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- Use Mailsmith to create a "send-only" email account
How many times have you gone to send an email, only to be distracted or even derailed by something that you found in your Inbox? I found a solution which is completely free, integrates completely with OS X, and which guarantees that it won't happen to me again. I even found a (partial) solution for iOS devices as well.
The Problem
One night around 11 p.m. I remembered that I needed to send an email to someone so it would be there for them first thing in the morning, so I launched Gmail (actually Mailplane) as I started to formulate the message in my head as I waited for it to load. Then it happened. I saw a message from someone that I wished I hadn't seen. I could have tried to ignore it, but my brain isn't fooled that easily.
Once I saw the From: line, it almost would have been worse not to read it, because then I would have been wondering what it said. To be clear, I couldn't really do anything about the message. If I had just gone to bed without checking my email, I would have seen it the next morning when I was at the office. But my brain had already started thinking and processing. I read the message, I started to think about what I needed to do in response to it, and other people I need talk about it.
Almost 30 minutes went by before I remembered, "Didn't I come over here to start writing an email to someone? Steve. I was going to tell Steve something. What was I going to tell him?" Now hopefully your brain works better than mine does (I did eventually remember the original message I was going to send), but if you have ever tried to get into the habit of checking email less often you might have run into this same problem:
Email apps expect that when you want to send email you also want to check email. (Merlin Mann recently mentioned this problem on an episode of Back To Work, which is what reminded me about it.) I ran into this problem when I tried to start checking email once or twice a day. Quitting my email app was easy, but then a few minutes later I realized that I needed to send an email. So I launched my email app again. Hey look, new email!
Solutions which didn't work
1) "Just ignore it." Ideally this wouldn't be a problem because by sheer force of will I could just ignore messages which are unread and untended. Most of the time I am very good about that. I have an extensive and elaborate set of Gmail filters which almost guarantee that nothing ends up in my Inbox directly. Everything is sorted to where it belongs, and when the time comes I can check by various folders (sorry, "labels") later on. But, at least for me, any system which depends on sheer force of will is like building a sandcastle at the beach. No matter how tightly I pack the sand, eventually the tide is coming in. I once complained that I couldn't go into a bookstore without buying a book, even if I just intended to browse. I always seemed to find something. My friend replied, "Look, if you know this about yourself, you have two choices: either don't go into the bookstore, or accept the fact that if you do you're going to buy a book. Stop beating yourself up over it." (It's nice to have smart friends.)
2) "Use a Dashboard Widget!" This was actually the first solution I tried. I found a Dashboard Widget which would send email through Gmail. It seemed like the ideal solution: press F12, write an email, click send, voilà! But it didn't work well for two reasons: it didn't autocomplete email addresses from my address book. (How many people's email addresses do you have memorized?) When I clicked on an email address on a web page, or from my address book, or any other source, it launched my default mail client.
3) "Write and save email drafts somewhere other than my mail client, then copy/paste them into my mail client later." I tried keeping email drafts in nvALT when I wasn't checking email, and then when I was ready to check email, I would copy each message into a new "Compose" window, and send it. This isn't a bad solution, but it didn't fix the 'click on an email address' problem, plus it created another step every time I wanted to send an email message. Then there was the potential problem of forgetting to send the messages later, or needing to send a message immediately.
4) "Just turn off fetching new messages." Another seemingly foolproof method that I tried was simply turning off auto-fetching of new messages. This doesn't work very well in Gmail, of course, because there is no "fetching" in Gmail, when you login, messages are just there. Mailplane will let you turn on "Do Not Disturb" which keeps it from notifying you that new messages have arrived, but you can still see them if you look. If you use Mail.app or another client, this can work, except that many clients will automatically fetch new email whenever they are launched, even if they are set to manually fetch messages. Then there's the whole "Oh, while I'm here I'll just take a look at this other folder really quick..." problem. Turns out this is just another variation of the "Just Ignore It" idea.
The solution that worked
Finally it occurred to me that what I needed was a second email client, one which was setup only to send, and not to receive. I tried Mail.app and Thunderbird but found that neither one of them worked the way that I had hoped. Then I remembered Mailsmith, the mail client formerly developed by the folks at Bare Bones but which owned by Stickshift Software.
Mailsmith was ideal for several reasons: first, Mailsmith understands the concept of a "Send Only" account. I didn't have to try to "trick it" into working that way, it was happy to do so if I just told it that's what I wanted. That was the most important criteria. Since it is a real mail client, I can set it as the OS X default and have new messages started in it, plus it will auto-complete email addresses as I type them. As bonus, Mailsmith can also be configured to create a new blank email message whenever the application is launched or activated by either clicking on the dock icon or activate it via LaunchBar, Alfred, etc when it is already running. Since all I'm using it for is sending emails, that was nice icing on the cake.
As a long-time user of Gmail/Mailplane, I'm used to having to wait between the time I launch the browser/app and when the site actually loads. Even on a decent connection, launching Mailplane and waiting for a new compose window can take 15 seconds. Not an overly long amount of time, but Mailsmith is ready is about 1 second. That's a significant difference. Mailsmith can also easily work offline, allowing you to queue messages for later delivery.
Lastly, Mailsmith is free. That was the least important criteria, but a free solution that works well is always a nice bonus.
Configuring Mailsmith
Setting up Mailsmith is a fairly straightforward process. I'll outline the process for sending through a Gmail account (a Google Apps account should work the same way), but you could do the same thing with any email account.
Step 1) Download and install Mailsmith. If you have another mail client already installed and configured on your computer, Mailsmith might offer to import your settings. I recommend choosing Mailsmith Default and entering them yourself.
Step 2) In Mailsmith's preferences under "Application" look for "Default Mail Client" and click the "Set to Mailsmith" button if you want Mailsmith to automatically respond to email addresses clicked from other applications (web browsers, Address Book, etc). This is optional but highly recommended.
Step 3) Immediately under the "Set to Mailsmith" button, look for "At Startup" and select the "New mail message" radio button. That will tell Mailsmith to create a new, blank email message whenever it is launched or activated by clicking on the dock icon or using a launcher such as LaunchBar, QuickSilver, or Alfred.
