Author: Blancer

The law firm of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein has announced that they have filed a class action lawsuit against Apple and other major tech companies on behalf of a Lucasfilm employee. The lawsuit alleges that the tech companies took part in illegal “no solicitation” agreements that barred them from poaching each others employees. These anti-poaching agreements led to “eliminate competition and cap pay for skilled employees” according to the lawsuit.

MacRumors notes that in addition to Apple, the suit names Adobe, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar as defendants. Former Lucasfilm software engineer Siddharth Hariharan said in a statement, “My colleagues at Lucasfilm and I applied our skills, knowledge, and creativity to make the company an industry leader. It’s disappointing that, while we were working hard to make terrific products that resulted in enormous profits for Lucasfilm, senior executives of the company cut deals with other premiere high tech companies to eliminate competition and cap pay for skilled employees.”

The lawsuit goes on to say the the anti-poaching agreements first took place among Pixar and Lucasfilm in 2005. Shortly thereafter, Apple, Adobe, Google, Intel, and Intuit all joined in. The anti-poaching agreements were allegedly in place until 2009.

Antitrust class action lawsuit filed against Apple, others over anti-poaching agreements originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Both today and next Wednesday, I’ll be away from my messy studio during TUAW TV Live. But that doesn’t mean that fans of the show have to go without their weekly fix. I’ve whipped up a couple of nice HD episodes that you can watch in my absence.

What’s the topic of today’s show? Well, think of it as the Apple version of the Home Shopping Network, since I’m demonstrating a bunch of new devices – the cool Peel Universal Remote Control, the not-so-cool Apptwee Ri remote, the new iChair case for iPhone 4 and the flexible and water-resistant Scosche freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard.

You won’t need to jump over to Ustream to watch today’s show. Instead, just click the read more link at the bottom of this post to see the video in all of its HD glory, or visit YouTube for more viewing options. If you need a chat with the rest of the TUAW TV Live regulars to make it through the week, why not scoot on over to the TUAW TV Live Facebook page and see what’s going on. You can also subscribe to the video podcast to watch this and other episodes at your leisure.

Many thanks to Uri Kelman for creating the temporary logo for the show!

Continue reading TUAW TV “Not so live”: Remotes, cases, and keyboards

TUAW TV “Not so live”: Remotes, cases, and keyboards originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Our own Brett Terpstra developed two SSH scripts that let you share Safari browser tabs between multiple Macs. This method is perfect for those Mac users with an iMac or a Mac Pro as their main work machine and a Mac laptop as a secondary machine for checking email, instant messaging or light browsing. You know the scenario – an email with your updated project timetable lands in your inbox which is running on your MacBook. You open it in a tab and want to send it your Mac Pro where you have been immersed in work-related research all morning. This pair of tab-sharing scripts lets you do just that.

The scripts run over SSH to pull the browser tabs from the front Safari window on one machine to another when the two Macs are on the same network. The scripts can be run remotely, but there are not too many scenarios that prompt you to sync tabs from your home computer while you are working remotely.

The procedure requires you to setup keyless SSH between the Macs and to modify or create a ~/.ssh/config file on each machine that will receive the tabs. You also have to setup a remotetabs.rb script on the machine that is the source of the browser tabs and the getremotetabs.rb on the recipient machine.

If SSH files and config files pique your interest, then point your browser here for all the nitty-gritty details. What are you waiting for? Roll up your sleeves, flex your scripting skills and start sharing Safari tabs back and forth between your Macs.

Use SSH scripts to share Safari tabs between two Macs originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today, Autoblog finally released its iPhone app, bringing together three of the car site’s main components (and a new debut) into a central location. The free app provides up-to-the-minute auto industry news from Autoblog, fuel-efficient car news from AutoblogGreen, tech-related vehicle news from Translogic and, for the first time on a mobile device, new car buying data through the “Aol. Best Deals” service. Try using it the next time you visit a dealership.

As the editor-in-chief of AutoblogGreen (yes, I do more than just review board game apps on TUAW, and TUAW and Autoblog are both AOL properties), I can’t objectively review this app. Instead, I’ll run down the list of features and, since it’s free, interested readers should check out the app themselves and share your reviews in the comments below.

