 |  TUAWTUAW http://www.tuaw.com рекомендовать друзьям >> |
- Samsung brings Apple patent suit to US soil
Last week Samsung countersued Apple in Korea, Japan and Germany for infringements on up to five Samsung patents. The countersuit came after Apple lobbed a massive suit against Samsung for copying the iPhone and iPad. Apple wasn't pulling any punches either. "It's no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging. This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas," a Cupertino spokesperson said.
Well yesterday, Samsung brought its patent infringement countersuit against Apple to the US. As Bloomberg reports, the new US suit expands the number of alleged patent infringements by Apple to ten. Among the alleged violations: a patent that covers improvements to text messages and their attachments, another that covers technology that allows a user to place a phone call and surf the web at the same time, and another that allows for increased capacity of mobile networks.
How this is all going to play out is anyone's guess. All I can say with certainty is this is a great time to be an IP lawyer.
Samsung brings Apple patent suit to US soil originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - For the first time ever, Apple beats Microsoft in quarterly profit
Today Microsoft announced their net profit for the first calendar quarter of 2011. That net profit was $5.23 billion, or $760 million dollars less than Apple's $5.99 billion net profit over the same period. For those keeping track, first Apple surpassed Microsoft in market capitalization, next they surpassed Microsoft in quarterly revenue, and now Apple has surpassed Microsoft in quarterly profits. Surpassing Microsoft's net profit is quite an accomplishment given the typical high-margin sales of Microsoft's software and the lower-margin sales of Apple's hardware.
Matter of fact, by every standard financial measure, Apple has now surpassed Microsoft to be the most profitable and valuable tech company on the planet. No wonder some people think Apple is headed to be the first trillion dollar company.
[via MacRumors]
For the first time ever, Apple beats Microsoft in quarterly profit originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Zynga buys Wonderland Software, makers of GodFinger
Zynga has added another iOS developer to its growing stable -- Wonderland Software, makers of GodFinger, the Ngmoco-published freemium title, has been purchased and rebranded as Zynga Mobile UK. Wonderland made GodFinger for Ngmoco, so that game isn't part of the buyout, but Zynga will of course use the company and its resources to build up a developer presence in the UK for both mobile and social games.
This buyout follows the purchase of two other big iOS developers by Zynga, including Drop7 dev Area Code, now Zynga New York, and Words with Friends' Newtoy, which has seen been rebranded as Zynga with Friends. That's quite a growing empire Zynga is building out of iPhone developers, and I'm inclined to say we'll see a few more studios bought up in the future. What we haven't seen quite yet is just what these studios are doing for Zynga -- Words with Friends has been marked with a Zynga logo, but Zynga's iOS push doesn't have any new games to play with yet. Hopefully we'll see the fruits of these deals at some point.
Zynga buys Wonderland Software, makers of GodFinger originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Box.net SimpleShare Mac app for free screencast and screenshot sharing
Cloud storage provider Box.net has announced a new free Mac app called SimpleShare to make sharing screenshots and screencasts with others a piece of cake.
When installed and used with a free (5 GB) or paid Box.net account, SimpleShare appears as yet another menu bar icon. To capture a screencast to demonstrate a feature or bug, selecting "Start Screencast" from that menu brings up a selection tool to drag around the area you want to capture. The capture begins immediately, and is stopped by clicking a "Stop Recording" button that appears on the screen. Once recording has ceased, the screencast is uploaded to Box.net's servers and the light blue menu bar icon "fills up" as a progress indicator.
As soon as the file upload is done, a unique address is generated for sharing the screencast or screenshot with friends or coworkers, and that address is copied to the clipboard for pasting. I noticed that every time the screencast was viewed for the first time, I received an email -- that's a nice touch if you want to make sure that your co-workers have viewed the content. To send other files on your Mac, you just drag them up to the menu bar and drop them on the Box.net icon. For screenshots, just using the traditional Command-Shift-3 or Command-Shift-4 shortcuts automatically sends the full screen or selection to your SimpleShare folder.