Step 4) Configure your account. Mailsmith puts Account settings under the "Window" menu, as shown here:
In the accounts window, on the "Checking" tab, leave everything blank like this:
That tells Mailsmith not to even attempt to fetch email from this account, which it is happy to do.
Then, under the "Sending" tab, enter the information as required. Google provides instructions for sending via SMTP through Gmail which we need to enter here and in the "Advanced" tab (we'll get to that).
The "Account Name" and "Sender's Name" can be whatever you want. The "Sender's Name" will appear in the From line in your outgoing email. The Account name is just used for reference.
Make sure the SMTP Server Name is "smtp.gmail.com" and check the box next to "USe SMTP Authentication" then put in your Gmail email address and password in the SMTP User ID and Password fields, respectively.
Note: The "Reply Address" field must be filled in, but Gmail appears to ignore whatever you put in it. It will not set a Reply-To: header. If you want to do that, try adding one to the "Headers" tab.
Finally, the "Advanced" tab needs to have the SMTP Port set to 465, and make sure that SSL is set to "Required" because Gmail does require it.
After that it's a simple matter of starting a new email message. Mailsmith will read email addresses from the OS X Address Book and auto-complete as you type.
If you have more than one account that you want to be able to send from, you will have to repeat this process for each of them, but you can also set keyboard shortcuts to determine which account to send a new message from. See below for more.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Mailsmith uses "Command + E" to "Send Now" (or Message » Send from the menu bar) or you can tell Mailsmith to queue your outgoing mail by using "Comamnd + Option + E" (or Message » Queue for Sending from the menu bar). Queued messages will not be sent until you choose "Send Queued Mail" either from the Mail menu or by pressing Command + Shift + K. (Queued messages cannot be edited, but can be deleted.)
If you are used to the "Command + Shift + D" keyboard shortcut from Mail.app (and Mailplane), you may want to go to System Preferences » Keyboard then click on "Keyboard Shortcuts" and "Application Shortcuts." Click on the + (see the red box in the image below) to create a new shortcut.
Set the Application to Mailsmith, the Menu TItle to "Send Now" (note that both words are capitalized) and enter the Command + Shift + D shortcut. It should look like this:
If you add more than one account, you can setup keyboard shortcuts to send from each account. Look under File » New from Account and you will see each account listed by the "Account Name" that you added. Just make sure each one of those is unique and you can set a keyboard shortcut for it by repeating the process above and putting the Account Name in instead of "Send Now."
What about iOS?
Once I set this up on my Mac, I realized that it would also be nice to have on my iPad as well. I am not aware of any 3rd-party mail clients for iOS, and everything I found on the App Store seemed to be focused more on notifying me about incoming mail rather than sending it.
I discovered the iOS solution via TUAW's own Dave Caolo who wrote about a (free) app called Draftpad on his personal site, 52Tiger.net.
Draftpad is extremely fast. It launches and is immediately ready for me to start typing. When you finish typing a message in Draftpad, you can opt to send it to many different places using what Draftpad calls Assists. These will send your message to email, SMS, Twitter, or any of a bunch of other destinations using their extensive Assist Library. You can even create your own. Do you often send messages to your spouse, coworker, or maybe to yourself via Simplenote or Evernote? Create an "assist" which will automatically fill in the "To:" line of your email address. Write your message, send it to Mail, fill in the "To" line, and tap send. Couldn't be any easier. After it goes, it will bring you back to Draftpad.
Draftpad is available on the app store for iPad or iPhone/iPod touch.
Try it, you might like it
At first it felt a little strange thinking of "writing email" as a separate task than "reading email" but I have really come to enjoy it. Naturally, I still reply to emails from within Gmail when I am reading email, but when I'm ready to be done checking email, this setup ensures that I can do that without hindering my ability to send email.
If you use Gmail or any webmail for your outgoing mail, you'll be amazed how much faster it is to dash off a quick email using a local client. I love Gmail with Mailplane, and I'm never tempted to use an IMAP client instead, but I do like the sending speed. The ability to write emails offline is a nice plus too.
One final (tangentially related) note: another key to staying away from your incoming email is to make sure that you are not storing information that you need in your email. If you need to followup on something in your email, put it into OmniFocus or Evernote or Simplenote, or whatever you use to keep track of your tasks. Storing it in your email makes it harder to find, plus it keeps you tied to your inbox.
Use Mailsmith to create a "send-only" email account originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPhone navigation packages, in S-M-L editions
Thinking about getting Dad some directional guidance for Father's Day? Our package selections cover small, medium and large budgets to get where you're going.
Of all the industries disrupted by the emergence of these odd touchscreen computers disguised as mobile phones, the standalone GPS market may be the most topsy-turvy.
Among Chris' 33 things he doesn't need any more now that he has an iPhone, a separate $100+ unitasker GPS unit is probably the biggest target; the same goes double for Android phone owners, who get a capable and free turn-by-turn navigation tool as part of the Google Maps application.
Just having the phone isn't quite enough, though, if you want to help those notorious no-asking-for-directions family members (that'd be Dad) self-guide with the iPhone 4. Combining the right app with the right car bracket can turn a simple purchase into a genuine Father's Day gift -- so here are our package recommendations in small, medium and large price ranges. All apps are available on the App Store, and most of the hardware can be found at Best Buy, Radio Shack or Staples.
Small
Everyone likes free, and that's what our first app choice brings to the table. MapQuest 4 Mobile (developed by AOL, our corporate parent) provides capable turn-by-turn navigation with voice synthesis, powered by the same map data as the mapquest.com site. The app includes live traffic data, point of interest search and more -- and did I mention the free part? Drawbacks include a quieter voice than some of the other offerings; you also have to manually choose between power-saving mode (where the app will allow the phone to sleep) and high-performance mode. Still, if you're looking for voice directions on a budget, it's a great place to start. (Note that both MapQuest Mobile and our #2 pick require data connectivity to download maps on the go.)
For a budget vehicle mount, Arkon delivers no-frills units in windshield or lighter-socket ($20) and beanbag friction mounts ($30). Personally I don't care for lighter socket mounts, as they make it much more difficult to glance at the map while driving when the phone is mounted so far out of the driver's heads-up sightlines. I've been using the IPM512 friction mount for a while, and it works; the phone holder swivels to work either in portrait or landscape, and it includes adjustable 'feet' to slide out of the way of the dock port and the headphone jack. It does sometimes tend to accidentally press the phone's sleep switch, but for the most part it works well.
