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- TUAW's Daily App: Streets of Rage 2
Yes, the classic beat-em-up joined Sega's iOS library a little while back, and you can get in on the fun for US$2.99. The second iteration in the very famous 2D fighting series features Skate, Axel, Blaze and Max going to war against Mr. X and his army through all eight levels of the original game.
Unfortunately, this version is short on extras. There's no Game Center integration. There is local Bluetooth multiplayer, but that's about it. The controls, as you can see above, aren't much more than serviceable, either. In other words, this is more a straight port than anything else. You can actually play the original version in Japanese, but you have to switch your device's language to Japanese, and even then, the differences aren't that big a deal.
Still, Streets of Rage 2 is a solid beat-em-up title, and you might have fond memories of this one on your Sega Genesis or Sega Game Gear. If the price is too high, just hang on -- Sega routinely puts its titles on sale, and this one is likely to drop in the future.
TUAW's Daily App: Streets of Rage 2 originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple granted patent for space-saving touch display RFID tag reader
Apple was granted a whopping 18 patents on Tuesday states a PatentlyApple article. Included in the batch are iOS Maps and Compass app design patents, a patent for the iPhone 4's stainless steel band and another one for reducing wait times in call centers. However, the most interesting patent from the group appears to allow a touch display to act as a space-saving RFID tag reader.
Apple states that its reason for embedding an RFID tag reader into a touch display is so that the display could also function as an RFID transponder, which would save space since no other RFID antennas would be necessary. Apple envisions many uses for this touch display-embedded responder, including allowing your iPhone to double as a badge reader. Such a reader would perhaps even allow for eventual replacement of employee security badges, such as those worn by Apple employees on the Cupertino campus. One could simply swipe their iPhone to enter a secured area. Other uses include the obvious credit and debit card payment systems and data sharing features, such as when you want to quickly swap contact information with others.
While it's generally accepted that RFID and NFC functions are going to become part of a smartphone's everyday use in coming years, it's nice to see Apple is constantly finding ways to add new tech to iPhones while at the same time reducing the device's physical size.
Apple granted patent for space-saving touch display RFID tag reader originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - RockMelt adds iPhone app for social browsing
RockMelt is launching an iOS version of its browser with built-in social networking functions, offering automatic syncing between desktop and portable versions.
This automation, company founder Vishria says, is what differentiates their browser from other offerings. "We're not going for the power users, the ones who already know how to customize a browser," he says. Instead they're aiming at the vast majority of users who just want to get on reading what interests them instead of tweaking settings.
Following the termination of Flock, RockMelt looks to be going from strength to strength, and the new mobile version can only help its progress, especially with the automatic syncing of bookmarks, contacts and settings.
The app hasn't been approved by Apple yet, but it's expected that it will be available by the end of this week.
RockMelt adds iPhone app for social browsing originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Reuters: iPhone 5 will ship in September
Hold onto your seats, it's another "when will the iPhone 5 ship" rumor. This time the rumor originates from Reuters, which tweeted late last night: "FLASH: Apple suppliers to start production of next-gen iPhone in July, Aug; begin shipping in Sept - sources." The associated article also states the iPhone 5 will have a faster processor but offers no additional details.
This September shipping date rumor contradicts earlier ones that the iPhone 5 wouldn't begin production until September with an October or later ship date. This is just my two cents, but my money is on the Reuters rumor. With Apple apparently focusing WWDC solely on software this year, it makes sense that the company would hold off introducing an iPhone 5 until September when iOS 5 will likely launch. It also makes more sense launching the iPhone in September -- and not later -- as it would allow Apple to sync iPod touch and iPhone hardware launches. In the past when the iPhone has launched in June, everyone knew what new hardware features were most likely going to appear in the next iPod touch when its annual refresh came in September. With a synced launch date, the new iPod touch would have the same "wow" factor that the iPhone always gets.
Reuters: iPhone 5 will ship in September originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - In the Apple/Samsung lawsuit, the picture doesn't tell the story
There are some Android cheerleaders out there passing around the error-ridden image above, minus the big red stamp, of course. The Android advocates' assertions are that Apple is accusing Samsung of ripping off the iPhone (which was first shown in January 2007) when, in actuality, the iPhone looks remarkably similar to the Samsung F700, which was announced at CeBIT in 2006. Oh, smack! Right? Wrong.
