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- Flash 10.1 updated: hardware acceleration now available on newer Macs
Adobe has released an update for its Flash player that, for the first time, enables hardware decoding of Flash video on certain models of Macs. With this update, supported Macs can leverage the power of their Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) in decoding H.264 content "wrapped" in a Flash layer. The end result for Mac users: substantially reduced CPU load when running Flash content, better Flash performance, and possibly better battery life for portable Macs.
Adobe released Flash 10.1 in June with hardware acceleration for Windows. It's only now that the feature is available on OS X in a non-beta release despite Apple opening the hardware acceleration APIs for certain models of GPUs several months ago, way back in April. Even now, this release only supports hardware acceleration on Macs made in the last couple of years -- although in fairness, that's more Apple's fault than Adobe's. The list below, sourced from Flash's engineers and with clarification from us, shows which models of Mac will be able to take advantage of Flash's new hardware acceleration feature:
- MacBooks shipped after January 21st, 2009. In other words, MacBooks with an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M or higher; Intel's integrated GPUs aren't supported.
- Mac Minis shipped after March 3rd, 2009, which have the same GPU situation as the MacBook; earlier Mac Minis had the unsupported Intel GMA 950 GPU.
- MacBook Pros shipped after October 14th, 2008 -- note that this only means the unibody MacBook Pros. The 17" late 2008 MacBook Pro with the old-style non-unibody enclosure has an unsupported NVIDIA 8600M GT GPU.
- iMacs which shipped after the first quarter of 2009; again, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M or higher GPU.
Absent from Adobe's list are the MacBook Air and the Mac Pro. MacBook Airs with an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M GPU should be able to run hardware-accelerated Flash, as that model of GPU supports the feature. The Mac Pro is a much odder omission -- sadly, none of its GPUs are listed in Apple's technical notes concerning its hardware acceleration framework -- but as powerful as the Mac Pro already is, a lack of hardware-accelerated Flash doesn't hurt it as much as other models.
Hardware-accelerated Flash won't be coming to Macs that came out earlier than those listed above, but only because Apple hasn't opened the APIs for those Macs' GPUs. The integrated Intel chipsets of earlier MacBooks, Mac Minis, and the first model of MacBook Air probably couldn't handle the load anyway, but it's disappointing that my Early 2008 MacBook Pro's GPU isn't allowed to do the heavy lifting, either.
Let us know how the update goes for you, and, if you have one of the supported Macs, whether you're seeing better Flash performance now.
[Via Mac Rumors]
TUAWFlash 10.1 updated: hardware acceleration now available on newer Macs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple - Graphics processing unit - GeForce - macmini - Nvidia
Переслать - TUAW's Daily App: The IncidentThe Incident makes for one of the best reasons to be a gamer and own an iPhone -- it's a purely indie affair, with excellent pixel graphics and game design by Neven Mrgan and Matt Comi and terrific chiptunes by Cabel Sasser. And it's a wacky little concoction that doesn't sound like it will work, but of course does, and well. You play a little guy who, standing in the street one day, is suddenly assaulted by falling objects from above. There's a little bit more to uncover, but that's really all you need -- you can tilt the iPhone back and forth to move your guy around in 2D, and tap on the screen to jump out of the way of falling objects above, marked by a warning flash on top of the screen.
It sounds strange, and it is, but it works. The controls are responsive, the graphics are colorful, and the game perfectly captures that "one more try" feeling as you ascend through the seven levels, climbing up on the fallen objects all the way to the top of the sky. There are lots of coins, med packs, and extra lives to collect as you go, but the tough part is just staying out of the way -- three hits on the noggin costs you a life (and gives you a trophy to remember what wacky object killed you). There are many, many objects in the game, too, and you'll undoubtedly be surprised by what falls on you next.
It's a great game, worth every cent of the US $1.99 they're selling it for in the App Store. Terrific little indie games like this are what make the iPhone platform really shine.TUAWTUAW's Daily App: The Incident originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Waze still has a 'waze' to go
The free nav app for the iPhone, Waze, has just been updated with a new 2.0 version that sports some new features and some of the same old problems.
Waze is basically a navigation app with some crowdsourced features. If you are using the app, Waze keeps track of your location, and if you get stuck in traffic, it will tell others along or near your route that something is amiss. It's a good idea, but only if there are a lot of people using the app on your route.
