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- Quickly enable or disable JavaScript in Safari
By using "Disable JavaScript" on Safari's Develop menu, you can eliminate annoyances from some websites, without the frustration of disabling JavaScript altogether.
I'll even show you how to make a custom keyboard shortcut for it, so your fingers never even have to leave the keyboard.
The initial setup will take a few minutes, but it will be worth it when you realize the power you will wield in your fingers when you're done.
JavaScript by itself is neither good nor evil.
JavaScript is driving a car. Most people who drive cars are good folks just trying to get from Point A to Point B as easily and quickly as possible. Some people, however, are maniacs, some are drunk drivers, and some are just not very good at it.
The same is true for JavaScript. Most of the time you don't even notice JavaScript but it's working in the background to help you and the website work together. Have you ever typed something into a field and the website immediately recognized a problem? That was JavaScript. Unfortunately the analogs of "maniacs" and "drunk drivers" of the JavaScript world all seem to work in marketing. Popup windows? Popover windows? Ads that suddenly appear or slide over what you were trying to read? Also JavaScript. Those green-double-underline links or other links that show you ads when you hover over them? JavaScript.
My favorite is when I'm at a page that won't let me copy text or even right click, thinking this is some sort of "protection." The ironic part is that many of these sites (such as for music lyrics) are posting content they don't own in the first place, and then try to use JavaScript to block you from using it. On some sites you use Safari's Reader feature, but that doesn't always work. Fortunately, you have more tools at your disposal.
Read on for more on taming JavaScript.
Continue reading Quickly enable or disable JavaScript in Safari
Quickly enable or disable JavaScript in Safari originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Subsidized iPads starting slow in UK
Orange UK, as part of Everything Everywhere, announced their subsidy plan for new iPads back in November. According to information relayed from The Times by paidContent: UK, the company had expected to sell tens of thousands of the tablet over the holidays. However, it turns out they only sold a little over a thousand in the first week.
Updates to the original story say deeper sales occurred later in the holiday season, although there hasn't been much official confirmation about what that exact number might be. It seems clear that the subsidized iPads haven't started off as strongly as might have been hoped. The slow start could be due to subscribers being unwilling to stack iPad data plans on top of cellular plans, or Orange might not have gotten word out to its buyers.
[Via MacRumors]Subsidized iPads starting slow in UK originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Skateboard-inspired griptape wrap for the iPhone 4
Most people I know are keen on keeping their precious iPhones smooth and scratch-free. They opt for ergonomic surfaces that will keep the device looking cool as it's protected, the smooth surface allowing for easy pocket removal when needed. Sometimes, though, that slick surface can cause the phone to get away from you when you least expect it. So, butterfingers, this may be the solution for you.
SlickWraps has a $20 skateboard-inspired adhesive wrap for the iPhone 4 that's complete with scratchy skateboard griptape on the back, faux woodgrain on the front and sides. All of the necessary cutouts are there, including one for the Apple logo in the back.
Instead of it being scratched, the iPhone 4 will be doing the scratching. I imagine a phone with griptape won't be all that easy to remove from a tight pocket, so think about that before slapping this on your device.
[via iPhone Savior]Skateboard-inspired griptape wrap for the iPhone 4 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Macs coming back to Capitol Hill Senate offices
For years, members of Congress who wanted to use Macs in their offices were discouraged from doing so. That's all changing, and Thomas Burr of the Salt Lake Tribune now reports that incoming freshman senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) will have his big screen iMac in his new office. His staff will be using Macs as well.
In previous years, senators' Macs were virtually eliminated by the office of the Senate Sergeant of Arms (where the chief administrative and IT management functions reside for the legislative chamber). Despite the official "we don't support the Mac" stance, there were some holdouts. The late Senator Edward Kennedy had both desktop Macs and laptops, as did Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota.
Now the rules have changed, and Macs and iPads are making inroads where Apple products once feared to tread. By the way, Senator Orrin Hatch's office runs on Windows, but according to the Trib, the senior senator from Utah is using an iPad.
Macs coming back to Capitol Hill Senate offices originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iLife '11 Software Updates: GarageBand, iMovie
iLife '11 users -- fire up Software Update, as updates to GarageBand and iMovie have just appeared.
The GarageBand update to version 6.0.1 weighs in at 42.7 MB in size, improves stability, and:
- Fixes an issue related to undoing Flex Time edits
- Removes occasional latency that can occur on guitar tracks
- Restores ability to use the Quantize Note Timing menu for tracks with Groove Matching
The iMovie 9.0.1 update (28.5 MB) improves stability and:
- Fixes an issue where stabilization would not be applied correctly to some video clips from iPhone and iPod touch
- FIxes an issue that prevented use of some valid Facebook passwords that contained non-alphanumeric characters.
