Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) (13 сообщений)

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  • Apple releases new, slimmer European power adapter for iPod/iPhone

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    A quick note to our European readers. Apple has released a new, slimmer USB power adapter for iPods and iPhone.

    This new adapter supports all iPod nanos, iPhones, iPod Touches, iPod classics, the second and third gen iPod shuffle, the fourth and fifth gen click-wheel iPod, and even the iPod mini.

    Here is the Google Translation link to the Norwegian Apple Store new Apple USB Power Adapter page.

    Thanks to reader Christian S. who sent this in.

    TUAWApple releases new, slimmer European power adapter for iPod/iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Apple - IPhone - IPod - IpodShuffle - IpodMini
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  • Final Fantasy I and II coming to iPhone and iPod touch

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    Just announced at Square Enix's Facebook page: Final Fantasy I and II are coming to an App Store near you. The nearly 20-year-old games have been remastered and re-released a number of times, with versions appearing for just about every platform invented thus far, so it was only a matter of time before they made their way to the iPhone and iPod touch.

    Release date and pricing are both TBA, and nothing official has been announced on Square Enix's official site as of yet, but in the meantime, they've posted screenshots, and they look quite excellent. With Final Fantasy XIII coming out for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in March, going all the way back to the long-running series' beginning on the iPhone sounds like a really fun way to pass the next couple of months.

    Thanks to reader Paul M., Jr. for the tip!

    TUAWFinal Fantasy I and II coming to iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - AppStore - Apple - IpodTouch - Final Fantasy
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  • WSJ: Tablet confirmed, Apple to reinvent old media

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    In all the years I have spent as an Apple fan, following various rumor sources and keeping my own mental list of who had the most credibility on various types of Apple theories, I never thought in all my days I would ever read, let alone write, the following sentence: The Wall Street Journal has just announced that Apple is releasing a tablet computer.

    All of their information is centered on the alleged mystery device that will allegedly be announced at a now official event next week. Here are some of the juicier tidbits they passed on from those mysterious people "familiar with" what's happening on Inifinite Loop:
    • Always partial to the education market, one thing this device might be used for is e-textbooks, presumably including the sort of multimedia content that goes beyond the printed page.
    • Textbook publishers aren't the only publishers Apple has been talking to. They're chatting up Conde Nast, Harper Collins, The New York Times, and even CBS, Walt Disney Co, and Electronic Arts (for games).
    • A "Best of TV" service is possible, with a subscription to a set of on demand programs chosen by the consumer.
    • Those same people are also reporting there is a revamp of iTunes coming, which would separate the purchase of iTunes content from the iTunes application.
    • The device will have a 10 or 11 inch screen, a virtual keyboard, and "sharing" is mentioned -- two ideas being thrown around are the ability to leave sticky notes on the device or even have the camera recognize faces of those using it.
    • Price is expected to be around $1000, and they'll be selling it to people who already have iPhones and laptops as well.
    Of course the piece itself doesn't have a full confirmation from Jobs, so we'll have to wait until next Wednesday for that: Apple's invitation to the media event on January 27th is titled "Come see our latest creation", and is generally considered to be the public debut of a tablet-style device. But when the Wall Street Journal says there's a tablet coming, there's very likely a tablet coming, and if everything they're saying about this device is true (which would make sense -- we've heard most of it before in rumor form), look out world.

    TUAWWSJ: Tablet confirmed, Apple to reinvent old media originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Apple - Wall Street Journal - New York Times - Electronic Arts - IPhone
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  • Thwapr: Mobile-to-mobile video sharing from one of the creators of QuickTime

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    It's not every day that I get to view a product introduction on my iPhone. In fact, today may have been the first time ever that a product intro has been done through mobile messaging.

    Eric Hoffert was one of the original developers of QuickTime and is now the CTO for Thwapr, so he really understands video. Thwapr provides mobile-to-mobile video sharing -- in other words, it's a way to create a video on your iPhone and share it with friends on a variety of mobile phone platforms. The idea is that you or your recipients don't need to download any special apps, and that the video is shown in its best possible format for the mobile device that receives it.

