Tuesday, May 24, 2011

TUAW (37 сообщений)

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  • How Apple iBooks could compete with Amazon's Kindle in the ebook space

    Apple's iBooks app and the iBookstore have been available since March of last year, but don't appear to have made as much of an impact as the much older Kindle platform from Amazon. Just last week, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos announced that the company is now selling slightly more electronic books than the dead-tree versions. Last October, one of our bloggers noted that the iBookstore was "one big failure," citing the lack of titles as his main concern.

    I feel the same way. Although it seems as if things are slowly getting better, I still find myself searching for electronic books in both the iBookstore and Kindle Store, and the majority of the time I buy them from Amazon. Personally, I do like the look of iBooks a lot more than I do Kindle books, and I find incredible numbers of typos in Kindle books. But I still go to the Kindle Store for most of my ebooks simply because I can find what I want to read.

    During a discussion with several of my fellow bloggers yesterday, it occurred to me that there are a few things that the Kindle electronic publishing platform does much better than the iBookstore. Read more to see some suggestions on what Apple could do to better compete with Amazon's Kindle ebookstore and dominate the ebook market the way that the iPod and iTunes have come to rule the music business.

    Continue reading How Apple iBooks could compete with Amazon's Kindle in the ebook space

    How Apple iBooks could compete with Amazon's Kindle in the ebook space originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Ask TUAW: AirPlay and the Apple TV, Exchange 2003, enterprise iOS management and MobileMe calendar publishing

    Welcome to Ask TUAW, your favorite weekly question-and-answer column. Do you know what my favorite thing in the entire world is? No, besides grilled cheese sandwiches. That's right! Questions! We can never have too many questions! You can't have a Q&A column without the Q, so please go to the comments of this post and ask away. To get fabulous answers, we need your fabulous questions. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or ping us on Twitter.

    Now, queries! Dan writes:

    The place I work refuses to upgrade their version of Exchange to anything newer than 2003. They also won't enable IMAP for email.

    On my iPhone and iPad, I have no problem using Exchange 2003, but on the Mac it's a different story. Apple Mail will only see newer versions of Exchange, and even Microsoft's Outlook 2008 can't use this version of Exchange Server.

    I know you could use the God-awful Entourage software or run a Windows program in emulation, but isn't there anything else? I would have thought that with the plethora of new Mac-based mail apps, there would be at least one that could do mail as well as the iPhone. Help me!

    Continue reading Ask TUAW: AirPlay and the Apple TV, Exchange 2003, enterprise iOS management and MobileMe calendar publishing

    Ask TUAW: AirPlay and the Apple TV, Exchange 2003, enterprise iOS management and MobileMe calendar publishing originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Apple, publishers reportedly close to completing cloud music deal

    Apple's music streaming service is inching closer to launch according to industry sources. Earlier rumors suggest Apple already inked licensing agreements with three of the four major record labels, including EMI Music, Warner Music and Sony Music. The one remaining holdout is Universal Music, which is still working with the Cupertino company.

    Besides the record labels, Apple also needs to obtain publishing rights from the individual music publishers. Insiders claim only a small amount of cash is keeping Apple from inking these final agreements, but these negotiations can be long and messy.

    There is supposedly some tension between the music publishers and the record labels that has to be ironed out before Apple can launch its online streaming service. The record labels are not happy that publishers are getting the bulk of the cash Apple has put on the table for its cloud service. Wisely, the Cupertino company is reportedly playing the two music entities against each other and letting them duke it out. Apple hopes this money problem can be resolved and negotiations will wrap up in time for a WWDC announcement.

    Apple, publishers reportedly close to completing cloud music deal originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • MacHeist releases The Heist for iOS

    The folks over at MacHeist are apparently revving up for another big sale, and this time to celebrate the event, they've gone all out. Previous versions of the sale have featured a web-based metagame, but this time the game has move onto iOS, with the release of a US$.099 app called The Heist.

    It's very well done, of course, with plenty of secrets to figure out. Some of them are more traditional. The app has basically four different puzzle minigames (one's a Sudoku variant, while others are like sliding tile puzzles or the car parking puzzle game), each with a number of different puzzles to solve within them, all in the goal of opening up the big MacHeist door.

    There's also a metagame to this one with an actual prize (I've heard it's a Steam game) coming to anyone who can conquer all of the puzzles. And as an interesting trick at the beginning of the app hints, there's an actual story that's going on behind the scenes here.

    The Heist wraps a lot of puzzles and fun in the MacHeist project's signature style. You might not be able to crack all of the codes (though I'm sure someone out there will), but it's an enjoyable venture anyway.

    MacHeist releases The Heist for iOS originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me transfer Evernote data without the internet

    Dear Aunt TUAW,

    I love Evernote and use it regularly on my MacBook Pro and my iPhone. Lately, though, I'm finding myself in places with both devices, but the MacBook doesn't have an internet connection and is therefore unable to transfer data from one device to the other without attaching a cable. Since both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, it seems like there should be an easy solution to wirelessly transfer files that I would typically use Evernote for. Do you have any suggestions?

    Your loving nephew,

    Bill G.

    Continue reading Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me transfer Evernote data without the internet

    Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me transfer Evernote data without the internet originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Macworld experiences mixed results with MacBook Air SSD upgrades

    Computers are like cars: while the vast majority of owners are happy to drive around in their car for years, exactly the way they came off of the dealer's lot, some people want to customize their wheels immediately. It's not surprising that for some owners of Apple's popular MacBook Air, the first thing that they want to do is supercharge their lightweight laptops with a bigger, faster flash drive.

    Macworld did a series of tests of the Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD upgrades from OWC (Apple refers to the drives as flash storage, while OWC calls them SSDs) that can add those precious GBs to your Air. What they found was that while the marketing materials for the OWC drives claim huge performance leaps for MacBook Airs equipped with those drives, the company is using automated tests that don't mimic real-life laptop usage.

    The test results revealed that in many cases, the SSDs showed mixed performance results when tested in common tasks such as using Adobe Photoshop CS5, importing and processing images with Aperture and iPhoto, and performing common file actions in Finder.

    That's not to say that the OWC SSDs aren't worthwhile. On the contrary, the drives are about the only way for MacBook Air users to increase storage capacity past the 256 GB maximum for the stock 13-inch Air, and the 128 GB of storage in the maxed-out stock 11-inch Air.