To power the low-cost setup, any USB adapter will do; best to combine it with an iPhone sync cable plus a USB A-A extender to give you the slack you'll need. The Bracketron dual adapter ($25) is available at most Staples stores and will happily charge both the iPhone and a second device.
Medium
The next navigation app up the ladder doesn't cost much, but it's garnered some high-powered fans. MotionX-GPS Drive ($0.99, also available for iPad at $2.99) may not have impressed Mel for last year's gift guide, but others swear by it. The advantage here is that you can get the app at the low price, then if you like it re-up for 30 days ($2.99) or a year ($19.99) of live voice navigation as you like -- visual/map navigation is free of charge after the initial purchase.
Like MapQuest, MotionX-GPS requires data service to download maps, but you have the option of caching your route to avoid any hiccups or data issues on the way. The current version includes links to Facebook's check-in feature, full business/POI search and contacts integration. MotionX now even integrates with newer Pioneer in-dash hardware, as reported earlier this month.
The middle-range mounting solution is Griffin's WindowSeat mobile kit, which combines both power and a mount with a microphone-equipped aux 1/8" cable for audio. The PowerJolt universal adapter included in the package provides 1 amp charging, and the simple bracket/suction cup holder keeps the phone tucked into position.
Large
The next tier of navigation apps are all dramatically more expensive, which can cause a bit of app sticker shock. They do bring along a key advantage, though -- maps are included in the app itself, rather than downloaded on demand. This means that app downloads and updates in iTunes can take quite a while, but it also means you'll never be stranded without data service while navigating (and if you're traveling overseas/in a roaming area, the data costs would be pretty expensive).
The 'big three' in full-featured, maps-included navigation are Magellan (just updated with a new look and features), TomTom and Navigon; all the apps have their adherents, but for my money Navigon MobileNavigator is the best of the bunch. I've used the USA East Region version (on sale for $24.99; full USA map version is $34.99 on sale) for frequent drives in and around New York City, and it's been very consistent and reliable. Navigon offers versions for most countries and regions, so if you're headed out of town it's worth a look.
One of my favorite features in the Navigon app is the three-routes option at the start of navigation; the app shows you the route it thinks is best, but also two alternatives that may be better under specific circumstances. You can choose which way you want to go, rather than heading off in what the app thinks is the wrong direction and having to wait for it to clue in.
A premium app deserves a premium phone cradle; there are good options in the $100 Griffin RoadTrip HandsFree or the $70 Belkin TuneBase Direct, but as mentioned I'm not big on the power socket mounting approach. Instead, I'd suggest taking a look at the Dension Car Dock for iPhone -- an integrated unit that includes both aux and FM outputs, power, and a custom app for device control and navigation links. In-app purchase adds 'Car Finder' mode, which saves the exact GPS spot where you parked to help you find your way back. The Dension unit lists at 80 euros, but hopefully will be coming to US distribution soon; I'd expect it to hit at about $100 when it gets here.
Of course, if you choose the TomTom app you can also get the custom-fit TomTom car kit, and for $100 it's got to offer something more: enhanced GPS performance, a built-in powered speaker and better hands-free calling. It uses the same easy-mount back found on TomTom's dedicated units.
If you already have a mounting solution but need a sleek, cable-minimizing power and audio solution, check out XtremeMac's InCharge Auto Aux for $50. Using the dock/charge connector for audio, it includes an aux-out jack in the charger housing, keeping the cable clutter at bay.
Whichever size fits your needs -- small, medium, or large -- enjoy your summer drives!
iPhone navigation packages, in S-M-L editions originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - WWDC Interview: HansaWorld
Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) interviews Erik Elmgren of HansaWorld at WWDC 2011. Erik was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at WWDC 2011 about the keynote and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll bring you those videos here, MacTech.com and MacNews.com. Also, check out the free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
WWDC Interview: HansaWorld originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Point/Counterpoint: On the iPhone 5 replacing the iPod touch
A reader wrote in to us surmising that the iPod touch is on its way out, to be replaced by a lower-cost iPhone 5. It sounded ridiculous at first, but the evidence he gave sounds pretty compelling when it's all put together.
- According to iSuppli, "The components that make up the 16 GB iPhone 4 cost just under $188." That of course should be taken with a grain of salt.
- Production of the iPhone 5 allegedly begins in July, with a launch in September -- traditionally the time Apple unveils new iPod hardware.
- iOS 5 will debut in the fall, and major iOS releases tend to come alongside new iPhone hardware.
- Thus far, there is no mention of new iPod touch hardware in the iOS 5 betas.
- The next-gen iPhone has reached final testing stage, destined for a September launch. With the exception of an A5 processor and possibly a universal GSM/CDMA design for its 3G hardware, it is expected to be substantially similar to the iPhone 4.
- Unlocked iPhones are finally available in the US.
- Recently unearthed evidence in the iOS 5 beta suggests the iPhone 5 will use the same 5 megapixel camera as the current iPhone 4 rather than the 8 megapixel camera suggested by rumors earlier this year, suggesting Apple is focused on cutting production costs.
- This year, Apple's Back-to-School promotion will offer a $100 iTunes gift card instead of a free iPod touch as in previous years.
Taken together, this does seem to paint a pretty stark picture for the iPod touch's future. It also sparked off an intercontinental debate between fellow TUAW writer Richard Gaywood and myself on whether Apple is likely to lower costs on the iPhone 5 enough to make it a viable replacement for the current iPod touch lineup.
CR: I'll say this: if the unlocked 32 GB iPhone dropped to US$299 and a 64 GB model was available at $399, the iPod touch would pretty much have no further reason to exist. Odds of that happening? Who knows.
RG: That's a huge "if" there. The iPod touch has to be cheaper to make than the iPhone, so Apple would have to slash its own margins to cut the price of the latter to meet the former. $299 is less than half the price the 16 GB iPhone 4 is selling for today. Why would Apple do that? I don't see much upside.
The iPod touch is also lighter and much thinner. Or, if it was as thick as the iPhone 4, it could offer much better battery life.
