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- Noteshelf wants to give 10 TUAW readers a free license
In October, I had the pleasure of reviewing Noteshelf, a top-notch iPad app for taking handwritten notes. The app has gone through some revisions since that time, and developer Rama Krishna even took on my personal challenge of adding a baseball scorebook to the notebook pages available in Noteshelf.The app now has a special zoom mode for making finger-writing more comfortable, iOS multitasking and printing, and a way to export your pages to an iPad photo album. One small but important addition is the ability to date-stamp individual notebook pages.
Fluid Tech would like to give 10 TUAW readers the chance to get a copy of this cool US$4.99 iPad app. Here are the rules for the giveaway:
- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
- To enter, leave a comment telling us what you'll use Noteshelf for.
- The comment must be left before Sunday, January 24, 2011 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
- You may enter only once.
- One winner will be selected and will receive a promo code good for one copy of Noteshelf, valued at $4.99.
- Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Best of luck, and I can't wait to see what kind of comments we'll get as entries.
Noteshelf wants to give 10 TUAW readers a free license originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Lessons from early days on the Mac App Store with Evernote
Evernote's Phil Libin has posted an article over at our fellow AOL site TechCrunch talking about the app's first week on the Mac App Store and how it all stacked up (he also did a quick hit in the first few days over on the Evernote blog). He says he's learned some pretty astounding things from Evernote's experience so far in the Mac App Store, and probably first among these is a conclusion that I expect a lot of developers to come to in the next few months. While many devs have believed, due to their success on the iOS App Store, that mobile apps were the wave of the future, Libin boils it down: "It isn't mobile that's overwhelmingly important, it's the app store."
That's quite a conclusion right there, but sure enough, as you can see in the chart above, the stats stack up. Evernote saw 320,000 downloads through the Mac App Store last week, 120,000 of which were brand new users. That's half of the new accounts created last week, and it's enough to push the Mac OS to the biggest platform on the service. Again, Libin puts it strikingly powerfully: "The presence of a well-formed app store is the single most important factor for the viability of a platform for third party developers."
Libin provided additional detail in a recent email to TUAW, saying that he forecasts 95% of all downloads of the Mac client to be straight from the App Store, eventually. According to him, "desktop is viable again," all thanks to the Mac App Store (and hopefully, he muses, a similar platform for Windows someday). He noted that there was quite a bit of effort involved: "Getting into the store for launch day was non-trivial. We declared that this was the most important priority for our Mac team about six weeks [prior to launch] and pulled a few all-nighters between then and now, but it was clearly worth it. Many of the under-the-hood changes that we had to make to get approved were good code hygiene anyway, and we're better off for having made them."That doesn't mean the direct-download version is going away, Libin explains: "primarily because the App Store doesn't let us have an automatic beta track, which has become pretty important to our release engineering," they will be keeping the conventional version available.
The whole article is well worth reading, and if indeed Evernote's experience on the Mac App Store becomes representative of many featured independent developers, the opportunities offered there in terms of discovery and ease-of-use will have an enormous impact on how desktop software is bought and sold.
Lessons from early days on the Mac App Store with Evernote originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Vintcase: An iPad case Indiana Jones would want to own
Here at TUAW, we see an endless parade of iPad and iPhone cases. I mean, seriously -- if I see another carbon copy plastic or silicone case for an iPad, I may toss my breakfast. So when someone sends me something a bit out of the ordinary, I'll usually take notice.
That was the situation when I received an email a few weeks ago from a gentleman who pointed me to the website for his company, Vintcase. In his email, he said that they made "the most beautiful, awesome, gorgeous, amazing, classy and wonderful iPad case made on Earth (and beyond)." All hyperbole aside, a look at the website revealed a very beautiful leather case that reminded me of one of those satchels that Indiana Jones might carry his travel papers in.
Vintcase shipped a case from Ubrique, Spain, one of the pueblos blancos (white towns) in Andalusia where leatherwork is an art. The case came in a nicely wrapped box (check it out in the gallery below) and when I opened it, my senses were overloaded.