    For more details of the lab results from Macworld's tests, be sure to check out their post.

    Macworld experiences mixed results with MacBook Air SSD upgrades originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • TUAW's Daily Mac App: Diarie

    Diarie

    Have you ever wished you could get that private dear-diary experience in a digital form? I'm not talking about the kinds of things you share with the world on a blog or the schedules you keep in iCal, but the old-fashioned diary into which you poured your life experiences?

    Diarie attempts to capture that traditional analog experience on your Mac. It gives you the appearance of a binder with diary entries on one side and an index on the other. You can embed images, title your entries under a date and even password protect it so that only you have access to it -- perfect for those who use a shared computer. The typeface and text size are customizable, but that's about it. A simple, straightforward diary.

    While the daily diary has gone somewhat out of fashion, if you're looking to keep your memoirs somewhere, the US$1.99 Diarie is a well-crafted, if slightly limited offering that's well worth considering.

    TUAW's Daily Mac App: Diarie originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • AirPlay for Windows Media Center beta now available

    Thomas Pleasance has released a beta of AirPlay for Windows Media Center, which does just what you think: it streams video and photos to a Windows Media Center PC via Apple's AirPlay.

    To get started, install Apple's Bonjour for Windows and Pleasance's client on your Media Center PC. From there, fire up your iPhone or iPad and send over some photos or movies (note that music isn't supported yet).

    The Digital Lifestyle has posted a hands-on with the setup, noting, "I was impressed how quickly video playback started, within seconds of selecting Windows Media Center Airplay option my Media Center PC was playing the video and without leaving Media Center at all."

    Sounds good! Let us know how this goes if you try it out.

    AirPlay for Windows Media Center beta now available originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Wired, GQ in-app purchase subscriptions launching today

    Condé Nast has officially launched subscriptions today for iPad editions of Wired and GQ. The Wired and GQ apps are free, and readers can buy either single issues at US$1.99 a pop or a full year for $19.99 through in-app purchases. The subscriptions automatically renew until you cancel them, so if you're curious about the magazine and don't want to be billed monthly for single issues, buy the subscription and cancel as quickly as possible.

    Current subscribers to the print versions from the US and Canada can access their digital subscriptions from within the app at no extra cost. Past digital issues of Wired are available for in-app purchase for $3.99, and you'll be able to do the same with back issues of the digital edition of GQ. You can read a full TUAW review of the Wired app here.

    Show full PR text
    WIRED SUBSCRIPTION NOW AVAILABLE ON IPAD

    New York, N.Y. - May 24, 2011 - WIRED is excited to announce that
    subscriptions for its game-changing iPad app will be available through
    In-App Purchase on the App Store beginning today.

    Starting with the June issue, featuring a special report produced in
    collaboration with NPR's Planet Money on the future of American jobs,
    WIRED will offer monthly and yearly iPad subscriptions and will
    continue to offer single issues, all via In-App Purchase on the App
    Store. Subscriptions to WIRED will be available for $1.99 per month or
    $19.99 per year.

    "WIRED thrives on progress across platforms, whether it's in the
    magazine, on the website, or on the iPad, " said VP and publisher
    Howard Mittman. "When the app launched last year it was the first to
    show how interactive and innovative the medium could be. Now, by
    offering our readers a subscription on iPad, WIRED is poised to lead
    the digital publishing conversation and reach a wider audience."

    Current WIRED print subscribers can access iPad editions immediately
    through their current subscription. Those who would like to purchase
    new print subscriptions, which include access to the iPad edition for
    $19.99, may do so at www.wired.com.

    The WIRED app is available as a free download from the App Store on
    iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

    GQ SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE ON iPAD

    New York, N.Y., May 24, 2011- GQ subscriptions for iPad are now
    available through In-App Purchase on the App Store, it was announced
    today by the magazine.

    Beginning with the June issue, featuring Alexander Skarsgård, star of
    HBO's True Blood, GQ will offer monthly and yearly iPad subscriptions
    and continue to offer single issues, all via In-App Purchase on the
    App Store. Subscriptions to GQ will be available for $1.99 per month
    or $19.99 per year.

    Current GQ print subscribers will be able to access iPad editions
    immediately through their current subscription. Those who would like
    to purchase new print subscriptions, which include access to the iPad
    edition for $19.99, may do so at GQ.com.

    The GQ App is available as a free download from the App Store on iPad
    or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

    About GQ
    GQ is the leading men's general-interest magazine, with a monthly
    readership of 6.6 million readers. It is available in print, online at
    GQ.com, and as an app at iTunes.com. The magazine is published by
    Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications. Condé Nast operates in
    twenty-five countries and is the world leader in exceptional content
    creation.

    Wired, GQ in-app purchase subscriptions launching today originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Steve Jobs NOT confirmed for 2011 WWDC keynote, false alarm

    Update: GigaOm has retracted the story; their post was indeed based on the 2010 WWDC press release. Oops.

    Apple has NOT confirmed that Steve Jobs will be presenting the keynote address at this year's WWDC this June in San Francisco, but that's what this post by Charles Jade over at GigaOM was saying.

    It's always a treat when Jobs can participate in Apple events. His ongoing health issues and medical leave from Apple make him less of a guaranteed speaker and more of a delightful surprise when he feels well enough to appear.

    Unfortunately, GigaOM jumped the gun on this one. There is no official announcement from Apple and the only press release showing a SteveNote at WWDC is from last year (thanks to Ars Technica's Jacqui Cheng for pointing that out).

    We've reached out to Apple for comment and will update if we hear anything. Not to say for sure that Steve wouldn't appear at WWDC, but as far as we know right now, he's not.

    Steve Jobs NOT confirmed for 2011 WWDC keynote, false alarm originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Opera Mini for iPad now available

    Opera rolled out version 6 of its popular web browser for iOS today. The latest version of Opera Mini now supports the iPad and the Retina Display of the iPhone 4, two major upgrades that should bring a smile to the face of iOS users. Opera Mini 6 also adds smoother panning and improved pinch-to-zoom to bring the user experience on par with mobile Safari.

    Other salient features include the ability to share pages directly with social networks (Twitter, Facebook and My Opera) as well as support for Arabic, Chinese and similar non-Latin languages. If you're looking for an alternative to Safari, Opera Mini 6 is definitely worth a look. It is available for free from the App store.

