in early March -- and once in late January). Developers will be glad to know they can finally schedule the rest of their Spring and Summer. Tickets are on sale now for US$1,599. Just remember, attendees must agree to the Registered Apple Developer Terms and Conditions as part of the conference ticket purchase process.
We'll see you in June!TUAWWWDC 2010 officially announced originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily App: Darkroom Pro
Filed under: iPhone
I've been a fan of the Darkroom app for the iPhone almost since the beginning, only because it contained a bit of functionality I think that should have been included in the device from the start: a steady mode. The original Darkroom offered up a steady-shot mode that let you press a shutter button at any time, but then waited to actually take a picture until the iPhone's accelerometer told it that the phone was steady in place. The iPhone's camera has gotten better over the years, but especially in low-light situations, making sure the camera is steady is reason enough to use this app.
And newer versions (after a short buggy delay right around iPhone OS 3.0) have added even more functionality, including a fullscreen shutter mode (no toolbar, just press anywhere on the screen to shoot a picture) and a timer mode as well. They've also added an online photo album into the app using StepCase's official service (which I've never used), but you can also just funnel pictures into your normal camera album if you'd rather upload them somewhere else. The latest update, released just this week, lets you tag your photos by place, so you can browse them later according to the location they were taken at.
Darkroom Pro is definitely worth the 99 cent price if you do any regular photography with your iPhone at all. There's also a free version available, and while the functionality on that one is limited, it still does have a steady mode included, so you can at least jump in and give that a try.TUAWTUAW's Daily App: Darkroom Pro originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW Review: Real Racing HD rocks the iPad
Filed under: Gaming
Update: Want to see a spiffy video of Real Racing HD? Here you go.
I fell in love with racing games thanks to Ridge Racer for the original Sony Playstation. I played the whole franchise, beat every track and learned the intricacies of every car. Even today I'll pull out the Playstation Portable for a run around Ridge City. Could another racer grab me the way RR had?
Thanks to Firemint, the answer is yes. Real Racing HD (RRHD) looks great, sounds great, features well-conceived depth of play, effective use of the accelerometer, customization and more. In fact, it's one of the apps I use to show off the iPad.
When the game is first launched, you're presented with a cinematic* and then the welcome screen. Before you go tapping around, take a moment to enjoy it. The camera gently sways back and forth. Your current car can be seen in a bay (more on that later). Light plays across the car in the foreground.
All right, enough of that. Let's get behind the wheel.
TUAWTUAW Review: Real Racing HD rocks the iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple gobbles up chip maker Intrinsity for $121 million
Filed under: Apple
Apple's buying spree for chip technology companies continues, with The New York Times reporting that the company has acquired Intrinsity. The Texas-based fabless semiconductor company was widely thought to be the engineering brains behind the iPad's A4 system-on-a-chip. Intrinsity's 1 GHz hummingbird processor was developed in partnership with Samsung last year, and the A4 is believed to be based on that technology.
The terms of the agreement have not yet been made public, but analysts have reported a price tag of US$121 million. Apple-watchers expected this deal to be closed this month after many Intrinsity employees changed their pages on LinkedIn to show their new job titles at Apple.
Intrinsity's acquisition by Apple continues the trend of the Cupertino-based electronics manufacturer bringing more chip expertise in-house, with the 2008 purchase of P.A. Semi being the most widely-publicized example. Some of Intrinsity's former customers include Samsung, ATI, LSI Corporation, and AMCC.
[via Mashable]TUAWApple gobbles up chip maker Intrinsity for $121 million originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Some retailers in Japan stopping online sale of Apple products
Filed under: Apple Corporate
The Nikkei Business Daily is reporting that several large discount chains have stopped selling Apple products online. Some of the retailers have been quoted as saying the request comes from Apple.
The dropped products include iPods and iMacs.
Yodobashi Camera Company posted a notice online saying it wasn't going to be selling any more Apple products out of respect for Apple's wishes. It said it would be glad to sell Apple products in any of its retail stores.
Several other Japanese discounters have said they won't be selling Apple products online, but are available to customers who come into the retail outlets.
Apple has had no comment on the report. Some online companies like Amazon Japan are still selling products from Apple.
It's likely Apple doesn't want to see its products discounted online, which could lead to a price war. There are, however, inconsistencies in this policy. When I ordered an upgrade to Aperture 3 in mid-February, it was US$49.99 from Amazon, half the price from Apple. Today, for whatever reason, that upgrade is $89.99, but still $10.00 cheaper than the Apple Store price.
