Tuesday, June 21, 2011

TheAppleBlog — Apple and iOS News, Tips and Reviews (14 сообщений)

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  • Apple continues to blur the line between pro and consumer

    Final Cut Pro X arrived in the App Store today, and though it’s one of the most expensive apps at $299.99, it’s also topping the Paid and Grossing app charts right now. That’s because it’s a relative bargain compared to Final Cut Pro 7, which was only available as part of the $999.99 Final Cut Studio suite. That kind of price drop will not only help encourage pro customers to upgrade, but it should also convince some pro-sumer customers to step up to the big leagues.

    This is only the most recent example of Apple bringing significant price cuts to once expensive software. Mac OS X 10.0 cost $129.99, for example, while even a family pack of Snow Leopard was priced at only $49, and a single user license was just $29. Lion, which is said to be coming in July, will cost $29 for a copy that can be used on multiple Macs associated with your Apple ID. Windows still starts at $79.95 for entry-level upgrade pricing, and can cost as much as $219.99, depending on the edition.

    But pricing isn’t the only difference. Windows also divides its software product offerings, making clear distinctions between tools it thinks consumers need vs those that professional users would want. Apple has always done a good job of steering clear of such defined lines, and although it does offer an OS X Server variant of its software, that product is much more clearly designed for a very specific use than Microsoft’s “professional” grade operating systems.

    Apple also seems to be gaining ground in the enterprise thanks in part to its refusal to target professionals specifically. BlackBerry tried that strategy, and while it worked well for many years, mobile companies now appear to be following Apple’s lead, realizing that the new path to the enterprise is by convincing individual users of the value of your product, and not necessarily by selling to corporate IT. Apple doesn’t ignore business, but it definitely doesn’t unduly prioritize that market, as evidenced by the decision to stop selling Xserve late last year.

    $300 is still a lot of money for a consumer to spend on a single application, don’t get me wrong. But Final Cut Studio once cost $1300. To say that it isn’t more likely that hobbyists or pro-sumers will drop the cash to take their craft to the next level than it was four years ago just isn’t realistic.

    Some might claim that the disappearance of Final Cut Express, Apple’s mid-range offering between Final Cut Pro and iMovie actually indicates the distinction between pro and consumer applications is getting more defined. But Final Cut Express was priced at $199, just $100 shy of the new Final Cut Pro X, and it didn’t incorporate the same audio and color correction tools of the newer application, plus it carried a lot of limitations that made it pale in comparison to the full Final Cut Pro product.

    And that’s the key: Apple isn’t narrowing the gap between pro and consumer by leaving out features and dumbing things down; it’s making things easier, certainly, but it’s also just making them more affordable. It’s the smart move for a workforce that is becoming more and more contract-based, where freelancers often have to source their own tools in order to impress potential employers and win contracts.

    Apple is already a company that knows how to make a tool that everyone can use. Now that it’s increasingly becoming one that also knows how to make tools that everybody can afford, there are even fewer barriers to the potential heights it can reach.

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  • Apple quietly updates the AirPort Extreme

    It’s updates all around for Apple’s full-sized routers, as the AirPort Extreme joins the Time Capsule with a new model number today. Neither the AirPort Extreme nor the Time Capsule have been updated since early 2009, so refreshed hardware isn’t really a surprise.

    The new AirPort Extreme still carries the same product description and specs as the old version, so it isn’t exactly apparent what has changed about the Wi-Fi router. It still provides 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking, and simultaneous dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency support for improved network performance and decreased interference. It also has the same three Ethernet ports for wired connections, and a USB port for hooking up a printer or external hard drive.

    It’s likely that Macworld is right when it suggests that any changes made to the AirPort Extreme happened under the hood, and are likely meant to boost performance. Wireless technology hasn’t stood still for two years, after all, although it also hasn’t exactly seen dramatic changes in the consumer electronics sector. The successor to 802.11n is in the works, but it’s still probably quite a ways off in terms of general use and wide adoption.

    The bottom line is that if you’ve been waiting for an AirPort hardware update in order to get a new router, now’s probably a good time to buy. The new Extreme might not boast revolutionary changes, but if Apple’s track record proves correct, it’ll most likely be better than its predecessor.