CR: Aside from the rear-facing camera, the GPS/3G antenna/chipset, and the case design, where's the extra cost for the iPhone 4 versus the iPod touch? They have the same SOC, the same display, the same front-facing camera. Apple's estimated cost to manufacture the 16 GB iPhone 4 is less than US$200. If the iPhone 5 is going to be essentially an iPhone 4S, the production cost isn't likely to be terribly higher than the iPhone 4's is now.
The upside to discontinuing the iPod touch line and replacing it with a lower-cost, contract-free iPhone is twofold. First, that's one less piece of hardware Apple has to manufacture. The iPod line would be returned to music-only devices (the shuffle and nano), with only two multi-use, touch-based devices to manufacture: the iPhone and iPad. The upshot from a sales POV is that all the users who might have bought the iPod touch will buy the contract-free iPhone instead, which would go a loooong way to making up for the reduced per-device margins.
RG: According to Anandtech, "The pricing guarantees Apple is going to continue to have incredible quarters going forward. Apple found sneaky ways to reduce the total BOM (bill of materials) cost on the new iPod touch. A cheaper chassis compared to the iPhone 4, no GPS, less DRAM on package (256 MB vs. 512 MB), a cheaper screen and a worse imaging sensor."
That's in addition to the UMTS chip itself, the antenna for it, and (easy to overlook on a BoM listing), the considerable hardware engineering effort and testing that goes into making the cell phone part of the device work properly. They also use cheaper lower-density flash (the iPod touch has two chips, not one, so a 32 GB model of either handset is a single 32 GB chip in the iPhone and 2x16 GBs in the iPod touch).
Note that the parts Apple skimps on -- the baseband, the display, the DRAM, the flash, the rear-facing autofocus camera -- are some of the most expensive parts in the iPhone 4 to start with.
CR: The engineering and testing costs will likely be more than offset if the iPhone 5 has essentially the same exterior design as the iPhone 4, as virtually everyone expects it will.
The price of the unlocked iPhone must eventually come down. The unlocked 32 GB iPhone 4 is actually more expensive than a 32 GB iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G. I don't see that situation persisting for very long. I also don't see that as a matter of offsetting component/production costs; I see it as a high price intended to mollify the carriers. The price disparity between a 32 GB iPod touch and a 32 GB unlocked iPhone 4 is $450, too, and I find it incredibly unlikely that the iPhone 4 costs THAT much more to produce than the iPod touch.
I mean, come on. The improved camera and flash, better quality display, extra RAM, GPS/UMTS, and chassis add up to an extra $450 -- or even $300? Not a chance. Even if the $130 price disparity between the 3G and non-3G iPads truly represents the cost of the 3G hardware (it doesn't), that's still $320 for a slightly higher-quality display, an extra 256 MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera, three pieces of precision-cut stainless steel, and a piece of glass.
With a BOM of $188 for a 16 GB iPhone 4, Apple's margin for the device amounts to $461. That's high even by Apple's standards. No, that calculation doesn't include R&D or shipping, etc., but if the iPhone 5 is going to be substantially similar to the iPhone 4, most of that is going to be offset anyway.
RG: BoM isn't the whole story, though. A common rule of thumb for a R&D-heavy devices like the iPhone is 1/3 materials, 1/3 cost, 1/3 profit. If you just compare how much it costs to assemble with how much Apple sell it for, it looks like a huge margin -- but all those smart guys in Cupertino don't come cheap, nor do their swanky digs. You're not making an Apples-to-apples comparison, because we don't have a comparable BoM cost for the iPod touch.
CR: You're right, BoM is only part of the tale. So let's look at profit margins instead. It turns out Apple's profit margin on the entry-level $499 iPad 2 is 25 percent. That's a healthy, respectable profit margin for a consumer electronics product -- but it's far lower than Apple's average profit margin across all products, which is a much higher 38.5 percent.
Apple's profit margin for the iPhone? An astonishing 50 to 60 percent. For every 16 GB iPhone 4 sold, then, Apple makes about $324.50 in profit at the lower end of the scale. We can therefore assume that the break-even price for an entry-level iPhone 5 would be around $330; the A5 processor is slightly more expensive than the A4, but the iPhone 5 is expected to have mostly the same components as the iPhone 4.
RG: Bottom line for me is this: replacing the iPod touch with an iPhone at the same selling price would inevitably require Apple to sacrifice considerable profit margin, would face carrier hostility (which might be so severe as to make them refuse to issue data plans for it), would be of marginal benefit to many consumers (customers who cared about having cell data for an iPod touch already own iPhones, I'd wager), and would cannibalize sales of the more lucrative iPhone (particularly the pre-pay models, which America might get now it has unlocked iPhones). Never say never and all that, but it doesn't feel very likely to me at this point in time.
CR: After running through the numbers a bit more closely, selling the iPhone 5 for $299 looks like a net loss for Apple (which ain't gonna happen), but selling it at $399 would yield a profit of about 17 percent. That's far lower than the margins Apple currently enjoys on the iPhone, but Apple's financial guidance for the past couple quarters has warned investors to expect overall profit margins to decline. There's certainly room enough for the iPhone's margins to thin a bit but still make Apple tons of money.
I'm not saying Apple will do any of this, but I will not be at all shocked if it chooses to. The iPod touch has always been a sort of an "also-ran" in the iDevice line, an iPhone-lite for people who don't want to be tied down to a contract. If the iPhone becomes available contract-free everywhere, and at a price comparable to what the iPod touch sells for today, I still believe the iPod touch would have no reason to exist anymore.
Conclusion
It turned out to be a lively debate, and we'll see who's right in a couple months. In the meantime, there are a couple of other things to keep in mind. First, Apple has removed the "iPod" branding from iOS 5. In iOS 4 and earlier, both the iPhone and iPad handle music playback via an "iPod" app, but in iOS 5 these two devices instead have a "Music" app just like the iPod touch. It may mean nothing, but it's still an interesting move considering the iPod was Apple's top-selling product for so many years.
The other thing to keep in mind is a recent quote from Instapaper developer Marco Arment, who sums up my side of this argument perfectly: "When speculating on what Apple will or won't do, a change that gets them more iPhone customers is probably worth considering even if you think they'd 'never' do it. iPhone customer acquisition is a higher priority than almost everything else."
