Category: I-phone

It’s the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You’ll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what’s happening in the Apple world.

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Daily Update for December 15, 2011 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today’s secret word is “techno-elitism” (actually, if you follow that link, you’ll find the secret word is a bit more salacious). Whatever your personal views on Android vs. iPhone vs. BlackBerry may be, at least one particular subset of society has apparently made up its mind on the matter.

According to NBC New York, two robbers in upper Manhattan are targeting Columbia University students and demanding they hand over their iPhones. Upon discovering that one victim had an Android-powered smartphone rather than an iPhone, they declined to take it and demanded cash instead. A third victim had a BlackBerry, which the robbers also refused to steal.

“It’s insulting they don’t want my BlackBerry,” said the victim, earning her a nomination for 2011’s Weirdest Perspective of the Year.

This isn’t the first time New York-area robbers have shown a marked preference for Apple’s products. Various news reports in the mid-2000s blamed the iPod for a rise in thefts and muggings, and for a while it seemed like wearing white earbuds was like wearing a sign that said, “Please rob me.” More recently, the NYPD told the Daily News that at least 70% of the cellphones taken in city thefts or robberies are iPhones. [Yes, these aren’t the Droids they’re looking for. -Ed.]

Apple products consistently retain a high resale value — whether they’re legitimately obtained or not — and that plus high demand for the iPhone naturally makes it a tempting target for thieves. As for these two thieves’ disdain for Android phones and BlackBerry handsets, I’ll leave it to the rest of you to speculate just why they may take that stance.

[via The Loop]

Snobby robbers annoyed by Droids, prefer iPhones originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak got a little political lately, saying in an interview with the BBC that a society like Singapore, with its relatively strict approach to aberrant behavior, would never be able to host a company like Apple, with its early days of long-haired weirdos working on groundbreaking technology in their garages. “Look at structured societies like Singapore where bad behavior is not tolerated [and] you are extremely punished,” Woz is quoted as saying. “Where are the creative people? Where are the great artists? Where are the great musicians? Where are the great writers?”

I’m not quite sure if it’s as simple as all of that — I’d suggest that great, creative people can flourish in whatever environment they happen to be brought up in. But Woz at least makes a good point in saying that if creativity is to really shine, it’s got to be in a place where new ideas (even the crazy ones) are welcomed with open arms.

Singapore is also reportedly trying to build up its tech scene, and Woz is no stranger to the city-state: He was there earlier this year to give a series of talks organized by the government itself. Interesting that he takes this position, then — it’s hard to believe the government would loosen up all of those restrictions just to support their tech industry, but then again, if Woz says so, it must be true.

[via WSJ]

Woz says Apple could not emerge in Singapore originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I don’t know about you all, but I’ve been using Eventbrite for almost all of my ticket purchases lately. Whether it’s a benefit show, a friend’s play, or a full-scale concert, I find myself getting redirected over there more and more to pick up my tickets. That’s why I’m glad to hear there’s an iOS app on the way from the company, which will allow you to browse through recent ticket purchases and upcoming events, as well as get information for all of the shows you’re registered for.

Unfortunately, the news doesn’t mention anything about being able to buy tickets directly inside the app — it’s possible, because of Apple’s restrictions on in-app purchases and linking off to other stores, that Apple won’t let Eventbrite run ticket purchases from the app at all. That would be a shame; even if Eventbrite could just open up the iOS browser and complete the ticket sale there, that would be an easier solution than having to go back out to another PC.

But the app still sounds useful, especially for looking up last minute information. This new app will be more centered around ticket purchases, obviously. Eventbrite already has an app called Easy Entry designed to work at event check-in for the event’s organizers. But I find myself buying tickets way more than collecting them, obviously, so this new app should be more helpful.

Eventbrite to release iOS ticket management app originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has updated the Apple TV’s software to version 4.4.4, though Mac Rumors and several other sites note that it’s not yet clear what improvements the update offers over 4.4.3. The Apple TV’s software remains significantly out of step with other iOS-powered devices; iPads and newer iPhones and iPod touches are now capable of running iOS 5, but the Apple TV remains running on iOS 4.

