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- Jailbreakme.com: Jailbreaking Made Absolutely Painless
I admit to being pretty spineless when it comes to using unauthorized software on my iDevices, but recent posts regarding the continued value of jailbreaking such devices had me thinking about getting over my fear and making the leap. As if on cue, Jailbreakme.com 2.0 comes around to make it easier than ever to indulge that particular whim.
In case you haven’t heard, jailbreakme.com is the resurrected version of the original website, which allowed you to jailbreak devices running iPhone OS 1.1.1. It’s back again, and this time, it’s ready to take on iOS 4.0 and 4.0.1 on all iPhone and iPod Touch devices, and iOS 3.2.1 on the iPad. It all happens from your device’s Safari browser, without requiring a computer at any stage during the process.
The new jailbreak process comes via comex of the Dev-Team, and I can attest from personal experience that it makes things impossibly simple. I have an iPhone 4 and an iPad, but there’s no way I’m risking the warranty on those two beauties just yet, so I dusted off the old iPod touch 1G that got me started on iOS devices and put that to the task.
On the iPod touch, I booted up Safari and pointed the browser at http://www.jailbreakme.com. You should see a screen that looks like this if you’re in the right place (shot is from my iPhone 4, since it changes after you finish the process):
After that, I followed the directions on-screen and left the house to run some errands. I was probably gone for about an hour, so I’m not sure how long the process took, but it was done by the time I returned. My iPod touch was plugged in at the time just in case, but the battery is quite old. I think it should be fine to leave newer devices unplugged.
After the process is complete, you’ll see a message congratulating you and informing you that the Cydia store app is now on your desktop. Finally, launch Cydia and allow it to update its repositories and sources, then browse for the apps you want to install. Backgrounder, SBSettings, BossPrefs and ProSwitcher are good places to start if you’re not familiar with the jailbreak landscape.
The new jailbreak method uses an exploit in the way iOS handles Adobe PDF files, of all things, so basically you can thank the Flash maker for your newly jailbroken device. If anything goes wrong during the jailbreak process, you can restore using your computer, or by putting the device into DFU mode if all else fails, and try again. Cydia has been running a little slowly the past few days, presumably because so many are using this method, so be patient if you’re experiencing problems post-jailbreak in that area.
Anyone else done it yet, or planning on doing it? What about on newer devices? Still worth it?
Переслать - Apple Pushes Forward With Streaming Video Plans
The latest evidence that Apple will soon begin streaming video comes from CNET, which reports that the consumer electronics manufacturer is putting its resources behind a cloud-based video service. The report comes as Apple has transitioned many on the team from online music service Lala to work on streaming video instead.
Apple acquired Lala in December of last year, but shut down the streaming music service shortly thereafter. Now it seems Lala’s technology and personnel are being used to build a cloud-based video service, which could replace Apple’s current system for downloading movies and TV shows.
The rollout of Apple’s streaming video service could coincide with the introduction of the next version of Apple TV, which is expected to be sold for around $99. The device will reportedly run the iOS operating system, which is also used on iPhone and iPad devices, and have Flash memory installed rather than a dedicated hard drive.
According to NewTeeVee sources, Apple will also introduce streaming TV show rentals for 99 cents, half the price of its current download-to-own option. CNET reports that the new video service would also allow users to purchase movies once and store them on Apple servers, allowing them to access that content whenever they wanted.
The Apple initiative is similar to plans from the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), an industry consortium that has announced a cross-platform digital rights management framework allowing consumers to buy a piece of content once and watch it on a number of supported devices. A cloud video service from Apple would presumably enable its users to stream movies and TV shows to their PCs, iPhones, iPads and the new Apple TV set-top box.
Moving to streaming is an important step for Apple, as its iOS-based devices are constrained by a limited amount of Flash-based memory for storing files. A typical hour-long, standard-definition TV download from iTunes is about 600 MB to 800 MB, and about twice that size in HD. That limits the amount of content that users are able to download and store on their Apple devices. A cloud-based, streaming service would give users access to their content only when they wanted it, alleviating the need for local storage.
Related content on GigaOM Pro: Apple's Path to the Living Room (subscription required)
Переслать - iPad App Roundup: 6 Television & Movie Apps
If you’re a movie and/or television buff, then the iPad may be your new best friend. We’ve got a round up of six different apps to help you consume your favorite televisions shows and movies. Enjoy!