    That's the idea. However, I found the beta of Thwapr somewhat clunky to use, and I'm not sure I really "get" the reason for the service as it is currently set up. To start with, if I want to share a video message or photo with a friend (at least a short one), I can use MMS. If it's a longer video or I want to share it with the world, I'm going to use something like YouTube and send friends a link. I asked Leigh Newsome, Thwapr's VP of User Experience, why I wouldn't just use MMS?
    His reply? "MMS is very, very limited - it works poorly cross-phone/cross-carrier, has limited file sizes ~300k, and doesn't store info in the cloud. Thwapr works cross-phone/cross-carrier, with large files, and stores info in the cloud. So, even if your phone gets wiped out, you can still get to your content either from your mobile device or the web."

    Eric Hoffert's reply was similar: "Another benefit is that the ThwapBack experience of rich media conversations is (a) accessible across a wide range of mobile phones, more than a hundred and seventy, and (b) is stored in the cloud. MMS conversations are stored on each device."

    The way Thwapr works at the current time is that you record a video with the iPhone's camera (it also works on Android phones), then email it from your registered email address to "me@thwapr.com." Once it's there, you go to the thwapr.mobi web site using Mobile Safari, sign in, and the movie is sitting there in an "uploaded Thwapr" folder. You choose a friend or group of friends from a list of registered users, and then you share the movie or picture with them. Within seconds, they receive a text message (standard text message fees apply) with a link in it. They tap the link, which opens Mobile Safari, and they can view the message and even "Thwapback" (reply) to it.

    That's the problem with the beta, in my opinion. It just takes too many steps to Thwap somebody. I was able to ask the executive team if they are planning an iPhone app to improve the user experience, and received this reply: "The approach with using email, camera, browser, SMS is targeted to enable many phones across many carriers. We are advanced on an iPhone app that provides a seamless integrated experience for capture and Thwap. We plan to deliver the iPhone app in Q1, please stay tuned and we will keep you posted."

    That's good to hear, because I'm not sure I'd use Thwapr in the current form. I do like the ability to see a thread of text, photo, and video replies, but I just don't think that switching between Messages, Camera, and Mobile Safari is the way to get things done efficiently. It's apparent that I'm not the only person who feels this way, since I saw a message from another person involved in the product intro today who said, "Upload, send link, view on mobile browser. Can't this already be done without regard to platform?"

    I'll keep my Thwapr account for now, because I think it would be useful to eventually be able to zap longer video messages back and forth quickly and easily. If you're interested in getting in on the beta, point your browser to Thwapr.com to sign up and give it a try.

    TUAWThwapr: Mobile-to-mobile video sharing from one of the creators of QuickTime originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - Apple - Mobile phone - YouTube - Multimedia Messaging Service
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  • BumpTop offers a 3D desktop on your Mac

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    I've never really gotten into the whole 3D file navigation thing (ever since "It's a Unix system! I know this!", it's seemed pretty corny), but BumpTop might be the exception I've been waiting for. It's a 3D overlay for your OS X desktop that turns files into 3D objects to move around, pin on the walls, pile up or break down as needed. It's not too shabby -- with all of these things, there's a fine line between adding in graphic splashes for the heck of it, and making sure everything has a real function, and it seems like BumpTop walks that line pretty well. Most of the graphical flair does actually help with a function also. The app also supports the multitouch trackpad on MacBooks, so there's a little bit of innovation to play with as well.

    Mashable says BumpTop is planning even more integration in the future, piping content from sites like Facebook and Twitter straight to one of the desktop's walls, and more involvement with the touch interface, even as we await the tablet's announcement.

    I don't know if it's quite enough for me to leave behind the 2D icons and filenames that have worked well so far, but BumpTop is an interesting experiment in adding that third dimension into your normal workspace. The app is a free trial download, with a Pro version available (multitouch support, unlimited stickies, instant search) for $29.