Apple has also issued a new version of iOS 5.0.1 exclusively for the iPhone 4S. While the build version differs from the previously released 5.0.1 update, users who have already updated to iOS 5.0.1 will be told that theirs is the most current version, suggesting that the new build contains only very minor tweaks not necessitating a 5.0.2 release. Anyone who has not yet updated to iOS 5.0.1 will consequently be updated to this new build version when/if they choose to update from 5.0.

Meanwhile, iOS 5.1 is currently in beta and recently had its second developer build released.

Apple TV updated to 4.4.4, iOS 5.0.1 ‘tweaked’ for iPhone 4S originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inside Mobile Apps has an interview with the winners of Apple’s choice for best iPhone game of the year, David and Ian Marsh of NimbleBit. I was a huge fan of their freemium title Pocket Frogs, but it’s their latest release, Tiny Tower, that has earned a lot of solid accolades (not to mention a bunch of in-app purchase money). I talked to the guys way back at GDC earlier this year before Tiny Tower came out, so it’s good to get an update like this on where they’re at now.

Tiny Tower’s been downloaded over 7 million times so far, and the brothers expect it to clear 8 million by the end of the year. And not only are people getting the game, but they’re playing it, with nearly a million daily active users at peak, and around 600,000 right now. That’s phenomenal for an app of this kind. Their income is also doing very well — most companies were aiming for around 2% of the player base to be paying for in-app items, but NimbleBit says Tiny Tower is around 5% of the player base, with the average player putting about $10 in the pot. Overall, Tiny Tower has fewer “big spenders,” but the bigger player population means there’s more money coming in.

Very interesting — early on, the freemium market was mostly based on “whale” customers, or people who spent a lot of money to support a lot of cheaper players. But as quality goes up, we’ll probably see more apps like Tiny Tower: high quality “hits” that have a large player base with a relatively high pay rate, but not as many “whales.” Fascinating stuff. The Marshes also say they’re working on a brand new title which will be a whole new IP, so we’ll have to stay tuned and see what they’re up to next.

NimbleBit comments on popularity of Tiny Tower, working on new IP originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The San Diego Zoo is arguably among the very best zoos in the world. With more than 4,000 animals and 800-plus species, it’s a national treasure. My visits are fondly remembered, and starting today you can visit some of the best of the zoo from the comfort of your iPhone.

The free SanDiegoZoo app is chock full of pictures, maps, visitor info and live cams showing pandas and polar bears, among other features.

There are hundreds of still images of zoo residents, and all are sharable and can be saved locally. There are also guides to the many restaurants at the zoo, but no menus. There is also a detailed zoom-able map, but I’d prefer GPS integration so that people who are actually at the zoo could see where they are and easily find their way around the huge facility.

This official, zoo-sponsored app has a lot to offer for animal lovers and fans of the San Diego Zoo. The app could use a bit more detailed information in certain areas.

The app is an 18 MB download and is for iPhone and iPod touch only, although armchair travelers would probably appreciate an iPad version of the app. SanDiegoZoo is a good app, and with a few changes could be great. Even if you never get to visit the zoo, this app is a great introduction and offers some good information and striking images.

Check the gallery for some sample screens.

Visit the famed San Diego Zoo with your iPhone originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When it comes to Siri innovation, it’s not just about work at Apple’s end. Today, Wolfram Alpha introduced new shopping features built around Best Buy’s public APIs. You can now use Siri queries to browse upwards of 35 thousand appliance and home computer products.

You can say “Wolfram, tablet computers”, “Wolfram, LG washing machines” or “Wolfram iPhone 4S” and Siri returns price information. For individual models, you’ll also find product images, specs, and features.

Wolfram’s official blog explains, “We’ve taken the strengths we’ve developed in math, science, and socioeconomic data and created something equally unique and useful for online shoppers.”