While the F700 was indeed announced at CeBIT in 2006, the actual phone wasn't shown until February 2007 -- a month after Apple showed off the iPhone. "The F700 was rushed out to show after the iPhone's debut, and was regarded as an 'answer to the iPhone' by reports of the day, one of which observed that it 'looks awfully familiar'," according to AppleInsider, which has put together an excellent post debunking the above image.
"LOL @ Apple?" More like "LOL @ Android Photoshoppers."
In the Apple/Samsung lawsuit, the picture doesn't tell the story originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - A visual history of NetNewsWire
NetNewsWire is, as Second Gear's Justin Williams says, "the elder statesman of the Mac OS X platform." Brent Simmons' newsreader has appeared on countless "must-have" app lists, and it was one of the most treasured pieces of Mac software since even before anyone outside of Cupertino knew the iPhone was going to exist. On the third birthday of his app, Today, Williams takes a nice look at NetNewsWire, both how it has worked visually over the years, and how it has grown along with the platform and stayed relevant for so long.
The app originally started as MacNewsWire -- there were only a few set Mac news feeds, and no Safari, WebKit or Core Data implementation (because those things, you know, didn't actually exist yet). Over the years, the app has both grown and become more tightly focused, aimed at both what users have requested and, of course, Simmons' own vision of what the app is supposed to be.
We've talked with Simmons before about translating the app over to iOS, but this is an excellent look back at NetNewsWire's history, and it's a great guide for how to keep a Mac app strong and popular for a long time.
A visual history of NetNewsWire originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Pocket Legends offers paid content for free
Pocket Legends, I maintain, is one of iOS' best technical achievements. It's a full-featured MMO, in the style of the legendary World of Warcraft, and it's available to play for free on Apple's App Store. It's huge among a certain audience (and, in fact, I've been told that audience is even bigger on the Android side of things), but I'm surprised that even more players haven't tried this game out to see what Spacetime Studios is working on.
Maybe this will help, though: to celebrate the game's one-year anniversary, Spacetime is opening up many of its normally premium content areas to all players for free. In a goofy video they made, developer Cinco Barnes says that all of the game's major premium areas will be open and playable to everyone until May 4.
If you haven't taken a look at this app yet, now's a great time to do so. Pocket Legends is free in a universal version, and it's definitely worth checking out.
Pocket Legends offers paid content for free originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Steve Jobs thought Noah Wyle did a "fantastic job" playing him in Pirates of Silicon Valley
Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen has a new book out titled Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft. In it you can find all sorts of muckraking that publishers love to have in a biography that they paid too large of an advance on. The book has already generated a lot of internet talk based on the fact that it has supposedly created a rift between Allen and Bill Gates. But besides Microsoft drama, the book also reveals a few interesting tidbits about Steve Jobs.
In the book, Allen remembers an incident between Steve Jobs and an employee, which demonstrates what a jerk Jobs is, according to Allen. In Allen's retelling, both he and Bill Gates drove down to meet with Steve Jobs and Apple developer Andy Hertzfeld for a demo of the first Mac. But when the four sat down around the Mac and it promptly froze, Jobs was quick to unleash his anger and belittlement on Hertzfeld:
"What the fuck is going on?" [Jobs] snarled at Hertzfeld, who'd probably been up all night getting things ready and was now trying to shrink under the table. "These guys came all the way down here to see this thing and this is the best we can do? This is the best we can do? We get thirty seconds and a frozen screen? What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Allen goes on to say that he had forgotten about the incident until he saw it portrayed in Pirates of Silicon Valley years later. Allen says that the movie, where Jobs was played by Noah Wyle, portrayed Jobs as a "mean-spirited jerk," something Jobs apparently had no problem with. Next time Allen saw Jobs, he asked him if he liked the movie. Jobs' response: "I thought the guy who played me did a fantastic job."
[via BusinessInsider]
Steve Jobs thought Noah Wyle did a "fantastic job" playing him in Pirates of Silicon Valley originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Mac OS 7 logos turned into playing cards
Dr. Macenstein found these awesome old-school Apple playing cards, featuring logos from the olden days of Mac OS 7, adopted for a standard playing card deck layout. There's no word on just what the origin of these is -- if they're official or unofficial -- but supposedly they've been seen on eBay for up to $150 before.
The pack seen in the pictures was on sale but has since been purchased, so you'll have to hunt down your own copy if you want one for yourself. The rest of us will have to just sit back and enjoy the designs on this. I wonder what a playing card deck using iOS or even app icons would be like.