    Opera Mini for iPad now available originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Apple unofficially reaches 500K approved iOS apps in the App Store

    Apple has unofficially reached 500,000 approved iOS apps in the App Store. The report comes in the form of an infographic from 148Apps, Chillingo and Chomp. The group has assembled a Facebook page to celebrate the milestone.

    Some goodies from the infographic:

    • In 2010, "App" was declared "Word of the Year" by the American Dialect Society.
    • The value of all apps that are currently live in the store is over $800 million.
    • US$3.64 is the average price of a paid app, while 147,966 apps are free.

    There's been no official comment from Apple, though we suspect it will be pleased to tout these numbers at WWDC once confirmed. You can check out the full infographic here.

    Apple unofficially reaches 500K approved iOS apps in the App Store originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Four tips for better iPhone battery life

    David Pogue from the New York Times recently got some tips on improving iPhone battery life from an Apple Store Genius. We've discussed how to get the most out of your iPhone's battery on TUAW before, but it's worth revisiting since both the iPhone itself and the software it runs have changed so much since the last time we discussed it.

    Three out of Pogue's four suggestions for improving battery life come straight from Apple's official battery life tips. First, he suggests turning off push email and setting email to fetch manually. Depending on how many email accounts you have, this could dramatically improve your battery life, but it also means you won't receive new messages until or unless you open the Mail app.

    Pogue's second suggestion was to turn off Location Services for apps that don't necessarily need to have an active GPS connection. This tip makes sense if you're making heavy use of a camera app or a Twitter client with GPS tagging, but since Location Services generally doesn't run in these apps when they're running in the background, it's only going to make a positive impact on your battery life if you're spending a lot of time using these apps.

    Continue reading Four tips for better iPhone battery life

    Four tips for better iPhone battery life originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • TUAW's Daily iOS App: Candy Train

    As expected, the second game from PopCap's sub-studio 4th and Battery hit the App Store last week, and I like it a lot more than I did Unpleasant Horse. Candy Train is actually an older PopCap title that was originally posted online, and it's been brought back as a free universal app for iOS. It's an interesting if simple puzzle game -- the idea is that there's a train rolling down a track, and you have to tap tiles to line them up so that the train has somewhere to go. Along the way, the train can pick up candy cars, and if you collect enough of those and a caboose, there's a station that you can pull into to clear the chain and "level up" into the next score bracket.

    It's the kind of game that starts out pretty slowly and gets frantic fast, but there's just enough depth to it to keep you coming back to try again and keep that train going further. Yes, you can see why this isn't a full PopCap title (instead, it's just a 4th and Battery experimental game), but it's fun nevertheless.

    And while there's sadly no Game Center integration or any extras to speak of (there's just one mode, on two different difficulty levels), the price is right at the cost of free. Definitely give this one a download.

    TUAW's Daily iOS App: Candy Train originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 24 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • 'Invisible' touchscreen prototype tested with iPhone

    The video on the next page features a prototype for an "invisible" iPhone created by researchers at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Germany. Basically, the idea is that with your iPhone in your pocket, you can hold your hand out and move your finger around on it as if you were holding your phone, and those movements will be picked up by a motion sensor elsewhere, and then sent back to your handset. In other words, just by moving a finger around on your empty hand, the plan is that you can answer and control your iPhone.

    Unfortunately, the current implementation requires a camera to be mounted above you, and sends the signals back via Wi-Fi through another device as well, so it's not exactly easily usable (or cheap, probably). But the eventual idea is that the depth camera observing your actions would be wearable, so whenever you're in a situation where it would be more work to actually get out your phone, the camera would allow you to control things with just a few motions.

    Seems interesting -- if the researchers working on the project can pull it off without you looking like a nut, poking at your hand.

    Continue reading 'Invisible' touchscreen prototype tested with iPhone

    'Invisible' touchscreen prototype tested with iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • SquareTrade torture tests the iPad 2 by dropping it on cement

    Personally, I wouldn't deliberately drop my iPad 2 on cement, but the folks at SquareTrade were crazy enough to let not one, but two iPads fall to a sidewalk. The first drop was waist-high and included both a bare iPad 2 and one encased in a Smart Cover. As expected, the naked iPad suffered a cracked screen so bad that it will make you cringe. The iPad with the Smart Cover, though, survived unscathed.

    Taking the test one step further, the group dropped the Smart Cover iPad from shoulder height, which is about a 4 to 5 foot drop. Sadly, the second trial ended poorly for the iPad 2. The Smart Cover popped off from the impact, and the screen suffered some peripheral damage. It wasn't a total loss as the screen was not shattered, but the cracks on the edge and in the center would make it difficult to use. Read on to check out the video of the tests in action.

    Continue reading SquareTrade torture tests the iPad 2 by dropping it on cement

    SquareTrade torture tests the iPad 2 by dropping it on cement originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Mobigame nails down international trademark on 'Edge'

    A year and a half after this issue first cropped up, developer Mobigame has finally gotten a trademark on the term "Edge" as used in video games. As you can see from the image posted by the developer, they now have the right, under international law, to use the name Edge for their game, which should bring an end to the trouble of the man who was suing anyone on the App Store who happened to publish a game with the word "Edge" in the name.

    As Mobigame says in their tweet, "the battle is finally over." Edge is, incidentally, still available on the App Store as a universal app, for the current price of US$2.99.

    Mobigame nails down international trademark on 'Edge' originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • France Telecom CEO talks SIM cards, next iPhone, apps and more

    france telecom ceo talks iphone and dataThe CEO of France Telecom, Stephane Richard, recently spoke to Ina Fried at AllThingsD and spilled some juicy tidbits about how Orange (a global brand owned by France Telecom, which currently sells the iPhone in 15 countries) has worked with Apple. He also made some interesting comments about Apple's competition in the smartphone world while basically crediting the company for creating the entire smartphone market! And yes, he mentions RIM and Nokia, two other pioneers in the smartphone game.