Netflix (Free, Subscription Required)
Netflix has made a name for itself with its excellent service, and many were surprised when it announced it would be coming to the iPad before the iPhone (on launch day, too). The Netflix app is basically a one-window browser that loads a tailored version of the site, allowing you to watch any movie in its instant-watch collection. You can also manage your movie queue, adding or deleting movies as you please. The app isn’t very polished, but it works. I’ve watched the entire three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender on it without incident. The app is free; the subscription, however, isn’t, and it’ll run you $9 a month. There’s a free 30-day trial, though, so you can evaluate whether you like it or not. Personally, I love it.
Hulu Plus (Free, Subscription Required)
Hulu, on your iPad is something that’s been anticipated for a long time. Full access requires a subscription to Hulu Plus, which will run you $10 a month. There’s a free gallery that has single episodes of some good shows like 30 Rock and Parenthood, which should give you a good idea of whether you want to pony up the $10/month or not. Unfortunately, a Hulu Plus subscription will not exempt you from the periodic ads that appear during playback.
ABC Player (Free)
You can watch full episodes of selected ABC shows, like 20/20, Desperate Housewives, and (my favorite) Modern Family. At last count, there are 33 evening shows, four daytime shows, and any specials that appeared within the last few months available. You can also view ABC’s schedule to find broadcast times for shows that aren’t on the list.
Flixster (Free)
Flixster shows you movie times at your local theaters and lets you buy tickets. It also shows ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and lets you play trailers for upcoming films. Sometimes it can be annoying, like when it pops up an advert for a film that you have to dismiss before you can use the app.
IMDb (Free)
IMDb is a huge database of movies, television shows and actors, so when you’re watching a movie with Netflix and want to know more about it, you can pop over to IMDb and find all the information you could ever want to know, like which actors appear in the movie, reviews and trivia. It also has local showtimes and trailers, like Flixster. The app is fast, well laid-out, and free.
Yahoo! Entertainment (Free)
Yahoo! Entertainment has an interesting interface that you’ll either love or hate. On the main screen is a living room, in which an ottoman is parked close to a glowing television, with a magazine, a TV guide, and a DVD case splayed out on the ottoman. Tapping on each item brings up a different part of the app. The magazine takes you to Yahoo! Entertainment News, the TV guide takes you to (what else?) a TV guide, and the DVD case takes you to Yahoo! Video. Each of these has their own unique interfaces, which are all quite attractive. The big thing is the TV guide, which shows you your local programming based on your service provider, and you can hide individual channels.
What apps do you use to keep yourself entertained? Tell us about them in the comments.
Переслать - Report: Apple to Take Top Spot in Portable Computing Market Share
A new report suggests the iPad is behind Apple’s unprecedented growth in portable computers, defined as notebooks, netbooks, and tablets. Apple took third place in worldwide market share for the second quarter of 2010, and is on a trajectory to become number one as soon as the end of the year.
Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Apple 2.0 reports on the disruptive numbers from Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore. By adding the 2.47 million Mac portables and 3.27 million iPads sold last quarter, Whitmore found that “Apple leapt over Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba and Dell in terms of global unit share.” Moving from seventh to third place, that puts Apple behind only HP and netbook king Asus, but there is magical trouble for Asus and other netbook makers.
According to Whitmore, while every one of the top five computer manufacturers saw growth slow year over year, “Apple’s traditional MacBook business posted accelerated unit growth on a year-over-year basis in Q2 despite the launch of the iPad.” Mac portables saw 33 percent growth year-over-year, compared to an industry average of 24 percent as reported by IDC.
While Mac portables making big gains with the iPad might seem counter-intuitive, we’ve been here before. Like the iPod and the iPhone, the iPad requires a computer for synchronization, and if you like the iPad–and who doesn’t?–maybe you would like the Mac. This might also answer the question, “Why Do You Need a Computer to Use an iPad?” for Apple to make big coin.
Even better, Mac portables may finally be getting a foot in the door of business. According to Forrester Research, the iPhone, once disdained by IT departments as “unserious, insecure, trendy and suitable only for customers,” is now supported by “29% of North American and European enterprises.” That growing acceptance is expected to be extended to the iPad, though the “BlackBerry still rules the roost.” Maybe not for long.
