Jun 3, 2010 Jun 5, 2010 Friday June 4, 2010
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How would you change Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10?
You may not agree with Sony Ericsson's time table, nor their decision on what flavor of Android to use, but let's face it: you were intrigued when SE told you the Xperia X10 would be its first Google-fied smartphone. To date, the X10 has yet to gain the kind of global appreciation shared by the Motorola Droid, Nexus One or iPhone, but that's not to say quite a few of you haven't ended up with one. We had our fair share of gripes and grins when reviewing the thing, but as you well know, this is no place for us to rehash what we've already explained. Rather, we're curious to know how exactly you feel about the Xperia X10. In what can only be described as the most competitive smartphone landscape in the history of the world, the X10 is going up against some huge players; do you feel that the product SE has delivered is up to snuff? Would you have rather seen a different version of Android from the start? Any issues with the touch panel, camera, or industrial design? Digging those hard buttons below the display? We have to imaging that the X11 is already floating around in someone's mind, and chances are high that they'll be looking in comments for advice on where to turn. No pressure.How would you change Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
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OS X grabs 8% share on Steam
Filed under: Gaming Valve has released the first Steam Hardware Survey since their Steam platform released for the Mac, and OS X has gained 8% of the market share already in its various iterations. Most of the Mac users are running 10.6.3, not surprising, given that those most likely to have the latest operating system are probably also the most likely to know that a Steam client is out and ready for them to download. Of course, the Mac faction still pales in comparison to the amount of Windows gamers on the network, but for a client that came out on the 12th day of the month for the survey data, 8% ain't bad at all. Also of note: Intel processors in the survey jumped up by almost 3%, probably due to a lot of the new Mac users. And the 1280x800 primary desktop resolution also jumped as MacBook users installed and ran the new Mac Steam client. Average free hard drive space actually dropped a little bit (Mac users are busy people, after all...) and average network speed rose (...with fast Internet connections). The Steam Hardware Survey is always an interesting cross-section of what kind of PCs gamers are using, and a big injection of Macs into the numbers made for a fascinating set of data. [via Ars]TUAWOS X grabs 8% share on Steam originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Apple - Operating system - Mac OS X - Steam - Unofficial Apple Weblog
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PlayStation emulator coming to Android, courtesy of yongzh and ZodTTD
If you don't know the names yongzh and ZodTTD, you can certainly be forgiven, but they're basically the cell phone emulation dream team -- where the former has been cranking out high-quality Nintendo and Sega emulators for Android, the latter is the one who brought PSX to iPhone, iPhone 3GS and the Palm Pre. Today, we hear they're collaborating on a PSX emulator for Android that's running faster than the 3GS version -- before Froyo's even factored into the equation -- and that when his domination over the PSX is complete, ZodTTD intends to begin work on an Nintendo 64 emulator for Android, and then VLC. Without letting our enthusiasm get the better of us, let's just say it's an exciting time to be an Android owner, to say the least.PlayStation emulator coming to Android, courtesy of yongzh and ZodTTD originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink never know tech | Digital Disbeliever, ZodTTD (Twitter) | Email this | Comments
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AT&T out of stock on iPhone 3G, offers unlimited iPad data plans to those who order by June 7
Filed under: iPhoneIt's a sure sign a new iPhone is coming. AT&T says it has no 3G models to sell, which may spell the end of the line for the previous-gen handset. Also today, a company spokesman has told TUAW that it will honor the unlimited data plan on the iPad for people who order a 3G iPad by June 7 (even if it's not delivered by then), though officially AT&T has dropped the option for new customers. The unlimited option can only be maintained for accounts with auto-renew turned on, and if you drop your service for a month you can only sign back up for one of the new plans. A lot of people who bought the iPad and were told they could get an unlimited monthly data service feel pretty abused about now. The words 'bait and switch' come to mind, as Macworld's Dan Frakes pointed out. It's particularly an issue for people who bought the iPad but have not initiated service as yet. After June 7, the unlimited option won't be something you can purchase. We've heard from at least one reader who was able to return his iPad 3G without a restocking fee when he cited the AT&T plan changes, but your mileage may vary. Back to those 3G phones. AT&T is telling customers who want a 3G to get either a 16 or 32GB 3GS iPhone. When the expected new iPhone comes out later this month, it's likely the 3GS model will drop in price, probably to US$99. [via 9 to 5 Mac]TUAWAT&T out of stock on iPhone 3G, offers unlimited iPad data plans to those who order by June 7 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments iPhone - Apple - AT&T - IPad - Unofficial Apple Weblog
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Motorola Droid Xtreme pictured yet again, still not announced
Quickly becoming the most well-leaked handsets since the next iPhone, Motorola's fine little piece of kit informally known so far as the Droid Shadow / Xtreme has shown up yet again -- and this time, we're getting a great view of that bulbous posterior. The 8 megapixel cam, HD video capture, and dual LED flash are all confirmed, which takes just a little edge off the EVO 4G's reign, we'd say. Competition is grand, ain't it?Motorola Droid Xtreme pictured yet again, still not announced originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Droid Life | Email this | Comments
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WWDC 2010 Prediction & Speculation
Daniel Eran Dilger What’s likely to make it into Steve Jobs’ keynote at WWDC on Monday? Here’s some ideas, ranging from almost assured to speculative wishes. iPhone 4 & iPhone OS 4 Likely to be the main thrust of the presentation, Apple’s latest phone and mobile OS release are already known to deliver a lot of new features: [...]
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In-flight iPads for under $10 on Australian low-cost airline
Filed under: iPadA couple of weeks ago we told you about a company, Bluebox Avionics, that was prepping iPads for use as inflight entertainment on airliners. Today we've heard that a low-cost airline down under, Jetstar, is launching a two-week trial at the end of month on flights longer than 90 minutes to determine how iPads fare when trying to keep passengers entertained. Available for AUD$10 (around US$8.40), passengers can rent an iPad for the duration of the flight. Each iPad is loaded with movies, TV programs, books, games, music, and music videos, so passengers are going to have an excellent choice of entertainment. Bluebox created custom apps for the service, and partnered with content provider Stellar Inflight for the trial. Although the airline and providers have not disclosed the technical details, we imagine that the Jetstar iPads will be specially marked in order to keep flight attendants from grabbing iPads that are owned by passengers. During the trial, Jetstar is equipping some domestic aircraft with 30 iPads to gauge passenger interest and demand. Data collected will be evaluated to see if the airline wants to roll this out fleet-wide later this year. [via Engadget]TUAWIn-flight iPads for under $10 on Australian low-cost airline originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments IPad - Jetstar Airways - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Low-cost carrier - Television
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'MacVoices' looks at taking control of the iPad
Posted by Dennis SellersOn the new MacVoices, Tonya Engst tells how and why she stepped out of her usual editor's role to author her first Take Control book, “Take Control of iPad Basics.”
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Adobe Illustrator CS5
New tools, new magic--but enough to warrant an upgrade? Letâs face reality: Adobe could have slapped a CS5 label on an untouched version of Illustrator CS4, and all the digital artists of the world would still be using Illustrator as their go-to app for vector art. Itâs not like thereâs any serious competition in the arcane world of control points and bezier curves. As such, when a new Creative Suite version is released, the question isnât âShould I buy Illustrator or the package from those other guys?â but rather âDoes this latest CS version include enough new magic to warrant an upgrade?âOur answer is a qualified yes. Illustrator CS5 isnât a bold overhaul, but it still provides enough new features to make an upgrade a no-brainer--if your illustration needs dovetail with what Adobe hath wrought.Using the Shape Builder tool, you can quickly weld together the two selected triangles into a single object, even using a palette preview (not shown) to decide whether the new object should have the yellow or dot fill.The most useful addition is the Shape Builder tool, which lets you weld together multiple shapes, accomplishing what can be executed with Illustratorâs Pathfinder tools, but in a vastly more intuitive manner. Simply select an array of overlapping paths, and drag the Shape Builder across them to combine everything into a single object. You can also use the Option key to subtract one shape from another, as well as toggle on a palette preview to assign colors to your newly created objects. The Shape Builder toolâs content-awareness engine is very similar to that of the existing Live Paint Bucket tool, with which it shares a Toolbar home.CS5 also introduces the Width tool, which lets you dynamically adjust the width of any stroke. Letâs say youâve used the Pen tool to draw a squiggly path with a 2-point stroke. Select that path, then use the Width tool to manipulate control points, creating varying stroke widths along the path. For example, your stroke can be 2 points wide at one end, a hairline in the middle, and 50 points wide at the other end. On paper it might sound like a shape-building tool, but the path you originally created remains a simple path whose geometry can be edited at will.Other additions are less showy than the Shape Builder and Width tools, but refine existing features, or address more arcane needs. On the pedestrian-but-useful list youâll find the Draw Inside mode, which lets you create a mask out of any object, avoiding all the hullabaloo intrinsic to traditional masking. The Arrow and Dash tools have also been overhauled, offering a mix of greater control (itâs now easier to get the precise arrowhead you desire) and greater nuance (dash segments can now intelligently wrap around corner joints). Thereâs also new Artboard functionality that gives you Layers-like control over your various Artboards, and the ability to paste a single object on all your âboards at the exact same location.On the more esoteric side, the new Perspective Grid tool lets you draw 2D objects directly onto perspective-correct planes. Itâs the perfect feature for folks who want to, say, draw isometric views of buildings or place a label on a 2D assembly of a 3D product box. And then thereâs the new Bristle Brush, which simulates richly textured real-world painting brushes, all with pure vector paths. Both new features are fascinating, but also a bit mission-specific, so you really have to consider if youâll use them in the work you do.
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uTorrent goes 1.0 for Mac OS X
Filed under: Software uTorrent has recently been updated to version 1.0 (Windows users are up to version 2.0.2), its first major point release since going beta on Mac OS X. After living most of its life in Windows, the popular BitTorrent client went beta on the Mac in late 2008, and has seen a host of updates since then. This might be a time to consider trying uTorrent. In my tests, the app launches faster than Transmission, and occupies a smaller footprint -- its DMG and the app are both smaller than Transmission. Whether or not you end up switching to uTorrent, however, is another matter, as Transmission is comparable in its feature set. This really boils down to personal preference. While BitTorrent apps live, and do whatever they want, freely on Mac OS X, the story is different on the iPhone. Apple has kept a tight lid on restricting BitTorrent-related apps (such as a BitTorrent client controller) on the iPhone, noting that "this category of applications is often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights." uTorrent 1.0 is available as a free download at the uTorrent site.TUAWuTorrent goes 1.0 for Mac OS X originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Mac OS X - BitTorrent - ÎTorrent - iPhone - Unofficial Apple Weblog
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AT&T Seems a Little Greedy
The AT&T data plans caps could save you money. AT&T's tethering plan, though, seems like something a big monolithic corporation might do.