The fragrance and soft touch of the leather are amazing, so much so that it's hard to believe that this is an iPad case and not a fashion statement. It does work quite well as an iPad case, and it's something that will age beautifully as it picks up scuffs, stains, and other marks of character.
The best thing about the Vintcase? It's relatively inexpensive, at US$99, when you consider the quality of the product. A case like this will last for years, and hopefully the next generations of iPads will slip right into it. If you're looking for a well-made iPad case with character, something that isn't just another piece of plastic stamped out of a machine, look no further than the Vintcase.
Vintcase: An iPad case Indiana Jones would want to own originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple's iPad strategy: Cutting off competitors, or just learning their lesson?
Falling into the "no, duh" category, Business Insider, citing a 9to5 Mac article, says that the main reason the forthcoming iPad 2 will undercut the emerging plethora of Android-powered tablets is because Apple has already cornered the market on manufacturers and has enlisted more to produce the tablet. The number of PCB suppliers, according to reports, has risen from three to seven. Business Insider points out that Apple did the same thing with the iPod just a few years ago, making it harder for competitors to get their hands on supplies.
Apple does learn its lesson when it comes to supply and demand. It doesn't want to face a chronic shortage of iPad 2 when they do come out -- not only will they have the early adopters wanting to trade up to a version with a camera, but they also have the first-generation holdouts waiting for the rumored features. I'm sure that Steve Jobs was not happy with the length of time it took new users to even get their hands on an iPad after the initial run, not to mention a basic case and the iPad Camera Connection Kit. As with the iPod and iPhone, the company has learned to anticipate demand.
There will also be companies out there willing to produce parts for Android-powered tablets, and have probably anticipated the growing demand as well. Just as Apple has learned from itself, its competitors are learning from Apple, too.
Apple's iPad strategy: Cutting off competitors, or just learning their lesson? originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iOS 4.3 beta suggests 1-megapixel camera for iPad 2
Adding to the growing collection of iPad 2 rumors, 9to5 Mac has done a bit of digging into the latest SDK to find a listing that says the iPad 2 will have a back-facing 1-megapixel camera. This is only slightly higher quality than the camera in the current-generation iPod touch. The front is suppose to be a VGA camera, just like the one in the iPhone 4 and iPod touch.
Sources have told the site that K94, the name of the folder where the listing was found in the SDK, is the iPad 2's codename.
As some of our commenters pointed out in Erica Sadun's recent wishlist, the purpose of the back camera might simply be for better augmented reality apps, or for use in Facetime to take a quick casual shot of your surroundings. As another commenter suggested, it would also be useful for taking inventory in a retail environment or scanning any number of barcodes -- and you wouldn't need a lot of megapixels for that.
Of course, like everything else released lately, this is still just a rumor. We won't know for sure until the magic unveiling sometime within the next couple months.
[via Engadget]
iOS 4.3 beta suggests 1-megapixel camera for iPad 2 originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple responds to critics of Chinese working conditions
Apple has reiterated company policy regarding the use of Chinese component suppliers and said it is "committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility throughout our supply base," according to Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu quoted in Macworld today. The company says it requires all suppliers to agree to Apple's code of conduct before any contracts are signed.Apple didn't comment directly on the report released yesterday by The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) critical of Apple's oversight of suppliers. In what it calls a Supplier Report (PDF), Apple has detailed the steps it takes to maintain compliance with policies that suppliers must meet. Apple admits that its own audits showed frequent violations by overseas companies, but the audits also detail the steps Apple took to keep these violations in check.
The 36 environmental groups that issued the critical report yesterday claim there is too large a gap from Apple written policies and the reality in the plants. You can download a PDF of the critical report, but note that it is in Chinese. The IPE also produced a video, also in Chinese, about the issue.
