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- Phone Data Outage hits North East: You're not alone
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone
Having trouble this morning accessing data through your local cellular network? You're not alone. As several dozen (very appreciated!) TUAW tipsters have let us know, AT&T data seems to be down around the DC metropolitan area and areas North. If you're affected by this outage, drop us a note in the comments and let us know where you are.
Update: Associated Press confirms that the AT&T wireless data network is down in parts of the eastern US. Affected areas include Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois (not part of the east last time I checked) and Missouri (ditto).
Voice service remains unaffected but Web surfing and email are not functional. Surprisingly (not!) most outage reports came from iPhone users, once again proving that the iPhone is the first smart phone that really gets used as an Internet device (versus as an Email-specific device).
Rumors say that AT&T has been hard pressed keeping up with the iPhone demand on the data network -- because with an iPhone it's really easy to get online and surf effectively.
Update 2: TUAW Reader Tim writes that he was given a credit for the outage this morning. If you're seriously put out by the lack of data service, it may be worth a call to AT&T. You may not get the same $25 credit Tim got but you may be prorated for the downtime.
Update 3 South New Jersey seems to be affected as well.
Data still out for you? Share your location here
Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Back to School: Writing tools, part II
Filed under: Software, Features, Cool tools, Education
TUAW's going Back to School! We'll be bringing you tips and reviews for students, parents and teachers right up until the bell rings.
Continuing the Back-to-School "sub-mini-series" on writing tools, this second post covers some great tools for compiling all of your thoughts, ideas and research into cohesive, structured documents. If you've never explored this category of applications, you might be surprised what the available options can do to improve your writing efficiency and lower the general anxiety involved with writing 10-page reports or lengthy creative writing assignments. I'll highlight a few cool ways to get those notes and floating thoughts from your notepad and your brain onto papers with large A's on them. Read on ...
Continue reading Back to School: Writing tools, part II
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Create Digital Music rounds up iTouch / iPhone music apps
Filed under: Audio, iPod Family, Multimedia, Software, iPhone
The lovely and talented Peter Kirn over at Create Digital Music has posted a round up of music apps for the iPod / iTouch platform. The list includes tools for using your iPhone as a MIDI/OSC controller, making random weird digital art, visualizing your music and, er, listening to Snow Patrol's next album, amongst other apps. Peter's a thoughtful critic and his evaluations are pretty detailed and thorough.
If you're an aspiring iPhone musician / DJ/ sound designer, this is definitely a good place to start finding useful apps.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Found Footage: iPhone clone demo video
Filed under: Apple Corporate, iPod Family, iPhone
If you are in the market for a non-iPhone cellphone that has the features/look of an iPhone, then look no further than this iPhone clone. Unlike the Instinct, this cellphone could very well be the real iPhone killer. According to Electronista, the device could be running a hacked version of Windows Mobile, however, it mimics most of the iPhone's features, right down to the music player. Either way, it's still fun to watch, and to see how long Apple takes to sue them.
[via Electronista]
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Wingnuts Moto Chaser also updated
Filed under: Gaming, App Store
I mentioned Super Monkey Ball this afternoon, but I neglected to mention Freeverse's update last week to Wingnuts Moto Racer -- now named Moto Chaser -- to version 1.1.
The update adds new music tracks and pause functionality, as well as moves the "punch" button to the right side. The default difficulty setting is also lower. All the changes were made with feedback from users, with the exception of the name: that was due to an unspecified copyright issue.
Our own Mike Schramm noted the app as one of his favorites for the iPhone.
The updated Moto Chaser is now $5.99 for new users, and free for registered users. Freeverse lowered the price from $9.99. It's available in the App Store.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - At Bat updated to version 1.2
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store
One of my favorite iPhone/iPod touch applications, Major League Baseball's At Bat [App Store link] has been updated to version 1.2 with great new features.
For the unfamiliar, At Bat provides up-to-the-minute statistics on ongoing baseball games, including the count at the plate, pitching and batter statistics ... even video clips of a game that's in progress. It's a little treasure for baseball fans (like me) who can't always watch the day's game.