    In terms of dealing with Apple, Richard's comments about apps made me cringe. He's basically in favor of carrier-owned app marketplaces, which were the standard before the iPhone came around. You know all that crapware that comes pre-installed on Windows machines and other smartphones? Yeah, he loves that stuff and worries that someday Apple will deny an app that Orange approves of. He also says, however, that his company has a good working relationship with Cupertino, who can be "a little tough." If Apple should refuse an app that Orange likes, Richards says, "Definitely, if we face these kind of problems, we will go to court. Because competition is not only something that should be applied to telcos and to carriers. For us it should be a principle for the whole Internet environment." Those of us in America will chuckle at that competition comment, given AT&T's former stranglehold on the iPhone.

    The juicy bit that the Apple blogosphere seems to be freaking out about today is Richard's comment about the "next iPhone." After a discussion regarding a SIM-less phone (like ESIM), and noting that the SIM card takes up valuable space, he goes on to say, "I understood that the next iPhone would be smaller and thinner and they are definitely seeking some space." Which, in blogosphere freak out-speak means that Apple's next iPhone will be the iPhone nano. I think he's simply saying the next iPhone will be somewhat smaller and thinner, which is par for the course for Apple's design team, isn't it? I'm hard pressed to think of a product line that Apple made larger and thicker in a new iteration. At any rate, we already knew Orange was working with Apple on a smaller SIM card.

    Continue reading France Telecom CEO talks SIM cards, next iPhone, apps and more

    France Telecom CEO talks SIM cards, next iPhone, apps and more originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Apple acquires over 200 Freescale Semiconductor patents

    Patently O has discovered that Apple purchased over 200 patents from Freescale Semiconductor on April 11 of this year. However, the patent purchase was not disclosed until May 18. Freescale Semiconductor was formerly Motorola's Semiconductor Product Sector until the electronics giant spun off the company in 2003.

    Details of the patent purchase are unclear. Patently O says it's likely that Apple made a cash purchase of the patents and that there is a large diversity among the group of patents, although almost all relate to computer hardware and wireless devices. As always with patent purchases, Apple may never actually implement the patented technologies in its devices. Apple may have purchased the patents to use as leverage in future patent lawsuits, or to stave off those lawsuits.

    Apple acquires over 200 Freescale Semiconductor patents originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Kogeto Dot takes panoramic video with the iPhone 4

    The Kogeto Dot is an interesting little device. It's a lens that attaches to your iPhone 4 and allows you to shoot 360 degree panoramic video with the iPhone's little camera. Engadget tried it out, and they found it a little awkward -- you have to hold the iPhone perpendicular to the floor as you shoot, which means you can't actually see the screen unless you're holding it high above your head. But usability really isn't the emphasis here -- the lens comes with an app that will straighten out your video and even allow you to stream it right from the iPhone, so portability is the main driver in this case.

    The company also has a standalone panoramic capture system already, so they've got some experience in the field to play off of, even if the actual iPhone implementation is a bit hacky. The Dot is currently available for preorder for US$98, pending actual production of the item. It'd be cool to see some video shot on location in this way, though for most panoramic shots, odds are you'd have gear built more specifically for the task.

    Kogeto Dot takes panoramic video with the iPhone 4 originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • 80% of mobile videos watched happen on iOS devices

    The New York Times is reporting on a FreeWheel study [PDF] that says the majority of video views that happen on a mobile device occur on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The iPhone and iPod touch account for a 30 percent share each, while the iPad accounts for a 20 percent share. About 19 percent of video views happen on an Android device with the remaining 1 percent happening on all other mobile devices.

    Ever since Apple unveiled the original iPhone without Adobe Flash support, its competitors have been shouting that users were missing the "full internet." There were also plenty of people that said lack of Flash support would doom the iPhone since most mobile videos were in the Flash format. We now know, of course, that lack of Flash doesn't hinder video viewing on the iPhone in the slightest. Most videos on most major websites are encoded in multiple formats now -- all perhaps thanks to the iPhone not supporting Flash.

    Matter of fact, FreeWheel asserts that Apple's dominance in mobile video views is due to the fact that its devices top the priorities of video publishers and mobile developers who encode and develop for Apple's iOS gear first and Android and other devices only after they have stable iOS offerings.

    80% of mobile videos watched happen on iOS devices originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Aelios is a new way to get the weather on your iPad

    Perhaps it's the fact that summer is just around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere, but lately we've been seeing a lot of interesting weather apps for iOS and OS X. A new iPad app called Aelios Weather (available at a special launch price of US$2.99) is a refreshingly unique take on getting the weather info you need.

    On-screen, you see what looks like a finely crafted piece of jewelry. You move this virtual instrument around the screen over a Google satellite map of the world. The app has a little animated pointer that locks onto the nearest weather station and gives you the current temperature, wind speed and direction. In a few seconds, icons appear and show you the forecast temperatures and winds for the next 24 hours. Changing a setting makes a multi-day forecast available for viewing.

    The app can figure out your current location and display weather information for wherever you are. You can also search for any city in the world to see what the weather there is like. Midnight appears at the top of the dial, with noon at the bottom. As you push the instrument north, you can see night getting shorter as the days get longer; at least that's what happens in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year.

    Aelios Weather is an interesting idea for an app, and it is beautifully rendered. One of the developers, Mehdi Aminian, told me the idea was to make an app that was different and more functional than standard weather apps, so they included an atlas, time and weather information. It's fascinating to move the instrument around from low altitude to a nearby mountain top and watch the temperature and winds change.

    Continue reading Aelios is a new way to get the weather on your iPad

    Aelios is a new way to get the weather on your iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Gameloft CFO calls app development 'an ugly scene'

    Gameloft's CEO Alexandre de Rochefort spoke last weekend at the Reuters Global Technology Summit in Paris, and gave a particularly stark view of this growing global app market. While a lot of big time developers are bullish on the app market and its possibilities, de Rochefort presented a more tempered view. He called it "an ugly scene," and said that "the smartphone market is not a goldmine for developers. It's a bit like playing the lottery."

    He's got a point -- there are some major developers making a lot of money selling their apps on the App Store (and Gameloft is one of those), but there are also thousands, if not millions, of developers out there whose apps just can't seem to find the public's interest. And low-budget, one man developers might have trouble even recouping the costs of their apps if not featured by Apple or the press, not to mention huge developers who risk huge budgets on games that might not fly.

    Of course, some may say that's business, and for the most part, they'd be right. But a lot of times the app market is portrayed as a new gold rush, with millions of dollars of revenue available for anyone who releases an app. That's not quite the case, especially a few years into the app scene.