Mac OS 7 logos turned into playing cards originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iOS outreaches Android when iPod touch, iPad are counted in the mix
Some fascinating statistics have been released by comScore based on its MobiLens marketing analytics service, and the numbers show that iOS devices (including the iPad and iPod touch) outreach the Android platform by a whopping 59% in the U.S. market.
The comScore numbers show a total installed base of 37,868,000 iOS users in the United States, with Android OS devices lagging behind with only about 23,763,000 users. Those numbers come out to 16.2% (Apple) and 10.2% (Android) respectively for share of the total U.S. mobile subscriber market. The installed US base of iPhones and iPod touch devices were almost equal, with both device totals approximately twice as high as the number of iPads. That statistic is amazing, considering that the iPad had only been on the market for 10 months at the time that the study was performed.
comScore's senior vice president of mobile, Mark Donovan, noted that the numbers indicate that "the Apple ecosystem extends far beyond the iPhone," and that the assumption that the Apple user base is made up of "Apple fanboys" is invalid. [Was anyone assuming that? We doubt it. -Ed.]
The comScore study also show that iPad owners aren't necessarily owners of iPhones. While iPhone owners make up about 27% of iPad owners, close to 14% of iPad owners had Android phones. The numbers also show that Samsung, LG, and Nokia are over-represented among iPad owners in comparison to their shares of the smartphone market.
The age demographic for the iPad was a final index created by comScore, and it showed that the age profile is skewed mostly towards those in the 25-34 year old age range. Almost half of iPads are sold to Americans between the ages of 25 and 44, with another 30% of the Apple tablets going to the older U.S. demographic over the age of 45. These numbers should be of interest to iOS developers, who may want to start creating apps for an older audience.
iOS outreaches Android when iPod touch, iPad are counted in the mix originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iMac supplies constrained, indicating possible refresh soon
If supplies of certain iMac models are any indication, a refresh of Apple's all-in-one iMac may be in the works. This would be the first update of the iMac line since July 27, 2010, when the Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 machines first became available.
9to5 Mac is reporting that supplies of the desktop machine are constrained worldwide at this time. An anonymous tipster provided the blog with the screenshot seen at the top of this post, showing four standard versions of the iMac in constrained status with "no ETA" for new shipments.
Not only are iMac shipments constrained, but even replacement parts are currently in short supply. Graphics processors and hard drives are particularly hard to get in the U.S.
As we reported at the end of March, any upcoming iMac refresh would most likely migrate the platform to Intel's powerful Sandy Bridge processors, as well as the speedy Thunderbolt I/O standard that debuted in the recent MacBook Pro refresh. At that point, we speculated that the refresh would come in late April or early May, and that timeframe looks more valid every day.
If you're considering the purchase of a new iMac, you may want to put off that purchase for a month or so to benefit from any refresh of the line.
iMac supplies constrained, indicating possible refresh soon originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - FindOne for iOS helps you get your hands on an iPad 2
After being introduced to the US market on March 11th, it's still not easy to get your hands on an iPad 2. D.L. Horton decided to do something about it, which lead to FindOne, a free iOS app that checks the online inventory of Target and Walmart to see what they have in stock.
Depending upon your criteria -- such as AT&T or Verizon, color, storage capacity, or Wi-Fi only -- you enter your zip code and up pops a listing of what's in stock, along with addresses and phone numbers of the stores. Since inventory levels change minute by minute, you are strongly advised to call the stores and find out if the results are accurate and perhaps to reserve an iPad 2.
I called a few stores and found the app to be fairly accurate. It's not perfect by a long shot, but it's a great way to start your search. I live in a heavily populated area and got a lot of results, some of them as far as 45 miles away and some as close as only four miles. The site mentions that Best Buy inventory will soon be added to the app.
Yes, it would be nice if the app contained all vendors of iPad 2s, but first, it's free (advertising-supported) and second, it's anyone's guess whether the other vendors have an online inventory system that FindOne can tap into. It's basic, but I think that FindOne has the potential of helping out some frustrated would-be buyers.
FindOne for iOS helps you get your hands on an iPad 2 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Dropbox under fire for security concerns (updated)
Update: Dropbox have sent us a response to the issues raised in this article; it is reproduced in full at the end of this post.
Popular cloud file syncing service Dropbox, much beloved by TUAW, has been in the news lately. On the one hand, it announced it had hit a new high of 25 million users, which is a number which is both pleasingly big and pleasingly round. On the other hand, it has been the target of some strongly worded criticism for its security features -- or, more accurately, problems with them.