Apple responds to critics of Chinese working conditions originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Tennessee school requires iPads of all 4th-12th grade students
Starting next year, fourth to 12th grade students attending the Webb School in Knoxville, Tennessee will be required to have an iPad for classes. Jim Manikais, technology director at the private school, said this new policy was designed to let students "use that technology whenever they need it." Currently, students have to "check out a cart, a laptop cart, or schedule lab time to take a class to a lab" which made it difficult for both teachers and students to use technology regularly in the classroom. The school has a three-year rental plan for parents who are unable to purchase an iPad. This payment plan will cost about $200 per academic year or $20 per month for the ten-month school year.
School officials will block Facebook and Twitter on the school campus and English teacher, Elli Shellist, already has a plan to monitor web browser usage in class. The savvy teacher will randomly perform a flip check that requires students to flip their iPad towards the teacher so he can check what application they have opened. Of course, it won't take very long for even more savvy students to write an app that switches back to the appropriate application when the iPad is flipped forward rapidly. We won't even mention the antics that may ensue when the dual-camera iPad 2 makes its inevitable debut in the classroom.
Despite the potential for abuse, this is an excellent use of technology that will continue to expand in the future. Other academic institutions like Seton Hill and the University of Notre Dame encourage the usage of iPads in the classroom, while textbook publishers like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are developing applications for use in academic settings.
[Via KSLA]Tennessee school requires iPads of all 4th-12th grade students originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - New Cydia release makes re-jailbreaking easier
Saurik is releasing a major update to Cydia that includes a new Manage Account feature. Though it won't help you jailbreak your device, the new version of Cydia will make it easier when you need to re-install your favorite jailbreak applications. Similar to the Mac App Store, this Cydia account lets you keep track of purchased applications and downloads. This is a much-needed feature that iOS 4 unfortunately still lacks.
The next time you jailbreak your iOS device and launch Cydia, you will be able to log into your account and easily install your tweaks and apps without having to search the Cydia repositories. The login for this feature is tied directly to your Facebook or Google account so you won't have to remember yet another password. More good news for jailbreakers as a future of version of Cydia will expand on this account feature and let you make comments, add ratings, and back up installed Cydia repositories.
[Via Engadget and Redmond Pie]New Cydia release makes re-jailbreaking easier originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Where Apple's money comes from
According to a report of Asymco, the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch collectively generated sales of about US$17.3 billion which accounts for 65% of Apple's overall sales in its latest reported quarter. Of the three iOS devices, the iPhone and iPad combined for $15 billion in revenue while the iPod generated $2.3 billion. This is an impressive, but not surprising, set of figures for a trio of devices that are less than four years old.
There is little doubt that the iPhone and iPad lead the pack in their respective categories. Looking back over the past year, both the iPad and iPhone 4 experienced shortages due to overwhelming demand for these two iOS products. Long lines dominated iPhone 4 launches around the world and Apple itself confirmed that it could have sold more iPhones if supply was more abundant. The iPad dominates the tablet market has won accolades from Walt Mossberg and even Oprah.
While iOS dominated quarterly sales, the remainder of Apple's revenue comes from OS X-based products (20%), OS X software which includes both the operating system and the software Apple develops for it (3%), iTunes music sales (2%) and accessories and other products not related to software (10%). Based on the figures, 90% of Apple's sales is derived from hardware and software powered by OS X or iOS and only a mere 10% of revenue comes from the sales of other non-OS products. Even the naysayers cannot deny that Apple has built an empire on the success of its two core operating systems.
[Via Fortune]Where Apple's money comes from originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Spotify reportedly signs US deal with Sony
Just a week ago, we covered a New York Post story indicating that Spotify, the ad-supported or subscription based all-you-can-eat music streaming service, was about to sign a deal with Sony Music in the U.S. -- taking Spotify a step closer to the U.S. market.
Now, according to MediaMemo, that deal has now gone through. Though both Spotify and Sony have declined to comment, it's reported that a deal -- similar in terms to Spotify's European music label deals -- has been reached.