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Article: Ask iLounge 6-4-10
This week's Ask iLounge topics: iPad 3G and International use, Extra authorized computers in iTunes, Adding music to multiple iTunes libraries, Adding purchased music to iPod from another computer, Problems playing back CDs burned in iTunes, Large amount of Other content on iPod
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Incredibly cute fifth-graders are getting free iPads from Apple
Filed under: Education Thirteen fifth-graders at the Watergrass Elementary School in Wesley Chapel, Florida are going to be very happy, and Apple just might get a new ad campaign out of it. Last month, according to the St. Petersburg Times, an iPad was brought into Susan Fischer's fifth grade class for the kids to take a look. They were entranced with it. Andy Dunn, a school district official who needed some pictures for a presentation on kids using technology in the classroom, took some snaps of the event. Brandon Maldonado, the instructional technology specialist for the school, saw the pictures and was also charned. He sent some of them to Andrea Bart, the local Apple sales rep, who liked them so much she sent them to her superiors. Eventually they wound up on the desk of John Couch, Apple's VP of education, who was so enthused he said he was interested in using them for an Apple ad campaign. Although the school won't be paid for the pictures, the thirteen kids involved will all be getting new iPads mailed to their homes and may in the future be asked appear in Apple advertising geared to the education market. This sounds like a win-win situation for everyone... except maybe the other kids in Susan Fischer's class who weren't lucky enough to be in the pictures. I hope, if the ad campaign actually happens, the rest of the class can get involved and it'll be iPads for everybody. [via AppleInsider]TUAWIncredibly cute fifth-graders are getting free iPads from Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Unofficial Apple Weblog - Apple - IPad - St. Petersburg Times - AppleInsider
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One More Link Regarding Appleâs âHTML5â Demo Gallery
It just occurred to me what Apple should have called these demos: “Look at the Cool Shit You Can Make Without Flash”. â
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Deagol: iPad Web Usage Passes iPod Touch
If you believe Net Market Share’s numbers, the iPad has surpassed both the iPod Touch and all Android devices combined in web traffic. â
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Rumor: BGR says Verizon Wireless currently testing iPads
Filed under: iPadBad news about the AT&T iPad data plans got you down? Want to grasp at any strings you can about a possible Verizon announcement next week? We've got just the thing for you: Boy Genius Report says that Verizon is currently testing iPads out on their network. Rumor has it that they've got CDMA-compatible models running on the network right now, and they're checking them for stability and performance. Of course, a rumor is a rumor, and despite from the constant speculation and endless denials by both AT&T and Apple, there's no indication that Verizon is getting their own iPhones, much less an alternate deal for the iPad. But with WWDC going down next week and customers frustrated with AT&T's plans, the time might be ripe for Verizon to provide an alternative.TUAWRumor: BGR says Verizon Wireless currently testing iPads originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Verizon Wireless - Boy Genius Report - Apple - IPhone - IPad
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Gizmodo Denied Press Passes for WWDC Keynote
Brian Lam: It’s no surprise: Apple has not responded to our requests to attend the WWDC keynote on Monday at 10am PST. But we’ll still cover the news. Want to help? WWDC attendees, be warned: guard your conference badges Sunday night if you’re at a bar. (If Gizmodo’s editors were smart, they’d have purchased WWDC conference badges if they wanted to attend the keynote. But of course, that’s a big “if”.) â
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The Complete History of the WWDC Keynote
The hype. The sell-outs. The personal promises from the CEO. It wasnât always like this. Appleâs Worldwide Developers Conference began as an intimate gathering in Monetery, CA that was of little interest to anyone outside of Appleâs close-knit world of software architects. Sure, Apple was there--and at the very first conference in 1983, Lisa tagged along for her first public appearance--but there wasnât much to speak of; quite literally, a non-disclosure agreement kept most things under lock-and-key.âMost of what was discussed was for developersâ ears only and even the contents of the keynote was delivered under a non-disclosure agreement that kept the press and the general public away,â wrote Ted Goranson of About This Particular Macintosh. âWhich isnât to say that the things announced at WWDC were of any possible interest to anybody who wasnât writing device drivers for an AppleTalk-to-Centronics hardware print spooler.âCase in point: In 1987--when Apple and IBM oddly shared the same space at the Santa Clara Convention Center--Apple countered IBMâs PS/2 announcement by adding CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers) to the Mac II. Not exactly headline-grabbing stuff.Still, thatâs not to say juicy details didnât leak out. During the 1988 conference, for instance, select Apple employees, including then-CEO John Sculley, wore curious buttons with a pixelated half-cow, half-dog creature set against a neon green background. When prodded, inquiring minds were told that her name was Clarus the Dogcow and the sound she makes is âMoof!âBut even without giveaways and live blogging, it didnât take long for WWDC to blossom into an event that sent Apple watchers into a frenzy. Long before Steve Jobs decided to use its stage to unveil the latest Cupertino innovations, Appleâs annual developers conference steered the industry in bold directions and laid the foundation for the next big things to come: 1990: With a renewed focus on inexpensive, mass-market machines, Sculley and COO Michael Spindler vowed Apple would âcatch upâ with the market for âlow-end and laptop Macsâ and âreach and create new users and hook them early.â Going a long way toward accomplishing this monumental task was a brand-new multimedia platform called QuickTime.1991: Multi-tasking, file sharing, drag-and-drop and a trashcan. Of course, weâre talking about System 7, which ceremoniously shipped at WWDC 1991. 1992: Sculley painted Appleâs future with a bright paintbrush at the â92 conference, delivering a wide-ranging keynote that offered glimpses of Newton, AppleScript, Open Collaborative Environment and PowerPC, along with the makings of Appleâs newest open-source-ish framework, OpenDoc. Begun the year before after an impromptu brainstorming session, Appleâs OpenDoc project sought to develop a simplified, standardized document competitor to Microsoftâs Object Linking and Embedding.1993: Apple silenced any and all doubters of its forthcoming chip switch by demonstrating a prototype Macintosh computer running on an unprecedented 80 MHz PowerPC 601 processor, while simultaneously showcasing a Rosetta Stone-like emulator to run current software on the new chip. Also making appearances were QuickDraw GX (for smoother graphics and better printing) and Apple Interactive Help (for in-app assistance), and a solid summer ship date was nailed down for the eagerly anticipated Newton project.1994: While hardly a secret, Apple formally unveiled its new object-oriented dynamic programming language, Dylan, aimed at expanding Appleâs library of commercial software titles. Shortly afterward, Bob Dylan filed a trademark infringement suit. (No joke.)1995: While OpenDoc was evolving in the wild, Apple was busy utilizing the technology for a tandem project called Cyberdog, an open-source Internet suite designed to bring OpenDoc into the mainstream.1996: Cyberdog exited beta stage (and immediately began its slide into obscurity) at WWDC 1996 and MkLinux, Appleâs ill-fated attempt at an open-source Linux OS, raised more than a few eyebrows, but Mac OS 8 (the latest iteration of Copland) clearly stole the show. In an attempt to rescue âone of America's all-time great companies,â CEO Gilbert Amelio took the first step toward the future by demonstrating a semi-working prototype of what should have been the desktop of the future.1997: The return of Steve Jobs was marked by color-coded demos of Appleâs next-generation OS, code-named Rhapsody (based on the NeXT code), and a bold announcement that an Intel version of what would become Mac OS X Server was under development. With the new OS came the death knell for the Apple Clone experiment, as Apple acquired and subsequently shuttered Power Computing. A memo from Jobs put the $100 million acquisition in perspective: âThe license fee Apple receives from the licensees does not begin to cover their share of the expenses to engineer and market the Mac OS platform. This means that, in essence, Apple is giving a several hundred dollar subsidy with each licensed copy of the Mac OS.â1998: After several years of starts and stops, Steve Jobs finally arrived at WWDC 1998 with OS X, the real desktop of the future. Combining the best parts of Rhapsody and NeXTSTEP (and putting Copland out of its misery once and for all), Steve spent the better part of his keynote showing off how Carbon will help Classic developers enjoy all the goodies OS X has to offer. 1999: With Jobs back in charge, WWDC quickly turned from a semi-insider event to a Macworld-sized juggernaut. A surprise announcement of Lombard PowerBooks--of which Apple raffled off 50 units throughout the show--kicked things off, followed by demos of OS 8.6 (with Sonata and Sherlock 2), OpenGL, Java 2 and the release of Mac OS X Developer Preview 1, which barely resembled the product that would ship just two years later.NEXT: 2000 to Present >>2000: With the OS X push in full swing, developers received a new preview disk with the final API specifications needed to upgrade OS 9 apps to take advantage of Mac OS Xâs new capabilities. Or, as Steve put it, âWith this Preview release, developers now have everything they need to make killer applications for Mac OS X.â2001: With OS X already on shelves and developers hard at work on Cocoa apps, Steve trumped his own announcement of an all-LCD flat-panel display lineup by declaring Apple would be installing OS X on all new Macs a full two months ahead of schedule. Mac OS X Server also made an appearance, along with some new Power Mac G4 models built specifically to handle industrial-strength tasks. And some 1,500 attendees walked away with a nifty leathered jacket adorned with an Aqua-colored OS X logo.2002: Sherlock 3, Rendezvous, Quartz Extreme and an Address Book. Of course, weâre talking about Jaguar, which developers got to take home at WWDC 2002. And attendees paid final respects to OS 9 at a mock funeral capped by a moment of silence and a single rose laid on a coffin.2003: The keynote even âpremature specificationâ couldnât ruin. On a larger stage at the Moscone Center, The next cat made its debut (Panther), attendees got free iSights and a stable Safari popped up in Software Update, but all developers wanted to talk about was the new Power Mac, powered by the 10-years-in-the-making G5 chip.2004: Another year, another cat. Tiger--including Dashboard and Spotlight--was unveiled alongside the âgorgeousâ 30-inch Cinema HD Display.2005: Itâs true. After months (years?) of speculation, Apple formally announced the end of the PowerPC era and announced a partnership with Intel to supply Macs with x86 processors. Stunned developers were able to purchase a Transition Kit for $999, âconsisting of an Intel-based Mac development system along with preview versions of Appleâs software.â2006: Quad 64-bit Xeon Processor stormed onto the scene and Time Machine, Spaces and Boot Camp added some spice to the sixth major version of Mac OS X, dubbed Leopard.2007: A lackluster event brought a ânear-finalâ version of Leopard (with a delayed launch date), Safari for Windows and support for Web apps on the soon-to-be-released iPhone.2008: A monster of a conference that more than made up for the prior yearâs tedium, the first sold-out WWDC brought the worldwide launch of the iPhone 3G and the App Store, Snow Leopard and MobileMe... well, nobodyâs perfect.2009: New MacBook Pros were just an appetizer to the main course, iPhone 3GS. More Snow Leopard and Safari rounded out the first Steve-less keynote in a decade.2010: After turning a small show into a one of the most anticipated events of the year--complete with rumors and police raids--Steve returns to the stage at Moscone Center this year with an uncharacteristic e-mail assurance: You wonât be disappointed. Follow our live blog of this year's WWDC keynote beginning Monday, June 7 at 10AM PDT.
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Free App Fridays: Cooking
The iPad brought a revolution to food lovers and experimental cooks everywhere because of its touchscreen hardware and wealth of accommodating apps. Well, what better way to implement technology into your kitchen life than with free applications? We scoped three extremely helpful and utilitarian apps that will help you cook, bake, melt, marinate, and whatever else it is that you do in the kitchen, as well as keep tabs on your favorite recipe. MacMeasuring CupMost organizational apps are annoying because of how much memory they take just to fire them up, but a dedicated app for your food endeavors could be just what you need to get inspired in the kitchen. Measuring Cup is a pretty wonderful, straightforward freeware piece of software that organizes your many recipes in so many ways. Each recipe can contain sub-recipes, which are variations of the primary recipe you have open (For example: three cheese grilled cheese, and then a sub-recipe of three cheese grilled cheese with added ingredients). You can also create very specified ingredients list with individual notes for each of the items, as well as attach pictures to each entry, which might even inspire you to become a food photographer. iPad/iPhoneEpicuriousIf you've got a reliable internet connection, the Epicurious iPad app has loads of recipes for even the most novice of cooks. This popular app has dual-platform integration, so you can use it on both your iPad and iPhone or iPod touch. You can create shopping lists and then email them to yourself or others, browse through tons of recipes, and even view the nutritional information of each dish. Additionally, each recipe tells you how long it takes to make so you can set aside the right amount of time to prepare a delicious meal. And, you can even read the reviews on each meal and see what others had to say about the recipe. iPhoneSan Francisco School of BartendingLet's leave the food behind for a minute and visit that other ingredient that pairs so well with food--alcohol. If you've ever needed a really simple bartending app, the San Francisco School of Bartending application will provide for you just that. The app contains a myriad of drink categories and recipes that are taught in the school in an extremely easy-to-follow flash card format. Flip through each drink recipe to study and memorize them yourself. You can even filter out which drinks to keep out of the random flash card pile, or individually search through each drink recipe contained in the app.
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Mac ships rise 32.4%; Apple now seven among global computer makers
Posted by Dennis SellersThe one U.S. computer OEM [original equipment manufacturer' that managed to outperform the personal computer market in the first quarter of 2010 was Apple, whose shipments rose by 32.4% from a year earlier, says a new report from iSuppli Market Research.
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Getting Out While the Going Is Good
Matthew Yglesias offers another explanation for Microsoft’s stock price stagnation under Ballmer: that Gates left when he was out of ideas, and Microsoft wouldn’t have fared better this decade if he’d stayed on the job. It’s also the case that the entire stock market was booming in the ’90s and wasn’t in the ’00s. But whether Gates would have done a better job than Ballmer is a different question than whether Ballmer has done a good job. Apple’s growth this past decade can largely be accounted for with two words: iPod and iPhone. Microsoft wanted in on both those markets, and got smoked. That’s on Ballmer. â
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Live blog: WWDC 2010
CNET is covering Steve Jobs' keynote at the Apple developer conference live on Monday, where he is expected to announce details of the next version of the iPhone.
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Shumway Capital Partners Adds Large New Stakes in Kraft Foods and Comcast
(This post is part of our series on tracking hedge fund portfolios. If you're unfamiliar with tracking investments they disclose via SEC filings, check out our series preface on hedge fund filings.)Next up is Chris Shumway's hedge fund Shumway Capital Partners. Prior to founding his firm, Shumway was previously one of Julian Robertson's right-hand men at legendary hedge fund Tiger Management. As such, he joins the other successful Tiger Cubs and is included in the Tiger Cub portfolio created with Alphaclone for hedge fund replication. Shumway Capital Partners focuses on intensive fundamental research to drive their long/short equity strategy. Back in 2009, Shumway was listed in Barron's top 100 hedge funds for 2009 with a rolling 3-year annualized return of 28%. However, 2010 has proven difficult for the firm as its Sakkonet Fund was down 10% in May after it had gained 4.3% through April. Shumway received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.
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Setting the stage for WWDC 2010 (photos)
Apple prepares to make Worldwide Developer Conference 2010, which starts Monday, the center of the app universe.
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Is AOL shopping itself to Microsoft?
That's what the folks at Business Insider seem to think. AOL said this week that it has started early talks on a search deal, but things could easily go further.
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Expression Media handed off by Microsoft
Filed under: SoftwareUsers of the former iView Media image & video catalog application might have been forgiven their agita when the product was acquired by Microsoft (golly, was it really four years ago?) and incorporated into the company's Expression Studio 3 line of creative tools as Expression Media. It was the only Mac-friendly app in the Expression suite, and as such it always did seem a little bit out of place. Apparently that sentiment was also held internally, as the app now has a new home. Microsoft announced at the end of May that Expression Media 2 will be acquired and developed by Phase One, the company behind the Capture One RAW converter and several other photography products. Until the end of June, there's a free cross-product offer in play; owners of Expression Media 2 can get a Capture One license, and vice-versa. The British Journal of Photography has an interview with Phase One's CEO about the acquisition. Best of luck to the peripatetic iView team as they move on to their new challenge. TUAWExpression Media handed off by Microsoft originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Apple - Microsoft - Macintosh - iView Media - Unofficial Apple Weblog
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iPhone/iPod/iPad apps for June 4
Posted by Dennis SellersHere are the latest iPhone/iPod touch/iPod/iPad apps announced. You can find 'em at the Apple App Store.
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Macsimum Recommended Reading' for June 4
Posted by Dennis Sellers“Reality Check: Apple TV isn't turning into a TV”—RoughlyDrafted Magazine (http://www.roughlydrafted.com)
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Gumdrop launches 4G iPhone cases (though no 4G iPhone has been announced)
Posted by Dennis SellersWell, one company at least is certain that Apple will announce a 4G iPhone at next week's Worldwide Developer Conference. Tim Hickman has announced today the launch of Gumdrop Cases, a mobile accessories brand dedicated to the active youth lifestyle market.
