Tuesday, June 2, 2009

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) (18 сообщений)

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  • First Look and Giveaway: Equilibrio for iPhone / iPod touch

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    There's one big problem with being a TUAW blogger -- we are constantly tempted away from doing real work when developers tell us about new and fun software to try out.

    That's exactly the problem I ran into when Fishing Cactus asked us to review Equilibrio (click opens iTunes), their new ball puzzle game for iPhone and iPod touch. The app, which is also available for Nintendo Wii, is an addictive game in which you roll balls made of various materials (rock, paper, steel, rubber, and more) around a maze using the iPhone's accelerometers to control where the balls go. You can gain extra points by hitting "coins" and zipping to the end of the maze quickly. There is a conquest mode, where players need to complete a series of levels, as well as a challenge mode. The app is currently available in the App Store for half-price at US$1.99, and there's also a free version -- Equilibrio Lite -- available if you want to try before you buy.

    Fishing Cactus has supplied us with 5 promo codes to give away to lucky iPhone / iPod touch owners in the US and Canada. To enter the giveaway, leave us a comment with your idea for a totally different material to make an Equilibrio ball out of.

    Here are the rules and a link to the obligatory legal statement:
    • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older. (Sorry, we know our international readers want to participate, but promo codes don't transfer outside the US.)
    • To enter leave a comment with an idea for what material you think a Equilibrio ball should be made of.
    • The comment must be left before Thursday, June 12, 05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
    • You may enter only once.
    • Five winners will be selected in a random drawing.
    • Prize: One license each for Equilibrio (US$1.99 value)
    • Click Here for complete Official Rules.
    Good luck! And check out the gallery below for some screenshots of this addictive iPhone game.

    TUAWFirst Look and Giveaway: Equilibrio for iPhone / iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Ringtone Recorder Pro provides iPhones a roundabout route for ringtone capture

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    There is no shortage of ringtone solutions for getting tones onto the iPhone, especially after Apple opened up the phone enough to allow user generated ringtones without buying them from the iTunes store.

    Now there is a bit of a new twist on the ringtone creation game. Ringtone Recorder Pro [App Store] allows you to use your iPhone as a recorder to get any sounds you can capture into your iPhone. It's US$0.99.

    The method is, frankly, a bit convoluted. You hold up your iPhone to a speaker, or just talk and create a spoken ringtone. There is a 30 second limit. When you are done recording, you are asked for your email address (first use only), and then the file, in m4r (ringtone) format is mailed to you. It won't do you any good getting that file on your iPhone. You need to grab it on you laptop or desktop Mac. Drag the ringtone attachment to your iTunes library, and sync back to your phone.

    Kind of a Rube Goldberg circuitous way of doing it, but those are the limitations of the current iPhone software. I'm not sure it will get any better in iPhone version 3.0 either.

    At any rate, the app does what it claims to do, without any bugs or gotchas. Some people reading the description will think this app will allow you to capture music clips from your iPhone music, but that is not the case. If you really want to get a music ringtone on this, you're going to be holding this thing up to a speaker.

    Audio quality is good, but it is hardly an ideal way to capture music. It worked very well for capturing my voice. There is a free version [App Store] of this application if you want to try it. It has ads, is slower at saving your recording, and is not quite as easy to use.

    TUAWRingtone Recorder Pro provides iPhones a roundabout route for ringtone capture originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Parliant PhoneValet 6.0 now available

