Oct 1, 2008 Oct 3, 2008 Thursday October 2, 2008
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Apple releases iTunes & Apple TV updates
Posted by Dave MertenApple has just released software updates for both iTunes and Apple TV. iTunes 8.0.1 improves stability and performance, according to the release notes below. You can download the 58.5 MB file via OS X's Software Update.
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Apple releases iTunes 8.0.1
Yesterday Apple released a new version of iTunes that has the longest description of changes I've ever seen from the company. You can read the full copy here: iTunes 8 includes Genius, which makes playlists from songs in your library that go great together. Genius also includes Genius sidebar, which recommends music from the iTunes Store that you don't already have. With iTunes 8, browse your artists and albums visually with the new Grid view; download your favorite TV shows in HD quality from the iTunes Store; sync your media with iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic (120GB), and iPod touch (2nd generation); and enjoy a stunning new music visualizer. iTunes 8 and iTunes U are now accessible with VoiceOver on your Mac. iTunes 8.0.1 improves stability and performance and provides a number of important bug fixes, including: • Seamlessly plays the current song when creating a new Genius playlist. • Improves syncing spoken menus to iPod nano. • Addresses an issue of deleting HD TV episodes when downloading. • Improves checking for updates from the App Store • Improves accessibility with VoiceOver. • Addresses problems syncing Genius results to iPod. You can get the update now through Software Update…
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CodeWeavers beefs up Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge
Posted by Dennis SellersCodeWeavers says it's poised to provide free software for every American if President Bush's policies can help the Dow Jones Industrial Averages (DJIA) surpass its 2008 high of 13,058 by year's end.
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Myth 7: iPhone Buyers will Flock to Android
Daniel Eran Dilger Continuing upon the previous six iPhone myths, this one insists that Apple will lose its iPhone platform to Android as iPhone users defect to non-Apple phones seeking freedom and openness. That’s wrong, here’s why. iPhone Myths Five More iPhone Myths Myth 6: iPhone Developers will Flock to Android Myth 7: iPhone Buyers will Flock to Android . 7. iPhone [...]
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Apple TV update 2.2
Filed under: Software Update, Security, Apple TV Earlier tonight, Apple issued a Security Update for Apple TV. According to Apple, this update (version 2.2) fixes a bug in Apple TV that could allow a "maliciously crafted movie file may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution." This definitely doesn't sound good to us. It's not all boring security stuff; Apple also added a Genius playlist function. To access the Genius function, just hold down the play/pause button while a song is playing, and a popup menu will allow you to "Start Genius," or add to an on-the-go playlist. You can download this update by navigating to Settings > Update Software. Alternatively, Apple TV checks on a weekly basis for any new updates. If it finds an update, it will download, verify, and install the new update. You can read more about this update in this Apple support article.Have you found another feature of the update? Let us know by sharing in the comments below, or sending us a tip!Thanks JustinRead|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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AppleTV just got smarter... Genius!!
I haven't played with this extensively yet but apparently Apple has released an update for AppleTV that not only addresses a security issue that sits squarely in the "...as if" category, but also adds Genius playlist support. The Genius abilities are accessed by holding down the Play/Pause button on the remote while a song is playing, at which point a menu will appear offering you the opportunity to start Genius. [ Via TUAW ]
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Jon Friedman's Media Web: Why Bill O'Reilly should anchor a presidential debate
Presidential debates are such anticlimactic affairs, in which ultra-cautious candidates invariably fail to connect with millions of American voters watching at home. One idea to spice them up: Have Bill O'Reilly as moderator.
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Apress acquires rights to SpiderWorks books
Posted by Dennis SellersIT Professional book publisher Apress has announces the acquisition of the rights to best-selling titles Learn C on the Macintosh and Learn Objective-C on the Macintosh from SpiderWorks. The deal will see author and SpiderWorks CEO Dave Mark reshaping the acquired titles to become part of a “fresh, new-look Mac...
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30% off all Freeverse software until Oct 7th--HURRY!!
Don't say you were never told: from now until October 7th, Freeverse Software is offering a 30% discount on all the products in their online store! Not familiar with Freeverse Software? You probably are, but you just don't realize it or maybe you think they only make games. Check out these titles: Neon Tango Commander: Europe at War Heroes of Might and Magic V Big Bang Brain Games Sound Studio Lineform PulpMotion Think Periscope Comic Life To get the discount, be sure to enter in the coupon code MONTYMAIL when you check out. Don't forget! And get a move on: the discounts only last until October 7th.
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Apple updates MobileMe control panel for Windows
Filed under: Software Update, MobileMeToday, Apple updated the MobileMe control panel for Windows. Update 1.2 "provides better support for syncing a large number of contacts (more than 2,000) and prevents syncing of data between Microsoft Exchange Server and MobileMe, a configuration that is not supported."This control panel is required to use MobileMe syncing/iDisk on a Windows computer. This update requires Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2, or Windows Vista SP1 or later. You must have iTunes 8.0.1 or later installed. You can download this update from the Apple Support website.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Elder Gods is Blambots Free font for October
I bet it's hard for Blambot fontmaster, Nate Piekos, to decide how to best exemplify the Halloweenness of the month of October with a free font when he does so many fantastic and sometimes horrific fonts all year 'round. This October, Nate has created a font he calls Elder Gods and this is how he announces it to the world. Got your stuff packed? Clean underwear? Good, because the Elder Gods have awakened from their subterranean slumber, and you�re their new servant...FOREVER! Upper and lowercase font with a staggered baseline and it comes with Regular and Italic! Since fonts are like little programs on your machine, you should be pretty selective of who you chose to download fonts from--especially free fonts. I have no problem recommending Blambot fonts and I hope you will give the pro fonts (the ones you have to pay for) a try as well.
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Apple updates iTunes to 8.0.1
The recently released iTunes 8.0.1 update applies the obligatory "improved stability and performance" while also squashing a few nasty bugs. Here's the list of what's included and fixed fresh from Apple: Seamlessly plays the current song when creating a new Genius playlist. Improves syncing spoken menus to iPod nano. Addresses an issue of deleting HD TV episodes when downloading. Improves checking for updates from the App Store Improves accessibility with VoiceOver. Addresses problems syncing Genius results to iPod. To update your version of iTunes, launch and initiate your Software Update utility.
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Apple announces date for Q4 conference call
Filed under: Apple Financial, AppleEarlier this week, Apple announced that their fourth quarter financial conference call will take place on October 21st. The live audio stream will begin at 2PM Pacific time.We'll be liveblogging the call, so check back on the 21st for up-to-the-second information and analysis. Apple's stock took a significant dive last month, as did the rest of the market. Still, Apple's overall market share continues to be strong, and retail stores continue to open across the globe. It will be an interesting report.[Via MacNN]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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QuVIS, Paragon partner to help digital cinema content distribution
Posted by Dennis SellersParagon Software Group, which makes Mac cross-platform technology, has announced that QuVIS, a provider of high fidelity motion imaging technology, has selected its Universal File System Driver (UFSD) technology to embed within their new Wraptor DCP (Digital Cinema Package) mastering plug-in for Apple Final Cut Studio.
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Spiderweb Software announces 'October Sadness Sale'
Posted by Dennis SellersSpiderweb Software wishes everyone to know that they “feel very scared about current events.” To make everyone feel better the whole month of October, everything they sell is 10 percent off.
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iTunes 8.0.1 is available
Filed under: iTS, Software, iTunes, Software UpdateApple released iTunes version 8.0.1 earlier today. This update is 58.8MB in size, and features the following changes: Seamlessly plays the current song when creating a new Genius playlist. Improves syncing spoken menus to iPod nano. Addresses an issue of deleting HD TV episodes when downloading. Improves checking for updates from the App Store Improves accessibility with VoiceOver. Addresses problems syncing Genius results to iPod. That's quite a detailed release note from Apple! You can get your copy now via Software Update. Let us know if you experience any trouble.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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iTunes 8.0.1 fixes HD episode deletion issue and more
Apple released iTunes 8.0.1 Thursday, resolving a bunch of issues with the new iTunes ranging from the deletion of HD TV episodes to Genius playlist syncing. Read More...
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Royalty rate stays the same, iTunes Store still open
Filed under: Apple Corporate, iTSThe U.S. Copyright Royalty Board decided today to keep rates the same for digital music stores, kneecapping Apple's threat to shut down the iTunes Store rather than operate at a loss. The three-member board kept the royalty rate at 9.1 cents, and mandated a 24-cent rate for ringtones. The board has never before established mechanical rates for digital files. "We're pleased with the CRB's decision to keep royalty rates stable," said an unnamed Apple spokesman. The popularity of Eddy Cue's statement that Apple would shutter the iTunes Store apparently had an effect on the board. "Sure it was posturing," said a music industry source, according to CNET. "I don't think Apple would have gone out of business but a statement like that from the biggest music retailer is going to carry some weight." [Via CNET.]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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DrFirst releases iPhone-specific version of Rcopia prescribing app
Posted by Dennis SellersPhysicians across the US are now required to comply with the Medicaid Tamper Resistant Prescription Law of 2007, which is intended to reduce fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program.