Point/Counterpoint: On the iPhone 5 replacing the iPod touch originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple releases new 'Now' iPad 2 ad
Apple has released a new iPad 2 television commercial entitled "Now." The commercial points out how with an iPad people can interact with forms of media differently than they could in the past, such as by "watching" a newspaper. From the ad: "Now, we can watch a newspaper; listen to a magazine; curl up with a movie; and see a phone call. Now, we can take a classroom anywhere; hold an entire bookstore; and touch the stars. Because now, there's this." You can see the ad below and also check it out on Apple's official YouTube page or on Apple's iPad 2 product page.
Apple releases new 'Now' iPad 2 ad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Full-screen web apps should get a JavaScript boost in iOS 5
Lots of information about iOS 5 is still hidden under the developer NDA, but here's one tidbit that's sneaked out: Some web apps will be faster under the new operating system. So says one developer over on a coding message board; it confirms the rumor that full-screen web apps opened from the iPhone and iPod touch's homescreen will get to take advantage of the JavaScript Nitro engine.
In terms of what this means for users, there's not a lot of difference -- you'll still click the icon on your homescreen and the web app will launch like normal. But behind the scenes, if the web page you load uses Nitro, it'll work quicker than usual. Keep in mind that neither full-screen web apps nor browser views within apps have had access to this high-speed engine in iOS 4, so this is an improvement.
Web apps that run outside of Safari, however, using an iOS class called UIWebViews, still won't use this souped-up engine for JavaScript. As the hackers explain, that's at least partially due to security concerns in terms of what UIWebViews can and can't do.
But it's nice to know that some of the web apps you may use on your iPhone or iPad may see a speed boost with the new OS. When it comes to web pages, faster is almost always better.
Full-screen web apps should get a JavaScript boost in iOS 5 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Magellan updates Roadmate for iPhone with new interface and free 'lifetime' map updates
Magellan has pushed out a rather massive and free update to iPhone Roadmate users. The entire engine and user interface have been freshened up and greatly improved (to my taste, that is). Yelp! and Google search are included, and the app has added personalization features to the display, including arrival time, distance to destination, and your speed.
The update is free for current users, and the USA version of RoadMate sells for US $34.99. The North American version is $54.99.
In a quick test of the app I found it functioned smoothly, and I like the addition of lane assist and Google searching. One thing to note is that Magellan defines 'lifetime' updates for maps and traffic data as "the life of the product or 3 years, whichever is reached first, or until Magellan no longer receives relevant map and traffic data." That's not that long, but it's better than no updates at all.
I've generally liked the Magellan iPhone product but still prefer the Navigon app for day to day driving. With Navigon about to be purchased by Garmin, I'll be keeping my eyes open to see how competition develops.
Magellan updates Roadmate for iPhone with new interface and free 'lifetime' map updates originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - WWDC Interview: Tethras
Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) interviews Brendan Clavin of Tethras at WWDC 2011. Brendan was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward. Tethras offers localization solutions for developers.
TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at WWDC 2011 about the keynote and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll bring you those videos here, MacTech.com and MacNews.com. Also, check out the free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
WWDC Interview: Tethras originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple outlines Lion upgrade path for business and education customers
While Apple announced on June 6 that consumers would be able to purchase and download Mac OS X Lion from the Mac App Store in July, there was no word on how businesses or schools would purchase and deploy the next-generation operating system. An Apple Sales Web document released today is clearing up the confusion, with details on licensing and deployment.
Starting when Lion is actually released, business customers can purchase Lion and Lion Server from Apple by calling 1-800-854-3680 or by entering the Business Store at http://store.apple.com. Volume license contracts are $29.99 per license with a minimum purchase requirement of 20 licenses. Maintenance contracts, which ensure that the next version of OS X is available at no cost, are available for $49.99, once again with a minimum purchase of 20 licenses.
Education customers will contact their Apple Education Account Representatives or buy through the Education Store. Schools get Lion as part of the Apple Software Collection -- Mac OS, iLife, and iWork -- with prices starting at $39 per license for a minimum order quantity of 25 licenses.
Existing Volume License, Maintenance, and Apple Education Licensing Program customers will receive one redemption code for each contract that can be used to download Lion from the Mac App Store. That single copy of the Install Mac OS X Lion application is used to install Lion on other Mac systems at the school or business.
Once the install app has been downloaded, administrators just copy it to the target systems and run the installer. Administrators can use the System Image Utility in OS X Lion Server to build NetInstall (link to PDF) or NetRestore images to assist in performing mass deployments.
Through the OS X Lion Up-to-Date program, customers who purchased a Mac from Apple or an authorized reseller on or after June 6 will get the operating system for free. The Up-to-Date upgrade must be requested within 30 days of the official Lion release date, whenever that may be.
TUAW readers who are business or education customers and have additional questions should contact their Apple account representatives for further details.
Apple outlines Lion upgrade path for business and education customers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily Mac App: VLC
Yesterday on the Daily Mac App, we showed you how to bestow QuickTime Player with the ability to play a multitude of formats and codecs, but sometimes even Perian won't cut it, and that's where you can turn to VLC to get the job done.
VLC is a free, open-source, cross-platform multimedia player that we've covered extensively in the past, and for good reason. It'll play almost everything under the sun without requiring any additional codec packs or plug-ins. That means you can literally throw just about any media file you can find at it and marvel as it plays back in a fast and smooth fashion. No fuss -- it just works.
If you like to delve into a myriad of settings and features, VLC comes up trumps. From being able to set playback delay for audio, ironing out those sync issues, to spitting out AC3 or DTS through an optical cable, it's all there in the preferences.
VLC resembles the iTunes Mini Player and, for the most part, the UI is usable and gets out of your way. When you're playing video, you get a familiar disappearing media playback control bar that sinks into the background when not in use leaving you with your media.
VLC is available free from the VideoLAN website, and it's an absolute must download if you ever play non-Apple approved media formats on your Mac.
