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Scrabble, Mini Golf come to iPod family
Filed under: Gaming, Hardware, iPod Family

Today Apple announced a new Scrabble iPod game and updated the Mini Golf game, both released by EA games. Mini Golf was one of the first iPod games, originally released in 2006, which allows you to "putt" through many different mini golf-like levels. Scrabble allows you to play a crossword-style game of creating words from the letters on a 15x15 game board.

Both games are available for iPod Classic, iPod nano, and iPod with video (5th generation). You can download them from the iTunes store for $4.99.

[via iLounge]
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Enjoy gestures across applications with MultiClutch
Filed under: Software, Beta Beat
The multi-touch feature that's been added to the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air is pretty cool, but rather limited (for now, at least). Wouldn't it be cool to have gestures across applications, like Safari and iChat?

Check out MultiClutch. It's a preference pane that lets you assign your own keyboard shortcuts to a given gesture across applications. Switch Safari tabs with a flick. Zoom in on email with a pinch. That kind of thing.

MultiClutch lets you bind gestures to a Cocoa app, including swipe, zoom and rotate. If you want to test this out, understand that it's beta. With that in mind, have fun!
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Apple hits the gym
Filed under: Accessories, iPod Family
Apple and Nike are about to extend their partnership all the way to the gym.

A few years ago, Apple and Nike announced the Nike+ line of products, including workout clothing designed to accommodate an iPod nano. The main product is a small chip which, when placed inside a sneaker, transmits workout data to a receiver on the user's iPod. That data is then transmitted to a special Nike website to chart progress towards goals, etc.

This week, the two companies announced their collaboration on gym equipment that will do the same thing. When connected to an iPod (how is not clear), it will record information on the user's workout which can later be uploaded to the Nike website.

Sounds pretty interesting. All you've got to do now is convince your gym to buy all new equipment.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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Quay 1.1b3 offers nice changes
Filed under: Software
We first wrote about Quay in November. It extends the Leopard dock in a number of very useful ways. For instance, it will pop up on both sides of the dock (Apple only permits this on the right), and even displays software version numbers plus memory and CPU stats on running applications. It's super handy.

Changes to version 1.1b3 include
- Option-command-clicking on a running app displays application stats
- Shift-command-click opens the contents in the Finder
- It works properly with FileVault
- The help menu can be printed
Quay requires Mac OS 10.5 (10.5.2 is recommended) and costs €7 (around $10US - give or take). Note that only two Quay items will work on an unregistered copy.

[Via Twitter]
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iTunes: Free Tuesday
Filed under: iTS, Features, Deals

Once again, TUAW is pleased to present you with a selection of free songs and videos from around the world. Many of these iTMS items won't be free for long, so grab your copies before the week is up. And don't forget: If you want to buy these on your iPhone or iPod touch, make sure to sign into your account in iTunes before you sync.
Continue reading iTunes: Free Tuesday
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ExpanDrive: transparent remote file access
Filed under: Software, Cool tools
I just got finished putting ExpanDrive by Magnetk through its paces. In fact, I've been using it all morning and I'm duly impressed. It's an application that allows you to mount SFTP filesystems as local drives. I've used other MacFUSE-based systems in the past and I'm pleasantly surprised to find that ExpanDrive is more responsive and provides nearly seamless transparent access to my remote SFTP servers.
Aside from creating .DS_Store files on my remote volumes, it's a very fluid way to access remote files. It works with Subversion (and other versioning schemes, I assume), allowing apps like TextMate with support for Subversion to work as though you had the repository set up locally. TextMate creator Allan Odgaard even offers his endorsement. And it has great connection recovery that even allows you to take a laptop to another network and never notice a change in the status of the mounted servers. With labeling, Spotlight comments and full transparency, workflow integration is about as easy as my (possibly limited) imagination can fathom.

ExpanDrive has an introductory price of $29, with a demo available.

[via Daring Fireball]
Update: I'm told by the developers that the .DS_Store issue has been cured. That and several UI improvements will be available in the next version, scheduled for release by tomorrow.
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Blame the studios for iTunes movie delays
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, iTunes
As Macworld has reported, Apple has failed to meet their target of 1000 standard definition rentals and 100 HD rentals, that they claimed would be available by the end of February. While the number of HD titles available via Apple TV is pretty close to the promised figure, 91 according to Macworld, not all of these films offer DD 5.1, which was one of the hyped HD features.