The most recent of these criticisms arose from an update to the Dropbox Terms of Service to state that if the government asks, it will hand over your files:
As set forth in our privacy policy, and in compliance with United States law, Dropbox cooperates with United States law enforcement when it receives valid legal process, which may require Dropbox to provide the contents of your private Dropbox. In these cases, Dropbox will remove Dropbox's encryption from the files before providing them to law enforcement.
This isn't terribly surprising, although on first glance it might sound awful. Consider the alternatives. If Dropbox receive a legally binding
subpoenacourt order (thanks for the correction, JBB) in a criminal case demanding the release of data, what else could anyone expect them to do except hand the data over, right?Continue reading Dropbox under fire for security concerns (updated)
Dropbox under fire for security concerns (updated) originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - ITC rules in favor of HTC and Nokia in Apple infringement case
The ITC weighed in on the infringement complaint Apple filed against HTC and Nokia and decided the two handset manufacturers are not liable for infringing on Apple's patents.
In the Monday hearing, Apple accused HTC of infringing five Apple patents that focus on the "seamless integration of hardware and software." The patents describe methods for signal processing and inter-process communications. Nokia allegedly infringes on one of these signal processing patents. Apple sought a ban on the import of HTC's Android handsets as well as select Nokia devices.
This initial ruling is a setback for Apple, but not the end of the line. The full six member ITC commission still has to review the case and rule on this initial decision. The commission has the opportunity to reverse this decision, but this initial ruling often weighs heavily in the commission's final decision.
Apple could always opt to do what Nokia did when the ITC ruled against the Finnish company in its complaint with Apple. A few days after the ITC ruled against Nokia, the Finnish company filed a second infringement complaint against Apple that focused on seven new patents.
ITC rules in favor of HTC and Nokia in Apple infringement case originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Should unemployed Americans buy Apple gear? The Onion weighs in
The Onion, one of our favorite sources for fake news. Has done a talking heads analysis of whether the unemployed should buy Apple computers. In typical Onion fashion, they miss the point -- on purpose of course.
The consensus? Of course the unemployed should buy Apples! You can do graphic design and look cool at Starbucks. The only person with a semi-reasonable point winds up getting tossed off the show for knowing nothing about the problem.
As one analyst mentioned: "I didn't know that we'd be drinking the Apple Kool-Aid here." For a good dose of said Kool-Aid, check out the video either on the free Onion app, or on the next page.
Continue reading Should unemployed Americans buy Apple gear? The Onion weighs in
Should unemployed Americans buy Apple gear? The Onion weighs in originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - HBO GO app to bring Tony Soprano to your iOS device
Need an Entourage of Sopranos to entertain you while you manage a Boardwalk Empire with your Band of Brothers? Starting in May, HBO subscribers will be able to enjoy "instant and unlimited access to the best HBO has to offer" using an iPad, iPhone, or Android device. Time Warner subsidiary HBO, one of the leading premium television networks in the U.S., posted a teaser video promoting the upcoming mobile app on YouTube late last week.
HBO began offering streaming services to its subscribers in February, 2010. Today, HBO GO, which offers about 1,400 titles from the network's library of movies and original TV series, can be accessed only from a desktop or laptop computer using a Flash-enabled web browser. Expected to arrive on May 2, the iOS and Android apps will further extend HBO's reach beyond the television... ironically, two years after the network ditched the long-running "it's not TV, it's HBO" slogan.
Now, it's time to Curb Your Enthusiasm. Access to HBO GO is limited to customers who subscribe to HBO through a traditional cable television service provider. If you want to enjoy True Blood on your iPad, you'll need to sign up for television service and subscribe to HBO through Comcast XFINITY TV, Verizon FiOS, Cox Advanced TV, AT&T U-Verse or DirecTV. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes insists the premium network has no current plans to allow customers to cut The Wire and put the cable bill Six Feet Under with an option to subscribe directly to the HBO GO service.
For now, by bringing its streaming Extras to the iPad, iPhone, and Android, HBO is giving its approximately 28 million subscribers one more way to avoid being Bored to Death while on the go. Continue reading to watch the official teaser video for the HBO GO mobile app.
[via TiPb]
Continue reading HBO GO app to bring Tony Soprano to your iOS device
HBO GO app to bring Tony Soprano to your iOS device originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple adds third supplier of iPad 2 touchscreen components
Chimei Innolux Corp. is joining TPK Holding Corp. and Wintek Corp. as the third provider of touch panel sensors for the Apple iPad 2. Chimei will begin supplying the panels next month, Bloomberg said. TPK and Wintek will still be the primary suppliers of the touch panels, but Chimei's contribution will help Apple meet the growing demand for its popular tablet device.