According to web metrics firm Net Applications, “the iPhone posted its largest single-month usage gain ever in July,” going from 0.59 percent to 0.7 percent of overall OS market share. That is by far the single largest jump since the iPhone was introduced. So much for “Antennagate,” and at least for now the iPhone is growing faster than Android again, at twice the pace.
As for RIM and BlackBerry, the last available data is for June, and at .07 percent it was a tenth that of the iPhone, but that’s as measured by web browsing. It should be noted that the BlackBerry still outsells the iPhone, 11.2 million to 8.4 million for the most recent quarter. However, if one includes other iOS devices, the iPod touch and iPad, Apple sold somewhere around 15 million devices last quarter.
Either way, Apple appears set to takeover the mobile world, and I, for one, welcome our new iOSverlords.
Переслать - Is Apple a Cult, a Religion or a Brand?
A university professor friend and recent platform-switcher jestingly refers to Apple and its users as “the Church of the Mac.” He’s become an enthusiastic Mac evangelist, and since has perceived some loose parallels between his technology conversion to Apple and his religious conversion to Catholicism.
My learned friend is far from unique in drawing analogies between computer platform affinities and religion. Back in 1994, Italian novelist Umberto Eco (writer of “Foucault's Pendulum” and “The Name of The Rose”) published a now-legendary, whimsical piece in the Italian news weekly Espresso, contending that the Microsoft/Apple rivalry is "a religious war." Eco was "firmly of the opinion” that the Macintosh is Catholic; “It is cheerful, friendly, conciliatory, it tells the faithful how they must proceed step by step to reach — if not the kingdom of heaven — the moment in which their document is printed." He pointed out that with a Mac you deal with simple formulae and sumptuous icons, and "everyone has a right to salvation."
On the other hand, Eco contended, the (then mostly DOS-based) PC was Protestant, “or even Calvinistic," demanding difficult decisions and interpretations, taking "for granted the idea that not all can reach salvation." The PC user "is closed within the loneliness of his own inner torment.” When the Windows graphical user interface was added to previously command line-only DOS, there came a superficial resemblance to the Macintosh's “counter-reformist tolerance." “Sort of like Anglicanism,” said Eco, with "big ceremonies in the cathedral," but “always the possibility of a return to DOS to change things in accordance with bizarre decisions: When it comes down to it, you can decide to ordain women and gays if you want to.”
Eco's tongue-in-cheek theological analysis of the computer wars stands up well and is still entertaining 16 years later.
Scholarly Investigations
Recently there’s another flurry of “Apple as religion” in the blogosphere. The Huffington Post’s Skye Jethani writes of “the power of consumer brands to supplant traditional religions in people’s lives,” noting that “new research has shown that Apple has achieved the same impact on the human brain as religion.”
TheAtlantic.com.’s Alexis Madrigal posted a riff noting that scholars seriously study Apple fans as “religious devotees,” one even outlining a framework for assessing Apple’s mystical mythology, contending that the company is founded on at least quasi-religious myths.
A four-myth construct compiled by Texas A&M University media professor Heidi Campbell in her paper “How the iPhone became divine” posits:
- A creation myth highlighting the counter-cultural origin and emergence of the Mac as a transformative moment;
- A hero myth presenting the Mac and its founder Steve Jobs as saving users from the corporate domination of the PC world;
- A satanic myth presenting Bill Gates as the enemy of Mac loyalists;
- A resurrection myth of Jobs returning to save the failing company.
Madrigal observes that these narratives aren’t myths in the sense of being untrue, but are archetypal illustrations that help people make sense of their relationship with the world (or at least Apple). He suggests the only element of core Apple fans’ belief system compromised by “Antennagate” is the hero myth, since Jobs didn’t initially live up to his Teflon reputation. However, he thinks the Antennagate press conference followed by robust iPhone sales in Apple’s quarterly financial report not only restored Jobs’ hero status, but refreshed the resurrection myth, citing Campbell observing that “Apple weathered the storm because there is such brand loyalty through the religious narrative.”
“Implicit Religion”
Fox News’s John R. Quain weighs in on Apple as a “new religion,” likewise referencing Texas A&M’s Campbell, who told him “Implicit religion can happen when the use of, say, technology becomes a substitute for belief and behaviours once attached to religion and religious practice,….The religious-like behaviour and language surrounding Apple devotion/fandom is an example of ‘implicit religion’.”