Just a final warning: It’s really hard to say “Wolfram, iPhone 4S” correctly. On the Wolfram end of things, I’ve found that it’s useful to make a slight pause after saying Wolfram, and that pronouncing it as “wool-from” makes Siri happy. For the 4S? Good luck, mate.

Best Buy teaches Wolfram Alpha (and Siri) new tricks originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTunes Match went partially live internationally in several markets on December 15, with iTunes accounts in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada, and other countries offering iTunes Match signups in users’ account preferences. However, that launch appeared to be premature, since iTunes Match wasn’t advertised on the main page of those countries’ iTunes Stores and signing up for iTunes Match didn’t actually do anything.

Apple began offering refunds to customers who signed up for the service after its premature launch, but only hours later the service has indeed gone live, with links appearing on the main page of the iTunes Stores in countries where the service has launched. The above screenshot is from the New Zealand iTunes Store, and clicking on the iTunes Match link immediately offers the expected signup option.

International users are reporting that iTunes Match is now operating as expected, so after 18 hours or so of confusion the international launch does indeed appear to be underway. Apple has not yet updated its international sites to include information on iTunes Match as of this writing, but unlike yesterday international users are successfully using the service after signing up for it.

iTunes Match (actually) going live internationally originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TechSmith’s Camtasia for Mac received an update this week to version 2.0, and the improvements made an already good screencasting app even better.

To start with, TechSmith listened to feedback and redesigned the user interface for the editor. It’s easier to use now, with less searching for the tools that you need to apply to your screencasts. There’s a new blur effect so you can hide private information on a screen, and the app is now anywhere from 40 to 60 percent faster in terms of production time.

I was personally happy to see that you can now export HD-quality files with a Flash wrapper and fallback to HTML5, so even browsers that aren’t running Flash can view screencasts produced with Camtasia 2.

Another new favorite for professional screencasters is the ability of the app to let you reuse callouts. It’s possible to copy and paste those annotations, which gives multiple projects a more consistent look and feel. If you’ve ever needed just a few more seconds to explain something during a screencast, there’s now an extend frame function that lengthens individual frames of a video so you can add to your narration without worry.

App developers are going to love the new device framing feature. You record video of your app in action using Camtasia 2, and can then add an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook Pro frame around the video. You can see an example of this feature in the sample video below.

If you’re currently running Camtasia for Mac 1.x, the upgrade price is US$49.50. New users can try the app for free for 30 days, and a new full license for Camtasia 2.0 is $99.00 for electronic delivery from TechSmith. The app is also available on the Mac App Store for $99.99.

Daily Mac App: Camtasia 2 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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During December and January, The Unofficial Apple Weblog is soliciting your nominations and votes for the best products for Mac, iPhone/iPod touch, and iPad. We’ll start with nominations in a category, and then tally your votes for the top-nominated products a few days later. The winner in each category receives the highly-coveted title of TUAW Best of 2011.

Today’s category for TUAW Best of 2011 nominations is iPhone games. With over 500,000 apps in the iOS app store, there are plenty of games to choose from, and literally hundreds that became popular in 2011.

Infinity Blade II ($6.99) was an App Store game of the week, so perhaps it deserves your nomination for the best iPhone game of the year. First Person Shooter fans love Gameloft’s Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation ($6.99) on the iPhone, while Swampy the Alligator has captured the hearts of adults and kids alike in Where’s My Water? ($0.99).

Board game fans have been ecstatic about Carcassone ($9.99), while World of Goo ($2.99) continued to gain fans of all ages during 2011.

Whatever your favorite iPhone game is, we want to hear about it. Leave your nomination in the comments below. Voting will start soon!

Nominations close at 11:59 PM ET on December 17, 2011.

Best of 2011 nominations: iPhone games originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the past I mentioned some tutorials providing 2D collision detection techniques showing how to perform circle-to-rectangle, circle-to-circle (using UIKit), and vertex based collisions (with Cocos2D and Box 2D).

The most accurate collision method – pixel to pixel collisions – wasn’t mentioned simply because it can be brutally slow.

It is possible however to perform extremely fast pixel to pixel collisions using a pixel mask.