As for regular rentals, by Macworld's calculations, around 400 titles are available (my own calculations show 417), which isn't a substantial increase from my own calculations back in January. The total number of available films, for rent or purchase, available via iTunes is teetering around 800 by my calculations. Clearly, this is well short of 1000 titles.

So the question becomes, why is there a delay? Some of the editorials that have appeared online seem to take the position that Apple failed to meet predictions in part because of delays with the Apple TV software. While I could see how that might affect the number of available HD titles (and remember, HD titles are much closer to meeting expectations than regular rentals), this just seems too convenient.

It has also been inevitable that parallels be drawn between the number of available movie rentals and the delays with the iPhone SDK, as if there is some sort of pattern in Apple not meeting expectations. To me, this makes absolutely no sense. As far as I can tell (and granted, I'm no expert), the iPhone SDK is wholly unrelated to iTunes and the iTunes rentals. The fact that both systems have had logistical problems with roll out is unfortunate, but I can't see how they are either related or indicative of a trend.

So what's the real story? While I doubt we will ever get a definitive answer, I think Ars Technica has the most plausible theory: licensing issues with the movie studios. It's no secret that the studios have been reticent to fully embrace digital distribution. Personally, I think the fear that digital rental sales could cannibalize home video sales is understandable. Home video attributes for a huge amount of the studios return on investment and embracing one model at the risk of another must be scary.

Plus, it is clear that Apple had to cede to the studio demands just to get the rental agreements in the first place. True, all the major studios are represented, but certain production companies still have the right to refuse to appear on iTunes. Apple also conceded to flexible pricing and a 30-day exclusive DVD window (if the studio chooses to invoke it). Apple does not possess the power they have in music sales in the video space, as such, I find it more than plausible to believe that they are more at the studio's mercy for when films will be available and on what terms.

Undoubtedly a large library was one of the keys to iTunes' success in music. It is crucial that Apple achieve something similar if they want rentals to succeed. It's easy to blame Apple for dropping the ball, but in this case, I really think this is something that is out of their control.

[via Ars]
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The Apple Store is... up? Isn't it Tuesday?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Cult of Mac, Odds and ends, Apple

Walk back with me through the nostalgia of the past two months:
2008 has been updaterriffic for Apple, every Tuesday like clockwork. So what about today? The store is up, and nothing new has dropped. Maybe this Thursday's special event counts for the week -- or maybe we've been deluding ourselves about the longevity of Apple's run of Super Tuesdays. Tell us what you think in the comments.
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Resolved: Arguments for additional rental time aren't realistic
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, iTunes, Apple TV
In the second half of our iTunes movie rental debate, Christina takes the "Con" position on extended-duration rentals, and in the process will probably draw ire from all the parents out there.

Let me start by saying that I'm not opposed to a rental extension period. As a single, non-breeder with no plans to join the Momfia, I'm not immune to things happening that interrupt my 24-hour viewing window for a movie; that's life. Let me also say that I completely sympathize with the struggle that juggling kids and a job must entail and I appreciate that finding uninterrupted time to enjoy a movie can be difficult.

But while I would gladly welcome the opportunity to add a few hours onto the rental time (or another day), I have a small problem with the basic argument that it is impossible for parents (or anyone for that matter) to find the time to watch a movie within a limited time frame. These arguments strike me as pretty unrealistic for what will happen 95% of the time and while I have no problem criticizing Apple's rental model on a number of levels, the rental duration is not one of them. In fact, I would argue that the options we have now are significantly better than they have ever been in the past.

More than twenty years ago, my parents were able to rent videos and watch them in the 24 hour window (and this was when video rentals were, with inflation, probably $10 a night and the late fees were insane -- often far more than just renting a title for another day) without a problem. In the early 1990s, when Pay-Per-View was all the rage, people were able to adjust to sitting down and watching a movie, despite the fact that flexible start times didn't exist until the late 1990s (meaning that if you ordered the movie at two minutes past the start time, the movie started two minutes in, and in the OLD school days, you couldn't even order from the cable box, you had to call an automated number, which could delay the time it took for the film to arrive on your box). Plus, there was no option to pause or rewind a movie on the fly. If Little Johnny needed a drink of water, your recourse was to either record the movie on your VCR (but you would still have to wait for the entire movie to finish recording before you could rewind) or you would wind up renting "Cliffhanger" four times in one month at $5.99 a pop (which my own family did do, not because of bedtime hijinx but because we were really bad about telling one another when we were renting something).