There are quite a few decent alternatives to VLC available on the Mac. If you've got a favorite, shout out in the comments and tell us why you prefer it over other options.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: VLC originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - WWDC Interview: Houdah Software
In this installment of our WWDC interviews, our own Brett Terpstra talks to Pierre Bernard of Houdah Software at WWDC 2011. Houdah makes an interesting group of Mac products, including HoudahGeo (for geotagging photos), HoudahSpot (a sort of turbocharged Spotlight front end) and Tembo (another, super easy search tool). They also make a couple of Sudoku apps and more for iOS devices.
TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at WWDC 2011 about the keynote and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll bring you those videos here, MacTech.com and MacNews.com. Also, check out the free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
WWDC Interview: Houdah Software originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Tablet LCD deliveries suggest big iPad delivery spike
Apple is facing the mother of all backlogs with the iPad 2, yet still producing enough tablets to be a major player in the tablet display market. Analysis released by Displaybank suggests Apple was responsible for the lion's share of 9.7-inch displays shipped in May.
Apple's two LCD suppliers, LG and Samsung, were responsible for 4.5 million of the 5.38 million tablet displays that flew off the production line in May. Most of these 9.7-inch displays were destined for the iPad as relatively few competing tablets use the 9.7-inch size. The only other high-profile tablet using a 9.7-inch screen is the upcoming HP Touchpad, but its production is still at a minimal level.
These numbers are only an estimate based on market analysis, but they do suggest iPad sales for the current quarter could be better than projected. Apple is expected to report its Q3 2011 earnings sometime in July.
Tablet LCD deliveries suggest big iPad delivery spike originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple has more cash than most mobile phone manufacturers combined
Horace Deidu of Asymco did some number crunching and calculated the enterprise values of the major mobile phone manufacturers, including Apple.
- Apple $70 billion
- Nokia $22.6 billion
- RIM $13.8 billion
- HTC $25.4 billion
- Motorola Mobility $4.2 billion
- Sony Ericsson $3.0 billion
- Samsung $53 billion
- LG $10 billion
When all is said and done, Apple has enough cash and liquid assets to buy every phone manufacturer except for Samsung. As companies like Nokia and RIM continue to decline, Apple's cash could increase to the point where it can gobble up Samsung, too. Obviously, regulators would not let this happen, but it's still fun to think about.
Apple has more cash than most mobile phone manufacturers combined originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - More iPhone than Android owners want mobile wallets
Google may have beaten Apple to NFC, but a recent survey reveals that only 24% of Android users are actually interested in using the technology to make purchases. iPhone owners are still waiting for an NFC-enabled model, but 40% can't wait to pay in a store using their phone.
Much of this difference can be attributed to the attitude of iPhone owners. Jennifer Jacobsen, PR director of Retrevo, says "If there's a new trend in mobile tech and what you can do with a smartphone, iPhone owners seem more ready to try it than other cell phone users."
It's not a bad thing that Apple is a bit behind in mobile payments as the overall interest in the technology is low. A whopping 79% of the 1,000 survey respondents claim they are not interested in mobile wallets or do not understand what they are.
More iPhone than Android owners want mobile wallets originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Intuit's Aaron Patzer hints at Apple licensing Rosetta
One of the big changes coming next month with the release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion is that apps that operate under Rosetta, the code libraries that allow PowerPC-based apps to run on Intel-based Mac hardware, may no longer work under the new operating system.
Current developer previews of Lion do not include Rosetta, a gentle reminder from Apple to developers that they need to free their apps from any PPC-era code. For Intuit, the makers of Quicken for Mac 2007, rewriting their app from scratch was cost-prohibitive. Now it appears that Apple might license portions of the Rosetta code to developers who don't have the time or money to rewrite their apps.
In an interview published today by The Mac Observer, Intuit vice president and general manager of the Personal Finance Group Aaron Patzer noted that his team has been working closely with Apple for several months to embed certain Rosetta libraries into Quicken for Mac 2007 just for the purpose of getting the app to run under Lion. According to Patzer, that project won't see fruition until the end of the summer, which means that folks who are enamored with Quicken 2007 might have to wait to upgrade to Lion.
There are, of course, other personal finance solutions available for the Mac platform. Patzer is the man behind Mint.com, an highly-touted online personal finance site that was purchased by Intuit. Intuit's own Lion-friendly Quicken Essentials (screenshot above) is a possibility, although many Quicken 2007 users refuse to switch since Essentials lacks the bill paying and investment tracking functions that were in the earlier version of the software. TUAW readers often cite iBank as a much more capable Mac finance app.
Patzer's comments should be welcome news to developers who are behind the proverbial eight-ball in terms of making their apps Lion-ready.
Intuit's Aaron Patzer hints at Apple licensing Rosetta originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - More Father's Day app sales this weekend
That didn't take long -- yesterday, I predicted we'd see more app sales pop up for Father's Day, and here we are.
- Firemint has put its titles on sale for the weekend -- Real Racing 2 is down to $4.99 on the iPhone and $6.99 on the iPad, and the first game in the series is just 99 cents on the iPhone. Don't forget that the iPad version will also stream out video to a TV with the right attachments, so if you pick it up, be sure to try that out.
- As we tweeted yesterday (you are following us on Twitter, right?), Backflip's great Army of Darkness Defense is free over the weekend.
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is just 99 cents on the iPad, and still 99 cents on the iPhone.
- iPad photo editor PhotoPal got an update -- it's on sale for just 99 cents as well.
- And finally, excellent iOS and Mac music software Capo just won an Apple Design Award at WWDC the other week, and to celebrate, it's on sale pricing as well this weekend.
- Namco Bandai has a lot of their games on sale this weekend also,
Stay tuned -- I'm sure we'll see even more apps drop in price before the weekend is over.
More Father's Day app sales this weekend originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iOS 5 AirPlay Mirroring demo brings games and more to the big screen
One of the most anticipated features of iOS 5, at least in my book, is AirPlay Mirroring. This feature endows the iPad 2 with the ability to wirelessly mirror all video on the screen of the device to an Apple TV 2. No longer is mirroring just enabled in a few apps here and there -- anything on your iPad 2 can be blasted to the big screen with a few taps.