However, Spotify still needs to secure further agreements (or at least one big arrangement) with other music labels, to increase its catalogue, before it can begin offering a service in the U.S.. Spotify is facing some big hurdles, though. According to MediaMemo, the labels are anxious "...that Spotify's free streaming service will increase the decline of CD sales, which have been dropping for a decade, but still make up the majority of the labels' revenue. And, "...there is also muttering that the labels don't want to upset Apple, which sells tunes on a track-by-track basis via its iTunes store and dominates the market for digital music."
However, last week The Post also reported that Spotify had the support of one other unnamed major music label. Though there seems to be an apprehension amongst U.S. music labels towards Spotify, perhaps we'll be hearing reports of another Spotify / major music label deal in the coming days.
[Via Boy Genius]Spotify reportedly signs US deal with Sony originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Two iOS apps meant to teach toddlers valuable lessons
There is a new trend starting in interactive children's media: books that don't really tell a fully formed story, but are meant to teach a lesson. As with many new ideas, the first ones are pretty rough and may not be worth bothering with, but the potential is vast.
Loris and the Runaway Ball (US$1.99), the first app from Pointed Stories, is meant to teach toddlers what to do if their ball gets thrown into the street accidentally. This is an important lesson, which drew me to the app, but in testing it out, it left quite a bit to be desired and is hardly worth the price. This universal app relays a very short story told by Lincoln (Loris' older brother) about what happened when the ball wound up in the street. The app is just a handful of pages, it has no sound, and the animation is extremely limited. The graphics may be sweet to some toddlers, but the water-colored pictures looked rough and quickly tossed together to me. With no sound, there is no narration. The app seems to be little more than a strip of pictures that you swipe to get to the next one. The only interaction is a decision point where you can choose who Loris should ask to help get the ball back. You can ask Lincoln, Loris' dad or a neighbor named Mrs. Seal. Each choice branches to three specific pages, then goes right back to the story for the ending. That's about all there is to it, and it's not a lot.
The lessons Loris and the reader are meant to learn? Mrs. Seal is glad to help and tosses the ball back. Lincoln, who has crossed the street before, knows to listen, wait and make sure it's clear before he crosses the street. Dad always knows what to do. He holds Loris' hand and tells her to look left, look right, look left again, then they cross together. That's the whole app. You can get through it in less than three minutes, and I would question its worth at even $0.99, much less the $1.99 Pointed Stories is asking for.Continue reading Two iOS apps meant to teach toddlers valuable lessons
Two iOS apps meant to teach toddlers valuable lessons originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Bigstream offers ad hoc wireless streaming for your iOS device and iPod
Need to give a presentation but don't want to futz with the vagaries of getting on the local network wherever you land? Want to stream music in a strange place from your iPod nano? Want to play games on your TV from your iPad while controlling from your iPhone without the VGA-out cable adapter and separate audio cable? Bigstream is coming out with a rechargeable adapter to do all of this and more, although it'll only be streaming a somewhat lower-res video than VGA (it's the old RCA composite output, apparently to help reduce latency for video and gaming). Still, it seems pretty neat.
Due to be sold via PCD in about a month, the device is listed on Bigstream's site for $99 but will be $129 MSRP. Depending on your device it'll support photos, music, Netflix, YouTube, games and more, so check the compatibility page for details. We took at look at CES, and now you can take a look at the demo in the video above. This probably isn't for everyone, but if you're a traveling salesman doing a lot of presentations and you want a fast setup, I think this will fit the bill nicely.Bigstream offers ad hoc wireless streaming for your iOS device and iPod originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iTunes offers five hit albums for $6.99 this weekend
If you needed to pick up Katy Perry's Teenage Dream or Ke$ha's Cannibal to make your 2011 music collection complete, now would be the time. Apple is promoting those two albums and three more with a $6.99 sale through January 24.