The highlight here is, of course, having quick and easy access to Autoblog news in a dedicated app. Sure, the iPhone has long been able to access the regular and mobile versions of these sites, but the app formats them in an easy-to-read manner that also offers one-touch access to the sites’ picture galleries and videos.

Of course, like most good blogs, part of the experience is participating, and the app offers a really easy way to send in a tip. If you see something great while you’re out and about, you can also send Autoblog a picture through the app. Another nifty feature? You can save blog posts to the app for offline reading, kind of like a built-in Instapaper. It’s also possible to stream any of the Autoblog podcasts through the app, so if you don’t want to fill up your iPhone with downloaded files, now you don’t have to.

There are some capabilities from the regular sites missing from the app: not all categories are represented in the “Topics” tab, for example. More important, you can’t comment on posts (yet). Also, the app is formatted for the iPhone, and so displays at 2x on the iPad. That means I wouldn’t bother with this app on the iPad; instead I’ll keep using Mobile Safari to get my auto industry news.

Sounds good? Check out the free app yourself here.

Autoblog’s new app to help you obsess about the auto industry originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have you ever lost your cursor on your screen? Do you do lots of screen-sharing demonstrations? How would you like an app that puts some customizable animations around your cursor to help you or your audience spot it?

PinPoint is an app that does just that — it puts a circling animated highlight around your cursor. The app comes with different animations, from circling lines to dog paw prints, each with a plethora of options. The full-screen crosshairs, for example, are particularly useful if you’re trying to make precise adjustments to graphics or layouts. You can even create your own custom animation using an image file, something that could be great for branding presentations or screenshots.

Several activation options are also available, whether you want it on all the time or just when the cursor is moved. PinPoint can also show your keystrokes in an on-screen pop-up with the option to limit it to just modifier keys. A menu bar icon acts as an indicator to show you whether PinPoint is turned on or off, which you can do with a keyboard shortcut.

If you’re prone to losing your cursor on the screen, waving the mouse around like a madman trying to spot where it is, PinPoint will certainly help. Likewise, if you’re someone who does demonstrations of applications on the Mac, being able to highlight cursor and keyboard input could be a real boon. PinPoint is available in the Mac App Store for US$2.99.

TUAW’s Daily Mac App: PinPoint originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Macworld posted the results of its first benchmark tests for the newly updated family of iMacs this morning. The publication’s tests found Apple’s latest iMacs to be generally faster than previous iMacs, although certain build-to-order (BTO) models from 2010 still outperformed the new family of iMacs in some tests.

The new top-of-the-line, quad-core 3.1 GHz i5 iMac bested the previous high-end model, a quad-core 2.8 GHz i5 iMac, in every test. Notably, the 3.1 GHz iMac performed 16% faster in the Speedmark 6.5 test and 22% faster in Macworld’s iTunes encode test.

The results were mixed when comparing the new iMac to powerfully configured BTO models from last year. When pitted against a quad-core 2.93 GHz Core i7 BTO iMac from 2010, the new 3.1 GHz iMac performed about equivalently in the Speedmark test but fell short in applications like Cinebench and MathematicaMark. The older, i7-based iMac offered Hyper Threading, a technology that virtually doubled the number of processor cores seen by the operating system; apps that took advantage of this technology worked better on the older machine.

When compared to a dual-core 3.6 GHz i5 BTO iMac from 2010, the current 3.1 Ghz iMac edged out its older relative by 14% in overall performance and finished tasks in Mathematica, an app that makes use of multiple processing cores, up to 67% faster. In many cases, however, the faster clock speed of the older machine helped it complete certain tasks more quickly.

Overall, the new iMacs seem to offer generally better performance in a more affordable package. But, if you frequently use software optimized for fast clock speeds or Hyper Threading technology and don’t need any of the new gadgetry in the newest machines, it may be worth tracking down a 2010 BTO iMac with a 3.6 GHz i5 or 2.93 GHz i7 inside.

Macworld publishes first round of benchmark results for new iMac originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As it said it would do, Apple has made some changes to how it stores and manages the “iOS crowd-sourced location database cache.” In particular, it reduces the size of the cache, doesn’t back it up to iTunes and deletes the cache when you disable Location Services. Apple came under fire for storing all of your location data and this addresses the bug.