I wasn't happy with the fact that the screencasts are saved in the Adobe Flash Video format, as that makes it impossible to view the videos on iOS devices. But this is a 1.0 app, and hopefully Box.net will migrate to a more compatible screencast format in the future.
While cloud storage services like Box.net are not unique -- I tend to use Dropbox for most of my cloud work -- SimpleShare is useful for collaborating with others thanks to its drop-dead ease of use. For me, it's a keeper.
Box.net SimpleShare Mac app for free screencast and screenshot sharing originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Apple patents Fitness Center App for iPhone
Patently Apple's got another USPTO-sponsored bulletin from the R&D Department in Cupertino, and this time it's for a brand new app designed to help you stay in touch with your local gym. A recently published patent details a Fitness Center App that will do things like track your workouts from exercise machines, mark down when and where you visit the gym, and even find a workout partner with social networking or set up appointments for personal trainers straight from the app. [Maybe they'll call it "QuadsSquare." -Ed.]
In short, Apple's idea is that one app would govern all facets of an exercise program, with a heavy back-end system to work with different gyms all over the country. You'd be able to get news and information straight from your local gym, as well as custom reminders when you miss a workout or haven't been in a while.
It all sounds good to us. While most of Apple's patents are usually just the company covering its bases, this one seems awfully in-depth -- everything from concepts to layouts is covered here. That doesn't mean this idea is any more likely to actually be implemented, but it does mean that Apple has put lots of thought and effort into an app like this. Maybe we will see it implemented as an actual release.
Apple patents Fitness Center App for iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - iPhone: "Does this white paint make me look fat?"
Ryan Cash had an opportunity to compare the new white iPhone with the more traditional black model that many of us know and love. Placed side-by-side on the desk, it appears that the white model is ever so slightly thicker. This is possibly due to a need to filter light, a design problem originally floated back last October and confirmed this week by Steve Jobs.
Apple does not list any technical specification differences between the two models. If you've got a new iPhone 4 blanco, please let us know if you have any difficulty using an existing case or cover with it.
iPhone: "Does this white paint make me look fat?" originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Instapaper's free version goes on extended hiatus, dev explains why
Marco Arment has an interesting writeup on his blog about his iOS app Instapaper (and of course the web service that runs behind it). Arment says on his blog that he's quietly been removing the free version of the app from the App Store, and that's resulted in a surprising effect: Sales of the full app have actually increased. Because of this, Arment says he's rethinking a free version completely, and may not bother ever bringing it back to the App Store.
Traditionally, free or "lite" app versions are very helpful -- they give users a taste of what the app does without any overhead costs to them but the time to download, and they can raise awareness of an app in certain situations. Of course, the drawbacks are that a free app doesn't make any money, and can often be a drain on resources, requiring extra development time or support.
That's where Arment says his problem comes in -- the free app isn't really worth it, doesn't convert to paid as he'd like it to, and perhaps most interesting, actually causes some "image problems." A lot of free users don't realize that the free version has a limited featureset, so they aren't even seeing what the full Instapaper app can do. Moreover, the reviews for the free app (drawing from a pool of users who haven't invested anything in the app, and can "download and dump" but still review it) are noticeably worse than those for the paid version.
The whole post is intriguing, and really goes against some of the conventional wisdom on free versions of apps. Of course, I think games are different than Arment's service, but it's true -- while a free app will likely grab you a larger audience than just putting out a paid version, it still may not be the best thing for a specific app to do. Instapaper Free is gone for now, says Arment, and it may not be back at all.
Instapaper's free version goes on extended hiatus, dev explains why originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Newspaper thinktank predicted the iPad in 1994
It's not often (well, ever) that I consider the possibility someone might be from the future, but maybe Roger Fidler was. In 2007 the Paleofuture blog pointed to the video below, where Fidler and his team at Knight-Ridder describe an electronic newspaper running on what might as well be an iPad... except that the video was made way back in 1994.