Version 1.2 adds cool "Gameday" features, including pitch-by-pitch updates (speed, call, even placement over the plate), full box scores (both teams), a player card for each member of the roster with oodles of information and a game summary that sorts the action into top plays and runs.
At $4.99US, At Bat is a must-have for all fans of Major League Baseball, and sits easily among my top three applications. Go, Sox!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Leicester (UK) Apple Store to open Thursday
After several years of planning and waiting, the Highcross shopping center in Leicester (UK) is finally ready to go and with it the Highcross Apple Store.
Apple Store Highcross will open on Thursday, September 4th at 10:00 AM. The store is located at the Upper Mall. You can get full travel directions here.
As usual, we're asking any TUAW operatives who visit this weekend to send us stories and photos. Good luck, have fun and we're hoping you score a T-shirt!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Flickr Find: iPhone cubism
Filed under: Humor, Odds and ends, Flickr Find, iPhone, Graphic Design
This little glitch has never happened to my iPhone, though I wish it had -- there's a glitch in the iPhone's camera that will occasionally cause it to slice up pictures like this, and our friend Veronica Belmont created a whole pool of the glitchy photos called iPhone cubism. Of course, if you want a picture of your little girl, it's more frustrating than anything else, but in an artistic sense, some of the pictures are really benefited by the random slicing. As if the iPhone didn't do enough, now it's throwing some art into the mix.
Of course, it's a bug, not a feature. Since several people are reporting this as a problem after 2.0 was released, we're guessing it's a software issue, perhaps a problem with syncing the little light sensor chip in the iPhone's camera. If you have some great pictures of this stuff, throw them into the pool on Flickr, and hopefully for the less artistic (and less bug-patient) among us, Apple will get this fixed soon.
Thanks, Jason!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Mac 101: Bluetooth basics
Filed under: Tips and tricks, Bluetooth, Mac 101
Leopard's Bluetooth feature is one of those things that's easy to forget about until you need it, then you're glad you have it. Let's take a look at some ways to get the most out of this under-utilized tool.
In order to use your Mac with another Bluetooth gadget like a mobile phone or headset, you'll need to pair it with that specific device. Locate the Bluetooth settings under System Preferences and turn the Bluetooth power on. Then also check the box marked "Discoverable." This will allow other devices in range to see your Mac.
Make sure the device you want to pair with the Mac is powered on and also discoverable (check the owner's manual for specifics on how to manage the Bluetooth settings on your mobile phone or headset). Next, click the Bluetooth icon found near your clock on the toolbar at the top of your screen and select "Set Up Bluetooth Device." Follow the Mac's onscreen steps that explain how to add the eight-digit passcode that will allow your two devices to talk to each other.
Once you've established a connection between your Mac and another gadget, your computer stores the info until you delete it -- there's no need to add a new passcode each time. When you're done using a Bluetooth device with your Mac, be sure to uncheck the "Discoverable" option to prevent anyone else from pairing a device with your computer. When you're ready to re-pair a device, just click on the Bluetooth icon, and select the gadget from the dropdown list.
One last thing: If you're not using Bluetooth on your laptop, make sure it's turned off to preserve battery life.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Super Monkey Ball updated to 1.01
Filed under: Gaming, Software, App Store
SEGA has released an update to the popular Super Monkey Ball, which appears to address issues with control sensitivity. The update was expected to drop last month. No release notes were available online.
In cursory testing (by yours truly), it does appear the update improves player control. As promised, the "dead zone" where the ball stops moving altogether is larger, and movement overall has become less erratic. I noticed that when trying to slow down, the monkey ball is less likely to turn around, which makes it easier to navigate tight corners and control speed.
Also included is a new tutorial designed to help you get accustomed to the controls. Additionally, you can resume where you left off if you press the home button during a game.
Super Monkey Ball [App Store link] is a free update for existing users, and $9.99 for new users.