[Via The Inquirer]TUAWSome retailers in Japan stopping online sale of Apple products originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Eye-Fi announces Apple-exclusive Geo X2
Filed under: Hardware
On Tuesday, Eye-Fi announced a new Apple-exclusive product as well as expansion of its hotspot service plan.
Their new device, the Eye-Fi Geo X2, will only be sold at Apple Stores starting in May. It brings faster uploads of photos and video (via a new 802.11n transmitter) directly to iPhoto and MobileMe (Picasa, Facebook, and 20+ others). Its capacity is 4GB.
One cool new feature is what they're calling Endless Memory, which allows users to have Eye-Fi automatically make space available on the card after photos and videos have been safely uploaded. Neat! It also does automatic geotagging so your shots will show up in iPhoto's "Places" feature with no problem.
Eye-Fi also announced the expansion of its hotspot service plan through a partnership with Devicescape, allowing X2 users to upload photos internationally and on thousands more networks.
If the US$49.99 Connect X2 doesn't float your boat and the $99.99 Explore X2 is a bit too pricey, consider the $69.99 Geo X2. A few TUAW bloggers have used Eye-Fi cards with rave reviews. Look for one next month.TUAWEye-Fi announces Apple-exclusive Geo X2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Software Update alert: iTunes 9.1.1 released
Filed under: Software Update
Good news, everyone!
iTunes 9.1.1 just poked its head up in Software Update and said "download me."
According to the update notes, iTunes 9.1.1 provides a number of important bug fixes, including:
o. Addressing several stability issues with VoiceOver;
o. Addressing a usability issue with VoiceOver and Genius Mixes;
o. Addressing issues with converting songs to 128 kbps AAC while syncing; and
o. Addressing other issues that improve stability and performance. (Probably the biggest and most important reason for the update, in our humble opinion.)
For more information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222TUAWSoftware Update alert: iTunes 9.1.1 released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - A hands-on look at iStat Menus 3
Filed under: Reviews
During the summer of 2008, I was using my MacBook Air outside on a very hot (102°F in the shade) day when I noticed that the laptop seemed to have slowed down to the point that it was almost unusable. Fortunately, I had installed iSlayer's iStat, and I was able to tell at a glance that one of the cores of the Core 2 Duo processor had shut down.
Sure enough, a quick look around the Web pointed out that other MacBook Air owners were running into similar problems in "warm" conditions. Cooling off the MBA resolved the issue (and made me a lot cooler, too!), and I've never had the problem since. That one occurrence taught me the value of a tool like iStat, so the application has been on my Macs ever since.
Now comes iStat Menus 3, the latest version of the venerable Mac monitoring application. The company name has changed -- it's now Bjango -- but the product still remains a useful tool for those of us who like to keep an eye on the internal workings of our Macs. I recently bought iStat Menus 3 to install on a new i7 iMac, so here are some of my first impressions of the app.TUAWA hands-on look at iStat Menus 3 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Found Footage: iPad output to TV with iPhone control
Filed under: iPad
Dave at Magic Jungle Software wanted to turn the iPad into a video game console. So he got on his thinking cap and did a little bit of development to turn his idea into a reality. The video you see here shows an iPad running a demo of his game, Chopper 2 (currently in development), while connected to a 42" TV via Apple's component cable.
Even better, David notes that he used all public APIs to accomplish this feat. As of the 3.2 SDK, Apple now offers App Store-safe ways to send video out through a VGA connector or through a component video or composite video adapter cable. You can get an idea of some of the details behind this technology in the slides from this 10-minute impromptu talk given by Erica Sadun over the weekend at the Voices that Matter conference.
But wait! There's more! The super fun part is that he's controlling the game with is iPhone via Bluetooth. He's using a GameKit two-device connection, effectively turning the iPhone into a wireless controller for the iPad. It's very cool, and the first we've seen an iPhone controlling an iPad game in this way. Connecting it to a TV was the cherry on top.
This isn't the first time this kind of gaming on the TV using an iPhone has been done. Freeverse engineer created a proof-of-concept system using private APIs to achieve video out with an iPhone back in 2008. You can watch the video they created, using routines that Erica published over at Ars Technica. Magic Jungle isn't using any private calls, however. Their software is publishable, which means unlike that early demo, the chances of this ending up in your hands so you can try it out on your actual device are pretty high.
All in all, this is pretty neat. Games often suffer from your hands being in the way (I'm looking at you, Resident Evil). On-screen smudges can diminish a real immersion experience. You simply don't experience those issues when the device itself is merely a controller.
Here's hoping we seem more of this.
I can't wait to play.TUAWFound Footage: iPad output to TV with iPhone control originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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