    TUAWBumpTop offers a 3D desktop on your Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    BumpTop - Mac OS X - Apple - Facebook - Twitter
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  • The iPhone app showdown

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    This was an intriguing experiment undertaken over at Minimal Mac: Patrick decided to play a little Homescreen Survivor with his iPhone app icons -- he cleared everything off his homescreen, and then only let those apps back on which he used more than once throughout the course of a week. The result? You can see here which ones made it back on. Contacts, Calendar, Camera all showed up, not surprisingly. Photos did as well -- I don't use that one much, but I can see why. Everything else seems to be his own personal use: Tumblr's app, two different Twitter apps (Birdhouse and Tweetie), and then Simplenote and so on.

    But the real point here isn't what apps he used, it's just how different his homescreen looked when he only put what he used on there. I'll admit it: my iPhone is a mess -- I've got icons all over the place, and they don't seem to stay organized even when I try to organize them. But organizing according to actual usage is a great idea, and undertaking the same experiment on your iPhone might actually clear some things up for you.

    It's also worth pointing out all of that empty space on his homescreen: he has four more slots there that aren't used at all. Apple, are you listening? I'd guess Patrick's usage is more common than Apple may think -- there's plenty of room on the homescreen for other functions and information.

    TUAWThe iPhone app showdown originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - App Store - Apple - Simplenote - Minimal Mac
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  • Review: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

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    Grand Theft Auto is, at this point, one of the most storied franchises in video game history. It was already huge back during the days of DMA Design, when it was a top-down open world crime game with an attitude, but with the coming of Grand Theft Auto 3 on the console generation, the series turned into a full-fledged classic, with the sales, media attention, and depth to match the fun found in those first games. Nowadays, the series has already been through a number of other reboots, and Chinatown Wars on the Nintendo DS was just another one of those: a return to the game's top-down graphics along with the addition of new elements from the 3D versions and a few touchscreen tricks. Now, the release of the game on the iPhone [iTunes link] shows that GTA is ready for another segment of its life, and that the iPhone itself is ready for the big market titles to start making a splash.

    I'll say this: there has not yet been a game on the App Store that is so worth the $9.99 Rockstar is selling this one for. If you're a fan of Grand Theft Auto, and, like me, haven't played this latest handheld iteration, you're in for a treat (it's the highest rated game on the DS' Metacritic page, and while I don't agree that it's the best title on that platform, it is an excellent game). And even if you're not a huge GTA fan (this game does have all the swearing and questionable morality that the bigger versions of the series are known for), just know that this game is a great example of what big-time developers on the iPhone should aim for. Indie games are great, but this one's a blockbuster.

    If you have played GTA before, the format is familiar to you by now: show up in a new city (in this case, it's a slightly smaller version of GTA4's Liberty City, with an emphasis on the Triad and Chinatown), meet up with a relative who's got a problem, and proceed to solve their problem and take over the town, with lots of car-stealing, ally switching, and gunfire along the way. And this one follows that pattern: you show up in town as Huang Lee, and your first contact is your uncle, who's having a bit of a reputation problem that only you can fix by running errands and doing less-than-legal jobs. The cutscenes in this one are done with animated 2D pictures rather than full 3D and subtitles rather than full voiceover, but the story is smart and witty and strong, as it usually is in Grand Theft Auto games.

    Once you've gotten a mission, you head out into the open world city to make your way up through the ranks, picking up stolen cars and taking out whatever targets you're given. Driving in the game is not quite as solid as on the consoles, and that has to do with the iPhone's core issue of no buttons -- while the touchscreen controls do work great and are very responsive, you're still covering up parts of the screen, and you have to do a lot of overcorrecting while driving. The game helps with an "assist" option that will automatically line you up with whatever street you're on (and the cops are easier to escape here than they've ever been, courtesy of a takedown mechanic as you race around), but the top-down view makes it hard to see down the street in front of you, and so the driving here isn't as enjoyable as it is on the full 3D versions of the game. I do wonder why they didn't go with an accelerometer option, but the driving is serviceable as is, and with a little practice, you get better at it.

