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- Ask TUAW: Spring Has Sprung Edition
Hello all! Welcome to the 'Spring has Sprung' edition of Ask TUAW, your favorite question-and-answer column. Now that many of you have your iPad 2s/are in line to get them/hope to see them show up eventually, we'll be answering some questions (and not answering others, because sometimes even Ask TUAW doesn't know what's going to happen).
We can never have too many questions, so if you have anything you'd like to know about your new iPad or the one you're going to buy as soon as they're back in stock, here's what you need to do: go to the comments of this post, think of all the Mac/iPad/iPhone questions that keep you awake at night and fire away. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com.
Ray writes with a question about data migration:
I'm planning on buying the new 17-inch Macbook Pro soon, and I wonder if there's a way to transfer just my iTunes & iPhoto libraries to my new Mac without having to transfer everything else. I currently use a 2009 Aluminium Macbook (Intel Core 2 Duo) running v.10.6.6.
Continue reading Ask TUAW: Spring Has Sprung Edition
Ask TUAW: Spring Has Sprung Edition originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Report: FCC official doubts AT&T + T-Mobile deal will sail through
An unnamed FCC official told the Wall Street Journal this week that "there's no way the chairman's office rubber-stamps" the recently announced merger between AT&T and T-mobile USA. The official didn't go into further details, but said that the organization hadn't even begun preliminary research into the merger, and that even if the deal does eventually go through, "It will be a steep climb to say the least."
So not exactly a vote of confidence from the FCC so far. Still, that's far from an official statement, and certainly both AT&T and T-mobile are going to do everything in their power to try and get this deal through. As we posted before, Sprint is the most likely opponent to the deal, and has asked federal regulators to take a close look at the potential effects. The earliest reports we got said that the transaction was planned to take about a year, so the FCC will likely have a decision within that timeframe.
[via BGR]
Report: FCC official doubts AT&T + T-Mobile deal will sail through originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - US iPad 2 ship times improve to 3-4 weeks, international 2-3 weeks
It's still longer than many people want to wait, but US iPad 2 shipping times have decreased to 3-4 weeks. That's one week less than the previous ship times of 4-5 weeks back on March 15. For our international readers, the average shipping time seems to be only 2-3 weeks for those countries showing shipping times like Australia and New Zealand.
When online orders start later today in other countries like the UK, which currently shows "Dispatched: Currently unavailable" for the shipping time, you can expect 2-3 weeks to be the initial norm. That's not half bad considering many thought Apple was going to miss the March 25th international launch date due to the overwhelming iPad 2 demand in the States. However, if you want to take advantage of the 2-3 week shipping times, you better act fast when online iPad 2 orders begin. It's not a huge leap to say that, if the popularity of the iPad 2 in the US is anything to judge by, the international shipping times will increase as demand outstrips supply.
US iPad 2 ship times improve to 3-4 weeks, international 2-3 weeks originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Wooden iPad 2 cover outsmarts Apple's Smart Cover
As if I don't already have a serious love affair with Apple's iPad 2 Smart Cover, now Holland-based Miniot is about to release a beautiful wooden iPad 2 cover.
The cover is carved from a single piece of wood and works similarly to the Smart Cover. Rather than folding into a triangular tube, the Miniot Cover rolls into a cylinder that supports the device in typing, video-watching, and portrait orientations.
The company will start taking orders for the Miniot Cover tomorrow (March 25) and includes personal engraving for free. At a price tag of just €50 for this gorgeous cover, Miniot is going sell a boatload. Apple's own leather Smart Cover is selling for $69, which works out to be about the same price.
Video of the Miniot Cover for iPad 2 follows on the next page.
Thanks to the Disney, Etc... blog for the tip!
Continue reading Wooden iPad 2 cover outsmarts Apple's Smart Cover
Wooden iPad 2 cover outsmarts Apple's Smart Cover originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple receives American Brand Excellence Awards
To our readers, it's not surprising that Apple keeps receiving awards for its products. Now the company has won the eighth annual American Brand Excellence Award as the company that best meets the needs of small to mid-sized businesses. Apple also won the award in the Technology category.
The awards are given annually by The Business Journals, a collection of 41 local / regional business newspapers owned by American City Business Journals, Inc. The newspapers asked more than 2,000 owners of small to medium businesses to rate over 250 brands based on criteria such as "behaves ethically," "forward thinking,", and "good price for what you get." Spokesperson Godfrey Phillips of The Business Journals noted that their research indicated that just one year after the initial release of the iPad, over nine percent of business owners are using the device in their businesses.
Apple is in good company with other American Brand Excellence Award winners, including Visa in the Financial / Insurance category, Southwest Airlines in the Travel category, and UPS for Business Services.
Apple receives American Brand Excellence Awards originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Dreams, teams and the Color app
The latest app making a big buzz seems to be one simply called Color. Why the hoopla about what is, at best, a location-based photo sharing app? Because they raised a whopping US$41 million dollars in funding before even launching. Before you say "bubble 2.0," let's take a look at what Color does. Although I have to wonder how much of that went to procuring the URL www.color.com -- and if this really is the peak of the new bubble.
Color, as an app, is nicely designed. When you first start it up you'll be asked to give your name. I entered Victor, but it seems you can enter anything here, and might want to consider your Twitter handle. I have no idea how Color will handle duplicate names. Will I become Victor1138 when I encounter another Victor? We shall see.
Naturally you'll have to agree to use your location, and (if you wish) push notifications. I found both dialogs came up at the same time, which was annoying. Then you take a picture of yourself, and it is appropriately tagged with a location (invisible to you) which creates a new group. Upon taking the required picture of myself, the app crashed and did not save my name.
The concept appears to be that if you and your buddies are all taking pictures at the same event, those will all be grouped together in the app, automagically, and you'll get to see one big album. Just like a photo party! That's basically it for the app. Pictures are grouped by location, within 150 feet of each other. There's even a cute warning on the app description page: DON'T USE COLOR ALONE! Once you take your first pic, you are encouraged to go out into the world and take pictures with friends using the app at the same location.