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HomePipe music streaming works but isn't pretty
HomePipe, a service that lets you access files on your computer remotely via your iPhone or Android phone, adds music streaming from computer to phone.
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Study considers how Android tablets could affect iPad sales
Filed under: iPadResearch firm Retrevo (always happy to surf on the newsworthiness of the Apple tablet) has conducted another study, this time about the iPad's rise in popularity. Could it dominate its market like the iPod has done or become as popular as the iPhone? The study addressed these questions by asking 1,000 participants about their buying plans, plus their thoughts on an Android tablet and e-readers. When asked, "What's preventing you from buying an iPad?", 52% of respondents answered, "I don't need one," and that's understandable. If you've got a functioning computer that you're happy with, or perhaps an iPod touch or an iPhone, there's no pressing need to buy an iPad. The 2nd most common answer was, "Too expensive." Five hundred bucks is a decent amount of money for many people, especially those who already own a laptop or iPod. However, those with modest computing needs looking for a machine will find the iPad much less expensive than even an entry-level MacBook (although it's comparable to, or pricier than, a netbook). The study then went on to ask about e-readers and the possibility of an Android tablet. They noted that 40% of people who own or plan to own a reading device also plan to buy an iPad. Finally, subjects were asked, "What would make you buy an Android-based tablet over an iPad?" The top answer was price. 53% of respondents said they'd buy one if it was less expensive than an iPad. Another 33% said they were holding out for Verizon. What have we learned? First, that Apple has sold a boatload of iPads. Second, the most serious competition could come from less expensive tablets running Android.TUAWStudy considers how Android tablets could affect iPad sales originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments iPhone - Apple - IPad - Android - Unofficial Apple Weblog
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Article: Speck Products: The iDesign Interview
On June 1, 2010, iLounge updated our iDesign series—a look at the top industrial designers and designs in the iPod and iPhone ecosystems—with a series of six new feature articles and interviews. For the first time, iDesign expanded to look at the work of noteworthy application developers, including Duck Duck Moose, PopCap Games, and Tapbots, while probing the creative, marketing, and engineering talents of leading Apple case developers…
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iWebcamera lets you ditch your webcam for an iPhone
Drahtwerk's iWebcamera iPhone app was actually released late last week but it, ironically, only worked with a Windows-based PC. The company has now finally rectified that situation with some Mac drivers, however, which will at last let use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac just like you've always wanted. We haven't yet had a chance to try it out ourselves, but you can grab the app yourself from the App Store right now for $4.99, and snag the Mac drivers from the company's website linked below.iWebcamera lets you ditch your webcam for an iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Drahtwerk | Email this | Comments
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Google Music to take on iTunes Music Store
Will Google be launching a music store to combat with Apple's iTunes Store? An image leak suggests they may.The logo of Google Music surfaced earlier today and according to the Google I/O keynote (video embedded below), the service will be an extension of the Android Marketplace and will allow you to find songs you like, purchase, and then download it to an Android device right over-the-air.With Google having recently acquired Simplify Media, we can't help but think that some of their technology will show up in Google's venture into the music space. Plus, we think that the inclusion of that service will give Android access to its user's DRM-free music over-the-air.If the rumors are right, however, Google will have some competition to its music service in the form of a cloud-based iTunes service. Looks like we'll have to wait on either solution for now. via 9to5 Mac
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Prince of Persia Retro
How much do you want that health potion?Nostalgia is a powerful force. 35-year-old gamers tell today's kids how much better--and simpler--titles were way back when. Prince of Persia Retro for iPhone and iPad perfectly copies the classic, holding up surprisingly well as both entertainment and old-school schooling. However, the touch-screen conversion tips an already difficult game towards frustration. Worse, the developers ignore the mobile platforms and how people play today; you can't resume after a break or a phone call.Prince of Persia Retro's controls still define this game. As before, the Prince fluidly moves but has to complete each section of animation. So if you're mid-step and push jump, the Prince leaps only after completing the full stride. We got used to this method on the iPad and iPhone just like with the original, taking extra care to move the Prince certain distances before leaping across gaps.Big buttons (and fat thumbs) can get in the way on the iPhone.You'll tap on-screen buttons to navigate traps, puzzles, and sword fights. On the iPad, the superimposed buttons rarely block the view. However, on the iPhone, they too often obstruct the screen edges. Little touches also disappoint, such as how you can't slide a finger between the left and right buttons; you have to pick it up and tap each time.As in the classic game, if you die--and you will often--you restart that level. You'll gain extra health throughout the game, but if you exit the app or get a phone call, you'll lose all of that progress. (You can start on any level but without health upgrades.) Did the development team consider mobile players? The app won't reorient the screen in case you want to play with the headphone port on top, but that's unlikely, since you can't listen to music in the background.
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First Look: Interactive Bartleby picture book
Filed under: iPad My son and I really dug the recent release of the iPad-ized Alice in Wonderland. After reviewing that application, I've been approached by any number of developers working on interactive e-Book titles. For the most part, these have been a disappointment -- providing the iPad equivalent of a "read along" book (the kind with a cassette or CD, and tones to turn the page) rather than showcasing any innovation. I was really pleased, therefore, to stumble across this Bartleby preview. Under development by Monster Costume and Octopus Kite, and expected to release in July, Bartleby adds child-centric interactive elements to its eBook offerings, targeted at a 4-6 year demographic. As you can see in this preview video, buttons, sliders, and little puzzles expand an otherwise flat story-telling experience.TUAWFirst Look: Interactive Bartleby picture book originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Unofficial Apple Weblog - E-book - IPad - Bartleby - Compact Disc
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fStop Wireless Receiver & WirelessIris: Remote Follow Focus for the Masses
There's little doubt camera geeks the world over are swooning at the thought of adding the fStop Wireless Receiver and WirelessIris to their camerabags. That geek army can include the folks over at Engadget amongst their numbers. Laying eyes on the hardware, Engadget Show producer, Chad Munn declared the it to be "awesome." While we've not had a chance to get our mitts on the fStop Wireless Reciever just yet, we can't make any informed statements about how well the hardware preforms. We have to admit however, that based on the video, the combination of the hardware, when combined with WirelessIris is looking pretty tasty.What exactly does hardware and App combo do? Marc Alfonso from PLC Electronic Solutions explains:Looks pretty spiff, huh? Unfortunately, that much sexy doesn't come cheap: the fStop Wireless reciever will set you back $1,389.
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Apple won't support iPhone to iPad tethering
Filed under: Apple CorporateIf you thought that when iPhone OS 4.0 gets released and you can buy the 2GB "Datapro" plan for $25, along with an additional $20 per month to tether your iPhone's WiFi connection to your iPad, think again. It's just not going to happen. This is consistent with Steve Jobs' answer to an email asking him about this possibility. His response was a terse "no." According to Apple, once enabled, you will be able to tether your iPhone to a PC or Mac either via WiFi, Bluetooth, or a USB cable, but they didn't make mention of the iPad. It turns out that WiFi isn't possible on the tablet: the required Bluetooth profile isn't enabled, and using the camera connection kit to connect to a mini-USB port on your camera won't work either, although it will work with a USB keyboard and headset. Not allowing iPhone-iPad tethering doesn't seem to be an oversight. It seems like a carefully planned decision on Apple's part to keep AT&T happy. It is very possible for Apple to make tethering work via a software update perhaps along with a new connection cable, but I really don't see that happening since it will interfere with AT&T's iPad cellular connection plan pricing while maintaining the value of charging an extra $130 for a 3G-enabled iPad. I understand that this is a business decision and that making as much money as possible warms shareholders' hearts, but to me this premeditated decision is dirty pool and another good reason to Jailbreak your iPhone. [via AppleInsider]TUAWApple won't support iPhone to iPad tethering originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments iPhone - Apple - IPad - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Steve Jobs
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News: MobileMe changes point to tiered membership
New changes to Apple's MobileMe account type labels suggest the service may be moving to a tiered membership scheme. Ars Technica reports that several MobileMe subscribers have reported seeing their accounts, which were previously listed as either “Individual” or “Family Pack,” now listed as “Full Member.” Previously, only “Trial,” “Individual,” and “Family Pack” were possible…
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Cut My SIM does as its name commands
In case you haven't noticed, all the cool kids are using Micro SIMs nowadays. But help is at hand if you're stuck with an old and busted Module, thanks to this stainless steel SIM trimmer. Painfully simple to use, it accepts old school chips, smashes down on them with the full force of modernity, and spits out an appropriately streamlined Micro SIM. But wait, you can reverse the modification too -- just use the included "back to normal" kit to turn back time and restore compatibility with your dated gear. The first batch of 500 has already sold out, but the next is expected to ship by the end of this month at a price of $29 or just under €20, depending on where you reside. What else do you need, a written invitation?Cut My SIM does as its name commands originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Engadget German | Cut My SIM | Email this | Comments
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After Hours: Wal-Mart, Apple could get after-hours attention
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Monster Worldwide Inc. and Apple Inc. are among the stocks that may see action in after-hours trading.
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Data usage sticker shock: How I learned to freak out when my daughter used my iPhone 3GS
Filed under: Apple I tend to be a pretty light data user. As the chart here shows, my monthly data consumption rarely exceeds the 200 MB mark. After all the events of this week, with AT&T announcing its new, and quite limited, data plans I decided to hop over to my iPhone account page and see how I was doing in terms of overall consumption. What I discovered over there shocked me. After month after month of limited data use, my June numbers (actually starting May 23rd) were through the roof; about 3GB to date. It didn't take me long to figure out why: it's because for the last few weeks my teenage daughter and I have been stopping by Starbucks in the evening. I play my Mother's Day gift of Field Runners on the iPad while my daughter has been surfing the 'net on the iPhone. We chat, we zone, we compute. Add to that, I've also been letting her surf while we run errands in the car.TUAWData usage sticker shock: How I learned to freak out when my daughter used my iPhone 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments iPhone - Apple - Unofficial Apple Weblog - IPad - AT&T
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Steven Berlin Johnson on Where Apple Went Wrong in the â80s
Steven Berlin Johnson: I’m sure somewhere in Jobs’ head he thinks that if he had been running Apple instead of John Sculley, the Mac could have out-innovated and out-marketed Microsoft through the late eighties and early nineties, and kept Windows from dominating the planet. In other words, it wasn’t that Apple erred in following the closed platform strategy. They erred in that they had the wrong guy running the company. â
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WWDC 2010 Keynote Live Coverage
TheAppleBlog will be at the WWDC 2010 keynote providing live coverage! We'll be providing text and photo updates both before and during the event to see if any our predictions came true. The keynote will start on Monday, June 7 at 10AM PST and we'll be starting our coverage an hour or so before. You can tune in via live.theappleblog.com and via our Twitter account: @theappleblog Be sure to signup for a reminder of when coverage starts.
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Apple Showcases HTML5 for the Masses
That slap-fight between Apple and Adobe over Flash? It's still going on.A new website showcasing the abilities of HTML5 would seem to indicate that Apple's campaign to entrench HTML5 in the hearts and minds of developers and consumers has been turned up to 11.The website covers just about every facet that a web developer could hope to throw at it, with examples of the competency that the web standard hands video, typography, audio, and why not, virtual reality. It goes without saying that the site is as slick as the rest of Apple's offerings. Not content to let the glossy content do the talking, Apple's PR team threw around a bit of good old fashion wordsmithing too:Every new Apple mobile device and every new Mac â along with the latest version of Appleâs Safari web browser â supports web standards including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. These web standards are open, reliable, highly secure, and efficient. They allow web designers and developers to create advanced graphics, typography, animations, and transitions. Standards arenât add-ons to the web. They are the web. And you can start using them today.Oh SNAP! "Standards arenât add-ons to the web." They are the web? Apple is off the chain! You just know Flash is hanging out in the boy's bathroom and smoking cigarettes with his Plug-Ins possie, talking smack and planning their next move on Cupertino.What'll it be?A Flash site talking about HTML5's limitations?Will John Warnock and Charles Geschke go door to door with brownies to buy the love of consumers?Only time will tell.
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Review Roundup: iPad Stands
If you frequently use your iPad with a keyboard, a great stand can speed up your workflow The iPad is different things to different people. For some, itâs mostly a reading machine--books, magazines, blogs, and news sites. Others are using it as a partial laptop replacement, adding in a Bluetooth keyboard and using it for work-related tasks. If your iPad spends most of its time in your lap, a dedicated stand might not seem important, but if youâre putting in a lot of keyboard time, a stand is a worthy investment. Letâs look at three of the best options.The H4 rotates and flips your iPad for ultimate flexibility.Taking its styling cues from the iMac, Luxa2âs H4 offers an aluminum base with a rotatable arm to hold your iPad. Six rubber nubs support your device around three sides, plus the back rest is covered in a grippy rubber to keep your iPad in place. The supports are adjustable, making the H4 good for use with a Kindle DX or another similar device. The hinge allows for 360-degree rotation, and it can also flip vertically so that you can quickly show the iPadâs screen to someone sitting on the opposite side of a table. Our only real concern is that--since the iPad is supported on only three edges--all that spinning and flipping could let your iPad slip out the unsupported side of the stand (in our testing, it started to slide out before we intervened). And while the hinge allows for easy changes in orientation, itâs a bit âsoft,â so our iPad never sat exactly straight in portrait or landscape, and it didnât offer enough resistance to let us tap the Home button without moving the iPad.The BookArc is simple, sleek, and solid.Twelvesouthâs BookArc for iPad takes a completely different approach. Its curved aluminum base and rubber sleeve are all you need to keep your iPad upright. Since there are no complicated arms or hinges, the BookArc can be easily slipped in a bag for travel. The 22.4 oz. BookArc is a tad heavy, but itâs got enough heft to make it feel sturdy on your desk, even when gaming on your iPad. The reversible sleeve can hold your iPad vertically upright or at more of an angle thatâs better for close-up viewing. Thereâs even a second rubber sleeve thatâs sized to accommodate an iPad in a shell-style case, which is a nice option. BookArc solidly holds your iPad in either portrait or landscape, and it looks gorgeous doing it, too. Incase's Convertible Book Jacket does double duty.If youâre interested in a stand/case combo, Incaseâs Convertible Book Jacket might be just the ticket. Itâs a more robust alternative to Appleâs mediocre iPad case, and it flips out to offer three different viewing-angle options. We like how the Book Jacket can do double duty as both a protective case and a stand for our iPad, but if space in your bag is at a premium, it might be a tad too bulky for daily use. If your iPad is perfectly seated in the case, cutouts leave all the buttons and ports easily accessible, but the iPad tends to shift slightly with normal use, and we were constantly tucking it back in just the right spot to be able to use the volume and orientation lock buttons.
