Friday, August 10, 2007

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) (13 сообщений)

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  • Apple introduces My iTunes Widgets

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    Everyone is going bonkers about social networking sites, the kids they like 'em. Apple, not being foolish, hopes to cash in on that trend with My iTunes Widgets. My iTunes Widgets are 3 widgets that you can embed into a website (Apple suggests your blog, or your social networking site profile) which will display either your most recent iTunes purchases, your favorite iTunes artists (based on how much of their stuff you have purchased), or your iTunes reviews.

    You have to enable My iTunes widgets via your profile in the iTunes Store. Once enabled you are whisked to a webpage to design your widget (within limits) and get the code which you then paste into your website. No muss, no fuss.

    [via Mac Rumors]

    Update: I forgot to add that the widgets use Flash, so they won't work on the iPhone (whoops!), and these seem like they were made with iWeb '08's new Web Widget feature.
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  • Apple posts two new iPhone ads

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    Thanks to TUAW readers participating in tonight's TUAW TalkShoe chatcast, we found out about two new iPhone ads Apple has posted to their site. Both ads bring a new perspective to the iPod's appeal, focusing on how much it allows you to carry - or stop carrying - in your pocket. The first, titled Instead, informs viewers that they can simply carry an iPod in their phone, instead of an iPod and their phone. The second ad, titled Amazing, expands on the idea of how much you can carry: your favorite music, all your email, today's newspaper and - of course - a phone. The ads are both well done and, I think, speak a bit more clearly to the potential of owning an iPhone. Having all that stuff in one sexy little device that effortlessly syncs with one app is indeed a wonderful thing, and I bet these new ads might strike a stronger chord with consumers still on the fence about buying one to replace their other gadgets.
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  • Universal to sell DRM free songs, but not on iTunes

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    It is safe to say that most folks aren't big fans of DRM, though Apple's flavor of DRM (FairPlay) is flexible enough that most will never run afoul of it. You might remember Steve's letter to the music industry in which he extolled the virtues of DRM free music. EMI has been the only major record label to adopt this DRM free stance, and much of its catalog is available via iTunes Plus for $1.29 a song (you can still get the DRMed versions for $.99). EMI is about to have some company in the DRM free music biz, pretty soon.

    The New York Times is reporting that the Universal Music Group is going to be selling part of its catalog sans DRM for the next few months to gauge consumer interest. This is great, but the only catch is that these DRM free songs won't be available via iTunes. Universal, in an effort to lessen Apple's dominance of the digital music market, will be offering up the DRM free music via Amazon, Google, RealNetworks, and Wal-Mart for $.99 a song (a price many accredit Apple to pioneering).

    You might recall that Universal recently decided not to renew their contract with Apple to sell music in iTunes, and switched their commitment to a month by month basis. What does all this mean? I am betting that this experiment will succeed, and that Universal will reverse their decision and sell DRM free tracks via iTunes, why not sell your wares on the top online music store?
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  • MacBook Pro Software Update 1.1

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    Apple is pumping out updates at a furious rate as of late. The latest update from Cupertino is the MacBook Pro Software Update 1.1 which 'provides important bug fixes and improves stability with Motion 2 and Motion 3. It is recommended for all 2.2/2.4GHz MacBook Pro models.'

    Many readers wrote in and reported that Motion 2 and 3 were unusable on their MacBook Pros after the recent Pro App update, here's hoping this fixes that issue.
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  • TUAW Exclusive: Pixelmator in-depth screencast

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    Back in May we scored a short intro screencast of Pixelmator, an upcoming image editor that looks to give Photoshop a run for its money. Incorporating open source software and some of the great image tools that Apple provides to developers in Mac OS X, Pixelmator looks like it could very well bridge that massive gap between powerful editors like Photoshop that operate in their own realm and all the handy toys in your Mac, like the iPhoto media browser and iSight camera.

    Unfortunately, Pixelmator got delayed a bit (hey, it's software, it happens), and according to the development blog, a private beta is scheduled to begin August 16th. Since we all have to wait a bit longer to see more of Pixelmator, we figured it was about time to score another exclusive video of Pixelmator in action - and score we have! Embedded in this post is a three minute Pixelmator demo screencast that covers a lot more features in action than we've ever seen before. Selection tools, a unique gradient tool, text, transformation, adding layers and moving images from one document to another, the photo browser that allows access to your iPhoto library, snapping a pic from iSight, color correction and some wild, wild filters and effects - all in this video that even WWDC attendees didn't see! If you've been waiting to see some more meat of what Pixelmator will be capable of, you owe it to yourself to press play above.

    Needless to say, I'm pretty darn excited for Pixelmator, especially since it'll only cost $59 once released, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy for review as soon as the team is ready.
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  • Reminder: TUAW talkcast tonight at 9:30 pm ET

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    Has there been any Apple news over the past couple of days? A few product announcements, perhaps? Well, we want to make sure your questions are answered, so c'mon down tonight and join us for our live talkcast: 9:30 pm ET via the Talkshoe network.

    We'll be gabbing about all the new products (iMac, iLife, iWork, keyboards, .Mac, maybe even the Mac Pro RAID kit and the Mini speed bump) with yours truly and the usual gang of tough characters: David Chartier, Scott McNulty and Chris Ullrich. Get signed up for Talkcast to participate in the fun, or download the podcast version tomorrow.
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  • Shall we play a game?

