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- iPad rigged up with 3D screen in Taiwan
Display Taiwan 2011 is going on in Taiwan this week, and at a booth for a company called CPT, there's a device on display that looks very much like an iPad (though with the actual Apple logos and identifying information covered up) that's been Frankenstein-ed together with what appears to be a 3D display. You can see the device in the video below thanks to YouTubers minipcpro.
They call this an iPad 3 prototype, but I don't think it's that -- my guess is that this Taiwanese company just either opened up an actual iPad, or came across some iPad parts, and inserted their own display in the device. It's more a proof of concept than anything else. All you see running is that photo app, not a full version of iOS.
Plus, it seems unlikely that we'd ever see 3D like this implemented in an Apple device, much less something that required glasses like that. Still, it's wild to see a completely different display show up in an iPad wrapping like this.
[via BGR]
iPad rigged up with 3D screen in Taiwan originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Pandora Media offering IPO tomorrow
Music service Pandora is set to introduce its stock to the public tomorrow, becoming one more in a series of social networking and online service companies going with an IPO. Pandora isn't specifically an iOS company, of course, given that its music service runs both through browsers and on a number of platforms.
But the company's iOS app has helped its profile. It's consistently stayed one of the top free apps on the App Store. The company's offering 14.7 million shares initially.
Pandora's future wasn't ever in actual jeopardy, but certainly the value of the company's app was in question during the lead-up to last week's Apple keynote at WWDC. For a while, iCloud was rumored as being an iTunes streaming service like Pandora, allowing you to listen to your music collection through any iOS device.
Those rumors turned out to be untrue so far. iCloud and iTunes Match are only designed to help you sync your iTunes songs across devices, not listen to them remotely. For those whose music collections are too big to fit on an iOS device, Pandora is still one of the main ways to listen to extra music.
[via Mashable]
Pandora Media offering IPO tomorrow originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Bungie releases free iOS app
Game developer Bungie (the folks behind the Halo series, originally scheduled for release on Mac but also the game that eventually became the keystone of Microsoft's game console) has released an official iPhone app, just in time for the company's 20th anniversary. Bungie Mobile is available for free on the App Store, and allows you to browse through your and other players' Halo information, see official Bungie news and just generally enjoy the heck out of one of the best gaming developers around.
Additionally, when you sign in to the app with a Bungie account, you can get blue flames for your helmet in Halo: Reach, a special graphical effect previously reserved only for Bungie employees. Good deal.
Bungie is doing all of this to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary July 7, so happy anniversary to them. And now that they're out from under the thumb of a Microsoft partnership, hopefully we'll see even more Apple-related releases in the future.
Bungie releases free iOS app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - WWDC Interview: 99Games
TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at WWDC 2011 about the keynote announcements and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. We'll bring you those videos here, MacTech.com and MacNews.com. Also, check out the free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
Neil Ticktin (Editor-in-Chief, MacTech Magazine and MacNews) interviews Rohith Bhat of 99Games at WWDC 2011. Rohith was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.
WWDC Interview: 99Games originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Google launches homepage shortcuts for iOS, mobile devices
Google has released a new homepage shortcut feature for mobile devices at today's Inside Search event in San Francisco. It's available to iOS and Android customers and offers quick access to information on restaurants, coffee shops, bars and more, based on the user's location.
To try it out, visit Google.com with mobile Safari. You'll see four new icons along the bottom of the page: Restaurants, Coffee, Bars and More. Tap anyone to see a map and a listing of results in your area. Scroll through the list to see each result's location on the map as well as a brief description. Tap any result for a photo, customer reviews, star ratings from the likes of Trip Advisor and even a tap-able phone number.
It's quite handy. Other result options include fast food, shops, ATMs and attractions. You'll find these by tapping the More button.
[Via TechCrunch]
Google launches homepage shortcuts for iOS, mobile devices originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple: Samsung is harassing us with its iPhone 5 and iPad 3 request
Apple is not happy with Samsung's latest legal request to view prototype versions of the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5. The Cupertino company recently filed a response in which it called Samsung "the copyist" and claimed the Korean company is trying to harass it with these unreasonable demands.
This latest volley is one of many between the two tech companies. Apple filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Samsung accusing the Korean company of copying its iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Samsung then countersued Apple with claims of patent infringement. Apple turned up the heat when it asked to review sample units of unreleased but publicly announced products such as the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Samsung responded in kind by requesting the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5. Got all that?
Some of these issues will be decided this Friday when Samsung and Apple will meet with the judge presiding over the case to discuss Samsung's controversial iPhone 5 and iPad 3 request. These legal proceedings are taking place in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Apple: Samsung is harassing us with its iPhone 5 and iPad 3 request originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily Mac App: CloudApp
Sharing small files via email is easy with attachments. But what about sharing files via IM, Twitter, Facebook or the myriad of other services? That's where the incredibly simple CloudApp comes in.
CloudApp sits in your menu bar waiting to upload files to the cloud, ready for sharing with friends, family and colleagues. Simply drag your file onto the menu bar icon and watch as the cloud fills up and a link to the file is copied to the clipboard. Previously uploaded files, as well as their view counts, are accessible from a drop-down menu or the CloudApp web app.
These days, screenshots are often the easiest way to get your point across, and CloudApp will conveniently auto-upload any screenshots you take. That's not all, though; you can use global shortcuts from the keyboard or even a Services menu entry to upload files directly from Finder.
All your uploads are stored in your personal Cloud account, either privately or publicly, which is free for a maximum of 10 daily uploads and files up to 25 MB. If you need more than that, unlimited uploads of up to 250 MB and the ability to use a custom domain are available with a Pro account, which costs from US$5 a month.
It's simple, effective and free from the Mac App Store. Extensions called RainDrops, which hook into Adobe Photoshop and many other programs, are available from the CloudApp site.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: CloudApp originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Garmin acquiring rival Navigon, we hold our breath to see what it means
One of the most popular sellers of navigation and smartphone GPS software is buying one of its strongest competitors. Garmin has announced today it has signed an agreement with Navigon AG to acquire the privately held company.
"This acquisition is a great complement to Garmin's existing automotive and mobile business. Navigon has invested significantly in the European automotive OEM business, and we feel that we can rapidly expand our automotive OEM footprint and capabilities through this transaction," said Cliff Pemble, Garmin's president and COO. "With Navigon, we are also acquiring one of the top-selling navigation applications for the iPhone and Android platforms - something that we expect will help drive revenue for the combined company going forward. Combining Navigon's and Garmin's strength also improves our competitiveness and standing particularly in Europe."
Continue reading Garmin acquiring rival Navigon, we hold our breath to see what it means
Garmin acquiring rival Navigon, we hold our breath to see what it means originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Hatsuden-Nabe thermoelectric cookpot keeps your iPhone battery charged
It will be difficult to charge your iPhone after the zombie apocalypse destroys the power grid, but a new product from TES NewEnergy Corporation can make topping off your battery as easy as heating up a can of SpaghettiO's over an open fire.
The company has created the Hatsuden-Nabe, a US$278 cooking pan with a built-in USB port and a thermoelectric device to turn wasted heat into power. As the company notes, the heat of a wood campfire could reach over 900°F, but water requires only 212°F to boil so a lot of the extra heat is either retained in the pot or escapes to the atmosphere, wasted. The cooking pan converts some of that waste heat into power that is then used to charge up your electronic gizmos. An iPhone can be fully charged in just 3 to 5 hours.
Since every minute counts when attempting to escape a zombie attack, the Hatsuden-Nabe could be just the thing to keep you moving. Competing solar chargers take longer to do their job and are dependent on bright and constant sunlight. This charger pot can also let you cook up some stew or brew a nice cup of tea to energize you for the next round of zombie-slaying. All attempts at bad humor aside, this actually is a rather good idea for an emergency or camping kit.