Steffen Itterheim has created a class known as KKPixelMaskSprite that inherits from CCSprite that automatically provides a pixel mask along with several methods for detecting collisions.

You can find the class along with an extensive tutorial on Steffen’s site here.

This looks like a terrific class for any Cocos2D developers wanting pixel accurate collisions at a decent speed.  The speed of course can’t compare to vertex based collisions with only a few vertices, but if you really want pixel perfect collisions this loks like the way to go.

©2011 iPhone, iOS 5, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips. All Rights Reserved.

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Apple is a common topic in the proliferation of 2011 retrospectives that are inevitably being published this month. The latest comes from Google’s Zeitgeist 2011, a look at the 2011’s fastest-rising worldwide searches. The iPhone 5 (AKA the iPhone 4S), Steve Jobs, and the iPad 2 all jumped up in Google queries at some point during the year to capture the attention of the world.

For the iPhone 5, speculation was rampant throughout the year and rose 1,658 percent between 2010 and 2011. There was a huge jump in interest the week of October 2 – 8, 2011, the week that Apple finally announced the iPhone 4S (Google mistakenly shows the week before as the peak time on their summary page).

Interest in late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs grew an astounding 982 percent between 2010 and 2011, giving him the posthumous honor of being 9th fastest rising search of the year. As you’d expect, Google searches for Steve Jobs peaked the week of October 2, 2011, the week of his death.

The number 10 spot on the Zeitgeist 2011 list was filled by the iPad 2. Searches for the device reached a frenzy the week of February 27, 2011, two weeks before sales of the tablet began. Searches for the device rose 939 percent from 2010 to 2011, and it will be fascinating to see if the iPad 3 takes the honors for 2012.

iPhone 5, Steve Jobs and iPad 2 among Google’s top searches of 2011 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The nominations are in, and the poll is ready to go! The TUAW Best of 2011 awards are all about you — the readers — and what you think is the cream of the crop of Apple or third-party products and software. To vote, select one entry from the top nominations made by readers. We’ll be announcing the winner in just a few days. Vote early and often!

Today TUAW is asking for your vote for the best Mac game app of 2011. While we received relatively few nominations in this area, there were several apps that stood out as potential winners in this category.

The classic Pixeljam game Dino Run SE (US$2.99) made the list of TUAW staff favorites for its retro look, the variety of hats, and built-in chat room. New to the Mac App Store, sidescroller Trine 2 ($14.99) gained acclaim for its great story, amazing graphics, and immensely fun gameplay.

The beautifully drawn puzzle / adventure game Machinarium ($9.99) also earned a spot in the nominations. This game consistently receives high ratings in the Mac App Store. The “true Mac classic game” Return to Dark Castle ($4.99) is another retro Mac game that captured the imagination of TUAW readers in 2011. Finally, the last spot on the ballot goes to the updated Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ($19.99), which overcame laggy performance and became a favorite of Mac gamers and Star Wars fans.

Only one of these apps will win TUAW’s top honor for Mac game app of 2011. Naming the winner is all up to you.

View Poll

TUAW Best of 2011: Vote for the best Mac game app originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although options to sign up for iTunes Match started appearing in several international markets yesterday, many suspected that the launch was premature since iTunes Match wasn’t showing up on the main page of respective countries’ iTunes Stores. It turns out the “launch” was indeed premature, as iTunes Match remains unavailable outside of the United States and Brazil.

Users who signed up for iTunes Match in other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, and other markets where the service was prematurely unveiled will be offered refunds for the signup fee, according to iPodNN. International users who signed up for the service were justly concerned that since iTunes Match is a yearly subscription, an unknown portion of their first year’s subscription would be essentially invalid; the refunds Apple is offering address this concern.

It’s unclear why iTunes Match was kind of but not really launched internationally, but it does at least confirm that Apple is working on expanding the service to markets beyond those where it’s currently available. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing how long it will be before iTunes Match officially launches internationally, but here’s hoping it’s sooner rather than later.

Apple refunds iTunes Match purchases for international users after premature ‘launch’ originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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