The app is free, so try it yourself and see if it is your cup of tea. But is this worth $41 million dollars in funding?
Continue reading Dreams, teams and the Color app
Dreams, teams and the Color app originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPad 2 visits a Guatemalan volcano
Bringing the magical iPad 2 on a trip to Guatemala isn't a story in itself. Of course people are going to be intrigued by the tablet, Garageband, etc. What is slightly more interesting is the fact that it survived some rather rough treatment from its owner, tech writer Robert Evans, along the way. The iPad didn't have a case (egads!) and was sat on at least once (yikes!) and ventured into a cloud and a volcano (uh oh) -- likely pushing the limits of the suggested temperature and moisture limits. The iPad 2 did fine in all these torture tests. Would a laptop have endured the same and survived? Possibly not.
Robert's journey is a fun, quick read. The iPad was used for a variety of things, including sniffing Wi-Fi connections. He points out that in 7 days he only charged it twice. In fact, his trip almost sounds like an Apple commercial, as the iPad comes off as a perfect laptop replacement. As he says, "If all my mezcal-soaked shenanigans couldn't kill it, I don't expect your daily commute will."
[via MacStories]
iPad 2 visits a Guatemalan volcano originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Skype for Mac design competition announced
Designers, start your creative engines! Today, on its official blog, Skype announced a chat styling competition to find the world's best theme for Skype for Mac.
"We want you to create the chat style for an upcoming version of Skype for Mac that will be enjoyed by millions of people around the world," states the official website for the competition.
"When we first launched our new Mac app, we were delighted to see so many custom styles emerge from the design community, so we thought we'd make it official," Krishna Panicker wrote on Skype's Big Blog. "We're inviting you to design your own chat style for Skype for Mac."
Skype officially begins accepting entries for the first stage of its three-stage competition on Friday, April 8. Each stage of the contest will last three weeks and result in a people's choice winner selected by users of the site and a judges' choice winner anointed by Skype's panel of experts. The six winners, two from each stage, will continue to compete for the grand prize: Skype will include the winning design in a future version of Skype for Mac.
The grand prize also includes an 11-inch MacBook Air, iPad 2, and a one year subscription to Skype's Unlimited World Extra calling service.
In addition, the five runners-up will receive some useful trophies that include an iPad 2, an AppleTV, and a copy of CSS3 for Web Designers.
Skype's software allows users to connect with other Skype users using instant messaging, voice, and video conferencing. The company's telephony services also enable customers to place and receive voice calls between a device or computer running Skype and nearly any traditional land line or mobile phone. According to an SEC filing from 2010, Skype has approximately 560 million total registered users worldwide.
Full details about the design contest, including prize lists, judging criteria, key dates, and terms and conditions, are available on Skype's official competition page. Good luck to everyone who enters. We can't wait to see the winning design.
Skype for Mac design competition announced originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Camtasia hits Mac App Store; TechSmith sees sales jump
For capturing screencasts, one of the more widely-used tools is Camtasia from TechSmith. After many years as a Windows-only application, the company brought Camtasia to the Mac world in 2009, and it's been well-received by Mac users ever since.
TechSmith recently added Camtasia to the Mac App Store to test the waters, which they found welcoming. The app was listed for a while as a "staff favorite," and the company is reporting that sales of Camtasia have risen over 20% since the app appeared in the Mac App Store. TechSmith kept the price at US$99.99 and it's still available directly from the company's website, so the increased sales appear to be coming solely from improved visibility.
In addition, TechSmith reports that the Mac App Store seems to be making Camtasia more visible to an entirely new audience. According to a TechSmith spokesman, Mac App Store sales are coming from all over the globe, not just the more traditional US market.
We'd love to hear from other Mac developers who have taken the plunge and added their apps to the Mac App Store after selling them through traditional channels for several years. Have you also seen your sales take off? Let us know in the comments.
Camtasia hits Mac App Store; TechSmith sees sales jump originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPad 2 buyers already lining up in Munich
It's good to see that we wacky Americans aren't the only people who start camping out in lines to buy Apple toys.
iFun.de posted the above photo of the short, but early line at the Rosenstrasse Apple Store in Munich, Germany. That photo was taken 26 hours before the iPad 2 actually goes on sale at 17:00 local time in Munich. As with the US stores two weeks ago, Apple Stores around the world will close their doors two hours before 5 PM local time to put up the new iPad displays and give employees a chance to play with the new device prior to the crazy rush.
If you're sitting or standing in line for an iPad 2 at an Apple Store sometime in the next 24 hours or so, be sure to send us a photo and we'll do a roundup of the worldwide excitement surrounding the release of the iPad 2 in 25 countries.
iPad 2 buyers already lining up in Munich originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Final Fantasy III hits the App Store
As promised, Square Enix released its version of Final Fantasy III for the iPhone and iPod touch. The role-playing game follows the journey of four orphaned youths chosen by the crystal of light to restore balance to the world after the land is robbed of light. This version is a remake of the Japanese Final Fantasy III that debuted on the Nintendo DS in 2006.
It has been optimized for the iPhone 4 and iPod touch and includes Retina display support, iPhone-specific touch panel controls and new 3-D visuals and story sequences for the iOS platform. Final Fantasy III is now available in the App Store for US$15.99. For fans of the series, the original Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II are on sale in App Store for $3.99 each until March 31.
Final Fantasy III hits the App Store originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPad 2 launches internationally tomorrow, we check the prices
Despite frantic rumors to the contrary over the past two weeks, the iPad 2 will be launching tomorrow (March 25) in 25 other countries around the world. From the European continent to Australia, the UK to New Zealand. If you happen to be from the future and today is already March 25, the online ordering has begun and at this point you can expect to wait 2 to 3 weeks for your order to arrive.
How much are you going to pay for your iPad 2 and accessories? It depends on the country, of course. We've scoured the online Apple Stores for a number of countries to find the pricing for you, and the results are in the table above. Note that this is not a complete price chart; we're just doing a price comparison of representative iPad products.