Again, I appreciate that finding time to watch something can be difficult for parents, but I find it hard to believe that the behavior of even young children has devolved the level that stealing some time to watch a movie is impossible. And really, if you can't find 24 hours to rent a movie, either consider buying it for $10 or rent the DVD from Netflix. If an emergency does come up, well, spending another $3 or $4 isn't the end of the world. It's less than half the price of one movie ticket.

I hardly see why Apple (or any company) should have to answer for parents' inability to get their kids to stay in bed. Do things come up? Absolutely, but that goes for everyone -- not just parents -- but the idea that there is absolutely no way a movie can be viewed within 24 hours because your kids have such erratic bedtime issues seems to be a problem the family might want to address, not Apple.
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Resolved: iTunes movie rentals should offer an extended-time option
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, iTunes, Apple TV
In the first half of our iTunes movie rental debate, Mike stakes out the "Pro" position on extended-duration rentals with an appeal on behalf of tired, stressed parents everywhere.

Let me just say it: there is a perfect market for iTunes movie rentals. It's the same market that Netflix or VOD sales addresses, the same audience that prefers (or is limited to) staying at home rather than a night out at the movies. You know who we are -- the stroller patrol, the breeder bastion, the Momfia... the parents. We crave entertainment, and we're willing to pay for it, but our evenings are squeezed to the point of nonexistence. By the time the offspring are fed and watered, tucked away in their beds, we might only have an hour or two's worth of 'we' time to enjoy a feature film. If someone wakes up and needs 15 minutes of settling back to bed, well, forget it. With the 24-hour watch time limitation on iTunes movies, tomorrow night, when we might have another chance to view our movie, it's too late.

Thus, opinionated folk such as David Pogue, Rob Griffiths, Glenn Fleishman, and our reader Marshall (his open letter to Apple is reproduced at the end of this post) all concur that some form of extension past the 24-hour limit makes great sense to parents and great sense to Apple's rental market. I join my voice to theirs, and offer this modest proposal: Add a $0.50 surcharge for a 6-hour extension, or $1 for a 12-hour bump. Make the extra time optional -- you'd still have to decide and pay for it at rental time, not add it on after renting the movie, as the DRM challenges of a shifting finish line + multiple playback devices are probably too much to handle. I bet that parents of young kids, or families with variable evening schedules, would fork over the extra spare change to extend their rental times, and let's remember that those couple of quarters are pure profit (it costs the same in encoding and bandwidth for a 36-hour movie to download as for a 24-hour movie). I'd gladly take the extra time for free, but if you've got to add a modest surcharge I'll swallow my pride.

Give me a 36-hour rental and I promise this: I will buy an Apple TV and I will start renting movies on it. That's $225, cash on the barrel, plus what I'll spend on the flicks. Who's with me?
Continue reading Resolved: iTunes movie rentals should offer an extended-time option
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Entourage Email Archiver, Emailchemy updated for Entourage 2008
Filed under: Software
Archiving your Entourage mail is a chore that varies in ease and effectiveness, depending on how much time and tweaking energy you're willing to put into it. You can drag messages to Finder folders to export them, or pull out entire folders as MBOX files; you can also export folder sets to Entourage's ~~proprietary~~ idiosyncratic RGE format... neither particularly appealing. You can streamline this process with Paul Berkowitz' multifaceted Import/Export Entourage script, but it's still a pain.

For an easy, one-step archiving option in Entourage, your best bet is Entourage Email Archiver X (EEAX), just updated to version 4 -- now Leopard and Entourage 2008-only, with v3.6.1 still available for Tiger/2004 users. Along with the companion Entourage Email Optimizer product that Scott mentioned last week, EEAX can streamline your archiving to six different target formats. You get Spotlight-searchable archives, a FileMaker template for database storage, and .eml native-format messages in case you need to bring things back to the mothership. A single-user license of EEAX is $30, and upgrades to v4 for existing users are $10.