Most futurists are off the mark, or make forecasts for technologies that are so far off in the future, you'll never know if they are right, but the Knight-Ridder team's predictions for the "electronic tablet" were just eerie. Granted, they forecast it for the turn of the century -- and in their version of the future, people still wore collarless denim shirts -- but it's otherwise freakishly accurate.
"We may still use computers to create information, but we will use the tablet to interact with print, video, and other information," the video explains. It also goes on to describe personal "profile pages," "interactive maps," and sharing links with friends. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. It even seems like Fidler is channeling Steve Jobs at some points, saying "Nobody needs a manual for their daily newspaper" and that tablet newspapers need to be kept simple. Amazingly, he even seems to describe iAds.
Of course, the Knight-Ridder tablet wasn't the first futurist's take on a pad-shaped newsreader, but at least this one doesn't also come with a neurotic killer computer in space.
If you were watching this video in 1994, you were watching thirteen minutes of the future. Read on to see the clip. Bonus points to Fidler & co. for the classic PowerBook Duo, Newton and other Apple history in the background.
[via The Inquisitr; hat tip to Bronwen Clune]
Continue reading Newspaper thinktank predicted the iPad in 1994
Newspaper thinktank predicted the iPad in 1994 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Scosche freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard: flexible and splashproof
Have you ever wanted to spill water onto your Bluetooth keyboard? Of course not. But that doesn't mean that some day you might not accidentally dump an icy glass of sweet tea onto the keyboard or have one of the kids decide to give Mr. Keyboard a bath in the toilet.
Schosche's new freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard (US$59.99) doesn't mind spills, although a swim in the loo might prove too much. The chiclet-type keyboard rolls up like a frightened armadillo for compact travel and is made of a water-resistant silicone material. When it gets wet, simply shake it off. Chiclet keyboards have been known to be typing-unfriendly in the past, so you may want to try one out at a local retailer before buying.
The freeKEY is available now, works with all of your Bluetooth-equipped devices, including the iPad 2, and comes with a retractable USB to micro-USB cable for recharging. There's video on the next page, showing the freeKEY in action as it gets splashed and rolled up into a snug cylinder. I'm hoping to try one out soon for a full TUAW review just to see how comfortable the keyboard is, and to see how the freeKEY works after spilling a Margarita on it.
Continue reading Scosche freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard: flexible and splashproof
Scosche freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard: flexible and splashproof originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - iTunes 101: Making the most of contextual menus
I love contextual menus. In Mac OS X, you find them when you right-click, two-finger-click (on a trackpad) or when you hold down the Control key and click. They're handy in scores of applications and in the Finder; if you're looking to supercharge your iTunes usage in particular, Macworld's Kirk McElhearn has published 10 ways to use contextual menus with iTunes.
One particularly useful option is to "Start Genius" from any track. When selected, iTunes will instantly create a genius playlist from that track. The "Add to playlist" option is also useful. When selected, you get a hierarchical menu all available playlists (smart playlists are excluded). Simply click the one you're after and the track is added.
Contextual menus also work on multiple tracks at once. Make your selections by either Command- or Shift-clicking, then right-click one of the highlighted songs to see the contextual menu. From there you can add that group to a playlist, adjust ratings, convert tracks to Apple Lossless format, and so on.
There's an important iTunes contextual menu that didn't make Macworld's list. If you connect your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to your computer, you can right-click the device's icon in the iTunes sidebar to see a specific contextual menu for that iOS gadget. You can quickly eject, restore or back up your device; also, if you're about to update your version of iOS but iTunes is warning you that you need to transfer purchased items from your device back to iTunes pre-update... well, here's where you do it, via the Transfer Purchases command.
For all ten Macworld tips, read Kirk's article. In the meantime, please share any favorites with us below.
iTunes 101: Making the most of contextual menus originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Internet braces for royal wedding
As the bride climbs into her dress, the groom adjusts his cufflinks, the 1,900 invited guests arrive, and chefs make final preparations for the festivities to follow the ceremony, popular websites like YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter will be tuning their systems for a surge of wedding watchers.