UK iPad 2 fanatics can also buy subsidized devices from T-Mobile UK, which will be selling 16 GB Wi-Fi + 3G devices only at a price of £199 upfront plus £25 per month for existing customers or £229 upfront plus £27 per month for new customers. That's with a 2-year contract featuring 1 GB of data per month plus 1 GB of "quiet time" (12 AM - 10 AM) data usage.
We look forward to hearing from TUAW readers around the globe who are waiting in line at their local Apple Stores to pick up an iPad 2 and accessories. Be sure to send us pictures!
[via RazorianFly, MacStories]
iPad 2 launches internationally tomorrow, we check the prices originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Made up predictions about Apple's NC datacenter from (surprise!) an analyst
photo by raneko on Flickr
Friend of the blog Philip Elmer-DeWitt with Fortune Tech uncovered a gem of a note from Bernstein Research's Toni Sacconaghi wherein, after a "meeting with Apple executives," he came up with quite the sampler platter of predictions for Apple's North Carolina data center. As DeWitt points out, the data center was supposedly slated to be ready last year. Sacconaghi seems to think that it will open in the spring, which jibes with a rumor we heard in February. It makes sense, particularly in-between iPad 2 and iPhone 5 announcements. But what will the thing do?
DeWitt says that Sacconaghi believes the data center could "transform Apple from a hardware company to one that excels at what he calls 'differentiated services.'" I don't know about that, but it's nebulous enough to mean anything. Here's what Sacconaghi claims is coming and here's my take on each one.
Scaled-up downloads of things like e-books, video, even advertising. Well, maybe. If you've had the pleasure of seeing the iTunes store crap out on you as I have and many of our readers have reported, it's pretty clear Apple needs more server capacity. I'm not sure they are dumb enough to throw the white gas of HD video downloads onto an already-hot fire. Maybe they are just ramping up capacity to provide an impeccable experience -- you know, in line with their core competencies.
Cloud sync and storage. Well, again, they've got this. The argument goes that "more" would somehow make them "more" competitive with Google's offerings. Guess what? Optimizing code, creating a better, universally accessible (like supporting Firefox) web apps would do that without needing to build a gigantic server farm. Cloud storage is of course possible, because if MobileMe were to go free or get cheaper or store your first 1,000 photos free (sort of like the free vs. paid versions of Flickr) they would indeed need more capacity. This is hardly a new concept, however. What could be new is a completely revamped MobileMe service, reliant upon a new data center for tons of storage by freeloaders.
Continue reading Made up predictions about Apple's NC datacenter from (surprise!) an analyst
Made up predictions about Apple's NC datacenter from (surprise!) an analyst originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Samsung vows to "not be outdone" by skinny iPad
Samsung introduced a revamped version of its Android-powered Galaxy Tab 10.1 at CTIA this week. The Korean manufacturer originally unveiled the 10-inch Galaxy Tab in February at Mobile World Congress and quickly revised its plans for the tablet when Apple unveiled its iPad 2.
Apparently afraid that its bulky tablet (shown above) could not compete with the iPad 2, Samsung engineered a last-minute redesign that trimmed several millimeters from the thickness of the device, dropping it from a thick 10.9 mm to an incredibly thin 8.6 mm. This change makes the Galaxy 10.1 the thinnest tablet device headed to the market, beating out the 8.8 mm of the iPad 2.
This move to outdo the iPad 2 comes with a cost. The original Galaxy 10.1 tablet was expected to debut in Europe and Asia in March with a global launch shortly thereafter. This thick version is still slated to land as a Vodafone exclusive as planned, while the new and improved version will hit the market in June.
Samsung vows to "not be outdone" by skinny iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPad 2 jailbreak imminent
It won't be long now, jailbreakers. Tweets posted by iPhone Dev-Team member P0sixninja suggest that the iPad 2 jailbreak will be available soon. There's been some back-and-forth on Twitter between P0sixninja and Veeence, but it boils down to the fact that the group is hard at work on the jailbreak, and a two recent tweets from P0sixninja suggests that it's on its way.
Stay tuned, true believers.
[Via CrunchGear]
iPad 2 jailbreak imminent originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Find My iPhone app thwarts another thief
It's becoming a familiar story: a ne'er-do-well miscreant attempts to steal an iPhone, only to be thwarted by Apple's free Find My iPhone app. Today's tale comes from Manchester, England.
James Bird is an aerospace engineering student at Manchester University. As he recounts, when his iPhone was stolen he alerted his friend, Nick, who tracked the iPhone using Find My iPhone on his computer.
Nick then handed his own phone to James and a mutual friend Alex, who received running commentary on the iPhone's whereabouts from Nick back at the computer. Finally they spied the man who likely had the phone and he took off on foot. After a footrace, James and Alex chased the man onto a bus and confronted him. James asked for the phone and the man denied having it, but the bus driver refused to drive until the suspect could prove he was not in possession of the phone. Realizing he was caught, he handed the iPhone over.
As fate would have it, there was a police car behind the bus. The suspect was then arrested.
Go, technology! I've had first-hand experience myself with using Find My iPhone to retrieve a lost (but not stolen) iPhone. This is the first app everyone should install -- even if you're not in the habit of losing your phone while preparing a skydiving run.
Find My iPhone app thwarts another thief originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Survey suggests Verizon's iPhone customers more satisfied than AT&T's
A survey of the differences between AT&T and Verizon iPhone customers shows what we knew all along: many AT&T iPhone customers are quite fed up with the phone network.
All the main points in the Mobclix survey of iPhone users (taken in February) reinforce the conclusion:
- The larger and more densely populated the city -- and hence the more overcrowded AT&T's network -- the more likely iPhone users are to have switched to Verizon. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, New York City and Boston have the highest Verizon iPhone usage.
- AT&T iPhone users resort to Wi-Fi 53% of the time, compared with just 38% for Verizon users. AT&T users do, however, get free automatic access to the company's 24,000 Wi-Fi hotspots included in their subscription.
- The top three reasons cited for switching to Verizon were reception issues, personal Wi-Fi hotspot availability on Verizon (only recently introduced by AT&T) and reputation.
- Most damning of all, a massive two-thirds of those switching from AT&T to Verizon were willing to pay the $325 early termination fee demanded by the iPhone's original network provider.