There's no word on when the Hatsuden-Nabe will be available outside of Japan.
Hatsuden-Nabe thermoelectric cookpot keeps your iPhone battery charged originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple appears to be dropping AirPort branding for Wi-Fi
Since 1999, when Steve Jobs introduced the iBook as the first portable computer with Wi-Fi capabilities, Apple has used the term AirPort to refer to 802.11 wireless connectivity. The rest of the world knows this technology by the name Wi-Fi, and it appears that with the upcoming release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, Apple will be changing references to wireless networking from "AirPort" to "Wi-Fi" across the system.
The change resolves a common issue for Mac neophytes, who often search in vain for Wi-Fi controls on their new Macs only to find something confusingly called AirPort. The name change may also explain recent reports that Apple's networking products -- the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule -- are in short supply at some Apple Stores. Perhaps a Wi-Fi product refresh and a change in branding will both accompany the Lion launch next month.
Will you miss the AirPort name on Apple products if it does disappear, or do you think it was a confusing proprietary moniker? Leave your comments below.
Apple appears to be dropping AirPort branding for Wi-Fi originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Retail chief Ron Johnson leaves Apple for J.C. Penney
Apple's Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, Ron Johnson, is leaving to become President and eventually CEO of J.C. Penney. Johnson will assume this role November 1, 2011 and will join J.C. Penney's board of directors on August 1.
Johnson joined Apple in 2000 from Target where he worked as the VP of merchandising. Johnson guided Apple's retail division from its inception to its current standing as one of tech's most successful brick-and-mortar stores. He was responsible for the performance of over 300 Apple stores worldwide.
His departure is not a reflection of bad times at Apple. According to J.C. Penney's press release, Johnson has always dreamed of being the CEO of a major retail company. In this role, he hopes to turn around the struggling retail giant and "transform the way America shops." It's a tall order, but if he is as successful with J.C. Penney as he was with Apple, he may able to achieve the comeback of the decade.
J. C. Penney Company Names Ron Johnson as Its Next Chief Executive Officer, Effective November 1
MYRON E. (MIKE) ULLMAN, III TO BECOME EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Johnson Has Led Apple Inc.'s Retail Since Its Inception
Will Join J. C. Penney's Board of Directors on August 1
PLANO, Texas, June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III, chairman and chief executive officer of J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP), today announced that Ron Johnson, an innovative and highly regarded retail executive, has been named the Company's next chief executive officer, succeeding Mr. Ullman in that role. Mr. Johnson will assume the CEO position on Nov. 1, 2011, and report to Mr. Ullman, who will become executive chairman. Mr. Johnson will also join the Company's Board of Directors, effective Aug. 1, 2011.
Mr. Johnson, 52, has served for the past 11 years as senior vice president of retail at Apple Inc., where he led its retail strategy, which from its start in 2001 now numbers over 300 stores in the U.S. and abroad. He joined Apple after 15 years at Target Corporation, where he was a key merchandising executive.
Mr. Ullman said, "I am delighted that Ron is joining our Board and the Company, and look forward to working with him as we continue to transform the jcpenney brand. He is widely recognized and highly regarded in the retail industry for his creativity and innovation, his commitment to empowering employees to deliver an unparalleled customer experience, and to making stores exciting places where people love to shop. His tremendous accomplishments at Apple and Target speak to his great consumer merchandising, marketing and operational talent."
Thomas J. Engibous, lead director of J. C. Penney Company's Board, said, "The Company has made outstanding strides under Mike Ullman's leadership and it has great potential ahead thanks to the Long Range Plan for growth he and the management team developed and are executing, which includes top management succession planning. The progress made under Mike's leadership is reflected in the Company's ability to attract an executive of Ron Johnson's talent and track record as it continues to focus on achieving its objective of becoming
America's most exciting place to shop. We look forward to Ron joining our Board and then to his assuming the chief executive role as he, Mike and their team work towards achieving the Company's goals."
Mr. Johnson said, "I've always dreamed of leading a major retail company as CEO, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help J. C. Penney re-imagine what I believe to be the single greatest opportunity in American retailing today, the Department Store. I have tremendous confidence in J. C. Penney's future and look forward to working with Mike Ullman, the Executive Board and the Company's 150,000 associates to transform the way America shops."
As a demonstration of his confidence in J. C. Penney's long-term potential, Mr. Johnson requested and has committed to make a personal investment of $50 million in the Company through the purchase, at fair market value, of 7 1/2-year warrants on 7.257 million shares ofJ. C. Penney Company stock. The warrants cannot be sold or hedged for the first six years of their term and have a strike price of $29.92, the closing price of the stock on the business day prior to Mr. Johnson's commitment to purchase the warrants.
About Ron Johnson
Ron Johnson brings to J. C. Penney Company over 25 years of retail experience and a long and successful track record of delivering year-over-year growth for multi-billion dollar companies.
Before joining Apple, Mr. Johnson held a variety of positions with Target Corporation, serving in his last role there as vice president of merchandising. In his 15-year merchandising career with Target he had responsibility for such categories as Men's Apparel, Women's Apparel and Accessories, Children's and Home. He is most noted for launching and leading the Design Initiative at Target, which began with the Michael Graves collection for home and included several other key brands such as Calphalon, Carr, Bodum and more.
Mr. Johnson received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his Bachelor of Arts at Stanford in Economics.Retail chief Ron Johnson leaves Apple for J.C. Penney originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Unlocked iPhone FAQ, including AT&T plan info (updated)
Updated with information about AT&T plans.
As we posted earlier, Apple is selling an unlocked version of the iPhone in the US starting at US$649. To help clarify questions about this development, we've put together this little FAQ. We'll explain what the unlocked iPhone means to you as a customer and how you'll be able to use it both at home and abroad.
This TUAW unlocked iPhone FAQ is a work in progress. You can help us out by correcting any errors you see. Just leave a comment or send us feedback on our contact page.
What is locking? Locking (also called "SIM locking") is a limitation of some phones, preventing their use outside of the issuing carrier; it is generally implemented in software and phones can be 'unlocked' either by the carrier or by third parties. Until now, the US GSM iPhone has been exclusively locked to AT&T. Another iPhone model, which uses CDMA technology, is available from Verizon in the States; there is already a second US carrier (Cricket) supporting those phones via unlock.
What has changed is that Apple now offers a GSM iPhone to US buyers that is not locked to a specific carrier (many overseas carriers have offered unlocked iPhones before now; in fact, we're told that in the UK it is the act of selling the phone with a SIM on the same order that tags the phone's unique identifier as 'locked,' but the phone itself is unlocked at the factory and then locked in the sales process).
Is unlocking the same as jailbreaking? Jailbreaking is a process that opens the full underlying iOS operating system to end-user control ('breaking out' of the chroot jail, hence the term). It has been a pre-requisite for running third party unlocking software until now. The new Apple unlocked iPhone does not require jailbreaking or third-party unlocks to be used with non-AT&T carriers.
What carriers can you use with the unlocked iPhone? For right now, AT&T is a given for full iPhone compatibility. You can sign up for an AT&T plan with no term commitment with an unlocked unit, meaning that frequent travelers now have at least one officially-sanctioned option for temporary service; simply cancel your plan at the end of the month, and re-up on your next trip. AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom tells TUAW:
You can, of course, buy an unlocked iPhone from Apple and use it on the AT&T network. If you do, there's no term commitment - and customers may choose any current voice and data plan. AT&T offers data plans starting as low as $15 per month for 250 MB of data. (You do still need to have both a voice and data plan.)
Will the unlocked phone work with T-Mobile? Definitely on EDGE; not on 3G. Here's why.
The iPhone uses SIMs, little cards that identify you as a carrier subscriber. For calls (rather than data), you can use any carrier that offers compatible GSM SIMs, including AT&T and T-Mobile.