    Gameloft CFO calls app development 'an ugly scene' originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Nike+ GPS app free in the App Store now

    Nike+ is about to turn five years old, and they are celebrating by giving their Nike+ GPS app away for free for a limited time. The app is similar to other run-tracking apps, but it's got a much cleaner interface than most and a color-coded map line so that you can see the parts of your run where you were faster or slower.

    Nike+ GPS also offers some fun features other running apps don't, such as motivational messages from Nike's top athletes, personalized PowerSongs to jazz up your run, and even the ability to hear mid-run cheers every time your friends like or comment on your run status.

    Even if you are using another running app, Nike+ GPS is worth the download while it's free (it's usually US$1.99). And remember, Nike+ GPS uses the iPhone's built-in GPS, so it doesn't require the separate Nike+ shoe insert.

    [via 9to5]

    Nike+ GPS app free in the App Store now originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • SpotiMy brings Spotify playback control to the menu bar, but that's it

    SpotiMy

    Spotify might not have made it across the pond just yet, but that doesn't mean millions of Mac users aren't getting their music fix via the ad-supported or premium streaming service.

    A new Mac App Store app called SpotiMy aims to enhance the Spotify experience of Mac users by letting them control playback right from the menu bar. The little app adds a menu bar icon with drop-down previous, pause/play and next track buttons.

    Unfortunately that's about all you're going to get for your US$0.99. In fact you can easily and quickly control Spotify playback using the existing media keys on any Mac keyboard, which makes the app practically redundant for anyone with said keyboard.

    SpotiMy shows that there is potential for Spotify add-ons like the plethora available for iTunes. At the moment SpotiMy doesn't bring anything you can't do better with a keyboard to the table and therefore I can't recommend it. But the developer is keen to add to the app, with its current form very much a simple start. If track selection, or playlist support, along with what's playing and some other control features make it into the app, a menu bar Spotify control app could be really useful. One to watch but not buy, unless you desperately want Spotify menu bar playback control right now.

    SpotiMy brings Spotify playback control to the menu bar, but that's it originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • TUAW's Daily Mac App: BetterSnapTool

    BetterSnapTool

    If there's one good thing that Windows 7 users have built-in that Mac users don't, it's window snapping. In Windows 7 you can drag a window to the top of the screen to maximize it, or to the left or right side of the screen to make it fill half the display.

    BetterSnapTool is window snapping for OS X on steroids. Whether you want to snap and expand to full screen, half screen (either horizontally or vertically), one-third of a screen, quarter screen, centered or even centered or maximized on the next monitor, BetterSnapTool has a gesture or keyboard shortcut to do it.

    Options include the ability to define your own keyboard shortcuts, all 17 of them, turn on or off the various screen edge snapping gestures, as well as a whole host of settings for the preview window. If you're a fan of manually resizing or moving windows, BetterSnapTool includes a system of window resizing and movement using a modifier key and the movement of your mouse -- you don't even have to click. You can even make the OS X window traffic lights do set things with right or middle clicks, or define a task to a title bar double-click.

    As the name might suggest, there are other apps that do similar things to BetterSnapTool. Cinch, for instance, gives you some of the screen edge gestures, but none that I've tried have had such a comprehensive and easy to use list of snap options. Even the optional menu bar icon is rather attractive and looks like a mini Battenberg cake.

    While there are other applications that do similar things, including the recently featured Flexiglass, BetterSnapTool is certainly one of the best and an absolute steal at US$1.99.

    TUAW's Daily Mac App: BetterSnapTool originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Apple responds to Lodsys patent claims, backs up developers (Updated)

    Update 2: Macworld just posted the complete text of the letter sent by Apple's legal department to Lodsys, as has CNET. You can view the text of the letter below, or see the full-color version on Scribd.

    The letter asserts definitively that Apple's license for the Lodsys patents covers the developers who are using App Store upgrade technologies.

    "[The] technology that is targeted in your notice letters is technology that Apple is expressly licensed under the Lodsys patents to offer to Apple's App Makers. These licensed products and services enable Apple's App Makers to communicate with end users through the use of Apple's own licensed hardware, software, APIs, memory, servers, and interfaces, including Apple's App Store. Because Apple is licensed under Lodsys' patents to offer such technology to its App Makers, the App Makers are entitled to use this technology free from any infringement claims by Lodsys."

    ---

    A flurry of tweets from developers indicates that Apple will be taking an active role in dealing with the patent infringement complaints from Lodsys, LLC. This comes a few days after the Electronic Frontier Foundation issued a statement urging Apple to assist its developers in the fight.

    Although none of the developers we spoke with could comment, it seems clear from the public tweets that a collective sigh of relief is going through the developer community about now. "The sheer amount of support from everyone regarding the patent matter is quite humbling. Can't say thanks enough," Iconfactory's Gedeon Maheux tweeted.

    The Lodsys situation was also a primary focus of Sunday's TUAW talkcast. Listen to the full discussion and an interview with Maheux here.

    Update 1: The Loop quotes the letter from Bruce Sewell, Apple Senior Vice President and General Counsel as saying, "Apple is undisputedly licensed to these patents and the App Makers are protected by that license."

    Show full PR text
    BY EMAIL AND FIRST-CLASS MAIL

    May 23, 2011

    Mark Small
    Chief Executive Officer
    Lodsys, LLC
    [Address information removed]

    Dear Mr. Small:

    I write to you on behalf of Apple Inc. ("Apple") regarding your recent notice letters to application developers ("App Makers") alleging infringement of certain patents through the App Makers' use of Apple products and services for the marketing, sale, and delivery of applications (or "Apps"). Apple is undisputedly licensed to these patent and the Apple App Makers are protected by that license. There is no basis for Lodsys' infringement allegations against Apple's App Makers. Apple intends to share this letter and the information set out herein with its App Makers and is fully prepared to defend Apple's license rights.

    Because I believe that your letters are based on a fundamental misapprehension regarding Apple's license and the way Apple's products work, I expect that the additional information set out below will be sufficient for you to withdraw your outstanding threats to the App Makers and cease and desist from any further threats to Apple's customers and partners.