These and more are featured in iTunes' Albums Under $8 section -- and, as the mailer points out, they're a great way to chew through those iTunes gift cards that showed up under the tree.
iTunes offers five hit albums for $6.99 this weekend originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple seeds first Mac OS X 10.6.7 beta to developers
Apple Insider reports that Apple seeded the first beta of Mac OS X 10.6.7 to developers on Thursday. The beta is Build 10J842 and weighs in at 338.6MB for download.
According to those familiar with the build, Apple indicates that there are no known issues, but developers have reportedly been encouraged to specifically test AirPort, Bonjour, SMB file sharing, and graphics drivers.
It could be some time before we see the release of 10.6.7 to the general Mac public. It's just over two weeks since Apple released Mac OS X 10.6.6 which included the release of the Mac App Store. However, with no known issues reported, it could be sooner than expected.
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, the next version of Mac OS X, is expected sometime this summer.Apple seeds first Mac OS X 10.6.7 beta to developers originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple sues Nokia in London over touch-screen scroll patent
Apple has sued Finland's Nokia over claims that one of Nokia's European patents for scrolling on a touch screen is not valid. The suit was filed in London's High Court earlier this week, and is the latest in the legal back-and-forth between Nokia and Apple.
In December of 2010, Nokia filed claims in three European countries, alleging that Apple infringed on 13 additional patents, in addition to 24 patents already descried in the existing US and International Trade Commission filings. To date, Nokia has opened file claims on four patents in the UK High Court, seven patents in district court in Dusseldorf, five in Mannheim and two in the Hague. This latest suit from Apple challenges a filing made by Nokia against Apple in Dusseldorf in September of 2010.
Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant sounded confident in an email sent to Bloomberg. "Nokia is confident that all of the 37 patents it has asserted against Apple" [are valid], he said. "We are examining the filing and will take whatever actions are needed to protect our rights." Meanwhile, Apple declined to comment.
We suspect this won't be over for a long time.Apple sues Nokia in London over touch-screen scroll patent originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Camino 2.1 alpha preview released, new features in tow
Camino, the open source web browser for Mac OS X, has released Camino 2.1 Alpha 1 -- the first preview release of the forthcoming Camino 2.1 update.
It's been just over a year since version 2.0 was released, and we can expect to see some great new features and improvements in the upcoming update. Most notably, version 2.1 comes with an enhanced location bar with auto-complete and an offline mode, too.
Other new features to expect are as follows:
- Improved Plug-in Control: Camino now disables Java by default, and a new hidden preference allows disabling arbitrary plug-ins.
- Status Bar: The status bar can now be hidden by choosing "Hide Status Bar" in "View" menu.
- Certificate Errors: The certificate error page in Camino 2.1 Alpha 1 is both friendlier and more informative than the one in Camino 2.
- Gecko 1.9.2: Camino now uses version 1.9.2 of the Mozilla Gecko rendering engine, which has enhanced support for web standards and improved JavaScript performance.
Remember, this is a preview release for testing and feedback. This release may be unstable and unsuitable for daily use, but if you're feeling adventurous -- and want to check out the new features -- visit the download page here. If you're looking for a light-weight and snappy alternative to the more common Mac OS X web browsers, visit the Camino 2.0 download page here.
[Via Download Squad]Camino 2.1 alpha preview released, new features in tow originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple TV clock mod makes up for the lack of an iPad clock
Do you have an old first-generation Apple TV lying around collecting dust? Would you like to turn it into something useful and attractive?
TUAW reader Antonio Worrall had purchased a second-generation Apple TV, and his old unit had gone to "join the choir invisible," so he decided to put the deceased box to good use. It was his first mod, and we think it looks pretty good. And of course, it makes up for the lack of a native clock app on the iPad...
You can view some other snaps of the Apple TV clock on Antonio's iDisk here. I'm just glad that I finally have a use for my old Apple TV, too.
Apple TV clock mod makes up for the lack of an iPad clock originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily App: Shibuya
We're finishing up our week of minimal game experiences with an app that's probably the "most game" of the lot. Shibuya is actually a puzzle game, but it's also pretty trippy.
