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- Apple's back-to-school promo reportedly beating Microsoft 8 to 2
According to a report from Global Equities Research, more incoming college students are picking up an Apple computer than a Windows computer this year. Apple is not just edging out Microsoft either; Macs are beating out Windows machines at an impressive rate of 8 to 2.
About 80% of incoming students will rock a Mac and an increasing number of current students are ditching their Windows machines in favor of an Apple-branded product. iPads are also a hot product among senior students, says the Global Equities Research report. The research also suggests many students are taking advantage of Apple's Back to School $100 gift card promo. What are they doing with extra windfall of iTunes cash? Buying songs, of course.
Apple's back-to-school promo reportedly beating Microsoft 8 to 2 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - iPad 2 shipping times all under one week
All of you who have been waiting since March to buy an iPad 2 can now pull out your credit card and make your order. For the first time since the wildly successful tablet began shipping, supply is meeting demand, and shipping times are now under one week.
During the first month of sales, shipping times for the iPad 2 were often in the 4 to 5 week range. A quick tour of the major online Apple Stores for most of the countries in the world showed the same 3 to 5 day shipping times.
Improvements in prime contractor Foxconn's ability to build the difficult-to-make device are part of the reason, but Digitimes might have another answer. The electronics manufacturing website thinks that the long shipping times may have caused some would-be buyers to switch to other tablets, claiming in an article yesterday that the iPad 2's market share in Taiwan dropped to 50% due to supply shortages. That is, of course, just one small market -- and not a representative sampling of the worldwide market for tablets.
Foxconn now says that they'll be delivering between 14 to 15 million iPad 2 units to Apple over the next three months, which should make for easy availability both through Apple Stores and secondary channels.
iPad 2 shipping times all under one week originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Verizon iPhone 4 responsible for 32% of US iPhone 4 traffic
Data from mobile app analytics firm Localytics suggests the Verizon iPhone 4 now accounts for 32.3% of the U.S. iPhone market share. The CDMA version of the iPhone has been steadily climbing since launch, while the AT&T iPhone has apparently declined. Verizon confirmed during its Q2 earnings conference call that it activated 2.2 million iPhones in the first few months after launch. The debut of the iPhone 4 was the most successful handset launch in the carrier's history.
Localytics attributes this rise to Verizon's unlimited data plan, a feature the company ironically discontinued this week. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues in July and August now that the unlimited plan is unavailable. It's also possible the rumored fall launch of the iPhone 5 may slow the uptake rate of the fourth generation handset.
[Via AppleInsider]
Verizon iPhone 4 responsible for 32% of US iPhone 4 traffic originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Video App Demo: Snap!
Snap! is another camera app for your iPhone. However, instead employing of a bunch of wacky filters, Snap! allows you to add notes to your pictures. There are lots of options for changing the text properties, and a bunch of ways to share your images as well. All wrapped in a straightforward design built for efficiency.
Check it out in the video below to see how it works.
Video App Demo: Snap! originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily iPad app: NPR 2.0
NPR has rolled out a rather hefty update to its venerable and well-liked iPad app. As before, the app is kind of a digital magazine that mirrors the content mix on NPR, with world and U.S. news, the arts and music features.
The iPad app is more fully featured than the NPR app for the iPhone, which contains mainly news. NPR does have a separate music app for the iPhone. You can listen to any NPR station live, and also access dozens of NPR programs like Car Talk, All Things Considered and Fresh Air on demand. Programs play in the background, so you can exit the app and use your iPad while still listening to the content of your choice. The app has an AirPlay icon, but it was dimmed. I'm not sure what is going on there. My other AirPlay-enabled apps worked fine, and I can find no settings on the NPR app that will turn the feature on.
In terms of the user interface, I think the improvements are positive. Getting access to the hourly newscast is just one click away, and listening to local stations and NPR programs is just two clicks. The app can access your location, if you allow it, and display the closest NPR stations to where you are. The programming list has been cleaned up and programs can now be sorted by topic and title. The ability to make playlists has been retained. Audio playback now has a 30-second rewind feature, and NPR says the app is more stable. I didn't see any issues in about an hour of use.
I've always liked the NPR app on both the iPhone and iPad. This update has cleaned up the user interface quite a bit, and added some new features that are worthwhile. Other than the malfunctioning AirPlay button, NPR for iPad is a good, free upgrade for news and arts junkies.
TUAW's Daily iPad app: NPR 2.0 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - How to create a unique iOS home screen icon for your website
GIGAOM has put together a nifty article detailing the process for creating a unique iOS home screen icon for your website.
When iOS users visit your website and create a home screen icon shortcut to easily access your site again, you want that icon to stand out and be easily identifiable amongst all the other icons, particularly if your site is a web app.
Normally, when you create a home screen icon for a website, iOS will create a thumbnail image of that webpage, but by following a few simple steps (using a program like Preview), and entering a few lines of code, your websites can easily be identified by a well branded icon on any iOS home screen.
Click here for all the details.
How to create a unique iOS home screen icon for your website originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - 5 apps for the armchair astronaut & the final Space Shuttle launch
Unless you've been living under a rock lately, you know that today's launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis, mission STS-135, signals the end of the shuttle program as we know it and the closing of a chapter in American human spaceflight.
Weather and ten trillion other mechanical considerations permitting, the launch is at 11:26 a.m. ET and you can watch a live stream of the events right on NASA's website. You can also watch the launch on the NASA apps (listed below). Given the historic nature of the launch, you'll probably be able to find it on television as well.
If you won't be near a TV or internet connection, don't worry. We've got your back. Here are five apps to keep you in the loop through the final countdown and beyond.