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  • Pack your bags: Hipmunk travel search comes to iPad

    Travel search startup Hipmunk is bringing its super-slick user interface (UI)– and arguably the startup world’s cutest mascot– to the iPad.

    The San Francisco-based company has announced the launch of its custom iPad app, which will be available as a free download in the iTunes store starting Tuesday. The iPad app launch is accompanied by an update to the iPhone app Hipmunk debuted in February. An Android application is in the pipeline, according to the company.

    Hipmunk’s head of mobile Danilo Campos recently took me through a preview of the iPad app, and by all appearances, it’s a spot-on translation of Hipmunk’s unique web experience. Just like on the web, flight results are sorted according to those with the lowest amount of “agony,” which is determined by the flight’s duration, number of layovers, and price. The UI incorporates the same visual timeline format for displaying search results that is well known by users of Hipmunk’s website. It also includes a handy option to either book in the Safari browser, or save the selection with a finish code to finalize the booking later from a computer.

    "Launching an iPad app aligns with our mission of providing a superior, and fun, travel search experience," Hipmunk CEO Adam Goldstein said in a press release announcing the app’s availability. You can read more about Hipmunk in my more in-depth interview with Goldstein published by GigaOM earlier this month.

    Here are some screenshots of Hipmunk’s iPad app:

      

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  • How to transfer data between iOS devices

    Often, you’ll want to transfer some piece of data — a link, contact information or a photo, for example — from one of your iOS devices to another. iCloud will make some of that easier, but unfortunately, the iPhone doesn't support Bluetooth file transfer like most phones. Luckily, there are other workarounds.

    Email

    The easiest way of transferring a small amount of data, like a link or a single photo, is via email. Since there’s no need to download any extra apps, it’s possible to do this as soon as you set up a device. All you need is an active email account, and you can send messages to yourself. The email will be received on the other device, and then you can copy and paste the information as you please.

    The downside of sending yourself emails is firstly, it can take a while to send an email containing lots of photos or a long video, even over Wi-Fi. Also, if you’re not at home or on Wi-Fi, using email will use up mobile data, since you’re connecting to the Internet. If you don’t a Wi-Fi connection, I’d suggest using the next method, which can be done with Bluetooth and doesn’t impact your data plan.

    Dedicated app

    Another way to transfer data is using a dedicated app, such as Bump. Bump doesn't have an iPad app, but the iPhone version works just fine on the iPad. Bump allows you to send photos, apps, contacts and music between devices. Again, though, Bump will use your data connection if you aren’t connected via Wi-Fi. It is free however, and enables you to send more than Mail does.

    Another similar app is Mover. It’s a Universal application, so it has an iPad-specific interface in addition to one designed for the iPhone. It also works over Bluetooth, saving you precious mobile data. Mover can’t send music or apps like Bump can, but it can send contacts, photos, text and videos. There are some reviews in the App Store saying Mover doesn't work, but I’ve never had problems with it, and it has been great for quickly copying information over. Mover costs $1.99 in the App Store, and it also has a free Mac companion app that lets you transfer files from your computer to your iOS device.

    Using a dedicated app isn’t only an efficient way to transfer data, but both Bump and Mover use interesting mechanics to transfer the data — bumping the phones together and flicking the data from the screen, respectively — so they’re so a nice way to take advantage of your device’s unique interface options.

    If you know of a faster or easier way of transferring your data between your devices, tell us how in the comments.

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  • Aided by Apple, Bluetooth ready for health monitoring

    Bluetooth inside? You betcha!

    Apple is joining the board of the Bluetooth standards organization as the group focuses the latest iteration of Bluetooth on the burgeoning market for fitness and health sensor data from mobile devices. The Bluetooth SIG said Tuesday that Apple and Nordic Semiconductor were joining the organization, and also announced its goals of moving into the mobile sensor market with its latest version of the Bluetooth standard.

    Bluetooth, which gained ubiquity in the form of headsets, is a wireless data transfer protocol that delivers chunks of data in close proximity, making it good for voice and even as a runaround to official mobile broadband tethering. But it has long sucked batteries like I gulp my coffee on a Monday morning, which made it less-than-ideal for sensors. This became more of an issue as companies experimented with devices like connected pedometers and other sensors that attach to a person's clothing or accessories to monitor things like heart rate or temperature.

