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- TUAW redux: The future of iPhone OS and Mac OS
One of the big topics of discussion yesterday in our TUAW back channel was this post from the New York Times Bits blog. In "Why can't PCs work more like iPhones," Bilton pointed out that the iPhone has given Apple a chance to build a new OS from the ground up.
This is a familiar viewpoint to us here on TUAW. Last year, I asked whether the future of the Mac OS would turn out to be the iPhone. In my write-up, I pointed out that the iPhone OS was built from scratch to work with Objective C 2.0 with its properties and other modern language features. Its API, far from being cobbled together, showed ever increasing design maturity without the weight of heavy backwards compatibility concerns. I concluded that Apple might take a lesson from the iPhone OS and consider offering a ground up redesign for Mac OS X, at least in terms of core OS principles.
In his post, Bilton considers how Mac OS X might integrate iPhone OS features into its user experience, suggesting a possible Front Row-like overlay layer, running an iPhone OS interface. The goal would be to craft iPhone-style GUI simplicity onto the desktop experience, so that users could move seamlessly between their mobile and desktop worlds.
But as much as we believe that Apple is heading cautiously in the direction that Bilton suggests, the TUAW consensus is that a desktop OS needs far more structure and, at the same time, flexibility than what the iPhone OS offers.
Our own Brett Terpstra points out that the current interface standards of the iPhone won't translate easily to desktop use. Apple's accommodations for the needs and limitations of mobile users with limited time and physical device space drive a design standard that doesn't hold up for day to day work at the desktop, where the focus is on precision and efficiency over any portability concerns.
Apple's "one app" model is a big part of the mobile user experience that would have to be quickly jettisoned. While Apple's iWork integration, announced at January's special event, points at greater desktop/iPhone OS file system integration, the iPhone OS's one app at a time paradigm simply doesn't work for a multi-purpose, multi-tasking flexible desktop environment. And that's not the only big change that would need to be made. Consider the whole question of each mobile application's GUI needing to fit the device. Desktop users are more comfortable with flexible view sizes in a multi-windowed environment. Terpstra says, "It would take too many concessions to translate the current interface standards of the iPhone OS to desktop use."
That doesn't mean that the two platforms can't share libraries. Already, OS frameworks -- the precompiled libraries of routines that OS X developers on both platforms link to to gain access to Apple-supplied functionality -- are growing closer. Under the hood, iPhone OS and Mac OS are essentially running the same OS, although the specific implementation details differ by platform. But Terpstra maintains that there are intrinsic limitations in that arena as well. He writes, " I don't see the iPhone, Apple TV and OS X ever all sharing a full code base. It would overpower mobile devices and underpower desktops. No one would be happy." That's the consensus here at TUAW as well.TUAWTUAW redux: The future of iPhone OS and Mac OS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone - Apple - Mac OS X - iphoneos - Mac OS
Переслать - Apple files for 'Magic Trackpad' trademark
Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, Peripherals, MacBook, iPad
Apple sure likes that word 'magic' lately. We already have the Magic Mouse, and soon we may have a 'Magic Trackpad'. That's the word from the Patently Apple website that keeps an eye on these sometimes mysterious Apple filings. Apple wants to have the rights to 'Magic Trackpad', and wants to make sure no one else can can get their sweaty little hands on it.
No one knows exactly what this thing is for, or where it might be used. It could be for the new iPad, or something for the upcoming laptop refresh. It could well be an extension of the work Apple has done on multitouch, or something completely different. Apple has filed under International Classification 009 which includes touchscreen and trackpad tech, so it's possible that they're just covering their bases on their current products, and nailing down a marketing name in advance.
Frankly, we're not quite sure what else Apple's trackpads can do to be any more magic -- you've already got the gestures, the multitouch, and vast application support. What's next -- a genie that appears when you swipe it just right?TUAWApple files for 'Magic Trackpad' trademark originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Interview with the creator of the Apple startup sound
Filed under: Hardware, Multimedia, Software, Apple, Developer
We met them while they were shooting on the Apple Campus, and now the creators of the Dutch site onemorething.nl have posted their interview with Apple sound designer Jim Reekes (who also appears in Welcome To Macintosh). They met up with Reekes while at Macworld in San Francisco a little while back -- he's the guy that programmed most of the sound in the early days, including the famous Mac startup chime and the legendary "sosumi" chime. What's most interesting to me is all of the math behind it -- while making music is traditionally seen as an art, there's a lot of technical know how and information that actually went into the sound's creation. Essentially, you're creating a beep that has to represent a brand, and that mix of technical data with artistic representation is fascinating.