For data, it's not just about SIMs. It's about frequency. The iPhone 4 supports the following frequencies:
- UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA: 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
- GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
AT&T uses the 850 frequency for 3G. T-mobile uses AWS; 1700 MHz for uplink, 2100 MHz downlink. The iPhone 4 doesn't do 1700 MHz, so you're stuck on EDGE if you put a T-mobile SIM into it (or if, like our own Rich Gaywood, you roam onto the network when traveling). This is hardware antenna design, it's not firmware patchable in the iPhone. While future iPhones may be truly universal, the iPhone 4 is not.
Where do I get SIMs? The iPhone 4 uses a microSIM, not a full-size (technically known as a 'mini') SIM. Carriers provide SIMs at their stores when you sign up for plans. You may need to use a SIM cutter in order to convert your full-sized SIM for iPhone 4 use if the store will not provide you with a microSIM.
For developers who don't really need full phone and data plans, who just need a SIM that they can make a few incoming calls to to test their apps, the very best plan is H2O Wireless. Their SIMs are for sale at Best Buy. For $10 you get $5 of airtime billed at very low rates, lasting for 90 days. You will have to cut the SIM down to fit it into the iPhone 4. As OS X Daily points out, you can also get an AT&T PAYG SIM (but you may be better off not telling the salesperson you have an iPhone).
Who is the primary customer for the unlocked iPhone? This phone is perfect for frequent travelers, who want to use their iPhones when visiting other countries. They'll be able to buy and use local SIMs with locally-priced calling and data plans. You may want to carry a cutter with you, however, or buy one locally/have it shipped to you if you don't think you'll get the stapler-sized device through airport security.
Our friend & former colleague Nik Fletcher has this handy guide to using your UK iPhone in the US; it's covering the use of the 3G iPhone but it should work just fine with the 4.
AT&T has not yet confirmed whether any current pay-as-you-go plan is approved for use with the unlocked iPhone, so right now the only official option for US call and data with AT&T is a standard voice + data plan (you must have both; data plans start at $15 for 250MB and voice plans at $40 for 450 minutes of call time). Because AT&T is not subsidizing the unit, you have no term commitment and can cancel your plan at any time. See below for Pay as You Go plans.
We have contacted T-Mobile for comment but have not yet heard back about possible plans. If you are a subscriber of another US GSM carrier like Cellular One, please let us know what they say about iPhone support.
Developers will also buy the unlocked iPhone as a contract-free unit, allowing them to purchase a device for development without committing to a plan.
What about Pay-As-You-Go? AT&T's tacit support for PAYG data plans on the iPhone ended in 2009, so keep that in mind as you read the following section.
Right now AT&T's data plans for PAYG are not confirmed as available for the iPhone. The 100MB data pack costs $15 if you buy it atop a prepaid plan. You can swap a PAYG SIM into an unlocked iPhone 4 (or, for that matter, a locked one) but there may be some hoops to jump through to get data. All that to say, there's no official support for PAYG on the iPhone 4, but it mostly works.
If you want data, sign up for a normal iPhone contract -- keeping in mind that you cannot get a data-only or voice-only plan from AT&T right now, you must get both.
As mentioned, AT&T has not yet clarified its policy on unsubsidized phones, so you may need to negotiate or you will be locked into a 2-year contract complete with cancellation penalties sans subsidies.AT&T has confirmed that there is no term commitment for these plans and you may cancel at any time. It's clearly cheaper to sign up for a $15 monthly data plan than a PAYG data plan, but then you're saddled with a $40 voice plan you probably don't need.TUAW reader Fruit Attack adds: Actually the AT&T GoPhone data package has become pretty reasonable, $25 for 500MB. Expiration is 30 days. The downside is that you have to refill every month to keep the unused data bucket rolling. In theory you can buy a big bucket ($25 for 500MB) in the first month and refill $5 (for 10MB) by the end of the month to roll over the unused MBs. It's actually a pretty affordable solution. AT&T does not officially support iPhone on their GoPhone plan, so don't bother going to the AT&T store or phone for any sign-up help and support." He recommends this write-up about activating your data service.
Got suggestions for T-Mobile plans? Other carriers like CellularOne? Let us know!
Why is an unlocked iphone almost $700? That's the "real" price of the Apple iPhone. Carriers subsidize that "price," offering you contracts in exchange for a much lower price tag. When you buy without a contract, you pay full freight.
You may ask what the real price differential is between the equipment in an iPhone and, say, an iPod touch but that's not the way that carriers work. They have a "price." They have contracts. They have you.
Can I unlock my AT&T iPhone 4 when I am out of contract? AT&T's website says: "iPhone cannot be unlocked, even if you are out of contract." We have contacted Seth Bloom for more details in case this information has changed.
Got more questions? Put them in the comments!
Unlocked iPhone FAQ, including AT&T plan info (updated) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Steve Jobs conceived of "statement HQ" for Apple in 1983
The mothership campus Steve Jobs envisions for Cupertino is not the first statement headquarters he has pursued. Back in 1983, Jobs eyed Coyote Valley, San Jose for a world-class campus.
Former San Jose mayor Tom McEnery tells the story of a meeting he had with a young Steve Jobs. Jobs saw the Coyote Valley location from a helicopter and selected the grassy property for Apple's next home. Soon the property belonged to Apple, and a rough draft of the plans was sketched on a piece of paper. Jobs hired well-known architect I.M. Pei to build the campus and preserve the pastoral quality of the land.
Unfortunately, politics and the economy hindered Jobs' dream. This location was one of San Jose's last undeveloped parcels of land, and its repurposing was the topic of hot debate.
At the same time, the economy went belly up and Jobs was removed from the company. McEnery tried to re-kindle interest in the Apple campus with CEO John Sculley, but the idea fizzled and Apple eventually sold the property.
[Via MacObserver]
Steve Jobs conceived of "statement HQ" for Apple in 1983 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple may settle iCloud trademark lawsuit says legal expert
Apple may settle a trademark lawsuit with iCloud Communications according to patent and trademark lawyer Brad Salai of Harter Secrest & Emery law firm. Apple was slapped with a trademark infringement lawsuit following its big iCloud announcement at WWDC last week. The company, iCloud Communications LLC, claims part of its business focuses on cloud computing, and Apple's new service is confusingly similar.
It's an interesting lawsuit from a legal standpoint. Apple has filed 11 applications for the iCloud trademark and purchased the right to an existing trademark as well as the domain iCloud.com from Xcerion.
A USPTO database search suggests iCloud Communications has not registered for the iCloud trademark. It also uses geticloud.com for its domain. The Arizona company will have to argue that it has a common law right to use the trademark.
In Salai's opinion, Apple will likely settle a small lawsuit to get iCloud Communications out of the way. If the Arizona company pushes for a large monetary settlement that prevents Apple from using the iCloud name, the Cupertino company will take its chances in court.
[Via The Loop]
Apple may settle iCloud trademark lawsuit says legal expert originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - New MacBook Air models to arrive late June?
A report from Taiwan's Economic Daily newspaper claims Apple is preparing to ship 380,000 new MacBook Air units along with 80,000 old models this month. The report cites industry sources with knowledge of Apple's production plans. This echoes an earlier report from Wall Street analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
For good measure, the same article also claims Apple is working on an iPad 3 with a high-resolution display that is six times higher than the iPad's current display. This latter claim is unlikely to happen as that is a huge jump in display technology. Earlier rumors hint at a high-resolution display iPad, but the specs will probably fall closer to the 2560 x 1600 tablet display recently announced by Samsung.
New MacBook Air models to arrive late June? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Steve Jobs' comic book bio coming to stores in August
Steve Jobs' official biography comes out next March, but those who don't want to wait that long to read about iSteve can grab a comic book biography from Bluewater Productions.