This update is for iPhone 4 (GSM model), 3GS, the iPad 2 and 1st-gen iPad, iPod touch (4th and 3rd generation). Go get it by connecting your iOS device to iTunes and checking for updates.

We’re likely to see updates for developers soon, if history is any indication. Also, iOS 4.2.8 is available for Verizon iPhone 4’s, with the same changes to the location database.

iOS 4.3.3 available, contains changes to location database originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacStories points out there is a small, but perhaps important, difference in the “SSD+HDD” option on the new iMacs. You used to simply get two drives you had to manage separately, as in the screenshot here taken from my MacBook Pro (in which I long ago swapped the optical drive for an SSD). For the new models though, Apple now specifically states: “if you configure your iMac with both the solid-state drive and a Serial ATA hard drive, it will come preformatted with Mac OS X and all your applications on the solid-state drive. Then you can use the hard drive for videos, photos, and other files.“

This may suggest a change from the older models, where the SSD came with OS X installed on it but the HDD was blank. As OS X helpfully stores various files under your /Users folder, this (by default) ended up on the SSD. Users had to take special action to put files on the HDD instead of the SSD. There’s been some speculation that Apple would do something different in these new devices, perhaps by placing the OS on the SSD and mounting /Users on the HDD to try and give users the best of both worlds.

As someone who has a hybrid setup exactly like this today, it strikes me as a rather un-Apple solution because it’s fiddly, complex, and it requires the user to stop and think on a regular basis. I use a 64 GB SSD as my boot volume and /Users/rich on the boot volume is a symlink (note: see update at the end of this post) onto the 500 GB HDD unit. My OS X install, my /Applications folder, and my Aperture library are all on the solid state drive; pretty much everything else, like my Aperture masters, iTunes library, and so on are on the magnetic drive.

This isn’t a bad compromise, but it’s still hard to look after.

Continue reading New iMacs and HDD+SSD configurations; how do they work?

New iMacs and HDD+SSD configurations; how do they work? originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comic Life, the popular Mac application that takes your photos and lets you turn them into a comic book, is now available on the iPad. The iPad version launched late last week and includes several features of its desktop counterpart including templates, balloon controls, and social network integration. The iPad app is optimized for the touchscreen with a user interface that lets you edit and move items using your fingertips. You can also use photos from your photo library or capture them on the fly using the iPad 2 cameras.

Once you create a personalized comic book, you can share it via email or Facebook or wirelessly print a hard copy for archival purposes. Folks that use Comic Life in the classroom or other group settings will be able to drag and drop comics between iPads so you can share your creation with your fellow classmates or friends. You can grab your copy of Comic Life for the iPad from the App Store for US$7.99.

[Via The Loop]

Plasq brings Comic Life to the iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freelance designer Mac Funamizu worked his creative magic and developed a concept iPhone dock that merges the best of the iPhone with the technology of yore. Funamizu conceptualized a classic iPhone dock that lets iPhone owners print instant pictures Land Camera-style. The Polaroid-inspired design prints up a colored image on photo paper with a QR code that links to a third-party website like Flickr or Photobucket. If you geo-tagged the photo, you can even add a map to the freshly printed image. This is a lovely concept for fans of the iconic Polaroid Land camera, but sadly it may never land on retail shelves. For more pictures of this concept design, point your browser to Funamizu’s website.

[Via Yankodesign]

iPhone becomes an instant photo printer in this concept design originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spotify expanded its online music streaming service to include MP3 downloads, iPod playlist sync and more. The music service will now let free and premium users sync their iPod classic, nano or shuffle with the service. Simply connect your iPod and Spotify will add the portable media player to your list of available devices. In a matter of minutes, all the paid MP3 files in your Spotify playlist will automatically sync to your iPod.

Spotify also added a new download service that lets customers buy and download tracks from their playlists. The music streaming service has compiled several MP3 bundles that sells tracks for as low as 50 pence ($US0.83). Lastly, Spotify has made its mobile application available to everyone. Both free and premium users can now download the iOS application and wirelessly sync their playlists from their computer to their iPhone or iPod touch.

The European service is rolling out these new features to all of its users today as part of an automatic update. European readers should keep their eyes open for this update. When you receive it, let us know what you think.