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ViewSonic unveils three new projectors
Posted by Dennis SellersViewSonic has unveiled three lightweight projectors to satisfy the large-screen needs of education and enterprise users: the PJD6220, PJD6230 and PJD6240.
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Songwriters Get No Pay Raise
A government board has kept royalties at 9.1 cents a downloaded track.
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Hide in the Fetal Position - Fast Money Recap (10/2/08)
Recap of CNBC's Fast Money, Thursday October 2.Economically Sensitive Stocks - General Electric (GE), Goldman Sachs Group (GS)
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Official iPhone app for Obama '08 now in App Store
Filed under: iPhone, App StoreWe're officially a nonpartisan bunch here at TUAW (actually, quite partisan, but only for the Mac) but the announcement of an official iPhone application from the Obama campaign is still worthy of mention. Several high-profile iPhone devs & designers were involved in the project, including formerly-of-Tapulous Mike Lee, Louie Mantia and Tristan O'Tierney. Raven Zachary led the team that included Jonathan Wight and more, all volunteering to rush the app to completion.In addition to the obvious-but-cool features of the app (download news from the campaign, watch YouTube videos of speeches and endorsements), there is quite a bit of iPhone special sauce. Location awareness means you can see local events or find your nearest campaign office; a 'Call Friends' tool sorts your address book by priority, putting your contacts living in battleground states at the top of the list and letting you reach out to them with a single tap. Very sleek!Even though there isn't an official McCain campaign application for the iPhone, the App Store has plenty of election-themed apps for voters of either the red or blue persuasion. However you plan to make your voice heard this year, let us give you a gentle reminder that if you're an American citizen over 18, you need to make certain that you're registered to vote.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Playback Pack cases released for 2G iPod classic
Posted by Dennis SellersProporta's Playback Pack is now available for the 2G iPod classic (the 120GB model). It's made from a hard polycarbonate plastic and is designed to protect the iPod from knocks and scratches.
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Flickr's iPhone-friendly (beta) redesign
Flickr redesigned its mobile-optimized site with iPhone users in mind.
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It's Obama on the iPhone
The Obama iPhone application gets supporters to pitch the candidate to their friends and neighbors.
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Apple's deadline for iPhone push notification passes
In June, Apple promised to give developers a way to let their applications receive updates from the outside world even when they weren't running by September. It's October.
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65bit Software announces InDesign CS4 compatibility
Posted by Dennis Sellers65bit Software has announced that their products will be available for InDesign CS4 when it begins shipping later this year. The latest EasyCatalog module, the Relational Module, will also be available for InDesign CS4.
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★ The Fear
The NDA is dead, yes, and good riddance, but there remain serious problems with the way Apple is managing the App Store. It boggles my mind that there remain so many people who don’t see this. This piece by Dan Kimerling at TechCrunch is one example; various of the reader comments on Jason Snell’s piece for Macworld last week are another.1 One factor, perhaps, is the tendency to see everything in terms of extremes. Black or white, good or bad. But this debate is not about wanting Apple to make radical changes, such as, say, changing the iPhone from a closed platform to a more open platform a la Android. There are reasonable arguments to be made that a more open iPhone platform would be good not just for iPhone developers, but for Apple and its shareholders. But those arguments aren’t what this debate is about. This debate is about wanting Apple to make minor changes — a slight but very significant course correction. Put another way, this is not about the big picture scope of what kind of hypothetical App Store (or Stores, plural) Apple should have created. That train left the station long ago. This is about the specific details of the App Store that actually exists, and the rules that govern it. I believe that a closed, controlled App Store can work, but by definition that requires developers to place trust in Apple. The problem is that Apple is managing the App Store in certain untrustworthy ways. And I mean trust more in the sense of stability than honesty — like in the way you need to trust a ladder before you’ll climb it. Here is a complete list of what Apple must do to increase developers’ trust in the App Store system: State the rules. Follow the rules. That’s it. This is so clear that even those who are arguing the other side — that Apple’s App Store stewardship is just fine as it stands today — have jumped through hoops in an attempt to argue that Apple’s exclusion of Podcaster was in fact in accordance with the iPhone SDK Guidelines. Kimerling, in his “Stop Complaining About Apple and the App Store” piece, writes: When you create the platform, you set the rules. If Apple wants to restrict iPhone applications to those that do not compete with features built into the iPhone, well, they can go right ahead and do so. It is right in the SDK’s user agreement. That’s just not true. The iPhone SDK Agreement, at least by the standards of legal contracts, is written in clear, straightforward English. (Apple’s lawyers, in the opinion of yours truly at least, are good writers.) The rules it lays down are clear. And Podcaster doesn’t break any of them. Given any set of rules, there will always be edge cases. Judgment must be rendered, and, inevitably, some will feel edge cases were judged the wrong way. But the reason iPhone developers (and prospective iPhone developers) are appalled by Apple’s rejection of Podcaster and MailWrangler is that neither app was near any edge defined in the SDK guidelines. Podcaster was rejected for duplicating the podcast features in iTunes and the iPhone “iPod” app. MailWrangler was rejected on the following grounds: Your application duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application Mail without providing sufficient differentiation or added functionality, which will lead to user confusion. The word “duplicate”, in any conjugation, does not appear in the iPhone SDK Agreement. Not a word about it. And there is clearly no general rule about third-party apps duplicating the functionality of the iPhone’s built-in apps. PCalc, along with a handful of other calculator apps, duplicates every single feature of the built-in Calculator app. There are dozens of note-taking apps that compete with Notes; MagicPad goes so far as to use the same icon as Apple’s Notes app, just with different colors. There is an entirely category in the App Store — an entire category — for weather apps, several of which “duplicate” the entire functionality of the built-in Weather app. So, not only judging by the rules set forth in the iPhone SDK Agreement, but also by the existence proof of hundreds of apps currently published in the App Store that duplicate (which is really to say compete with) built-in iPhone apps, no reasonable person would have expected Podcaster or MailWrangler to be rejected. So their rejection is problematic on three fronts. First, the submission process is such that an app rejected at the conceptual level — one that cannot be tweaked or fixed to gain entry upon resubmission, but whose fundamental premise is rejected by Apple — such an app is only rejected after it has been written. The developer does all of the work to produce the app and only then finds out it was all for naught. Second, there are clearly rules which are not listed in the SDK guidelines. Third, in its explanations for the rejections, Apple is not stating what these actual unpublished rules are, and is instead offering as the reason this “it duplicates a built-in app” rule which, given all the aforementioned counterexamples that have been accepted into the App Store, isn’t actually a rule at all. The explanation is clearly false. Taken together, these three factors lead to The Fear, which is that developers cannot trust the App Store process. You can spend all of the time and effort it takes to build an app, follow every known rule, and still get rejected. From Apple’s perspective, especially, say, in upper management, it may be all too easy to look at what’s going on with the store — thousands of published apps, a ton of money changing hands — and not see the problem. In the big picture, from both a technical and marketing perspective, the App Store is a grand success. The problem is that the apps that are the most interesting, the most important, are the ones that take the most work to create. And the apps that take the most work to create are the ones that are most likely not even to be made in this environment, because the risk is greater. The more work it takes to create an app, the more you lose if Apple rejects it. Going back to the ladder analogy, the higher you’re trying to climb, the more you need to trust the ladder before you start. It’s not about a handful of developers who’ve had their apps rejected. It’s about all the other developers who are now spooked, and that the ones who are the most spooked are the ones who harbor the grandest, boldest, most innovative ideas. Interpolation Regarding a Theory on Which Apps Apple Won’t Allow Developers to Compete With In the absence of revised iPhone SDK Agreement from Apple, we can attempt to guess what the unpublished rules are. With Podcaster, for example, the “follow the money” rule of thumb leads to the conclusion that Apple will not allow any competition with iTunes, because iTunes is a profit source. This is why MailWrangler’s rejection is the one that puts The Fear in my heart. As unjust as the Podcaster rejection appears, if Apple really wants to prohibit competition with iTunes, even anti-competitively, you can at least see the thinking behind the decision. It’s foolish and unnecessary — the fact that iTunes is wide open to total competition on both Mac OS X and Windows hasn’t hurt it at all — and it also quite possibly invites some sort of legal challenge, but at least there is a logical idea behind it. But Mail? Why on earth should Apple care if some third-party email client for the iPhone becomes wildly popular? It makes no sense. iPhone users who use the built-in Mail app don’t pay extra to do so. Mail doesn’t tie users to Apple’s own MobileMe service. In fact, Mail offers specific setup help to work with Gmail, the service MailWrangler is optimized for. If you can make a replacement for Notes and Weather and Calendar, why not Mail? I have a