NASA App for iPhone and iPad - These apps are really robust and pack a lot of cool stuff into one neat package. Stream NASA TV right to your phone or iPad, watch videos of everything from spacewalks to astronaut training exercises, and browse thousands of images taken in space. It even has Facebook and Twitter integration so you can blast all your friends with rapid-fire status updates during the excitement of the launch. They'll just love you for it. Really.
GoAtlantis - This app was designed specifically for the STS-135 mission and helps you track Atlantis' post-launch movement in real-time. Watch the tiny orbiter on your screen zip around earth in low-earth orbit as it catches up and eventually docks with the International Space Station (ISS) two days later. The coolest feature in this app is its ability to predict when the ISS will pass over your location to you can catch a glimpse as it goes by. Yes, you really can see it winking and blinking in the sky if you know just where to look, and GoAtlantis will tell you.
AstroApp: Space Shuttle Crew - As the mission clock ticks down, use the time to learn the history of the Space Shuttle program, its missions, and the astronauts that flew them. Commissioned by NASA, AstroApp contains full biographies of each crew member and are searchable via mission or alphabetically. For the imaginative at heart, app developers threw in a nice little tool that allows you to superimpose your face onto a flight suit so you see what you'd look like if you were ready for liftoff.
Mission Clock - Speaking of mission clocks, if you're a diehard space junkie with $5 burning a hole in your pocket, this app is worth every penny. It provides up-to-the-minute information on all NASA launches as well as those at other space agencies around the world and also provides alerts with breaking news from mission control. The neatest thing about this app is that it doesn't just count down the time until launch, it tells you what the crew is doing every step of the way.
SpaceGeek - Like the NASA App mentioned above, SpaceGeek offers live streaming of NASA TV, but it brings more to the table. The app has videos, pictures, mission updates, a breaking news feed, Twitter updates, and more. For such a full-featured app, it's hard to believe its only a buck, but it's worth it.
Have a favorite shuttle hugger app of your own? Share it with us in the comments.5 apps for the armchair astronaut & the final Space Shuttle launch originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Element Case Formula 4 covers your iPhone 4 in style
Element Case, the folks that brought you the Vapor aluminium iPhone 4 bumper, have released a polycarbonate case built around a similar design aesthetic.
The Formula 4 features the same shaped iPhone 4 edge-banding that the gorgeous Vapor uses and adds a protective back-plate that's covered in a sheet of carbon fibre. The top and bottom edges bulge out slightly, while the right-hand edge features a rubber Element Case branded grip strip.
The case is split into two halves. A top half that slides on and is most of the case. The removable bottom half slides off to let you dock your iPhone 4. When in use, the bottom half locks into place solidly and overlaps the top half just slightly, ensuring a good fit.
The Formula 4 encases the iPhone completely while the camera, headphones port, volume buttons, mute switch, the dock connecter, power button and speakers remain accessible. The screen itself is left completely uncovered, however, with the case providing only a very slightly raised edge. If you want screen protection you'll have to invest in a screen protector or look elsewhere.
Verdict
Overall, the Element Case Formula 4 provides good looking, decent protection for the sides and back of your iPhone 4. It's not the thinnest of cases, with extra bulges at the top and bottom of the case, but it has decent ergonomics and doesn't add too much to the depth of the device.
If you fancied the Vapor, but couldn't justify the price or were worried about the aluminium affecting signal strength, then you won't be disappointed with the Formula 4. It combines decent protection and solid design, which makes it a winner in my book.
The Element Case Formula 4 is available for US$59.95 plus shipping.
Continue reading Element Case Formula 4 covers your iPhone 4 in style
Element Case Formula 4 covers your iPhone 4 in style originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Swype being ported to jailbroken iPhones
Swype, the gesture-based alternative keyboard setup popular with Android users, is reportedly being ported to jailbroken iPhones via Cydia, according to MobileCrunch. When Swype was first demoed almost three years ago, we theorized it could be used to make typing easier on the iPhone, but Apple never approved the app for inclusion on the App Store. Android users have sworn by the app's ease-of-use compared to tapping out each letter individually, and it seems some features of the app will finally be making their way to the iPhone, at least if you're willing to jailbreak it first.
It's worth noting that this appears to be an unofficial project by Andrew Liu and not something created by the Swype team. With that in mind, it's perhaps understandable that some of Swype's features are missing from this initial build, such as the little blue line that follows your finger as you swipe across letters. The app also has limited functionality outside of Apple's pre-installed apps, and it's reportedly a bit buggy.
There are, in fact, some alternate keyboard apps for iPhone. ShapeWriter was an early entrant on the store and is similar to Swype, but is no longer available. An alternate keyboard within all your apps is something only jailbreak can make possible. I tried Swype on a friend's Android phone once, and honestly I couldn't wrap my head around it. But people who've grown accustomed to its somewhat quirky UI claim they type much faster with Swype and have missed having it on iOS, and now those users have a chance to try it out on the iPhone.
Swype being ported to jailbroken iPhones originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Tumblr
Tumblr is, of course, the blogging platform that's taken off lately, featuring an easy way to quickly post a lot of different kinds of media, as well as share it across friends and networks. Tumblr's iPhone app has been serviceable since it came out, but it hasn't always been the best option for posting to the service. Still, a 2.0 complete rewrite has helped a little bit, so if you're a Tumblr user who wants to post more while mobile, it's worth another look.
The new update brings a brand new interface to handling multiple blogs, as well as improvements to posting and the main dashboard. You can now read and reply to messages on the service from right in the app, and if you're new to Tumblr, you can sign up right from the iPhone app, too.