    Running around on foot is another story. While the main control on foot is solid (you use a virtual joystick to move around, and the camera is pretty adept at keeping your character on screen even in tight quarters), actually attacking with your fists or a gun is a little more touch-and-go. There's no targeting, although the game does helpfully fudge things for you if you're close, so in the midst of a crowd, it's tough to make sure you're hitting the right target. I've heard this was a problem with the DS version as well, though, so I'm not sure it's really an iPhone issue. And the game does realize that it has this problem, so I found gunplay a little more forgiving in Chinatown Wars than other GTA games.
    It's outside of the usual gameplay, though, where this version really gets its fun. The touchscreen controls are used in all sorts of interesting ways, from a surprisingly deep set of game menus with email and GPS, to an in-house bulletin board (with a working set of letter magnets) where you can revisit and play old missions, to little touchscreen minigames that have you hotwiring a car quickly or scratching off lottery tickets for winnings. You can tell these games were meant for the DS' stylus rather than your fingers on the iPhone, but that doesn't make them any less fun, and it's always interesting to, in the middle of a mission, be asked to use the touchscreen in a new way.

    Later in the game, there's a chance to sell drugs of your own in an actual economy, and there are the usual GTA minigames, from taxi-ing folks around town to delivering noodles and scoring points for crazy driving. Like all great GTA games, this one keeps opening up new alleyways and backlots to you as you explore, and keeps bringing in new mechanics and things to do by the stolen truckload. This is a big, open experience that's worth the cover price for those interested.

    One technical note: I played the game on my first-gen iPhone, and it ran with occasional stutters (the game does have in-game radio stations, and sometimes playing multiple sounds would make one or two drop out for a moment) and even one crash. It was not unplayable at all, and in fact, I thought it ran pretty well for the age of the hardware I was using. But if you want the game to run perfectly, you'll want to use a later version of the iPhone. I imagine that on the 3GS, it would run beautifully, and reviews in iTunes seem to back that up.

    Chinatown Wars is a terrific game on any platform, and while it's not an iPhone original, it definitely shows that big-time developers can bring big-time titles to the App Store and turn them into solid experiences. If you like GTA, it's a must-buy. If you haven't played GTA, but are in the mood for a good NSFW open-world crime game with a surprising amount of depth and innovation, it's worth a buy. And even if you aren't interested in playing it, you should know that this is definitely a sign of things to come. So far, all the buzz on the iPhone has been around cheap apps and shorter experiences, but GTA: Chinatown Wars proves that there is a space for developers with big games to sell a lot of app downloads at a bigger price.

    TUAWReview: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - AppStore - Grand Theft Auto - Nintendo DS - grand theft auto chinatown wars
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  • Use your iPhone to scare a bear (right before it eats you)

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    Thanks to Stephen Colbert, we've become acutely aware of the dangers of bears, the "soulless, godless, rampaging killing machines" who patrol the forests of North America and prey on unwary hikers (some potentially not-safe-for-work language on that last site, FYI). Until now, your best defense against these furry terrors has been simply avoiding their killing grounds altogether. But Flying Jalapeño Software has introduced the latest weapon in the arsenal against the ursine menace: ScareBear Trail Companion [iTunes link].

    ScareBear Trail Companion is an iPhone app that replicates the sounds of bells, clapping, and rocks in a tin can (yes), all of which are supposedly like kryptonite to bears and will scatter them from your path before you even encounter them. Should you happen to come across a bear immune to these charms and wards, ScareBear Trail Companion still has you covered - in an emergency, you can use the app to sound an emulated air horn, which may terrify the creature and send it scurrying away.

    There's only three slight weaknesses with this app that I can foresee. First is that it depends on your iPhone having a charge. If your iPhone's battery goes dead in the woods, listen for the spooky soundtrack cues, because that is surely the very instant a bear will charge you from the undergrowth. Second, it takes a lot of concentration on your part to find and launch the app, wait for it to load, and then press the button to make noise; even if you can keep your wits about you when half a ton of teeth and fur is rearing up before you, anything slower than an iPhone 3GS will probably cost you critical seconds. By the time the app launches, you may already be halfway down the bear's esophagus.