The 32-page comic book Steve Jobs: Co-Founder of Apple highlights the important moments in the life and career of Steve Jobs. For better or worse. The book will examine Jobs both as a "visionary and a genius" and an "egomaniac and a corporate pirate."
It's available for pre-order now from Amazon for US$3.99 and can be picked up your local comic book store when it launches this coming August. It'll also be available online from Barnes & Noble and Borders.
Bluewater may be name familiar to some as it is well-known for its comic book biographies. In the past, the publishing company has covered Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, Sarah Palin and, most recently, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.
Steve Jobs' comic book bio coming to stores in August originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Hercules - Curse of the Hydra
Hercules - Curse of the Hydra isn't exactly the most polished game I've seen on the iPhone -- it's a little clumsy, in fact, with some awkwardly placed controls and graphics that aren't quite as smooth as they could be. But it's still an interesting title and a solid effort from an indie studio, and I like its ambitious nature. There are 16 different levels of platforming and 3D action to fight through here, and while the game is still a little rough, it's cool to see a small studio take on a full title like this on iOS.
Unfortunately, there's no Game Center integration, but there's a nice progression scheme to explore, which should keep you charging through the action and the storyline. There's a free version of the game to try out (and I actually recommend you give it a shot before you buy the full game, just to see if it's your thing). The full version is US$3.99 on the App Store right now, and I think it's worth supporting this studio, called Smerc. There are a lot of little pick-up-and-play puzzle games out on the store, but I like to see someone trying to tackle an experience that's a little bigger than that.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Hercules - Curse of the Hydra originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Chillingo shows off new titles at E3
Chillingo held its E3 demo this year in the same area as EA, which makes sense considering that EA outright purchased it last October. The publisher of Angry Birds and Cut the Rope has a very impressive stable of titles due in the next few months, and I got to both see and play with them at E3. I've got some quick descriptions on these future Chillingo releases, including cute platformer Roll in the Hole, Draw Race 2, and an artsy little puzzler called Contre Jour.
Continue reading Chillingo shows off new titles at E3
Chillingo shows off new titles at E3 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Halfbrick's Machine Gun Jetpack updated at E3
I met up with Halfbrick Studios again last week at E3 here in Los Angeles (while most of you were watching the goings-on at WWDC in San Francisco). I got to play an updated version of Machine Gun Jetpack, the latest game in progress from the developers of Fruit Ninja and Monster Dash. I saw this game at GDC earlier this year, but it's improved greatly since then, with a lot of placeholder graphics and music replaced with the real thing.
In Machine Gun Jetpack you're playing as Barry Steakfries, running down a long corridor for as long as you can with a jetpack strapped to your back. Honestly, I wasn't that good at the game (yet), but I did get to see all of the special vehicles you can spawn. These included the big cyborg mech and the teleporting jetpack from last time around, plus a flying bird suit and a gravity suit that lets you switch from the top of the screen to the bottom at will.
Continue reading Halfbrick's Machine Gun Jetpack updated at E3
Halfbrick's Machine Gun Jetpack updated at E3 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Yes, there will be iCloud web apps
Since Steve Jobs unveiled iCloud at WWDC, many current MobileMe subscribers and potential iCloud users have wondered what will happen to the current web-based offerings for contacts, calendars, email and so forth. Josh Topolsky of This is my next claims that Apple PR has confirmed the current web-based interface will go away, replaced entirely by iCloud's new services.
Topolsky's point is that since Steve Jobs said nothing about iCloud having a browser-based interface option at WWDC, it means such an option will never exist. He also has confirmed that Apple's PR folk told him straight up that there will not be web access to calendar, email and contacts.
However, as Daring Fireball's John Gruber notes, "there is no reason to assume that iCloud as it will exist 12 months from now will be limited to what was announced one week ago." Considering we're more than a year away from MobileMe's permanent expiration date, that's a pretty big leap to make, even with the direct comment from Apple -- and it's one that's unsupported by evidence a MacRumors reader dug up.
According to MacRumors, a reader sent a calendar reminder to himself via iOS 5 and was able to view it on iCloud.com in his browser. Except for minor differences in branding, the iCloud interface was nearly identical to MobileMe's existing browser-based interface. If Apple were indeed planning on doing away with the web interface once iCloud launches, it seems odd for it to offer the service during beta testing (with the iCloud branding, no less).
While Steve Jobs has allegedly confirmed that iWeb and iWeb-based site hosting will be discontinued, multiple sources have seen evidence in both OS X Lion and iOS 5 that iDisk (or something similar) will still exist when iCloud launches. Additionally, the makings for a "Find My Mac" service have been seen in OS X Lion, and if such a service weren't accessible from a browser-based interface it would be all but useless.
Those who have speculated that Apple will discontinue its web-based MobileMe offerings once iCloud launches have yet to provide a compelling reason why Apple would do so. The potential advantage of simplifying device-data syncing would be more than offset by the very real disadvantage of never being able to access your data from any device other than those you've already registered with iCloud. Apple has to be smart enough to know that current MobileMe users occasionally have to access their data from computers other than their own, and locking iCloud users out from doing the same thing would be a huge misstep.
Yes, I believe there will be iCloud web apps. What shape they'll take remains to be seen, but even if Apple simply swaps the MobileMe branding out for iCloud and keeps the existing MobileMe codebase for the browser-based interface, that should be more than enough for most people's needs if they're trying to access iCloud from someone else's device.
Yes, there will be iCloud web apps originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Unlocked iPhone 4 available for $649 in US (Updated)
Update: The unlocked iPhone 4 actually slipped out a day early, and is now available through the Apple Store. As mentioned below, this is a GSM model only. Also, we've answered many common questions in our unlocked iPhone FAQ.
While we were skeptical about the rumors that came up over the weekend, both MacRumors and 9to5 Mac now confirm that unlocked versions of the iPhone 4 have arrived in Apple's retail outlets and will go on sale starting Wednesday. The 16 GB iPhone 4 will cost US$649, while the 32 GB model will retail for $749. These prices are higher than U.S. buyers might be used to seeing for the iPhone because they're handset-only prices, independent of any carrier contract. Note that this concerns only the GSM model; the CDMA/Verizon model is expected to remain Verizon-only for now.
Like most other mobile phones in the U.S., the iPhone has been locked to a specific carrier since its introduction. Before the Verizon iPhone debuted, AT&T was the sole carrier choice for American iPhone owners unless they were willing to jailbreak for the privilege of using the iPhone on an alternate carrier. The iPhone's carrier lock in the U.S. also means that, unlike international users who can swap out SIMs at will, American iPhone owners who travel internationally must pay exorbitant international roaming fees.
As the GSM model iPhone 4 will now be available without an AT&T contract, users who choose to pay the high initial cost for the iPhone will find themselves with a few advantages -- not being chained to AT&T for two years has to be the biggest one. However, given that the only other major GSM carrier in the States is T-Mobile, whose 3G network is incompatible with the iPhone 4, the ability to swap between national networks at will is not as big of an advantage as it may seem at first. The real winners will be international travelers, who will finally be able to swap SIMs and pay lower fees when they're abroad.
This may be a boon to international buyers, as well. Unlocked versions of the iPhone 4 retail for significantly higher than the above-quoted prices in most countries. For example, a contract-free 32 GB iPhone 4 is available in New Zealand for NZ$1328 (US$1084), significantly more expensive than the U.S. price even after taking GST into account. Buying an iPhone from the U.S. has been out of the question for most international purchasers due to the AT&T carrier lock, but if the iPhone 4 and subsequent models will be available unlocked, I know of at least one person who will be taking full advantage of the lower U.S. pricing when the iPhone 5 comes out.