The idea is that you must organize colors into stripes as they drop down the screen, and whenever two stripes of the same color touch, they get cleared off the board. The difficulty is that you aren't given the colors in the same order, so as the spikes drop, it's up to you to lay them all out correctly so that two like colors actually touch. It's a little tough to explain, but just playing it will allow you to figure it out. You basically have to think ahead about how you lay the colors out before they drop down to match themselves up.
It's really fun, and the music is a nice bonus -- it's very well done. There are two gameplay modes to play around with, and there are tons of achievements to earn with Game Center integration, as well as leaderboards to compete on. The game is US$1.99 on the App Store, and those two bucks will give you plenty to do as you try to master this fun and eclectic title.TUAW's Daily App: Shibuya originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Universal iPhone bumper from Apple sneaks into Apple Store
In advance of the Verizon iPhone, it seems Apple realizes the old bumper won't fit. So they quietly stocked Apple Stores with a new, universal bumper where the hole for the mute switch has been enlarged just enough to accommodate both versions of the iPhone 4. Nice! We were wondering when this would happen, and it's a bit in advance of the Verizon iPhone actually being available. Let us know if you spot them in your neck of the woods.
Thanks for the video and tip, Alex!Universal iPhone bumper from Apple sneaks into Apple Store originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Next week is Macworld! Are you coming?We'll be manning booth 1012 at Macworld Expo next week (and we'll post our streaming schedule in advance this year), but the Conference kicks off on the 26th with a plethora of awesome events for attendees to check out. With a special discount ($15 Expo pass or 10% off conference registration) available here, we're dying to know: Are you going? Let us know in the comments if you do plan to attend, and/or what you're interested in seeing us cover if you won't be there.
This year we'll be paying special attention to anything we can get our grubby little hands on. So look for a lot of breakage as we rampage the show floor, testing equipment and posting videos or text and galleries. Of course, this is a trade show as well, so there will be panels, special events and more, but the real focus for us is a chance to try out all the stuff we've heard about leading up to the Expo itself.
Look for some announcements next week detailing where you can catch our coverage, meet the team and win some prizes! Oh, and expect some awesome surprises to be announced during our daily livestreaming coverage.Next week is Macworld! Are you coming? originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Verizon's iPhone commercial hits YouTube
Tick, tock. "To our millions of customers, who never stopped believing this day would come... Thank you."Oh, Verizon, you wry cad. Your iPhone 4 commercial is a gentle jibe at the anticipation and endless patience of those who would be among the first to own a new VZW iPhone. Ha! So witty. And not at all insanely annoying.
Video is embedded in the second half of the post.
[via Daring Fireball]
Continue reading Verizon's iPhone commercial hits YouTube
Verizon's iPhone commercial hits YouTube originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Rep. Giffords' recovery includes the iPad
As reported by Reuters earlier today, the ongoing recovery and rehabilitation of wounded Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has progressed very well since the tragic and deadly assault at her event 12 days ago. Dr. Michael Lemole, the chief of neurology at Tucson's University Medical Center, noted that Giffords has demonstrated several key skills: "She is beginning to stand with assistance, she is scrolling through an iPad -- these are all fantastic advances for her. They do show higher cognitive function," he said.While it's certainly possible to frame Dr. Lemole's reference to the iPad as merely an example of the sort of thing Giffords and other brain trauma patients are able to attempt in the days and weeks after their injuries, the other side of the story is that the iPad has quietly begun to turn the world of assistive/adaptive technology -- specialized software, hardware and medical devices aimed at improving function and quality of life for people with disabilities or challenges -- on its head.