The guys over at Apple'n'Apps have produced an amazing ten-minute video walkthrough of several popular iOS apps being beamed wirelessly to a large screen HDTV from an iPad 2. More than anything, the video shows just how smooth AirPlay Mirroring is. The lack of cables makes it all that much better for game play, as you can shake, rattle, and roll your iPad 2 without worrying that a cable will fall out.
Without further ado, here's the video for your viewing pleasure:
iOS 5 AirPlay Mirroring demo brings games and more to the big screen originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily iPhone App: iQuarterback 2 Pocket Edition
iQuarterback 2 is an excellent little football throwing game from FuzzyCube Software that has you tossing a little pigskin around a football field through multiple game modes. The game recently came out on the iPad, but the iPhone version is brand new. It's just as fun on the small screen, with plenty of targets to go after, and a "Fame" currency that you can use to collect new outfits, accessories, and more. Full Game Center integration lets you check scores and achievements between you and your friends as well.
Plus, the price is right -- the game is a free download, and right now this weekend, the in-app purchase to remove ads is just US 99 cents. The iPad version is a little more expensive, but that's what you get for having a bigger screen, right?
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: iQuarterback 2 Pocket Edition originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - JailbreakMe 3.0 could be released today, hints at iPad [Updated]
Update: False alarm, folks. JailbreakMe 3.0 will not be released today. Stand down.
Razorainfly reports that Jailbreak Me, the browser-based jailbreak solution for iPhone, could be updated to version 3.0 today. Plus, a tantalizing iPad hint was briefly published earlier today.
An image at jailbreakme.com (as of this writing) depicts a ski slope and a sign warning of a black diamond, which denotes a difficult path in skiing parlance, and "PDF" further down the slope.
The "PDF" could refer to a PDF exploit used by the service last year, but that's speculation.
redsn0w posted an image that supposedly that appeared on jailbreakme.com early this morning, showing the iPad (below).
There is little detail for now, but we'll monitor the siteSee update above.JailbreakMe 3.0 could be released today, hints at iPad [Updated] originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple revises and expands its trademark infringement case against Samsung
Today is the day Apple and Samsung will meet with the judge in its patent infringement case to discuss Samsung's request to see the iPhone 5 and the iPad 3. Before this meeting, Apple revised its trademark claim and expanded it to include other Samsung hardware.
The revision also adds stronger language to the complaint by substituting words like "misappropriated" with "copied" and providing additional details on how Apple's powerful brand and unique products have been hurt by Samsung's copycat mobile devices. The suit's main document now sits at an impressive 63 pages, up from the original 38.
The meeting will take place today at 1:30 pm Pacific Time and we will keep you informed of any decisions that influence this case.
Apple revises and expands its trademark infringement case against Samsung originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me merge my music accounts
Dear Auntie,
Half of my music collection was purchased with an old Apple ID, using a defunct email address. I can play music from both accounts on my devices, no problem. But when iCloud comes out, I wonder how I'll be able to have it sync both accounts as one cloud in the iCloud? I wish I could merge accounts and be done with the old one.
Best to you and your hat maker,
Your loving nephew,
Dan
Dear Dan,
This is where iTunes Match really can jump in and make your life easier -- with one small catch. For US$25, it gives you access to all your music. If your music is not DRM protected, you can just throw it into your normal library and Match will enable it in the cloud.
The problem comes in with older purchases made before the iTunes Plus switch away from DRM. Auntie isn't sure that music from your older account will transfer over to the cloud -- and Apple hasn't clarified how iTunes will treat music that's authorized to play on your computer but DRM'ed to another account.
Unfortunately, Apple does not allow you to merge accounts. They don't do it for partners getting married; they don't do it for transfer from MobileMe; they just don't do it. You are not alone in this -- Apple has resisted account merging for years.
So as far as Auntie can tell, your only problems may arise with those older purchases. Otherwise, iTunes should not be able to differentiate between music copied from your old account and music purchased or ripped in your new one. (And if it does, there are any number of metadata stripping utilities you can google for.)
Hugs and good luck,
Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me merge my music accounts originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iTunes ahead of Amazon, trailing Hulu in online video
A Citigroup survey ranked the top players in the online video market and Apple iTunes falls into fifth place. It's a competitive market, especially among the middle players.
Not surprisingly, YouTube dominates online video with a whopping 69.% market share. Facebook, Netflix and Hulu are jostling in the middle with 27%, 24.5% and 22% market share, respectively. Apple pulls in behind this trio with a 9.8% market share and following Apple with a 7% marketshare is Amazon and its Unbox service.
Apple's position is not a bad one with almost 10% marketshare but it has a long way to go to reach Netflix and Hulu.
iTunes ahead of Amazon, trailing Hulu in online video originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Customers with multiple Apple IDs frustrated by Apple's "no consolidation" policy
Since Apple's iCloud announcement, we have received a steady stream of messages from people with the same problem: multiple Apple IDs.
Some readers have been managing two Apple IDs on purpose and are now frustrated about the fact that Apple is restricting logins for automatic downloads. Others have only just discovered that they have two IDs. Most of them have already contacted Apple, only to be given the same answer without exception: Apple will not consolidate Apple ID accounts.
One of the Frequently Asked Questions About Apple IDs is "I have multiple Apple IDs. Is there a way for me to consolidate them into a single Apple ID?" The answer: "At this time, Apple IDs cannot be consolidated."
The optimists will interpret "at this time" as meaning that this could change in the future. The word "cannot" is also open to interpretation. I suspect Apple's intended meaning is "there is no mechanism in place to do this" rather than "it would be impossible for us to do this if we really wanted to." After all, assuming that the apps are still available, it seems like it would be a relatively straightforward matter of "gifting" the apps from one account to the other. However, if that has to be done manually for each person facing this issue, it could be quite time-consuming.
I discovered that I had inadvertently created two Apple IDs not long after the iOS App Store appeared. One of the nice things about the App Store has always been that you could re-download purchases free of charge. While checking my email one day, I realized that I had been billed twice for the same application. I contacted Apple's usually excellent iTunes support (since the App Store was brand new, there was no separate App Store support channel yet), and I informed them of the mistake. The customer service person replied that she could not see a duplicate charge and asked me to forward both receipts to her. That was when I realized what had happened. The usernames were identical, except that one ended in "@gmail.com" and the other was the same username, but without a domain name. (You may recall Marco Arment wrote about this problem regarding Instapaper accounts, indicating it was responsible for "[m]any of Instapaper's top support issues.")