    As smartphones and connected devices proliferated, the idea of real-time health and fitness tracking from a smartphone became cheaper, easier and more available to the casual consumer, which has spawned a few personal area networking technologies that want to become for bioinformatics what Bluetooth became for headsets. But Bluetooth wants to be the Bluetooth of bioinformatics too, and hopes its new low energy standard and recently added profiles to support medical sensors are the key to the sensor market. With Apple on the board, it may have a better chance.

    I covered the rise of bioinformatics and the standards vying to become the protocol of choice for the market in a GigaOM Pro report in January (subscription required), and in an interview with the Bluetooth SIG's Executive Director Mike Foley, learned about Bluetooth,s bioinformatics goals. At the time, Apple used a proprietary version of the Bluetooth standard for delivering sensor data from the pedometers in Nike shoes, which used less power than the previous version of Bluetooth (as opposed to the new Low Energy standard). Perhaps its move to become a board member means we'll see a more ubiquitous standard for sensor data make its way into Apple's popular iPhone and iPod touch products, and thus to the rest of the consumer device markets.

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  • IPhone gains eat into Android dominance. Can it last?

    The Android smartphone onslaught may have hit its peak, at least in the U.S., according to an analyst who thinks the expanded rollout of the iPhone to other carriers will check the rise of Google’s mobile OS. Charlie Wolf of Needham & Co. pointed out that Android’s market share of smartphone sales in the U.S. fell to 49.5 percent from 52.4 percent in the first quarter, its first loss in any region in the world.

    Wolf believes this is the beginning of more market share losses for Android, which began with the introduction of the iPhone on Verizon, and will continue with the release later this year of the next iPhone on Verizon and AT&T, and perhaps other carriers such as Sprint and T-Mobile. Apple’s share of sales during the first quarter grew to 29.5 percent, up from 17.2 percent in the previous quarter. This tracks with a previous NPD report that found that Android sales in the first quarter fell to 50 percent of total, down three points from the previous quarter, while iOS grew by 9 percentage points for 28 percent of smartphone unit sales.

    Wolf believes the iPhone 4 launch on Verizon was only “tepid,” and that the big boost to Apple will hit with the next version, which is what he thinks many Verizon customers are holding out for:

    It's reasonable to assume that a material percentage of Verizon subscribers who plan to switch were content to wait until the iPhone 5 arrived later this year. One reason Apple delayed the launch of iPhone 5 until September is that it reportedly plans to coordinate the launch of the GSM and CDMA versions of the phone. To do so in June would likely have upset Verizon subscribers who purchased iPhone 4 in the preceding months. It's our expectation, then, that the anticipated surge in iPhone sales on the Verizon network is likely to occur this fall after Apple launches iPhone 5.

    Will Apple continue to slowly win back Android market share, though? I think it’s safe to say that getting the iPhone out to all carriers will boost iOS market share and Android may take a hit for a while if Apple can expand to all four national operators. That’s been one of the big limiting factors for Apple and removing that will allow it to compete on more equal footing.

    But there’s still a lot up in the air right now, especially as smartphones turn from an early adopter device to a mainstream tool that is poised to outsell traditional feature phones this year. We’re getting into a place where less savvy and more price conscious consumers are taking the plunge. Many will choose an iPhone, but there’s still plenty of growth opportunity for Android to hit lower price points and appeal with a wide array of design choices. If Apple continues to put out just one phone a year at just a couple of basic prices, it won’t be able to keep grabbing share back from Android.

    Apple understands this and has seemed to indicate it plans on releasing cheaper iPhones, that are “not just for the rich.” That’s going to be key for Apple in the market share battle, especially as the Mac maker pursues other markets overseas. Assuming Apple does release some cheaper phones and continues to expand carrier distribution deals, we should see Android and iOS settle into some more stable market share positions long-term. But as I’ve said before, it’s still early in this game. Android’s share might fluctuate over time, and Apple may close the gap. But the real story is that these two platforms are very much driving the market, while the rest of the industry plays catch-up. 

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  • Get more space for your private cloud with new 3TB Time Capsule

    Apple unveiled Final Cut Pro X  Tuesday morning, but it also took the lid off of a new Time Capsule model (via MacRumors). Apple’s combo wireless router / backup hard drive now comes in 2 TB and 3 TB flavors, instead of the 1 TB and 2 TB varieties that were on offer until Tuesday morning. Like its predecessor, the new Time Capsule offers support for 802.11a/b/g/n wireless, as well as 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz simultaneous dual-band networking.