Unlocked iPhone 4 available for $649 in US (Updated) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Nokia enters patent license agreement with Apple
Nokia issued a press release this morning stating that it has reached an agreement with Apple that includes the settlement of all patent litigation between the companies. This includes a one-time payment from Apple and ongoing royalties. The specific contract terms are confidential.
Apple had won a round in the patent fight with Nokia in March when the International Trade Commission found that Apple wasn't violating five Nokia patents. Apple had also filed suit against Nokia, and a judgment in that case was expected this month. The dispute between the two companies goes all the way back to 2009 and involved a variety of suits and countersuits, including alleged infringement on GSM and wireless LAN patents, claims of stolen technology and more.
The full press release can be read below.
Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with Apple. The agreement will result in settlement of all patent litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia and Apple of their respective complaints to the US International Trade Commission.
The financial structure of the agreement consists of a one-time payment payable by Apple and on-going royalties to be paid by Apple to Nokia for the term of the agreement. The specific terms of the contract are confidential.
"We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees," said Stephen Elop, president and chief executive officer of Nokia. "This settlement demonstrates Nokia's industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market."
During the last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately EUR 43 billion in research and development and built one of the wireless industry's strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 10,000 patent families. Nokia is a world leader in the development of handheld device and mobile communications technologies, which is also demonstrated by Nokia's strong patent position.
This agreement is expected to have a positive financial impact on Nokia's recently revised outlook for the second quarter 2011 of around break-even non-IFRS operating margin for Devices & Services.Nokia enters patent license agreement with Apple originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TiVo announces plans for updated iPad app
Do you own a TiVo Premiere or Premiere XL box? And do you use the free TiVo iPad companion app as a remote control for that box? If so, you'll be happy to hear that TiVo has announced plans for an updated version of the app.
While the update isn't available on the App Store at this time, it adds new features for cable partners who provide customers with branded TiVo boxes. The app will add the cable operator's Video on Demand service into search and browse, so TiVo users can easily pull up VoD content for viewing.
The announcement, made today at the 2011 NCTA Cable Show in Chicago, did not provide details on when the new app version would be available.
TiVo Enhances iPad App to Benefit Cable Operators
New Version of TiVo's Companion Application Adds Operator's VOD Catalog and Integrates VOD Prominently Into the Overall Search Results
CHICAGO, IL, Jun 13, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in advanced television services including digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced that it has enhanced its TiVo App for iPad to include new features tailored to its cable partners. Launched on the App store earlier this year, the TiVo App for iPad enables users to search, browse, explore and share their favorite entertainment all without interrupting what's playing on the television. Once found, the user simply "flicks" the selected content from the iPad to their TV screen.
The new version of TiVo's companion iPad application automatically adds the operator's Video on Demand into the search and browse features within the App, allowing viewers to quickly find a TV program or movie and enjoy it on TV. The App also automatically detects and integrates the operator's branding, linear programming and VOD catalog when connected to a TiVo box provided by the operator.
"Operators are constantly looking for new ways to connect with their subscribers," said David Sandford, TiVo's Vice President and General Manager of TiVo's service provider business. "The enhancements we have made to our iPad App help cable operators bring TiVo's innovative user interface directly into the hands of their subscribers, thereby offering consumers the ultimate remote control and viewing on demand experience. We have only just begun to refine our offering to the operator community and look forward to bringing additional elements to the TiVo iPad App."
To learn more visit www.tivo.com/ipad.
TiVo made this announcement during the 2011 NCTA Cable Show in Chicago.
About TiVo Inc. Founded in 1997, TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) developed the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). TiVo offers the TiVo service and TiVo DVRs directly to consumers online at www.tivo.com and through third-party retailers. TiVo also distributes its technology and services through solutions tailored for cable, satellite and broadcasting companies. Since its founding, TiVo has evolved into the ultimate single solution media center by combining its patented DVR technologies and universal cable box capabilities with the ability to aggregate, search, and deliver millions of pieces of broadband, cable, and broadcast content directly to the television. An economical, one-stop-shop for in-home entertainment, TiVo's intuitive functionality and ease of use puts viewers in control by enabling them to effortlessly navigate the best digital entertainment content available through one box, with one remote, and one user interface, delivering the most dynamic user experience on the market today. TiVo also continues to weave itself into the fabric of the media industry by providing interactive advertising solutions and audience research and measurement ratings services to the television industry www.tivo.com
TiVo and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc. or its subsidiaries worldwide. Copyright 2011 TiVo Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1641565
SOURCE: TiVoTiVo announces plans for updated iPad app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Dragon Remote Mic lets your iPhone dictate to your PC
Nuance's Dragon Remote Mic is now available in the App Store. It turns your iPhone into a Wi-Fi connected microphone for dictation, but buyer beware: it is compatible with Dragon Naturally Speaking for the PC, not the Dragon Dictate Mac product. Chances are, we'll see compatibility with the Mac app in an upcoming release.
While there are plenty of rumors swirling around Nuance's presumptive major role in iOS 5, this app is not part of that mix. It's designed to work only as a microphone for the desktop apps.
The purported settings screenshots from iOS 5 that surfaced this weekend imply that on-device dictation powered by Nuance's code will be available as a system-level service on iOS devices, and that wouldn't require that users run a separate Nuance front-end app.
Even though Nuance's absence was notable during WWDC last week, Nuance voices were found in the developer's preview of Lion and references to speech technology were discovered in iOS 5's internal preferences.
Dragon Remote Mic lets your iPhone dictate to your PC originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Foxconn sees financial drop after plant explosion
Foxconn saw a large drop in revenue after the explosion at its Chendgu plant last month, according to Digitimes. Foxconn's May revenues dropped 2.14 percent month-over-month to US$6.95 billion. The revenue fall off was a direct result of the explosion, according to the company. The explosion that killed three workers on the 20th of May is thought to have been set off when aluminum dust used in a polishing process was accidentally ignited.
Just hours after the explosion, Apple issued a statement saying it was working closely with Foxconn to find out what caused the event. The plant closed for almost two weeks after the explosion before reopening on June 2. There has been no word yet on the official results of Apple's or Foxconn's investigations, but the Chinese government has urged Foxconn to ensure worker safety in light of the tragedy.
Foxconn sees financial drop after plant explosion originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Ten ways to replace iWeb and MobileMe hosting
Yesterday, we reported on a rumor that Apple's website creation software, iWeb, is about a year away from obsolescence, along with MobileMe's hosting of iWeb sites. An iWeb user allegedly sent Apple CEO Steve Jobs an email asking if he should start looking for another website builder and a new host, and Jobs provided one of his patented terse replies: "Yep."
In my post about this, I mentioned some alternatives that TUAW readers might want to look at. Here I'm going to take a more detailed look at several easy website creation tools and hosting alternatives, so that you can start making your plans to move away from iWeb and MobileMe. I will not be covering professional web design tools in this post, as iWeb is designed for easy creation of sites. Instead, all of the suggestions I'll make here are aimed at the folks who just want to create a relatively good-looking website quickly, without a lot of training.
iWeb hosting via FTP
If you want to keep using iWeb for a while but would like to move your iWeb site away from MobileMe hosting, then get yourself a domain name, get a web host, and start publishing via FTP.
iWeb 3 made it possible to publish your website on a traditional web host. You set up the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) settings in iWeb's site publishing settings, and pressing the Publish Site button takes care of uploading graphics, text, and any changed pages to the host.
Just about every major and minor web hosting provider supports FTP. Note that some of the standard iWeb features, including password protection, blog and photo comments, blog search and the hit counter don't work when you use FTP for publishing.
The great thing about this solution is that you can just change the host for your website, point iWeb to the new host, and publish your same old site to the new location. Not much is lost in translation, and you won't need to go through a lot of redesign work.