theory. It is more, well, emotional than logical. But it’s the only theory I can think of that makes any sense at all and fits the available evidence. The theory is that there is an unpublished rule that Apple — and in this case, where by “Apple” I really mean “Steven P. Jobs” — will not publish third-party apps that compete with or replace any of the four apps in the iPhone’s default “dock”: Phone, Mail, Safari, and iPod. Go back to Jobs’s original iPhone introduction at Macworld Expo 2007. It was a masterful presentation. Carmine Gallo, writing for BusinessWeek, calls it Jobs’s greatest presentation; I agree. Gallo describes the moment it was unveiled: After laying the groundwork, Jobs builds up to the new device by teasing the audience: “Today, we are introducing three revolutionary products. The first is a wide-screen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary new mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device.” Jobs continues to build tension. He repeats the three devices several times then says, “Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device … today Apple is going to reinvent the phone!” The crowd goes wild. This “three revolutionary products” pitch was inordinately effective. For one thing, live, in the hall, Jobs completely fooled the crowd, yours truly included. But then as he repeated the three product ideas over and over, while icons representing the three products rotated behind him on screen, faster and faster, it started dawning on us how we’d been tricked. By the time Jobs came out and said that it was just one device that encompassed all three products, everyone in Moscone West had come to that conclusion on their own — a nifty little way of making the crowd feel clever, as though we’d figured out a riddle. But this pitch also worked because it was true. All three of those products sound good on their own. All three in one device sounds insanely great. Jobs was introducing the iPhone simply by describing precisely what it was. A phone, a widescreen video iPod, and a breakthrough Internet communicator. The icons in the iPhone’s default dock represent the core functionality of the device. Phone, Email, Web, iPod. With nothing other than those four apps, the iPhone still would have been a hit. Not as great, but, still, great. Everything else the iPhone’s built-in apps do could be done, to some extent, through Safari: notes, calendars, weather, maps, stocks. There are a few minor exceptions. SMS is one example, but that’s really just an adjunct to the Phone app. Anything that relates to the phone network — voice or SMS — is unavailable through the third-party iPhone SDK anyway. You couldn’t write your own SMS app even if you wanted to. (Apple clearly has no problem with competing chat apps — there are several IM clients available in the App Store. That’s the same basic concept as SMS, but using IP networking.) And so my guess is that while there may not be any logic, there’s at least a notion, if only in Jobs’s mind, that these four apps are sacrosanct because they define the iPhone. Everything else, both from Apple and from App Store developers, is piffle, secondary to those four apps. Harry McCracken’s recent iPhone user survey indicates that iPhone users agree that those four apps comprise the most-used features of the iPhone. But the least essential of the four is Mail. You cannot place phone calls or play music and video from your personal iTunes library using a web browser, but can read and send email through it.2 Millions of people do just that every day, including, I’m sure, many of you reading this essay. And Google’s iPhone-optimized version of Gmail shows just how well it can be done. It’s not just good for web-based mail, it’s just good, period. And so this idea that Apple seems to have that Mail is particularly special is misguided. The Phone and iPod apps are special, because at a fundamental level they perform tasks that cannot be duplicated in a web app. But there’s nothing any more special about Mail than there is about, say, Calendar. Calendar, if anything, is more closely tied to Apple’s proprietary and commercial MobileMe service — Mail works great with any IMAP server, including Gmail, but Calendar only works for online syncing with MobileMe or Exchange. But Apple doesn’t seem to have any problem allowing Calendar competitors into the App Store. Notes Calendar is a $3 Lotus Notes calendaring client. Exchange Remote Calendar is a $10 is a $10 calendaring client for Exchange. If these are OK, why not a dedicated Gmail email client? The only explanation is that Mail is deemed untouchable and Calendar is not. The real test would be for someone to write a dedicated Google Calendar iPhone app — but given what happened to MailWrangler, it might be hard to find someone willing to try it. In short, my theory is that Mail is on the do-not-compete list not because there’s any strategic reason for Apple to do so, but simply because of a vague notion that Mail is one of the iPhone’s defining apps. This notion is wrong. Mail is important, but there’s nothing about it that needs to be protected from competition. End of Interpolation, Back to the Three Problems, Which, Due to the Grotesque Length of the Above Interpolation, I Will Remind You Are: (1) App Ideas Are Rejected Only After the Apps Are Actually Built; (2) There Exist Secret Unpublished Rules Regarding What Is Allowed; and (3) When Apps Are Rejected for Violating the Unpublished Rules, Apple Refuses to State Just What These Rules Are One thing that would make a difference would be a submission process whereby developers could submit their application ideas to Apple in advance, to find out if they’re OK. That’s how it works on game platforms from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft — developers submit a detailed proposal and wait until they get the green light before actually building the game. That sounds good, but there are problems with the idea. For developers, it would require an additional level of trust in Apple. Ideas are less valuable than actual implementations, but the more original an idea is, the less comfortable you are to share it. And for Apple, it would require significantly more work. They’d still need to examine and approve the actual shipping applications, but now they’d also have to examine and consider application proposals. The world’s hard drives are littered with abandoned unfinished software projects — there would surely be far more proposals submitted for consideration than there are actual iPhone applications. As it stands today, Apple is already struggling mightily to keep up with the work of approving new and updated application submissions — the typical turnaround time is between one to two weeks. Perhaps Apple could offer this as a service limited to ADC Select ($499) or even Premier ($3,499) members. The service is needed most by the developers who are considering the biggest apps, most of whom either are already paid ADC members or wouldn’t bat an eyelash at the cost of joining. It wouldn’t be democratic, but it might make it feasible. Platforms like Wii and Xbox ship maybe a few dozen titles a month, tops. The App Store has published 3,500 titles in just three months. (And it costs far more to join the developer programs for gaming consoles than the $100 iPhone SDK fee.) More important, though, is for Apple to address problems 2 and 3, by publishing in the iPhone SDK Agreement all of the rules they’re using to evaluate applications. If we’re not allowed to write email or podcast clients, say so. If something unforeseen comes up, Apple should make a decision, and then publish the new rule. Rules you disagree with are frustrating. Rules you don’t know about are scary. I will also note that, to my knowledge, not a single published iPhone developer has spoken out in favor of the App Store’s current rejection policies. Those developers who have spoken are against it. Those who see no problem are not themselves iPhone developers.↩ Even if Apple were to come to its senses and allow third-party developers to write competing email clients, the built-in Mail app would hold one significant technical advantage, which is that it runs in the background. In fact, background processing is the one factor that unites the four dock apps. Phone, Mail, Safari, and iPod all continue running the background; no other apps, including those from Apple, do.↩
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No Blu-ray on Macs... and no one cares
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Multimedia, Apple, MacBook, Mac ProDanny Gorog at APC Magazine has written a really nice analysis of something that's rather strange when you think about it -- why aren't there any high definition DVD drives on Macs yet? It has been asked for by a few folks, but by and large, Apple has pretty much ignored the whole high definition debate. And even now, when we supposedly have a winner in Blu-ray, Apple hasn't pulled the trigger, and consumers, as Gorog notes, haven't even really cared much.In fact, across the entire PC market there's not a lot of wholehearted support for Blu-ray or any major high definition formats. It's not that DVDs are "good enough" -- HDTVs are selling by the truckloads -- it's more that consumers, apparently, just don't want to settle on another format. And that may be the key to this whole thing -- Apple has a vested interest in selling content, and implementing some other content producer's format into their machines will take away from their best HD content channel yet: iTunes.And customers, happy to not have to buy yet another permanent format of their favorite movies, may be satisfied with having no next-generation disc format. I, like many users, have already watched tons of HD video without ever having bought a Blu-ray disc. If Apple doesn't need the drives to deliver the same quality content, why should they bother?Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Nokia Dives Into Touchscreen Melee With XpressMusic Handset
Nokia introduced its first big touchscreen phone in London Thursday: the 5800 XpressMusic, formerly known as the "Tube." While Nokia isn't positioning the phone outright as an iPhone killer, it certainly shares some similarities of the popular Apple device -- and one that really jabs at Apple's strength: music. While Apple has iTunes and its easy integration with iPhone and iPods, Nokia's 5800 will rock with the company's Comes With Music service, which will offer one year of unlimited access all the music in Nokia's Music Store catalog.
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Royalty Rate Doesn’t Change for Apple, Music Retailers
CNet: The group representing music publishers had sought a per-song rate boost from 9.1 cents to 15 cents, a 66 percent increase. Certainly, nobody can predict what Apple will do, but at this point, it looks as if the company got what it wanted. In short, Apple won. ★
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'MacVoices' looks at Drive Genius 2.1
Posted by Dennis SellersOn the new MacVoices Gordon Bell of Prosoft Engineering explains Drive Slimming in Drive Genius 2.1.