    First, Apple is licensed to all four of the patents in the Lodsys portfolio. As Lodsys itself advertises on its website, "Apple is licensed for its nameplate products and services." See http://www.lodsys.com/blog.html (emphasis in original). Under its license, Apple is entitled to offer these licensed products and services to its customers and business partners, who, in turn, have the right to use them.

    Second, while we are not privy to all of Lodsys's infringement contentions because you have chosen to send letters to Apple's App Makers rather than to Apple itself, our understanding based on the letters we have reviewed is that Lodsys's infringement allegations against Apple's App Makers rest on Apple products and services covered by the license. These Apple products and services are offered by Apple to the App Makers to enable them to interact with the users of Apple products-such as the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and the Apple iOS operating system-through the use or Apple's App Store, Apple Software Development Kits, and Apple Application Program Interfaces ("APIs") and Apple servers and other hardware.

    The illustrative infringement theory articulated by Lodsys in the letters we have reviewed under Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 7,222,078 is based on App Makers' use of such licensed Apple products and services. Claim 1 claims a user interface that allows two-way local interaction with the user and elicits user feedback. Under your reading of the claim as set out in your letters, the allegedly infringing acts require the use of Apple APIs to provide two-way communication, the transmission of an Apple ID and other services to permit access for the user to the App store, and the use of Apple's hardware, iOS, and servers.

    Claim 1 also claims a memory that stores the results of the user interaction and a communication element to carry those results to a central location. Once again, Apple provides, under the infringement theories set out in your letters, the physical memory in which user feedback is stored and, just as importantly, the APIs that allow transmission of that user feedback to and from the App Store, over an Apple server, using Apple hardware and software. Indeed, in the notice letters to App Makers that we have been privy to, Lodsys itself relies on screenshots of the App Store to purportedly meet this claim element.

    Finally, claim 1 claims a component that manages the results from different users and collects those results at the central location. As above, in the notice letters we have seen, Lodsys uses screenshots that expressly identify the App Store as the entity that purportedly collects and manages the results of these user interactions at a central location.

    Thus, the technology that is targeted in your notice letters is technology that Apple is expressly licensed under the Lodsys patents to offer to Apple's App Makers. These licensed products and services enable Apple's App Makers to communicate with end users through the use of Apple's own licensed hardware, software, APIs, memory, servers, and interfaces, including Apple's App Store. Because Apple is licensed under Lodsys' patents to offer such technology to its App Makers, the App Makers are entitled to use this technology free from any infringement claims by Lodsys.

    Through its threatened infringement claims against users of Apple's licensed technology, Lodsys is invoking patent law to control the post-sale use of these licensed products and methods. Because Lodsys's threats are based on the purchase or use of Apple products and services licensed under the Agreement, and because those Apple products and services, under the reading articulated in your letters, entirely or substantially embody each of Lodsys's patents, Lodsys's threatened claims are barred by the doctrines of patent exhaustion and first sale. As the Supreme Court has made clear, "[t]he authorized sale of an article that substantially embodies a patent exhausts the patent holder's rights and prevents the patent holder from invoking patent law to control postsale use of the article." Quanta Computer, Inc. v. LG Elecs., Inc., 553 U.S. 617 (2008).

    Therefore, Apple requests that Lodsys immediately withdraw all notice letters sent to Apple App Makers and cease its false assertions that the App Makers' use of licensed Apple products and services in any way constitute infringement of any Lodsys patent.

    Very truly yours,

    Bruce Sewell
    Senior Vice President & General Counsel
    Apple Inc.

    Apple responds to Lodsys patent claims, backs up developers (Updated) originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • 3D (sort of) on your iPad without glasses

    There's a nifty little free demo you may want to pick up that uses the iPad camera to do some head tracking and create a kind of faux 3D on your iPad display. We took a look at an early demo for this last month, and now the app has arrived for your downloading pleasure. Unlike stereoscopic 3D systems, i3D doesn't send two images to your eyes.

    What i3D does instead is show you several scenes that change perspective as you tilt your iPad side to side and up and down. The effect does not depend on the gyros built into the iPad, but instead uses the camera to track the position of your head and render a changing perspective in real time.

    The demo was developed by Jeremie Francone and Laurence Nigay, and as you use it, you can just imagine the possibilities for games and educational apps. The app only works in portrait view at present. There is an iPhone version, but screen size makes a difference and the 3D effect on the iPad version seems stronger. I've seen some similar demos that use the built-in gyro, but they don't seem as responsive as this app. It's hard to give you a feel for this app in a static screen shot, so I'd suggest that you check out the fascinating video on the next page to get a good idea how it all works.

    Continue reading 3D (sort of) on your iPad without glasses

    3D (sort of) on your iPad without glasses originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Square kills the need for NFC with virtual "tabs" and Card Case

    Square CEO Jack Dorsey certainly had the right idea in having his presentation broadcast as part of the TechCrunch Disrupt conference this week. In an announcement made this afternoon, Dorsey essentially announced a sea change in the way that people can make purchases at local businesses.

    To start with, the company has announced a way to eliminate the need for Near Field Communications (NFC) capability in smartphones. By using an iPad or iPhone and the Square app as a cash register, and then providing a way for customers to set up a tab at a local business, those customers can pay for products or services in the future simply by giving the store or restaurant their name. At that point, the person operating the Square register can verify the sale by seeing a picture of the person and noting that they've done business with the company before, and then make the transaction. A receipt is emailed or texted to the customer, and the credit card transaction takes place behind the scenes.

    A customer would have to make one credit card transaction at that business, and then receive a text message receipt that gives them access to Square's new Card Case -- part of the Square app. In the Card Case are virtual credit cards for each business. The cards show the location of and information about the business, a full menu (and I assume a list of products for companies that aren't restaurants) and other info.

    At this point, Square only works in the USA, and Card Case is only set up at 50 businesses in New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, St. Louis and Washington D.C. Local businesses that are interested in accepting tabs through Square can sign up now.

    We were expecting Square to make some sort of announcement linking the company to Apple, based on a tweet sent out by Dorsey over the weekend. That didn't happen, but perhaps we'll see the ability to set up a tab at your local Apple Store coming in the near future.

    In other news, the Square app was updated to version 2.0 today, presumably to add the Card Case functionality. For merchants, Square has also added "shelves" and production to the iPad app, making it easier to browse products and check out customers.

