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McAfee predicts Apple under threat in 2011 (again)

It happens around this time every year -- some company that makes its money from security computers claims that next year will finally be the year the Mac goes under attack from virus programmers. This year it's McAfee, who are claiming in a report that due to the popularity of iOS devices, Apple will become a "prime target" for hackers and virii in 2011. As you might expect from a company that sells anti-virus software, McAfee claims that its research shows "threats of data and identity exposure will become more pronounced," especially on the Mac. Go figure.

That's not to say that you shouldn't be careful about your computer -- always stay away from sketchy websites and browse as securely as you can, always use secure passwords, and always keep your Mac up to date with the latest patches and fixes, just in case. I'm not even saying that all anti-virus software is a waste of money -- there are some good worthwhile solutions out there if you feel they're necessary. But the anti-virus folks have been predicting Macs will finally get threatened for years now, and Apple's platform is still much more secure than most others.
McAfee predicts Apple under threat in 2011 (again) originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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$600k a week iPad-controlled charter yacht

First land, then air, and now sea -- the $600,000 per week charter superyacht, called "Solemates," is also controlled by Apple's iPad device. When you rent the boat and step onboard, the captain hands you an iPad with a custom-made app that allows you to control the lights and climate systems on the boat, control entertainment systems, and even summon crew members while onboard. Pretty snazzy, though of course it's far from cheap -- anyone with enough money to spare to rent this boat probably doesn't have any issue picking up an iPad anyway.

Of course the iPad isn't the only amenity on the craft -- a wood interior fills up with natural light, and has spaces for dining and partying, and there's a sun deck on top with a jacuzzi for relaxing in when you're not staying in one of the cabin spaces for 12 guests. Quite a boat to be on, indeed.

[via 9to5Mac]
$600k a week iPad-controlled charter yacht originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Michael's Best of Tech 2010 list

It's time for that honored tradition that's inescapable at the end of every year: the annual best/worst lists. But I'm generally a positive kind of guy, so I'm just going to share my "best of" part of the list. Below you'll find my selections for the best of tech that I used in 2010. Some of the items on the list may have originated before 2010, but this is the year I really put the tech to use. So, without further ado, here is the Best of Tech 2010 as I see it.

Best Mac App: 2010 wasn't kind to the Mac app platform. The wild success of iOS and mobile apps in general seem to have taken a toll on innovative desktop apps. Hopefully the Mac App Store will reverse the trend. Until then if you are looking for a cool new Mac app, try OmmWriter Dāna. It's a word processor designed from the ground up to lend itself to the user's creative flow. You can read my review of it here. Try it out (there are both free and paid versions) and you'll find out just how much a little thing like a horizontal cursor can increase your creativity. You can download OmmWriter here.
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Michael's Best of Tech 2010 list originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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QWERTY case adds slide-out keyboard to your iPhone
Love that new iPhone you got for Christmas, but miss the full QWERTY keyboard from your old Blackberry? Feel like the iPhone should be a lot bigger than it is? You're in luck -- Boxwave has released their Keyboard Buddy Case which is both, well, a slide-out keyboard and a case for your iPhone. The case doubles the size of your phone due to the Bluetooth slide-out QWERTY keyboard that comes complete with a top row of numbers as well as Home and Spotlight search buttons. The Bluetooth-linked keyboard/case charges via USB and has a battery life of about 45 days, which isn't too shabby at all.

We have seen some bulky iPhone cases in the past along with some different add-on keyboards, but this implementation seems to be pretty slick. For wanna-be Apple customers like a friend of mine who refuses to switch to an iPhone because she doesn't think she could possibly use the virtual keyboard, something like this could be a nice compromise. Like the rest of us have done, they will eventually get used to virtual typing, but products like the Keyboard Buddy Case could act as a bridge to bring a few more Blackberry users over to the iPhone side.

The Keyboard Buddy Case is currently available on sale for US $69.95 (regularly $79.95) with free shipping from Boxwave.com

[via Wired and iLounge]
QWERTY case adds slide-out keyboard to your iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I move my iPhoto library to a bigger drive?
Dear Auntie TUAW:

Ever since getting an SLR camera as an early Christmas gift (during Thanksgiving actually), I've been taking high-res photos at a rapid clip -- and filling up my hard drive quickly in the process. In the last month, I've halved my disk space. Is there a good way to offload your iPhoto library to an external drive? I'd still want to be able to access it regularly, so perhaps via a wireless drive like the Time Capsule?