    The new  2 TB Time Capsule will now retail for $299, and the new 3 TB option will take its place in the $499 range. Since the Time Capsule’s introduction in 2008, Apple has offered a lower-tier offering with less storage for $299, and one with more space for $499.

    While Apple may be focusing on the cloud with its recent product announcements, its nice to see that it’s still thinking about those who prefer a more local networked storage option. Bandwidth limits may preclude some users from ever being able to fully embrace a cloud storage and streaming computing model, but local streaming is a good alternative for those who still want to feel untethered.

    Apple has been rumored to be working on updates to its line of wireless devices since low stock of AirPort devices was reported earlier this month. Just this week, the FCC posted a test report describing new Apple wireless hardware, which was likely describing the new Time Capsules unveiled today.

    It’s not yet clear whether the Time Capsule update brings new features beyond expanded storage options, or whether Apple other AirPort devices will also receive updates. We’ll keep you informed as developments arise.

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  • Final Cut Pro X now available in the Mac App Store for $300

    Apple introduced its latest professional video editing software Tuesday, bringing Final Cut Pro X to the Mac App Store for $299.99. In addition to the latest version of Final Cut, Apple also introduced Motion 5, a motion graphics creation tool, and Compressor 4, an advanced media encoder, both of which are $49.99 in the Mac App Store. All three apps together replace Final Cut Studio, which contained Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, Color 1.5, Compressor 3.5 and DVD Studio Pro 4.

    Apple explains that in addition to it video editing features, Final Cut Pro X now also contains the key sound editing and color grading components once found in Color 1.5 and Compressor 3.5, allowing you to “use a single application for the entire post-production workflow.” Motion and Compressor remain distinct apps because of their unique functions, and basic DVD and Blu-ray authoring abilities are now contained in the main Final Cut product.

    $300 may seem steep for a single program, but the revamped Final Cut Pro X actually does the work of about four programs from the original suite, which sold for $1,000. Final Cut Pro X also brings a lot of great new features, as shown off at NAB, an industry event for digital video audio and film professionals in April, including background rendering, which will allow editors to continue editing while video rendering takes place in the background. Other noteworthy new features include the new Magnetic Timeline, which lets you drag and drop clips wherever without breaking up existing elements, Smart Collections that analyze and scan your clip library and group like elements together (like close shots or group shots, for example).

    Motion 5 brings new smart templates that allow you to use effects, transitions titles and more as you edit, and the interface is redesigned to make it easier to spot subtle color variations and effects in your content. Compressor 4 brings boosted export options, including HTTP live streaming support, and one-step streaming web playback output options designed for iOS device compatibility.

    At $400 total for Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5 and Compressor 4, this represents a steep price drop from Final Cut Studio 3. Apple may have simplified its video editing product, but it doesn’t look like it cut too many corners in doing so, and it brings some exciting new features. Video editors: will you be taking the plunge or waiting to see how this new approach pans out?

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  • Lion download too fat? There's Apple store (WiFi) for that.

    Mission Control OS X LionAt WWDC this year, Apple announced that OS X Lion, its next major operating system update, would be available only through digital distribution. But a download-only OS upgrade of 4 GB is going to be trying for some consumers, either because of the quality and speed of their internet connection, or because of bandwidth caps that limit how much you can download in a month.

    Apple wants to alleviate some of those issues, by suggesting that users should bring their Macs in to their local Apple Store (via Computerworld), and use the free Wi-Fi connection provided by the store to download the update. That Apple, a company known for wanting to make thing easy for consumers is suggesting such a clunky solution, suggests that it’s well aware of the broadband problems facing a subset of the population and it can’t afford to ignore them.

    Obviously, this solution really only works for users with portable Macs, since lugging a 27-inch iMac down to your local mall may be a tad inconvenient, but it still might be the best option for some Mac owners come July, when Lion is set to be officially released to the public.

    It may even be worth the inconvenience to some. If you’re stuck in a remote area, your connection might be spotty at best, and probably doesn’t offer blazing speeds. The Lion download from the App Store is designed to be stopped and started as much as needed in order to get the job done, but OS buyers aren’t going to want to take a few days over the course of a week to get their hands on their purchase.