Unfortunately, iWeb probably won't be supported in the future and may eventually stop working with future releases of Mac OS X. The other negative? You'll need to pay for web hosting from one of the many hosting providers. You can also use your own Mac as a web server (no matter how old), but that's the subject of another post...
iWeb hosting on Dropbox
If you have a lightly-used iWeb site and don't feel like spending money on web hosting, consider getting a free Dropbox account and hosting your iWeb site there. I wrote some instructions on how to use Dropbox as your iWeb host a while back, so check them out.
Advantages? You can continue using iWeb for a while longer. Disadvantages? Dropbox isn't designed for large-traffic web hosting, and might shut you down if your site is wildly popular. Likewise, if you have a huge and complex iWeb site with a lot of photos, you might go over the free 2 GB free storage limit and have to start paying for web hosting.
Facebook
Do you just want to have a "site" where you can post pictures and videos, let your friends know what you're doing, and get comments on your content? Then you may just want to move over to Facebook. It's free, and most of your friends and relatives are probably already using it.
Facebook is fine for the new material you create, but how do you move your old posts to the land of Zuckerberg? It's probably not going to work very well. I can envision some sort of long session involving copying and pasting text to Facebook, but with the constantly changing wall of content on Facebook, your old content is going to be wiped off the wall fairly soon.
If you have a lot of your iPhoto pics on your iWeb site, then you're in luck. Just open up iPhoto, put all of those iPhoto pics into an album, and then use Share > Facebook to move the photos into a Facebook album.
What if you're looking for a more personal and unique site? That's where my next suggestions come in.
WordPress / WordPress.com
When I want to put a website or blog together quickly, I use WordPress. This blogging tool (content management system) has been around for years, and it is wildly popular. Over 14% of the top 1 million websites were created in WordPress, and the most recent major release of WordPress had been downloaded over 32.5 million times by February of 2011. There's even a professional version, WordPress VIP, which our sister site TechCrunch uses as its underlying CMS.
WordPress is not a Mac application; rather, it is an AMP (Apache / MySQL / PHP) application that runs on a server (or on your Mac). You log into a dashboard from your favorite web browser, add content, change the look and feel of the site with themes and plugins, and then publish your changes. There's no need, as in iWeb, to make changes locally and then wait for your modifications to be uploaded to a server.
For beginning WordPress bloggers, I recommend a free WordPress.com account. It's a great way to learn how WordPress works, all your content can be migrated to another WordPress host at a later date if necessary, and the fairly new step-by-step tutorials are an incredible way to learn all about this powerful content management system.
If you decide to head out on your own, most major web hosting providers have one-click installers for WordPress. In other words, you sign up for a hosting plan, then say that you want WordPress installed. A few minutes later, you get an email from your WordPress site saying that you need to log in and create an administrative account. Do that, and you're on your way to blogging superstardom. Among the hosting providers that provide one-click installations of WordPress are Bluehost, DreamHost, MediaTemple, and GoDaddy. Note that you're going to have to pay for a hosting plan, so maybe the $99 you'll be saving every year by not renewing MobileMe will pay for your web hosting.
WordPress is remarkably powerful, and a vast developer community is constantly creating new plugins to add functionality to the tool and designing new themes to make pages that are unique and beautiful. If you can't find a theme to your liking, there's always Artisteer, an app that you can use to easily create your own custom theme.
iWeb users who might have set up a small shop using something like Google Checkout or PayPal buttons can actually get a real web commerce site going with WordPress. There are several plugins now available for WordPress that integrate with shopping cart services like FoxyCart.
Finally, WordPress is an excellent way to get familiar with most content management systems. For anyone who has aspirations to become a professional blogger, starting with WordPress can get you familiar with the tools and workflow that you'll need to move on up the ladder.
Tumblr
Want a very easy to use and free way to host a website? Tumblr's a good start. You can sign up for free in minutes and be posting immediately after that. There's a selection of Tumblr themes -- none of which I found to my liking -- that you can choose from, and all you need to do to post is have a web browser or use an iOS app like Tumblr (Free) or QuickTumblr ($2.99, for iPad).
As you can see from the Tumblr dashboard screenshot above, once you've logged into your account you have a choice of what you can post. Each one of these buttons leads to a data entry page that you can use to post a specific type of content.
On Tumblr, you can create some social engagement by choosing other tumblelogs to follow, or by liking/favoriting posts which you can quote or reblog on your own site. Tumblr's bookmarklet and email posting tools are pretty snazzy, and they make it easy to clip and share popular links or videos. You can call in posts from your cellphone, if you like blogging in audio format. We even have a TUAW Tumblr for material that might not be suitable for the main site.
I personally don't like the vibe or feel of Tumblr, which is why I use the next tool for some personal posting.
Posterous
The only thing you need to start a Posterous blog is an email account. Why? Because you can actually do a lot of your posting by just sending emails to a special Posterous address. You can also use the web-based editor with Safari, Firefox, Chrome, or any other modern web browser to update your information. Posterous is completely free, and there's also a free iPhone app for posting on the run.
I've been using Posterous on and off for three years for my personal blog, and I really like it. There are some great themes -- the current one I'm using uses a grid of fifteen photos to show the last fifteen posts, and it works very well on an iPad. Speaking of the iPad, I recently found out that I can use the handy Writing Kit app ($4.99) to write posts in Markdown and then email 'em to Posterous for publishing. It also has some of the same posting options as Tumblr, and it offers a Groups feature for collaboration & sharing among friends or family.
[Since it's graduation season, don't miss the Posterous "instant collaborative photo album" trick, which leverages the geolocation features of the Posterous iPhone app to cluster pictures around an event. So slick. -Ed.]
As far as I'm concerned, Posterous is the best for free hosting of personal websites. It's incredibly flexible, drop-dead simple to use (I mean, how hard is it to send an email?), it has links to and from the social networking world, offers great looking themes, supports your own private domain names, and never seems to have any downtime. However, for small business sites, which are one of the other main uses for iWeb and MobileMe hosting, it's really not appropriate.
Squarespace
Businesses looking for a way to make beautiful sites with associated hosting should take a peek at Squarespace. This is a combination of a typographically-friendly web-based design tool and hosting that produces some great-looking sites. As with MobileMe hosting, you can have Squarespace host your own domain, and the hosting prices are relatively low -- $144 to $432 per year depending on how popular your site is, how many editors you want, and how many big business features you need.
As with WordPress, Squarespace is easily integrated with shopping cart services. And when you see small business sites like this or this, you can see how professional and compelling Squarespace websites can be.
Drupal / Drupal Gardens
WordPress probably powers more websites and blogs than any other content management system, but Drupal is another hugely popular tool. It's an open source system like WordPress, meaning that the software is written and supported by a community, and the base files are free for the copying. Drupal powers the websites for The Economist, Examiner.com, and even the White House, so you can see that it's a professional system.
For those who are making the move from iWeb and MobileMe hosting, Drupal Gardens might be a good place to start.
It's a hosted system similar to WordPress.com and offers a lot of the power of Drupal 7. It's free for low-bandwidth use, with paid subscriptions for more users, more traffic, and support. Drupal sites can be extremely idiosyncratic in style, and the content management system has built-in features like forums, polls, galleries, and more. The free account is a great way to get your feet wet in the ocean of Drupal, and you can then either move to a paid subscription or put a Drupal installation on another host and move your content.
RapidWeaver
I've talked a lot about web-based blogging tools here, but what about easy Mac-based website tools? RapidWeaver ($59.99) from Realmac Software is a favorite of a lot of Mac users. In many ways, RapidWeaver is similar to iWeb. You create a site using a template, add pages, drop in addons (like widgets in iWeb), and then publish your site. While you're working on your content, you can toggle between an editing mode and a view of the site as it will look when it's published -- that's helpful for making sure that there are no surprises when the publish button is pushed.