If that's not a smart way to go, what other alternatives are there? Should I just lower the image resolution on my camera from Large to Medium or Small? Seems like it would be kind of defeating the purpose of having such a good camera, but with photos running around 12 MB each (and videos exponentially larger), I'm worried about running out of HD space in January.

Ted

Continue reading Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I move my iPhoto library to a bigger drive?
Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I move my iPhoto library to a bigger drive? originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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App Store freeze has ended
Most of the country still has lots of winter to go through, but one thing has already thawed: the Apple App Store. Every year, Apple freezes changes on iOS apps during the holiday, in part to give the team that does updates a little break, and because sales tend to be quite volatile as people unwrap iPhones, iPod touches, and (this year for the first time) iPads on Christmas. But today marks the un-freezing of the store, so top paid and free charts will go back to changing at the whims of App Store shoppers, and app developers are free to submit updates and change app prices and descriptions again for the first time since last Thursday.

So far, not much has changed. We'll probably see a few of those holiday sales end this week, though EA still hasn't ended its big sale (as of this writing, anyway -- the rumor was that as soon as it could, the company would jack up its prices on popular apps, but that hasn't happened yet). It's possible that some games have done so well at their 99 cent sale prices that they'll just stay there, and/or the developers will find other ways to make them a little more profitable.

And I don't think we'll see any big new apps this week (most developers probably made sure to get their apps out before the holiday rush), but you never know -- with so many people making apps for iOS, there's usually always something ready to go.
App Store freeze has ended originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Confirmed: A million Apple TVs sold
All Things Digital has confirmed that rumor last week that Apple expected to sell a million of the new Apple TV units. One million of those little black boxes have wandered out the doors of Apple Stores everywhere, and presumably been plugged into televisions to stream content from iTunes, Netflix, and any other videos wandering around out there. Looks like the lower price point of under $100 combined with that new functionality and the AirPlay tricks have turned this "hobby" into an actual business.

The question now will be exactly what that means. When the iPhone took off, Apple transformed itself somewhat into a mobile device company, and many people (including Apple leadership, probably) believe that's where the future, especially the financial one, still lies. Not to say that a million Apple TVs compares to iOS device sales yet, but Apple has a growing hit on its hands here, and it'll be interesting to see how and if the company steps out to support it, or if the TV just remains a relatively cheap and easy way to bring iTunes content to the living room.
Confirmed: A million Apple TVs sold originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPod nano hacked, may open door to future jailbreak
The latest generation iPod nano has been hacked, a preliminary step that may lead to an eventual jailbreak. The sixth generation iPod nano became available in September of this year and featured an operating system that superficially resembled iOS. Under the hood, the mini MP3 player runs an alternative operating system that has been poked and prodded by devs since its launch.

Developer James Wheaton is the first to crack open the nano and install a Springboard hack that let him remove an app and create a black space. To achieve this hack, Wheaton first figured out how to bypass the cache comparison on the device. The cache comparison scans the Springboard file and reverts it if modifications are discovered. Wheaton was able to bypass this step and boot the device using a modified Springboard plist file. This opens the door for other devs to take this work one step further and possibly jailbreak the device.

Wheaton also discovered some hidden features on the device including support for Apps, vCards, Calendar events and more. Some of these hidden features, such as movie and TV support, were originally spotted when the device first landed on retail shelves. With a little bit of time and effort, Wheaton hopes to enable some of these hidden features on the iPod nano. For those interested in the Springboard hack, Wheaton promised to post additional details later this week. While you wait, check out his proof of concept video after the break.

[Via MacStories]
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iPod nano hacked, may open door to future jailbreak originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mac 101: Backup basics with Time Machine and more
Did you get a new Mac for Christmas? Before you go too far in loading your Mac with software and files, make sure that you have a backup strategy. As a certified Mac consultant, I can tell you that there are two kinds of computer users: those who have lost data through error, hardware failure, or accident, and those who are going to lose data in the future.

Most of the bloggers at TUAW are backup fanatics, and many of us have multiple backups using Time Machine (the backup app built into Mac OS X), cloning applications like Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper!, and online backup services like Carbonite, Mozy, and BackBlaze.

In this edition of Mac 101, I'll take you through the basics of setting up your Time Machine backup to a local hard drive, explain the power of cloning apps, and tell you why off-site backups are a good idea.

Continue reading Mac 101: Backup basics with Time Machine and more
Mac 101: Backup basics with Time Machine and more originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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CNN says Apple's "antennagate" biggest tech fail of 2010

CNN has a list of their biggest tech "fails" of 2010 and the #1 spot is the iPhone 4 antenna issue, aka "antennagate." Perhaps it was inevitable that the hubris of Apple's past decade would eventually catch up with the company.