    The full press release of the Square announcement can be read below.

    Show full PR text
    Square obsoletes cash registers and credit card terminals with new iPad, iPhone, and Android apps
    Transforms everyday transactions between buyers and sellers
    SAN FRANCISCO - May 23, 2011 - Square, the company revolutionizing everyday transactions between buyers and sellers, today announced new features for its iPad point of sale solution. The new, free Square Register app for iPad streamlines checkout, tracks sales, and makes it easy for businesses to communicate with customers on their mobile phones. The company also introduced Card Case, which enables iPhone and Android users to explore local businesses; view menus; track and store digital receipts; and open digital tabs to make instant, effortless purchases - all on their phones.
    "Cash registers and credit card terminals are relics of an expensive, complicated, and impersonal commercial transaction system," said Jack Dorsey, CEO of Square. "With Register and Card Case, weʼre transforming everyday transactions between buyers and sellers into something special," said Dorsey.
    "We revolutionized the payment industry with the Square card reader which makes it possible for anyone to accept credit cards on their phone," said Dorsey. "Now, with Square Register, weʼre reinventing point of sale with a beautiful, intuitive iPad app. Card Case goes beyond point of sale to transform the entire buyer-seller relationship."
    Square Register
    Square Register replaces the complicated and expensive cash registers that clutter store counters with a beautiful, full featured, touch-enabled point of sale and checkout solution. Using Register, businesses can easily manage the items they sell, check daily transactions, update pricing, automate checkout, generate digital receipts, and maintain virtual storefronts so customers can discover and explore new offerings when theyʼre in the neighborhood. New features introduced with Register include:
    Directory
    Using the location-based Directory feature, sellers can be discovered by customers in their neighborhood. Consumers can explore nearby shops, cafes, and restaurants before they ever set foot in the store.
    Menus
    The new Menus feature, much like a digital sandwich board, enables local shops and restaurants to advertise current menus, prices, daily specials, and the most popular trending items right on customersʼ phones. Updates are pushed instantly, giving businesses a powerful, cost effective way to build awareness and communicate with customers.
    Tabs
    Similar to one-click purchases made popular by online retailers, Tabs make payments instant and effortless in the real world. Once a customer opens a tab on their phone, sellers can verify a customerʼs identity with a stored profile and photo on Square Register and approve their purchase with just one touch. Tabs eliminate the need for cash or credit cards at checkout, enabling customers to leave their wallets at home.
    Receipts
    With Square Register, sellers can automatically generate and send digital receipts to customers, enabling them to track and store their purchase history right on their phone. This eliminates the need for costly, wasteful paper receipts.
    Card Case
    Card Case, a feature of the Square app for iPhone and Android, enables customers to access Directory and Menus, and open Tabs at their favorite merchants, making purchasing instant and effortless. Card Case can be activated through a text message invitation from Square after making a credit card purchase at a participating merchant.
    Availability
    The Square Register app for iPad is available for free beginning today in the App Store. Businesses interested in offering Card Case can apply online at squareup.com/cardcase. Consumers can activate Card Case at one of the 50 currently authorized Square merchants in Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Card Case for Android phones will be coming soon.
    About Square
    Square has revolutionized millions of everyday transactions between buyers and sellers with its free card reader for mobile devices. Square Register and Card Case are transforming the relationship between buyers and sellers. Founded in 2009, and headquartered in San Francisco, Square is currently available in the U.S. More information is available at squareup.com.
    ###

    Square kills the need for NFC with virtual "tabs" and Card Case originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me upload my stuff to Amazon Cloud
    Dear Auntie TUAW,

    Amazon gave me a free 10 GB in their cloud to upload my music. It won't all fit since I have about 15 GB of music, so I was wondering if there was a way to upload just certain playlists without have to go to each folder and upload all the songs separately. Perhaps an automator action?

    Thanks and kissies,

    Patrick

    Continue reading Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me upload my stuff to Amazon Cloud

    Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me upload my stuff to Amazon Cloud originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • iPad 2 production may not be affected by explosion at Foxconn plant

    Asian tech industry blog Digitimes has reported on two seemingly contradictory stories regarding how Friday's tragic explosion at the Foxconn plant in Chengdu China will affect iPad 2 production. In one post, Digitimes states that production has been suspended at the Chengdu plant. Although the Chengdu plant produces less than 30 percent of iPad 2s, the production suspension report has caused concerns over availability constraints in the near future. The majority of the devices are manufactured at a plant in Shenzhen.

    However, Digitimes has also posted that, according to Commercial Times (a Chinese-language financial newspaper), the disaster will not affect iPad 2 assembly lines since the explosion and subsequent fire occurred at a location used to store chemicals and coatings, leaving the assembly lines unscathed. Foxconn has stated that iPad 2 production will continue as previously planned.

    This may be Foxconn PR spin to try to put the brakes on the 5 percent drop in its stock last night during Asian trading. It may also be due to Foxconn's intention to ramp up assembly at its Shenzhen facility, which is expected to increase production from 2 million units per month to 4-5 million units per month in the second quarter. The manufacturer hopes to raise output to 9-10 million units per month in the second half of the year.

    It's too early to tell how this will play out, but our collective hearts and prayers go out to the victims of this horrible tragedy.

    [via 9to5 Mac]

    iPad 2 production may not be affected by explosion at Foxconn plant originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • iPhone 5 rumors prompted by Apple purchase of glass-cutting machines

    Cheesy phishing scams notwithstanding, there is an incredible amount of interest growing in Apple's next-generation iPhone. The rumors about the iPhone 5 started the day that the iPhone 4 began showing up in stores, and almost a year later, they're reaching a fever pitch. Lately the rumors have been a bit more believable and are coming from industry sources.

    Digitimes is reporting that the front cover glass of the iPhone 5 may be curved, a completely different design from the flat face used in all preceding designs. The blog based its report on buzz being generated in the Taiwanese supply chain, noting that manufacturers were "reluctant to commit investment to the purchase of glass cutting equipment due to the high capital involved."

    Apple allegedly reached into its very deep pockets to purchase 200 - 300 glass cutting machines for glass makers to use. These machines are being stored at assembly plants to be brought online as soon as yields for the curved glass covers fulfill expectations. The novel curved glass cover appears to be keeping Apple and suppliers busy right now trying to improve yield rates. Once those rates reach acceptable levels, volume production may begin.