In less than 24 hours, Prince William will marry Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London, England. It's the first British royal wedding in the age of the modern internet, and the monarchy promises to make it an internet-friendly event. Tomorrow's celebration will be streamed live via YouTube, and the official royal-wedding website will post status updates to Twitter and Facebook; so will about 400 million of the royal family's biggest fans, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
The anticipated increase in online traffic for tomorrow's royal wedding could bring the internet to a frustratingly slow crawl and may topple some of the web's premier destinations. Matt Graves, a spokesman for Twitter.com, said his site is ready for the deluge of wow-look-at-that-dress tweets that will inevitably arrive as Kate walks down the aisle.
As seen above, Twitter posted a photo of its co-founder, Biz Stone, mounting a single Xserve labelled "Wills & Kate" in preparation for the big event. The picture prompted the not-actually-official TwitterGlobalPR account to snipe, "Rumours of Twitter needing extra servers for the Royal Wedding are greatly exaggerated. We only need one." Of course, the photo is intended as a joke -- everyone knows Twitter's infrastructure runs on the Mac mini.
Historically, major news and events have caused trouble for popular websites. Twitter, for example, displayed a boatload of fail whales after Michael Jackson died in 2009 and during the World Cup and Wimbledon in 2010. The simultaneous sporting tournaments generated the highest traffic in the internet's history when over 10 million links were clicked per minute, according to Akamai.
Will the internet survive Prince William and Kate Middleton's big day? We'll all find out at 11:00 am London time on Friday, April 29.
Internet braces for royal wedding originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - New Wired for iPad issue out now, Adobe's picking up the tab
Want to try out Wired Magazine for iPad, but you're not too thrilled about paying US$3.99 for the latest issue? In an attempt to encourage potential subscribers to push the buy button in the future, and to show off some new features in the app, Wired 19.05 (otherwise known as the May 2011 edition) is being offered for free. To get the free issue, simply download the free app and visit the Wired Library once you've launched it. You'll see an issue at the top marked Free Download, and with a tap you can download the 380 MB file.
Conde Nast, publisher of Wired, isn't going to lose money on this proposition. Adobe has sponsored the issue, much like how Lincoln has paid for up to 200,000 passes for The New York Times paywall.
As usual, the magazine is chock-a-block with ads, but many of the ads in this issue are showing Wired's commitment to making advertising both more interactive and more social. The interactive ads range from one that has you search for four Lexus hybrids to a rather boring Ameritrade ad that plays a teaser for an iPad app when touched. In some ads, you can brag about your achievement by tweeting friends or updating Facebook.
There's also animated content; in a one page article titled "Why Soda Goes Pop," the equation for Henry's Law appears in animated carbon dioxide bubbles. There's a video about lawn darts, and in an article about earbuds, a small info pop-up appears when you tap on each brand of bud.
I actually found most of the ads to be more compelling than the content in this issue, which is why I haven't had a subscription to Wired since the late 1990s. Playing "Where's Waldo?" in ads is more interesting than the "Pat the Bunny" type of interactive content that the magazine seems to be dredging up.
However, it's worth the time and bandwidth to give the Wired for iPad app a look while it's still available for free. The app is currently getting awful reviews in the App Store for losing previous issue purchases that readers had made, but if you've never bought an issue before, you'll be safe. Be sure to check out the gallery below for some screenshots of some of the content and ads.
New Wired for iPad issue out now, Adobe's picking up the tab originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - SnuggleTruck: Rejected app goes cuddly for Apple approval
Imagine you're an iOS game developer, and your new app's theme focuses on smuggling illegal immigrants over the border. It offers a politically charged satiric scenario, one that could possibly offend customers. Apple reviewers consider the game, but they determine that it fails the smell test. Too tasteless -- not gonna make it into the App Store. What do you do?
If you're Owlchemy Labs, what you do is this: you redesign your somewhat edgy software to provide exactly the same gameplay, but change the artwork and sounds to provide an even more ironic take on the original.