If you use RapidWeaver, you'll need to have a web hosting provider. The app supports FTP publishing, so just about any web hosting provider will be able to accommodate your site.
Realmac has a store for RapidWeaver themes, plug-ins, and another feature called Stacks. Themes define the look and feel of the site, plug-ins provide extended capabilities like forms or ecommerce, and stacks are another way of including features that are not built into the basic app. There's a free trial available from RealMac before you buy RapidWeaver from the Mac App Store or direct from the company.
Sandvox
Another venerable web creation app for Mac is Sandvox 2 ($77) from Karelia Software. For a website creation and publishing experience that is close to that of iWeb, but with a lot more features and flexibility, Sandvox is probably the way to go. Even the user interface for Sandvox looks a lot like iWeb.
As with both iWeb and RapidWeaver, there are a variety of themes included, many of which come in more than one choice of color. Unlike with iWeb, you can edit the raw HTML of your website and even run it through the W3C Markup Validation Service from within the app. Sandvox includes a long list of objects (essentially the same as iWeb widgets or RapidWeaver plug-ins). Things like Amazon lists (for use with an Amazon Associates account), a built-in Facebook "Like" button, Flickr thumbnails, or a built-in Twitter feed are easy to drag right into a Sandvox page.
Once again, you'll need to get web hosting from any of the many providers out there. Sandvox supports publishing not only through FTP and SFTP, but WebDAV as well. You can download the app for a free trial and see if Sandvox is for you.
Conclusion
These are just ten of the possible web creation and hosting solutions that iWeb users have available to them. If you're currently hosting an iWeb site on MobileMe, it's a perfect time to start thinking about what you'll do in the post-MobileMe world. Whether you choose to continue using iWeb for a while and just host your site elsewhere, or decide to go with another tool or a web-based content management system, there's no better time to begin planning your website redesign or move.
Keep in mind, though, before you tear up every bit of your carefully crafted iWeb workflow: it is still June of 2011, and there will be a full year before the MobileMe servers go dark in June of 2012. It's likely that we'll be hearing something more from Apple with regard to iWeb site migration around the time of the iCloud launch later this year. After all, as Fortune points out, this isn't the first time that an Apple web publishing tool has been kicked to the curb -- .Mac HomePage got the boot in July of 2009.
I did not include professional-level tools like Adobe Dreamweaver in this list, since we wanted to show tools that anyone who is well-versed in the use of iWeb could easily use. If you favor other easy-to-use web creation and publishing tools, let us know in the comments.
Ten ways to replace iWeb and MobileMe hosting originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Report: iTunes costs $1.3 billon per year to run
An interesting report from Asymco estimates that it costs Apple US$1.3 billion per year to run the iTunes store. That sum was reached by examining known numbers, like the total number of songs, movies, TV shows and apps that have been downloaded, plus the number of iTunes accounts and how much Apple has paid out to developers. Those figures were cross-referenced with the average price of songs and apps to get a monthly "content margin."
Asymco estimates Apple's monthly content margin cost for iTunes at $113 million, which is more than $1.3 billion per year. Based on past statements by Apple executives, Asymco assumes that the iTunes store is a break even business, and any profits it realizes go right back into its maintenance and expansion. Specifically, Asymco's researchers believe that most of the profit goes into serving content (traffic and payment processing), while some goes to "curation and support," and anything left over goes towards increasing storage capacity and other services.
Report: iTunes costs $1.3 billon per year to run originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Click-and-drag iPhone app creation for business
Ever want to design an iPhone app but have no coding skills whatsoever? Not to worry; several companies are offering click-and-drag iPhone app creation. App Press has a service that allows the user to upload custom images and assemble those images into the layout of an app.
Once you've added your images and text, the App Press team will assemble your app and submit it to the App Store for you. Prices can be steep, however. App Press charges a monthly fee ranging from US$15-99 for access to its CMS designer tool. After that, a one-time iTunes developer setup fee, including three months of free app creation or issue publishing will cost you another $1500. You can see example's of App Press-designed apps here and here.
Another company called Appirio offers a framework that allows businesses to easily deploy custom apps to its employees or clients. Appirio's software package is also a click-and-drag one that produces iPhone and iPad apps that are linked to Salesforce.com's cloud-based systems.
The cloud-based linkage allows businesses to push out updates to their apps without the need to redeploy the apps or the data the apps contain. In addition to letting users create click-and-drag apps, Appirio also offers plenty of templates for field survey apps, time and action-tracking apps, location-based apps and search and display apps. Currently there is no set pricing for app creation through Appirio, but interested parties can contact the company here.
Finally, Nov8rix delivers a 'fan site' app framework that's designed for creative artists, musicians, small businesses, faith communities and other organizations. It leverages the social media profile you or your organization already has, aggregating photos, news, events, tweets and media into an attractive package. The price is right, too; the company is running a limited-time offer of a basic subscription service (where you have to set up all your source content yourself) for only $19 a month per app.
[hat tip to Fast Company]
Click-and-drag iPhone app creation for business originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple Store employee moves to create a union
The employee who formed the Apple Retail Workers Union in May has revealed himself to be Cory Moll, a part-time employee at a San Francisco Apple store. Moll told Reuters that he decided to go public with his union stance in order to encourage other like-minded employees to come forward.
In order to unionize, a majority of workers need to support the idea before a union can be formed. Moll says there's currently less than 50 percent interest in most of Apple's stores, "...but as people talk about it, we could get close in a couple of stores."
Apple confirmed to Reuters that Moll has been an employee for four years. He makes US$14 an hour at the San Francisco store where he works. The San Francisco minimum wage is $9.92 per hour. In addition to a website, Moll has set up a Twitter account and Facebook page to rally others to his cause.
Apple Store employee moves to create a union originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - UK's Sky TV consolidates efforts, will stream to iOS devices
Here's even more streaming video content on the iPad for users in the UK. Sky TV has introduced Sky Go, which will combine Sky Player and Sky Mobile TV into just one service, which will be free for subscribers and let the rest of us who don't have a subscription watch for a monthly charge of about US$40. Note that this service would include not only Sky content but also channels like MTV, ESPN and Disney. For subscribers, that's basically just like the Time Warner app, but without Sky TV already, that price (assuming it is available to North American customers, which might be a stretch) seems like a good one.
We'll see -- the service is going live on July 6, with the full non-subscriber service available sometime in August of this year.
Continue reading UK's Sky TV consolidates efforts, will stream to iOS devices
UK's Sky TV consolidates efforts, will stream to iOS devices originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I deal with voice latency?
Dear Aunt TUAW,
Why is VoIP so freaking awkward? I really like using Google Voice with Safari but then I always end up talking over the guy I'm calling to. What gives?
Love,
Denny
Dear Denny,
It's called latency, and it happens with all kinds of computer telephony solutions like Google Voice and Skype, as well as with iOS voice chat apps. What it means is that you're talking in their past. It takes time for your voice signal to make its way to the other party, and theirs to you. Historically, this was mostly an issue for intercontinental or satellite calls, but the march of technology has delivered it to calls you make across town as well.
The lag in calls can vary from mere milliseconds up to a second or more, in bad cases. Google Voice in particular seems to have trouble with latency; traditional VoIP services may do better (assuming nothing's wrong with your network connection). By comparison, plain old telephone service has latency of about 45 milliseconds.
You can find out exactly how much lag you're dealing with by using a simple trick. Ask the person at the other end to mirror you as you slowly count to 10. Tell him or her to count along at the same time. You'll hear the differential between your numbers and theirs, to get a sense of how far apart you are.
There are ways you can deal with the latency problem with VoIP. Here are a few suggestions that might be able to help.
Identify Let your partner know that VoIP is in use as early in the conversation as possible, and that there may be lag involved.