Thanks, Adiz!
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Back to School: Writing tools, part I
Filed under: Software, Features
TUAW's going Back to School! We'll be bringing you tips and reviews for students, parents and teachers right up until the bell rings in September.
This is the last installment in a mini-series highlighting some research and writing software of interest to students, especially those in college. We've covered research tools, as well as note taking and information organization tools. Now, let's take a look at some great tools for writing. Whether you're hammering out a research paper or penning a story for Advanced Lit., there are plenty of applications available to make life easier, if not a little bit more fun.
We're going to look at three basic categories: general word processors, structured writing tools, and utilities. Covering such a broad range of applications ended up getting a bit lengthy, so I'll be breaking it up into three posts; a sub-mini-series, if you will. This first post will offer you, our discerning readers, a few word-processing applications for your consideration. Read on ... and who knows, you might discover something new.
Continue reading Back to School: Writing tools, part I
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - September 9th Apple Event confirmed
Filed under: iPod Family, Other Events, Apple
According to Ars Technica and our own tipster Matt, Apple has sent out invitations to the media confirming the much anticipated September 9th iPod event. The invitation features an iPod screen with the words "Let's Rock" on it. According to the invite, the event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (located in San Francisco) at 10 am PT next Tuesday.
We have reason to believe that Apple will only refresh the iPods, instead of introducing new models to the MacBook line -- this is consistent with the invite.
What do you think will be released at this event? Be sure to take part in our poll, and in the comments.
Thanks for the tip, Matt.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Mac 101: Search by color label
Filed under: Mac 101
If you don't already use color labels to sort your files and folders, then you really should consider it. Using color labels allows you to enhance your productivity and file organization by assigning certain colors to certain files. You can assign color labels to files by doing a "Get Info" (highlight the file, then press command + i) on the file/folder and selecting a color from the label section.
What is the use of these labels if you can't search them? Well, you can! Open a new Finder window and press command + F. In the "kind" drop-down box, select "other" then find "File Label" in the list. Click it, then click "OK."
Now, you can narrow down your search by the color of its label. Note that if you are using Mac OS X Tiger, you will see "Color Label" instead of "File Label."
Want more quick tips and tricks like this? Try TUAW's Mac 101 section.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Terminal Tips: Modify iTunes arrow links
Filed under: Terminal Tips
Do you know those little arrows that appear in iTunes when you have a song selected? You know, the ones that appear just after the title of the song, artist, and album and link to the iTunes Store when clicked? Yeah, those! Well, if you want the arrows to link to your iTunes library instead of Apple's induced store (and another impulse purchase), then just type the following command into Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities):
defaults write com.apple.iTunes invertStoreLinks -bool YES
To change things back to normal, just replace the YES in the above command with NO. As some commenters have pointed out, you can temporarily reverse this hack by pressing option and clicking on the arrow.
Want to see more tips like this? Visit TUAW's Terminal Tips and TUAW Tips sections.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Selling 8 million iPhones
It's a numbers game. But not the numbers you're thinking of.
The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number is on all GSM and UMTS mobile phones, including the iPhone. The enterprising geeks at AFB and Investor Village have been collecting every iPhone IMEI they could get their hands on and adding them to a Google speadsheet.
After performing the voodoo that such a spreadsheet allows, researchers have figured out that Apple has manufactured at least 5,649,000 iPhone 3Gs. Add that to the 2.4 million 1st generation iPhones sold in 2008, and you arrive at 8 million iPhones.
That's a lot of iPhones.
These are unofficial numbers, of course. But if these folks are correct, Apple will reach their goal of 10 million iPhones sold in 2008 with room to spare.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Back to School: iPhone applications to help you make the grade
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone, App Store
TUAW's going Back to School! We'll be bringing you tips and reviews for students, parents and teachers right up until the bell rings.
With students heading back to school around the country today, many are heading back with an iPhone (possibly a iPhone 3G, no doubt). In this post, I'm going to suggest a few iPhone applications that you can use to stay on task, and, of course, "make the grade." Most of these applications are free, considering that most students are low on money (especially college students).