    Even if you have a solid connection, limited bandwidth plans might affect your ability to get Lion. The system update download is 4 GB, which is actually fairly small, considering that it holds an entire operating system. But 4 GB represents a significant chunk of some throttled home internet plans. Rogers in Canada, for instance, offers an entry-level Ultra-Lite internet plan that only allows for 2 GB of monthly usage, so you would technically have to wait two months to complete the Lion download without incurring overage charges. Even the next step up only gets you 15 GB, so Lion represents a full quarter of your monthly allowance with that plan.

    Volume customers like businesses and colleges will get an installer via single download that they can then use on multiple computers, but for consumers, the only upgrade path seems to be purchasing through the Mac App Store. That means you can buy it once and have it available to all your machines, but you may have to download it to each in order to get it to work. Apple could make the downloaded file transferrable via flash drive or local network connection machine-to-machine to make it easier for customers to upgrade multiple computers without using more bandwidth, but it’s not clear whether the company plans to do that yet.

    Does the prospect of a mandatory 4 GB download affect your decision to upgrade to OS X Lion, or is this just a marginal problem affecting a few fringe customers?

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  • A freelance starter bundle for the thrifty Mac contractor

    If you’re just getting started out as a freelancer, the sheer volume of advice out there about what software to pick up can be intimidating. Luckily, there’s a new Mac  software bundle that actually acts as a really good one-stop shopping solution for new freelancers.

    Here are the eight apps contained in the bundle, which is available for just $50 for another 9 days:

    • 1Password: One possible cure for all the rampant hacking of major sites and services going around is keeping incredibly complex, different passwords for each of your online accounts. But that’s almost impossible to remember. So use 1Password, which lets you store hundreds of distinct logins in one place. Just make sure the master password and PIN you choose to keep all that info safe is solid. 1Password is also great because it plugs into iOS apps to sync your login data across devices.
    • Billings: Time-based billing is a chore that no freelancer enjoys, but apps like Billings at least make it easier than if you’re doing it using templates in Word, for instance. Billings has awesome time tracking tools that integrate into your Mac menu bar or can be operated with hot keys, and an iPhone app that syncs info with the Mac version.
    • TextExpander: Thanks to keystroke shortcuts, customizable abbreviations and one-click coding shortcuts, this is the text editing tool that becomes the default mail composer, form-filler and report preparation tool for many a Mac freelancer.
    • LittleSnapper: Take screenshots, send clients design samples, and save website effects that you want to recreate yourself. If you’re building a design inspiration scrapbook, you no longer have to depend on scissors and magazines. Annotations and tags make keeping your screenshot connection organized and highly searchable.
    • WriteRoom: Distraction-free writing is a bit of a trend, and freelancers who do a lot of writing appreciate the benefit of being able to shut out the many demands for attention that a computer brings with it. WriteRoom is a solid distraction-free writing client that’s been around for a while, and you can sync with an iPhone client, too.
    • Radium: Some people can work without a background soundtrack, but I am not one of those people. You might have jumped to something like Pandora, or the hot new kid on the block, turntable.fm, but if you prefer the set-it-and-forget-it ease of internet radio, Radium is a good OS X front-end with a huge database of available stations.
    • Arq: Backing up your data is key when you’re a freelancer, because no one but you will be responsible for preserving your documents in most cases. Arq is an OS X client that plugs into Amazon S3 cloud storage (which you have to sign up for separately) to keep your offsite backup needs taken care of.
    • Alarms: This is a small utility that mostly resides in the OS X menu bar, syncs with iCal and can remind you about just about anything you need to do during the day. It offers drag-and-drop simplicity, so drag URLs from your browser or a file you need to work on from the finder, or just about anything else to bring up the reminder creation screen.

    The total cost of all these apps taken alone is somewhere around $300, so if you’re a new (or experienced) freelancer looking to pick up a complete toolbox without straining your gray matter or your wallet, this is definitely a no-brainer.