- Improves compatibility with some cameras that create content in multiple formats, and
- Improves performance when scrolling the Project Library.
[Pay no attention to that iPhoto 9.1.1 update in the screenshot... unless your Mac has been on vacation since December 21, you probably already have it!]
iLife '11 Software Updates: GarageBand, iMovie originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple awarded patent for multi-touch gestures on electronic documents
Today Patently Apple reports Apple has been granted another major multi-touch patent relating to e-docs.
Remember the first time you saw an iPhone television ad, showing the iPhone in action? The touch gestures seemed effortless, magical, like nothing you'd ever seen. Skeptics insisted the TV ads couldn't be real, prompting comparison videos after the iPhone's release.
Four years later, multi-touch is taken for granted. It's become "obvious" to other vendors how handhelds should work, so multi-touch is seemingly used on every new device you'll see at CES this week.
Apple thinks this competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal theirs, and keeps stockpiling the ammunition it needs to defend its innovations. In December, Apple received a patent for one of the primary elements of multi-touch, which we expected would help in its patent suit against HTC.Continue reading Apple awarded patent for multi-touch gestures on electronic documents
Apple awarded patent for multi-touch gestures on electronic documents originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Navigon offers free Nevada nav app for CES attendees
If you're headed to the big CES show (and we know a lot of our readers attend), Navigon can at least keep you from getting lost in Las Vegas.
For just a few days, you can download a special Audi-branded version of Navigon's GPS app that covers the whole state of Nevada. The special version includes Google local search, weather and location sharing. A pedestrian mode gives you walking directions, which is a big deal during CES. The app supports several languages, so visitors from outside the US will be well served.
I consider Navigon's app one of the top choices for iPhone based GPS navigation, and the company is hoping that people will try the app and want the same level of service when they get home.
You can pick the app up for a limited time in the App Store. The Audi Las Vegas Navigator requires an iPhone 4, 3GS or 3G. It's a 338 MB download.
Navigon offers free Nevada nav app for CES attendees originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Logitech's HD Pro Webcam C910 now ready for Photo Booth, iChat and FaceTime
Although Apple includes an iSight or FaceTime webcam in almost every Mac, the low resolution (640 x 480 pixels for most machines, 1280 x 960 resampled to 640 x 480 for new MacBook Pros) of the cameras has lagged behind the webcams available from other computer manufacturers. Logitech markets a large number of HD webcams, but few of them have been compatible with Mac OS X. Until now, that is.
Logitech has announced a software update for the HD Pro Webcam C910, which is a 1080p-capable HD camera. Although the APIs used for Mac apps such as Photo Booth, iChat, and FaceTime currently support only 640 x 480 streaming regardless of the camera used, the new Logitech software provides video capture in both 720p and 1080p. The software is also capable of capturing still photos at 10-megapixel resolution, and includes Logitech's proprietary Vid HD video calling capability.
The software allows integration with iPhoto and iMovie, and enables the C910 webcam to be used with Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, and Gmail Voice and Video Chat. The HD Pro Webcam C910 has a suggested retail price of US$100 and is available at online retailers for around $20 less. If you already own one of these webcams and just need the software, it's available for download from Logitech. The release notes for the Mac software say that it will be updated to support other Logitech webcams in the near future.
Logitech's HD Pro Webcam C910 now ready for Photo Booth, iChat and FaceTime originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - CarTrip will connect your iOS device and your automobileGriffin kicked off CES with a bang today by introducing several new products including the new CarTrip hardware and CleanDrive app for iOS or Android.
CarTrip is a Bluetooth-enabled monitor that plugs into your car's OBD-II port and compiles the data logged by the car's onboard computer. Data accessible to the Griffin device includes car acceleration, top speed, fuel consumption and diagnostic codes. The module can store this information to an external SD card using the built-in SD card port, or you can access the data directly using your phone or iPod touch/iPad and Griffin's CleanDrive application.
The CleanDrive application reads and analyzes the data provided from your car. Both individual trip and long-term data helps you analyze the fuel efficiency of your car and troubleshoot that annoying and often mysterious 'check engine' light. The application requires an iPhone, iPad, or a fourth generaton iPod touch with iOS 4.0 or later, while the Bluetooth module requires a 1996 or newer car that contains an OBD-II compliant system.