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    In the world of Mac telephony software, there's one leading product -- Parliant PhoneValet. Parliant today released version 6.0 of PhoneValet with some new features that make it even more attractive to small business owners. Those features include:
    • Live receptionist -- Want to have a real person answer and direct calls? PhoneValet now allows a receptionist to perform those functions.
    • Call out to deliver voice mail -- To keep employees in the loop when they're on the road, PhoneValet will call their cell phones to deliver important voice messages.
    • Change greetings remotely -- Prior to version 6.0, PhoneValet users had to be sitting at a computer to record new outgoing voice mail greetings. Now they can do this from any phone.
    • Mailbox privacy -- Messages for others on a shared PhoneValet server are now hidden.
    • Network dialing -- Desktop dialing is now available to any PhoneValet or PhoneValet Anywhere user on the network.
    • Shared phonebook / call log editing -- PhoneValet Anywhere users can now edit phonebook entries or trim call logs.
    PhoneValet 6.0 is available for US$169.95, which includes a USB phone adapter, or to existing owners of PhoneValet for US$39.95. PhoneValet Anywhere, which allows users to access their PhoneValet messages from Windows PCs and iPhones among other features, is an available add-on for US$59.95.

    TUAWParliant PhoneValet 6.0 now available originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • MobileMe control panel for Windows helps with proxy servers

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    Yesterday, Apple released MobileMe Control Panel for Windows 1.4, recommended for users on corporate networks that use proxy servers.

    Some users were reporting errors when trying to sync contacts and calendars, or were unable to log into the MobileMe control panel at all. This update sorts that out.

    According to Apple technical note on the subject, supported proxy server types include:

    • Web proxy servers (HTTP)
    • Secure Web proxy (HTTPS)
    • SOCKS proxy servers (see note below)
    • HTTP/HTTPS proxy servers that require authentication
    • Proxy bypass lists
    • Proxy auto-configuration (PAC) files

    The update is available on the MobileMe website, and is also included with iTunes 8.2 for Windows.

    TUAWMobileMe control panel for Windows helps with proxy servers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Net Applications numbers show growth for Mac browsers

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    If you're looking for a bright spot in the Mac market share numbers after the recent dips, Net Applications has your back. The May survey indicates an uptick in Safari's share of browser usage -- up to 8.43% from 8.21% in April, and 2% higher than a year earlier. Firefox continues to be the big 2nd banana to leading browser choice IE, with a 22.5% share. It's not yet clear how the IE8 release will drive browser adoption.

    Operating system numbers
    (which aren't definitive, but provide a reasonable indicator of usage) also show a slight rise for Mac OS X (9.81% from 9.73%), also more than 2% over the year-ago allocation.

    On the mobile side, the survey company notes that Android browsing usage started out with the same adoption curve as the iPhone/iPod touch, but has since fallen off that pace. Coverage of the Palm Pre starts soon.

    [via Ars Technica]

    TUAWNet Applications numbers show growth for Mac browsers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Newcomer steps in to fill Mac clone "Quo"ta

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    Update: @JoeWilsonTV responded in the comments that Quo Computer is open (telephone number in his comment) and that they are taking orders in the store. The website is supposed to launch next Monday. Thanks Joe!

    It seems like it was only last week that Mac clone maker, Psystar filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Oh, that WAS last week. Surely, this would be the end of US companies trying to unauthorized Mac clones, right? Right?

    Come on, this is America -- that would be too easy. In fact, it took just three days for the next would-be Mac clone retailer to appear.

    As CNET reported over the weekend, Quo Computer plans to sell its Mac clone offerings both online and in a retail store in Los Angeles. The retail store was set to open yesterday, June 1, 2009, but I was unable to locate a phone number for the store (and LA's directory assistance didn't have a listing).

    The website, though currently just a splash page, will apparently be ready sometime later this week. Apparently three models with OS X Leopard pre-installed will be offered, with pricing set to start below $900.

    According to CNET, Quo's founder, Rashantha De Silva, expects that Apple will sue Quo, just as they sued Psystar. Well, at least he isn't completely delusional. More below...

    Continue reading Newcomer steps in to fill Mac clone "Quo"ta

    TUAWNewcomer steps in to fill Mac clone "Quo"ta originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Lonely Planet San Francisco City Guide for iPhone free for a limited time

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    Normally the Lonely Planet guides for iPhone are $15.99, so any way you look at it, getting the San Francisco guide (iTunes link) for free is a great purchase. At worst you'll see if you like the Lonely Planet way of doing things in a travel guide and at best you might discover something new in San Francisco. Yep, the guide is free in anticipation of WWDC, allowing attendees to do a little sightseeing if Apple's sessions aren't enough for you.