The service is free, and so the app is too. Power users will probably still find some issues with the app, which makes sense -- posting blog posts from the iPhone is probably never going to be quite as easy as doing it from a PC. But for those times when you're out and about and want to do a quick Tumblr post, the app should serve you just fine.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Tumblr originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Interview: Growl's project lead on coming to the Mac App Store
After the news yesterday that the popular notification service Growl was officially coming to the Mac App Store with the release of OS X Lion, TUAW tracked down Project Lead Christopher Forsythe and had a quick conversation about the reasons behind the decision and the future of Growl in general. Forsythe says that the change to the Mac App Store has been discussed "amongst ourselves for probably about two or three months now," and that using Apple's official store "just makes sense."
Perhaps the biggest piece of news we learned from Forsythe is that in the Mac App Store, for the first time since its creation seven years ago, Growl will not be free. Devs working on the project are "still talking" about the final price, but "it most likely will be a dollar or two dollars at most," according to Forsythe. Some may turn up their noses at paying anything for the results of an open source project, but Forsythe says the reasoning behind the charge is simple: "I'm a grown adult," he says, "and my wife wonders why I spend time working on my open source project and not with my two-month old." For all the work Forsythe and his fellow devs have put into Growl, a few bucks seems little to ask.
Money is also involved in the other main reason the team wants to move to the Mac App Store. If nothing else, they're offloading the issue of actual distribution to Apple. "We don't have to worry about supporting a download infrastructure any more," says Forsythe, "and that's huge for us." Currently, bandwidth for distributing Growl is all handed by CacheFly pro bono, but Forsthye has seen huge charges covered by them in the past, and the one time the project switched to Google Code, Forsythe says all of Google's bandwidth was eaten up in "a couple of hours, a very short period of time."
Yesterday, we heard that some of the more technical Growl services would be dying off because of the switchover, but Forsythe says that's not exactly true. While perception has it that the Mac App Store is ruling out a few Growl services, many of the changes are just so he can focus his team on what customers actually use, and not as much on edge use cases. Services like GrowlMail and GrowlSafari won't be officially supported in the Mac App Store version, but anyone who wants to use those services will still be able to download a PKG installer from the Growl website and be off on their merry way. That's good news for average users like myself and others. Forsythe plans to put his team working on the core Growl app, and let other developers deal with the more complicated function and addons.
As for developers of apps that hook into Growl, Forsythe says it's pretty simple: if anyone currently uses the Growl with Installer framework (which allows third-party apps to actually install Growl if users don't have it), they'll have to switch over to the one standard framework the app will be using. The Growl team has had a lot of complaints from users who believe Growl is spyware because a developer uses it to post less-than-helpful notifications ("It's really annoying," he says), so the new Growl framework won't actually install the whole app.
The way it will work is that in the new framework, developers who want to use Growl without having it on the user's system will get a simplified version of the notification to run, with just one style in just one place on the screen. "So if the user doesn't have Growl installed," says Forsythe, "they can use Smoke notification in the top corner. If the end user wants to configure that, they'll need to install Growl." That seems like a good balance; it allows devs to take advantage of Growl and its basic function, then send customers on to the full app if they want more features out of it.
Finally, Forsythe says that revamping the code like this is giving his team an opportunity to really focus on what they want Growl to be going forward. While the average user won't "miss anything," according to Forsythe, it's true that some services will need to be worked on outside the official Growl team. "If [a service] takes up the same amount of resources it takes to put a cool feature into Growl itself, I'd rather we put the work into Growl itself." That work means we'll see updates to the core app, like a new feature called RollUp that will help get rid of what Forsythe calls "screen spam." Instead of having your screen fill with a bunch of notifications, you'll get just one note after a while that will then expand out into a log of notifications you may have missed.
That sounds great, and hopefully we'll see more helpful features like that going forward. Growl has been a solid addition to the Mac lineup throughout its history, and it's exciting to see the open source effort join Apple's official store. There will undoubtedly be some growing pains, but in general, this seems like an excellent move for Growl, and it should be a nice app to add to the Mac App Store's offerings.
Interview: Growl's project lead on coming to the Mac App Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Your future iPhone's parts could come from the ocean floor
I'm always blown away when I remember that every single one of the raw materials that goes into making an iPhone or iPad has existed on this planet for hundreds of millennia.
Just think about that for a second. When Neanderthals roamed the earth, and when the Roman emperors ruled -- all the raw materials needed for an iPhone or iPad were already available. However, just because you have the raw materials available, doesn't mean you have the knowledge or technology to build such wondrous devices -- that's what time and progress are for (and Steve Jobs).
But once you have the knowledge and materials, look what you can create: solar panels, iPads, MRI machines. Oh, the wonders! Of course the problem with raw materials is consumption. As our technology advances and we consume more raw materials, there's less of them left on the earth to keep making cool devices like the iPhone. This is especially true for a group of raw materials -- mainly certain types of metal -- known as rare earths.
Rare earths are used in any number of electronic devices from iPhones to batteries to lasers. And they're called "rare" for a reason -- they aren't abundant and we are running out of them. China currently controls 97% of rare earth production, but the US, Russia, and Australia also produce rare earths. Despite who controls the production, the simple fact is that we are running our of rare earth metals and once gone, say goodbye to future electronic devices. It's great if Apple comes up with a way to make the iPad 6 have a tactile 3D holographic display, but if there's no more rare earths left to build the parts it needs everyone is gonna be stuck using the iPad 5 -- forever.
Even though we are running out of rare earths on land, Nature Geoscience is reporting that rare earth materials are abundant in the mud of the Pacific ocean floor. Best of all, mining and extracting the rare earth metals from the sea floor mud is apparently actually easier than extracting the metals from terrestrial sources. That's great news for everyone who likes technology. So in a few years when you pick up your new iPhone, stop to think for a moment and wonder at the fact that parts of that iPhone were once buried in mud on the bottom of the sea floor.