A full 14% of iPhone 4 users are on the Verizon network now, but adding in users of earlier models brings this down to just 4% of iPhone users on Verizon.
Of course, plenty of AT&T users are happy with the service they get on their iPhone, but it's clear that many couldn't wait for the day they could get an iPhone on Verizon. Perhaps this situation will change in a year or two if iPhone users on AT&T also get access to T-Mobile's network.
Personally, I'm very happy to live in a country (France) where, by law, the iPhone is available on all mobile phone networks, and hence overcrowding simply isn't an issue.
[Via TechCrunch]
Survey suggests Verizon's iPhone customers more satisfied than AT&T's originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Two Australian Apple fans wait 50 hours in line for an iPad 2
Alex Lee can cross another item off his bucket list: waiting in line for 50 hours to be one of the first people in Australia to own a shiny new iPad 2.
Actually, the 28-year-old IT consultant from Canada is already one of the first people in Australia to own an iPad 2; Lee bought one while visiting Boston, Massachusetts, two weeks ago. Now, for a bit of fun, he's first in line at the Apple Store in Sydney, Australia, to pick up a second iPad 2 for someone special.
"I was backpacking in Asia, and I already have my iPad 2, but my sister needed one so I said, OK, I'll come down," Lee told news.com.au. "And if I can, I'm getting one for a charity auction for Japan tsunami relief."
When current.com.au asked Lee why he was choosing to endure a two-day wait for a product he already owns, he replied, "I want to break my own record."
His record? Lee once spent 32 hours in front of London's Regent Street Apple Store to buy an iPhone 4. He's also lined up in Dubai for the original iPad and endured the crowds for both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS launches in Canada."I'll probably break the 50 hour mark," said Lee, whose wait started shortly after noon on Wednesday.
Like any well-traveled expert at camping in line for Apple products, Lee knows the experience is more fulfilling when enjoyed with a buddy. Second in line is Marius Eilertsen, a friend Lee made while attending university in Australia. Eilertsen, a 29-year-old from Sydney, isn't quite as experienced at waiting two days in line for a product to launch, but he doesn't seem worried about his comparative lack of preparation.
"I brought a chair and a blanket, and that's about it. I'll get more supplies when I need them," Eilertsen told news.com.au. "Hopefully my wife will bring me stuff."
Lee is also joined by Louis Franklin, who is first in line for the iPad 2...at a store half a world away in London. Lee and Franklin use Apple's FaceTime video conferencing technology to commiserate over hecklers and celebrate the iPad 2's global launch while waiting patiently outside their respective Apple stores.
"One of the best things about lining up is you get to meet a lot of different people from all walks of life -- we all share a common interest and there is camaraderie," said Lee to The Sydney Morning Herald.
The iPad 2 was greeted by sell-out crowds when it launched in the United States on March 11. Apple's device goes on sale in 25 additional countries at 5:00 PM local time this Friday.
Continue to the full article to see a video interview with Alex Lee. Sadly, Lee never mentions how to apply to become his adoptive sibling.
Continue reading Two Australian Apple fans wait 50 hours in line for an iPad 2
Two Australian Apple fans wait 50 hours in line for an iPad 2 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Microsoft readies tool for managing iPads, iPhones and Android devices
Just when you thought you were out, Microsoft pulls you back in. The Seattle-based giant is planning on getting its hooks into your iPad and iPhone. Well, sort of.
Microsoft has just announced a first beta of a new piece of management software, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2012, which will let users manage iPads and iPhones, as well as Symbian, Android and even Windows Phone 7 devices.
Although few details have been announced, it seems likely that SCCM 2012 will allow corporate IT departments to enforce things like password complexity and security on target devices, wipe them remotely in case of loss or theft and so on. And, while your first impression might be that it's the Borg once again trying to assimilate you, in fact, it's a move that will allow you to use something other than Microsoft devices in a corporate environment.
That in itself might seem like a bad move on Microsoft's part, cannibalizing sales of its own phone and tablet systems, but the company has a long history of reaching out to other platforms. And don't forget that Microsoft's many departments have a fair amount of autonomy when it comes to deciding where products are targeted. The Office division apparently produces a fairly decent bit of software for the Mac, for example, and the Bing team offers iPhone enhancements that won't be available on Windows 7 phones until the end of this year.
Since each division is a separate profit center within the Microsoft Corporation, this is most likely just a case of the System Center team seeing an opportunity to make a buck by providing a feature that customers want.
Microsoft readies tool for managing iPads, iPhones and Android devices originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple to drop Samba networking tools from Lion
Changes to its licensing may lead Samba, an open source suite of tools for networking with Windows systems, to be chopped from Mac OS X Lion, according to a report from AppleInsider. Instead, Apple will develop its own solutions for interacting with neighboring Windows systems over a network.
Samba's primary goal is to improve interoperability between PCs with Microsoft Windows and computers running other operating systems. Notably, the software enables UNIX-based systems like Mac OS X to speak the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol that Windows uses for file sharing and network directory services.
Apple began integrating Samba into its operating systems in 2002 with the release of Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar." With Samba, Mac OS X's ability to interact with Windows has grown over the last several years, evolving from everyday file sharing between co-workers into Mac servers capable of hosting account profiles and entire home directories for Windows users to access from their networked PCs.
As Mac OS X adopted more of Samba's tools, the team behind Samba gradually transformed the open source licensing for its software. The latest version of Samba is offered only with General Public License Version 3 (GPLv3) licensing, which includes restrictions that essentially prevent Apple from incorporating it into commercially packaged software like Mac OS X.
Although Samba has been voted off Lion island, it's unlikely Apple will entirely drop support for Windows networking technologies. Apple is reportedly hard at work building a new suite of built-in tools that will allow Mac OS X Lion to continue dancing with Windows networks. Unlike Samba, however, Lion's networking tools will likely end support for NT domains, networking technology introduced by Microsoft in the late 1990s. Although some networks still rely on NT Domain Controller configurations, even Microsoft ended support for the aging technology with Windows 7.