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Track the Presidential election polls with your iPhone
While you may not be able to watch tonight’s V.P. debate on your iPhone, you can sure keep up with the polls. Poll Tracker ‘08 (iTunes link US$0.99) is an iPhone application that’s a dream for election junkies and politicos of all stripes. Poll Tracker ‘08 is an iPhone application that follows all of the state-by-state [...]
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Ballmer channels 1985, suggests Apple split iPhone hardware and OS
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, OS, iPhoneSteve Ballmer is imitating his CEO predecessor by suggesting that Apple separate its iPhone hardware from OS X, according to Ars Technica. Nokia leads the smartphone market today with about a 30 percent share, he said. "If you want to reach more than that, you have to separate the hardware and software in the platform," he said in an discussion forum with the Churchill Club, a Silicon Valley business and technology group. In 1985, Bill Gates approached Apple (and its then-CEO, John Sculley) with prospects in hand to convince it to license Mac OS to third-party vendors. As we all know, that didn't happen (at least not with Microsoft as a partner), keeping the bond tight between Apple hardware and software. Microsoft wound up doing it themselves with Windows. The idea that Ballmer thinks other companies should be more like Microsoft isn't shocking at all; in fact, what else was the man supposed to say? Like Jobs with Apple, Ballmer's talks and interviews wield a great deal of influence on Microsoft's stock price. If he said anything other than what he did, MSFT would have taken a hit. As CEO, that's unconscionable. Continue reading Ballmer channels 1985, suggests Apple split iPhone hardware and OSRead|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Mac developers volunteer to create Obama '08 iPhone app
A group of talented developers and designers with vast contributions to the Apple ecosystem have come together to create an iPhone application for their political candidate of choice, and for free. This kind of collaboration makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Read More...
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ChangeWave Research: consumer spending slowdown catches Apple
Posted by Dennis Sellers Apple suddenly finds itself in a vulnerable position, just as the latest ChangeWave consumer survey shows another big leg downward for the beleaguered U.S. consumer. ChangeWave's September 16-26 survey of 4,262 consumers focused on computer spending – and it shows Apple's real problem isn't Mac sales for the previous 90...
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GTS World Racing on sale
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch One of my favorite racing games for iPhone / iPod touch is GTS World Racing from Handmark and Astraware. If you haven't loaded this fun app on your pocket pal, you might want to race over to the App Store before October 19th since GTS World Racing is on sale (click opens iTunes) for $2.99.This action-filled race game features a number of different cars, countries, and tracks, and uses the accelerometer to control the speed and direction of the car. It's a much more realistic racing game than Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D or Cro-Mag RallyFor more info about the app, including a movie showing the game in action, check out our August preview of GTS World Racing.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Oct. 2 'Macsimum Podcast' now available
Posted by Dennis SellersThe Macsimum Podcast for Oct. 1 is now available here and the RSS feed is here.
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Nissan's Nuvu: electric, cartoonish
Filed under: Transportation Nissan's Nuvu is making its debut this week at the Paris motor show, and while it isn't the all-electric vehicle that the company has promised for 2010, it's a step in the right direction. Resembling something from a Pixar movie, the Nuvu has that special mix of "vaguely futuristic" and "somewhat impractical" that we look for in a concept car: it's less than ten feet long, seats three (un)comfortably and the space behind the driver is claimed by what looks like an end table with a conduit extending to the ceiling. Many of the cabin materials are either recycled or made from organic materials and since the vehicle is electric, it should be whisper quiet -- offering maximum clarity for your Medeski, Martin and Wood CDs. More photos at the read link.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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iPhone more popular than Amazon's Kindle for reading eBooks
Posted by Dennis SellersThe iPhone is more popular than Amazon.com's Kindle (pictured) when it comes to reading eBooks, according to Forbes. Stanza, a book reading application offered in the Apple App Store since July, has been downloaded more than 395,000 times and continues to be installed at an average rate of about 5,000...
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FlatOut 2 races onto the Mac
Posted by Dennis SellersVirtual Programming has released the Mac version of FlatOut 2, a racing title from Bugbear Entertainment. The game focuses on reckless driving and destruction, allowing players to ram enemy vehicles, smash objects in the environment, and engage in a variety mini-game stunts, according to Inside Mac Games.
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Apple finds no evidence of benzene in Mac Pros
Apple has investigated a claim from a French researcher that Mac Pros are emitting benzene and other volatile compounds. So far, the company has found no evidence to support the claim.Read More...
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News: Copyright Royalty Board leaves download royalties unchanged
he Copyright Royalty Board has issued new guidelines which leave the royalty rate for digital downloads at 9.1 cents per song sold. As a panel of three federal judges that sets the royalty rates paid by record labels to music publishers and songwriters for the sale of CDs or digital downloads, the Board had been under pressure from the National Music Publishers Association to raise the rate to as high as 15 cents per song, a proposal that Apple had…
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Broadcom dips its chips in Skyhook WiFi positioning tech
Filed under: GPS, WirelessSkyhook's WiFi positioning service hasn't really appeared in many devices despite its high-profile usage in the iPhone, but now it looks like it's set to become downright ubiquitous -- Broadcom is planning on building it directly into its extremely popular WiFi chipsets. Just like Skyhook's deal with SiRF, the idea is to use WiFi positioning to supplement GPS in mobile devices, allowing location-based services to function indoors and in densely-built cities where GPS doesn't always work well. No word on when we might see any devices with Skyhook-enabled chips in them, but given Broadcom's reach in the market, we'd guess it won't be too long.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Watch tonight’s bebate on your mobile; just not on the iPhone
If you are on the go tonight and don’t want to miss the Vice Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin you can watch it on your mobile phone. But only if it’s on Verizon. If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer there are two ways you can watch tonight’s debate from St. Louis: V CAST video: [...]
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CS4U: lynda.com CS4 University
Posted by Dave MertenSneak peeks are now available for a variety of Creative Suite 4 applications, including samples from both the New Features and Getting Started series.
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Royalty rate doesn't change for Apple, music retailers
The Copyright Royalty Board freezes the rate that download stores such as Apple's iTunes must pay music publishers at 9 cents per song. The labels had been seeking 16 cents per song.
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InstantAction now available for Mac gamers
Posted by Dennis SellersInstantAction, a web site for gamers that “combines the intensity of videogames with the accessibility of the web,” has announced the introduction of the InstantAction open beta for Mac OS X users. Mac gamers can register and play Rokkitball, Marble Blast Online, Think Tanks and the new FPS, Fallen Empire:...
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'Macsimum Recommended Reading' for Oct. 2
Posted by Dennis Sellers“Apple: A Product Plateau? There are only so many world-changing products a company can create, but there's still plenty of room for Apple to extend established product lines”—Business Week
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Faulty iBook/PowerBook power adapter list expanded
The list of those PowerBooks and iBooks sold with faulty power adapters has been expanded, according to the power adapter settlement website. Check it out and file your claim if you, too, experienced sparks while on your old Mac portables. Read More...
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Apple Gazette Daily 358 - Android rant
podcast sponsor link:Click Here to check out Blogflux Groups! Today's Show: Android rant! You can subscribe via iTunes, or by RSS feed, or… you can listen to the episode right here: In addition to that, you can also download the Apple Gazette Daily Widget and listen to every episode of the show right on your Dashboard. Click Here to download.
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Zippo, Moderati introduce Virtual Zippo Lighter for iPhone, iPod touch (video demo)
Posted by Dennis SellersZippo Manufacturing Company and Moderati have released the Virtual Zippo Lighter, a free, branded application available at the Apple App Store for the iPhone and the iPod touch. Pretty much an advertising gimmick, it brings the look and feel of Zippo's iconic lighter to the devices.
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Kiwi — Wikipedia Client for iPhone
Red Rome Logic’s Kiwi is a nice Wikipedia client for the iPhone. Article content is far more readable than the usual Wikipedia web pages, and Kiwi also allows you to save pages on your device for offline access. Normally $3, developer Tim Ritchey has dropped the price to $1 through this weekend in celebration of the end of the NDA. ★
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Escape Studios launches new online learning tool
Posted by Dennis SellersStudents now have access to training in Autodesk Maya at the click of a mouse, with the launch of Escape Studios' computer graphics (CG) online learning tool. It's designed for a wide range of students—from beginners to seasoned production professionals.