[via Ars Technica]
Your future iPhone's parts could come from the ocean floor originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Chinese authors to petition Apple to halt book downloads
A group of Chinese authors is petitioning Apple to halt the distribution of their books through multiple apps in the App Store, according to the 21st Century Herald Tribune (as reported by Reuters). The authors are part of a group called the Writers Rights Alliance, and this isn't the first time the Alliance has gone after a technology company for offering its books for download without consent. The group previously petitioned China's largest search engine, Baidu, to cease the publication of its books in the Baidu Library (similar to Google Books).
However, a spokesperson for the Writers Rights Alliance said Apple's allowance of apps on the App Store is a graver situation. The Baidu Library offered Alliance books downloads for free, but some of the apps in the App Store make a profit through sales of the app or in-app purchases. From the Writers Rights Alliance's perspective, Apple is infringing on the Alliance's intellectual property by taking its 30 percent commission on sales of the authors' works. Apple has not yet publicly commented on the matter.
Chinese authors to petition Apple to halt book downloads originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - First jailbreak convention MyGreatFest planned for September in London
The most ardent jailbreaking fans among you might want to book flights to the UK, as the WWDC of jailbreaking events is hitting London in September. MyGreatFest is a convention that plans to attract jailbreakers from all over the world. There they can attend jailbreaking presentations, Q&A sessions, participate in codeoffs with other hackers and jailbreakers, and even have lunch with some of the jailbreaking greats.
MyGreatFest takes place on September 17, 2011 at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane in London. Tickets are now on sale and range from £17 (US$27) for children to £27 (US$43) for adults over 16. There are also group admission tickets available as well as VIP tickets which give you face-to-face time with some of the biggest jailbreak developers out there.
MyGreatFest organizer Craig Fox told ReadWriteWeb that the first official iOS 5 jailbreak may be unveiled at the show, unless the next iPhone ships before September 17, in which case attendees will likely see the iPhone 5 jailbroken right at the event. Fox also said that the response to MyGreatFest has been staggering, and sometime in October he will be announcing dates for MyGreatFest San Francisco 2012.
First jailbreak convention MyGreatFest planned for September in London originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Time Warner Cable adds channels, blocks jailbreakers
Time Warner Cable has updated its popular TWCable TV iPad app to version 2.0. Among the new features are the ability to view up to seven days of program listings in the interactive program guide, expanded channel selection with over 100 total channels available, and a remote DVR manager. Interestingly, as noted by Engadget, Time Warner went to some lengths to stop people using the app on jailbroken iPads.
As you can see from the screenshot above, if your iPad is jailbroken and you launch the app you'll get the message "TWCable TV is not supported on 'jailbroken' devices." Users with jailbroken iPads are asked to restore their iPads to factory settings and then launch the app again. However the iPhoneDownload Blog has already figured out a bypass for running the new version of TWCable TV on jailbroken iPads.
Time Warner Cable adds channels, blocks jailbreakers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Free-to-play overtakes premium games revenue in the App Store
The latest blog post from Flurry reports that free-to-play revenue has overtaken premium revenue in Apple's App Store. I think this was pretty much a guarantee at some point in the future, though it's happening probably a little sooner than most expected.
Free-to-play gaming, where a game download is free and users spend money on extra content or convenience items using in-app purchases, has been growing on the App Store in a big way. Traditionally, premium app sales (in which a one-time purchase up front pays for the app download and any included content) have been the real money-makers. That's no longer true, however: in Flurry's analysis of the top 100 grossing apps, 35 percent of the revenue is now coming from premium games, with free-to-play titles making up 65 percent. Note that this analysis is for games only, but considering games make up most of the App Store's business nowadays, it's easy to expand these numbers out to the Store in general.
What does this mean overall? It's not a new direction; we've already seen free-to-play titles get hugely popular on Apple's App Store and other mobile platforms, and that trend will definitely continue. But even with the success we've seen on free-to-play, developers are still only monetizing a small percentage (usually even less than a full percentage point) of their audience, with small amounts of customers basically paying for everyone. The next big advancement in this business model will be a game that figures out how to monetize a larger audience while still keeping that gigantic group of players that dives in on F2P titles.
Free-to-play overtakes premium games revenue in the App Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - OS X Lion launch likely next week, new MacBook Air to follow
AppleInsider and 9to5 Mac have both received word that Apple is planning an "overnight" on July 13 in its retail stores. Such retail events usually precede major product launches, with store displays being refreshed and managers being trained on the new products. Following the July 13 store refresh, OS X Lion is expected to be released to the general public on July 14.
According to AppleInsider, Apple's retail stores will also be upgrading the RAM in several display units to ensure that Lion demoes smoothly on them. Their source also claims some customers will be invited to come to the Apple Store and download OS X Lion there so they can get on-site coaching on Lion's new features.
The sites also claim the long-awaited MacBook Air refresh will take place soon after Lion's release to the general public, possibly as soon as a week later. AppleInsider had previously reported that the new hardware was ready to go some time ago, but Apple decided to freeze new hardware shipments for the time being so all new Macs could ship with OS X Lion pre-installed.
OS X Lion will be US$29.99 and exclusively available from the Mac App Store. The current developer-accessible version is GM Seed 1.
OS X Lion launch likely next week, new MacBook Air to follow originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Video App Demo: Music Marquee
Music Marquee is a well-designed and easy-to-use social app for you music lovers. Listening to a great song and want to share? Music Marquee allows you to post to Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, Tumblr, FriendFeed and Ping.fm. Last.fm allows scrobbling, and wherever supported Tasty Cocoa software has used token-based authentication instead of storing your password in the app. It's a simple app, but only $.99. There's a free, lite version if you're too cheap to drop a dollar on such things.