On the bright side, Apple will no longer by trapped by the limitations of Samba. For example, the version of Samba currently bundled with Mac OS X can run into issues with PCs running Windows 7 that are set to Microsoft's most secure options for file sharing. Apple now has the opportunity to address this shortcoming and perhaps introduce its own innovative improvements to networking between future versions of Mac OS X and Windows.
For now, it's possible (and likely) the first version of Apple's tools for integrating with Windows networking technologies will face a few initial setbacks and limitations. In this event, Samba can potentially still be added to Mac OS X Lion by tech-savvy Mac users who can survive without a simple installer, graphical user interface and tight integration with the rest of Apple's software. Or Mac users who need Samba's toolset can hope an enterprising developer builds a compelling, easy-to-use Samba package before Mac OS X Lion ships this summer.
[via CNET]
Updated to note that Mac OS X can work with Win 7 sharing if security options are changed.
Apple to drop Samba networking tools from Lion originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Happy 10th birthday, Mac OS X!
It's hard to believe that 10 years ago today, Mac OS X made its official debut after several months of a paid public beta. Mac OS X v.10.0 "Cheetah" was released on March 24, 2001 for US$129. It was slow, clunky and made many users want to throw their Macs out the window, into the closest body of water or quickly scurry back to the safety of OS 9. Despite the plethora of errors, it was clear that 'Classic' Mac OS's days were numbered.
The anniversary comes a day after one of Mac OS X's major development leaders, Bertrand Serlet, announced that he was leaving Apple. Serlet helped guide the transformation of the NeXTStep OS purchased by Apple into the Mac OS X (and eventually iOS) that we know and love.
In the rest of this post, we share the seven (soon to be eight) major releases of Mac OS X (10.4.4 is considered a major release because of the rewrite for the Intel platform) and video blasts from the past as we share footage of the original announcements and previews of Mac OS X. Check out the gallery of UI changes as well.
Continue reading Happy 10th birthday, Mac OS X!
Happy 10th birthday, Mac OS X! originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily App: Superbrothers' Sword and Sworcery EP
We've been following Sword & Sworcery for a while, with previews at last year's GDC and then again at Indiecade last fall. The app itself is now finally available for your iPad, and the post-release hype is off the charts. The gaming press loves this one, and last night, Twitter was full of the "#sworcery" hashtag as players got into the game and tweeted directly from it. As I said in our previews, the title is more of an experience than a game. It's got musical elements, lots of action and exploration, and a superbly crafted feeling thanks to the art and music of Craig "Superbrothers" Adams, and Capy's own incredible game design talent.
There's only one mode, no Game Center integration, and some of the game's mysteries might leave more casual players perplexed, but honestly, none of that matters. This is a must-see experience on the iPad or the iPad 2. This kind of intimate, personal, indie, touchscreen experience is exactly what makes Apple's tablet so amazing. Yes, there's a lot of hype, and some Angry Birds fans will look at this game and wonder what everyone is getting out of it. But Sword & Sworcery is a milestone in the maturity of the iPad gaming platform, and for that, US$4.99 is just plain cheap.
TUAW's Daily App: Superbrothers' Sword and Sworcery EP originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPad 2 international pricing in a handy chart
Italian blog Setteb.it has published a chart comparing pricing between the USA and 18 of 25 countries involved in the March 25 iPad 2 launch. Each country's price listings take into account local taxes, with a 9.2 percent sales tax for the USA included for reference. All prices are expressed in local currency (if any) with all currencies converted into Euros for easy comparison.
The UK and most other European countries are paying a significant premium over US pricing. Regardless of local tax rates, most European nations can expect to pay €479 (~US$675) for a base 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad 2, all the way up to €799 (~US$1125) for a 64 GB Wi-Fi + 3G model. In the UK, once VAT is subtracted, the base retail price of the 64 GB Wi-Fi + 3G model comes to about US$892, much higher than the before-tax $829 price in the USA.
Remarkably, New Zealand has some of the lowest pricing on the chart. Although it's traditionally been home to very high prices for Apple gear, NZ's before-tax pricing for the iPad 2 is very close to that in the States. Once New Zealand's GST is subtracted out, the 64 GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad 2 costs US$834, only $5 more than the base US retail price. The base 16 GB Wi-Fi model before-tax price is US$517, again not much higher than the $499 US price. For Kiwis used to paying a 5-15 percent markup on retail pricing on top of GST for Apple gear, these lower prices will make the device a much more attractive prospect than before.
We still don't know how the international launch will play out on the 25th, but given the way things played out in the US launch, it's likely that stocks will be very limited in most countries. If you live outside the US and want an iPad 2 badly enough to brave both the higher cost and the launch-day craziness, good luck and good hunting.
[via Wired]
iPad 2 international pricing in a handy chart originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPads can now see WordPress blogs in an optimized view
WordPress is the world's most popular blogging tool, with over 25 million users. The iPad is the world's most popular tablet device, with over 17 million shipped in 2010. What happens when you get these two popular kids together? Magic.
Automattic Inc, the company behind WordPress, announced a new iPad-optimized view for all WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress blogs. The company has developed a new plug-in in cooperation with Onswipe that provides iPad users with a special experience, featuring touch controls that provide navigation of WordPress blogs through swiping, rotation and other gestures. The plug-in even knows how to properly format content based on the orientation of the iPad.
As you can see in the screenshot at right, the iPad-optimized view displays posts in a visual grid, with individual posts readable with a tap. The plug-in is entirely HTML5-compliant, and it can be customized from the WordPress Dashboard to create a magazine-like cover page, display a logo on the cover and choose from nine different skins to match the overall theme of your site.
For WordPress.com users, the plug-in is available with a touch. Self-hosted WordPress users just need to install the Onswipe plug-in available here.
Automattic notes that WordPress.com is already seeing about 750,000 page views a day from iPad visitors, with the numbers rising rapidly.
iPads can now see WordPress blogs in an optimized view originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Orb TV streams video from your Mac to your TV
I've been playing around with the US$99 Orb TV for a few weeks now, and I have to say I'm quite impressed with it. For those of you not familiar with it, Orb TV is a media streamer that connects to your TV and lets you play any video from your computer to your television. It's shaped like a hockey puck, and at a 95 mm diameter and a 21 mm thickness, it comes in smaller than the new Apple TV.