If you've got scores, hundreds or thousands of mail accounts to archive, or you're converting from one mail format to another (say, from Outlook Express to Entourage), that's a job for an industrial-strength email exporting and conversion tool. You might want to check out Emailchemy, which has a pretty good track record; it's the only tool I know that can go directly from Outlook 2003 PST files to Entourage RGE archives. The latest version supports Entourage 2008 and includes a Google Apps migration tool as well. Emailchemy is $28 for a single-user license.
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Widget Watch: Digg.com widget 1.1
Filed under: Widget Watch

If you are addicted to Digg like we are, then the Digg.com widget from Hasan Alayli might be just right for you. This very simple Dashboard widget allows you to quickly browse the most dugg stories on Digg. On the creator's website, he says that it is developed using the Digg API and the AJAXSLT javascript library.

Digg.com widget is available as freeware from the creator's website or from the Dashboard widget section of Apple's website.
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Talkcast 32 now online
Sunday night's talkcast was a delightful discussion, as we were joined by the personable and knowledgeable duo of Craig Hockenberry and Gedeon Maheux from Iconfactory. Ged and Craig gave us the lowdown on the history of the company, the origins of Twitterrific (it's amazing what inspiration comes to you in the shower), the coevolution of Twitter with the now-dominant Mac client, and the promise of the upcoming iPhone development explosion.

We even gave away a few copies of Frenzic to our lucky listeners, courtesy of our guests. Great questions and contributions from Brett, Christina, Dave, Cory, and last-minute contributor Erica rounded out an extra-long (1:15!) show. Download direct, listen in your browser or subscribe to the TalkShoe feed in iTunes.

Join us again on Sunday night for our next live show, 10 pm ET, where we'll be reviewing Thursday's press event and the upcoming roadmap for iPhone development. Assuming that UPS gets its act together, I should be able to offer some impressions of the new MacBook Pro as well.
Continue reading Talkcast 32 now online
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Mac OS X password recoverable from RAM?
Filed under: OS, Bad Apple
In a recent post over at Ars Technica, they say that Mac OS X users could have their login passwords recovered through physically accessing the RAM. This comes after FileVault was proven to be cracked. The article notes that Mac OS X and certain applications store the user's password in memory, leaving it there after you've logged in. While locally-running apps cannot readily retrieve the password, someone could get access to the contents of RAM after the computer has been rebooted or shut down.

This could be accomplished by physical means and might require the hacker to remove the RAM cover on your Mac and chill the RAM, as suggested by Edward Felten's research team at Princeton. This freezing allows the information to stay on the RAM for longer than the normal 2.5 to 35 seconds -- allowing someone to place it in another computer and read the contents.

In a separate approach to the password-in-RAM vulnerability, CNET witnessed an EFF demo of an attack using a custom NetBoot "EFI memory scraper" to record the RAM contents on reboot and save the data as a file on another machine over the network -- the attackers were able to clearly find the login password in the file. Again, this attack requires physical access to the machine (in order to force the NetBoot via holding down the N key on restart) within a minute or two of shutdown. However, an attacker could conceivably target a machine that was locked or sleeping (with RAM contents 'live'), power it off and back on, and use the NetBoot attack immediately.

While Apple has been made aware of the attack (notified on February 5), no fixes for these issues were reported in the 2/11 security update. According to CNET, an Apple spokesperson said they were aware of the issues and were "working to fix it in an upcoming software update." Until this update comes out, you may want to set a firmware password for your Mac, or wait longer to leave your unattended Mac after a shut down. Alternatively, we have lovely TUAW-branded tin foil hats available for purchase.

[via Ars Technica]
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Check MacBook Air availability
Filed under: Apple, MacBook Air

Sure, the MacBook Air is a niche product, but it seems to be a darned popular niche product. The folks who are most interested in the MacBook Air are the kind that obsessively track the availability of their latest gadget crush, and now Apple has made that much easier for those jonesing for a little MacBook Air action.

Just load up the MacBook Air Availability page and find out if there are any in an Apple Store near you. As you can see above, my local Apple Store in Ardmore has some MacBook Airs in stock (sadly, the webpage doesn't list how many MacBooks are available, though it does point out that they are available on a first come, first served basis).