Video App Demo: Music Marquee originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Bungie's Marathon, Swords and Soldiers now available on the App Store
Two games we've been eager to see on the App Store have arrived. First up, the unofficial version of Marathon (that's officially approved anyway) is out and ready for you to play. It's a free app by programmer Daniel Blezek, who translated Bungie's old FPS from the Mac to Apple's tablet. This is excellent stuff; old-time gamers will enjoy the nostalgia hit, while younger players should be interested to see what Bungie did before Halo. It's an excellent game, and we couldn't ask for a better way to get it ported to the iPad.
Second, Chillingo has published Swords and Soldiers, a cartoony 2D real-time strategy game that was originally released for the Wii. I like both the console and iOS versions, which offers Game Center integration, three campaigns and a skirmish mode, with controls that are well adapted for the touch screen. Unfortunately, it isn't universal -- the game's US$2.99 for the iPhone and $4.99 for the iPad -- but given how different the two versions are to play, maybe that makes sense. At any rate, this one didn't quite get the spotlight it could have used on the Wii, so maybe on iOS (like World of Goo, another Wii title turned iOS hit) Swords and Soldiers will the audience it deserves.
Bungie's Marathon, Swords and Soldiers now available on the App Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - IK Multimedia's iKlip goes MINI
For iPad-toting musicians, there's no better solution for attaching their favorite tablet to a standard microphone stand than the iKlip from IK Multimedia. Now the company has developed a Mini-Me companion to the iKlip, not surprisingly named the iKlip MINI.The US$39.99 iKlip MINI works with or without the accessory iRig or iRig Mic to bring a no-hands solution to musicians using iPhones. With an included detachable bracket, the iRig can be mounted either vertically or horizontally on the iKlip MINI for use with AmpliTube or other guitar effects apps.
As with the original iKlip, the MINI is made of thermoplastic to hold your iPhone or iPod touch without scratching it. While connected to any microphone stand, pole or tripod with a diameter of 11 to 20 mm, the MINI provides accessibility to all controls and connectors on the iPhone and also has a clear view for snapping photos or taking video of your audience with the iPhone's camera.
IK Multimedia is currently taking pre-orders for the iKlip MINI and expects the devices to ship in August of 2011.
IK Multimedia's iKlip goes MINI originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - HP wants your "AirPrint Moments;" photo contest underway
HP currently has the only printers on the market that provide a direct, out-of-the-box printing experience for iOS devices using AirPrint. AirPrint-enabled printers like the HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One are great for printing photos that you've taken from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad 2, and now the company wants to give you a chance to win one of four HP printers.
Through July 15th, 2011, HP is sponsoring a photo contest for original pictures taken with a mobile device. Titled AirPrint Moments, the contest has relatively few entries at this time, so your chances of winning are relatively good (for now). The judges for the event are iPhonegraphers Colin Vincent, Greg Schmigel, and Sion Fullana, all of whom use iPhones for professional photography.
You can also choose to vote for your favorite iPhone photo, and if you get a lot of your friends to vote for your submission I'm sure you can improve your chances to win. Good luck to TUAW readers and let us know if you enter and win.
HP wants your "AirPrint Moments;" photo contest underway originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily Mac App: HandBrake
Open-source software is a beautiful thing. It's free, community driven, and more often than not, incredibly useful. HandBrake, one of the best video converters around, is a classic example of great open-source software.
The Swiss army knife of video converters and a perennial TUAW favorite, HandBrake is a Mac users best friend. Using libavformat and libacvodec, it'll take almost any video format or container you want to throw at it and convert it into something more useful. Want to convert a video for playback on an Apple TV? No problem. Open the offending video file, select "AppleTV" (version 1 or 2 depending on your model) from the preset list under "Apple" and click the "Start" button.
If you want to get a bit more involved than simply using presets you can tweak almost every video and audio conversion setting available. From bitrate, FPS and target size, to video and audio codec, embedding of subtitles and breaking-down the video into chapters, you can do it all with HandBrake.
HandBrake is available for the Mac, Windows and Linux, but on a Mac it's 64-bit, multithreaded and will use all of the available resources of your modern Intel-based machine. That means conversions are fast and efficient. If you've got a video file and you need something to covert it then HandBrake is the tool you need. It won't decrypt things, so if you're trying to rip a DVD or something similar, you'll need a tool to remove the copy protection first, but that video of your mate jumping the gate you shot won't know what hit it.
Download HandBrake for free from the HandBrake Project website.
Continue reading TUAW's Daily Mac App: HandBrake
TUAW's Daily Mac App: HandBrake originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Yet another SLR mount for the iPhone
Those longing to use a US$3,000 camera lens with their iPhone 4s are in luck. Photojojo has released the iPhone SLR Mount, a spiffy way to mount Canon EOS or a Nikon SLR lenses to your iPhone 4.
A slot on the mount holds lens in place, and loops on either end await the click of your camera strap.
It sounds crazy, but it's not. Huge numbers of people take photos with iPhones daily. Recent Flickr data suggests that iPhone submissions have dominated its pool of photos for a long time. It's reasonable to offer a pseudo-pro option for a camera that people shoot with that often.
Of course, this isn't the first SLR iPhone camera rig we've seen. This DIY rig got the job done, while iPhone DSLR looked promising late last year, but fell victim to design and cost issues.