Continue reading Rep. Giffords' recovery includes the iPad
Rep. Giffords' recovery includes the iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - XBMC for iOS and Apple TV now available
XBMC has had a presence on the iTunes App Store since 2008, when a remote for the open-source media center program became available. Despite being originally designed for the Microsoft Xbox console, versions of the app have become a popular media interface for Mac OS X and Apple TV among other platforms. Erica Sadun recently wrote about how an XBMC install on a Ubuntu Linux box is utilizing AirPlay.Now the developers of XBMC are going a step further -- they're developing a full-fledged XBMC client for iOS and the second-generation Apple TV. It's not a stripped-down client streamer or transcoder; rather, it has the same sort of programs and features that you can find for XBMC for Mac, Windows or Linux -- and both it and XBMC for ATV2 are available today for jailbroken devices.
XBMC for iOS is now available through a Cydia-compatible repo. XBMC for ATV2 is available through an apt-get install.
I had the chance to talk with Scott Davilla, who has a lengthy history of working with XBMC and Apple TV. He is the author of atv-bootloader and atv-usbcreator. He also developed a kernel extension to enable HD playback on the first-generation Apple TV and is the lead developer for XBMC for Mac OS X.
In the second half of this post, read about what XBMC for iOS will entail, and see exclusive footage of XBMC running on an iPhone, iPad and second-generation Apple TV.
Continue reading XBMC for iOS and Apple TV now available
XBMC for iOS and Apple TV now available originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Catan app adds Seafarers expansion with in-app purchase
The great Catan iOS game has added in its first expansion, available via an in-app purchase, and it's based on the Seafarers of Catan expansion from the original German board game. The expansion introduces ships and shipping routes to the kingdom-building simulation, and it includes 10 different scenarios to build ships in, as well as pirates, a Gold River tile and some extra victory cards with different bonuses.
The expansion content is US$3.99 inside the app, but even if you don't want to shell out the extra four bucks, one of the scenarios is included, so you can at least see how it changes the game. The Catan app itself has been critically acclaimed, and I really like this model of releasing content -- it seems like a nice solid way of both making sure that content updates are significant improvements to an app, as well as allowing developers to get their own reward for releasing that content. Hopefully we'll see some more apps, outside of the board game model, take this approach in the future.
[via TouchArcade]Catan app adds Seafarers expansion with in-app purchase originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iMovie 9.0.2 update available
Apple has released an update to iMovie '11 that improves overall stability and fixes an issue that causes audio playback to be out of sync.
The update is now available through Apple's support downloads and via Software Update.iMovie 9.0.2 update available originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Ion's Concert Piano has a built-in iPad dock
A while back at CES, I got to check out Gear4's Pocket Loops, a little keyboard with a built-in iPod touch dock, but Ion's Concert Piano takes that idea and goes big. It's a full-sized, 88-key piano with an iPad dock built into it. Just like the Pocket Loops keyboard, there's a downloadable app that lets you play music right out of your iPad (though I couldn't find it on the App Store just yet), but unlike the Pocket Loops keyboard, the piano itself has a built-in speaker, so even without Apple's tablet, you can make some music.
Also unlike Gear4's keyboard, the Concert Piano seems like a premium instrument, with wood-grained paneling and actual weighted keys that are supposed to feel realistic. That probably also means it won't be nearly as cheap as Gear4's keyboard, but then again, when compared to a full keyboard or actual piano, the Concert Piano will probably stack up pretty favorably for your wallet. We've also seen even more complicated keyboards -- the Akai SynthStation49 has its own separate controls in addition to the built-in dock. No word on price or release date for the Concert Piano just yet, but we can probably expect to see it available later on this year.
[via Dvice and Bornrich.org]Ion's Concert Piano has a built-in iPad dock originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Eric Schmidt stepping down as Google CEOLooks like Steve's (former?) BFF Eric Schmidt is stepping down as CEO of Google, leaving co-founder Larry Page in charge of the company as the new CEO. A rather astounding rearranging of the deck chairs, but also the logical progression of affairs. Larry and Sergey Brin (who either drew the long or short straw here) are the brains behind Google's mighty algorithm, and there's little doubt they are smart guys who know how to get things done. Brin "has decided to devote his time and energy to strategic projects," including "new products." Neat!