Antennagate, as you may recall, was the issue around a precipitous drop in "bars" (the apparent reception on your iPhone) when the iPhone 4 was held in the "death grip." I experienced this on launch day, even had a few dropped calls when putting the lower left corner of the phone into my palm. But according to Apple in a rare press event to address the issue, less than 1% of iPhone owners actually reported this issue to Apple.

Nevertheless, CNN also notes that the issue has quietly faded away (after a bumper giveaway and OS update or two), and the phone is still a huge seller. The fail appears to have been a mere blip. It certainly didn't have as widespread an effect as the Gawker media sites being hacked, which came in at number seven.
CNN says Apple's "antennagate" biggest tech fail of 2010 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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New York Times updates iPad app to stop constant crashing
It's about time. Ever since the NYTimes for iPad app replaced the lame Editors' Choice app it has been tough sledding trying to read the news. It often took a long time to load, and then before displaying a single story, it crashed. I re-installed the app, and that made things better for a while until the crashes returned.

I wasn't the only one having trouble. The app store reviews of the previous version were brutal.

The app was updated over the holidays, and I'm happy to report it is far more stable. I can actually read the news without having to constantly re-launch the app. The only downside I experienced was I had to log in again. If I had been commuting or on a trip and didn't have that info it would have been a pain.

The New York Times app is free, but in early 2011 it will require a subscription. The old version wasn't worth $.02 so I'm glad to see the app back on track. If you dumped the app in disgust it's worth another look now, even though it is not perfect. In particular, the navigation bar at the bottom covers up some text unless you dismiss it. If you don't register for a free account, the app will constantly nag you. Ironically, the iPhone app from the Times works great. The developers writing the iPad app should take the iPhone team to lunch and get a bit of advice.
New York Times updates iPad app to stop constant crashing originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Lawsuit over app privacy targets Apple and developers
Apple and several mobile developers are facing two separate lawsuits over the collection and unauthorized sharing of private user data with third-party advertising networks, according to iLounge. The first lawsuit, Freeman vs. Apple, was filed in a northern California federal court and targets applications such as Pandora, Dictionary.com, The Weather Channel, Toss It, Text4Plus, Talking Tom Cat and Pimple Popper Lite.

The second lawsuit, Lalo vs. Apple, was filed in federal court in San Jose, California and seeks class action stats for anyone who has downloaded an offending application between December 2008 and last week. Similar to the first lawsuit, the Lalo vs. Apple suit targets Pandora, Paper Toss, The Weather Channel and Dictionary.com. Apple is included in both suits as the App Store approval process makes the company an "aider and abetter" to the deceptive practices of these applications.

The lawsuits stem from a recent Wall Street Journal investigation that revealed several iOS and Android applications were transmitting age, gender, location and device identifier information to third party advertising companies.

This information was mined by the recipients and used to serve up relevant in-app advertisements. Unfortunately, this exchange of information was done without the user's knowledge or consent. While most of the collected information is not personally identifying, the hidden nature of the exchange caused a stir among privacy advocates. It was only a matter of time before this moral outrage turned into a class-action lawsuit.
Lawsuit over app privacy targets Apple and developers originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Daily Deals for December 28, 2010
Again from our partners at dealnews, some app deals, some Mac deals and a bunch of accessories and objects for your digital media hub strategy this season.
- iTunes Store: iPhone App Store Freebies: Vectorama, iDestroy, Furoshiki Guide, more
- iTunes Store: iPhone App Price Drops: Awareness!, Produce Tracker, ROCK BAND, more
- MacPromo: MacPromo Mac Time-Saving Bundle: 10 utilities for $50
- Western Digital Store: Refurb Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player for $40 + free shipping, more
- iGoneMobile: iPhone / iPod Accessories: iPod Nano Kit for $10 + free shipping, more
- Everydaysource: Heavy Duty Camera Hand Strap for $5 + free shipping
- Walmart: RCA 7" Portable LCD TV for $60 + $5 s&h
- B&H Photo Video: Western Digital Elements 1.5TB USB External Hard Drive for $79 + free shipping
- Abe's of Maine: Canon VIXIA HF-R10 1080p HD Digital Camcorder for $258 + free shipping
- HandHeldItems: HandHeldItems: Up to 93% off iPhone 4 cases + 20% off, $2 credit
- MidnightBox: Golla Sahara 15" Laptop Sleeve for $7 + $4 s&h
- Meritline: All-in-One USB Memory Card Reader for 69 cents + free shipping
Daily Deals for December 28, 2010 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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TUAW's Daily App: Burn the Rope
This isn't an iOS port of the great Flash game You Have To Burn the Rope, though an upgraded version of that would be nice to have. Instead, this one is a pretty inventive puzzle title by a company called Big Blue Bubble. The idea is that you touch anywhere along a rope to start up a flame, and then you have to keep that flame burning by tilting your iPhone so that the fire always burns up.