Demand for the iPad 2 is "amazing", Apple's spokesperson Trudy Miller said. The tablet device flew off retail store shelves when it launched earlier this year and demand has been high ever since. Despite being available in several retail channels including Toys R Us, Wal-Mart and Best Buy, the iPad 2 is still difficult to find in stores, and the wait time for online orders is still two to three weeks.
Incidentally, this deal with Chimei will help solidify Apple's position with Foxconn, the primary assembler of the iPhone and iPad. Chimei was formed last year when Foxconn-owned Innolux Display merged with Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp., and TPO Displays Corp.
Apple adds third supplier of iPad 2 touchscreen components originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Ask TUAW Video Edition: Airport Breakdown!
Happy Tuesday!!! Dave is a nice boyfriend who purchaed an AirPort Extreme for his girlfriend's birthday in order to help her. While the Extreme solved her printing/backup issues, he wanted to know about playing music through it.
Today we discuss the different AirPort base stations and show Dave his options.
Any questions? Please leave them in the comments or email us. Read on for the video.
Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: Airport Breakdown!
Ask TUAW Video Edition: Airport Breakdown! originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple HDTV vs. Apple TV HD
Everyone's favorite and always accurate source, "analysts," have been jumping up and down over the past few days saying, "You guys! You guys! Seriously! Apple's making an HDTV! I'm serious, you guys, it's coming out later this year!"
This is another one of those Rumors that Just Won't Die, right alongside such perennial zombie products as an Apple-branded phone and an Apple-branded tablet -- wait, those products actually exist? Hmm. Well, does that mean the analysts are on to something? Or are they just on something?
Speculation has run wild over this whole Apple HDTV issue, with half the interested parties saying there's absolutely no way Apple will make its own HDTV, ever, and here's the charts and data to prove it, so there. The other half has instead wondered what exactly an HDTV from Apple might be like, and as usual, the feature wishlists exploded into Star Trek fanfiction territory by the end of the afternoon. Starry-eyed wishers have started throwing out phrases like, "Apple will re-define the TV," and "Apple will free us from the tyranny of the cable box" -- all without any proof of the product's existence, or any realistic notions of its specs, features, price, distribution channel, ad infinitum.
Will Apple make an HDTV? At this point I'd say the safe bet is no, but keep in mind that Apple's not exactly a company that's built on safe bets. Lots of people thought the Macintosh would fail in 1984. Instead, it re-invented how the general public interacted with computers. In 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, a product that Slashdot famously dismissed as "lame," and changed how people interact with music. The iPhone and iPad are still sending shock waves through their respective industries. Apple does have a history of stepping into established spaces with existing products and turning the whole thing on its head, but the question is, what can you do to a TV to make it more than a TV?
Continue reading Apple HDTV vs. Apple TV HD
Apple HDTV vs. Apple TV HD originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Sony's Crackle app for iOS approved by Apple
A few months ago, we reported on how Apple rejected the Sony Reader app from the App Store, seemingly singling out the electronics and media company for punishment when similar apps like Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook readers for iOS were untouched.
Sony appears to have decided to follow the old maxim that "if you at first don't succeed, try, try again," since they have had a new app for iOS approved by Apple. The free Crackle app gives access to hundreds of movies in the Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics, and Tri-Star libraries, as well as thousands of TV series episodes.
Available for free are movies like Ghostbusters, series like Seinfeld and Married ... With Children, and The Three Stooges. According to Crackle's App Store description, you can build and manage your viewing queue on the app or online, and video streams over Wi-Fi and 3G. More new movies and TV episodes will be added on a regular basis.
So how is Sony making money on this? There are short ads that appear during the video, but most reviewers in the App Store are saying that they're so short that they're almost unnoticeable. It's a free app with free content, no subscription fee, and good quality, so it looks like a winner.
[via MacStories]
Sony's Crackle app for iOS approved by Apple originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple banning pay-per-install apps from the App Store says Tapjoy
Apple is not only tweaking its App Store rankings to downrank pay-per-install applications, it may be actively banning these applications from the App Store. According to Tapjoy, several developers within their network are receiving rejection notices from Apple because their applications feature a pay-per-install promotion.
This cross-application promotion lets users buy virtual in-app goods by downloading other applications instead of sending a payment. This practice has been criticized because it artificially boosts the download counts of applications. Users download these advertised applications because they want something for free, not because the app is desirable.