Campbell has cut to the nub of the issue. As a Catholic traditionalist, I have clearly-defined concepts of what I think constitutes bona fide religion, and notwithstanding that I’m a consummate Mac fanboy, I find it impossible to take “Apple as religion” seriously, as more than parody or satire, or more darkly–cultishness.
Apple Products and Traditional Religion
Not that Apple products aren’t having peripheral impact on real, traditional religion. In June, Fr. Paolo Padrini, a consultant with the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Social Communications, launched a free expanded iPad version of his iBreviary app, a daily prayer book for iPhone. iBreviary’s iPad variant, iBreviaryPro, contains the complete Roman missal — all that is said and sung at Mass throughout the liturgical year, plus commentaries, suggestions for homilies, and musical accompaniment, allowing priests to celebrate mass without hard copy Bibles and liturgical missals.
What sets iBreviary apart from other religious apps in the App Store is that it’s the first app with approval of the Vatican. Fr. Padrini has reported some 200,000 downloads of the iPhone version, and expects priests who travel a lot to find the application most useful.
Cult of Mac’s Nicole Martinelli reports that at least one Catholic priest switched to an iPad for officiating at outdoor masses in place of heavy books, commenting to The Apple Lounge (in Italian) that device is really easy to use.
That’s the sort of technology complimenting religion that even religious traditionalists can get behind.
Переслать - Review: Apple Magic Trackpad a Futile Gesture
A sleek representation in aluminum, plastic, and glass, plus 80 percent more multitouch by area than a MacBook trackpad; what’s not to like about the Magic Trackpad? Everything that really matters.
Removed from its minimalistic packaging, a press of the power button and the Magic Trackpad is recognized as a generic mouse by any Bluetooth-enabled Mac, even one running Windows. An update for Boot Camp provides basic mouse actions, but the "magic" of gestures is currently available via software update only for OS X 10.6.4 on Intel Macs—sorry, PowerPC users.
As for hardware, Apple’s industrial design superhero Jonathan Ive no doubt intended for form to follow function. The device is the surface, approximately five by four inches of tactile-pleasing glass.
Flipped upside down, the two rubber feet at the bottom are, in effect, right and left mouse buttons. "Clicking" the corners when the trackpad rests on any hard surface provides tactile feedback. Brilliant.
On its side, the Magic Trackpad is far less than an inch thin, excluding the cylindrical housing for two AA batteries. One end unscrews for battery access, and the other end holds the power button.
If this design seems familiar, it is. The Magic Trackpad is a perfect fit for the Apple Wireless Keyboard, except for one thing. It's not a mouse.
From Photoshop to StarCraft to Pages, the lack of precision compared to a $5-off mouse a close-out table at Best Buy was constantly irritating. Even when precision was not an issue, like scrolling in a web browser, the Magic Trackpad–any trackpad–will simply not be as smooth as a mouse.
If the comparison seems unfair, it is because the mouse is the device the Magic Trackpad is meant to replace. On a MacBook, the multitouch trackpad is a portability compromise–the best portable input device ever made–but still a compromise. Unfortunately, the Magic Trackpad doesn't even compare well against a MacBook trackpad.
It's not the size of the trackpad, but how you use it that matters. The MacBook trackpad is well-integrated in front of the keyboard and as part of the palm rest, allowing for thumb or finger movement, and more importantly two-handed usage.
Who drags a file by clicking with a finger on one hand and dragging with a finger on the other? Not someone using a Magic Trackpad. While you could use a three-finger swipe via preferences, you’d lose the fabulous navigation swipe. As for placing the Magic Trackpad in front of the keyboard, I found the larger size and lack of palm rest integration hindering more than helping. So, what's the solution?
Besides being the ultimate keyboard in conjunction with a Home Theater Mac, the as-yet-non-existent Magic Keyboard would eliminate the last difference between the laptop and desktop Mac experience in terms of input device. And make no mistake, with seven of 10 Macs sold last quarter being laptops, portability is the future.
“Just as you would on a MacBook," asserts the blurb on the back of the box regarding the multitouch experience of the Magic Trackpad; however, that’s wrong. While the Magic Trackpad is the next step towards a multitouch future, it's not there yet, and therefore I cannot recommend it.
But just wait till the Magic Keyboard gets here.
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