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  • Free calling and texting apps face a triple threat to long-term viability

    The list of apps that offer free texting and voice services on iOSdevices grows longer every day. Viber is one, as is Vumber, which now provides cross-platform Androidand iOS calling. These apps have a noble goal: provide users with an alternative to managing costly voice and text plans from carriers in addition to the data plans they must have in order to take advantage of everything smartphones have to offer. But they also come with a big downside; these apps are only as strong as their network of users, (since in most cases, free calling only happens between users who have the same app installed on their device), and as the data network that allows them to exist.

    Apps like Vumber, Viber, WhatsApp Messenger and even, to some extent, Skype depend on users getting others to sign up, so that they can take advantage of the cheap or free rates. Research In Motion’s BBM works on roughly the same concept, as does the recently announced iMessage, although since both are pre-installed on specific hardware, their reach will be much greater initially than third-party offerings.

    While I applaud any efforts to provide competitive alternatives to overpriced carrier talk and text plans, I think that the network flaw for this kind of startup will eventually turn out to be a fatal one. For example, Google already offers a much more flexible option via its Google Voice service, and one that is compatible with landlines and traditional cell phones out of the box. If Google Voice ever does expand worldwide, it’ll take a big dent out of potential demand for smaller VoIP offerings.

    And while Google Voice is a looming threat because it doesn’t just work with itself, there’s another potential industry-breaker that already has the network part down, and just needs to expand its communications platform. I’m talking about Facebook, which, if it gained cross-platform voice support, would quite quickly rise to the top of the VoIP field.

    Finally, carriers aren’t likely to take the circumvention of their services lying down. Already, we’ve seen capped bandwidth plans pretty much take over mobile broadband, and some carriers have even prohibited the use of VoIP services over their data networks.With Google and Facebook stalking the seas of free mobile communications, and carriers doing what they can to either discourage the practice or  I’m not sure I’d be too eager to swim with anyone else.

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  • How to take the extra step to secure your iPad's data

    When you establish a secure passcode on your iPad, the expectation is that no one can access any information without knowing said code.  There are cases where this is not necessarily true. In fact, any user account on the Mac that you use to sync your iPad can fully access all of the data stored on your iPad without knowing the passcode, including the Guest account.

    iPad passcode configuration

    Even though it isn’t 100 percent foolproof, securing your iPad with a passcode is a good first step for security. On my iPad 2, I configured security to use the longer alphanumeric passcode, and I make sure that it will lock the iPad immediately when the cover is closed by doing the following:

    1. Open Preferences and navigate to the General settings.
    2. Set Auto-Lock to 2 minutes.
    3. Turn the Passcode on and set Require Passcode to “Immediately.”
    4. Turn the Simple Passcode off.
    5. Turn Erase Data On to wipe the iPad after 10 failed logon attempts.

    After you sync your passcode protected iPad with your Mac, you should notice that any user account on that Mac can still access the data on your iPad using any of the following methods. Attach that same iPad to any other Mac that has not accessed any data on that iPad in the past, and you will get an error indicating that the device is protected with a passcode.

    Protecting your data in the real world

    You may be surprised at how easy it is to access your iPad’s information even after you’ve set up a passcode when it’s connected to a Mac.  If you really don’t want others to have access to your information, there isn’t much you can do short of setting a hands-off policy. You may want to sync your iPad to a dedicated Mac which only you have access to. Anyone with access to both your iPad and the Mac it syncs with can see all of your data. You can avoid potential theft worries by keeping the iPad and Mac in separate cases, and by disabling the guest account on your Mac so that a user has to know your passcode to login.

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  • App discovery is a zero-sum game

    How do you find new apps to download for your devices? Many developers seem to be banking on the fact that users are willing to turn to apps to find other apps. A recent rash of app discovery tools available for iOS devices (including one out of left field from Yahoo) definitely identifies a problem, but I’m not sure it provides any real lasting solutions.

    Last week, Kevin covered the new Yahoo app discovery tool. He found that it worked only as well as (or worse) than the App Store itself, and while it might appeal to Android users because the Google marketplace is a little more discovery-challenged, it seems like a longshot for wide-ranging iOS user adoption.