The CarTrip Bluetooth module will be available in Q1 2011 for $89.99 from Griffin's website. The free, companion CleanDrive app will debut in Q1 2011 for iOS and Q2 for Android. Anyone interested in a personal OBD-II monitoring system?Continue reading CarTrip will connect your iOS device and your automobile
CarTrip will connect your iOS device and your automobile originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Developers anticipate Mac App Store pricing, launch
As of today, Apple's Mac App Store is scheduled to launch in just about 48 hours. While considering the store's potential, Markus Nigrin of Windmill Apps posed several questions to developers in his network with interesting results. We've summarized his findings here, but we suggest you read the full post at Markus' site.
The participants are well-known members of the iOS developer community: Dave Frampton of Majic Jungle Software, Bryan Duke of Acceleroto, Matt Martel of Mundue and Craig Kemper of Little White Bear Studios. These four account for approximately 20 million combined iOS App Store downloads, and intend to bring Chopper 2 (from Majic Jungle Software), Air Hockey (from Acceleroto), ReMovem (from Mundue) and Compression (from Little White Bear Studios) to the Mac App Store.
Markus posted five questions to his panel: what to they expect from a Mac App Store equivalent to a successful iOS app, what do they expect from their app, what will the launch price be and what could be said about the development process? In the brief table above, you'll find some of the answers.
Four developers is certainly a very small sample, but three of the four questioned revealed that Mac App Store pricing will be the same as iOS Store Pricing (only Compression will be US$1 more). Expectations varied as well. Dave and Matt expect to get 10 percent of iOS sales out of Chopper and ReMovem, respectively, while Craig is hoping for 200 percent of sales of Compression for iOS and Bryan is hoping for 100,000 units sold (over time) of Air Hockey.
As for development time and cost, the group seemed pleased. The developers noted that Apple has made it easy to re-use code for a native Mac app. The panel reported that port time was less than four weeks, and that adjustments like the keyboard and HD support took most of that time. Additionally, the developers had created high-resolution graphics for the iOS apps, and were able to make them work with their Mac counterparts with minimal fuss. As Markus points out, the quick development turnaround contributed significantly to the 1:1 pricing model.
Consider that many iOS apps are a year or more in development, and "less than four weeks" becomes even more significant.
There's more to Markus' study, and we suggest you read the whole thing. In the end, the winners are Mac users. All four developers said the spent most of their time "making the apps perfect for the Mac." On January 6, expect high-quality, low-cost apps (er, software), lovingly crafted for the Mac by skilled developers. We can't wait.Developers anticipate Mac App Store pricing, launch originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Japanese government urges Apple to add content filtering to the iPhone
The iPhone is climbing up the ranks in the crowded Japanese mobile phone market, recently reaching the number five position behind Sharp, Panasonic, Fujitsu and Kyocera. The Japanese government is taking notice of this increasingly popular smartphone and is calling on exclusive carrier Softbank and Apple to install content filtering software in accordance with Japanese law. Japan's government requires mobile phone operators to install filtering software on handsets that are sold to minors to protect these youths from harmful website content. While the law does not carry any penalties, the National Police Agency still canvass mobile phone dealers to confirm handsets comply with this law.
A spokesperson from Softbank Mobile responded to the government's request with the argument that installing censorware on the iPhone would be a difficult process. Stores would need to obtain personal information, including credit card details, from each customer before installing the filtering software on a newly purchased iPhone. Thus far, the Japanese government has not responded to this reluctant response. It will interesting to see if Japan turns up the heat on Softbank and Apple to force them to comply with this protective law or if officials will just let it slide.
[Via Mobile Crunch]Japanese government urges Apple to add content filtering to the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Deutsche Bank analyst: Holiday Mac and iPad sales higher than expected
We've been speculating about just how popular iPads were during the first Christmas season with the revolutionary device, and we're also wondering how other Apple products did during the holidays.
In a report cited by AppleInsider, Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore says that sales of both iPads and Macs were better than expected, based on spot checks made by the company. The firm's investigation of Apple retail stores and other outlets also indicated that there were crowds waiting for iPhones, which they believe signifies good demand for Apple's smartphone.
Very few shortages of stock were reported by Deutsche Bank. While the 16 GB Wi-Fi version of the iPad had been the top seller in the past, the holiday season saw robust sales of the 32 GB 3G iPad. Mac sales were also up, assisted by the sexy and inexpensive 11" MacBook Air.
Whitmore's estimates for the quarter ending December 31, 2010 were originally showing sales of 15 million iPhones, 6 million iPads, and 4 million Macs. Those numbers have now been bumped to 16 million, 6.5 million, and 4.2 million respectively.
For 2011, Whitmore is very bullish on the iPad, expecting sales to leap from his original estimate of 22 million units up to a whopping 28 million. His iPhone estimate moved from 55 million for 2011 up to 60 million units. The latter number doesn't include a Verizon iPhone, which he expects would add anywhere from 5 to 7 million units (although it's not clear how many of those would be cannibalizing AT&T's potential sales).