New to this version are commuting groups, which allows you to create groups of drivers and see them on the map. There is an improved 3D view, and a better, simpler, search menu. The app works in landscape as well as portrait mode, and does give voice directions.TUAWWaze still has a 'waze' to go originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - How to use your iPhone's volume buttons for shutter control in Camera+
If you use Camera+ -- and you should; we love it -- you might have been excited by the recent talk of using the volume control buttons on the side of your iPhone to take pictures with. We've all found fumbling with the touchscreen button a little fiddly from time to time, right? I've come worryingly close to dropping my iPhone on occasions, shooting one-handed, fingers contorted into a claw, trying to curl my pinky over to the centre of the screen.
Camera+'s developers tap tap tap must feel my pain, because they recently added this much-requested feature to a new version. Unfortunately, Apple rejected it from the App Store, because repurposing the volume controls could "potentially result in user confusion." Tap tap tap is philosophical about this decision, saying they understood Apple's position and that they hoped they would change their minds in the future. Although a few other camera apps do offer the use of volume control as a shutter release, these were either only available via the jailbreak store or the developers smuggled the feature through under Apple's nose.
However, it turns out the current version of Camera+ (v1.2.1) has this feature, albeit hidden away-- but it's a snap to activate (pun intended).
(Thanks to Dan at UneasySilence and everyone else who sent this in!)TUAWHow to use your iPhone's volume buttons for shutter control in Camera+ originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - European Commission investigating Apple's stance on Flash
In June, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began an investigation into Apple's decision to ban developers from using Adobe's Flash-to-iPhone compiler and similar tools to create apps for iOS devices. Apple has also banned Adobe Flash from iOS devices, throwing its full support behind HTML5 as a much more efficient and stable alternative.
The New York Post reported today that the FTC isn't the only governmental authority looking into Apple's Flash ban. Now the European Commission has joined the FTC probe based on concerns that Apple's business practices harm competition. Apple's viewpoint is that the ban is well within its rights, and is necessary to maintain the high level of quality in iOS applications.
The investigation is expected to last another four to six months. In the meantime, Flash is appearing (in an unofficial and not fully functional way) on jailbroken iPhone 4s with the release of Frash earlier this week.
[via MacRumors]TUAWEuropean Commission investigating Apple's stance on Flash originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Madden 2011 out for iPad and iPhone
This year has just flown by -- it's almost that time again, when the leaves start to change color, the kids head back to school, and footballs fill the air. That also means the new Madden is now out, and for the first time, EA has brought the game to the iPad. By all accounts, it's pretty good -- the graphics are not quite comparable to the console versions, but they look nice, and you also get the ability to draw out hot routes and use an adapted version of the GameFlow feature from the console versions. Plus, the iPad version is also getting multiplayer soon, as well as a "Vintage Voltage Football" mode, a Madden-style homage to the old electric football games.
The only drawback is that the game's not cheap -- EA is going all out with a price for the iPad of $12.99. The game's also available for the iPhone for $7.99, which ain't real cheap, either. But this is EA's most premium game on the iOS to date, as well as their perpetual moneymaker every year around this time, so if they're going to try inching up the prices on their iOS titles, this would be the one to do it on.
That said, EA's also been learning the value of the sale recently, so I'll bet that if you give this one a month or two, you'll be able to pick it up for much cheaper. Too bad there's no lite version yet -- the football fans who've taken the leap seem to really enjoy the game so far.TUAWMadden 2011 out for iPad and iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Eight ways to get a killer 'iBike'
Even though the "iBike" is nothing more than a patent application, the folks at Unplggd have described how they'd outdo Apple's offering to the world of bike computers. We must admit, the result includes some seriously geeky, tricked-out options.
For example, this DIY USB charger uses a dynamo attached to the rear wheel to keep your devices charged. I say "devices," because this rig produces enough power to keep two devices running.
Additionally, this DIY waterproof iPhone cover is as brilliant as it is simple. Basically, it's at 20oz. soda bottle with the pouring end sawed off. It slips over the mounted iPhone with the open end facing the rider.
They also went on to list the gizmos you'll always want to bring with you while biking, including a GPS device, phone and camera. Fortunately, the iPhone is all three. There's more to the article, of course, and we suggest you read the whole thing. If you do trick out your bike like this, be sure to send us pictures!