Tapjoy claims these incentive-based downloads are not directly prohibited by Apple's developers guidelines, but believes Apple is applying section 3.10 to apps within its network. Section 3.10 of Apple's developer agreement states:
Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program
Tapjoy defends its pay-per-install model by claiming the system is misunderstood. It acknowledges that campaigns may boost the downloads of some participating developers, but the overall model is beneficial to users, advertisers, and developers. Tapjoy supports the recent changes to Apple's ranking algorithm and is asking Apple to reconsider its unofficial ban on pay-per-install applications.
Apple banning pay-per-install apps from the App Store says Tapjoy originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - White iPhone? Test version of iOS? Tinhte claims both in video
Here's a double whammy for you. Vietnamese site Tinhte (who have a decent record of leaks) has put out a video of what they claim is a) a white iPhone from Apple which is b) running some "test version" of iOS. As you can see in the video on the next page, multitasking in this mystery version presents you with a page full of screens for running applications. They go all jiggly and present the standard close button when long-pressed, and there's a nifty Search iPhone up top, but seems to be missing from the usual swipe to search function normally used to invoke Spotlight.
Is this real? Well, as Federico Viticci from MacStories points out, the Calculator app uses an old icon, as does the Voice Memo app. But iPhone Dev Team hacker Chronic tweets, there's nothing from Cydia like this. In fact, Chronic states unequivocally that this is, in fact, simply build 8A216 of iOS 4. The Gold Master version of iOS 4 was 8A293. Nothing to get excited about today it seems, although the way multitasking works here is kinda neat. Perhaps it will live again in iOS 5. For now, we're not going to say this is indicative of anything but a white iPhone running an old version of iOS 4.
Update: 9to5 Mac posted another video which supports the notion this iPhone is a prototype with 64 GB of memory. Unfortunately they are enthused over what they perceive as iOS 5 features, including such goodies as Facebook integration... We are siding with Chronic on this one and say this is build 8A216.
[via Engadget]
Continue reading White iPhone? Test version of iOS? Tinhte claims both in video
White iPhone? Test version of iOS? Tinhte claims both in video originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Samsung will respond strongly to Apple's lawsuit
News broke yesterday that Apple filed a patent and trademark violation lawsuit against Samsung. The suit claims Samsung stole the physical look, hardware design, software packaging and user interface from Apple and used these Apple-inspired elements in its popular line of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
Samsung has responded strongly to this suit, threatening to fight this lawsuit and retaliate with its own countersuit accusing Apple of violating wireless patents held by the Korean company. This move pits Samsung against its second biggest client in a war over lucrative wireless and smartphone technology. Apple obtains display panels and semiconductors from Samsung and accounted for 4% of the Korean's company total revenue in 2010.
Samsung will respond strongly to Apple's lawsuit originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPhone dev-team releases untethered redsn0w jailbreak for iOS 4.3.2, iPad 2 not included
The iPhone dev-team released an untethered jailbreak for iOS owners running Apple's latest 4.3.2 firmware. Good news for jailbreakers as Apple did not patch the hole discovered by @i0n1c. The code for this exploit was used in the untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.3.1 and was easily ported over to the jailbreak for this latest version of iOS.
iPad 2 owners cannot join the jailbreak party as the 0.9.6rc14 version of redsn0w only supports the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (GSM), iPod touch 3G/4G and the first generation iPad. Point your browser to the dev-team's website for more information on the Mac and Windows version of redSn0w.
As always, follow the directions closely and remember you jailbreak at your own risk.
[Via Redmond Pie]
iPhone dev-team releases untethered redsn0w jailbreak for iOS 4.3.2, iPad 2 not included originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple ends $30 MobileMe and iWork rebate program
An internal memo suggests Apple is ending the US$30 MobileMe and iWork rebate program. The program offers customers a $30 discount on a $99 MobileMe subscription or the $79 iWork suite when they buy a new Mac. According to the memo, Apple has told all resellers to end the program on April 18th. All references to the rebate must be removed by the end of that business day.
This change is stirring up the persistent rumor that MobileMe is undergoing a major overhaul. Apple recently stopped selling boxed copies of MobileMe leading to speculation that some or all the cloud service may be offered for free. This change may be announced in the upcoming months, possibly at WWDC and may be tied to Apple's iOS 5 update.
The termination of the iWork rebate program is not tied to MobileMe, but it does hint an update to the productivity suite is on the way. The desktop version of the suite was updated in 2009 and is in need of a refresh. Much of the changes to iWork in 2010 focused on bringing the applications to the iPad. iWork 11 was expected to debut with the roll out of the Mac App store, but that rumor failed to materialize.