Owlchemy substituted happy zoo animals for the original illegal immigrants. The cuddly creatures "escape from the wilderness for the comfort of a zoo, where they are provided with plenty of food, shelter and state-of-the-art healthcare." Basically, Apple's rejection allowed Owlchemy Labs to provide another layer of metatextual satire on top of the original satiric content.
The mind boggles.
Nevertheless, Apple happily approved this extremely subversive software now that people had to think before becoming offended. The original SmuggleTruck software is available for sale on both Mac and Windows, and it offers the new SnuggleTruck mode as a built-in extra.
SnuggleTruck is now available for sale on iTunes for US$1.99 for the iPhone version and $2.99 for the iPad HD version.
A video from the developers that explains the redesign follows after the break.
[via Joystiq]
Continue reading SnuggleTruck: Rejected app goes cuddly for Apple approval
SnuggleTruck: Rejected app goes cuddly for Apple approval originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - White iPhone 4 produces long lines in Beijing
The white Apple iPhone 4 made its retail debut today, and China is one market where demand is high for the long-awaited device. According to a report from Computerworld, hundreds of customers lined up outside the Apple Store in Beijing to buy the long-delayed white model.
Customers in line confirmed they passed on the black model, which launched in September 2010, and waited for the white one to make its debut. "I don't like the black color," said line-waiter Annie Zhang. "I've always been waiting for the white-colored iPhone 4."
Apple's presence in China is growing at an extraordinary rate. Apple's iPhone models account for 8.3 percent of China's smartphone market share, and sales of the iPhone in Q1 2011 grew by 250 percent year over year. The introduction of the white iPhone 4 will boost sales even higher in China, as white devices are popular there; the color white is often associated with purity and fulfillment in Chinese culture (also with funerals and mourning, but that's probably not what Apple is going for).
White iPhone 4 produces long lines in Beijing originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Rumor: Apple lowering CDMA iPhone 4 orders, even though survey says Apple is #3 US smartphone vendor
It appears that after robust sales in the first few months of the iPhone 4's life on the Verizon network, demand might be slowing down for the CDMA device. That's despite new NPD data showing a major impact from the Verizon iPhone, including a hit to Sprint's results.
In a report discussing first quarter 2011 losses at iPhone supplier Pegatron, Digitimes noted that "market watchers are turning conservative about CDMA iPhone 4 shipments in the future as volumes may not be as strong as expected." Pegatron was expected to ship about 10 million iPhone 4s in 2011, but recent estimates are in the range of 5 million units.
There are several hypotheses about the slowdown in production of the CDMA-only device. First, demand for the Verizon iPhone may have cooled off when widely publicized reports noted that the carrier's 3G network was noticeably slower than rival AT&T's, or when would-be switchers were hit with a barrage of "no simultaneous voice and data" warnings.
Next, it could be that Apple has a true GSM/CDMA "world phone" in the works for later in 2011 and is just clearing the channel for the new model. Finally, many Verizon customers may realize that the iPhone 4 will soon be replaced by a newer model and are just waiting for the next-generation device before switching.
Meanwhile, 9to5 points to the latest NPD report showing Apple holding an astonishing 14 percent of the US smartphone market, behind only LG and Samsung. The Verizon iPhone launch certainly helped push that number, along with AT&T and Apple's aggressive discounting of the iPhone 3GS after the iPhone 4 hit the market. Since NPD is looking at historical sales data while Digitimes is looking ahead to supplier and component forecasts, it is possible that both stories are right: the Verizon iPhone had a killer launch, but it may not have legs through the summer if the iPhone 5 is coming along.
Rumor: Apple lowering CDMA iPhone 4 orders, even though survey says Apple is #3 US smartphone vendor originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Foxconn employees arrested for leaking iPad 2 design
Remember those iPad 2 cases we saw in December of last year that hinted at the svelte design and rear-facing camera of the new iPad? It appears these cases were the real deal, and three Foxconn employees may have been the source.