That bike patent is about a year old, and big companies like Apple often patent ideas that will never see production. But hey, Nike+ was a surprise, too -- maybe we will be riding around one day on a two-wheeled Apple product.
TUAWEight ways to get a killer 'iBike' originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Box.net adds caching and update notifications to mobile apps
The folks at Box.net have announced new features that will be a part of a soon-to-be-release update to both their iPad and iPhone apps. Specifically, caching will allow for offline access to files and update notifications will keep track of file versions.
The first is exciting for users like me without 3G iPads. Now we can browse our files while offline. Imagine no more rushing around to find a Wi-Fi network just so you can reference a document.
Also, the update will let you know when a colleague has made a change to a document. You'll see an alert and get the option to update your local version or not. This way you can sync saved files with updated version. Finally, caching will make file previews much faster.
The folks at Box.net expect these updates to drop at any time, so be sure to watch their page in the App Store.TUAWBox.net adds caching and update notifications to mobile apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPad mod recalls old TV
Here's an iPad mod of questionable usefulness, but it looks nice. Artist Jonas Damon built an enclosure for his iPad that resembles an old cathode-ray television (just like grandma used to have). He only used parts he found lying around his apartment. Even the rear of the case has been built to resemble those old TV's case design, where it bulged to accommodate those huge tubes.
Topping it all off is the video of "snow" that the iPad is playing. Of course, such a case limits the iPad's portability to say the least, but now it's a great video/game station. You'll see that the dock connector cable is protruding from the back so I can still be connected to a computer for synchronization.
Someone pass the Yoo-Hoo and Little Debbie snack cakes. I want to watch a little TV.TUAWiPad mod recalls old TV originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Safari extension highlight: SnapBack and Reload
With the addition of the Safari Extensions Gallery to Apple's website, TUAW will be highlighting extensions that we think are special, useful, or just plain fun.
Today we're highlighting two extensions that restore functionality to Safari that's been lost: the reload button and the snapback arrow.
Reload Button is a Safari extension that puts a big, healthy reload button back into your toolbar. Safari 5 moved it inside the address bar, and many users (myself included) liked it better in the toolbar.
SnapBack adds a button to your toolbar that emulates the old snapback function. It'll let you jump back to the first page in a tab or window's browsing history, or let you designate which page should be the snapback point. Give it a click to jump back, or right-click to bring up a helpful contextual menu.
If you aren't an old fuddy-duddy like me who fears "the new ways," you probably won't try these out. But the rest of us will be happy to. Now get off my lawn.TUAWSafari extension highlight: SnapBack and Reload originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - USA TODAY for iPad adds crossword, stocks
One of the first iPad applications, USA TODAY (free), has been updated to version 1.5, which adds the long-awaited crossword puzzle and customizable market and stock information.
I've been waiting for the crossword puzzle to go live for a long time, and now that it's here I'm not disappointed. You'll find it in the app's Life section. Give it a tap and the day's current puzzle appears. It looks good in both landscape and portrait orientation, but I prefer landscape (at right).
The puzzle grid is in the center of the screen, flanked on either side by the down and across clues. To enter an answer, tap the beginning square once for across and twice for down. The row or column you're working on will be highlighted in purple.
At the top of the screen you'll find a hints button and an archive of the previous two weeks worth of puzzles. There's also a timer for those who like to see how quickly they can finish. Finally, the settings let you hide or display the timer, show your mistakes (there's no eraser with the iPad!) and skip filled squares.
I've always enjoyed newspaper crossword puzzles, and it's nice to see one migrate to the iPad so successfully.
Additionally, customizable stock information has been added to the app's money section. Tap the Markets box to pop that section out. You can quickly search for a company you're interested in or tap Edit Stocks to re-order the market listings or add and remove particular companies. The next time the app is launched, it will remember your settings.
Version 1.5 is a nice update to an app I've used consistently since buying my iPad. Let us say, "Well done" to everyone on USA TODAY's iPad team.TUAWUSA TODAY for iPad adds crossword, stocks originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Found footage: The inevitable Windows 7 tablet vs. iPad video
When Microsoft decided to drop the rather interesting Courier slate concept, some of us here at TUAW expected to see a parade of WindowsMobilePhoneWhatever tablets coming out of Redmond. Instead, in a manner somewhat akin to putting lipstick on a pig, manufacturers are preparing a bunch of Windows 7 tablets to compete with the iPad.