Despite a few hiccups in getting it connected the first day, I've found the Orb TV easy to use. Simply connect the component or composite cables from the Orb TV device to your TV, then launch the Orb software on your Mac. The Orb software will search your media libraries and pick up all your non-DRM video, music and photos. Next, download the free Orb Controller universal iOS app and navigate through you video library with ease. When you find a video you want to play, simply tap it to play it now or add it to your video queue. It's also important to note that the Orb TV doesn't have an interface -- not one that appears on your TV screen anyway. You control everything through the Orb Controller on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. There is also an Orb Mini Controller for Mac and PC for those users without an iOS or Android device.
Orb TV also allows you to watch Hulu, Netflix and YouTube videos right through your TV. But my favorite thing about the Orb TV is that it picks up any non-DRM video -- not just video in your iTunes music library -- on your Mac and streams it to your TV. This means that you don't have to have all your movies in one central location on your Mac, nor do they have to be in one specific format as Orb supports H.264 BP/MP/HP, VC-1 SP/MP/AP, MPEG4 SP/ASP, MPEG2 MP and MPEG1.
The biggest drawback is the lack of an HDMI port. Still, my HD video came in clear and crisp on my 1080p TV. Also the Orb controller software could use a bit of a redesign. It works just fine, but it has more of a bare bones UI as opposed to a well thought out software controller feel. That being said, for $99, the Orb TV is a good product for those looking to stream videos from their Mac to their HDTV.
Orb TV streams video from your Mac to your TV originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - FaceTime causing some iPad cameras to freeze
According to a thread on Apple's support forum, there may be an issue going around with FaceTime on the iPad that freezes up the iPad 2's front camera. Users are saying that sometimes, when FaceTime loads up, the front camera will freeze on a frame and not send any more video. Fortunately, the fix seems to be simply restarting the iPad, but obviously, there's something weird going on -- the issue often pops up even after a restart.
The FaceTime for Mac app was just updated yesterday with a few performance improvements, so there's likely an update pending for iPad as well. Hopefully, whenever that's released, it'll fix whatever issues users have been having.
[via 9to5Mac]
FaceTime causing some iPad cameras to freeze originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Updated IMDB app gains AirPlay support for trailers
Although third-party AirPlay support debuted as part of the recent 4.3, apps that offer that support are now trickling in. AirPlay allows you to beam video from your iOS device to an Apple TV or to a third-party application, like Banana TV, without cables. The newly updated IMDB application (version 2.1) offers Watchlist (a way to keep track of movies that you want to watch), enhanced showtimes and ticket purchasing, and AirPlay support for trailers.
Unfortunately, you cannot use the new AirPlay features to watch Hulu or Amazon Instant Video the way that you can on desktop browsers.
Update: Looks like the Fandango app also supports AirPlay for trailers. Neato!
Updated IMDB app gains AirPlay support for trailers originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Trade Nations dev picks up new funding, former Xbox exec Ed Fries
Here's another iPhone dev hitting the jackpot. Developer Z2Live is the company behind the hit iPhone social game Trade Nations, and it's picked up what's probably a nice chunk of change in a round of funding from VC firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Unfortunately, the actual total of funding hasn't been disclosed, but given the popularity of the game and its in-app purchase business model, there's likely six digits or more of money changing hands here.
It's enough to attract some talent, too -- the company has also picked up Ed Fries to join the board of directors. Fries was originally a Microsoft executive who co-founded the Xbox Project and helped put together Microsoft Games Studios. More recently, he's been working on 3D printing at FigurePrints, a company that makes real-life printouts of in-game avatars. This position sounds like it will overlap with that one, but even so, Z2Live will most likely benefit from the experience.
Trade Nations dev picks up new funding, former Xbox exec Ed Fries originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - OS X 10.6.7 update causing problems with 3D acceleration for Quadro 4000 users
Users of NVIDIA's Quadro 4000 workstation graphics card may have a problem with 3D acceleration when updating to OS X 10.6.7. Apparently NVIDIA's display driver was incompatible with OS X 10.6.7, and during the installation process, the updater simply removes it. Without having the right driver the system can't take advantage of all the Quadro's features, and you may end up wondering why some things aren't working.
The good news is that there's an easy fix. Earlier today NVIDIA released a new version of the driver, and you're a quick update away from having everything running normally again.
Continue reading OS X 10.6.7 update causing problems with 3D acceleration for Quadro 4000 users
OS X 10.6.7 update causing problems with 3D acceleration for Quadro 4000 users originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Investors re-elect Jobs to Disney board
Bloomberg is reporting that Disney investors today have re-elected Steve Jobs to Disney's board of directors. The re-election comes despite proxy advisers who advised the share holders not re-elect Jobs, on account that his health issues might affect his ability to serve in an adequate manner.
The vote, which was held in Salt Lake City earlier today, found 74 percent of investors voting to keep Jobs on the board along with 12 other re-elected nominees. After the vote, Disney sent out an emailed statement saying, "The Walt Disney Company considers itself fortunate to have Steve Jobs as a member of its board of directors." Today's vote was anxiously watched by many analysts, as it was primarily seen as a vote in confidence about whether or not investors thought Steve Jobs could still partake in major strategic decisions.
As a consequence of Disney's acquisition of Pixar in early 2006, Jobs' majority stake in Pixar led to him becoming Disney's largest individual shareholder by a wide margin (7 percent ownership; former Disney chairman Michael Eisner came in 2nd with 1.7 percent of shares outstanding). He has held a seat on Disney's board since that time.
Investors re-elect Jobs to Disney board originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW TV Live: How would you improve the Mac OS?
Today on TUAW TV Live it's all about the chat. I've sent out a tweet requesting input on what people think are features that are ripe for improvement in the Mac operating system, and we'll be bashing around some of those ideas in a free-for-all discussion about our favorite OS.
As usual, I have some fun new apps and accessories to show you as well, so we'll have a fast and furious hour together. From your Mac or PC, go to the next page by clicking the Read More link at the bottom of this post, and you'll find a livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments.