You might recall that Apple posted a similar page to track the availability of the iPhone.
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Chris Forsythe retires from Adium project
Filed under: Software, Cult of Mac, Freeware, Developer
According to a recent post over at the Adium blog, Chris Forsythe, the lead project manager, has decided to say goodbye after 3 years in that position with the Adium project. According to the post, Chris managed the Adium website, support network, and forum.

Eric Richie, another member of the Adium team, volunteered for the new position. In the past, Eric wrote the in-application help for Adium and maintains the Adium TicketTaskForce.

Chris is involved with some of the best applications on the Mac, a sampling of them: Growl, Perian, and Saltatory. We at TUAW wish Chris the best of luck in the future!

Thanks Chris!
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GarageBand 4.1.2 now out
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Odds and ends, Software Update
Podcasters, wannabe music stars, and GarageBand dabblers of all ages -- it's that time again for Apple has released an update to your beloved application (bumping it to version 4.1.2). It goes without saying that this wouldn't be an Apple consumer-software update without a simple one-sentence release note (Aperture 2.0.1's release notes are somewhat more substantial), so if you're wondering what's been fixed:

"This update improves overall stability and addresses issues with the automation of software instrument parameters, FireWire and USB based audio devices and Magic GarageBand."

The update is available through Software Update or through Apple's Download Site, weighing in at just over 19MB. Rock on!
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Aperture 2.0.1 hits Software Update
Filed under: Software, Software Update
Here at TUAW, we've been greatly enjoying the latest version of Aperture, which hit earlier in the year. With a few minor bugs slipping under the radar, the experience has not been entirely annoyance-free, and today Apple has released Aperture 2.0.1 update. Areas receiving treatment include:
- Library upgrading from previous versions
- .Mac Web Galleries
- AppleScript support
- 'Export Plugin API reliability' - presumably to fix issues with Export Plugin statuses not being showed in the Activity Window (much to the chagrin of third-party developers)
- and lots, lots, more.
The 43.9MB update is available now through Software Update (if you're running a fully-licensed version of Aperture) or Apple's Download Pages -- if you're running the Aperture Trial, you'll need to re-download the demo from Apple's site as the updater will not work with the Trial version. Aperture costs US$199, with upgrades from version 1 costing US$99.
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TimeLog 4.3 punches in
Filed under: Software
Media Atelier has released TimeLog 4.3, a time-tracking application that integrates tightly with Address Book, iCal, .mac Sync and iSync. We've covered many such apps, and this is another entry in a crowded field (see Billings, Billable, iRatchet, et al). It takes a lot of features to be a contender in this arena and TimeLog has plenty to offer.

The iSync, .mac Sync and iCal integration allow for multiple macs to be on board. You can even let other people in on the timesheets (they suggest your accountant) simply by publishing the calendar that you're syncing with. The Address Book integration is a pretty standard feature, but I'd definitely miss it if it weren't there. A walk through the Preferences gives a better view of the abilities of the software, though.

One feature I love is application tracking, which includes your time spent using certain applications in the log. An XML export that can auto-publish at configurable intervals is also potentially handy. Time logs in graph form can be displayed on a full-screen panel which optionally becomes a floating mini-window when the program is not in the foreground. Categories can each have their own hourly rate assigned, which you'd expect, but TimeLog also provides the ability to define a per-client, custom rate within each category. It also handles expenses, which some other apps in the field are lacking. The timer feature allows for an array of display options, including the ability to show task, project and extended tracking. And small, optional HUD reminders can be used to keep you aware of your timer status... in addition to its Growl support.

This is my first look at TimeLog. I'm currently using Billings quite happily, but I'm pretty impressed with this one. And at $25 it's a valid competitor for my hard-earned money. The demo allows 50 entries, so you can take a pretty good test-drive and decide for yourself.
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Reuse an old Apple floppy drive as an amp
Filed under: Hardware, Hacks, Mods
We love reading articles like this. Folks who use old gadgets for novel purposes make our geeky little hearts dance. Take as evidence the DIY iPod video projector and the iPod nano slide viewer.

Today we came across a post from jeffkobi at Instructables describing how he turned a 5.25" floppy drive into an amplifier. After building a prototype with a Tupperware container, Jeff (can we call you Jeff?) put the guts of a Sonic Impact 5066 T-amp into the drive case (it fit quite nicely, actually), attached a volume knob and in/out ports, connected his iPod and was in business. A retro-amp that looks cool on any desk.

Well done, Jeff!
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