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First Look: Spreadsheet for iPhone
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App StoreSoftalk, a UK development firm known for their messaging and productivity solutions, has released the first iPhone spreadsheet application. The application has the really original name Spreadsheet, costs US$7.99, and is available now from the App Store (click opens iTunes). The first release features over 50 functions and the ability to email spreadsheets created on the iPhone to Mac or PC for further editing. The function list includes:Date/time functions -- DATE, DATEADD, DAY, DAYABBREV, DAYNAME, HOUR, LASTDAY, MINUTE, MONTH, MONTHABBREV, MONTHNAME, NOW, SECOND, TIME, TODAY, YEAR General functions -- COL, COUNT, ROW Math function -- ABS, CEILING, EVEN, EXP, FACTORIAL, FLOOR, LOG, LOG10, MAX, MIN, ODD, POWER, ROUND, SQRT, SUM Statistical functions -- AVE, MEDIAN, MODE String functions -- CONCATENATE, LEFT, LOWER, MID, RIGHT, UPPER Trignometry functions -- ACOS, ASIN, ATAN, COS, COSH, PI, SIN, SINH, TAN, TANH The initial App Store reviews of Spreadsheet aren't exactly glowing, which is why TUAW will be doing a detailed review in the near future.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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'Designing a Logo Hands-On Workshop' from lynda.com (video tutorials)
Posted by Dave MertenA great logo is often basic, composed only of essential parts, but simple is not always easy. Designer Nigel French distills over a decade of professional design and teaching experience in Designing a Logo Hands-On Workshop. He discusses the principles and techniques of what makes a logo work, and explains...
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Android Market will offer free trials, but not free bandwidth
Filed under: Cellphones Apple's App Store, with its millions of downloads, is clearly a hit with consumers. But with developers? Not so much. Like a dashing hero to a scorned mistress, Google's Andy Rubin is pledging a different, more loving and respectful relationship with those who would fill his company's Android Market with selections -- and his pockets with royalties. He indicates that the Market will enable free downloadable trials, something that Apple is stubbornly refusing to add, and that those downloads would not be subject to any arbitrary bandwidth caps. Meanwhile, T-Mobile at least will be levying a $2/month fee on developers of free apps expected to use more than the (somewhat arbitrary) amount of 15MB of data per user per month, though how they'll be keeping track of that data outside of their own content stack is unclear -- our guess is that they can't.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Obama for iPhone
Billed as “your official, comprehensive connection to the heart of Barack Obama and Joe Biden's campaign,” Obama's campaign today released an official election application for the iPhone and iPod touch. This marks the first sanctioned application release from either side in the American presidential race, though several unofficial apps of varying utility have previously been available. It's immediately clear upon launch that the application was not rushed, but was actually developed with care and attention to detail. The UI is clean and attractive (despite the Windows-ish color scheme) and the action is snappy. It was clearly developed with two key aims in mind: promote all things Obama and encourage you to do the same. The app is innovative in that it goes beyond being simply an information delivery tool. Instead it uses the unique capabilities of the iPhone platform to attempt to make campaigners out of anyone who downloads it. The first option you're presented with is “Call Friends,” which searches your contact list and prioritizes your friends and associates based on whether or not their state is considered a key battleground. You can then call them directly from the list to attempt to sway their vote. (more…)
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'Designing Business Cards Hands-On Workshop' from lynda.com (video tutorials)
Posted by Dave MertenA successful business card design needs to be both professional and functional. It might be the first piece of branding someone sees relating to a company, so it should make a positive impression. Designer Nigel French shares his techniques and experience in Designing Business Cards Hands-On Workshop.
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It's Not Just Software, Hardware Is Looking Soft Too
It's not just software. Hardware shares are taking a beating Thursday, as investors grow increasingly worried about the prospects for Q3 earnings - and Q4 guidance. Shebly Seyrafi, an analyst now with Calyon Securities (his last stop was at Caris) Thursday warned that channel checks find hardware demand hit “an air pocket” starting in early September. He notes that international economics have weakened in recent weeks, that many hardware companies did not see the usual back-to-school pick up in demand, and that the financial sector has “noticeably worsened.”
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Nokia reveals their iPhone rival - and it is priced to compete
Nokia today announced their first touch-screen phone - and frankly - they threw the gloves off and came out swinging for Apple's iPhone. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is a nice looking phone that has a resistive touch screen and a 640 x 360 display. Engadget have already had their hands on it and their review compares it directly to the iPhone. Based on their comments, its clear that the phone isn't quite as impressive as the iPhone in performance and overall build quality - but it certainly doesn't look like a terrible touch screen phone. The real reason for the “gloves coming off” comment is not because the phone looks superior to the iPhone - it doesn't. It does however, look comparable to the iPhone..and its priced WAY cheaper. In fact, for many customers signing up for a 2-year contract the Nokia WILL BE FREE. In a time of economic uncertainty some customers may be very interested in getting an iPhone-like experience without having to drop an additional $199. Now before any of you start spewing hatred at me for being an iPhone hater…just stop it. The Nokia 5800 is not going to destroy the iPhone - and no one here is suggesting that it is. What this is, though, and what's encouraging here, is that Nokia is pulling out all the stops and making their own touch screen phone one worth looking at. Competition is the key to innovation, and seeing Nokia create a phone like this, for a price this cheap ($395 unsubsidized…which, again…could make it FREE for people under new contracts) is a great sign.
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Ask TUAW: Apple TV, Blu-ray on the Mac, solving SIMBL problems, and more
Filed under: Features, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAWFor this Ask TUAW we'll be considering questions about the Apple TV, MobileMe from addresses, Blu-ray on the Mac, automatically converting video formats, SIMBL plugin problems and more.As always, your suggestions are most welcome, and questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X, as certain answers will vary between different Macs and Tiger vs. Leopard, etc. (we'll assume you're running Leopard if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions!Continue reading Ask TUAW: Apple TV, Blu-ray on the Mac, solving SIMBL problems, and moreRead|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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iStock 1.5 available with new look, new localizations, more
Posted by Dennis Sellersdanholt4mac has released iStock 1.5, an update of the stock and portfolio management tool for Mac OS X. The upgrade offers a completely overhauled graphical user interface with a customizable toolbar.
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HSC Edit for Aperture adds image resizing tweak
Posted by Dennis SellersHuman Software has updated HSC Edit for Aperture (Apple's software for pro photographers) to version 1.5. HSC Edit is an edit plug-in to Apple Aperture that offers more than 4,000 effects to apply on one or a set of images.
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How to Back Up Your Mac with Time Machine
read more
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A Touch of Cocoa: Inside the iPhone SDK
Solid overview of the iPhone SDK by John Timmer. ★
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Native Instruments releases Reaktor Animated Circuits
Posted by Dennis SellersNative Instruments has just released Reaktor Animated Circuits, a new, US$59 Kore Soundpack that explores the world of self-generating soundscapes, textures and rhythms.
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Adobe Illustrator CS4 feature tour (video)
Posted by Dave MertenAdobe has published a number of product feature tours that preview the new Creative Suite 4.0. Below is a video tour of Illustrator CS4 to help familiarize yourself with the product.
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Apple patent involves non-linear text flow
Posted by Dennis SellersAn Apple patent (number 20080238927) involving non-linear text flow has appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office.
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Obama campaign unleashes iPhone app
The official Obama ‘08 iPhone application (iTunes link) was launched this morning and is designed to help people become more directly involved in the Illinois Senator’s presidential campaign. The app has a Call Your Friends feature that organizes your contacts by key battleground states and adds a field for notes on who you called, who they [...]
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Surfin' Safari, ignoring IE
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, InternetBloggin' buddy Jeff Gamet over at The Mac Observer provided an analysis of Web browser market share today that showed Apple's Safari gaining while Microsoft Internet Explorer's piece of the proverbial pie is still getting smaller.The numbers, reported from Market Share, show a slight increase for Safari from 6.37% of the browser world in August to 6.65% in September. On the other hand, Internet Explorer started with 72.15% of the market, and ended September at 71.52%. While that change seems infinitesimal, readers should note that IE's share has been steadily dropping over time.Firefox actually dropped in market share during September, down from 19.75% to 19.46%. Google's Chrome browser, which first appeared in September, has only grabbed 0.78% of the market so far.What does this all mean? Not much, when looking at just one month of data. However, the long-term trend is indicating that Safari and Firefox continue to gain market share steadily at Internet Explorer's expense.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Macgamestore offers Clue Classic Mac game
Posted by Dennis SellersClue Classic for the Mac is now available at Macgamestore. It's a casual game developed with Hasbro and GamesCafe, and published by RealGames.
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Apple patent is for info-presenting cursor
Posted by Dennis SellersAn Apple patent (number 20080244460) for a cursor for presenting information regarding a target has appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office. The invention relates generally to presenting information within a cursor, and more particularly to techniques for presenting information, within a cursor, about a target represented by an...
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Obama ’08: The Official iPhone and iPod Touch Application
Official iPhone app from the Obama campaign, designed as a tool for people who want to get involved in the campaign. Written by a team of crackerjack Cocoa developers. ★
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Some free hosting sites you might check out
Posted by Daniel EastNow that AOL Hometown is closing down as of Oct. 11, Macsimum News thought we'd help out those who have their sites with AOL by listing some other free hosting.
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Apple notebooks picked up one-third of summer retail dollars
According to NPD sales data from June and July, Windows laptops bought during that period accounted for 80 percent of the laptop market, but only accounted for 65 percent of the total spending. That's because Apple and its higher prices are bringing in a larger chunk of the bling, although the company may have to explore cheaper products in the future.Read More...