Switch to Wired Using a Wi-Fi connection can exacerbate latency. Try plugging in directly and see if that helps. You may also want to test a call while connecting your computer directly to your cable or DSL modem to see if your router is making it worse; most router manufacturers have specific configuration tips for handling VoIP traffic.
Avoid Active Listening Many people show they are paying attention by interjecting feedback into a conversation like "yes" and "I know!" VoIP disrupts the normal flow of conversation by introducing an unnatural rhythm. If you're saying "yes" or "I know" while someone is speaking, rather than in natural pauses, your conversation is going to stumble over itself.
Proactively set VoIP-aware talk patterns Using phrases like "go ahead" and "Okay, now you..." help transition between one speaker and the other, creating a smoother discussion pattern in a latency-burdened channel. Also, don't be afraid to monologue to get your point across -- normal back and forth discussion patterns are at their weakest with VoIP.
Offer alternatives It's fine to say "Can I call you back on my cell?" when latency significantly hinders communication.
So, that's what Auntie has to suggest. Surely she has missed a few obvious suggestions. Add yours in the comments!
Hugs,
Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I deal with voice latency? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily Mac App: Caffeine
Caffeine, like a shot of coffee at night, keeps your Mac awake and your screen bright. We first covered it a few years ago.
A tiny menu bar utility, Caffeine prevents your Mac from activating the screen saver or sleeping when idle. Presenting as a cup of coffee, the icon indicates whether Caffeine is active, denoted by a full cup of coffee, or inactive, when the coffee cup is empty.
Caffeine is activated by clicking on the menu bar icon. You can define a set period of activity from five minutes to five hours, or set it to be active indefinitely via a right-click or in the settings.
While you can replicate the features of Caffeine using System Preferences, having a quick and easy sleep preventer in your menu bar is a real boon. It's cute, effective, and best of all, Caffeine is absolutely free. Grab it now from the Mac App Store.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: Caffeine originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Research suggests Apple, Samsung to overtake Nokia this quarter
According to Boy Genius Report, a report from Nomura Research predicts that Nokia will lose its lead in smartphone unit sales for the first time this quarter, being surpassed by Apple and Samsung.
Nokia has held the top spot in smartphone unit sales for the last 15 years. Dropping from first to third would be a blow indeed. It's not all bad news for Nokia, however, as the company will maintain its lead in overall cell phone sales.
The Finnish communications corporation sells many low-end mobile phones in emerging markets, which boosts its numbers significantly. In February, Nokia announced it was dumping the Symbian operating system and embracing Microsoft's Windows Phone, in hopes that the union would improve its performance among smartphones.
Research suggests Apple, Samsung to overtake Nokia this quarter originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Webcam antics with Rita and Frank
Here's an unintentionally amusing and decidedly sweet video of an older couple, Rita and Frank, trying to photograph themselves with their computer, referred to in the video description as "their new Mac." According to YouTube, the couple wants to take a photo commemorating Frank's 84th birthday, which they'll then share with friends.
As they wait in vain for the image to be snapped, they somehow managed to unknowingly shoot a video of the proceedings. We can only assume they're using a Flash-capture web app of some sort, as Photo Booth doesn't count down from 15. Of course, that's a guess.
If you ask me, the result is much sweeter and far more charming than the photo could have been. Happy birthday, Frank!
[Via Gizmodo]
Webcam antics with Rita and Frank originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple almost worth more than Microsoft, HP and Dell combined
Before WWDC, Apple's market cap exceeded that of Microsoft and Intel combined. This week another report compares Apple to Microsoft, Dell and HP.
After a slight dip in its stock last week, Apple is now valued at US$301 billion, which is slightly less than the $302 billion of Microsoft ($200 billion), HP ($72.8 billion) and Dell ($29.3 billion) combined. Apple's position is even more impressive when you compare it to other tech and mobile leaders.
Last year, Apple surpassed Microsoft in market cap and is now worth 100 billion more than Microsoft. This figure is more than RIM, Nokia, Netflix and eBay combined. It is equal to Amazon and Adobe combined and is only $15 million shy of Intel's total market cap. If it can grow that much in the least months, one wonders how much its lead will extend at the end of the next 12 months.Apple almost worth more than Microsoft, HP and Dell combined originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Almost half of iOS developers surveyed also code for Android
Slightly less than half of iOS developers surveyed at WWDC also write applications for Android, a little over a third also code for BlackBerry devices and 36% focus only on iOS. These figures and more come from a Piper Jaffray survey of 45 iOS developers at WWDC.
Besides platform preferences, the survey also reveals the following:
- 100% of developers write apps for the iPhone and 93% write for the iPad
- only 7% of developers code for the Mac
- 100% believe that iOS is the best platform for monetization
- 100% believe iOS is the easiest platform for development
- 51% of developers think iOS has the highest potential for growth, 41% believe in Android
- 38% of iOS developers dislike Apple's strict limitations
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster points to the results of this survey as evidence that Apple's dedicated and talented developers are one of its most valuable assets.
Almost half of iOS developers surveyed also code for Android originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPhone 5 reportedly in final testing phases, nearing production
The source also claims that the new model will be released in September, and the Verizon model will still depend on Wi-Fi for FaceTime sessions (no word on if the AT&T model will handle FaceTime any differently that it currently does).
The September rumor his hardly new, as Reuters suggested it back in April. We'll know soon enough. In the meantime, start saving your pennies.
iPhone 5 reportedly in final testing phases, nearing production originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple sued for trademark infringement over iCloud name
iCloud Communications, LLC of Arizona is suing Apple for trademark infringement. The company claims Apple's use of the word iCloud is damaging to its business. According to the lawsuit, iCloud offers cloud computing products and services, telecommunication services, video conferencing and other internet services. The Arizona company is asking for preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, monetary relief and attorney's fees. iCloud Communications is also asking for the destruction of all marketing materials bearing the iCloud name. The suit was filed in the US District Court of Arizona.
Apple sued for trademark infringement over iCloud name originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Icebreaker Hockey
You may remember Backbreaker, the iOS football arcade game series by developers NaturalMotion. That same company has now used its proprietary physics engine to put together a game called Icebreaker Hockey, which obviously takes on the sport that's popular with our Canadian friends in the north.
Just like Backbreaker, the game isn't a straight hockey title, but rather plays like a concentrated version of hockey, with you controlling a player skating straight for the goal and having to juke around defenders and get your shot in when you can. It's fun stuff, especially if you're not too concerned about realism.
There are a few different modes to play with, and full Game Center integration for leaderboards and achievements. The weather's heating up outside, so the ice rink may seem like a thing of the past these days, but you can still get your skate on with this one. Icebreaker Hockey is just US$0.99 on the App Store right now.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Icebreaker Hockey originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Lion's "Restart to Safari" feature allows Macs to act as web-only kiosk
An unadvertised feature has been found in the latest Lion Developer build, says MacRumors. It enables a Mac to be used as an internet kiosk and nothing else. The "Restart to Safari" can be found on the user lock screen and allows unauthorized users to use the Mac only to browse the Web. When in "Restart to Safari" mode, the only window that will appear is a Safari window.
There are several benefits to the "Restart to Safari" feature. First, it will allow unauthorized users (those without logins) of the Mac the use the computer as a web kiosk. This is a handy feature when a member of the same family, for instance, wants to quickly look up something on your work computer in the den. There's no logging in or creating a separate user account. The Safari browser that they see will not show any of the bookmarks on the Mac either.
Another use for "Restart to Safari" is to allow the Mac to access the internet so that Find My Mac can locate the computer if it's missing. If the laptop is stolen, the thief won't be able to access your personal files, but may continue to use the Mac in "Restart to Safari" mode, thus enabling time for Find My Mac to locate the missing computer.
Lion's "Restart to Safari" feature allows Macs to act as web-only kiosk originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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