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AT&T extends olive branch, will let all iPad orders before June 7 get $30 unlimited data plan
We'd previously heard some nasty rumors that Apple appeared to be delaying iPad shipments until June 7, ostensibly to prevent a bum rush of people grandfathering into AT&T's $30 unlimited dead-plan-walking. Whether that's really what was going on, we may never know -- but the carrier's making things right today by saying that it'll let anyone ordering an iPad prior to June 7 get in on the $30 plan whether they've received their unit or not (and let's be honest, if you order now, you're definitely not getting it by Monday). When asked for an exact cutoff time, AT&T told us that you can push it all the way to 11:59PM on the 6th, so procrastinate all you want, you... procrastinator, you.AT&T extends olive branch, will let all iPad orders before June 7 get $30 unlimited data plan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
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Apple touts technology demos of HTML5, CSS3 standards
Days before the opening of its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple once again is touting the advantages of new Web standards, such as HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and the WebKit rendering engine. The demos are on the Apple Developer site.Called Safari Technology Demos, the page gathers together 8 demonstrations that combine a range of technologies:-CSS effects including transforms, reflections, and image masks are applied to HTML5 video. Apple said this was implemented in a single line of code.-CSS typographic capabilities such as shadows and customized Web fonts. Using styled text instead of images offers better download performance and is easily discovered by search engines.-An interactive Web gallery combines 2D and 3D transforms CSS transitions.-CSS3 transitions and animations are used in a Web-based slideshow.-An HTML5 audio demo shows how JavaScript lets programmers pause, play, seek, and check the current playback position. It says that listeners can “enjoy sound in your web pages without downloading any additional software.”- A page shows an interactive 360 degree view of an iPad, iPod Touch and a case. The photos are positioned with CSS and loaded dynamically with JavaScript. Apple said that Document Object Model support for touch events will make it all work on iPhones and iPads. And no 3D plugin required.You can deliver interactive 360 degree product views in your web pages, without a plugin. By taking several product snapshots and then assembling them with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can easily create the kinds of rich interactions that users would typically need additional software to experience. And, by integrating DOM touch events, you can optimize for touch-enabled devices like iPad and iPhone.-Similar to the 360 degree demo, the VR example shows an Apple Store in NYC to create a virtual 3D environment. CSS transforms position the images in 3D space.-What Apple calls Canvas Pixel Manipulation demonstrates the interactive capabilities of JavaScript Canvas APIs that allow pixel-level data to be modified and displayed and a “snapshot” stored locally or on the Web. This lets users draw lines and shapes directly into the page.
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Miguel De Icazaâs First iPhone Web App
If you want a non-joke example, try Brainium Studios’ web app demo of Hand of Greed their new iPhone game. â
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Itâs Coming: Preparing for iPhone OS 4.0
If youâre excited about the forthcoming iPhone OS 4.0 update, youâre not alone. Hereâs how you can have a smooth upgrade by getting ready for the latest and greatest ahead of time.iPhone updates are always a big deal, particularly major ones such as the forthcoming iPhone OS 4.0 announced in early April. Third-party developers have been working feverishly behind the scenes to make sure their hard work is compatible with Appleâs latest, but that doesnât mean you canât also do a little preparation in anticipation of its release, expected sometime this month.As always, your pals at MacLife.com are here to help guide the way -- so read on and letâs get ready to rumble, iPhone OS 4.0 style!Clean Up Your iTunes AppsIf youâve used your iDevice for a while now, youâve probably accumulated a lot of apps -- for example, our personal copy of iTunes is home to nearly 700 of them, including universal apps which run on both the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad. Now would be a good time to take inventory and maybe even do a little housekeeping.With each new iPhone OS, there are some unfortunate apps that become orphaned and may even cease to work at all with the latest version. One such example is Veiosoftâs DataCase, one of the earliest and best apps for transferring files to your iDevice, which has been seemingly abandoned by the developer after the most recent 1.1.1 update back in September, 2008. That means itâs never quite worked right on OS 3.x, and users who paid out their $6.99 are left to search for competing utilities that are updated more frequently. (DataCase is still for sale as of this writing, but based on a wave of negative reviews since the last update almost two years ago, itâs clearly not recommended for newer firmware.)Granted, DataCase is less than 1MB in size so itâs not a big hardship to just leave it on your hard drive, but removing it and other unused, unloved or simply outdated apps from your iTunes can only help keep the software running lean and mean. After all, who wants to wade through hundreds of unused apps in search of the one you really want anyway? Click on the Apps icon in your iTunes sidebar, select the app you wish to remove while holding down the Control key and select âDeleteâ from the submenu.Of course, deleting an app from iTunes doesnât mean youâll have to buy it all over again should the developer come calling later with an updated version. iTunes remembers all of your purchases -- regardless of whether they reside in iTunes at the moment or not -- so you will always be able to download them again for free, unless the developer specifically releases a separate new version for a fee, as was the case with the popular Tweetie 2 app (which has since become the official, and free, Twitter app).Weâd advise that you back up your unwanted apps before emptying your trash -- you never know when you might change your mind and decide to reinstall something, especially if itâs an app that vanishes from the App Store due to some change in Appleâs policy, similar to what happened with the Google Voice apps in the past. (Although keep in mind, Apple can always remotely âkillâ apps they donât want you to use, but no harm in having them backed up just the same.) Get UpdatedOn the same train of thought as getting rid of unwanted apps, it also pays to make sure youâre updated to the latest and greatest version of your apps. In the next few weeks, youâll likely see a flood of new updates as developers release versions that will be fully compatible with all of the goodness inherent in iPhone OS 4.0, so it pays to check for such updates on a regular basis and stay ahead of the curve.You can check for updates on your device by opening the App Store app; usually after a moment, youâll see a badge on the Updates tab notifying you of anything new, but sometimes you have to expressly press Updates to refresh them. Note that this will only look for updates for apps you have installed on that particular device -- if you want to check for all app updates, youâll need to use iTunes. Select the Apps icon in the sidebar and then click the little arrow next to âCheck for Updatesâ in the lower right-hand corner.Some of us here at MacLife.com are quite diligent about app updates, checking several times a day to see whatâs new -- itâs kind of like a mini-Christmas every day, especially when your most-used apps are empowered with cool new features or get annoying bugs squashed. Most app updates are posted in the afternoon and evening, so no sense going around clicking half-cocked in the morning.One of the better ways to stay abreast of the situation is through a website such as AppShopper.com. The brainchild of the folks behind MacRumors.com, AppShopper lets you create a free account to track your own apps or even create a wish list of ones you might want to buy in the future, as well as providing a wide variety of RSS feeds for both iPhone and iPad to track updates, new apps, price changes and more.Twitter is another great way to track app updates, since many developers big and small will give a heads-up when new apps or updates have been approved by Apple so you can start exhausting your finger by looking for them on iTunes.Jailbreakers: Proceed with CautionMajor OS updates are a big deal on any platform, but as anyone who has jailbroken their iDevice knows, even the little updates can create a tsunami of problems for those living on the cutting edge. Thankfully, the hackers are ahead of the curve yet again, and beta builds of iPhone OS 4.0 have already been successfully jailbroken -- but that doesnât mean you should throw caution to the wind and forge ahead blindly.If you rely on an unsanctioned, unlocked iPhone for cellular and data access, do yourself a favor and donât upgrade to OS 4.0 until you get an âall clearâ from the hacker community. Just because the beta builds have been jailbroken does not mean that your phone will remain unlocked (in fact, itâs almost a certainty that it wonât), and with new hardware imminent, we donât know yet if any of the unlocking patches will even work. We repeat: If youâve unlocked your iPhone, avoid iPhone OS 4.0 until you hear that itâs safe to upgrade!Whether or not you care about unlocking your iPhone, if you have it jailbroken now or plan to in the future, you should make sure your SHSH blobs are backed up in case you ever want to return to iPhone OS 3.x. Say what?!Apple has attempted to thwart the hackers by adding extra layers of security in newer devices, in particular the iPhone 3GS, iPad and third-generation iPod touch. If you have one of these devices, you should do yourself a favor and extract the âSHSHâ records from your device (theyâre different for every single unit), which can be used to restore to older firmware, should things not work out so great with iPhone OS 4.0.Itâs easy to backup your âSHSH blobsâ using a free utility called Umbrella and a detailed guide already posted at Cult of Mac -- the whole process takes only a few minutes, so we encourage everyone to do it, even if you donât plan to jailbreak your device anytime soon.Save Your Old Firmware Along the same lines as backing up your SHSH blobs, youâd do well to take a visit to your Home > Library > iTunes > iPhone Software Updates folder and back up whatever .ipsw files you find there. With older versions of iTunes, any iPhone firmware updates were downloaded to this folder and stayed there forevermore, but more recent versions of iTunes will move them to the Trash as soon as you download a new one. Thereâs a good chance your folder may even be empty already! The reason youâll want to save these .ipsw restore files is that shortly after iPhone OS 4.0 is released, Apple will likely wipe all traces of OS 3.1.3 (the latest version) off the map and prevent it from being downloaded again; if you saved your SHSH blobs and ever need to restore to an older version, youâll need at least one of those old firmware files to do so. Thankfully, a Google search ought to dig up a number of non-Apple sources for downloading old firmware in the event that yours is already MIA. Keep in mind that youâll need the appropriate restore file -- the original iPhone will start with âiPhone1,1â, the iPhone 3G will start with âiPhone1,2â and the iPhone 3GS will start with âiPhone2,1â, for instance.NEXT: Backing up your stuff and organizing your screens. >> Back That Stuff Up!Perhaps the most crucial pre-update task of all is having a proper backup of your iDevice. The problem for many is that those backups have begun to take longer and longer as weâve filled up apps with files that arenât part of the iTunes ecosystem -- the more impatient among us might decide to click on the âXâ to stop the iTunes backup in order to get a new sync going, only to later find that they need to restore from said backup and find themselves unable to do so.If you donât use a lot of in-app files, this may not be such a big deal for you. Casual users can likely start from scratch without too much grief, but if youâve used your iDevice for any length of time like many of us, chances are youâd rather have intensive, painful oral surgery than have to start over from scratch. However, if you port a lot of files onto your device for work or even casual uses such as reading comic books or large PDF files, having a good backup should not be optional.To avoid long backup times, we recommend letting iTunes complete its backup each time you sync. Since the software is only backing up whatâs changed since the previous sync, the incremental backup time should get shorter each time you do so. Also, once you have plugged into iTunes and completed a backup and sync, you wonât have to go through the backup process again unless you unplug the sync cable -- iTunes knows youâve just backed up, so it simply does a quick sync until you plug the cable in again, in case you just want to just add new apps.That said, you can backup your device at any time by selecting your iDevice in the iTunes sidebar with the Control key pressed down and then select âBack Upâ from the submenu.Organize Your ScreensOne of the new features of iPhone OS 4.0 thatâs most anticipated is Folders, Appleâs new way of organizing apps on your iDevice. With the current firmware, youâre only capable of seeing 180 apps on any one device across 11 screens (though you can always load more and find them via Spotlight). Thanks to the drag and drop simplicity of the Folders feature, youâll soon be able to have up to a whopping 2,160 apps on your device and find them grouped by category -- assuming you have that many to begin with and use every available space in a Folder.To prepare for Folders, now might be a great time to spend a few minutes organizing your apps so theyâre in close proximity to each other based on how you plan to group them. That way, as soon as you update to iPhone OS 4.0, you can drag them together into Folders and youâll be good to go. If you have a lot of apps spread over many screens, this task is made easier from within iTunes, where you can easily drag app icons from screen to screen or even rearrange whole screens at once.Itâs Safe to Buy Some iBooks NowIf you already have an iPad with iBooks installed on it, you can feel safe in purchasing all the e-books you want from the iBookstore, knowing that theyâll work just fine on your iPhone or iPod touch once youâve upgraded to iPhone OS 4.0.Buy as many iBooks as youâd like and then sync your iPad to iTunes, which will copy those new purchases across to your computer. After your upgrade to iPhone OS 4.0, youâll be able to select the same e-books and copy them straight over to your iPhone or iPod touch, just like magic.Letâs Not Forget iTunes ItselfWhile we hope to know for sure when iPhone OS 4.0 will be available to download during Steve Jobsâ WWDC 2010 keynote on Monday, June 7, keep in mind that the new firmware will most likely also require a new update to iTunes itself, if history is any indication. Weâre guessing at the very least, a new iTunes will let us arrange apps by Folders, for instance.The current version of iTunes at this writing is 9.1.1; if you havenât updated lately, now would be a dandy time to do so. And really, thereâs no reason not to -- while some previous iTunes updates have tripped up jailbroken devices, iTunes 9.1.1 isnât one of them, and the hackers have already given a green light to use it.Take Stock of Your MediaFinally, a new OS install is always a good time to take stock of that non-app iTunes media taking up space on your iDevice. If youâre like most of us, youâve got old podcasts played long ago that you neglected to delete, music you wish had stayed in the seventies and probably even some space-guzzling videos youâve already watched and have since bored of.Why carry this stuff over to iPhone OS 4.0? Especially if you plan to buy a new iPhone, the less you have to restore and sync to a fresh device, the better. Purge that media now by deselecting it from within iTunes, and then click Apply to sync your changes and remove the great unwanted from your device. There, now donât you feel better having done some summer cleaning?Oh, and donât forget about all the photos and movies youâve shot with your iPhone! While those cherished memories are always backed up during an iTunes sync (so you can safely move them to a new device), you should make a habit of clearing them off your device on a regular basis, both for safety as well as speeding up that iTunes backup. Once those photos and videos are safely stored in your iPhoto library, you can always sync them back to your iPhone (where photos will take up less space by being optimized for the deviceâs screen) -- they wonât be backed up by iTunes since they can be restored simply by syncing from your photo library.Thereâs one other very good reason to purge old media, too: If space on your iDevice is at a premium, youâll want to free up some storage for OS 4.0 to make sure the upgrade goes smoothly.Is Your Device Compatible?iPhone OS 4.0 is expected sometime this month for the iPhone and (at additional cost) iPod touch. Sadly, Apple has already stated that the iPad wonât get any OS 4.0 love until the fall, so if thatâs your only iDevice, enjoy your summer and donât bother looking for a major update until then.Itâs important to note that not every iPhone and iPod touch is welcome to the OS 4.0 party -- specifically, the first-generation iPhone and iPod touch devices released in 2007 have been put on notice and OS 3.1.3 appears to be the end of the line for them. Recent reports claim that thereâs no real technical reason to exclude them, and early beta builds of OS 4.0 have even been shown running on the original iPhone -- just donât expect Apple to officially support that configuration, and youâll still be limited as to what new features youâll have access to.Likewise, even if your device can install iPhone OS 4.0, you may not be able to use every new feature -- for instance, the iPhone 3G will not support multitasking. iPhone 3GS and third-generation (32GB or 64GB) iPod touch owners are good to go, as well as those of you holding your credit cards in your sweaty little hands waiting to buy the newest iPhone, expected to be announced at WWDC on Monday, June 7.*****Now that all of that hard work is over, only one thing remains: Waiting for iPhone OS 4.0 to actually be released. Hey Steve Jobs, maybe you can help us with thatâŚ?