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Apple finds no evidence of Mac Pro toxic gas claim
Posted by Dennis SellersApple has found “no evidence” to justify a claim that new Macs are releasing toxic gases, it said yesterday.
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Working with Stationary in Mail
If you’re anything like me, you use Mail, the all-purpose email application for Mac OS X, about 100 times a day. Most of the messages you send and receive are probably the vanilla-text email variety, with a few HTML emails thrown in for good measure. Wouldn’t it be great if you could add some pizazz to your own emails, without having to learn HTML? read more
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Why Psystar should be supported
Don Reisinger thinks we should support Psystar in its battle with Apple. Should we?
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A great reason to jailbreak: tethering
Everyone probably remembers the mythical NetShare iPhone tethering app that was released briefly by NullRiver. It vanished from the App Store at the end of July when Apple pulled it without explanation. Apple and AT&T are rumored to be discussing tethering, but as of yet no plans have been announced. Another iPhone tethering solution exists today [...]
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First Looks: iFrogz Silicone Wrapz for iPod nano 4G
Available in 10 colors -- all of the nano rainbow, plus clear -- iFrogz' new Silicone Wrapz ($10) is a simple rubber case for the fourth-generation iPod nano. Treated with an anti-dust finish, the company explains, our samples arrived with no included screen or Click Wheel protection. You can purchase a sticker-styled Click Wheel cover for an additional $3 with the case; it's unclear whether screen film is actually being included or not....
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GiantCrayon Games releases GiantCrayon SudokuArcade
Posted by Dennis SellersGiantCrayon Games releases GiantCrayon SudokuArcade, a game that combines falling blocks, a ticking clock and the brain puzzles of Sudoku. It works on Mac OS X 10.5.x (“Leopard”) and retails for $9.95.
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Number of eligible claimants expands in iBook, PowerBook adapter case
Posted by Dennis Sellers The number of eligible claimants in the settlement of a lawsuit against Apple has expanded, according to the firm of Rosenthal & Company in the case of “Gordon v. Apple.” The lawsuit claims that power adapters shipped with iBooks and PowerBooks could spark or quit working.
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Samsung's SWC-E100 XOHM WiMAX ExpressCard gets reviewed
Filed under: WirelessNow that Sprint's XOHM service is officially live in downtown Baltimore (and working in cars, phew!), how's about taking a look at the card that's handling the magic? Samsung's SWC-E100 ExpressCard, which was conveniently leaked by Sprint early last month, is a "simple, inexpensive" card that does a more-than-adequate job at placing you on the mobile broadband superhighway. Reviewers at PC Mag dubbed it a "solid first effort from Samsung for getting laptops onto Sprint's fast XOHM WiMAX network," and while the card "worked as advertised," the inability to work with EV-DO or any non-WiMAX protocol was sort of a downer. Furthermore, the card won't play nice with OS X and there's no external antenna port, but they do bundle a potentially important extra: a PC Card slot adapter for users with aging laptops. Bottom line? Not too shabby for $59.99 sans contract.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Pragmatic Programmers revives iPhone development book
After canceling an iPhone development book last week, the company has put the book back in production now that Apple has rescinded the NDA for released versions of the iPhone OS.Read More...
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Apple asks for lawsuit dismissal with 'prejudice'
Apple is asking the judge presiding over the company's lawsuit against Psystar to dismiss the cloner's antitrust lawsuit "with prejudice." IGM notes that a motion to dismiss is a very normal part of the lawsuit process. Asking to dismiss "with prejudice" is a little more severe, but not necessarily uncommon, and if the motion is granted it would make it impossible for Psystar to re-file the case in the future. "Defendant Psystar Corporation is knowingly infringing Apple's copyrights and trademarks, and inducing others to do the same. ... In an obvious attempt to divert attention from its unlawful actions, Psystar asserts deeply flawed antitrust counterclaims designed to have this Court force Apple to license its software to Psystar, a direct competitor. The Court should reject Psystar's efforts to excuse its copyright infringement, and dismiss these Counterclaims with prejudice," Apple's lawyers wrote in a court filing September 30. The next hearing in the trial is schedule for November 6, when judge William Alsup will hear the motion for dismissal. [Via ZDNet and MacsimumNews.]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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PDO ships Sleek Crystal Case for iPhone 3G, announces cases for new iPod models
Posted by Dennis SellersPDOis releasingthe US$24.99 Sleek Crystal Case (shown) forthe iPhone 3G.It's a hard protective case made of clear polycarbonate material that features press-thrurubber covers for the power button and volume switch.
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First Looks: Kensington Power Port Mount for iPhone and iPod
As one of the more unusual mounting solutions we've seen, Kensington's Power Port Mount for iPhone and iPod ($30) attempts only to mount your device in a power port, rather than also trying to charge it. It therefore provides a pass-through power port of its own, so that you can connect a separate charger you may already have, or want to match with the mount. Kensington uses one of its older universal device cradles along with a flexible gooseneck…
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First Looks: Kensington Dash Mount for iPhone and iPod
Based upon the same universal iPod cradle found in its older car mounting accessories, Kensington's Dash Mount for iPhone and iPod ($30) now uses a plastic jointed arm that can be locked into a position of your choice. A suction cup attaches to your dashboard, with or without an included adhesive plate that can be attached to help provide stability for the Mounting system....
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Netflix “Watch Instantly” coming to Mac by year end
One of the best features of a Netflix subscription is the “Watch Instantly” service where you can watch any of their online titles for free online with the click of a few buttons. It's a great feature that they're expanding to the Xbox 360, select DVD players and digital boxes, and now - thankfully - to the Mac. One of the only reasons I have Windows on my Mac (via VM Ware Fusion) is for when I had a Netflix subscription. I recently cancelled it because I was tired of having to load Windows to use this feature - which I found myself using far more than the actual DVD rentals. Yesterday, though, Netflix posted something on their blog about the development of a Mac version of the Watch Instantly service - which should be available by the end of the year. When they get it up and running - I'll be re-subscribing to the service…assuming the Mac player works.
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Just released: 'Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac Essential Training' (demo tutorials)
Posted by Dave MertenIn Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac Essential Training, author Ted LoCascio teaches casual photographers how to organize, edit, and share their digital image libraries using this powerful software package from Adobe. He tours the included Adobe Bridge application, used for importing and organizing photographs, and explores every feature of Elements...
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Big Nerd Ranch Europe offers iPhone Bootcamp in December
Posted by Dennis SellersBig Nerd Ranch Europe, a provider of training classes for programmers and system administrators, is offering the iPhone Bootcamp Dec. 8-12 in Frankfurt, Germany. The five-day class, taught by Alexander von Below, looks at the integral components of iPhone development and emerge fully skilled in the ability to develop complex...
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23 launches Visualblog, a photo/video blogging tool
Posted by Dennis Sellers23 is introducing Visualblog, a new hosted blogging service that allows you to “have a photo/video blog up and running in minutes and push-button easy publishing of your photos/videos with one click.”
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Steve Ballmer Recommends Apple Separate iPhone Hardware and Software Businesses
I’m sure they’ll get right on that. ★
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Scott Adams: The unexpected economist
Featured links from the CNET Blog Network Scott Adams: The unexpected economist--Dilbert cartoonist is making significant personal contributions to discourse on the economy, but he needs to learn how to distinguish good arguments from bad ones. Ubuntu misses the memo on Stallman's cloud computing rant--When choosing an IT system, you don't choose what will be most profitable for your vendor. You choose what works, and SaaS and open source "just work." Where's the artist outcry over record labels?--Musicians are taking Apple to task for its call to reduce royalty rates. Maybe it's time they start pointing fingers at the record labels too. Fujitsu to sell hard drive unit to Western Digital?--Company will sell its hard disk drive business to Western Digital, according to a Japan-based report.
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First Looks: Speck Fitted Case for iPhone 3G
As one of the smarter cases we've seen this year, Speck's new Fitted Case for iPhone 3G ($30) combines fashionable fabric exteriors with an iPhone 3G-covering plastic hardshell. Three different patterns are available, including pinstripes, houndstooth, and plaid, each looking quite nice in person. Sadly, no screen protection is included with any of the cases....
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'setteB.IT': iPhone 3G goes on sale in Russia Oct. 3
Posted by Dennis SellersBy Fabio M. Zambelli MTS, Beeline and MegaFon have officially announced the availability of the iPhone 3G in Russia starting tomorrow, Oct. 3. At least MTS will begin to sell the iPhone at midnight in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg.