Assignments (iTunes Link)
Assignments is an application that, as the name implies, allows you to keep track of your assignments and classes. This is perfect for both teachers and students that need to keep track of assignments in each class. Not only can you add an assignment with a due date/time and importance, but you can also add recordings. Being able to make a voice recording of your assignment is a quick way to make a reminder, etc.
The "Overview" tab allows you to see anything upcoming or due. You can sort by "All" or "Due Soon." You can also search through your assignments. In the "Assignments" tab, you can view all assignments sorted by class. The "Notes" section allows you to quickly jot a note, add a title, and add a date/time.
Overall, this application performs smoothly and works well when adding/deleting assignments and classes. You can view screenshots of Assignments.app in our gallery. Assignments sells for $5.99 (US) at the iTunes App Store.
VoiceNotes (iTunes Link)
VoiceNotes is a plain and simple way to quickly record a quick note, or even a lecture (just make sure you have enough space on your iPhone). Tapping on "Quick Voice Note" will start recording immediately, but is limited as to the length of the recording. If you tap on the + button at the top, you will be given more recording length.
VoiceNotes allows you to sync notes back to your computer using some additional software provided by the developer. Overall, this is a solid app and can definitely be used for the quick "remember to bring these books to class tomorrow" voice notes.
You can download VoiceNotes for free from the iTunes App Store.
To Do (iTunes Link)
One of our fellow TUAW-ers developed this application, and we can't get over its ease of use and flexibility in creating a simple to-do list. With To Do, you can quickly and easily add a to-do, set priority (and order), and even add a note.
To Do will even allow you to see how many tasks have yet to be completed, right from the home screen. With To Do, you will never forget about that writing assignment for English class. Best of all, this application is on a college student's budget: It's absolutely free!
Camera.app (Built-in)
Never underestimate the power of the built-in camera on your iPhone. If you find that your instructor erases the board way too fast, or if you need to capture a photo of the current slide on the screen, then just get out your iPhone. 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... clicks and you're done! A picture saved in memory, and you didn't even have to write anything. You can also combine Camera with Evernote (iTunes link) to create more structured notes or geocoding around your photos -- great for architecture students or for budding meteorologists.
Did we miss something? Do you have another application that you like/use, but didn't on the list? The party doesn't stop with the post, it continues in the comments below. Be sure to share your favorite iPhone applications to help students "make the grade."Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - My favorite Mac apps: Giles' picks
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software
Everyone else has had just three choice Mac apps, but I'm going to claim four because two of my choices live in the Menu Bar, and are therefore very small. Only you and I need to keep count, though, eh?
This marvelous little rich text editor is an excellent tool for writing to word counts, something I have to do very often. Bean packs in a lot of great features, and the developer is responsive to feedback and suggestions.
When I'm not writing to word counts, I'm usually using Markdown to write for the web. Until last week I'd been using TextMate for this, exclusively, for a couple of years. Now, with the release of BBEdit 9.0, I'm wavering between the two. Both are wonderful, and writing with Markdown just isn't the same without one of them to help me out.
I'm one of those weirdos who likes to keep the Dock out of sight most of the time. I don't use it for launching or switching apps, and I don't use it to keep minimised windows in either. But there are some functions that I like to have in easy reach from anywhere, and that's why I'm a big fan of Menu Bar applications. That said, there's not a lot of Menu Bar to be had on a little MacBook screen, so I'm very picky about which ones get the honor of a place up there. I Love Stars earns a spot. It does nothing but let me assign ratings to songs, but in my opinion it does it very well and, most importantly, sits in the best place for doing it.
Another one from the Menu Bar, and this time it's a clipboard history utility that saves my backside 27 times every week. At least. It only saves text, but that's fine for me because that's what matters most in my line of work. With Jumpcut running (and it's always running), I can merrily copy umpteen things from a dozen different places and be sure of pasting them easily, and in the correct places, in the text document I'm writing at the time (see Bean and BBMate raves above).