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    defcon_gameplayEarlier today, Ambrosia Software released an update to DEFCON, the online, global thermonuclear war simulator (we first posted about DEFCON in April). It's quite fun - think of a high-tech game of "Risk." You must defend your territory and conquer even more. Changes to version 1.4.3 include:
    • Improvements when creating games on a LAN
    • Other game play bugs squashed
    Defon costs $25US, is universal and requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later. A free demo is available for download.

    [Via MacMinute]

    *I'd like to note that I got the quote in the title correct this time. Thanks, adam.
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  • Rumor: iTunes UK to promote Channel 4 video content

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    Following up to this morning's post, a blue and green birdie has chirped some interesting news into our ears: Could the Channel 4's video-on-demand service soon make a bow at the iTunes UK store? Currently a Windows-only offering, an iTunes-based 4OD service may soon launch with an initial 180 hours of programming. If so, this is fantastic news for UK Mac users who can not otherwise use the service.

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  • Games coming to iPhone?

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    In response to the rumor of videos in to the iTunes UK store, our friends at Download Squad did a little poking around and found something else that might be imminent: games for the iPhone. (Official ones, that is-- there are already quite a few for the iPhone)

    Inside the iTunes localisation strings, is the following sequence:

    /* ===== iPhone Game Item Strings ===== */
    "4329.001" = "Are you sure you want to remove the selected game from your iPhone?";
    "4329.002" = "Are you sure you want to remove the selected games from your iPhone?";

    This basically confirms that Apple is bringing games to the iPhone. The only question, however, is: Which games? Are we going to get more Sims Bowling (ugh), or will Apple's new friends at id actually hook them up with something cool?

    I'll leave it at this: if Apple can get Doom on the iPhone faster than the hackers can, I'll finally cave in and pick one up. Of course, that's a win-win proposition-- no matter what happens, iPhone-owners will be playing Doom. But if Apple wants my money, I want some games worth playing in return.
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  • Apple sites worldwide gain the new metal look

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    We're receiving reports that Apple sites around the world have been updated to the new 'metal look' that the US site received last June at the start of WWDC '07. Since I live in the US, I'm less familiar with Apple's international sites. However, TUAW reader Graham points out apple.com/nz/ which sports the new look. I've found that the sites listed in the international popup at the bottom of apple.com have been updated as well.

    Anyone out there still on the previous design? Let us know.
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  • The 99 cent iPhone (and the $99 Nano)

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    Wanna buy an iPhone for 99 cents? You probably missed your chance. Apparently 99 Cent Only stores in California are having a big 25th anniversary party, and this morning, at their store in Westchester, CA, they sold 9 iPhones to the first 9 customers for only 99 cents each.

    That can't quite be legal, considering that Apple and AT&T have paid a lot of money to make sure you get the iPhone from them, but of course it's just a fun contest to promote the store's anniversary. Unfortunately, if you missed your chance this morning, the prizes go downhill fast-- a Friends VHS set and cordless powered scissors are among the options for Friday. Wait a minute, "cordless powered scissors"? That sounds pretty cool, actually.

    Of course, the 99 cent store isn't the only place you can find good deals-- Adam dropped us a heads up that Nanos are being sold in Apple's refurbished store for only 99... ok, well, dollars. But a 2gb Nano for 99 bucks is as cheap as you'll find it.

    Thanks, Matt and Adam!
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  • Airport Extreme not using Gigabit speeds?

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    Along with all the other updates in the Apple Store on Tuesday, Airport Extreme got a nice one-- according to the specs on the page, they're now offering Gigabit ethernet speeds. Or are they? ComputerWiz went out and grabbed two of them right away, but no matter what he tried to do, he couldn't get the base station to move past 100Mb speeds.

    There could be a number of things happening here-- I don't have the knowhow to judge whether they did everything they could or not, but the attempt seems reasonable to me, and if you have to mess with settings that much on an Apple product, something is wrong. They also say that Apple had to go into the back room to get the Airport Extreme, so it's conceivable that they grabbed the wrong one-- except that CW claims the box itself said Gigabit.

    So something is screwy here-- is it possible that Apple shipped Gigabit Airport Extremes that weren't actually Gigabit?

    Update: Looks like it was just a faulty unit, as CW updated, and apparently the second unit worked fine. Anyone else having problems with theirs?

    Thanks, David!
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  • Unboxing the new iMac

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    Hard to believe you could run a whole video site just by posting vids of people unboxing new gadgets, but I'll be darned if the guys at Unboxing haven't gone and done it-- their latest video shows off the new iMac, and I have to say (a little ashamedly) that I was glued to my screen the whole time. I don't know if opening up something Apple didn't make would have the same effect, but going through that box piece by piece, with all the little custom packaging and that incredible keyboard... "vicarious thrills" indeed!

    Every time I crack open an Apple product, I'm always thrilled with all the little touches, and this time is no exception-- I love the two booklets, labeled "Everything Mac" and "Everything else," as if Mac was its own universe, and the way the iMac itself is nestled in the box and packaging just feels so perfect. It is disappointing that the Apple Remote doesn't stick to the side any more, however-- it's hard to believe Jobs would consciously choose not to put the little magnet in there, so maybe someone in Cupertino is facepalming when they realize they forgot it.

    Update: Engadget also has a nice unboxing gallery up, including a few good hands-on notes about the keyboard.

    Thanks, Andru!
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