    I've only spent a bit of time with the app (I'm not in San Francisco, so testing the "nearby" functions won't happen until next week), but if you're familiar with the Lonely Planet guide books, you'll be pretty familiar with the content here. The app has a really long list for the table of contents, something I felt could be handled better. If you want to find travel information, for example, you'll have to scroll somewhere about 40% down -- this is not optimal if you need info in a hurry. In fact, scrolling through longs lists is so annoying Apple gave the iPod app a search tool and Coverflow browsing. Luckily the LP guide provides a text search which I found quite useful.

    Browsing content is terrifically easy, with a slim design that allows you to move forward and back between articles, increase text size or go back up to whatever screen you were previously at, like a search page. Speaking of those searches and the content, a cursory search for Moscone brought up no precise info on the convention center. It is mentioned in a reference to Yerba Buena, but otherwise lacks details.

    The map suffers from static information and a lack of one-way street info (kind of important in cities filled with them, but only if you drive). I much prefer the maps and interaction of the AAA Discounts app, complete with animation and cleaner graphics. There are complaints about missing hotels and whatnot, but I've never fully trusted any guidebook to find every hotel and restaurant. Plus, there's always Urbanspoon and a plethora of apps for discovering new places to eat around you.

    Obviously if you are ever planning to travel to San Francisco it'd be hard to turn down a free app so full of info. I don't think it'll replace anything like your Maps app, or Urbanspoon, or Yelp-based apps, but that's not the point. As a guide full of history and photos, hotel and restaurant data, workable maps and tons of "getting around" data, the Lonely Planet San Francisco City Guide is incredibly handy.

    TUAWLonely Planet San Francisco City Guide for iPhone free for a limited time originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • First Look: Postino adds e-card options to iPhone postcard app

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    The ability to send physical postcards from your iPhone is not a new concept, but the just-released Postino (link opens iTunes) from AnguriaLab adds a new twist to an old favorite -- having the option to send e-cards for those who want to send a postcard, but not bother with the hassle of a paper card.

    Launching Postino takes you to a simple navigating screen: Photo, Message, Signature, Address, then the almighty Send. You can either select a photo from your camera roll or take a new picture. For this experiment, I chose a photo I'd already taken of my favorite sushi bar here in the Phoenix area. I added an optional frame, a message, then, in a neat twist, drew in my own signature. Shaking the palette for the signature area clears it so you can start over.

    For the purposes of this review, I chose to send the postcard as an e-card to my most willing and unsuspecting test subject -- my fiancé. You can either type in the e-mail or address, or choose from your contact list. Physical postcards can be sent worldwide, which is a feature lacking in the other postcard applications that we've reviewed in the past. All you need to do is purchase a virtual stamp through the app, which costs $1.99USD with up to 20% discount with bulk purchases, via PayPal. After you send the postcard, you can use the Recents tab to check on the status of both the e-cards and the physical ones.

    The final product generated via e-mail is the two halves of the card side by side, which is one of the things I would tweak. The postcard was bigger than the available screen size, even when I expanded Mail to full size on my MacBook. The e-card sends out at 1200x1600 pixels for the full card. The picture itself turned out great and would look good on a physical postcard, but a smaller size would be perfect for the e-cards. My fiancé also appreciated the e-card he was sent, though he did comment on the need to scroll to see it all.

    Postino is currently available for free through the App Store, but will soon cost $.99USD. If you want to give it a try, now's your chance.

    Gallery: Postino

    TUAWFirst Look: Postino adds e-card options to iPhone postcard app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Rumor: Pay to re-download iPhone/iPod touch apps

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    If you own and iPod touch or an iPhone, you might have bought an app, deleted it for whatever reason and then downloaded it again from the App Store. Since Apple keeps a record of your purchases, you were presented with a dialog box saying that you could re-download that app for free.