According to China-based sznews.com, Foxconn has accused three employees of leaking the iPad 2 case design to accessory companies in China. These three employees were arrested on December 26, 2010 and charged with trade secret violations on March 23, 2011.
Foxconn employees arrested for leaking iPad 2 design originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Mario clone in App Store, place your bets for how long (Update: It's gone)
UPDATE: Yeah, as tipster Matt told us, this app has been pulled. That only took a few hours.
You gotta be kidding. I am dying to know who, exactly, at Apple is unfamiliar with Mario the plumber. An intern born in the 90s, maybe? At any rate,
go grab this platformerfeaturing Monino, whose brother was captured by Bowler and is being kept in a castle. Sound familiar? It's like a mirror universe, I know.Given how much the iPod touch and iPhone have been hurting Nintendo's DS sales, we're likely going to have to wait until the Japanese game company stops making hardware altogether to see a real Mario franchise appear on iOS. Until then (and until someone at Cupertino wakes up to an irritated email), you'll have this game. Honestly I'm not wasting the 99-cents on it, as the reviews clearly point out the controls are atrocious. You can't have a decent platformer if the controls aren't responsive, I don't care how gussied up to look like a Nintendo rip-off it may be.
Get it while it still exists, which will probably be a few more hours. They didn't even bother to change Mario's appearance!
Update: Electricpig posted a video as well, which you can see on the next page.
Thanks for the tip, David!
Continue reading Mario clone in App Store, place your bets for how long (Update: It's gone)
Mario clone in App Store, place your bets for how long (Update: It's gone) originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Dear Aunt TUAW: Why does iTunes hate me?
Dear Aunt TUAW,
There's nothing I love better than to put on a nice long multi-hour playlist while I'm working, but sometimes reality intrudes. I get a call, and I need to pause the tunes.
If I'm visiting the iTunes store on my Macintosh, then the iTunes application totally loses my place in my playlist. I have to restart my shuffled playlist, and I end up hearing song after song that I've already listened to repeat in a way that ticks off my subconscious.
Help me Auntie! How do I pause my playlist to take a call and be sure that I don't lose my place?
Why does iTunes hate me?
Thanks a bunch,
Vittorio F.
Continue reading Dear Aunt TUAW: Why does iTunes hate me?
Dear Aunt TUAW: Why does iTunes hate me? originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Apple approves JavaScript iOS games that don't use a browser
Look Ma, no WebKit! Your inner geek and nerd should give each other a little hug this morning as you read about the latest rather cool accomplishment of Dominic Szablewski, creator of the Impact JavaScript HTML 5 game engine.
He's just released two free games, Biolab Disaster and Drop, which are not, as Szablewski says, the first JavaScript games to be released in the App Store. "Tools like PhoneGap or Titanium make it easy to bundle some HTML pages and JavaScript together in an app and display them in a UIWebView, which is basically just a browser window," he says.
However, his games are different because they don't use a browser window to display them.
"They don't use PhoneGap or Titanium. They don't even use a UIWebView. Instead, they bypass the iPhone's browser altogether and use Apple's JavaScript interpreter (JavaScriptCore) directly. All graphics are rendered with OpenGL instead of in a browser window and all sound and music is played back with OpenAL," Szablewski says.
What Szablewski has done wasn't particularly easy, and as games, his offerings aren't up there with Angry Birds. But his work could open the way for other developers to write more apps with a minimum of fuss. Read his blog for full details of the process.
Apple approves JavaScript iOS games that don't use a browser originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - TUAW's Daily iOS App: Order and Chaos Online
All right, here we go. Gameloft's new title is called Order and Chaos Online, and in the Gameloft style, it's pretty much an iOS remake of Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Odds are that if you understand that sentence, you probably already know whether you want to go download this or not.
But if not, I'll explain: Gameloft has a habit, as we've said, of making iOS titles that basically rip off larger console titles, and Blizzard's World of Warcraft is of course the extraordinarily successful massively multiplayer online RPG for PCs. So Gameloft has recreated the MMO on iOS for us, and while it supposedly works as promised (though there's a Wi-Fi restriction for playing, only four races available and not nearly as much content to start), it's obviously not quite as good as actually having WoW on iOS.