We'll find out for sure how things are shaping up for Apple when the company hosts a quarterly earnings call on January 18. Mike Rose is also speculating that Apple will host a Stevenote by January 20 to announce the Verizon iPhone.
Deutsche Bank analyst: Holiday Mac and iPad sales higher than expected originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Crayola and Griffin unite for ColorStudio HD on iPad, custom iMarker stylus
Guess what just popped up to the top of our "must-see at CES" list? Chances are, if you're an iPad owner with small kids, you too will be enthralled by the promise and the premise of Crayola's collaboration with peripheral maker Griffin Technologies: ColorStudio HD for iPad, including the Crayola iMarker stylus. Coming in "Spring 2011" for the iPad, the US$29.95 hardware and software combo will put the wax-based experience of crayon drawing into a new digital realm.
Once the free-with-purchase app is downloaded to the iPad (and I'm curious how exactly that's going to work -- a gift code that you get once you register the product? Or a free app that simply doesn't work without the stylus?), the would-be artist can draw away on more than 50 interactive coloring pages, games, musical environments and the like.
The app will be able to differentiate the iMarker's touch point from a fingertip swipe, so that coloring and controlling the UI will be distinct operations. This capability would be fascinating if Crayola and Griffin chose to license it for grown-up painting apps like ArtRage, but I imagine that kids will simply grok the difference between a marker and their fingers the same way they understand that distinction in the real world.
Good luck getting the iPad out of the back seat during car trips now. One drawback, as Kelly H pointed out today: this increases the chances of other, non-iPad-safe markers being used inappropriately on other flat glowing surfaces. Deep breath and count to 10, parents.
Continue reading Crayola and Griffin unite for ColorStudio HD on iPad, custom iMarker stylus
Crayola and Griffin unite for ColorStudio HD on iPad, custom iMarker stylus originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iHealth, Withings both launch iPhone-connected blood pressure monitors
There are lots of solid therapeutic approaches to treating hypertension (high blood pressure), and they range in cost and complexity all the way from free and easy up to expensive and elaborate. While it might cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat a heart attack, it's much simpler and cheaper to focus on prevention through diet or medication -- plus monitoring blood pressure every day to make sure the plan is working as expected.
Cheap and easy sounds good, but getting it done is another matter. "When dealing with patients and asking them to make a lifestyle change, one of the biggest problems is compliance," says Dr. Andrew Brandeis, a San Francisco physician. "I can either give you a pill for your blood pressure or tell you to eat less salt, and one of them is going to be easier than the other -- one of them is better than the other. But getting people to exercise more, to eat less salt; it's not always easy to get them to do what they need to do."
That's why Brandeis is excited about the new iHealth blood pressure monitoring system, introduced today in the runup to CES; competitor Withings has also announced a similar product. Both cuffs provide a new level of convenience to the digital blood pressure monitor market, enabling far more granular intraday measurements that let you know exactly how various daily activities (a meal, a cup of coffee) affect your inner equilibrium.
Continue reading iHealth, Withings both launch iPhone-connected blood pressure monitors
iHealth, Withings both launch iPhone-connected blood pressure monitors originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Eye-Fi announces Direct Mode link between digital cameras, smartphones
The Eye-Fi card, that miniscule mashup of Wi-Fi and memory card, will soon be able to send photos directly from your digital camera to your smartphone. TUAW has reported on these SD cards before, most recently when the company announced the Geo-X2 card's availability at Apple retail stores.
In the past, using an Eye-Fi provided a fast way to share high-resolution photos once you were near a Wi-Fi hotspot, but if you were out of range of Wi-Fi, you were stuck with the lower-resolution photos from your smartphone camera. Eye-Fi has announced Direct Mode, which uses new technology in the cards and a free Eye-Fi mobile app that will let users send photos directly to their smartphones for sharing. Think of this as tethering a digital camera directly to the Eye-Fi View service through an iPhone -- it's a great way to back up photos immediately to the user's Eye-Fi View account.
The app and the Direct Mode firmware update will be available later this year for free.
Eye-Fi announces Direct Mode link between digital cameras, smartphones originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Fling adds a joystick to your iPad
The Fling tactile game controller is a real joystick that attaches to your iPad so you can instinctively feel what you're doing with your thumb and increase your accuracy.
Xbox and PlayStation controllers taught console gamers to use a left thumb joystick for movement or aiming. Action games on the iPad simulate that with a virtual joystick controlled with your thumb on the touch screen. Problem is, there's no touch feedback from the iPad's flat glass screen. It's hard to keep track of exactly where your thumb is, making games like GWars:Touch or Rage HD harder than they need to be.