Plus, Reekes definitely seems like a guy who's been around both the technical and musical blocks a few times before, and it's cool to hear him pontificate on all of the hard work he did back in the day. It's also interesting to see someone who has such a personal tie to a sound that is so ubiquitous and means so much to so many people -- an "ear-con," he calls it. Very nice interview.TUAWInterview with the creator of the Apple startup sound originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Associated Press sources report Associated Press working on iPad app
Filed under: iPad
Business Insider's The Wire is reporting, rather humorously, that AP sources have the scoop that the Associated Press is working on its own iPad app. It will reportedly be a paid subscription news app that generates content from the AP and more than 1,000 member newspapers and broadcasters.
The AP follows the New York Times and other news sources that are developing applications for the iPad. While the AP doesn't say if the app would be available for the iPad launch late next month, the hope is that its eventual release will generate sales from the three million people who have downloaded their free iPhone app and would be willing to pay for the apps features on a larger-screen device. To get users interested in the app, it may be free upon initial launch.
From the official press release:
The group already has drawn up plans to charge for an application designed for the iPad, a 1.5-pound tablet computer that Apple Inc. is scheduled to release at the end of March. The price of the application has yet to be determined, although it might start free, according to Jane Seagrave, a senior vice president who becomes the AP's chief revenue officer Monday.
Much like the AP Mobile news product, the iPad app will show custom packages of headlines, stories, photos and video from the AP and from newspapers and broadcasters that choose to contribute their content and share the revenue. AP members also could use the same system to offer their own iPad apps that show their own content.
The AP iPad app is just the first product from the AP's new business unit known as "AP Gateway" that will focus on mobile platforms. The AP is among the legion of print-centric news organizations that have seen revenue hit hard by free papers and the internet. A week ago, a Dutch paper made the case that devices like the iPad are the newspaper industry's only hope for paid distribution. While many still debate whether the iPad is the savior the publishing industry needs, it's clear that the major publishers are gearing up for an iPad world.TUAWAssociated Press sources report Associated Press working on iPad app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Minutes from Apple's shareholder meeting
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Steve Jobs, Apple
Fortune's Apple 2.0 blog has some unofficial minutes from this week's Apple shareholder meeting -- while press weren't actually allowed inside the event (which featured Apple's board, including Al Gore, Steve Jobs, and new co-lead director Andrea Jung), that didn't stop an anonymous shareholder from revealing the goings-on. Not that it mattered much -- the whole affair sounds pretty boring, with Apple running down what they've done in public over the past year, along with lots of formalities and shareholder votes.
One highlight is that Steve Jobs sounds like he's got the magic back -- apparently he was "feisty" during the Q&A session, and he sounds like he's back to work, saying that Apple is holding onto their piles of cash for some "big, bold moves." There was news that Apple is planning to expand their retail presence in China, opening up 25 Apple Stores over there over the next two years. Both a stock split and a sustainability proposal were brought up, discussed, and turned down by the shareholders (more on the stock split here on TUAW in just a bit).
In short, Apple is a company, just like any other. It's actually fun to see behind the doors on this one, and get a look at the mechanics that drive this historic company. You almost get a sense of what Jobs is like in actual meetings -- fairly demanding, always pushing for answers (or questions), and while opinionated, always fair (Eric Schmidt was brought up, and Jobs said that the Google VIP "conducted himself appropriately" while at Apple). Despite the fact that those two proposals were declined, it sounds like a productive meeting.TUAWMinutes from Apple's shareholder meeting originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Directly connecting and syncing content between your Mac and Apple TV
Filed under: How-tos, Tips and tricks, Apple TV
After many years together, my Linksys WRT54G and I have parted ways. In its place, I'm now using an 802.11g-based Apple AirPort Express with AirTunes that was passed along to me. Besides not wanting to fork out the extra beans (c'mon, who here isn't saving up money for an iPad) for a shiny new 802.11n Airport Express, the devices living in my current wireless ecosystem are more g-leaning. That, and I don't really need the speed of 802.11n or the ethernet cable connection afforded to me by the WRT54G.
Or so I thought.
I had just restored my Apple TV to factory settings when I realized that I'd have to transfer 20GB of videos back to it from my MacBook Pro. Waiting for paint to dry would be more fun than waiting for all 20GBs to transfer using the AirPort Express's 802.11g connection. Or, for old times' sake, I could bring the WRT54G out of temporary retirement and connect the two together. But I didn't want to do that.