Apple ends $30 MobileMe and iWork rebate program originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Sonos music systems now support AirPlay, but there's a catch
Sonos, creator of a well-reviewed, multi-room, wireless music system, has updated its software to support Apple's AirPlay. It means a Sonos music system owner can wirelessly send music from an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to any room that has a Sonos Zone Player. The catch is that you have to buy a US$99 AirPort Express to plug into one of the Zone Players to get it working.
It's understandable that Sonos has to do this. AirPlay support is a hardware and software solution, and Sonos is not building AirPlay hardware into its Zone Players. I'm not sure this will be a big deal to many Sonos owners. The company already provides a wireless dock with iPhone support that allows the phone to stream to any Sonos device. That dock needs to be plugged into AC power, but the connection into the Sonos system is wireless.
The Sonos software update also includes support for multitasking for its iPad and iPhone app. That means it will run in the background and not force a relaunch, which will speed up operation of the system from any iDevice. Those updates are available on the App Store for free. The Sonos system has become very popular over the years, and feature updates have included even the earliest devices the company has made. Supporting AirPlay is a nice addition to the feature roster, and for those who already have an AirPort Express to dedicate to this task, it will be welcome.Sonos music systems now support AirPlay, but there's a catch originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily App: Circus Pain
Circus Pain is a physics puzzler in the vein of Angry Birds and Ragdoll Blaster. The goal across each of the game's 55 levels is to toss a little circus performer into an on-screen basket while trying to hit as many obstacles as possible along the way. It's a pretty standard affair for the touchscreen at this point, but the excellent premise and art style of Circus Pain make it stand out from other App Store titles. The game is sometimes tough, but still very interesting, and you can move at your own pace as you navigate through the game's four worlds.
Plus, at a price of just 99 cents for a universal version, it's tough to turn this one down. If you're not willing to invest the buck right away, there's a lite version to try as well. But if you like tossing ragdolls around for a little bit of physics-based gameplay, Circus Pain is an enjoyable romp.
TUAW's Daily App: Circus Pain originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Nokia releases Ovi Maps 3D beta plug-in for Safari
Nokia has just released a Safari plug-in for its browser-based Ovi Maps 3D mapping software, and it is beautiful. The new mapping software renders lifelike 3D textured buildings in a level of detail that is unparalleled. The image above is from London, and as you can see, not only are the buildings rendered in photorealistic 3D textures, but bushes and trees are as well.
As of now, Nokia's 3D textures are limited to London, Oslo, New York and other big cities, with other cities to follow later. To view the 3D beta of Ovi Maps 3D, you need to download the 19 MB Safari plug-in here. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether Nokia plans to release an iOS app for Ovi Maps 3D; given the competition in the smartphone market between Apple and Nokia, it's doubtful. However, Apple has been rumored to be overhauling the Maps app in iOS for quite some time, and it would be great if it could come close to this level of 3D textures in a future version of Maps.
[via Electronista]
Nokia releases Ovi Maps 3D beta plug-in for Safari originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Portal 2 out now
Thanks to the hard work of the folks who purchased Valve's Potato Sack promotion, the Portal 2 alternate reality game has finished, and the long-awaited sequel is now available on Steam. The game officially releases tomorrow for consoles and PC, but since the Steam version is compatible with SteamPlay, it's also available for the Mac from day one.
Portal was one of the best games of the past few years, and every indication is that the sequel will be just as inventive and fun. If you've been waiting for it, the wait is over. Go and enjoy!
Portal 2 out now originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Adult Swim looks to release one mobile game a month
Jeff Olsen of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim division did a quick interview with our fellow bloggers at Joystiq, and he says that in addition to the Android launches the company is doing this week, they are expecting to "get to the point where we can release a new mobile game a month."
That would create quite a library of Adult Swim titles. The company has already seen a fair amount of success with its current setup of iOS titles, including the very popular Robot Unicorn Attack. Olsen says the idea is to keep working on Flash games that are promoted through the TV channel, and then take the best of those to iOS to profit.
There's no word on how much money these games are making for the channel (it must still pale in comparison to their actual advertising dollars), but if nothing else, they're likely offering some good brand awareness for their cable programming.