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Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote live on Engadget this Monday, 10AM PT / 1PM ET!
C'mon guys -- you know what time it is. It's WWDC 2010 time, and we'll be there liveblogging the hell out of the opening keynote where Steve Jobs will maybe-kinda-sorta introduce some crazy new phone. Or not. You never know. That's why you have to tune in! Below is all the information you'll need to track the best live coverage on the internet -- starting bright and early on Monday morning. Don't miss this -- it's going to be epic. Here's the info: The keynote will start at 10AM PT on Monday, June 7th. Here's the URL that you'll want to be planted at for the proceedings, and below is a handful of timezone information, just in case you hate doing the math. 07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 09:00PM - Moscow 03:00AM - Tokyo (June 8th)Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote live on Engadget this Monday, 10AM PT / 1PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
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EVO 4G launch day antics: Sprint's computers overwhelmed, Radio Shack listing CDMA iPhones?
You might imagine that we're getting a pretty wild variety of EVO 4G-related tips today, seeing how it's launch day and all -- but a couple really stood out for us: Sprint's activation system is apparently buckling under the pressure, an issue that's giving us nightmarish flashbacks to iPhone launches of days gone by. We've even heard reports of poor shoppers being "turned away" when reps are stymied by the situation. A wildly successful product is both a blessing and curse, is it not? We've gotten multiple tips saying that Radio Shack now lists a $400 early termination fee in its contract for the iPhone on Verizon and Sprint. Our guess is that this is just some generic verbiage, not a sign of an impending CDMA launch, but you never know. Keep us updated with your launch day travails, folks! [Thanks to everyone who sent these in]EVO 4G launch day antics: Sprint's computers overwhelmed, Radio Shack listing CDMA iPhones? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
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Microsoft kills Bing Cashback
Once touted as a significant game changer in search, Microsoft is ending a program that gave people rebates when they used Bing to guide them to online purchases.
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Adobe Photoshop CS5
The new features wowed us--now's the time to upgrade! Itâs summer, so that must mean heat, humidity--and, in 2010--time for a new update to the Adobe suite of apps, including the flagship of the fleet, Photoshop. The CS5 iteration is a significant step forward, for reasons big and small, and overall, itâs one of the strongest upgrades in the 20 years that Photoshop has graced hard drives around the world.Those working with tricked-out Macs loaded with RAM will deeply appreciate the fact that Photoshop CS5 finally takes us into the 64-bit world, providing support for as much RAM as youâve jammed into your machine. That significantly speeds up performance when working with densely layered, print-resolution imagery--from applying filters to saving files and everything in between. Of course, youâll need Snow Leopard and loads of RAM to exploit this, but you already knew that.Check out Content-Aware Fill at work! The original photo is above, and in the "after" shot on the bottom, the flowers were automagically vanished.In the âcool enough to be science fictionâ department, the most potentially jaw-dropping new feature is Content-Aware Fill, which is much sexier than the name suggests. It lets you draw a crude lasso selection around an element you want to remove from a complex background--say, some people standing in front of a stone wall--and Photoshop CS5 automatically fills in the resulting hole by applying some serious image-processing mojo on the surrounding area. Itâs not always perfect, but when well-used, itâs nothing short of astonishing.For advanced masking nerds, the new edge-processing technology tucked into the Refine Edges dialog helps create really clean edges on challenging selections that normally present an extra challenge--think hair, fur, and other finely detailed nightmares that have long plagued expert retouchers. These two new additions alone are reason enough for any CS4 owner involved in heavy image editing to bite the upgrade bullet.If youâve always wanted Painter-level brushes in Photoshop, youâll enjoy the flexibility of the new Mixer Brush and extensive Bristle options, which deliver sweet natural-media effects that make heavy use of a Wacom-style graphics tablet. Puppet Warp is a very powerful new tool that allows you to bend and distort images using âvirtual pushpins,â turning any photograph into pliable Play-Doh. Itâs very different from the Liquify filter, and was derived from After Effects, where itâs used to make South Parkâlike animation.But at the end of the day, Photoshop is about photographs, and shutterbugs will deeply appreciate the new noise-reduction code built into the Camera Raw plug-in, which will change how you approach shooting pushed ASA settings in low-light situations. It does an amazing job of minimizing--and often completely eliminating--pesky noise artifacts. The tweaked Camera Raw-Sharpening is really stunning, just when we thought that Smart Sharpen was already fantastic.HDR (High Dynamic Range) Pro is tailored toward giving photographers the maximum quality when compositing multiple exposures, and we were pleasantly surprised to discover that you can now apply the hyper-realistic HDR look to single images shot conventionally--a nice creative touch. Pro photographers will also appreciate the combination of the newly automatic Lens Correction filter in conjunction with the release of a new lens distortion profiler, which lets you tailor the results to your specific digital camera--cool stuff.The Extended version of CS5 is now all about 3D, including something exotically dubbed RepoussĂŠ, which finally delivers some workable 3D extrusion tools to the 3D menu. While youâll find it useful for some basic 3D logo work, itâs still not even close to being a replacement for a separate 3D modeling and rendering program. When it comes to the issue of final render quality, Adobeâs ray tracer simply doesnât justify the Extended packageâs premium pricing.
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Small enough to be in a pocket
Filed under: iPadMicrosoft CEO Steve Ballmer spoke with Walt Mossberg at the All Things Digital Conference this week. Engadget has a nice collection of video highlights. In this clip, Ballmer makes a common mistake. Namely, he uses the smartphone as the point of comparison to the iPad. This is, of course, due to the iPad's physical resemblance to the iPod touch/iPhone and the fact that it runs the iPhone OS. But it's not a mobile device as Steve -- and many others -- define them. Specifically, smart phones and PDAs. The correct point of comparison for the iPad is the laptop. It's not a full laptop replacement, of course. I wouldn't want to edit video on one, for instance. But that is Apple's aim: to commandeer the laps of millions of typical laptop users. Nearly everything that an average user does with a laptop, be it browsing the Web, sending and receiving email, looking at and sharing photos, watching videos and so on are the iPad's strengths. When Ballmer says, "I think there is a fundamental difference between small enough to be in a pocket and not small enough, really, to be in a pocket," he's right, but he's also dismissing the iPad as a mobile device, and that's missing the point. Laptops aren't small enough to be in a pocket, yet they're a crucial tool for millions of users. To compare it to a iPod, Android device or Windows phone would be silly. Don't let the iPad's looks fool you. It's not what we've come to think of as a mobile device. You can watch the full clip after the break.TUAWSmall enough to be in a pocket originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments IPhone - Microsoft - Apple - Steve Ballmer - IPad
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Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Episode 1: The Penal Zone
Play good cop/goofy cop with Sam and Max If youâre a fan of buddy-cop movies, clichĂŠd puns, and slapstick humor, youâll feel right at home in Sam & Max: The Devilâs Playhouse, Episode 1: The Penal Zone. Itâs the first episode in a five-part adventure series, as the rather lengthy name suggests. In this first installment, the kooky pair of freelance investigators deals with some equally kooky characters, including the main villain, an alien named Skunâkape who lands on Earth in peace but clearly has an ulterior motive. Itâs up to Sam and Max to find out the true reason for his arrival and banish him to another dimension.Sam's a "canine shamus" and his weird buddy Max prefers to be called a "lagomorph." Sure, Max, whatever.You maneuver the two protagonists around a slightly downtrodden, very cartoony version of New York City and use their specialties to solve puzzles, which lead you to your next task and ultimately determine the ending. Maxâs psychic abilities are distinguished by a variety of classic toys, while Sam does most of the grunt work, like driving their very classy DeSoto squad car. Though the game is a point-and-click affair, you can also use the WASD keys to steer. But since the keyboard controls are inverted in Maxâs psychic mode, itâs easier to simply click. Controlling Sam and Max using the trackpad is also treacherous, so laptop users should plug in a mouse before diving in.This is Sam and Maxâs first appearance on the Mac since 1995, though theyâre still well-loved in the gaming world. Two series prior to The Devilâs Playhouse (Sam & Max Save the World, and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space) were popular on the PC and Xbox 360, so this Mac port might make new players feel out of the loop. Regardless, this particular series definitely has a more memorable story line than seasons past, and gamers attracted to clever stories will find it worth playing.While the plot might seem suitable for gamers of all ages, itâs not very cohesive since this first episode is part of a long series. The story is often too involved and drags on, which can make solving the puzzles a bit tedious. Fortunately, Maxâs âfuture visionâ hint system can point you in the right direction. His jokes, however, will make you face-palm.Sam and Max themselves also have a tough time being rendered in this virtual world--the game did not run smoothly on our Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro. The game even got stuck loading cut-scene segues. Adding insult to injury, the gameâs graphics arenât exactly cutting edge, and yet the developers recommend using a system with a dedicated video card over one with integrated Intel graphics. We should also mention that there is no key for skipping through cut-scenes, so have your patience hat handy.
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Feature-Sniffing Rather Than Browser-Sniffing
I’ve linked to Modernizr before, but it’s worth a re-link in light of Apple’s Safari-only “HTML5” demos. Rather than sniffing for specific browsers, they’d have been better served sniffing for specific browser features on a per-demo basis. I don’t have a problem with the fact that some of their demos take advantage of Safari-only features — why not show off Safari’s leading edge capabilities? But it’s wrong that a site promoting “standards” blocks browsers that are capable of rendering certain of the demos. I.e., instead of “Use Safari to view these demos”, the site could serve as a “Safari can render all of these demos, see which ones work in your browser” example. See also: “Mark Pilgrim’s All-in-One Almost Alphabetical No-Bullshit Guide to Detecting Everything”. â
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Virtual Programming Reissues X3: Reunion as non-cider port
Posted by Dennis SellersVirtual Programming has gone back to the well and reissued the Mac OS X version of X3: Reunion as a non-Cider port.
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DigiLife I-One e-reader smuggles along integrated projector, gets white glove treatment at Computex
Believe it or not, DigiLife has actually been cranking out wares in the consumer electronics space for awhile now. Trouble is, there aren't too many people that seem to care here in the States. All that has a chance to change at IFA this Fall, as that's where DigiLife will be revealing a price and ship date for its impending I-One e-reader / projector hybrid device. Shown this week at Computex for the first time, the multifaceted slate is billed as an e-book reader, with WiFi, a 10.4-inch LCD display and a rather sharp looking design to go along with it. But unlike every other alternative out there, this one actually has an integrated projector and multimedia player, though it's difficult to say what the final resolution will be (we're betting on VGA at best). Betcha never thought to project the person you're video chatting with upside the wall, did you? On second thought, don't answer that. Gallery: DigiLife I-One e-reader / projector hybrid at Computex 2010DigiLife I-One e-reader smuggles along integrated projector, gets white glove treatment at Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
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Apple posts HTML 5 demo page
Company demonstrates the power of HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript--and shows Flash isn't required to build interactive experiences on the Web.