Fling is a physical joystick giving you real feedback. Use the suction cups to position it properly centered for the game, then use your thumb on the thumbstick to control the game. The joystick is made by Ten One Design who came up with the Pogo Sketch stylus for iPad, so they're experienced in making touch input devices with great accuracy.
The Fling FAQ confirms you can use two of these for "dual joystick" games, but points out that most first person shooters and role playing games only use the left joystick, while the right side of the screen has virtual buttons instead.
Watch the Fling iPad joystick in action on YouTube and visit Ten One Design on January 6 to pre-order.
[via CrunchGear]Fling adds a joystick to your iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Iomega SuperHero iPhone dock backs up photos to SD memory card
We forget how important our photos are until we lose them. The 5 megapixel camera in the iPhone 4 encourages a lot of picture taking, but most of us put our phones on a charger over night instead of docking with our computers, so our photos aren't getting backed up.
The Iomega(R) SuperHero[TM] Backup and Charger for iPhone aims to solve that problem with a dock that backs up your camera roll photos and contacts while recharging your iPhone. Keep it by your bed, and you won't forget.
The charger and accompanying backup app will be available later this month. To make photo backup part of your daily routine, you'll need to download the free SuperHero iPhone Backup app from the Apple app store, and run the app when you dock your phone. The dock and app support iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4.
For $69.99, the Iomega SuperHero dock comes with a 4 GB SD memory card, but if you shoot a lot, or keep a year's worth of photos and videos on your camera roll like some friends I know, you can swap that out for a 16 GB or 32 GB SD card.
If your phone is lost, damaged, or stolen, you should first restore your latest backup from iTunes (you are backing up at least occasionally, aren't you?), then restore last night's backup of contacts and photos from the dock. The dock doesn't back up email or apps, but your email is on your email server and you can re-download apps from the app store, so those aren't as critical as your once-in-a-lifetime photo ops.
To get notified when the dock is available, sign up at the Iomega SuperHero product page, and while you're waiting, head on over to Engadget to watch Iomega's video ad reminding you just how many moments can lead to needing this dock.
[via Engadget]
Iomega SuperHero iPhone dock backs up photos to SD memory card originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Garmin announces StreetPilot, its first iPhone navigation app
Garmin International has been the leader in automobile GPS navigation for many years, but has been a no-show in the iPhone navigation app arena. Both TomTom and Magellan, also big players in the GPS nav field, have had iPhone apps for years.
In a "better late than never" move, Garmin today announced the availability of the Street Pilot ($39.99) app for iPhone. The app takes advantage of many of the features of the Garmin nüvi navigators. Maps are always up to date, since they're downloaded directly from Garmin's servers, and the software includes real-time traffic updates, speed limit information for major roads, an integrated local search for points of interest, integration with the iPhone contact list, and the ability to place calls directly from a search listing.
Street Pilot takes advantage of iOS multi-tasking and also includes controls for the iPod app. One nice feature is the ability to get current weather conditions and forecasts from the app. Maps are displayed in either 2-D or 3-D views, and the app switches easily between portrait and landscape orientations.
Having been the owner of a Garmin nüvi for several years, I've been waiting for the company to come out with a product to compete with the many other iPhone navigation apps on the market. It looks like the wait is over.
[via BGR]
Garmin announces StreetPilot, its first iPhone navigation app originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - 'Can Apple maintain profitability?' Yes.
Seriously? This is the question of the day? When people are still voicing serious and legitimate concerns about the rest of the economy? We're talking about a company with enough money in the bank to make a Goldman Sachs-sized investment in Facebook if it wanted to, more than triple the amount Dell had in the bank at the end of the last quarter, plus more than five times the amount HP had too, while we're at it.
Let's look at a number for a minute: Apple has 51 billion dollars in cash. That's 51,000,000,000 bucks. Or, approximately the amount of money it takes to fill a vault-slash-swimming-pool. Who has that kind of money these days and didn't get it via government bailout? Apple, that's who. What is its secret? It made that money the old-fashioned way, by selling new-fashioned things.
In a time when few companies are profitable and everyone's excited about a flat line since it isn't a downward curve, Apple is making money iHand over iFist. One could presume from this that analysts and others who watch CNBC professionally would be excited about a company with growth and profitability in the current climate. However, that's not the case.
Remember when Apple wasn't doing well? Those bygone days when people may have actually believed the name of the company was "Beleaguered Apple Computer?" Well, once Uncle Steve made his return in 1996, that started to turn around. Apple Computer started making things that start with "i," and in 2001 with the launch of the iPod, Apple was officially cool again. You know, unless you were an analyst on Wall Street, in which case Apple wasn't cool, it was just less lame than before. But seriously, have you seen what sort of stock prices Dell and HP have these days? Now those are tech companies.