    Third, and most damaging to the utility of this app, the iPhone's speaker simply isn't all that loud. I've generally found that even at the highest volume, I'll often miss hearing my iPhone's ringtone in a noisy environment - and environments don't come much noisier than a roaring, hungry monster like the one pictured above. Bears may or may not have more sensitive hearing than humans; no one knows for sure, as all attempts to scientifically study these brutal creatures have ended in tragedy, with laboratories leveled to dust upon the bears' inevitable escape from their bonds.

    In any case, ScareBear Trail Companion probably isn't going to save your life from a bear. If anything, it'll probably just irritate it and make it angrier. You'd probably do more damage to the bear with your iPhone if you fed it to him. I haven't been able to test ScareBear Trail Companion myself, as there are no bears in New Zealand outside of zoos. As a matter of fact, that's part of why I moved here. Safe at last.

    TUAWUse your iPhone to scare a bear (right before it eats you) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - Apple - iTunes - IpodTouch - New Zealand
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  • GTA tops the list, and other game news

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    For some reason there's a flood of gaming news coming from the App Store this afternoon. So we've rounded it up for you to take in all in one read:
    • Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars [iTunes link] has reached the top-grossing spot on the store in just two days, which means it's probably taken over the previous record holder. Good news for full-scale gamers: we can expect to see more direct ports from other handheld platforms like the DS and the PSP. Still not sure if GTA is worth the $10? Stay tuned for our review later tonight.
    • Sega is releasing an Ultimate Genesis Collection on the App Store, which is more or less an official emulator. You get Space Harrier II with the free download, and then in-game purchases allow you to pick up other Sega games: Sonic for $6, Ecco the Dolphin for $3, and so on. They've released these games separately before, but this will give them a one-stop hub for official versions of older classics.
    • Assassin's Creed II Discovery, the iPhone version of the Ubisoft hit, will reappear on the App Store in February at $9.99. In this interview with Appmodo, producer Ben Mattes talks about the iPhone and what Ubisoft plans to do with it.
    • Finally, Magnacarta II is an RPG for the Xbox 360 that now has a character guide iPhone app. We've seen PC titles release complimentary apps before, but this is the first instance (I know of) where a console game has supplemented their release with an iPhone guide. Something to keep an eye on.
    Exciting news all around! Looks like some major developers are finally starting to figure out some interesting and profitable ways to take advantage of Apple's handheld platform.

    TUAWGTA tops the list, and other game news originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    AppStore - iPhone - Space Harrier - Apple - Xbox 360
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  • TUAW TV Live for January 20, 2010

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    Welcome back for another episode of TUAW TV Live!

    You can join in on the fun by clicking the "read more" link listed below, and then watching the live stream in the Ustream window. If you'd like to participate in the live chat, just use the chat window below the video to enter your thoughts, comments, and snarky backtalk.

    The show goes on for about an hour, and we have plenty to talk about this week. Topics include:
    • When an app shouldn't be an app
    • Original Mac marketing videos
    • A quick app review or two
    • Michael Grothaus' second article on what you want in iPhone OS 4.0
    • Upcoming announcements on Monday (financial) and Wednesday
    We use Ustream to do our live broadcast, and you can watch existing episodes of the show at http://ustream.tv/TUAW/.


    TUAWTUAW TV Live for January 20, 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    IPhone - Apple - Ustream - Operating system - TUAW
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  • Amazon Kindle moves to App Store's 70/30 revenue split

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    Most of the rumors coming out about next week's event say that there'll be a tablet with a lot of similarities to the popular Amazon Kindle device, but even before Apple takes the stage, Amazon is taking one of the new ideas for its own. The online retail powerhouse announced that it is adapting a payment model for content providers that's very similar to the App Store, with a 70/30 split on pay sharing. There are a few limitations (there's still a cost for delivery, and the publisher has to conform to a number of price, feature, and location standards), but essentially, Amazon is taking the exact same model that has worked so well for both Apple and its development partners, and bringing it to the Kindle platform.