When I realized what had happened, I contacted Apple support again, asking if they could merge my accounts. The answer I was given was not just "no" but 'absolutely not, under any circumstances ever.' While I am paraphrasing the support rep's response, that captures the spirit of it. I asked nicely, I complained, I sent separate requests hoping to get someone else, and I have asked again periodically whenever it occurred to me to do so. The answer remains a resolute and unwavering "no."
Apple has no obligation to take any steps to correct my stupidity. Regardless of how much money the company has made or how much cash it's sitting on, at the end of the day, I am a grownup and responsible for my own actions. Because I did not pay close enough attention to what I was doing, I brought this on myself. [Users with MobileMe accounts that conflict with their Apple IDs may have created them completely without realizing it; see threads here and here. -Ed.]
Music purchases through iTunes were easy enough to solve: I upgraded to "iTunes Plus" whenever possible, which removed the DRM. Unfortunately there is no equivalent for App Store purchases. Since I realized this shortly after the App Store opened, I have been able to avoid repeating the mistake and only had to repurchase a few apps. However, my Apple Support Profile shows almost all of my Mac/iOS hardware as belonging to one Apple ID, and all of my App Store purchases belong to the other Apple ID. It is a minor annoyance, at most, for me.
Others have not been so fortunate, and with the advent of iCloud, the problem seems to be looming ever larger for some people. Obviously, we have no way of knowing how many people are faced with it, but given the size of the iTunes and App Store customer base, even a small percentage represents a significant number of people.
Could Apple change this policy?
It would seem so. From the outside looking in, it does not appear to be an insurmountable technological problem, but more one of record-keeping; addressing it would clearly help a small-but-not-negligible number of Apple customers.
Do I expect Apple to change this policy? No, I don't. The company seems to have dug in its heels on this issue early on, and I have no reason to think that the policy will change now. We can only speculate as to why Apple enforces this hard-and-fast rule; a strong suspicion voiced by Mike Rose on this topic is that Apple's licensing agreements with content owners (music labels and movie studios in particular) have some sand in the gears when it comes to merging or splitting content libraries.
[It's also possible that Apple cannot afford to get bogged down in exception handling and legal vagaries across 50 states and scores of countries when, for instance, a brace of divorce lawyers call and request that a 20,000-song iTunes library be split up between their clients' accounts. Much simpler to have a consistent answer of "We can't do that, sorry." -Ed.]
On the other hand, I did not expect Apple to intervene in the Lodsys issue or back down on subscription pricing, and the unveiling of iCloud would probably be the best time for Apple to change this policy--if it ever will.
If you think Apple should change this policy, you might be inclined to send a politely-worded message through the proper channels. And, no, emailing Steve Jobs directly is not proper channels. On the other hand, I cannot tell you exactly what the proper channel is. I looked at Apple's Feedback Page, but there is no feedback channel for the App Store, which seems very odd. I also looked at the links for iTunes, iPad, and iPhone/iPod touch feedback, but none of them lend themselves to giving App Store feedback.
The Apple ID FAQ does not offer any way to contact Apple about your Apple ID. Nor does the Apple ID support page. Nor does the Apple ID site or the Apple ID recovery page.
Finally I found the iTunes Support page, which has a section titled "iTunes Store Account and Billing." If you select that, and then "Managing your Account," that may be the most appropriate route to give feedback.
And remember: the person who will read your message will not be in a position to change the policy (even if you did hear that your best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with a girl who did get her Apple IDs consolidated), so state your case politely and succinctly in order to let your voice be heard, and then move on. If Apple changes the policy, great. If not, well, then you're no worse off than you are today.
Customers with multiple Apple IDs frustrated by Apple's "no consolidation" policy originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Paragraft gets iOS Markdown editing right
I just discovered Paragraft, a text editor for iPad and iPhone that boasts some ingenious Markdown features (if I've lost you already, check out the TUAW Markdown Primer for a crash course).
The good parts of Paragraft blew me away enough that I'm able to overlook an ugly icon and some bad interface decisions to deliver a fairly glowing endorsement: this is the first app I've found that has really allowed Markdown on iOS to make sense.
There's no shortage of Markdown-enabled apps on any Apple platform right now, and I love that. I love Markdown, and while it's far superior to writing HTML or dealing with Rich Text in an iOS environment, I always miss the Markdown speed I can achieve in TextMate and other text editors on the Mac.
Nebulous Notes has the flexibility to start getting there, but you have to build all the macros yourself. Other apps handle auto-continuing lists, maybe adding bold and italics, but still leave you digging through multiple levels of iOS keyboards to get to some symbols. TextExpander Touch can help quite a bit, too, but none of these really tap the capabilities of the iPhone and iPad. Paragraft has made me begin to rethink the possibilities.
Continue reading Paragraft gets iOS Markdown editing right
Paragraft gets iOS Markdown editing right originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Nuance buys SVOX ahead of iOS 5 release
There's a whole trail of rumors hinting at an upcoming deal between speech recognition company Nuance and Apple. For quite a while now (ever since Apple picked up personal assistant software maker Siri), the scuttlebuzz has claimed that the folks in Cupertino would make a deal with Nuance for some kind of speech recognition, most likely an iOS-level integration that would allow you to ask your iOS device for whatever you want, and get it quickly and easily.
But even if that deal is on, that hasn't stopped Nuance from slowing down. The company has acquired another speech recognition firm, SVOX, the creators of high-end speech recognition and text-to-speech services. That's a natural fit for Nuance, of course, and the release says that the new deal "will advance the proliferation of voice in the automotive market, and accelerate the development of new voice capabilities that enable natural, conversational interactions between consumers and their connected cars, mobile phones, and other consumer devices."
Sounds exciting to us. We didn't actually get to see either Siri or an updated voice control service show up during the iOS 5 announcement at WWDC, but that doesn't mean it's completely out of the cards yet. Maybe a deal like this is just what Nuance needs to set up the partnership that Apple's reportedly been seeking for a while.
Nuance buys SVOX ahead of iOS 5 release originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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