In this case, a reasonable facsimile might be as good as the real thing, especially if you're a fan of the real thing. Gameloft's app is US$6.99 for a universal version, and it comes with three months of gametime for free. After that, you can subscribe for a buck a month, or go for three months for $1.99. There are also in-game purchases of gold and potions for various amounts, which is something WoW hasn't quite resorted to yet. At any rate, early reviews of Gameloft's app are good, so if you're a big WoW fan and wouldn't mind playing a copy of that game on iOS, check it out.
TUAW's Daily iOS App: Order and Chaos Online originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Time Out offering free iPhone city travel guides until May 2
Time Out is offering a selection of its popular city guides for iPhone for free until May 2. Cities the guides cover include Melborne, London, Paris, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Sydney and Zagreb.
Each guide allows you to navigate a city's tourist spots, nightlife and restaurants easily. As with all Time Out guides, they are written by locals so that you're sure to get the best information available. Grab the guides while they're free. Normal pricing is US$4.99 per app. You can download them all here.
Thanks to reader Greg for the tip.
Time Out offering free iPhone city travel guides until May 2 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Apple Store back up, white iPhone now available
Hours after the white iPhone went on sale internationally and a lengthy downtime, it is now available through the US Apple Store, as well as AT&T and Verizon's websites. As mentioned earlier, the handset should be available at Apple's brick-and-mortar stores when they open later today. Apple's front and iPhone pages have yet to be updated with the now-available status of the phone, but will most likely mirror the "finally" ads that are appearing on AT&T and Verizon's sites.
For those who have been waiting, happy shopping!
Apple Store back up, white iPhone now available originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 05:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Rumor: Apple might have bought iCloud.com
GigaOm is reporting that Sweden-based cloud storage company Xcerion has just sold its iCloud.com domain name for US$4.5 million and that the likely buyer is none other than Apple. Xcerion had previously sold a cloud-based storage service called iCloud, but it's been rebranded as CloudMe after the sale of the iCloud.com domain.
While GigaOm doesn't get into specifics, the site says its source is familiar with the company and that the buyer of the domain name is Apple. Currently, the WhoIs information still lists Xcerion as the owner of iCloud.com, but that could be a deliberate move until Apple reveals its new cloud-based services.
Even though GigaOm doesn't name its source, it does fit in with other reports that Apple is gearing up to launch a digital locker soon. Apple does have a penchant of throwing an "i" in front of everything. If GigaOm's sources are correct, get ready to say goodbye to iDisk and hello to Apple's iCloud.
Rumor: Apple might have bought iCloud.com originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Apple Store is down, most likely adding white iPhone
The online Apple Store is indeed down, most likely because of the addition of the white iPhone. The phone is now on sale internationally, so it makes sense for the store to go offline while the phone, and associated marketing, is added to the Apple Store. Thanks to all our awesome tipsters out there, and we'll let you know what changes are available when it's up!
Apple Store is down, most likely adding white iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 01:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - White iPhone 4 now available for sale internationally
The elusive white iPhone 4 is elusive no more. It's already gone on sale internationally; this included screenshot is from Vodafone in New Zealand. The white iPhone 4 is expected to see release in several international markets over the course of the day, with release in the US likely to come within the next few hours.
The white iPhone 4 still hasn't shown up on Apple's own store site yet as of this writing, not even in countries where the handset has already been available from carriers' stores for several hours, but it should be available at the company's US brick-and-mortar stores when they open later today.
If you've been waiting this long for the white iPhone 4 to come out, the good news is your wait is now over. The bad news? The iPhone 5 is probably coming out sometime in the next six months, so if you're the kind of person who has to have the latest and greatest gear, your wait might not be over after all.
White iPhone 4 now available for sale internationally originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Developer gets crash report from device running iOS 5
iOS app developer FutureTap has received a crash report from a device running iOS 5. FutureTap notes the crash involved MKUserLocationBreadCrumb, which 9to5Mac notes is related to the maps/location functions in iOS and could mean these APIs have been altered in iOS 5.