Yet another SLR mount for the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple cuts iAd buy-in fees
Since Apple announced the iAd mobile advertising service last year, the success of the service has been in question. Now Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is cutting rates for iAds by as much as 70% to attract marquee clients.
As noted in today's post, Apple was initially charging clients US$1 million or more for an ad campaign that ran only in iOS apps that were designed to display the ads. Many of the initial clients, such as J.C. Penney and Citigroup, have abandoned iAd and are now spending their advertising dollars with services like AdMob, Greystripe, and Millenial Media that run on a variety of platforms.
As a result, Apple is apparently dropping the cost of ad packages down to as little as $300,000 when buying multiple campaigns to attract new advertisers and retain existing ones. This strategy appears to be working for the company, as Apple notes that they'll be adding about 50 new iAd campaigns within the next few months.
Still, for many advertisers and advertising companies, there's not much of a value proposition with iAd. Rob Norman, CEO of ad agency GroupM North America, noted that despite the sleek design of iAd, companies must account for the cost. He's quoted by Bloomberg as saying "We'd all like to stay at the Four Seasons, but not if it costs $150,000 a night."
Apple cuts iAd buy-in fees originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Artist uses Apple Store customers as his subjects [Updated]
Update: The U.S. Secret Service has raided Mr. McDonald's home. It seems setting up 100 public computers to covertly photograph their operators is a no-no. What price art?
Here's a fun project. Artist Kyle McDonald's "People Staring at Computers" photo collection features images of more than 1,000 faces, snapped as they gazed at Macs in New York Apple Stores. While looking at the images, it's fun to wonder just what the users were staring at, though it's impossible to tell. Some look delighted, while others seem perplexed and even concerned.
You'll also find a wide range of users, from young and old to customers and, in one case at least, an Apple Store employee. The whole thing reminds me of those photos of people about to place their order in a restaurant.
The question here is, how did McDonald get Apple Store display Macs to shoot photos for him? According to ifoAppleStore, he used a bit of software that "he slipped onto Macintosh display computers at Manhattan Apple retail stores." Later, he configured other machines to randomly display some of the captured images, much to the befuddlement of shoppers and workers alike.
It was a fun project and a very contemporary one. Now, more than ever, we spend huge amounts of time staring at little, glowing boxes.
Clearly an evolutionary leap is imminent. Cue Also Sprach Zarathustra.
People Staring at Computers from Kyle McDonald on Vimeo.
Artist uses Apple Store customers as his subjects [Updated] originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple may allow additional FCP 7 enterprise licenses (Updated)
Update: Both Alex and Sam clarified a couple of points post-event; Sam was actually contacted by Apple to clear these up. A) The sale of additional FCP 7 licenses for existing volume license customers is under consideration, not a done deal; B) the AJA tape capture tools will be delivered as a separate AJA-branded application. Editor Peter Wiggins also blogged his impressions of the event.
On July 6th, Apple held a private briefing in London for enterprise users of Final Cut Pro. Of course, one of the main topics of discussion was Final Cut Pro X (FCP X), which has been receiving a lot of flak from unhappy pro users since its release on June 21, 2011. It appears that Apple will be addressing many of the complaints from creative pros in the near future.
Some fascinating tweets were sent out by Sam Johnson (@aPostEngineer) during the briefing, and then summarized by Alex Gollner.
1. FCP XML in/out is coming via 3rd party soon...no FCP 6/7 support project support coming ever it seems...
2. Ability to buy FCP7 licenses for enterprise deployments coming in the next few weeks...
3. FCPX EDL import/export coming soon...
4. FCPX AJA plugins coming soon for tape capture and layback...capture straight into FCPX [events].
5. XSAN support for FCPX coming in the next few weeks...
6. FCPX Broadcast video output via #Blackmagic & @AJAVideo coming soon...
7. Additional codec support for FCPX via 3rd Parties coming soon...
8. Customizable sequence TC in FCPX for master exports coming soon...
9. Some FCPX updates will be free some will cost...The most interesting part of this string of tweets is the second one, which points out that Apple will be working out a way for existing FCP 7 enterprise deployments to purchase additional licenses for the older version. This should make some video professionals happy, as they had been upset by how Apple had discontinued sales of Final Cut Pro 7 before the pros had a chance to get used to FCP X.
Apple may allow additional FCP 7 enterprise licenses (Updated) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me read and annotate my PDFs
Dear Aunt TUAW,
I am in love with my iPad 2 and am eager to turn my upcoming trip to the beach into a working vacation. I find the that the PDF support in iBooks leaves a lot to be desired. Which is unfortunate, as I have spent a lot of time uploading a lot of PDFs into my iTunes to have them handy when I want to get work done. Is there a PDF annotation app out there that can access the PDFs I have stored in iBooks? (I realize that iBooks can't actually display PDF annotations, at least at present, but if I could at least quickly import PDFs into another iOS app, that would be a start.)
Your loving nephew,
Josh L.
Dear Josh,
Your problem is that you're reading PDFs in iBooks instead of Good Reader, PDF Expert, or any of the other multitudes of wonderful PDF clients that can display and edit annotations.
Unfortunately, no, you cannot directly share PDFs out from iBooks to other applications but you can import them in iTunes when you're home at your computer using the device Apps tab. That's the "direct" answer. There is, however, a sneakier solution that gets around iBooks' "Roach Motel" mentality (i.e. documents check in but they don't check out).
If you really need to transfer those PDFs when on-the-road, you can use iBook's built-in e-mail sharing to send a copy to yourself and then use your iPad's "open in" feature from Mail to send the PDF to the app of your choice.
Another good solution is to place all your PDFs into Dropbox/Box.net/Cloud app/Google Docs etc to ensure that your files can be accessed, read, and edited from all your devices.