Where does this leave Apple and Google in terms of frenemies? With Google entering the mobile space with a vengeance, only time will tell. We think Apple is looking to extricate itself from their partnership, given moves towards possibly replacing the default Google Maps app (while also extending their deal a while longer), but there's no denying Google's influence in tech has impacted even our favorite fruit-flavored consumer electronics maker.Eric Schmidt stepping down as Google CEO originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple is now the largest mobile phone manufacturer by revenueBased on revenue, Apple is now the largest mobile phone provider in the world, surpassing even global leader Nokia. In the winter quarter of 2010, the iPhone and its accessories generated revenue of $10.47 billion for Apple. Nokia's Devices & Services group projects Q4 2010 sales of $11.7 billion, but this figure includes mobile computers, tablets and revenue from Ovi-branded services. Ovi offers email, music, navigation and an app store for Nokia handsets. When you add in just Apple's iTunes revenue of $1.4 billion, Apple jumps ahead of its biggest mobile phone rival.
Apple's mobile phone business is growing at a pace that even exceeds that of the overall smartphone market. Recent IDC estimates suggest the global smartphone market grew 70% in December, while Apple boasts of a 86% year-over-year increase. While its popularity among consumers remains strong, the iPhone' s influence in the corporate world is also growing. Apple chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer confirmed that "88 of the Fortune 100 companies and almost 60% of the Financial Times Europe 100 companies [are] now testing or deploying iPhones." This expansion in Europe is most damaging to Nokia, which has dominated the European market for the past several years running. Apple's growth is unprecedented already, and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.Apple is now the largest mobile phone manufacturer by revenue originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Chinese groups slam Apple for environmental policies
Ouch. The Associated Press is reporting that three dozen environmental groups have jointly issued a report called "The Other Side of Apple," which accuses the company of ignoring their concerns about health and safety issues at Chinese manufacturing facilities.These plants manufacture components that are used to build iPads, iPhones and other Apple products. The report cites the use of dangerous chemicals used in the manufacture of touchscreens, and other hazardous materials that can make factory workers sick or endanger their lives.
The report comes just as Apple has opened stores in China, and this week Tim Cook told investors that China was a vast and important market for Apple.
The report noted that Apple was the least responsive of 26 tech companies doing business in China. An Apple spokeswoman in China, Carolyn Wu, has said that the company is "committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility," but had no direct response to this latest report.
The groups have commended Samsung, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq Computer and others as the most responsive. Previously, Apple was embroiled in controversy after some employees committed suicide at the South China Foxconn plant where Apple products are built.
Chinese groups slam Apple for environmental policies originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Firemint sells 3 million copies of Flight Control
Firemint has shared some sales figures about Flight Control over on its blog. The now classic line-drawing game was recently listed in the top paid apps of all time on the App Store, and so Firemint decided to reveal a little bit about how many copies it's sold and when. The grand total is exactly 3,881,634 copies as of their posting. The game currently sells for 99 cents, but that doesn't mean Firemint pulled in $3.8 million as Apple takes its 30 percent share as well.
Firemint has also posted the chart above, showing when the most copies sold. Interesting to see that the Game Center patch gave them the biggest spike in sales, though don't forget that Flight Control was one of the first games on the service as it went live, something that certainly encouraged extra downloads. The new maps and the Retina Display support patches also gave big bumps. iOS developers, take note: big feature updates sell apps.
Christmas boosts sales as well, as we've discussed here in the past. What's most interesting about those bumps, I think, is that they're basically the same size -- Christmas is turning into a pretty predictable spike in iOS sales for developers. We saw a lot of "planned" releases and discounts last holiday, and I bet we'll see even more as time goes on. Of course this is only one app on the store, but it's one of the biggest apps of all time, and probably a good representation of a lot of bestselling apps. Thanks to Firemint for sharing!Firemint sells 3 million copies of Flight Control originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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