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First Looks: Speck PixelSkin for iPod nano 4G + iPod touch 2G
Available in different sizes for the iPod nano 4G ($20) and iPod touch 2G (TBA), Speck's new PixelSkin is based heavily upon the same-named case for the iPhone 3G, and its ArmorSkin predecessors for earlier iPods. Distinctive is its wraparound blocky rubber texture, which stops at the face and leaves holes for the screen and controls. Sadly, no screen protectors are included with these cases. Speck is offering the iPod nano version in 9 different…
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Mac 101: Stop drives from showing on desktop
Filed under: Mac 101 Some people hate having any icons showing on their desktop. If you are one of those people, then you might not want icons showing for attached disks, hard drives, or iPods. Here's how to get rid of these annoying icons. Open Finder preferences by clicking "Finder" in the menu bar and selecting preferences (or by pressing command + , while in a Finder window or first clicking on the desktop). Once there, click the General tab. Under the "Show these items on the Desktop:" area, use the check-boxes to select which items you want/don't want to show on the desktop. Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 section.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Cooliris for Safari beefs up shopping feature
Posted by Dennis SellersCooliris has updated its self-titled software. With Cooliris, viewers can browse thousands of images and videos in seconds.
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First Looks: Speck SwitchWay for iPhone 3G
As one of the weirdest iPhone 3G cases we've yet seen, Speck's SwitchWay ($35) appears to have been designed for people who can't make up their minds as to how to mount and remove their iPhone 3Gs from their belts. The case actually has two different belt clips, one on each large side of the body, and two separate opening mechanisms that use magnets -- supposedly an iPhone 3G no-no -- to stay shut. This way, you can mount the case vertically or horizontally…
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Apokalypse Software acquires Simply Elegant Sales
Posted by Dennis SellersZarra Studios and Apokalypse Software have announced the sale of Zarra Studios' Simply Elegant Sales product line to Apokalypse Software. Simply Elegant Sales, the point-of-sale application for small businesses, was designed from the ground up for the Mac OS X operating system.
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Netflix “Watch Instantly” Coming to Mac
I don't know about you but my favorite corporate blogger is now Brent from Netflix - or as I like to call him - “The Bringer of Good News.” Netflix announced on Wednesday the addition of 1,000 movies to its “Watch Instantly” collection, which on its own is a welcomed announcement. But at the end of blogger Brent's announcement was this little gem: And, for all of you Mac users (of which I am one) we’ve been busy working getting a solution that will allow you to watch instantly on your Mac. So hang in there - we’ll have something for you by the end of the year. The only reason I currently have Parallels installed on my Mac is so I can run Internet Explorer in order to access Netflix's streaming TV and movie library. It's a good feeling to know that by Christmas I will be able to sever the connection to my home PC completely. But perhaps even better news is the pressure this announcement places on Apple to improve the Apple TV experience. By increasing its library of streaming titles for a ridiculously cheap monthly price, Netflix is doing what we all demand but Apple refuses to do - offer an affordable subscription model for media. Let the competition begin…
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More purported MacBook Pro shots surface, we're still unconvinced
Filed under: Laptops While that touchscreen trackpad MBP might've been a bit too much to swallow, the rumorists certainly won't be giving up that easily, and have returned with more intriguing shots of what may be (but probably isn't) the next MacBook Pro. Submitted by "Techno Minds" to modmyi.com, the pictures were purportedly gotten off an Apple employee on an Apple design team. The dock-in-the-touchpad has been done away with, but the trackpad is still black, as is the keyboard and the display bezel. What's new here is the black back to the display and a lack of those Air-inspired curves that looked so janky on that other picture. The thing that amazingly makes this all even less plausible is the done-up promo shot (after the break) with rendering and photoshop artifacts unobscured by cameraphone fuzziness. Oh, and there's no power button to be found on any of these shots. Still, we want. [Via Nowhere Else]Continue reading More purported MacBook Pro shots surface, we're still unconvincedRead|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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News: Mix: AAPL Q4, Handbrake, Nokia, Adobe Flash
Apple has announced that it will release the financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter on October 21. Of particular note in the release will be sales information for the iPhone 3G's first quarter on the market. Alongside its earnings statement, Apple will hold a conference call to discuss the financial results which will begin at 2:00 p.m. PDT, October 21. The developers of Handbrake, a popular open-source DVD to MPEG-4 converter, are…
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Apple files a legal backhand against Psystar's countersuit
Apple's legal team has filed a motion to dismiss Psystar's countersuit against Apple. If it's granted, Psystar will be left with little or no defense against Apple's lawsuit against it.Read More...
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Set the fax log level to possibly resend failed faxes
OS X uses a disappointingly convoluted set of programs and preferences to send a fax. Trying to debug why a particular fax isn't getting through to a particular machine is frustrating, since Apple doesn't provide any help at all. If you happen to stumble upon it, you may see the CUPS log file in /var/log/cups/error_log, which may contain error messages about your failed fax. You can also see this file by opening the log from the fax printer queue (if you made one).I've found that the Apple OS X fax formats aren't particularly compatible with a number of other fax recipients -- I sometimes get repeated errors in /var/log/cups/error_log that look like this:E [date time] [Job 53] There was a fax protocol error.E [date time] PID 352 (/usr/libexec/cups/backend/fax) stopped with status 1!I [date time] Hint: Try setting the LogLevel to "debug" to find out more.But that leaves you wondering "how do I set LogLevel to ...
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Easily share Cycorder videos off jailbroken iPhones
We have a number of first-generation iPhones fully unlocked and jailbroken using Pwnage from the iPhone Dev Team. (The iPhone 3G is not currently software-unlockable with any degree of reliability.)One of the challenges for both 'official' (installed from Apple's App Store) and 'unofficial' (using installer.app or Cydia) apps that create content (photos, videos, text etc) is how to share the content. One approach taken by several apps is to offer to send an attachment via email. While this is fine for text files and photos, it's not so appropriate for larger files like video. You could also install OpenSSH and use scp to get the files, but that involves opening up root access which I didn't want to do for users who are a bit less tech savvy. Here's our particular problem and solution. I have installed the Cycorder app, which allows you to capture video, but relies on scp and a knowledge of where the files are to move files off of the phone. By a ...
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Enter carriage returns in iCal's editing window
Today I was entering some text for new events in iCal. I noticed that iCal was not very good at splitting syllables, at least not for German words. So I tried to avoid splitting for a few words.By using Option-Enter, you can insert a carriage return in iCal's event editing window. This way, you get a new line and avoid wrong splitting. I knew of this key combo, but had not realized that it works in iCal, too!
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First Looks: Marware Sport Grip + Sport Grip Deluxe for iPod nano 4G
These two new silicone rubber case designs for the fourth-generation iPod nano may share the same name, but they're pretty different in terms of features and physical design. The basic Sport Grip ($15) features stylish dotted sides for extra grip, and comes in three colors -- white, black, and clear -- each with included protective film and a cleaning cloth. By comparison, Sport Grip Deluxe ($25) adds a soft lanyard necklace and a circular hook to…
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Obama releases iPhone recruiting, campaign tool
Democratic presidential candidate's application lets iPhone users recruit people on their contacts list, sorted by the political importance of the states where they live.
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Sonnet announces 802.1n wireless PCI adapter card
Posted by Dennis SellersSonnet Technologies has released the US$99.95 Aria Extreme N PCI 802.11n wireless PCI card, which delivers draft 802.11n wireless network connectivity to Power Mac G5, Power Mac G4, and Windows desktop computers with an available PCI or PCI-X slot. It's backward compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g routers and other equipment....
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First Looks: iLuv iMM173 Dual Dock Alarm Clock for iPhone + iPod
If you wanted to dock both your iPhone and an iPod on top of your alarm clock, look out: here's iLuv's iMM173 ($130). The gloss black system features silver volume and tuning dials on its top, along with a lefthand dock for the iPod and a righthand dock that's officially both iPod- and iPhone-compatible. Interestingly, the system features a magnetic rear storage area for the included Infrared remote control, a very clean, modern front clock display…
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EveryTrail is new trail recording, geotagging app for the iPhone
Posted by Dennis SellersEveryTrail is a new app for the iPhone that lets you record your hikes, runs, bike rides or walks through a city and take geotagged photos along the way. And it automatically creates a slideshow.
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First Looks: Monster iCarCharger 200 for iPod and iPhone (Original)
Designed to serve as a car charger for the iPod and original iPhone -- 3G is "coming soon," according to Monster -- the iCarCharger 200 ($50) has an integrated audio cable, charging capability, and iPod playback control buttons built into its flexible charging bulb. A blue LED indicator lets you know if the power's turned on....
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First Looks: DLO TransDock Direct
This streamlined version of DLO's TransDock charging and cradling accessory for iPods is called TransDock Direct ($60), offering an FM-transmitterless combination car mount, charging, and auxiliary audio-out solution. Its cradle is physically small, and comes with a mounting adapter to help it hold the thinner iPod touch models. There's also an adapter in the package to connect another mobile device for charging....