OK, that was five. Sorry.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - "Utility of last resort" AppleJack updated for Leopard compatibility
Filed under: Software, Troubleshooting, Terminal Tips
You may sincerely wish never to need it, but if you run into a situation where your Mac refuses to boot fully to the Finder and you don't have any boot-capable utilities to tackle the problem, Kristofer Widholm's AppleJack is probably your best friend in the trenches. The single-user-mode tool is only available if you start your machine while holding down Cmd-S to boot to the command line (as per Dave's tip from yesterday), but once there it streamlines the process of checking your disk for errors, repairing permissions, cleaning caches, zapping corrupt preference files, and deleting leftover virtual memory swap data. You could do most of this yourself via a series of commands, but AppleJack is a) much, much simpler and b) completely free and open source.
For a long while it didn't look as though AppleJack would make the leap from Tiger to Leopard, as Mac OS X 10.5 made some key changes that broke AppleJack's functionality (specifically, the 'id' command didn't work, and the /etc/rc file was removed). Developer Steve Anthony jumped into the project this summer and was able to code around the Leopard-specific problems, finally giving us back our beloved AppleJack in version 1.5.
Let's all raise a glass of the original Jersey Lightning to Kristofer and Steve for their work on behalf of Mac troubleshooters everywhere.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Stargazing with Starmap
Starmap 1.1 (iTunes link) is a pocket-sized map of the sky that packs a great deal into a small package.
One thing that strikes you immediately is the challenge of incorporating all the options available into the iPhone's limited UI space. The button panel at the bottom of the screen is a 3D object that you can spin round to reveal more controls.
And you need them, because there's a lot Starmap can show you. Not just the stars and constellations, but also planets, expected meteors and "deep sky" objects like galaxies, clusters and nebulae.
Features I particularly like include: the night-vision mode (tints everything red to minimise your iPhone's own light pollution); the fact that, by default, only objects you're likely to see are shown in lists of stars and planets (you can toggle this on and off if you'd rather see a list of everything, below the horizon or not); and the general feeling that a great deal of thought has gone into building the app from the outset.
The main issue with Starmap, and it's one you'll notice pretty quickly, is speed. Right now, the app does not use any accelerated graphics and subsequently, the frame rate is 3 FPS. Dragging the night sky around beneath your finger is slow and the animation jagged; as a result, it can be a little frustrating to use. Consider this before you buy.
This is a known issue, though, and work is under way on a fully optimised 3D version running at 20 FPS. It might be released as soon as October, we're told.
That (and one or two crashes) aside, Starmap is a fantastic educational app and very good value for the price ($11.99). Existing users should hold out for future updates -- if they deliver what's promised, Starmap will be an almost irresistible purchase.
Oh, and one other thing would be nice: a function that controls the appalling British summer weather, and clears away the almost permanent cloud cover so that we actually have a remote chance of seeing some stars.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Busy Labor Day for Apple rumors
Filed under: iPod Family, Rumors, iPhone
While the TUAW team was enjoying our holiday grilling (important safety tip: be sure to clean out the grease trap on your grill at the end of the season, so you don't have an incendiary problem... and also, it's true that baking soda really works well on grease fires) our sister scribes at Engadget were pumping out a few posts on some percolating iPhone & iPod items, mostly from the Berlin IFA trade show. The scorecard:
- The first wild sighting of a case for the rumored "skinny iPod nano" was picked up by Engadget Spanish and translated for English-speaking audiences. The Hama case even has a full gallery of photos over at ES. It's beginning to look like Kevin Rose (no relation!) may have been right about this one.
- The kitchen is rocking with the new "made for iPhone refrigerator" from Slovenian manufacturer Gorenje. That's the unit in the picture on the right. Aside from music and video playback, the iFridge features an iPhone-optimized web portal that lets you control your WiFi enabled appliances, Jetsons-style. I'm simultaneously amused, appalled, and seriously jonesing for a new refrigerator.
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