Since Apple is now testing third-party apps with iOS 5, it likely puts the next version of the iPhone's operating system on-track for a public unveiling in June at WWDC. It's still not clear if we'll see iOS 5 released in mid-summer as we have previous major iOS updates, or if Apple will wait until the fall to release iOS 5 alongside updated hardware.
Developer gets crash report from device running iOS 5 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - AT&T does right by weather-impacted iPad owner
Sadly, the south central US has been hit with a powerful cluster of tornadoes today, and scores of communities have been affected. Tuscaloosa, AL has been particularly hard hit, with several fatalities, scores of injuries and thousands of structures and vehicles damaged.
While the human and fiscal cost of today's storms has yet to be calculated, in one small way AT&T helped to ease the challenge for a TUAW reader. Adam T. wrote in to say that his home in Huntsville, AL is likely to be without power for several days, meaning that his internet connectivity is also going to be knocked out. He planned to use his 3G iPad to keep track of weather alerts and emergency information, but realized that he was rapidly going to overflow his 250 MB data plan.
Adam called AT&T customer service to explain the situation and request a data plan upgrade to the 2 GB plan. To his surprise, the service rep gave him the bump to the 2 GB plan at no charge. A small gesture in the scheme of today's events, perhaps, but one that Adam appreciated -- and so do we.
AT&T does right by weather-impacted iPad owner originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Three reasons Apple might ship the iPhone 5 in the fall
Will Apple hold off on releasing the iPhone 5 (or as Richard Gaywood amusingly names it, the "4S") until September or early fall? Your guess is as good as ours. And yet, while brainstorming this morning, TUAW staffers noted arguments that had us going "hmmmm."
We've shared them for your consideration. Here are several points that could support a later release date than usual. Or not. What do you think?
Verizon and the White iPhoneWith the Verizon iPhone 4 shipping in February '11 and the white iPhone debuting in April '11, it's natural to allow for a breathing space (especially considering the 2-year contracts these units carry) before the next generation of handsets replaces current models. An October shipping date would give those with white iPhones time to enjoy their purchases without temptation from the Next Great Thing.
Continue reading Three reasons Apple might ship the iPhone 5 in the fall
Three reasons Apple might ship the iPhone 5 in the fall originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать - Seattle T-Mobile stores challenging iPhone
T-Mobile is having some fun challenging its adoptive parent AT&T and its competitor Verizon Wireless to a speed test that pits the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy S 4G against the iPhone 4.
Starting Friday April 29, iPhone owners can challenge the Galaxy S 4G to see which handset is the fastest. If the iPhone beats the Galaxy S 4G in two of three tests, the iPhone owner will walk away with a cool $1000.
Before you start spending that cash prize, be aware that the Galaxy S 4G is a HSPA+ handset. It's capable of download speeds up to a blazing 21 Mbps, while the iPhone 4 is limited by its 7.2 Mbps HSDPA radio. Undoubtedly, T-Mobile chose Seattle based on the disparate speeds of the two networks in this wireless market.
If you don't mind falling for a marketing tactic, then by all means, head out to one of the participating Seattle T-Mobile stores and risk public embarrassment. Otherwise, iPhone owners may want to steer clear of their taunting T-Mobile friends for the next few days.
[Via BGR]
Seattle T-Mobile stores challenging iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Переслать
 | Лучший дизайн мира. Строгий отбор! Все самое интересное, модное и новаторское из мира дизайна: индустриальный и графический дизайн, архитектура, дизайн интерьера, разнообразный арт, гаджеты и технологии, автомобили, фешн и одежда, а также многое другое. Присоединиться → |
| rss2email.ru |
| rss2email.ru | отписаться: http://www.rss2email.ru/unsubscribe.asp?c=6894&u=24004&r=484673635 управление подпиской: http://www.rss2email.ru/manage.asp партнерская программа: http://partner.rss2email.ru/?pid=1 |