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First Look: Vocalia English speech recognition tool for iPhone
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App StoreI want my iPhone to have voice dialing. Belgian developers Creaceed are moving in the right direction by introducing the Vocalia English speech recognition tool for iPhone. This app just does one thing right now -- displaying contacts from your Address Book when you say names. You still need to tap on the name that appears to open the contact, then tap on a number to dial it. Creaceed is working on adding new functionality to future versions.How well does Vocalia recognize names? I tested it by reading the first 100 names in Contacts. Without training Vocalia, it was able to correctly recognize 98 of the names -- that is, it put them on a screen with three of the closest sounding names. For 83 of the names, the correct name was at the top of the list. The two names that weren't recognized properly were Guilherme and Guiseppe. You can also add nicknames or other pronunciations to any name to further improve accuracy.Between now and October 18th, Vocalia is on sale for US$3.99 in the App Store (click opens iTunes). The regular price of Vocalia is $7.99.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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First Looks: DLO Action Jackets for iPod nano 4G and iPod touch 2G
Based upon the same designs as its older versions for prior iPods, DLO's latest Action Jackets for iPod nano 4G and iPod touch 2G ($30 each) come with a neoprene case and a detachable armband. While the iPod touch version also has a detachable belt clip, which is used as an alternative to the armband, the iPod nano version has a non-detachable one that serves to mount the case on the smaller elastic armband. Both have clear, touch-through face protectors;…
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Ballmer recommends separating iPhone hardware and software
In a recent interview, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer offered Apple some friendly advice: be more like Microsoft. He said that Apple needs to stop tying its hardware and software together so closely and just distribute the iPhone's OS to a wide variety of manufacturers.Read More...
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Sony makes the JS1 and sister laptop NS1 official
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops Remember that slick new Sony all-in-one desktop we spied at CEDIA and saw reviewed recently? Well the company has gotten all official on it, as well as a new, affordably-priced laptop... and we've got the details. The latter -- dubbed the NS1 -- sports an Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 15.4-inch, 1280 x 800 X-black display, 320GB hard drive, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430 graphics chipset, a Blu-ray combo drive, and 802.11a/b/g/n. The JS1 desktop features an Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a 20.1-inch, 1680 x 1050 X-black display, Intel GMA X4500HD graphics, and 802.11b/g/n. No word on price or release date for the two models, but you'll know when we do. Check out a few more pics after the break.[Via Digital Drops]Continue reading Sony makes the JS1 and sister laptop NS1 officialRead|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Mac Sales up, even if the Economy is down
Register Hardware reports that even though the economy map be in a slump, Mac sales aren't. According to their reports Apple's market share now 35% (for revenue earned). For a look at the actual percentage of people that own Macs vs. PCs Computerworld reports that the Mac marketshare is 8.2%. They reach these numbers by looking at over 40,000 websites monitored by Net Applications. This would mark the first time that Apple's market share has gone over 8% according to TUAW.
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News: PDO ships Sleek case for iPhone 3G, announces cases for iPod nano 4G, touch 2G
PDO has released its new Sleek Crystal Case for the iPhone 3G. Made from clear hard polycarbonate, the Sleek features press-thru rubber covers for the sleep/wake and volume buttons, rubber inserts for the headphone jack and dock connector, a two-piece, snap-on design, open access to the screen, ringer switch, speaker, microphone, home button, and camera, and an included film screen protector. It is available now for $25; for more information,…
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Despite slow economy, Mac market share booms
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Apple FinancialIf you've been paying attention to the news lately, then you know that the U.S. economy is in a bit of a slump. Even so, Apple's market share continues to prosper, according to Register Hardware. Their site is reporting that Apple's market share is now 35% if you look at revenue garnered -- largely due to notebook sales. In addition, Windows-based notebook sales are down 1.5% and at the same time, Mac notebook sales are up 35% (by units). In other news, ComputerWorld is reporting that Mac OS X's market share is currently at 8.2%. This means that 8.2% of all the computers accessing over 40,000 websites that are monitored by Net Applications. This is a huge milestone for Apple as this is the first time their market share has gone above 8%. Microsoft still leads the monopoly on the operating system front -- Windows garnered 90.3% of computers accessing websites using Net Applications site monitoring. Windows Vista currently holds 18.3% of the market share. On the iPhone front, Net Applications reported that 0.3% of the Internet market share was owned by the iPhone -- quite a feat for such a small device. Albeit, it does have the hype machine working for it! [via ComputerWorld and Register Hardware]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Stainless: Another attempt at Chrome for OS X
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Freeware, Internet Tools, DeveloperAt this rate, Google won't even have to release Chrome for Mac OS X -- our devs will have done it all already themselves. We've already reported about CrossOver putting their own port of Google's web browser together just to show they could do it, and now word has come in about Stainless, another attempt to bring Google's Chromium kit over to our favorite operating system.Unfortunately, it's still just a tech demo and not really a full-fledged browser (and the guys behind it, Mesa Dynamics, say that they didn't even try doing the cool stuff that the real OS X Chromium team is working on). But they did create a multi-process browser (one per tab), and they used some of the tech from their other app, Hypercard, to do it. I haven't tried it (I haven't tried the real Chrome on Windows either, Firefox is good enough for me so far), but like the other OS X Chrome, this app really only exists just so it can.And it shows just how desperate OS X users are to get their hands on Google's browser. Just how much longer do we have to wait?Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Modernizing Mail.app: The Problem
When will Apple move Mail.app into the modern world of email management? Even with version 3.5 (included with the latest OS 10.5.5 update), users of the application are stuck with some pretty cryptic email management paradigms. Why are we stuck with email folders? How about those ahem, powerful email threads? Let me elaborate… I use both Mail.app (personal) and Microsoft Entourage (corporate) as my daily communication tools. Both are feature rich applications that apparently meet the needs for their user base. I prefer Mail.app due to its performance and extensibility (it also has better support of MobileMe than Entourage does, with respect to MobileMe accounts/email aliases). My overall email load is probably average. I see about 10-20 personal emails per day and over 100 in the corporate environment. I do not subscribe to many lists, so this keeps my email pared down and relatively focused. (more…)
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TV on the iPhone: Don't Hold Your Breath
It's the sharpest little screen on the sharpest-looking cell phone on the planet. Many of those who have watched a music video, TV show or full-length movie on an Apple 3G iPhone come away wide-eyed and impressed with the 3.5-inch display featuring 480-by-320 pixel resolution. Those who scoffed at the idea of watching any kind of moving images on such a small screen have become converts after one semi-private screening of "Lost," "The Office" or "The Incredibles," usually accomplished while sitting next to an iPhone owner on an airplane.
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Five Reasons RIMM Will Continue to Fall
Research in Motion, Ltd. (RIMM) has fallen significantly from its all-time high of around $150 per share. As of Tuesday's close it was valued at $68 per share or roughly 4x this year's revenue or $39 billion.
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The Mac Night Owl: 'Is Apple at war with iPhone developers?'
Posted by Dennis SellersOn today's commentary, Gene “Mac Night Owl” Steinberg asks “Is Apple at war with iPhone developers?”
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Cellphone, USB drive gets modeled with meat
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc. Gadgets We deeply apologize to all the vegetarians in the crowd, but this was just too grotesque to overlook. We're not exactly sure of the whos, whats, whys, and whens behind all this, but apparently some butcher-to-be found enough spare time (and enough fresh meat) to create a wallet, a set of keys, a 3G-capable cellphone and a 4TB flash drive from raw, tender meat. We don't know what's sadder -- the fact that this isn't the first of its kind, or that there ever was a first of its kind.[Via textually]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Puzzloop Free
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An economic plan I can buy into…
Posted by Dennis SellersApple's stock is down the economy continues to flounder. I'm dubious about a US government bailout of financial institutions. However, I love this somewhat tongue-in-cheek idea (though I'd vote for it!) from T. J. Birkenmeier, “A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic” (which I received via email. I reprint...
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LED Football
This photo-realistic recreation of the Mattel Football handheld is truly impressive, but also kinda boring. read more
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Toshiba launches new line of multifunction products
Posted by Dennis SellersToshiba has released the Toshiba e-Studio 5520c/5520CT/6520c/6520CT/6530c/6530CT series of color multifunction products (MFPs). Designed and manufactured entirely in-house by Toshiba, this new line includes color print speeds of up to 65 pages-per-minute (ppm), a new Self-Refresh Development System, increasingly versatile paper handling options, and instant scanning to and printing from...
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Future Sonics releases Atrio pro earphones in two new colors
Posted by Dennis SellersFuture Sonics, has released two new colors in their Atrio line of universal-fit professional earphones. The new m3 (earth beige) and m9 (ruby red) were the colors most requested by customers for nearly any application.
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NEC debuts new 24- and 19-inch desktop LCD displays
Posted by Dennis SellersNEC Display Solutions of America has launched its new 24-inch MultiSync EA241WM widescreen LCD monitor and 19-inch MultiSync EA191M standard-format LCD monitor. These are the third and fourth MultiSync EA Series products to be introduced, following the launch of the 26-inch EA261WM in June and 22-inch EA221WM in September.