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Hands-on: League of Legends for the Mac
Filed under: Gaming, Freeware Defense of the Ancients is one of the most interesting stories in all of gaming -- it was originally a player-created mod for the Warcraft III real-time strategy game, and it completely revamped the RTS game into a RPG/hack-and-slash mashup, where the player controlled a champion character that fought to turn the tide of battle on a player-vs-player map. The mod proved so popular that game companies are now creating their own official versions of it, and League of Legends is one of those -- a "DotA"-style mix of hack-and-slash gameplay combined with a few RTS elements created by Riot Games. "LoL," as players are calling it, actually has the best pedigree of all the DotA clones -- two of the mods' designers were (and still are) involved in the games' development. Now LoL is coming to the Mac -- Riot Games invited me to come and see the game this week running natively on their MacBook Pro. The game uses a free to play model, so if you're running Boot Camp, you can go and download it right now and play to your heart's content. But Riot is convinced that "there's millions of gamers out there" who want to run their game natively, and so sometime later this year, it'll be available in OS X. I got to check out the game on official Apple hardware, ask them if they had any problems porting it over, and poke them a little bit about how RTS games might work on the iPad. Hit the link below to read on.TUAWHands-on: League of Legends for the Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments League of Legends - Riot Games - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos - Video game
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MEanderthal App is So Easy a Caveman Can Do It
Look like the distant family relatives⌠the really distant ones from the Stone Age! The âMEanderthalâ App is a picture and identity converter from the Smithsonian Institution, and it is packed with information for the userâs bio. This free application for the iPhone is simple, impactful and really fun. The Smithsonian uses its knowledge to morph the iPhone user into a prehistoric Neanderthal type figure, complete with picture and background data. Simply take, or choose someoneâs photo. Then utilize the intuitive touchscreen controls to slightly move and scale the face in the pic to the âMEanderthalâ App mold on the screen. Once the photo is ready then the user has to choose which specific species to join: there is the male and female Homo floresiensis (from 95,000 to 17,000 years ago), the male and female Homo neanderthalensis (from 200,000 to 28,000 years ago) and the male Homo heidelbergensis (from 700,000 to 200,000 years ago). Now if you want to talk about a stunning and shocking result of the âMEanderthalâ App, the userâs picture takes on the chosen cave man type and the form is accompanied by great insight into the persona. The same face that one knows well, from the mirror, is transformed into a Neanderthal form, with big brow and nose, and the Homo floresiensisâs brain is described as, âa third of the size of modern humansâŚbut you make tools, control fireâŚand your small size helps you survive on an island of limited resources.â Wow! IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A
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Your Macsimum Podcast for June 4th
Posted by Frank PetrieToday on Your Macsimum Podcast: “Adobe – Move Over!” “The Clear Winner,” “Mini's Future?” and ”...Story 4.”
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Big Nerd Ranch Europe offers iPhone Bootcamp in August
Posted by Dennis SellersBig Nerd Ranch Europe, a provider of training classes for programmers and system administrators, is offering the iPhone Bootcamp Aug. 16-20 at Kloster Eberbach, near Frankfurt, Germany. The five-day class, taught by Scott Ritchie, looks at the integral components of iPhone development and emerge fully skilled in the ability to develop...
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News: iLounge Weekly coming soon, sign up now
The latest edition of iLounge Weekly, our weekly newsletter covering all things iLounge, is coming later today. iLounge Weekly is a summary of the week's best news, reviews, and feature articles weâve published, and it also features giveaways and iPod accessory discount offers from various companies. Thereâs still plenty of time to sign up and receive this week's edition â just use the simple form below to submit your email address,…
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News: AT&T out of 8GB iPhone 3G units
AT&T has officially stopped selling the 8GB iPhone 3G, labeling the device “out of stock.” Boy Genius Report claims the device is at the end of its run, posting what is apparently an internal AT&T memo stating that “[e]ffective immediately, iPhone 3G 8GB is Out of Stock. Please refer all customers to iPhone 3GS 16 GB and 32 GB models.” The memo also states that the company doesn't know when more stock will arrive.…
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AT&T Considering Selling Unlimited iPad 3G Data Plans Over the Weekend
Rumor has it that AT&T is considering selling the iPad 3G data plan without the prerequisite of an actual iPad over the weekend. The catch is that you'd have to eventually purchase an iPad, lest your money go to waste.Basically, you'd be purchasing and paying for a data plan that's specifically for a device that you do not physically own. Anyway, this data plan sale would only be available this weekend, so you'll have to decide soon whether or not you'll be acquiring the coveted tablet iDevice anytime soon. Otherwise, you'll have to cough up $25 a month for 2GB of data transfer later on. The offer to buy the unlimited data plan for the iPad 3G (whether you own one or not) will be good until 11:59 pm on June 6, which gives you three days to make your decision. It's either act now or forever have your iPad capped at 2GB of data transfer. Via New York Times
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Engadget Podcast 199 - 06.04.2010
Conferences. Trade shows. Exotic locales. Special guests. Tablets. Fish legs. Tablets. Fish balls. Tablets. You know the drill. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Guests: Joanna Stern, Darren Murph Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Boys Don't Cry Hear the podcast 00:02:38 - Engadget dines at Taipei's Windows 7-themed restaurant (video) 00:06:05 - Windows 7 tablet roundup from Computex, nay Tabletex 00:07:03 - Microsoft's Guggenheimer dismisses Android on tablets as 'an experiment' 00:09:05 - Microsoft reveals Windows Embedded Compact 7 at Computex, hosts heaps of tablets 00:10:40 - Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7 explained, trial download now available 00:12:10 - Microsoft: Windows Phone 7 not planned to hit tablets, Courier was always a concept 00:13:00 - NVIDIA CEO says Android is an OS to 'unite behind,' will be better tailored to tablets this Fall 00:13:40 - Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7 tablet prototype preview 00:14:20 - Samsung Galaxy Tab revealed 00:17:10 - MeeGo Moorestown-powered tablet preview 00:18:40 - Pixel Qi introduces tablet-ready screens, we go hands-on (video) 00:23:40 - Exclusive: LG UX10 tablet preview at Computex 00:39:46 - Intel demos Android 2.1 on Moorestown smartphone (video) 00:41:45 - Qualcomm ships first dual-core Snapdragon chipsets clocking 1.2GHz 00:45:47 - Labor practice protest goes down at Computex, Steve Jobs called an 'OEM profit bloodsucker' 00:54:40 - Steve Jobs live from D8 01:02:57 - Steve Jobs' D8 interview: the video highlights (updated) 01:03:38 - Steve Jobs on Foxconn: 'We're all over this' 01:05:52 - Steve Jobs on lost iPhone 4G prototype: it's an 'amazing' story 01:14:45 - Steve Jobs on TV: 'no one wants to buy a box' 01:24:55 - Steve Ballmer and Ray Ozzie live from D8 01:25:06 - Jobs: The PC is a truck. Ballmer: There's a reason they're called 'Mac' trucks. 01:27:00 - Steve Ballmer at D8: the video highlights (updated) 01:38:38 - Kno dual-screen tablet appears at D8, we go hands-on Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadgetEngadget Podcast 199 - 06.04.2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
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Google Releases AdMob SDK â iAds, Not Yet
As you may or may not know, Google bought AdMob a while back, which some people said was a direct smack in the face to Apple, who was also in the running. As a result, Apple bought Quattro Wireless, they cuddled for a bit, and they made sweet, sweet iAd. Which, by the way, is presumed to be opening next week at WWDC. Well, Google decided they really wanted to push for the mobile marketplace, and they've just released a SDK for their iPhone project. Here's the scoop via eWeek: Google's AdMob mobile ad unit June 2 released a software development kit to let developers insert advertisements into native iPhone OS applications on Apple's iPad. The new SDK supports text and tile and image ads in native iPad applications. Ads targeted for iPhone OS include the iPad by default, though developers may also target iPad devices only. While this may seem like a small gesture, it is surely a preemptive strike against Apple's iAd platform, expected to launch June 7 with the iPhone 4G or 4.0. So what does this mean for us, the consumer? Well, looks like the mobile ad wars are on. Previously, we only had to deal with ads on free apps, and slowly, they've been trickling into paid apps as well. I think that we may be seeing a deluge of ads in the mobile marketplace, and I don't see that going anywhere anytime soon.
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Article: iPad Gems: A1 Perfect Web Browser, GoodReader, Pulse News Reader + Wired Magazine
Apple has pitched the iPad as the future of reading—a device capable of transforming everything from web sites to newspapers and magazines into more engaging, “magical” experiences. This week's edition of iPad Gems looks at four recent App Store releases that each provide hints as to the future of reading on this device, and are notable for that reason, though they all have significant caveats that preclude them from being…
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Apple's HTML5 showcase
Filed under: Internet ToolsApple has published a new Web page meant to promote and show off the features of HTML5. There are seven sites featured in the "HTML5 showcase," each demonstrating a different function: video, typography, a photo gallery, transitions, audio, 360ş product view, and VR. Each demo includes some aspect of interactivity. For example, the typography demo lets you insert and manipulate your own text, while the video lets you scale the movie, apply a mask, and change the perspective. In addition, each demo explains how it was made and offers sample code from the Safari Dev Center. Note that Safari -- mobile or desktop -- is required. Apple has picked its horse and is sticking with it. It's a nice demonstration of what can be done with HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. Here's the money quote: "Standards aren't add-ons to the Web. They are the Web." [Via Daring Fireball]TUAWApple's HTML5 showcase originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Apple - HTML5 - Safari - Unofficial Apple Weblog - JavaScript
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News: Boxcar updated for iPad, services now free
Appremix has released an update to its Boxcar Push Notification application for the iPhone platform. Boxcar 3.0 is now a universal app, adding iPad support and a revamped inbox with a pull-down-to-refresh feature, the ability to delete individual notifications and five new notification sounds. Notably, all push notification services offered by Boxcar are now free—previous versions provided one service at no charge and required users to purchase…
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News: Lexcycle updates Stanza, adds iPad support
Lexcycle has released a Universal update to Stanza, its acclaimed e-book reader application. Stanza 3.0 adds native iPad support as well as support for PDF, DjVu and Comic Book Archive formats. iPad users can now transfer e-books directly onto their device using the iTunes File Sharing section as well as opening support book formats directly from web pages and e-mail attachments. Additional language support for Turkish and Bulgarian users has also…
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News: AT&T to let pre-order iPad 3G customers sign up for unlimited data?
AT&T is considering letting customers who have pre-ordered an iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G sign up for an unlimited data plan. The New York Times reports that AT&T is contemplating the move in the face of widespread iPad shortages that may leave some customers interested in the unlimited data plan unable to sign up prior to the data plan switch over on Monday. âWe are looking into this situation and how we can accommodate these customers,”…
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TechUniversity: Conditional Formatting with Numbers
Conditional formatting in Numbers, part of Apple's iWork suite, lets you format the contents of a cell based on certain rules. So say you want to show all negative numbers as red and bold…conditional formatting lets us do that! We'll cover how to apply conditional formatting to numbers, text and dates in this TechUniversity screencast on Conditional Formatting with Numbers (subscription required). Below is a sample of the video. The full screencast clocks in at just over 10 minutes.
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WWDC 2010 Predictions
The theme for this year's WWDC, “The Center of the App Universe,” is all about the iPhone. When Steve takes the stage on Monday, we can expect to hear a lot about the next release of iPhone OS and the next generation hardware. But what else can we expect to hear about during the keynote next week? For Sure iPhone OS 4.0 I do not expect many surprises beyond what is already listed on the what's new page but it will be nice to get some more details on the iAd program and Game Center. My money is on a GM release available in the Developer Center later on Tuesday as soon as the keynote is over. The software might be available in an iTunes update on Tuesday as well. iPhone OS 4.0 for iPad Steve has already said that it will be available in the fall, but I expect we will hear about the imminent release of developer betas of iPhone OS 4 for iPad. I will go out on a limb and guess that iPhone OS 4 for iPad will be available on CD's at the event and will appear on the Developer Center sometime next week. New iPhone Hardware The fourth generation of the iPhone hardware will not be called the iPhone 4G. No way. It would be too confusing to market a mobile phone as a 4G device when it does not speak 4G wireless protocols (LTE or IMT Advanced). I think it will be called the iPhone HD. That HD moniker is going to be popular this season. The only big question remaining is to see if Steve brings G.P. up on stage with him to introduce it. Tethering AT&T already announced that tethering on the iPhone would be available on Tuesday. If the software is not available to customers on that day and date, it would make AT&T look foolish and incompetent… wait a second. Apple Design Awards Winners The winners of this year's Apple Design Awards for iPhone and iPad apps will surprise no one. Sure, I mean, it will be a surprise and all but there will not be a single app on the list that you have not heard of. I expect a few of the iPad showcase apps from the January event to get a nicely lit cube to take home. Maybe Apple TV There are quite a few rumors flying that the next Apple TV will be based on the iPhone OS and the A4 processor in the iPad. The idea of running apps on the Apple TV, even with a non-touch, remote control interface, is exciting. Pandora would be amazing. I am a little concerned that the iPad can only do 720p video, so the Apple TV would need a little extra oomph to get to 1080p. If it does 1080p, it will be called the Apple TV HD. iPod touch There have been some sightings of the next iPod touch casing that show a camera. We might see an update here, but I would not expect anything until the back to school promotion is over in the fall. More on iPhone AT&T Announces iPhone Tethering, Cuts Price and Quality of 3G Service Mac Love Find Out What Flash is Like On the iPhone, Without Jailbreaking Mac Love iPhone Dev Sessions: Responsive Web-Enabled iPhone Apps Mac Love Walmart Slashes iPhone 3GS to $97 Mac Love Mac Pro Update I think we are all ready for new Mac Pro hardware. New six-core Xeons would be amazing. You know, sometimes you just need a big truck to do some heavy lifting. No Chance OS X 10.7 This year is all about the iPhone. I think the only mention that 10.7 might get is to remind everyone that they are not going to hear about it this week. Other U.S. Carriers So many people want this that I figured I had to put it on the list even though I don't think it is going to happen in the next week. If you are waiting to get an iPhone on Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint — keep waiting. App Store Approval Process Q&A with Apple Executives Hehe. Just having a bit of fun there. I Can Dream, Can't I? Safari Extensions Gruber dropped a hint the other week that an extension framework for Safari might be coming. Extensions are one of the few things that keep me on Firefox and Chrome. While Safari extensions would certainly be welcome on the desktop, it could also be amazing on the iPhone and the iPad. MobileMe I have heard the arguments for Apple to make MobileMe free, but I do not think that will happen. What I am hoping for is a cloud file system that makes sense for the iPhone and iPad. iTunes Cloud/Lala It would be nice to hear about a cloud strategy for iTunes, especially if the next Apple TV is primarily a streaming device. Surely that big, fancy, new data center is going to be sued for something. That said, I am not holding my breath. What Do You Want to See? What are you expecting (or wishing) to hear about next week? Sound off in the comments below. For those interested in cloud computing or data centers, check out our Structure conference in June.