In this video, you're seeing one of the competitors, a rather thick slate made by Hanvon, going head to head against a stock iPad. The extra chunkiness of this tablet, which appears to boast a 16 x 9 aspect ratio, is due to the addition of a USB port, SD card reader, and ... a camera. For some odd reason, the manufacturer also chose to add a trackpad, which seems redundant considering the device already has a touch screen.
On the one hand, the device is fast. It bests the iPad in many of the side-by-side comparisons. On the other hand, it uses the patented Microsoft method of putting all programs into the Start menu, which appears towards the end of this video and looks like it would be impossibly frustrating to navigate.
Between the expected flood of Win 7 and Android tablets, not to mention some webOS-based tablets fromPalmHP, it looks like there will be plenty of competition in the tablet space. Me? I'm sticking with my iPad.
[via Gizmodo]TUAWFound footage: The inevitable Windows 7 tablet vs. iPad video originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Pocket Legends updated to Pocket Legends: Adventures, a full MMO on iOS
I tried Pocket Legends for the iPhone a while back, and found it to be pretty interesting. It's a full 3D MMO inside the iPhone, where you create a character, equip it with weapons, and then jump in with a few other people to hack, slash, and cast your way through a dungeon. It could use a little polish (the particular dungeon I played wasn't exactly tuned for my difficulty level, and the people I played with weren't exactly forgiving), but if you're looking for this kind of cartoony MMO gameplay, Pocket Legends actually delivers quite well. And since it's completely free, there's not a huge investment barrier anyway.
And the game just recently got a big update, adding in an actual explorable world, a bunch of new quests and items to play with, and some optimization to the game engine that makes it a little more forgiving on older devices (but the game looks pretty good, given what it is, on the iPhone 4 already). It's available on the App Store for free right now for both iPhone and iPad -- what Spacetime Studios has done in implementing a full PC-style MMO on Apple's handheld device is impressive, and the new update makes it even moreso. If you've never given Pocket Legends a look, but can appreciate a solid MMO, definitely check it out.TUAWPocket Legends updated to Pocket Legends: Adventures, a full MMO on iOS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Gyro Air Drums makes rhythmic use of the iPhone 4's gyroscope
While most of the apps making use of the iPhone 4's gyroscope have centered around augmented reality, here's one doing something different. Gyro Air Drums is an app that supposedly lets you use your iPhone as a "virtual drumstick," waving and tapping it on a virtual drum. You can move your iPhone in a 300 degree rotation in real life, hitting various drums on upper or lower levels. And when you move the iPhone, your screen will rotate along with the movement, viewing all of the various instruments, from the snare and hi-hat to more fun things like a cowbell or a taiko drum.
As you can see above, it's only one drum hit at a time, but presumably if you have two iPhone 4s, or a quick and accurate wrist, you'll be able to play a full drum beat. But at least it's a cool idea -- I was hoping we'd see more inventive uses of the gyroscope like this. The app is US$2.99 on the App Store right now, or there's a free lite version with a limited number of drums if you just want to play around.TUAWGyro Air Drums makes rhythmic use of the iPhone 4's gyroscope originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily App: Dimensions
Dimensions is a pretty interesting idea for an iPhone app. It's a set of 3D tools that you can actually use in real life, all put together by making use of the iPhone's hardware in various ways. There's a caliper, a ruler, a couple of tape measures for various sizes, a measuring wheel for even longer distances, and a pedometer. There are a few other surprises, too, including a lightning distance calculator, and a level, both likely included just for fun.
Unfortunately, while the tools work well, the app doesn't actually provide any instruction on how to use them. If you don't know how to use a caliper or a level already, you're going to be on your own -- the app doesn't have a lot of polish or documentation, which is too bad. It'd be great to have a Tapbots-level version of an app like this, with as much thought given to the interface as to the functionality.
Still, Dimensions will provide a serviceable ruler, measuring tape, or any of the other tools when called upon. It's available in the App Store right now for US $1.99.TUAWTUAW's Daily App: Dimensions originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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