I call shenanigans! Now, instead of being impressed with profitability, the question is "Oh sure, you're all profitable, but can you stay that way?" Apple hasn't proven that yet? Explain to me how making ANY money in a time of unprecedented financial volatility is something that gets played down. What will it take before Apple gets a fair shake? A brand new device that sells a million units in three months? Try two and a half. A new version of the same thing released a year later, how long did that take to sell a million? Three days.
Find and replace "Apple" with a non-tech company in some of these articles and see if it still makes as much sense. Just the iPhone product line by itself is bigger than Coca-Cola, but Apple still gets dismissed like this?
Someone needs to have a little heart-to-heart talk with some of these guys. Apparently they've all had their heads down in their BlackBerrys for so long that they don't realize it's cool these days to carry around something Designed In Cupertino. Clearly a lot of other people have figured it out -- what's stopping Wall Street from seeing the light?
'Can Apple maintain profitability?' Yes. originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Sony taking advantage of iTunes extras
Sony is quietly adding bonus feature content to select iTunes releases including the Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg action comedy The Other Guys, Salt and Resident Evil: Afterlife. If you buy one of these three films, you will be able to use a new search feature lets you input a word and pinpoint scenes within the movie that use the search term. You can also take advantage of a clip & share function that lets you post select scenes to social networks as well as browse a playlist populated with songs from the film. Each song is available as a preview and linked to a purchase page on iTunes. These extras are iTunes-specific and not available on DVD editions or other digital content providers like Amazon Unbox.
This ability of movie studios to add bonus content was added when Apple introduced iTunes 9. Though available for over a year, this iTunes Extras feature is widely underused by content producers. A reason for this limited adoption is the poor support of this feature by Apple. When you buy a film with bonus content, you can only view these extras on the first generation Apple TV and the desktop version of iTunes (Windows or Mac). All iOS devices, including the media-friendly iPad, the iPod touch and the iPhone, are not compatible with this feature. Embarrassingly, the second generation Apple TV, designed for media consumption such as this, will not playback iTunes Extras content.
If Apple wants this feature to take off, then it must roll out iTunes Extras support to its latest generation hardware. Though Sony may be exploring this value-added content as way to differentiate its offerings from those of its competition, it may not continue this experiment if its adoption rate is poor. In the future, Sony may turn away from iTunes and bring this extra content to its PS3 network or other digital storefronts instead. Such a move would be a lose-lose situation for Apple and its iTunes customers.
[Via MacRumors]Sony taking advantage of iTunes extras originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily App: Trip Cubby Free
I already use David Barnard's great Gas Cubby app to track all of my gas purchases on my little 2005 Matrix, but since I'm getting ready to drive up to Las Vegas today for the big CES show this week (stay tuned for lots of Apple-related coverage right here on TUAW), now seems like a good time to take a look at Trip Cubby, another solid tracking app from the developer.
Trip Cubby allows you to monitor and track any driving trips you happen to make. While the app is made to track them for business purposes (if you need to get reimbursed or paid for your time on the road), you can track your mileage, travel time and expenses for any reason at all. Before a trip, you just enter some basic information about where you're going and why into the app (and you can tag it with whatever else you want). As you travel, you simply track your odometer, any costs and timing, and Trip Cubby will take care of the rest, giving you all the reports you need. For hardcore users, Trip Cubby can even support multiple drivers and vehicles, and you can create custom deduction categories or sort and search all of your trips.
Just like Gas Cubby, always having an app like this on your phone can be super helpful, as long as you're diligent (and when you're traveling for business to get reimbursed, you should be anyway). I'll appreciate having it along at CES this week. The free version of the app is full-featured, but it has ads in it, as you can see in the pic. The full version of the app is US$4.99, but it removes the ads and allows for online syncing as well.TUAW's Daily App: Trip Cubby Free originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPhone developer Firemint buys Infinite Interactive, makers of Puzzle Quest
Wow. Color me surprised on this one -- I've been joking around lately about iPhone company acquisitions and buyouts, but here are two companies that never occurred to me. Firemint, creators of the popular Flight Control and Real Racing 2 games on iOS, has outright purchased Infinite Interactive, the company behind a bevy of console and handheld console titles, including the very popular (and personal favorite of mine) Puzzle Quest series. Game designer Steve Fawkner founded Infinite Interactive and first met Firemint's Rob Murray in 2003, and according to the press release, he even got Murray's feedback on the first Puzzle Quest title. Fawkner will go to work for Firemint, presumably making his own games as well as helping to adapt Firemint's popular games for other platforms.