Spotify adds iPod sync and MP3 downloads to its music streaming service originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iFixit got its hands on the newly announced 21.5-inch iMac and tore the all-in-one down to its screws and casing. The teardown analysis reveals the latest iMac has the same LG-manufactured LED display used in the previous generation iMac and a Thunderbolt port similar to the port found on the latest MacBook Pro models.

Good news for those that enjoy taking apart their iMac hardware as the magnetically held glass front is easily removed using suction cups and the LCD is only held in by a few screws. Once the display is removed, the RAM, hard drive, and optical drive are easily accessible. Interestingly enough, iFixit noticed a small opening for the optional SSD drive which can be mounted underneath the optical drive.

The logic board is a bit more difficult to remove as you need to disconnect several connectors and apply upward and outward pressure to jiggle it out of the casing. iMac owners don’t have to worry about a fried processor or graphics card contributing to the early demise of their machine as both the GPU and the CPU heat sink can be removed from the logic board. If a problem with either component develops, you could easily replace the AMD graphics card or Intel CPU if you want.

Overall, iFixit gave the latest generation iMac a 7 out of 10 repairability score with 10 being the easiest to repair.

iFixit tears down the latest generation iMac to reveal LG display, removable GPU originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tactical Soldier has been garnering some acclaim on the App Store lately, and it’s well deserved. It’s a turn-based strategy game that’s reminiscent of the old X-com series that combines a horror story with turn-based tactical gameplay, sending you to guide your team through a full campaign exploring a military base overrun by the walking dead. You’ll use various weapons to take out zombies while trying to keep your forces in formation and lined up for attack.

The game’s fun, though it suffers from some of the usual tactical strategy problems, including a super sluggish pace at times. The interface is clean and easy to use, so the only headaches will come from having to wait around as some of the levels drag on. Even then, this is easy to recommend for anyone interested in tactical strategy experiences, especially since there are some fun upgrade systems and power-up items.

Tactical Soldier is only for the most recent iOS devices because it does draw quite a bit of CPU power with all of those zombies running around. Game Center integration is included for leaderboards, but there is no multiplayer yet; the developers have promised more content is coming in the future. It’s available on the App Store right now for US$4.99.

TUAW’s Daily iOS App: Tactical Soldier Undead Rising originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When you’re 9 years old you dream of plenty of things. Thanks to the Make A Wish Foundation, Owain Weinert’s dream came true when he got to visit PopCap Games and design his very own video game.

Owain’s been diagnosed with pre-B Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and has spent several weeks working with PopCap to design his game, Allied Star Police. “This is my dream and I finally get to see my dream come true,” he says. “It’s a real-time strategy game and I really had fun watching it take shape.”

Owain’s mother Heather seemed bowled over by the kindness PopCap has shown her son. “Today is a real high point,” she said during a visit to the company. “Being in the hospital for kids with cancer can be a real downer.”

PopCap presented Owain with an iPad with the development version of the game, which is due in the App Store in the coming months. Profits will go to the Make A Wish foundation. You can watch a video of Owain’s visit to PopCap on the next page (sorry iOS users, no Flash-free version available).

Continue reading 9-year-old hangs with PopCap, creates iOS game via Make A Wish Foundation

9-year-old hangs with PopCap, creates iOS game via Make A Wish Foundation originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has posted a new job opening for an iOS Maps Application Developer. Last December, Apple posted a job opening stating it was looking for someone who had “experience developing navigation software,” but this is the first time Apple has explicitly stated it’s looking for a Maps developer.

The job listing doesn’t drop any hints as to what future features Maps might include, but the listing is a sign in itself that Apple is gearing up to significantly update or revamp its Maps app. A revamped Maps app has been rumored ever since Apple acquired the mapping and navigation companies PlaceBase and Poly9 in 2009 and 2010. Then, just last week, the latest hints of what is to come emerged when Apple stated that it was using some of the locationgate data “to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years.”

Maps are an import feature for any smartphone, and while iOS does offer one of the better mapping apps out there, it’s nice to see Apple isn’t content with the status quo. And if anyone at Apple is reading this, might I make a humble suggestion? The ability to save routes and download country tile packs would be a huge bonus for international travelers.

[via MacNN]

Apple looking to hire “iOS Maps Application Developer” originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 04 May 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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