It works really well as a physics puzzle game, and each level has certain percentage goals of the rope to burn (and later there are enemies to burn through as well), and whenever your flame splits off at different intersections, you need to watch each side of the flame and make sure it has vertical room to grow. Getting through the levels is not that hard, but burning everything on the screen is both challenging and fun (when you can actually do it). It's a really inventive game. Something only possible on the iPhone, it takes a nice different angle and just iterates on it, similar to popular games like Angry Birds and Cut the Rope.

That iteration lasts over 80 levels, and the developers promise even more to come. There's no Game Center integration, unfortunately, but there is a silly theme song, and all of those levels make for quite a bit of game. As of this writing, the game is on sale for a buck, but I think it's worth it even for a few bucks. It's too bad there's no lite version to try out, because the concept really is original. But if you like puzzlers like Cut the Rope and Zen Bound, this one will probably scratch that same itch.
TUAW's Daily App: Burn the Rope originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Unity box turns iPhone into an IR remote
The UnityRemote box sits on your coffee table or some other centrally located place in your living room. Using Bluetooth wireless technology, Unity takes orders from your iPhone and transmits those commands through an IR beam to any other IR device in your living room. This includes your television, cable box, home theater system and just about everything that makes up your home viewing experience.

The Unity has an app you plunk on your iPhone to accomplish all this, but the app lets you do more than just send single commands to your home theater system. You can create macro commands, called "actions," that will follow a series of pre-programmable instructions to your system. For example, if you want an "action" to "turn on the TV, then flip to the Blu-ray player and play whatever disk is loaded," the Unity can do that.

The Unity seems like it's a lot of fun, and since it's priced at a mere US$100, it seems like something most of us could enjoy in our living room.

[via Wired]
Unity box turns iPhone into an IR remote originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone 4 getting stickers in Japan for mobile payment solutions

NFC technology comes to the iPhone 4 thanks to the Japanese carrier SoftBank, which is offering Sony's FeliCa payment system for the iPhone 4. The system includes an NFC-enabled "seal" that affixes to the back of the iPhone 4 and is compatible with the official Apple bumper case. From the carrier's press release, the system functions independent of the iPhone, so you do not have to install specialized software for the system to work. Three different vendor systems will be available including those from WAON, Nanaco and Edy, a bitWallet solution. This NFC solution will be available for ¥2,980 (US$36) starting February 2011.

Of course, iPhone customers interested in NFC technology may want to wait for the iPhone 5 to arrive. The next generation iPhone may include an integrated NFC chip that would let you use your smartphone as an electronic wallet, a security passkey or even an eTicketing device for concerts, conferences and more. Such capabilities would boost the iPhone above the Android-powered Nexus S, which is being used in an NFC pilot program for local businesses in Portland, Oregon.

[Via Engadget]
iPhone 4 getting stickers in Japan for mobile payment solutions originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple launches 12 Days of Christmas promo for various European countries
Apple's 12 Days of Christmas promotion went live on December 26 for many countries in Europe. The annual promo sees Apple giving away free apps, songs, TV shows, films and music videos from the iTunes Store. Each free download is available for only 24 hours. Here are the countries the promo is running in:

UK: http://www.itunes12daysofchristmas.co.uk/
France : http://www.itunes12joursdecadeaux.fr/
Germany : http://www.itunes12tagegeschenke.de/
Italy : http://www.itunes12giornidiregali.it/
Switzerland : http://www.itunes12daysofchristmas.ch/
Ireland : http://www.itunes12daysofchristmas.ie/
Spain : http://www.nuestros12diasderegalos.es/
Netherlands: http://www.itunes12dagencadeaus.nl/
Norway : http://www.itunes12daysofchristmas.no/
Austria : http://www.itunes12tagegeschenke.at/
Finland : http://www.itunes12daysofchristmas.fi/
Sweden : http://www.itunes12daysofchristmas.se/
Luxembourg : http://www.itunes12daysofchristmas.lu/

In addition to the above websites, you can also track your country's promotions by downloading Apple's official iTunes 12 Days of Christmas app. The promotion runs until January 6, 2011.

Thanks to Richard P. for the list.
Apple launches 12 Days of Christmas promo for various European countries originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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