    The timing is interesting -- with Apple just about to release what many expect to be a Kindle competitor, you have to wonder what Jeff Bezos is thinking. You have to wonder what Apple will do, too: while there are certainly all kinds of other things the theoretical tablet can do, it's possible that, if they are as close as some people think, Apple and Amazon will end up competing over content delivery, and one or the other may have to change its royalty offerings in order to attract more premium content.

    That's all a ways down the line, of course -- first, Apple needs to announce the tablet, and then we have to see what happens in terms of releasing content for it. But there's no question Amazon and other companies are watching Apple's plans in the App Store, and it'll be interesting to see what comes next.

    TUAWAmazon Kindle moves to App Store's 70/30 revenue split originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    App Store - Apple - Unofficial Apple Weblog - iTunes - Amazon Kindle
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  • iSaidWhat?! lets you put a twist on words

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    Arguments happen, words are thrown, and words are sometimes misconstrued. "Stop putting words in my mouth!", someone might say to you. With Tapparatus's iSaidWhat?! [iTunes link], now you can put words in someone else's mouth.

    Well, sort of.

    In addition to serving as a basic voice recorder, iSaidWhat?! also allows you to cut and rearrange audio snippets. Take the following interaction between Jerry and Dorothy:

    Jerry: I love you. You complete me. If I had just...
    Dorothy: Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at hello. You had me at hello.

    Using iSaidWhat?!, you could break down recorded audio into blocks of words or into individual words. So, the above conversation can rearranged into the following:

    Jerry: You love me. I complete you.
    Dorothy: Shut up. Just shut up.

    The app is very polished and a delight to use. Users are presented with two tabs, one a list of their recordings and the other a list of their arrangements. A snappy and intuitive interface allows you to mark in- and out-points; and after you've completed marking these points, you're asked what you'd like to name it.

    After completing an audio compilation, you can share it with the world. The app allows you to share your creation via email (which it encodes as a .wav file), over the network, Facebook and Twitter. iSaidWhat?! is available for purchase at the iTunes store for USD $1.99.

    TUAWiSaidWhat?! lets you put a twist on words originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    iPhone - Facebook - Apple - Twitter - iTunes
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  • Analyst tidbits suggest a Verizon tablet or iPhone

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    With several analysts weighing in today on tablet components, there are a few items that might make you sit up a little straighter and take note -- especially if you're eager for an alternative to your AT&T contract.

    First, Ashok Kumar broke down his expectations for components in the hypothetical tablet, and Richard Doherty chimed in: a PA Semi-designed, Samsung-manufactured ARM processor may be the product's heart -- possibly sporting more than one core, which would give the imaginary product plenty of imaginary power. Kumar went on to ID a Broadcom Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module and a Qualcomm WWAN package as fellow travelers on the tablet motherboard.

    The presence of this Qualcomm chip in the parts list is what set off Scott Moritz at The Street, who extrapolates a Verizon deal for wireless data on the product; Qualcomm and CDMA are essentially synonymous, but the current iPhone uses an Infineon GSM module. While the same chipset could work with Sprint as a carrier (and that's the company already behind Amazon's Whispernet service), Verizon would certainly be the people's choice.

    Second, Brainstorm Tech/Apple 2.0 cites a client note from Peter Misek at Cannacord Adams, who believes that the "One More Thing" at the 1/27 announcement may well be a Verizon iPhone to arrive late in Q2 2010, with an LTE/4G model due in 2011. The hypothetical ViPhone would sport a CDMA radio for domestic use but would still be usable on GSM networks outside the US (not unlike the Blackberry 8830 World Phone model) -- in contrast to the report from The Street a few days back, which seemed to hint at a CDMA-only Verizon phone. How dreamy.

    TUAWAnalyst tidbits suggest a Verizon tablet or iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    IPhone - Apple - PA Semi - Verizon - Qualcomm
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