    According to iPodNN
    , some developers with preview copies of iPhone OS 3.0 have seen a dialog box (pictured at right) prompting them to either re-download a missing app for free via their computer, or simply buy it again via their iPhones. Who knows why this could be, or if it will even make the final version of iPhone OS 3.0 -- one might think it's to save AT&T bandwidth, but why not restrict the option to WiFi?

    In any case, we'll find out soon enough.

    TUAWRumor: Pay to re-download iPhone/iPod touch apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • iTunes 8.2 in Software Update, supports iPhone 3.0; QuickTime & GarageBand also patched

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    iTunes 8.2 just became available in Software Update. According to the update notes, "iTunes 8.2 now supports iPhone or iPod touch with the iPhone 3.0 Software Update. iTunes 8.2 also includes many accessibility improvements and bug fixes." The update weighs in at 79.3 MB.


    QuickTime 7.6.2 and GarageBand Update 5.0.2 also became available at the same time. In keeping with Apple's policy of full disclosure, there's not much information for users about what's in either of the updates, although subscribers to Apple's security notification list got an email with a list of 10 fixed vulnerabilities in the QT update (soon to be posted at Apple's security site and reproduced in the second half of this post).

    The GarageBand update "addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, and fixes a number of other minor issues [including] Improved purchasing experience for Artist Lessons in the GarageBand Lesson Store [&] Accessing installed Jam Packs in the loop browser." The update is required if you are purchasing lessons from the Lesson Store.

    The iTunes update is one more clear sign that iPhone 3.0 is just around the corner. Be sure to stay tuned to our coverage of the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference next week for all your iPhone news!

    Continue reading iTunes 8.2 in Software Update, supports iPhone 3.0; QuickTime & GarageBand also patched

    TUAWiTunes 8.2 in Software Update, supports iPhone 3.0; QuickTime & GarageBand also patched originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • 6 audiobook classics for under a dollar

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    One thing the iPhone has done is give a boost to audiobooks. They are a great way to pass the time while driving, sitting in an airport, or taking a long commute.

    Audio Classics [App Store] is a US$0.99 app that contains 6 public domain books professionally read by a narrator. The app runs on both the iPhone and the iPod touch. The books include:

    The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
    (the original story that inspired the recent movie)
    The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
    The Time Machine
    The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
    Aesop's Fables (141 of them)
    A Christmas Carol

    The books include illustrations that pop up in context with what is being read. You can also have the phone vibrate when an image is coming up so you don't miss it. The app supports unlimited bookmarks, and an easy return to them. Navigating between chapters and books is simple.

    Of course, these books are available in e-readers for free, but the presentation is nice, and you get them read to you. I think the illustrations are fine, but most people listen to these books and don't really want to watch the phone. Otherwise they could get the text-only versions of these books. When there is no illustration on screen, there is a level meter, which is nice but serves no real purpose.

    Because of the high quality audio files, this app requires 700 MB of space to install, and after the app is on your device it needs only 350 MB to run. I wouldn't recommend downloading this app over 3G, or even WIFI. Just do an install through iTunes.

    I think this is a well done app, and you're getting 6 audio books for less than US$0.20 apiece. Not bad, and a lot of entertainment value if you like the books that are included. When you're done listening to them all, be sure to delete the app and get all that precious space back.

    Here are some screen shots:

    TUAW6 audiobook classics for under a dollar originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Evom beta takes up iSquint's mantle, effortlessly converts video formats

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    While still in beta, Evom (from The Little App Factory, makers of iPodRip) looks ready to pick up where iSquint left off. It easily and quickly converts videos to formats compatible with iTunes, YouTube, your iPod, and Apple TV.

    It couldn't be a simpler drag-and-drop operation: drop the video on the Evom window, and select a destination. After that, Evom does the heavy lifting and (optionally) adds the finished video to iTunes. The output quality is good -- it uses the same technical foundation as ffmpegX. You get the same high quality without all the fiddly controls of ffmpegX.