What a deal. All we have so far is the official press release (both companies are based in Australia, so this news arrived on their time), but we'll look at contacting Firemint later on this week to ask about the reasoning and timing behind the deal. Infinite Interactive isn't a huge company, but the fact that Firemint straight up acquired them is just as impressive as the possibilities for these two more and more experienced developers to be working together. This could have interesting consequences for Firemint's games both on and off of the iOS platform.iPhone developer Firemint buys Infinite Interactive, makers of Puzzle Quest originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple's UK prices rise after VAT increase
Several European countries saw their online Apple stores go down for several hours earlier today, with the familiar yellow sticky note greeting customers in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and others. Some speculated this meant a new product launch, but stores in Asia/Pacific and North America remained up all day. It turns out that in at least one country, the UK, something new did debut on the Apple Store today: higher prices. The increase in the UK's value-added tax (VAT) from 17.5 percent to 20 percent went into effect today, and Apple has raised its UK prices to account for the difference.
In some cases the price rise is relatively modest. A 16 GB iPhone 4 now costs £11 more than it used to, while a 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad costs £10 more. However, MacBook Pro and iMac prices have increased by a minimum of £21, and a Mac Pro will now cost a minimum of £42 more.
Some had expected Apple to eat the cost of the VAT increase and keep its UK prices the same, but a recent GST increase in New Zealand from 12.5 percent to 15 percent saw Apple raising its prices here, too. Though Apple will surely cite "margin preservation" in defense of raising its prices, Apple already charges more for its products in countries outside the US. While there may be economic reasons for doing so, that's hardly comforting to international customers.
It's unclear why the other European stores had to be taken down for a UK price hike; if prices have also risen in your country today, let us know in the comments.
[via Mac Rumors]
Apple's UK prices rise after VAT increase originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Start 'em young with a jailbroken iPhone toyAsk any parent, and they will tell you that you need to start your kids young and surround them with toys to stimulate their development. There is no better toy for the next generation saurik or geohot than the not-so-creatively named "Smart Phone" toy fresh out of China.
Why is this phone so perfect for budding anti-DRM enthusiasts? The toy cell phone features an array of iPhone application icons, including one for the renegade Cydia application repository, enabling young jailbreakers to get their first taste of unofficial apps even before the apps actually work. Thanks to the good folks in China, this "Smart Phone" has been jailbroken prior to shipment and is available in dollar stores for your child'sindoctrinationenjoyment.Start 'em young with a jailbroken iPhone toy originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Steve Jobs portrait made out of Apple products mosaicAs reported by MacStories and created for Italian magazine Panorama by Tsevis Visual Design, this picture of Apple CEO Steve Jobs is entirely made up of Apple's white products laid out to create a visually arresting portrait. The creative director of the magazine asked Tsevis for the "white on white" portrait and ran the image on the cover of the the financial section titled "Panorama Economy."
Looking closely, one can see the incredible detail of the mosaic, which encompasses a large selection of products from Apple's history. After seeing how great the white on white version came out, the designer set out to make a version with a black background as well, and both of them are available for download under the Creative Commons License Scheme. Over on Flickr, you can access both the white version and the black version of the portrait.
A few years ago we saw a colorful Apple product mosaic in the likeness of Steve Jobs from these guys, and we've also seen Steve Jobs in doll form, but I wonder -- do you think Steve will be hanging one of these new ones up in his office?
[via MacStories]Steve Jobs portrait made out of Apple products mosaic originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Citibank: Apple could pull in $2 billion in App Store revenues in 2011Right before the year switched over, Citibank released its "US Internet Stock 2011 Playbook," and in there was an interesting prediction about the App Store. Despite what seems like constantly falling prices and the rise of "freemium" apps, Citibank expects Apple to pull in $2 billion in gross app revenue in 2011 alone. That's comparable to gross revenue for the entire online video advertising market, according to TechCrunch. And presumably this is just the iOS App Store -- later this week we'll be seeing the first fruits of the Mac App Store arrive, and it's likely that market will pull in a nice chunk of change for Apple as well.
Smartphone software in general is also set to grow -- Citibank says that by 2013, the app market should be worth around $27 billion (that includes, of course, Android and any other platforms that should emerge in the next few years). Demand is strong for smartphone hardware, but I don't think the exponential growth of apps will continue for years into the future. Then again, who can tell? This is a market that barely existed just a few years ago, so where it's headed from here is anyone's guess.
[via Loop Insight]Citibank: Apple could pull in $2 billion in App Store revenues in 2011 originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple patent describes touch gestures on iPod nano
Could "no-look" touch gestures be coming soon to the iPod nano? Recently discovered by ipodnn, a 2009 patent application by Apple shows that it is looking into letting users control their devices using no-look gestures that only require a touch-sensitive surface, like a trackpad, and not necessarily a graphic interface as Apple currently employs on the iPod, iPhone and iPad.