    Yahoo isn’t the first to attempt to navigate app discovery, and it won’t be the last. Appsfire has attracted users and investment based on its ability to recommend apps based on a user’s interests. Chomp and Quixey, and Zwapp are three other solutions we’ve talked about at GigaOM in the past. Discovr Apps, from the makers of Discovr Music, recently garnered a lot of press and success on the iTunes charts by offering what the company calls a “Pandora for apps,” which provides recommendations based on connections and similarities between apps and presents them as visual networks using app icons. Explor (vowels and discovery don’t mix, apparently) is another recent entrant, described by its developer as “Netflix for apps,” which stems from a machine learning Y-Combinator startup and has managed to raise 1.2 million to date.

    All of these offerings take a slightly different approach to app discovery, and I won’t deny that the tech behind each is interesting. But in terms of providing something markedly better than the App Store’s own discovery tools, including search, charts and the Genius recommendation feature, I’m not blown away by any. I noted in an article a while ago that a tech demo built by Hunch was one of the better recommendation tools I’d come across for iOS software, and I stand by that. But even then, I’m not firing up the Hunch engine whenever I feel like buying an app.

    Have I found apps using app discovery tools? Yes, but generally not more than one or two, and then these apps join the long list of those that either get deleted or moved to a seldom-checked folder, simply because its much easier to use the App Store itself, and any benefit that other services might offer is outweighed by inconvenience. Especially since Apple seems to be committed to improving the discoverability of its growing library of apps through measures like rejiggered chart rankings.

    App discovery has potential, since a library that’s 400,000 strong is ripe for intelligent sifting, but to really have a noteworthy and lasting impact in this space, developers have to fight against the natural instincts of consumers to just go with what’s easiest. And in order to do that, they have to present us with an option that dramatically changes the game. Do you think anyone’s already there yet, and do you consistently use any app discovery tool besides the ones built-in to the stores themselves?

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  • Is this summer the real debutante ball for Thunderbolt?

    Thunderbolt, Intel’s new high speed data transfer tech, has arrived, but it’s been on the market now since February, and we’ve heard a lot of noise, but have yet to see it really do much in the way of changing how we use our Macs. Signs indicate that this summer could be the time we do see that happen.

    A new report from CNET claims that Apple will be upgrading its Mac Pro and Mac mini computers with the new high-speed I/O Thunderbolt port, and with Sandy Bridge processors. Similar upgrades have already been launched for the MacBook Pro and iMac lines, and one is rumored to be in the works for the MacBook Air, too. If these reports are accurate, all updates are expected to arrive by the end of summer at the latest, which would make Thunderbolt nearly ubiquitous on new Macs, with the exception of the basic MacBook.

    Thunderbolt has lots of promise, but there’s a problem: there aren’t really any peripherals out there that use it yet. Apple seems poised to fix that, however, as a recent report by MacRumors suggests that we’ll see a host of Thunderbolt peripherals arrive alongside Apple’s Final Cut Pro X video editing application sometime this week. Apple could well use Final Cut Pro to jumpstart Thunderbolt by showing video pros just how much faster their workflows could be with super high speed data transfers.

    But pro Thunderbolt hardware and peripherals with mass market appeal are two very different things. Cost will be a factor with the first wave of Thunderbolt hardware, but if Apple is aiming to have Thunderbolt present across its Mac lineup by summer’s end, I’d argue that we’ll see the first line of peripherals aimed at the average user by fall, too. Count on early entrants to consist mainly of adapters for use with older, more established tech. Adapters have the advantage of being cheap, and working with kit that buyers already have.

    Thunderbolt can easily be adapted to work with other high-speed technologies like USB 3.0, and eSATA. Not only that, but it should be easy to make hubs that include these technologies along with older standards like FireWire and USB for docking solutions that truly cover all the bases. Adapters will make Thunderbolt a boon to consumers and accessory-makers alike long before dedicated Thunderbolt devices make the move from professional to consumer levels of affordability.

    The real ‘headline’ updates of recent Macs have been Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt. Improved processors is a great addition, but Thunderbolt is the new feature that’s easier for most consumers to grasp. If Apple does get it on all shipping Macs by the end of the summer, we’ll see an accompanying tidal wave of third-party accessories that should help Thunderbolt prove its usefulness by the time fall rolls around.

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Блог о мелкой бытовой технике для кухни

Техника — дело не женское. А что если она создана для нас и призвана помогать нам, а мы в ней все равно ничего не смыслим? Выход есть! В этом блоге я буду публиковать статьи, которые помогут дамам чувствовать себя увереннее на собственной кухне.
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