Adult Swim looks to release one mobile game a month originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple asks judge to dismiss iTunes monopoly lawsuit
It's been a busy day for Apple lawsuit news. First, word broke that Apple has dropped a massive suit on Samsung for allegedly infringing on the iPhone and iPad's look and feel, and now we get word that Apple has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that claims iTunes is a monopoly. The lawsuit stems from Apple's 2004 blocking of RealNetwork's Harmony software, which allowed songs purchased from the RealNetworks online store to be transferred to the iPod. Last month, a judge ordered that Steve Jobs must submit to deposition in the lawsuit.
According to Bloomberg, Jobs gave his deposition on April 12, and now Apple is asking that the entire case be thrown out of court. Apple's attorney told US District Judge James Ware in San Jose, California that any blocking of third-party software was done in the best interests of consumers: "Apple's view is that iPods work better when consumers use the iTunes jukebox rather than third party software that can cause corruption or other problems." Whether the case will be dismissed is yet to be decided. Until then, you can see original court documents here.
Apple asks judge to dismiss iTunes monopoly lawsuit originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - One Single Life only gives you one chance to complete the game
iOS games range from the casual Doodle Jump to the nail-biting action of Dead Space. A new entry into the gaming market, One Single Life, puts you on the edge of your seat by offering players a single chance to beat the game. It's do or die time on every round in this thriller released by FreshTone Games.
The gameplay is deceptively simple; all you have to do is jump from building to building without getting killed. One false move, though, and your character plummets to its death, and the game is over. Once you are gone, there is no second chance.
To make the game more of a nail-biter, players are subjected to some good ol' verbal taunting before a jump. The game presents your dire chances of completing that level and questions your ability to beat the task at hand. As you can imagine, One Single Life is less about skill and more about mental toughness as you face this increasing pressure.
The game is available for free, so iOS owners can give it a try with no financial risk. The only thing you stand to lose is your pride.
[Via OhGizmo]
One Single Life only gives you one chance to complete the game originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Fruit Ninja shirts appearing at Hot Topic
Halfbrick Studios' iOS game Fruit Ninja continues to grow -- the Australian company announced that it has inked a deal to sell Fruit Ninja-flavored apparel in Hot Topic (the clothing store at the mall that's about as tacky as it gets). The deal was put together with licensing agent HAP Consulting, and there are four shirts available now (featuring slogans like "slicing fruit like a boss!" and "Fruit Ninja addict!"), with more on the way.
It's cool to see a big iOS property do well, but do they have to be that ... obvious? I'd like to see a more subtle kind of t-shirt, maybe just a few splotches on the front, or just a sliced watermelon emblem over the pocket. Maybe I'm just getting old -- I don't really want a T-shirt that's louder than, you know, my own voice.
If you don't share my concerns and want to show off a little Fruit Ninja love, the shirts can be picked up in stores, we're told, or on the website.
Fruit Ninja shirts appearing at Hot Topic originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Moleskine debuts app for iPad and iPhone
Moleskine has taken its popular journal and updated it for the 21st century with the debut of the Moleskine app for iPhone and iPad. The free app allows you to choose between font size, paper types (ruled, grid or blank) and text colors. It also comes with some now-standard features that most notes apps have, including Facebook and Twitter sharing. However, one unique feature is the "Map My Thoughts" function, which allows you to geotag a specific journal entry. This provides a way to go back into your journal at a later date and look at all your entries by location.
I'm a fan of the physical Moleskine journals because they're tough and can take quite a beating while traveling. However, while it's nice to see Moleskine release an iOS app, I don't think it has much more to offer than any other note-taking app for iOS. In some ways it feels like it actually has less to offer; the app crashes quite a bit, and its settings are all over the place. Also, if any app deserved to have some page-flip eye-candy that resembles a physical journal, it's this one -- but the Moleskine app doesn't deliver. Not only does it lack any "cool" ways of jumping between journal entries, but it is also missing the basic scrollable text every other iOS app features. If your journal entry is longer than a page, it takes two awkward taps to go between pages in the same document.
The Moleskine app is a good start for a 1.0 release. Besides a few bugs, the thing that keeps this app from really thriving is the lack of a companion Mac desktop app. Despite all the iOS note apps out there, I actually just use Apple's built-in Notes app on both my iPhone and iPad. While Notes lacks features, it has one advantage over many other iOS notes apps -- it has that companion Mac OS X app (in Mail.app). That's a huge advantage, because most things I take notes about are for writing projects I work on at my computer. It's very helpful to have my note texts actually available on the machine that I do most of my writing on. Moleskine is available now and requires iOS 4.2 or later.
UPDATE: After a few more crashes, I can finally swipe to turn pages.
Moleskine debuts app for iPad and iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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