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Morning Edition: iPad in-flight entertainment
Hitachi-LG is working on a Blu-ray drive combined with a solid-state drive, Slacker Radio 2.0 is out for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and Jetstar Airways is the first to offer an in-flight iPad rental service.
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Documents To Go now available on iPad
Filed under: iPadMany years ago, I used Documents To Go with my Palm IIIe.* Now, the productivity suite for handhelds is available for the iPad. Just like that old version, this universal app lets you view and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents (including those in the Office 2007/2008/2010 XML format). Unlike Docs To Go on the Palm, it's got the iPad's big, beautiful screen to work with. It also takes advantage of iTunes file sharing and apps that use the "Open in..." feature. For example, you can send an email attachment directly to Docs To Go from within Mail. You can also open iWork files and access documents in your Dropbox, Google Docs, Box.net, iDisk, or SugarSync accounts. It's definitely nice to see the majority of a spreadsheet or an entire Word document at once, and desktop sync over Wi-Fi (separate desktop app required) is quite handy. We've only had time to give this a cursory once-over, but we'll be spending more time with this suite. It's currently on sale for US$14.99 (that's 20% off), but that offer ends today. Pick it up and get productive. We'll also be checking out Office˛ HD and the soon-to-arrive Quickoffice for iPad in the next few days. *Anyone else remember the IIIe? It was a great little device.TUAWDocuments To Go now available on iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Google Docs - Apple - SugarSync - IPad - Dropbox
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WirelessIris brings follow focus to your DLSR via iPhone app
If you're shooting with movie cameras (or HD-enabled DSLRs like the Canon 5DMkII), being able to make your adjustments digitally is "epic" (or so says Engadget Show Producer Chad Mumm, who just declared this particular hardware "awesome"). The fStop Wireless Receiver is an affordable WiFi receiver that's compatible with most remote focus systems (common in the world of professional cinematography). Featuring multiple wireless channels and integration with the WirelessIris iPhone app, this bad boy will have you fussing with your camera's controls from your spacious (and convenient) Apple touchscreen device in no time! That is, once you shell out $1,389 (or find a friend with very deep pockets). Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Videos after the break.Continue reading WirelessIris brings follow focus to your DLSR via iPhone appWirelessIris brings follow focus to your DLSR via iPhone app originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Planet 5HD | Email this | Comments
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People Don't Like AT&T
As it turns out, not so many people are thrilled about AT&T's new smartphone plan changes. Just check out AT&T's Facebook page. A few select quotes: $25 for 2GB!? WHAT?! $10 for each additional GB!? Has AT&T lost their minds? I read where they claim that most users use only a few hundred MB a month and only like 1-2% use a lot of data. BS! In less than 2 days (TWO DAYS YOU IDIOTS @ AT&T!!) I've use close to 200MB just browsing around. I've played a game or 2. And that's before I use A VNC client to remote desktop. Absolutly absurd. I hope AT&T either changes their mind or by the time my contract is up Verizon has the iPhone and is unlimeted. AT&T has last a customer. Pathetic. I think that your decision to get rid of the unlimited plan is really going to hurt business. unlimited gives the customer piece of mind. I was actually thinking of switching to your company and getting an iphone once my contract expired but I won't be now b/c of the fact that I wouldn't have unlimited service. Many others see it as I do… I've been yelling “Bait and Switch” since day one. So people aren't thrilled with the way AT&T is handling this new data situation? Shocker. I do think that most people will be thrilled with this change, as it's going to save them money. But what I want right now is to have my $30 unlimited plan and then pay more money to add tethering. See, that's my real issue here. I want to give AT&T more money, and yet here I am, not able to do it without giving up my unlimited plan. I think this just more proof that Apple is switching teams soon. Maybe even next week.
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IPad 3G Shortage Spurs AT&T Discussions About Its New Data Plan
AT&T is considering a solution for iPad 3G shoppers who are unable to purchase an iPad due to short supply, but hope to sign up for the unlimited monthly data plan before it expires next week.
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New Macbook Pro 17'': Detect Displays fails after sleep
Today I noticed that the external display attached to my new 17" MacBook Pro Core i7 is not recognized any more after I put the system to sleep by closing the lid. The 'Detect Displays' command from the Displays menu or the Displays preference pane didn't work. Rebooting the system is a possible solution, but not the preferred one. I tried out some things and then searched some forums, but found no working solutions. Then I remembered that little tool GfxCardStatus from Cody Krieger and fired it up. I switched the active graphics card by selecting 'NVIDIA only' and then hit 'detect displays' and immediately the MacBook Pro detected the external display. I did a little more testing and could reproduce the behavior; I switched to the Intel card by selecting 'dynamic switching' in GfxCardStatus, put the Mac to sleep, woke it up again and once more the display was not recognized. Now I switched back to the NVIDIA gra ...
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AppleScript to change Time Zones in iPhoto
I had forgotten to set my camera back one hour for the change from Daylight Savings Time in Autumn. I'm a stickler for this, especially when I take some photos on one camera, and some from my iPhone (on which the time is correct). For one thing, this causes iPhoto to arrange the photos in the wrong order, as their timestamps are incorrect. iPhoto has a 'Batch Change' feature which changes the time/dates on a set of photos. But is not what I wanted, as that just allows me to specify a time, and then increment subsequent photos by seconds/hours/days. This script sets the photo time to one hour earlier than the photo's current time. It works even across days (i.e. 1st April 2010 00:30H becomes 31st March 2010 23:30H). It does not modify the file creation date, but that could be scriptable as well. The script could also be used to adjust times forward/backward after travels through different timezones when the camera being used was not set to the local time. Just cha ...
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âHTML5 Showcaseâ, or âSafari Showcaseâ?
Haavard at Opera: Apple claim to promote HTML5 and an open Web, but the page uses browser sniffing to block other browsers, vendor prefixes for the CSS3 stuff they are using (even if other browsers support border-radius it won’t work because it’s coded using -webkit-border-radius), and the patent-encumbered H.264 for video. Can Opera do equivalent things? Is the problem that Apple has written Safari-specific demos, or is that Apple is showing off things only Safari can do? There’s a big difference. â
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News: Gumdrop Cases launches with iPhone 4G offerings
Gumdrop Cases has launched its first Apple accessories, including two cases for the unannounced fourth-generation iPhone. The Gumdrop Skin and Moto Skin are form-fitting cases for the fourth-generation iPhone, offering open access to ports and controls and textured surfaces. Both come in a variety of colors and sell for $30. The AirShell is a snap-on polycarbonate hard shell case offering open access to all ports, controls, and the camera, and either…
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Paid apps do better in the charts than free ones
Filed under: iPhone, SDKRecently, we've seen a big trend of apps on the App Store going free because free apps tend to garner more attention and downloads (and in-app purchases mean that there's still a possibility of making a profit down the line). However, it turns out that there is one benefit of sticking with a paid app: they stay on the top of the charts for a longer period of time. Data (provided by a company called Distimo) for the month of May in the App Store shows that paid apps are "stickier" on the App Store charts; while free apps only lasted a little over a week, some paid apps stayed on the top of the charts for over a hundred days. Why is this? My guess is that it involves something that we've heard a lot of talk about, which is that the habits of paying customers are different from those of "free app" customers. Customers who pay for apps are more likely to leave thoughtful reviews and spread the word about a worthwhile app, both of which will extend the time that an app is popular. Customers who use a lot of free apps tend to buy and dispose of apps quickly, while customers who pay are more likely to find the ones they like and stick with them for a while. After all of the big news about free apps, it's interesting to hear that there are still reasons to stick with paid. As the App Store continues to develop, there are multiple working models for software sales unfolding.TUAWPaid apps do better in the charts than free ones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments AppStore - Distimo - Apple - iPhone - Unofficial Apple Weblog
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News: Apple posts iPhone, iPad compatible HTML 5 showcase
Apple has posted a new webpage dedicated to highlighting examples of HTML 5 in use on the web, its latest move in the ongoing spat with Adobe over Flash technology. “Every new Apple mobile device and every new Mac â along with the latest version of Appleâs Safari web browser â supports web standards including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript,” Apple points out at the top of the page. “Standards arenât add-ons to the web. They…
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iiView M1Touch is a 10-inch iPhone tablet, seriously (video)
Always thought the iPad should've really just been an enlarged iPhone? No, seriously -- like an iPhone after one of those "Honey, I Blew Up the Kids" incidents? Well, iiView is bringing just that to market this month, except its M1Touch runs Windows 7 Premium and packs an Intel Atom N450 processor along with 2GB of RAM. It also has a 250GB hard drive and a 1.3-megapixel cam on its left bezel. We finally got to see the tablet up close and personal -- it's been under lock and key in the Microsoft booth all week -- and it's pretty much the biggest iPhone you've ever seen. The capacitive touchscreen was fairly responsive, though there was a noticeable lag in opening programs. We're told it also has an accelerometer and that the familiar circular button on the right bezel will bring you back to the desktop, but both were disabled on the display model. Around the edges you'll spot a trio of ports, a SIM slot, a mini HDMI output and a microphone jack. As for the actual feel of this thing, it's pretty thick from the sides and weighs 1.5 pounds. Chances are that you stopped reading this post a few minutes ago and started clicking through the gallery to see shots of bugger alongside a normal iPhone, but we'd encourage you to also peek the video waiting just past the break. Oh, and if you'd like to give your iPhone an inferiority complex, you can always head on over to that source link and order one of these for $499. Gallery: iiView M1Touch tablet hands-onContinue reading iiView M1Touch is a 10-inch iPhone tablet, seriously (video)iiView M1Touch is a 10-inch iPhone tablet, seriously (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | iiView M1Touch | Email this | Comments
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Ballmer Isn't Worried About the iPad
[Image via Engadget] Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, was at the D8 conference today, and as the conversation progressed, so did talk about Apple. Engadget had the whole event covered, and they got a few choice quotes from Ballmer. Walt: But Apple did make the iPad a productivity device too. Steve: They built what they could build when they could build it. Is it a flat device? Well yes, but then you plug it into a dock when you need to do more typing on it. The ad from our competition in 3 years won't be Mac vs. PC, it will be whatever this new device is versus the PC. It's obvious that they're moving in that direction, the Mac will keep its 3% market share… and the race is on. Well first off, Apple Insider says it's 8%, but let's just move forward. Microsoft doesn't get the tablet market. They tried it years ago and it didn't go anywhere – but back then, it shouldn't have anyways. Then they hear rumors of the iPad, so they go ahead and tell their vendors to make a few tablets to kick Apple's butt. Out of those, the HP version sucked so hard they pulled it off the market, and nothing has yet appeared that I've seen of any value. Then there was the Courier concept, which wasn't just beautiful, it looked like it would function well also – so they ditched it. I'm not saying that the iPad is the best device ever built and that it's going to change everything forever , but there is something to be said for the impact the iPad has made. To dismiss that so casually when the company that built it just passed yours in worth, well … that's just dumb. Microsoft isn't a hardware company, they're a software company, so comparing themselves to Apple is a bit like comparing apples to oranges (see what I did there?). Windows 7 is doing well, but Windows Vista was such an abortion that they had to take it out back to kill it like Old Yeller. And what else does Microsoft produce that's so revolutionary? Office? Really? Fact is, Microsoft doesn't create the revolutionary hardware, they create the software that runs on that hardware. And to say that they're going to make something better than Apple is pretty bold. If they bring the Courier concept back, then they may have a fighting chance. But until then, they're just chasing their tail. And let's not even talk about Windows Mobile 7.
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TUAW's Daily App: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Filed under: iPhone I got to play Freeverse's iPhone video game adaptation of the popular book Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies at GDC. I'm glad to say that it's now out on the App Store for your downloading pleasure. The game offers 12 levels of Jane Austen-inspired zombie-killing mayhem, gesture-based controls, and the mix of old school romance and new school slaughterhouse that made the book so popular. I will warn again that the app is not for the faint of heart, but then again the icon isn't either. Still, for US$2.99, there are worse beat-em-up games to be had, and you won't find any others with legitimate Jane Austen dialogue in them. A full review of the game is coming up on TUAW later this week, but many of you probably already know you want to jump in and kill the "dreadfuls." Have at it.TUAWTUAW's Daily App: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments AppStore - iPhone - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Freeverse - Apple
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Greg's bite: can the iPad save journalism?
Posted by Dennis SellersBy Greg Mills Frankly, the blunt answer is yes, but not necessarily in its current business model—and many publishers will not make the transition. I laughed when I saw where some well known national magazines launched an app and were charging US$5 an issue for an electronic version of a print...
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Macsimum Migration Kit: firefighting software for Mac OS X
Posted by Dennis SellersThis Macsimum Migration Review looks at firefighting software for Mac OS X. Unfortunately, we only found one.
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TextCrypt designed to keep your info safe
Posted by Dennis SellersSubRosaSoft.com has released TextCrypt, $29.95 software designed to keep your info safe and secure. It uses the industry standard Rijndael AES-128 encryption algorithm to protect your data, then utilizes Base64 encoding to make it easier for copying and pasting, according to Marko Kostyrko CEO of SubRosaSoft.com.