However,
as all modern ethernet-equipped Apple products are of the gigabit ethernet spec,I could just plug an ethernet cable directly between the two and party like it's 1999. And if this was 1999, I wouldn't be able to do this without a crossover ethernet cable. Update: As pointed out in the comments, the Apple TV actually doesn't have a gigabit port -- it's a 10/100 connection -- but both the Mac and ATV ports support auto-sensing, which removes the requirement of the crossover cable when connecting the two devices.To begin, you may want turn off the AirPort connection on your Mac to avoid any network device priority issues. After connecting your Mac directly to your Apple TV, head on over to "Settings" on your Apple TV and select "Network." Then, hop on over to "Configure Ethernet" and select "Use DHCP." Voila! You may now sync to your heart's content.
Neat trick if you need to transfer a lot of files fast. Of course, it'll use the port up on both computers, and you won't have the use of your internet connection during the transfer, but for a quick share, it's the easiest way to do things.TUAWDirectly connecting and syncing content between your Mac and Apple TV originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Ask TUAW: Shopping for new Macs, iPhone home screens, home folder on external disk, and more
Filed under: Features, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAW
Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we have questions about whether to buy a 27" iMac or a MacBook Pro, increasing the number of iPhone home screens, moving your home folder to an external disk, and more.
As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify), or if it's an iPhone-related question, which iPhone version and OS version you have.
Bayuze asksI have a iPhone 3G 8GB. There are 11 home screens on my device now and I noticed that when I install new apps they don't appear anywhere and are only available if I search for them. How can I rectify this? Does this mean that 11 is the maximum number of home screens?
You are correct that the default maximum for iPhone home screens is 11, though additional apps can be accessed by searching. It turns out that there is a hack that may allow you to access more than 11 home screens. However, this appears to be unreliable and is probably not the kind of thing one should depend on. If you really consistently want more than 11 home screens I think you'll have to jailbreak your phone.
Joe asksMy 27" iMac's hard drive is slow. I've decided to replace it with an SSD. OS X, applications and my Aperture Library are the only things that will live on the SSD. Everything else, which is just my user's home folder, will live on a FW800 external drive.My question is this: When I get the SSD and install a fresh copy of Snow Leopard, do I create a new user with the same name as my current user then point that account to the external drive or will SL see the user account that's already on the external drive? What's important in the Advanced Options for a user account -- i.e. should I note the User ID, Group ID, Short Name, Login Shell, and UUID of my current user and replicate that with the new install?
As it turns out, our own Robert Palmer discussed moving a home folder last year. It certainly can't hurt to note all of those things you mention (the easiest thing to do is just take a screenshot), but all you really should have to do is change the home folder location in the Advanced Options. Although I get the sense you're already aware of this, for everyone else you can get to these options simply by right-clicking on the account name in the Accounts Preference Pane. This will allow you to select the location of your home folder just by navigating to the external drive with the standard Open file sheet. Do keep in mind Robert's warning that "in the past, some security and software updates have been confused by the fact that a user's home folder isn't on the startup disk."
amiga_tone asksI don't get the whole 3G/WiFi version of the iPad. If the device comes with BlueTooth and iPhone tethering (in general) is supported in your country then the only point of selling a 3G compatible iPad is if you don't own a mobile phone. Based on this why would you own an iPad but not a mobile phone?... If they offer no 3G tethering here in Australia then you have to pay 2 monthly service fees (iPhone and iPad) and have 2 separate caps. If tethering is allowed then you will only have to pay 1 monthly service fee but share you data cap across 2 devices - though you would be more inclined to use the iPad for data access than your iPhone - or would you?
This isn't really a technical question, but I would point out a couple of things. There are lots of people who purchase USB cell modems (or MiFi devices) even though they already have mobile phones. Furthermore, in the US, AT&T still hasn't gotten around to allowing tethering on the iPhone officially, so you're out of luck if you live in the States anyway. Finally, the pricing difference really seals the deal. Again in the US, the standard tethering price for smartphones is $60/month. So if you think about it, the additional price of the 3G iPad will be made up in only a little more than four months given the much lower monthly data charge of $30/month. Given the pricing model (and lack of contract), plus the convenience of not having to set up the tether, I think the 3G iPad is definitely worth it if you're ever going to use it outside of a Wi-Fi hotspot. And I'll put my money where my mouth is once it's released.
jakejohnson asksI want to purchase a new 27" iMac with the i7 processor. However, the reports of DOA units and yellow screens on various forums has me worried. I have decided to pull the trigger and buy one in the next couple of weeks, UNLESS(!) there is reason to believe that the iMacs will receive a small spec bump in the coming months. A slightly more powerful i7 chip as well as the addition of an eSATA port and SSD options have been rumors. Do I have any reason to believe that any of these rumored rumors might have some truth to them, and that I might see any one of them happening in the first half of this year?