If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream Viewing Application. If you're on an iPad, you should be able to use the Skyfire Browser to watch the stream, although you will not be able to participate in the chat.
We'll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you're seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. For those of you who are not able to join us for the live edition, you'll be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the new TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.
Continue reading TUAW TV Live: How would you improve the Mac OS?
TUAW TV Live: How would you improve the Mac OS? originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Report: Apple to expand AirPlay plans
Man, I could have told you this one: Bloomberg is reporting that Apple plans to extend its AirPlay service out even further, licensing it out to television sets that would then be able to receive and display video directly from iDevices -- bypassing the need to plug in an Apple TV and pay $99. Currently, third-party device support for AirPlay only covers audio and certain AirPlay-enabled stereo devices, but it's far from a stretch to think that Apple will go to video soon, especially since you can currently stream any iTunes media through the AirPlay protocol.
I think we'll go even farther -- the iPad is quickly growing to be as or even more powerful than your average set-top box or console, and it's easy to see a future where your iPad can actually stream both audio and video out to a licensed television while it's playing a game or an app. We've seen a lot of fun stuff already with the video-out feature, and if Apple is able to license out the technology to televisions, that'll be a win-win-win situation for the folks in Cupertino, game developers and the consumers who get to send their media and apps anywhere. I doubt it'll be long before we see AirPlay popping up with a few more new uses.
Report: Apple to expand AirPlay plans originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Senators urge Apple to pull DUI checkpoint apps
A group of senators from four different states sent a message to Apple yesterday to pull any apps from the App Store that supposedly alert drivers of drunk driving checkpoints. The letter, which was also sent to Google and RIM, stated that "giving drunk drivers a free tool to evade checkpoints, putting innocent families and children at risk, is a matter of public concern," and mentioned just one such app, called PhantomALERT.
The CEO of the company that makes that app claims it's completely legal, saying that police often advertise the same checkpoint locations before they're set up, warning drivers to be careful in certain areas and never to drink and drive. A police officer in Oregon, according to ComputerWorld, is pretty indifferent to the whole argument. "If things like these apps increase awareness on the part of drivers to slow down and drive to the signs posted and the conditions," he said, "that helps people stay alert and drive safely."
So, it seems like much ado over something that's not a huge issue. Of course, if people are using these apps to dodge checkpoints, that could be a problem, but if police are advertising these things ahead of time anyway, it's hard to see why these apps are under fire.
Senators urge Apple to pull DUI checkpoint apps originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple could agree to component price hike to secure touchscreens
Contending with seemingly insatiable demand for its new iPad 2, Apple is pondering paying higher prices for touch panel components, according to a report from DigiTimes on Wednesday. Manufacturers in Taiwan claim Apple is more open to certain price hikes during negotiations as the California company tries to secure a sufficient supply of components for its popular touchscreen products.
Higher component prices, in the short term, will shrink Apple's gross margins on three of its hottest selling products: the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. But securing adequate availability of touch panels should help the company relieve some of the constraints in its global supply chain. Such a deal would also put pressure on other consumer electronics companies to pay more for the components they need to build competing tablet computers and smartphones.
Apple currently faces incredible pressure from consumers and shareholders to address bottlenecks in the supply chain for its successful families of touch panel devices. Lead times for the new iPad 2 ballooned to 4-5 weeks in its first few days on the US market, and the tablet goes on sale to a broader, global market this Friday. Apple reportedly expects to ship 40 million iPads in 2011. The company is also expected to launch its next generation iPhone later this year.
The earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan earlier this month further fueled concerns over possible touch panel supply shortages. According to AppleInsider, a recent report suggested Foxconn, Apple's manufacturing partner, has only two or three weeks' worth of touch panels stockpiled. If the situation in Japan doesn't improve, Foxconn could deplete its stock of touch panel components.
Despite these concerns, DigiTimes believes Apple is well positioned to weather a shortage of touch panels. Apple has already booked an estimated 60 percent of the world's touch panel output capacity. As the global market leader in touchscreen devices, Apple will continue to control the lion's share of the world's touch panel supply and enjoy lower component pricing than its competition. "Supply for touch panel[s]...will be more smooth for Apple," concluded DigiTimes.
[via AppleInsider]
Apple could agree to component price hike to secure touchscreens originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Inkling makes deals for e-textbooks with key publishers
While many companies are talking about making the iPad the platform for electronic textbooks, one San Francisco startup appears to be moving boldly into making the dream a reality.
Inkling has announced that it'll be receiving financial backing from two of the largest names in textbook publishing -- Pearson and McGraw-Hill. What sets Inkling apart from other companies testing the textbook waters is its approach to creating truly interactive books that go beyond just making an electronic version of a book. Many e-textbook publishers simply make a PDF file of the content in an existing textbook and leave it at that.
Matt MacInnis, founder and CEO of Inkling, noted in a MobileBeat post today that the company starts with existing textbook content as a framework, then adds interactive and multimedia content that is only possible on the iPad. One impressive feature is the addition of interactive quizzes to the end of each chapter of the iPad textbooks. Inkling only has 14 textbooks available at this time, but it's expected to have over 100 out by this fall.
Not only is Inkling receiving funding from some big names, but it also has partnerships with John Wiley & Sons, Wolters Kluwer and W.W. Norton that give the company access to about 95 percent of available textbook content.
There's a short video demonstrating one of Inkling's e-textbooks, Mader Biology 10th edition, on the next page. The company's free iPad app is available here.
Continue reading Inkling makes deals for e-textbooks with key publishers
Inkling makes deals for e-textbooks with key publishers originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET: Dissecting the future of Mac OS
Mac OS X is now over 10 years old, and we're already beginning to see signs that Apple might merge the desktop operating system with the fledgling mobile OS -- iOS. We'll see some evolutionary changes in Mac OS X later this year when version 10.7 "Lion" hits the Mac App Store, but there are a growing number of people who think that Apple needs to make a revolutionary leap to a new computing paradigm.