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Alas, no iPhone-iPad tethering
Posted by Dennis SellersIf you were hoping to take advantage of AT&T's recently announced iPhone tethering capability in the U.S. to provide an Internet connection for their iPad, well, you're gonna be disappointed.
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Apple web page extols virtues of HTML5
Posted by Dennis SellersApple has posted a new web page, “HTML5 and web standards”, praising the virtues of HTML5, which Apple (or at least Steve Jobs) prefers over Adobe's Flash.
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Mac mini Supplies Running Dry, New Model Imminent?
(Image courtesy of AppleInsider)If thereâs one fairly certain way to predict when new Apple products are coming, itâs a quick check at supplies of a given product. This week itâs the Mac mini which appears to be in short supply -- is a new model on the way?AppleInsider is reporting that the smallest member of the Apple Mac family, the Mac mini, has become increasingly harder to find in stock over the last two weeks. Thatâs generally a good sign that a new model (or models) are imminent, especially when the website has verified the shortage four times over on top of receiving numerous tips that something new is on the way.âFor example, one buyer for a higher-ed institution placed a bulk order for Mac minis two weeks ago through the school's Apple rep, noting that receipt of the machines was required by June 1,â AppleInsider writes. âAlthough the Apple representative initially indicated that the delivery date would not be a problem, the buyer last week saw his ETA pushed out from 1-3 business days to a definitive date of June 14.â"Every time this has happened in years past, it means that the item we ordered would be revised," the buyer told AppleInsider.A new Mac mini wouldnât be much of a surprise -- back in March, AppleInsider had an exclusive report on a next-generation model being tested in Cupertino which sported an HDMI port instead of the current modelâs DVI port (as seen above), which would make it an ideal candidate for inclusion in a home theatre system (despite Steve Jobsâ recent comments at D8 playing down the companyâs efforts to infiltrate that market with Apple TV).The Mac mini was last updated in late October, which brought two new models with faster Core 2 Duo processors and a third configuration intended to be a small server, which left out an optical drive in favor of two 500GB hard drives for a total of 1GB of storage.
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WWDC 2010 Preparations are Underway
(Images courtesy of MacRumors/Flickr and AppleInsider)Weâre so excited, and we just canât hide it! Itâs the Friday before WWDC 2010 kicks off, and that means Apple is busy getting ready for the event.MacRumors is reporting that Apple is already busy putting up banners and signs late this week in advance of the companyâs annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), 2010 edition, which kicks off on Monday, June 7 with a keynote from CEO Steve Jobs.Flickr user âschillâ provided MacRumors with a shot of the outside of Moscone West, which has already been tagged with the Apple logo, while AppleInsider got their hands on a shot of the inside banner which touts âThe center of the App Store universe,â in the same style as whatâs being used on the WWDC 2010 official site.Apple is expected to announce new iPhone hardware at the conference as well as additional details about iPhone OS 4.0, which is likely to launch alongside the new device, if history is any indication. Any other announcements at this point are speculation, but you can be sure Apple probably has a few surprises in store as always.WWDC 2010 sold out fairly soon after tickets first went on sale, but the developer-only conference will be covered by a number of tech sites, including a liveblog of the keynote on Monday at MacRumorsLive.com.
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Info needed on web server software for the Mac
Posted by Dennis SellersOur next Migration Kit will look at web server software for the Mac. If you use or know of such goodies, drop me a line (dsellers@macsimumnews.com) no later than Wednesday, June 8.
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AT&T Finally Supports Tethering - Why the Muted Applause?
AT&T -- the iPhone and iPad's exclusive wireless carrier -- has announced a set of tiered pricing plans for access to its 3G network through Apple mobile devices. It's a move designed to allow customers more choice over their pricing plans and usage, according to the company. Critics, though, are not so sure. On the heels of the announcement, websites are buzzing with lists of pros and cons of switching to one of the new metered plans.
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Jobs at WWDC: Taking the Stage With Chutzpah Only Apple Can Afford
Talk about dealing from a position of strength: Apple and Steve Jobs enter next week's Worldwide Developers Conference as kings of the tech industry hill, makers of must-have consumer products and generators of must-read technosphere headlines. He strode onstage at this week's D8 Conference to the opening notes from "Got To Get You Into My Life," still looking understandably frail considering his health issues. However, the passion was still there as he argued with Mossberg over HTML5 vs. Flash and about writing "Thoughts on Flash."
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Logo Design Studio Pro update adds new vector design options
Posted by Dennis SellersMacware has updated Logo Design Studio Pro, a vector based logo design application for Mac OS X, to version 1.9.800. The upgrade adds new vector design options, improves overall usability, and fixes all reported bugs from earlier versions.
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MemoryMiner 2.1 adds HTML5-based web viewer
Posted by Dennis SellersGroupSmarts has announced MemoryMiner 2.1, an update to their digital storytelling application for Mac OS X. Designed an an complement the iLife suite, MemoryMiner is all about capturing and exploring your life memories.
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nova media offers support for mobile Internet connections in South Africa
Posted by Dennis Sellersnova media has launched support for South African mobile networks with its 3G connection manager launch2net Premium and 3G surfsticks.
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Kubota Image Tools releases Dashboard 3, Texture Tools, more
Posted by Dennis SellersKubota Image Tools has released its Dashboard 3 Pro software, as well as the Kubota Texture Tools and the re-released Kubota Sloppy Borders (now Dashboard 3-compatible).
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Speed Download for Mac OS X speeds to version 5.2.17
Posted by Dennis Sellers Yazsoft has released Speed Download 5.2.17, the latest version of its Mac OS X download manager that combines four products: a download manager with auto-resuming downloads, a secure FTP client, a file sharing utility with full encryption, and .Mac/iDisk/WEBDAV connectivity.
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Cartographica for Mac OS X adds Bing services, more
Posted by Dennis SellersClueTrust has announced Cartographica 1.2, an update to their Geographical Information System (GIS) software for Mac OS X. The new version adds Bing services. It also builds on Cartographica's exploratory interface and adds:
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Cramer's Stop Trading! The Natural Gas Moment (6/3/10)
Stocks discussed on Jim Cramer's Stop Trading! TV Segment, Thursday June 3. Hercules (HERO), Seahawk (HAWK), Pride International (PDE), Apple (AAPL), Sprint-Nextel (S), Vodafone (VOD), VMware (VMW), Salesforce (CRM), Oracle (ORCL), Microsoft (MSFT)
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Tidy Up for Mac OS X tidied up to version 2.2.3
Posted by Dennis SellersHyberbolic Software has released Tidy Up! 2.2.3, the latest version of their disk, file and folder processing utility for Mac OS X.
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E-on seeking beta testers for upcoming Carbon Scatter plug-ins
Posted by Dennis SellersE-on Software, maker of the Digital Nature solutions, has announced the upcoming availability of Carbon Scatter, a set of plug-ins that will allow the creation of complex populations using the native instancing technologies of leading DCC applications.
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BatchOutput adds support for InDesign CS5
Posted by Dennis Sellers Zevrix Solutions has released BatchOutput 3.8, a compatibility update to its professional solution to automate printing and exporting from Adobe InDesign. adds support for InDesign CS5 and introduces several new features, such as export to Flash CS5 Professional (FLA) and new advanced SWF and JPEG export options.
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Blu-ray 3D demoed for computers
Posted by Dennis SellersEarlier this week I talked about the possibility of a stereoscopic (ie, 3D). Whether or not they're Macs, 3D computers look as if they'll arrive sooner than I expected.
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Cramer's Mad Money - 5 Ways to Save Banco Santander (6/3/10)
Stocks discussed on the in-depth session of Jim Cramer's Mad Money TV Program, Thursday June 3. Banco Santander (STD), PNC Financial Services (PNC)
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Jetstar Airways first to rent out iPads, only $8.40 a flight
The world's first iPad inflight entertainment system definitely came sooner than we thought; though Bluebox just announced the idea two weeks ago, it's slated to hit Australia at the end of the month. Quantas budget carrier Jetstar Airways will hold a trial of the service in the last two weeks of June, doling out iPads to passengers on flights 90 minutes or greater for AUD $10 (approximately $8.40) a pop, and will extend the service to their entire network if the business... well, you know. Since Jetstar CIO Stephen Tame famously predicted the iPad would kill the inflight movie business earlier this year, it seems we're looking at a classic case of if-you-can't-beat-em syndrome. Call us biased, but that sounds a good sight better than what Microsoft's up to.Jetstar Airways first to rent out iPads, only $8.40 a flight originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Airliners.net | Australian Aviation, AsiaOne | Email this | Comments
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Do or Die Time for the Markets
The major indices are currently at very critical levels and the market is now perfectly set up to make a decisive move, one way or the other, on the employment report today. The NASDAQ and QQQQ (click the symbols for my annotated charts) have already broken out of their upper trend lines of this correction and the S&P500 continues to flirt with breaking that same upper trend line which coincidentally happens to be right at the 200-day moving average. The trend line, in my opinion, is the single most important technical indicator with any consistent predictive value. All the other indicators simply suggests how a particular leg up or down in the market might take shape. Remember, the trend is your friend.
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Archos 5 Internet Tablet gets game-changing OpenGL support in 2.0.15 update (video)
Speedy browser aside, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet started as the runt of the Android litter, but the ugly duckling is headed towards swanhood -- while officially, it's still stuck with Android 1.6, the tablet's French manufacturer has just transformed the media machine into what looks like a stellar Android game system as well. Archos' 2.0.15 update gives the Archos 5 support for OpenGL, letting it run games like Speed Forge 3D and Racing Thunder at a fantastic clip. Best of all, you won't have to wait two shakes to test it out for yourself; there's a 89MB download with your name on it at our source link. Video after the break. [Thanks, Tom]Continue reading Archos 5 Internet Tablet gets game-changing OpenGL support in 2.0.15 update (video)Archos 5 Internet Tablet gets game-changing OpenGL support in 2.0.15 update (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Archos Lounge | Archos | Email this | Comments
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Life Without Google: What Newspapers Can Learn From Facebook and Mobile Apps
Excerpted with permission from Mark Cuban's "Blog Maverick" weblog:I've written multiple times about the value of independence from Google to Newspapers. Of course, each generated responses from many who disagreed with me. I just wanted to point out that Facebook, arguably the largest and most important website in the world has most of its content walled off from Google (GOOG).
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Mac OS Ken: 06.04.2010
âAuthorities Begin Searching Seized Gizmodo Gate Computers / Apple Insider Sees Hints of New Mac minis Coming Soon / NYT: Pogue Looks at Upside of A T and T Data Plan Changes / Wired: Van Buskirk Looks at the Van Buzzkill A T and T Data Plan Changes May Put on Media in the Cloud / CNET: A T and T Data Changes Are All About the Future / A T and T Threatens C and D for Writing to CEO (Then Apologizes) / No Tethering an iPad to an iPhone in the Near Future on A T and T / D8: News Corp CEO Murdoch Talks iPad / D8: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on PCs and iPads
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AT&T's Recent Moves Should Favor Sprint
Sprint-Nextel (S) has continued to experience upward momentum in anticipation of strong performance across its postpaid and prepaid segments. The Company bucked the trend in a tough May, experiencing impressive gains before recently being downgraded by a small equity research shop. However, the author of that report has his own history with respect to the quality of his prior reports (more on that) and more importantly, AT&T (T) has been executing a number of moves that should benefit Sprint. On June 2, 2010, T became the first major wireless company to introduce metered billing. This is likely due to T's weak 3G network and exclusive deal with Apple Computer (AAPL) for its iPhone and iPad, both of which are likely overloading T's network. The timing is difficult for T because its main driver for subscribers was due to its iPhone tie up.The iPhone was the coolest phone around and subscribers were willing to deal with a poor network to have the best phone. However, companies like HTC, in combination with Google's (GOOG) Android operating system, have more than closed the gap, yielding phone models such as the HTC EVO 4G, that are better than the iPhone and likely even better than AAPL's soon to be released iPhone 4G.
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Yepp, Samsung's working on another PMP -- but this one's a four-inch Android with AMOLED
Samsung's interstellar voyage with Android has just begun, it seems -- after a host of smartphones and a freshly announced tablet, it looks like the OS will cameo in a new Yepp PMP. The YP-MB2 was recently spotted in the databases of the Bluetooth SIG, where it's described as "a multi functional Mobile Internet Device" with GPS, Wi-Fi, TouchWiz 3.0 and a huge four-inch AMOLED touchscreen. Digging deeper into the technical documents, we can see it's got Android as well -- oh, and Bluetooth, of course. As the geographic availability section reads "Asia" and the unit's "MB" designation typically means South Korea's T-DMB, we don't expect to ever see it stateside, but when the device surfaces next you can probably expect it to look like a larger one of these.Yepp, Samsung's working on another PMP -- but this one's a four-inch Android with AMOLED originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 03:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Samsung Hub | Bluetooth SIG (1), Bluetooth SIG (2) | Email this | Comments
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Friday's Market Will be Emotion Driven, So Avoid the Open
I really wanted to be in cash at the close of yesterday's trading, but my signal didn't tell me to move to cash. I was looking over some charts and realized that it's really pointless because today, Friday, the market is going to be news driven and emotions are going to rule the day. My signal is an end of day signal, and currently there are some mixed signals so I haven't added or trimmed any of my positions this week. My shorter term time frame is bullish, while my longer term has remained bearish. Even if the market gaps up today, there's no point in me watching and letting my emotions tempt me into covering my shorts because my signal won't come till the end of the day. This is where getting away from the computer can help you to keep your emotions in check. When big macro news is set to be announced it has the same effect on the markets as earnings do on individual stocks. And I never hold a stock through a earnings report. It's just about the same as gambling and gap up/downs don't provide you with much flexibility. The major markets are slightly different because they don't move as much as individual stocks do, but just for the record I don't like to hold through the jobs numbers or Fed announcements.