    Evom also includes a bookmarklet that lets you save off YouTube videos to your computer with a single click. The quality of the output there mostly depends on how good the source video is, but it couldn't be easier.

    iSquint, my favorite "as if by magic" video conversion tool, was discontinued after Techspansion (also the makers of iSquint's bigger brother VisualHub) shut their doors last October. The VisualHub codebase is still being developed, however, in a new project called Video Monkey that Aron covered in March, which is also well worth a look.

    Evom is in beta, but unlike iSquint, it appears like it may cost something when the final version is released. It also appears limited to converting 60 items until it's registered, and trying to register the app leads to a non-existent shopping cart area. Even so, the simple interface and easy installation will be worth a few bucks to me.

    [Via Daring Fireball.]

    TUAWEvom beta takes up iSquint's mantle, effortlessly converts video formats originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Safari Browser 3.0 for iPhone is GPS-aware

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    One of the relatively unsung features of the upcoming iPhone 3.0 firmware is that the new version of Safari for iPhone will use geolocation. This means that the browser can request location information from the iPhone's GPS receiver, and can also provide that location information to websites that you're visiting.

    ComputerWorld's Seth Weintraub reports that the beta versions of the firmware are working well with sample web-aware websites. This capability is not only planned for the iPhone's implementation of Safari, but many upcoming browsers for Mac as well.

    Geolocation capabilities make it simple for developers to create web apps that no longer need to ask you for an address or zip code. Google, for instance, is planning on making their Latitude application a 3.0-only web app rather than a standalone application on the iPhone. Latitude will leverage the geolocation features of Safari by knowing exactly where you are at a particular point in time and sending that info to the Latitude servers, then returning the whereabouts of your friends while informing them where you are.

    For those of you who don't want your 3.0-enabled iPhone to let the world know exactly where you are, remember that you can always turn off Location Services in the General Settings or just answer "Don't Allow" when asked if Safari or a particular website would like to use your current location.

    TUAWSafari Browser 3.0 for iPhone is GPS-aware originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Japanese university tracking students via free iPhones

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    If you happen to be enrolling in Aoyama Gakuin University's School of Social Informatics in Tokyo this year, make sure to stop by the admissions office to pick up your free iPhone -- the school made a deal with Softbank Corporation, the iPhone's vendor in Japan, to give the phones to 550 students for school usage. But oh, there is one catch: they're also going to use the phones' GPS to track students, and make sure they're attending class on time.

    It looks like skipping class is an issue -- the students at the school, despite having to answer an attendance check and/or hand in an attendance card, are still skipping out on class and having their classmates cover them. But apparently university officials think the iPhone plan will work better, because students will be less inclined, they believe, to pass off their iPhone to a buddy.

    Need to keep track of truant students? There is, apparently, an app for that.

    [via Ars]

    TUAWJapanese university tracking students via free iPhones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • AP Mobile updated but still falls short

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    The AP News [App Store] iPhone/iPod touch app that rolled out ugly earlier in the week has updated to version 2.01 and fixed that nasty problem that wouldn't let you run the app reliably if you had the previous AP Mobile app already on your phone.

    That has been fixed, but the app still suffers from more bugs than the centerfield lights at a night baseball game. When you update to the latest version you will likely lose all your preferences, and as we reported, setting preferences is no small task.

    The AP still insists on showing you a front page that wastes 1/3 of its space with a large photo and video icon. Usually, people come to a news app to read the news, but that concept seems lost on the AP. The result of this bad design decision is that only 3 stories show up on the front page, which is not as good as the New York Times app (4), the Bloomberg News app (5), or ABC News (4). Actually, most of the news apps have too much non-essential garbage on the main pages. I'd kinda like to read the news.

    I think the AP app scrolling of long stories is still jerky, and some stories display a picture at the top which is so large it takes the whole screen and you can't read any of the story without scrolling.

    Also, stories tend to repeat. In my local list of stories, I saw the same story 3 times. Clearly, that shouldn't happen in a well-written app.