Today on TUAW TV Live, we're not going to try to design a future operating system, but one of the topics will be a discussion of things you'd like to see Apple take on in the near future. If there's an area in the Mac operating system that you think could use a major improvement, let me know before the start of the show by tweeting me at @stevensande.
As usual, I'll have some fun demonstrations of new or revised apps, and you can expect to see some new goodies that have arrived here from some of the top Apple accessory manufacturers.
You can join in on the live streaming video and chat here at TUAW at 5 PM EDT / 2 PM PDT / 9 PM GMT. I'll see you then. If you can't join us this afternoon, be sure to subscribe to the TUAW TV Live podcast through iTunes.
TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET: Dissecting the future of Mac OS originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Google Latitude for iOS gets check-ins, Places boosts language support
Google updated two of its iOS applications with new features that make it easy to share and connect with your friends. Google Latitude, the social mapping application, now lets you check-in to places when you are out and about. With Latitude, you can see your friends on a map and share your location with them. Now you can use the check-in feature to help them pinpoint the exact place you stopped for happy hour. No worries if you forget to update your status as Latitude, when set to continuously monitor your location, will automatically check you out when your leave.
Similar to Foursquare and Gowalla, multiple check-ins at a location will earn you the title of Regular, VIP or Guru for the establishment as well as open up special offers. The application requires iOS 4 and is available for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad and recent iPod touch models (third and fourth generation). Continuous monitoring of your location requires a mobile device with GPS.
Google Places with Hotpot was also the beneficiary of an update, which added support for 30 languages and saved places. New languages include French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Polish and Russian. The point of interest finder and recommendation application lets you find restaurants, bars and other places within your immediate environment. If you locate an establishment that you wish to remember, you can use the new save feature to star this location for the future. These starred locations will sync with Google Maps (maps.google.com) and you can view your favorite places easily from a variety of devices. Google Places is Compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running iOS 3.0 or later.
Both Google Latitude and Google Places are available for free from the App Store.
Google Latitude for iOS gets check-ins, Places boosts language support originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPhone 4 survives 1,000 foot fall from Air Force plane
Late last night, we received an email from U.S. Air Force Combat Controller Ron Walker, who wrote to tell us an incredible story about his iPhone 4 and a minor workplace mishap.
Staff Sergeant Walker's duties as a jump master require him to ensure that his aircraft is in the proper location before sending parachute jumpers into the air. One week ago (on March 16), he stuck his body out of the plane's open door to look for landmarks as the plane sped through the air at 130 knots (about 150 mph), about 1,000 feet above the ground.
As he did so, the Velcro seal on his pocket flew open, and out popped his iPhone. Airman Walker could do nothing but watch it fall away from the plane; he assumed it was lost forever, not to mention destroyed by the fall (for reference, that drop is roughly equivalent to tossing a phone off of a 90-story skyscraper).
Later, he told his tale of loss to his colleagues on the ground, one of whom installed the Find My iPhone app on his iPhone. Within minutes, the app found the wayward phone, still active, and Walker and his buddy hopped on ATVs and tracked it down in a wooded area about 2 miles away.
Not only was the iPhone undamaged, Walker reports, it was in perfect working order -- "not a scratch on it, not even dirty." That's the phone itself in the photo above.
The phone was wearing a Griffin case at the time of its unexpected journey, but no special aerodynamic protection. (It wasn't even this Griffin case, which is designed to meet military standards.)
Thanks to Staff Sgt. Walker for sharing this iPhone recovery saga, and for his continuing service to our country. We're glad it turned out so well. Next time, however, make sure the iPhone is wearing a parachute and carrying a flare gun.
[Airman Walker also shared his story separately with iLounge.]
iPhone 4 survives 1,000 foot fall from Air Force plane originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple spanks adult "app store" MiKandi with a cease-and-desist
This appears to be Apple's month to legally pursue anyone using the term "app store" to describe a virtual marketplace that sells ... apps. Amazon was the most visible target to receive the wrath of the Cupertino lawyers when it was the recipient of a complaint from Apple about using the trademarked term "App Store" in its new Amazon Appstore.
Now Apple has aimed a bit lower, hitting Seattle-based MiKandi.com with a cease-and-desist order. Until this month, the site billed itself as "the world's first adult app store." After being pinged by Apple's lawyers, the site is now described as "the world's first adult app market."
That's not much of a change, but hopefully enough to keep Apple appeased until all is sorted out. Microsoft and Apple have also been tussling over Apple's claim to the trademarked term "app store," which the company applied for in 2008.
MiKandi is a rather small player in comparison to Amazon and Microsoft, selling adult apps that are turned down by the Apple and Android app markets. The controversial iBoobs app, for example, was banned by both Apple and Google, but is now available from MiKandi.
Apple is doing what it should to stake its claim to the trademark for "app store" by aggressively pursuing anyone who uses the term publicly. For MiKandi, an innocent use of the term has turned into a publicity gold mine. GeekWire has a full interview with MiKandi founders Jen McEwen and Jesse Adams discussing the Apple C&D and their plans for the adult app playground.
[via Gizmodo]
Apple spanks adult "app store" MiKandi with a cease-and-desist originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Adobe's Flash Player, Reader and Acrobat updated to close critical security hole
Adobe has issued an update to its popular Flash Player plug-in as well as its Reader and Acrobat software for viewing and editing PDF (portable document format) files.
According to Adobe's security bulletin and advisories webpage, a critical vulnerability has been identified in the above mentioned software that can "... cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system."
Naturally, Adobe advises that users update their software to the latest version. The affected Flash Player versions are 10.2.152.33 and earlier (10.2.154.18 and earlier for Chrome users). The affected Acrobat and Reader versions are 10.0.1 and earlier 10.x and 9.x versions.
To find out what version of Flash Player you're currently running, visit the About Flash Player Page from your browser or right-click on running Flash content and select About Adobe Flash Player from the menu. If you have multiple browsers installed on your Mac, Adobe recommends you perform the check on each browser.
For the latest Adobe Reader update click here, and for the latest Adobe Acrobat update click here.
Adobe's Flash Player, Reader and Acrobat updated to close critical security hole originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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