The reading experience may not be as lovely in these other apps, but you'll be able to get your work done.
Hugs,
Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me read and annotate my PDFs originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily iPad App: Tapatalk
Although Internet forums are the illegitimate offspring of the old dial-up Bulletin Board Systems and the Web, I find myself using them a lot. Whether I'm checking with fellow cruise enthusiasts over at Cruise Critic or looking for tips about hardware issues over in the MacRumors Forums, these online discussion groups can be a lot of fun and educational as well.
Tapatalk (US$2.99, universal) works with all of the standard forum software, including the big two names, vBulletin and phpBB, to bring iPad ease of use to forum participation.
Since the iPad first shipped last year, I've found it difficult to use many of the forums because of some incompatibilities with Safari. For example, I had to discover by accident that I could scroll a text entry field by using a two-finger swipe, a "feature" I then passed along to my forum-frequenting wife. That still didn't make using forums a pleasure...
The way I found out about Tapatalk was through the aforementioned Cruise Critic forums. As I entered the forums one day, a pop-up appeared telling me about Tapatalk, which I promptly purchased. Since then, I've been using Tapatalk to easily navigate my way around forums and I think it has actually resulted in an increase in my forum activities.
Tapatalk requires that the forum operator enable mobile access from the server, but once they do (and over 16,000 forums worldwide are already set up this way) you can use the app to enjoy your forums. Not only does the app include a way to automatically log into forums that you frequent, but there's a search tool for finding new Tapatalk-compatible forums. Once you're found them, it's easy to register from the app to participate in a new forum.
If you're a forum moderator, Tapatalk includes a way to delete, unapprove, lock, or stick posts. For the rest of us, it's a breeze to add photos from the iPad's Photo Library, maps, or links to any forum post.
Tapatalk has very good ratings on the App Store and for good reason -- it's a well-executed app that makes forum participation from an iPad easy and fun.
TUAW's Daily iPad App: Tapatalk originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple to patch PDF vulnerability in iOS
Apple said it will issue a patch that will close a PDF hole in iOS. Though this security hole is well known by iOS owners, it made headlines recently when the German government issued a malware warning about this "critical weakness" in Apple's iOS operating system. As it has done in the past with other security issues, Apple will release an update in the coming weeks to close this hole.
Those that jailbreak their iOS devices will want to avoid this update. The exploit that Apple will patch is the same one used by Comex in jailbreakme, an online jailbreak tool. Ironically, those that want to close this exploit now can do so using this jailbreak tool. Just jailbreak your iOS device and install a security patch from Cydia.
Apple to patch PDF vulnerability in iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Amazon Cloud Player now supports the iPad
Amazon partially embraced iOS by adding support for the iPad to its web-based Cloud Player. The tablet version of the web app looks and performs just like the desktop version. It lets you view your songs by title, album, artist or genre, play your songs in normal, shuffle or repeat mode, and create and listen to playlists. You can even add songs to your collection by purchasing new music via the Amazon MP3 store.
Amazon also added unlimited music storage for both its free and paying customers. Customers who purchased a Cloud Drive subscription can upload as many MP3 and AAC files as they want. Free Cloud Drive users have unlimited storage for MP3 files purchased through the Amazon music store, but the upload of personal music is still limited by a 5 GB cap.
Amazon Announces Storage Plans for Amazon Cloud Drive with Unlimited Space for Music, Free Storage for all MP3s Purchased at Amazon MP3 and Cloud Player Support for iPad
SEATTLE - July 6, 2011 - Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced three enhancements to Amazon Cloud Drive and Cloud Player: storage plans that include unlimited space for music, free storage for all Amazon MP3 purchases and Cloud Player for Web, now on iPad.
"Customers are already enjoying Cloud Drive and Cloud Player and now for just $20 a year, customers can get unlimited space for music," said Craig Pape Director of Amazon Music. "Additionally, we are adding free storage for all MP3s purchased from Amazon MP3, and support for the iPad. Our customers love Cloud Drive and Cloud Player and we're excited to innovate these services on their behalf."
Unlimited Space for Music
Now, for a limited time, Amazon customers who purchase a Cloud Drive storage plan will receive unlimited space for their MP3 and AAC (.m4a) music files. This offer is available for even the lowest price plan: $20/year for 20 GB of file storage plus unlimited space for music. Customers can visit (www.amazon.com/clouddrive/manage) to purchase a Cloud Drive storage plan and receive unlimited space for music.
Store all Amazon MP3 Purchases for Free
Customers can now store all of their Amazon MP3 purchases for free in Cloud Drive, including future MP3 purchases as well as all purchases made before the launch of Cloud Drive and Cloud Player. MP3s purchased from Amazon MP3 and stored in Amazon Cloud Drive will not count against a customer's storage quota.
Cloud Player for Web on iPad
Also new, Cloud Player for Web on iPad. Cloud Player, combined with unlimited space for music in Cloud Drive, enables customers to play music stored in the cloud on any Android phone, Android tablet, Mac, PC, and now on their iPad. Cloud Player for Web has been optimized to offer customers streaming playback of their Cloud Drive music using the Safari browser for iPad. To access Cloud Player for iPad, customers simply open their Safari browser and visit (www.amazon.com/cloudplayer) to start listening to their music.
Storage for Music and More
All customers automatically start with 5 GB of free Cloud Drive storage to begin uploading their digital music library, and for a limited time, those who purchase any Cloud Drive storage plan will receive unlimited space for music at no additional cost. In addition to unlimited space for music, Cloud Drive allows customers to upload and store all kinds of digital files, including photos, videos and documents which are stored securely and available via web browser on any computer. Customers who qualified for 20 GB of free storage from earlier promotions will receive the unlimited space for music at no additional cost.