    Now that we've heard about the curved cover glass, we'll keep our eyes open for a unique phone lying unattended in a bar...

    iPhone 5 rumors prompted by Apple purchase of glass-cutting machines originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • WSJ: Apple still eyeing Grand Central terminal for new retail store

    Grand Central  Station

    Last week, The New York Observer claimed an anonymous source within the Metropolitan Transit Authority confirmed that Apple has killed plans to lease space within New York's Grand Central terminal. Today, the Wall Street Journal refutes that report with its own sources that suggest Apple is still considering the lucrative retail space.

    According to the WSJ, the MTA has spoken with Apple and is hopeful the retail giant will bid on a balcony space, which will be available this summer. The site is the current home of the Métrazur restaurant, which is closing July 1st. Owned by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, the restaurant has a lease on the spot until 2019, and any prospective bidder would have to pay Palmer a lump sum to vacate his lease.

    It's a small location with a mere 15,000 square feet of retail space. Apple may also find it difficult to customize the site to its liking as Grand Central Station is a historic landmark, and all renovations require approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Despite these limitations, the retail space is a high-profile location with tens of thousands of visitors each day.

    WSJ: Apple still eyeing Grand Central terminal for new retail store originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Patent shows concept for platform-independent word processor

    Browser-independent word processor

    Patently Apple has uncovered a new patent application from Apple that might give us a glimpse of part of Apple's future internet strategy. This approach looks beyond OS X and could bring apps like Pages to the PC and other platforms.

    The patent talks about a new word processing platform that allows documents to be edited across all platforms. It also allows them to be formatted and shown exactly the same way on various devices. Similar to Google Docs and Microsoft's 365, the system would work within a web browser. While the patent is centered on a word processor application, it isn't limited to such documents and could be applied to any document presenting text on a screen.

    Is this something you would use if Apple produced a device-independent word processor -- or even a suite of apps that you could use on any platform? Let us know in the comments.

    Patent shows concept for platform-independent word processor originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Byword 1.2, now with Markdown support

    Byword is a full-screen, "distraction-free" word processor that has an interesting twist: it focuses on just the text around your cursor (or even just the current line), dimming the rest of your composition so that even that can't distract you. Byword (and its predecessors) are based on the idea that you'll be at the top of your writing game if there's nothing else on your screen. Whether you subscribe to that theory or not, it's becoming an increasingly crowded field. Thankfully, there's more to Byword than just a blank screen and blinking caret.

    Byword, which can also run in a windowed (non-fullscreen) mode, brings great typography along with its minimalist interface. Some of its brethren, like OmmWriter Dana, have done this as well, but if you add in excellent keyboard navigation, hyphenation support and its unique focus mode, Byword begins to stand on its own.

    Byword ScreenshotOh, one more thing. While I don't personally subscribe to the distraction-free idea, Byword has added one thing that always gets my attention in any writing environment: Markdown support. MultiMarkdown support, actually, with footnotes, tables and other fun stuff. Wondering what I'm talking about? Have a look at TUAW's Markdown Primer and the MultiMarkdown documentation for more advanced features. Use Markdown syntax while you're writing, then flip over to the Markdown Preview to see your rendered text. The preview mode has buttons for copying HTML source (great for pasting into blogs) and for exporting the HTML to a file (optionally including the Byword visual styling).

    Markdown is a great move for Byword. I'm seeing increasing support for this popular format across the board, which I think is a great thing. I do wish for a few things, including my usual plea for advanced editing tools, such as auto-pairing of brackets and automatic list continuation. I would also love to see an option for printing the rendered document directly from Byword. You could print straight to PDF that way, too.

    If you want a good-looking editor for plain text or minimal rich text and don't want all of the extra buttons and formatting options, this is worth a peek. There's a free trial available on the Byword homepage, and you can pick up Byword on the Mac App Store for US $9.99.

    Byword 1.2, now with Markdown support originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Backblaze adds free Locate My Computer service to backups

    Backblaze is adding a new feature to its US$5/month online backup service that adds another level of protection to your Mac or PC -- locating the computer in case of loss or theft.

    This morning at 6 AM PDT, Backblaze launched Locate My Computer, a free addition to the company's backup service that determines the location of your computer, displays the location on a map, provides the name of the internet service provider and the IP address being used by the thief or finder, and shows you any changes that the "new owner" has made to your computer.

    Gleb Budman, the co-founder and CEO of Backblaze, said that the company decided to add the Locate My Computer service after several customers used cloud-based backup information to view changes that thieves had made to their machines. One customer was able to see that the thief had taken a Photo Booth portrait of himself and also made a bad video of himself dancing to Tyga's "Make It Rain." The customer, Mark Bao, promptly posted the video of the thief's impromptu dance solo on YouTube and was later able to recover his MacBook Air.

    If you're already a Backblaze user, switching on the Locate My Computer service is as simple as logging into your account and then clicking the "Turn On" button on a special Locate My Computer page. It takes up to a few hours for the location to appear, but the ISP and IP address info show up almost immediately, and you can begin your quest to recover your Mac.

    Backblaze adds free Locate My Computer service to backups originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • TUAW's Daily iOS App: MetalStorm Online

    Z2Live is the Seattle-based developer behind the popular freemium Trade Nations title for iOS, and the company's latest release is another freemium app called MetalStorm Online. As you can see from the picture above, it's a combat flight simulator, which has you piloting a series of jets through the air and trying to take down enemies both real and computer-controlled.

    It's relatively simple, so flight buffs will be disappointed with how superficial the game is, but as an arcade flight simulator, I liked it. The plane is controlled by tilting your iPhone and tapping or swiping on the screen to fire or perform flight maneuvers, making for a simple but satisfying combat game. It's all freemium, so you can earn coins by playing (or buy them with in-app purchases), and then use those to upgrade your plane or its various components.

    You can play a versus match online with friends or strangers, and it worked surprisingly well for me when I played with a random person over Wi-Fi. You can also try single player against waves of enemies, or play co-op with a friend. Yes, the in-app purchase notices are annoying, but there's a fun flight shooter here even without spending a dime. MetalStorm Online is free in the App Store right now.

    TUAW's Daily iOS App: MetalStorm Online originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 23 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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