As always with Apple products, you can't really act on the basis of rumors. There's obviously no guarantee that any of those features will be included in the next revision. That said, the MacRumors iMac Buyer's Guide is a handy resource for the time since the last update. You can see that the present model is only about half-way through the normal iMac product cycle, so if you choose to wait for a new model you're likely to be waiting several months (and it may still not have those features you mention).
As regard the potential problems with the 27" iMac, particularly the yellow screen issue, a good place to look is over at Gizmodo where they've been keeping track of the problems. Their recommendation at this time is that it's safe to buy a 27" iMac, but that you should run this lcd test when you get it and return it for exchange if there's a problem.
sinX asksWill the ipad be able to use that NetShare app that was on the app store for a bit to connect through?
Well, obviously we won't know for sure until the iPad is released, but I rather doubt it. According to this NetShare setup guide you have to create a Computer-to-Computer network for this to work. It seems unlikely to me that the iPad will be able to do that, and if so, it seems unlikely that it will work with NetShare. If you're willing to jailbreak (along with all that entails) I suspect that the iPad will be able to connect though MyWi ($10).
Jay asksMy MacBook Pro is getting pretty old (bought it with the first wave of MBPs back in law school - still running Tiger) so I'm considering upgrading to a fancy new model sometime soon. Seeing as how there haven't been any MBP refreshes lately, should I wait a little longer until they push out some new models? How long do you think I'll be waiting? I'm all for instant gratification, but if waiting an extra three to four weeks means a much better computer for the same amount of dough, I'm willing to put up with my current laptop for the time being. What say you, TUAW?
As with the last question, you can't guarantee anything with product refreshes. However, the MacRumors Guide for the MacBook Pro suggests that an update is really due. PC manufacturers are starting to put out Core i5 and i7 laptops, which is making the MacBook Pro line look increasingly dated. Part of the problem seems to be an issue with the graphics chipset, because of a licensing squabble between Nvidia and Intel. In short, in your shoes I would definitely wait for a few weeks because the performance improvements on the Core i7 will very likely be significant.
sn0man1 asksI love the idea of the 'find my iPhone' for mobileme but was wondering if there was a 'find my MacBook' feature as well? I recently had my MacBook stolen and replaced it, but would like to be prepared if it happens again.
It wouldn't really be feasible for Apple to implement this, at least in the same way, because the MacBook lacks a GPS component. That said, there are third-party laptop recovery applications out there that do offer some similar protection by getting general location data through Wi-Fi or IP addresses. Check out our recent post on hidden for more information on one such service (and links to others). I should point out, though, that even Back to My Mac has helped recover a stolen MacBook.
TUAWAsk TUAW: Shopping for new Macs, iPhone home screens, home folder on external disk, and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Line2 adds a second line to your iPhone for $15 a month
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, iPad
Would you like to add a second line to your iPhone? Perhaps you'd like to add a business number to the phone, but your existing phone is currently tied to your personal mobile number. You could always carry a second phone, but that's an expensive proposition, particularly if you're an iPhone addict.
VoIP provider Toktumi has a solution that may work out well for you. They're now selling an app called Line2 (US$0.99) that mimics many of the capabilities of the standard Phone app, complete with a form of visual voice mail. Purchasing the app provides you with one month of free VoIP service. After that point, each month's continued service costs $14.95 for unlimited calls within the US and Canada. The service is purchased in-app, and was a point of confusion for me -- the app listing in the iTunes store shows a "Top In App Purchase" at a cost of $19.99 for a month. Toktumi's website and the promotional video (above) do show the lower monthly rate.
While many VoIP solutions require a Wi-Fi connection to work, Line2 works over both 3G and Wi-Fi. The app has many of the features you might want in a business phone, including call waiting and call transfer, the ability to create conference calls with up to 20 participants, and even integration with Toktumi's hosted PBX service.
For small businesses that want to present a more professional image to callers, Line2 might be just the right solution. Toktumi notes that the app also works with both the iPod touch (Wi-Fi only) and iPad (Wi-Fi or 3G).TUAWLine2 adds a second line to your iPhone for $15 a month originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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