    All lists of stories must be viewed in portrait orientation, but you can read them in landscape mode, which means constantly switching back and forth between screen types if you want the stories in landscape format. Don't try this if you have vertigo.

    The AP app is free, so one hates to complain, but frankly the previous version was easier on the eyes, less buggy, and organized in a way many news junkies would prefer to read the news.

    Sometimes "progress" is anything but.

    TUAWAP Mobile updated but still falls short originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 31 May 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Talkcast reminder: 10 pm ET roundup of the week's news

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    Talkcast time again! It's been two weeks -- we skipped last week's show due to the Memorial Day holiday in the US, but you can always download past shows from Talkshoe or subscribe in iTunes.

    We'll be back on the air and eager to hear from all of you for tonight's show, tackling the news of the past week and your questions and troubleshooting requests. We'll drill through the rumor backlog and start getting our notebooks shined up for WWDC in a few short days.

    To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, or you can try out the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VOIP lines (take advantange of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8. Talk with you then!

    Recording support for the talkcast is provided by Call Recorder from ecamm networks.

    TUAWTalkcast reminder: 10 pm ET roundup of the week's news originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 31 May 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Next-gen iPhone photos leaked?

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    The iPhone blogs says they've uncovered the very first photos of a brand new version of the iPhone (the pictures are watermarked from a site called UMPC Fever), and while there's no actual indication that they're real (at the very least, it wouldn't be hard at all to make a picture and load it on the iPhone stream), they are worth a look, if only as ideas. The pictures hint at what's basically a dream roundup of new iPhone hardware: a camera with autofocus, a digital compass, and there are hints at a CPU log as well (which may be a developer function of some kind).

    A few people note that there is a percentage near the battery, but that's actually a known function of 3.0, and it's been possible on jailbroken iPhones for a while as well.

    To add to the mystery, commenter Dstreelm in the comments over there took a look at the metadata on one of the photos (the one supposedly taken by the iPhone), and it was taken near Hong Kong, just a day or so ago. It's definitely all rumors, so take it all with a grain of salt, but it does lend more credence to the idea that we'll be seeing a new version of the iPhone hardware very soon.

    TUAWNext-gen iPhone photos leaked? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 31 May 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Spot the SPOD: Mac OS X rainbow cursor shows up in Pixar's "Up"

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    Being the Disney-Pixar fanatics that we are, my wife and I went to see Up Saturday night (in Disney Digital 3D, of course) at our local theater. Remembering the appearance of the Mac startup sound as Wall-E's waking noise in last year's Pixar epic, and the brief shot of an Apple-themed racer in Cars, I decided to look for Apple-themed Easter eggs in the movie.

    By the time we were at the end of the film, I was beginning to think that there weren't going to be any love letters to Apple in Up. The credits, featuring Russell's Wilderness Explorer merit badges floating by on a typed page, began to look somewhat promising. Sure enough, I spied a stylized and stationary "Spinning Pizza of Death," the dreaded Mac OS X wait cursor, on a merit badge just about at the end of the credits.

    For those of you who are either Windows users or have been lucky enough to have never seen this infamous Mac icon (seen 3 times lifesize above), it's the Mac OS X equivalent of the hourglass in Windows. The SPOD (officially known as the Spinning Wait Cursor, A.K.A. the Beach Ball of Death or the Marble of Doom) appears when an application is not responding to events.

    If you go to see the movie (which you should; it's funny, action-filled, and great for absolutely any audience) be patient and sit through the credits. You'll be rewarded by the sight of a SPOD on the big screen (it's after the two nuclear merit badges). If you're an Up-aholic, you can also check out the Mac game or the $4.99US iPhone game (link opens iTunes).

    Update: Slashfilm has a photo of the SPOD (BBOD, MOD, take your pick...) merit badge in a detailed post about all of the Easter Eggs in Up.

    TUAWSpot the SPOD: Mac OS X rainbow cursor shows up in Pixar's "Up" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 31 May 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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