In March, Amazon launched Cloud Drive (www.amazon.com/clouddrive), Amazon Cloud Player for Web (www.amazon.com/cloudplayer), and Amazon Cloud Player for Android (www.amazon.com/cloudplayerandroid).
Together, these services enable customers to securely store music in the cloud and play it on any Android phone, Android tablet, Mac or PC, and now iPad, wherever they are. Customers can easily upload their music library to Amazon Cloud Drive and can save any new Amazon MP3 purchases directly to their Amazon Cloud Drive for free.Amazon Cloud Player now supports the iPad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Apple announces 15 billion App Store downloads served
Apple has officially served 15 billion downloads from its popular App Store, the company announced via press release this morning. With more than 200 million iOS device users around the world, that means that each customer has downloaded 75 apps on average. Of course, this makes Apple's App Store the most popular of the lot...by a very wide margin.
Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, expressed gratitude to Apple's customers in this morning's press release, saying, "Thank you to all of our amazing developers who have filled it with over 425,000 of the coolest apps and to our over 200 million iOS users for surpassing 15 billion downloads."
Congratulations to Apple and the App Store team. That's quite an achievement.
CUPERTINO, California-July 7, 2011-Apple(R) today announced that over 15 billion apps have been downloaded from its revolutionary App Store[TM] by the more than 200 million iPhone(R), iPad(R) and iPod touch(R) users worldwide. The App Store offers more than 425,000 apps and developers have created an incredible array of over 100,000 native iPad apps.
"In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Thank you to all of our amazing developers who have filled it with over 425,000 of the coolest apps and to our over 200 million iOS users for surpassing 15 billion downloads."
"We sparked musical magic when iPhone users experienced Ocarina three years ago," said Dr. Ge Wang, a Smule co-founder and assistant professor at Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. "And now with iPad, we've created the Magic Piano and Magic Fiddle apps. Who could've dreamt an iPad would make its way into the San Francisco Symphony?"
"iPad provides us with an unparalleled mobile device for creating gorgeous, immersive games," said Mark Rein, vice president and co-founder of Epic Games. "Infinity Blade has been a runaway hit with customers around the world and we couldn't be more excited about our success on iOS devices."
"We're bringing Martha Stewart, Angelina Ballerina, Sesame Street and many more of the world's most popular books and magazines to iPad," said Nicholas Callaway, CEO of Callaway Digital Arts. "We knew the iPad was going to be a revolutionary storytelling device, but never could have anticipated it would become so popular, so quickly."
More than 15 billion apps have been downloaded from the revolutionary App Store and more than 425,000 apps are available, including more than 100,000 native iPad apps, to consumers in 90 countries. Users of the more than 200 million iOS devices around the world can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, education, sports, health, reference and travel. Apple has paid developers over $2.5 billion to date.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.Apple announces 15 billion App Store downloads served originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - 2012 iPhone rumored to feature new charging method
The Wall Street Journal has served up another batch of iPhone rumors after its (ahem) daring claim earlier that the next iPhone will be "thinner and lighter" than the iPhone 4. While the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S) is rumored to feature an eight-megapixel camera and will almost certainly have the same A5 processor as the iPad 2, it's otherwise likely to be broadly similar to the iPhone 4 in most respects.
According to "a person briefed on Apple's product plans," Apple initially planned to launch the next iPhone during the summer as it has in the past, but the device wasn't ready and was pushed back to September. The same person claims Apple is working on a cheaper iPhone with an edge-to-edge screen. The most interesting rumor claims the 2012 iPhone will be a major redesign featuring "a new way of charging the phone." 9to5 Mac theorizes this may be similar to the Pre's Touchstone wireless charging, which uses inductive charging to top up the battery without needing to plug the phone in.
Thus far rumors about the iPhone 5 have been fairly inconsistent, and as we're likely at least a year away from the sixth-generation iPhone's launch, any rumors about it shouldn't be taken too seriously at this point. Still, Apple made "cutting the cord" a hallmark feature of iOS 5 in terms of data syncing, and if the iPhone 6 does feature inductive charging, it may be the first iPhone you'll never have to plug in.
2012 iPhone rumored to feature new charging method originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Two Worlds II Castle Defense
Two Worlds is an RPG series for consoles that's had a few releases already, but this game for iOS only uses the same setting and assets as those titles. As you can tell from the title itself, it plays very differently from the third-person RPG. It's a castle defense game of a sort, but rather than building towers, you build out your army and forces, tasking your little soldiers with fighting incoming waves of bad guys.
The game plays sort of like the very popular Battleheart, though instead of directly controlling your troops, you're only placing them on the field in various spots available. You might put two melee fighters up front, for example, a priest behind them, and then two archers in the back to pump out ranged damage. As you fight, you win gold, and then can spend that gold to build more troops, upgrade the ones you've got, or even cast spells to heal your troops or attack the enemies.
The game is simple but really fun, and the polish is actually really impressive. Controls are not explained well, but the icons are clear enough that after a few rounds with the title, you will know what does what. And pitting two powered up soldiers and a hardcore fire mage against a wave of incoming baddies is very rewarding, once you've gotten to that point.
A recent upgrade added a few much needed tweaks, including Game Center integration and some various difficulty levels, and it also dropped the price of the game to just US $4.99. And that's not a bad price at all -- it's a little more expensive than most iOS games, but this is a quality experience. There is a lite version, though, if you doubt the price, but for castle defense fans, those who enjoy the Two Worlds series, or just anyone who enjoys a good fantasy-based tower defense game, this one's definitely worth checking out.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Two Worlds II Castle Defense originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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