Diagrams filed with the patent application show different methods that owners could use gestures on their devices, such as a single tap to play and pause media playback, a double tap to skip forward tracks or a triple tap to skip backwards to previous tracks. This would allow users to still control their device if they were unable to interact directly with the graphical interface we have all become so familiar with. This has been one of the main concerns with the nano switching over to a no-button touchscreen, so a good solution along these lines would be quite helpful.
Of course, I imagine that all of you guys have gotten used to calling your friends using only your nose, so learning gestures to control your iPod or iPhone shouldn't be too difficult in comparison!
[via ipodnn]Apple patent describes touch gestures on iPod nano originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - HandBrake 0.9.5 released, adds presets and more for easier DVD ripping
It's been over a year since the amazing free DVD ripping software (also known as a "video transcoder"), HandBrake, has been updated. Life is good, and Handbrake 0.9.5 has now been released.
There are a ton of changes in this release, and you can get into the details in the change release notes. For the Mac version of the software, the biggest news is that PowerPC is no longer supported. If you're still holding on to an older Mac, it's time to either consider a hardware upgrade or you'll be using HandBrake 0.9.4 for the rest of eternity.
Other Mac changes include VLC detection in both the /Applications and ~/Applications directories, a new Audio Panel supporting more than four audio tracks and support for multiple instances running simultaneously.
I noticed that the update wasn't accessible through the "Check for Updates" feature in version 0.9.4, so you'll probably want to go to the HandBrake website and just download the installer in order to update.
Thanks to Adam for the tip!
HandBrake 0.9.5 released, adds presets and more for easier DVD ripping originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Intel announces Core 2011 processor details; hackintosh fans post benchmarks
Intel, the company that makes the processors used in every Mac currently being manufactured, officially announced the details of the new Sandy Bridge processors, otherwise known as the Intel Core 2011 processors. These are the second generation of the Core processors found in many of Apple's products (i.e., the Core i3, i5, and i7 CPUs), and the new silicon could herald good news for future Macs. The Sandy Bridge processor family uses Intel's 32nm microarchitecture and is the first to put the processor, memory controller, and graphics on the same die. In a nutshell, this means more performance and better energy efficiency.
TUAW reported back in early December that Apple has committed to use the integrated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) of the Sandy Bridge processor in future MacBooks, providing speculation that most future MacBooks may do away with a separate GPU. At the current time, the entire MacBook family uses NVIDIA GPUs to accelerate graphics processing. By using the built-in GPU of the Core 2011 processors, the component cost of Apple's future Macs will be reduced slightly. Whether or not that will translate to lower prices for consumers is unknown at this time. More on the new hardware after the break.
Continue reading Intel announces Core 2011 processor details; hackintosh fans post benchmarks
Intel announces Core 2011 processor details; hackintosh fans post benchmarks originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Man eats iPhone 4 at New Year's Eve celebration
We admit, we tricked you a bit with that headline -- India's Krishna Kalyan actually ate a cake for New Year's Eve, which is not nearly as extraordinary (or painful) as actually chowing down on a Retina Display and an A4 processor. But it was a cake that looked remarkably like an iPhone 4 -- as you can see to the right, the screen is very detailed, with fully-rendered icons (and even some push notifications waiting to be read as well). Sure, the shape is a little more cake-like than iPhone-like, but I like the tasty little home button and the frosting dock connector down below.
The only thing missing? Get those icons in some folders, man! You've just got them hanging out all over the place. And while we're at it, does anyone really keep their Photos or iTunes Store apps on the front home screen any more? We've all pushed those off of the first page for more useful apps, right?
At any rate, excellent cake. Happy New Year to one and all -- hope you all had a good and safe one no matter what you were doing. Now back to work!Man eats iPhone 4 at New Year's Eve celebration originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple's market cap passes $300 billion
After blasting through the $330 per share for Apple's stock today, the company now has a market capitalization valued at around $302 billion dollars. While market cap isn't everything, this is a substantial shift from the way things used to be. Apple used to be the underdog!
Remember when Apple was on life support in the '90s after a series of bland and uninspiring CEOs and product lines? Since the return of Steve Jobs and his hand-picked crew of innovators, however, the company has seen a truly remarkable rise in profits and marketshare while expanding into completely new markets for the company. Apple is on the rise in a big way, and if what we saw in 2010 is any indication, 2011 will see even more growth for our favorite mobile device company.Apple's market cap passes $300 billion originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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