Category: I-phone

Shopping season is here, with a vengeance. The circulars and sales sheets are popping up like discounted weeds, and while most Apple products aren’t eligible for steep discounts at retail, the big chains do find a way to make it worth your while.

US retail giant Target has posted its two-day discount flyer online already, and among the doorbuster deals (starting at midnight Thursday night/Friday morning) is a $195 8GB iPod touch, while supplies last. “But that’s what they always sell for!” you say. True, but for this promotion Target is throwing in a $40 store gift card, lowering the effective price of the iPod to $155 assuming you can find $40 of other things you want to buy at Target. (There’s always light bulbs and batteries.)

Electronics and Apple gear megastore Best Buy is not to be outdone, advertising a similar deal for its doorbusters on Friday, but with a $50 gift card instead. Best Buy stores also open at midnight the day after Thanksgiving, because why the heck wouldn’t you want to be at Best Buy in the wee hours of the morning trying to focus on which 3D TV has the better picture?

Apple generally does not reveal its discounts for Black Friday until a bit closer to showtime, but last year’s deals may serve as a guideline for what to expect later this week.

Interesting side note from the Target circular: check out the price on this Acer netbook. Yes, for about the same net cost as the iPod touch, you can have an entire teensy computer.

[via Dealnews]

Target, Best Buy post Black Friday deals: $195 iPod touch with gift card rebate originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix’s Members site has posted a few screenshots of the long-awaited release of Chrono Trigger on iOS, and truth be told, they’re a little disappointing. Don’t worry — the game is still there, and as one of the best console RPGs of all time, I’m still excited to play through it again on iOS. But those touch controls, like a lot of Square’s games remade for this platform, look pretty tacked on. The original menus for the game were so gorgeous, I’m sorry to see they didn’t make the jump to the touch-based version.

I guess that’s all right for this title — better to just have it out, at this point, and maybe these touch-based menus, ugly as they are, make the game play that much better. But hopefully we’re seeing the end of ports like this, where classic games just get an overlaid virtual joystick and big clear buttons for their menu options. It’d be nice to have a really great old RPG remade into a port where someone has actually thought about how to do the interface justice. Chrono Trigger is due out sometime “before the end of December,” with price yet unknown.

[via Joystiq]

Chrono Trigger screenshots out, with touch controls and redone menus originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone 4S is set to go on sale in India in just five days, but its recently-announced price has some Indian customers fuming. While prices for Apple devices in India have always been higher than in the US, iPhone fans aren’t happy that the 16 GB iPhone 4S will cost a whopping Rs 44,500 (US$854.00) with a two-year contract through both AirTel and AirCel. That price point is roughly the same price as a contract-free 64 GB iPhone 4S in the US.

As noted by NewsTonight, Indian iPhone fans took to Twitter upon learning the news and quickly pointed out that the cost of the entry-level iPhone 4S was not only more than the high-end contract-free iPhone 4S in the states, but that the 16 GB iPhone 4S in India costs more than most LED TV’s or a year’s worth of gas. Fueling the anger over the price was the assumption that the already-high Indian iPhone price point would remain the same as the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 was Rs 35,000 (US$672.00) — significantly cheaper than the iPhone 4S. There’s no word from the carriers or Apple as to why the iPhone 4S is priced significantly higher than the iPhone 4 was at its launch, as new iPhones usually keep the same price point as their predecessor.

The high price of the iPhone 4S in India originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Verge has been hands-on with Infinity Blade 2 and has provided a first look at Chair’s upcoming sequel to its blockbuster iOS game. The site’s review can essentially be boiled down to this: Infinity Blade 2 is exactly the same as the original Infinity Blade, but with some added features and improvements.

Gameplay in Infinity Blade 2 will be mostly unchanged compared to the original. You still can’t freely roam through the environments, combat is still kind of rock-paper-scissors, and if you didn’t like grinding for three hours to afford that $2,500,000 sword in the first game, things are apparently worse in Infinity Blade 2: “the sequel is a little stingier with doling out cash,” according to The Verge. On the other hand, weapon customization options have been expanded, and you’ll now have the opportunity to dual-wield swords, which should help spice up the gameplay a bit.

Chair has amped up the graphics in Infinity Blade 2, and it’s easier than ever to mistake screenshots of the game as coming from a full-fledged HD console like the PlayStation 3. That extra graphical detail will only be available on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, as they’re the only iOS devices with the graphical horsepower necessary to push the game to its limits.

Infinity Blade 2 will hit the App Store on December 1 and will cost US$6.99. We’ll have a review of the game when it comes out; meanwhile, you can check out The Verge’s first look at the link above or watch the video embedded below.

The Verge goes hands-on with Infinity Blade 2 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last Friday AT&T generated a lot of Twitter talk (and confusion) when it raised the price of the iPhone 3GS from free with two-year contract to US$0.99 with two-year contract. The “free” price of the iPhone 3GS was noted as being a major draw for price-conscious consumers by both AT&T and Apple when it was announced on October 4th, so the raising of the price to a nominal $0.99 was a bit puzzling. Adding to the confusion was the fact that the iPhone 3GS is still free with a two-year AT&T contract when bought directly from Apple.

When we contacted AT&T again today to get more specifics on the price change, a company spokesperson told us, “I can’t share anything specific on the reasoning” and went on to reiterate AT&T’s official response, “Our brief statement is this: ‘iPhone 3GS is still available at an incredibly low price and we’re confident consumers will agree that this remains one of the best deals for a leading smartphone.'”

MacRumors suggests that the price could be a way for AT&T to combat fraud, as the price of the phone cannot be applied to a user’s AT&T bill and must be charged to a credit or bank-issued debt card. The requirement of a credit or debit card means that people using stolen identities to obtain the handsets have much less chance of getting one unless they’ve actually physically stolen the person’s credit or debit card as well. This line of reasoning adds up considering the iPhone 3GS is still free through Apple. That is perhaps because Apple requires you to have an Apple ID with an associated credit or debit card tied to the account to make online purchases.

Lending further credence to the “anti-fraud” theory is the fact that refurbished 8GB iPhone 3GS models now cost $0.01 through AT&T. The nominal penny fee is also likely applied to refurbished models to combat similar identity theft fraud by requiring a valid credit or debit card to be charged a single cent.

Finally — and perhaps unrelated to the new iPhone 3GS charge — AT&T seems to be sold out of the iPhone 3GS online. We’ve asked the company what’s behind the inventory shortage and are awaiting a reply.

AT&T raises the price of iPhone 3GS from free to $0.99, refurb for a penny originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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¡Apple Store cuarto de España para abrir el viernes!

Yes, the fourth Apple Store in Spain is set to open on November 25 in the city of Marbella on the southern coast. The city is small — only 125,000 residents call it home — but it is a major tourist destination, so a lot of visitors are always willing to spend money in the city and especially at the La Cañada mall.

As you’ve probably noticed on TUAW, there have been many international Apple Store openings during 2011. This won’t be the last one for Spain this year — it’s expected that another store will open along the Carrer de Cristóbal Colon in Valencia.

The grand opening is scheduled for 10 AM on Friday, and as usual we’d love to see any pictures of the festivities if you happen to attend.

Spain’s fourth Apple Store to open on Friday originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple.com has become the second most trafficked online retail site in the UK, according to a report by website tracking firm Experian Hitwise and IMRG. The #2 spot puts Apple.com only behind Internet retail juggernaut Amazon.co.uk and ahead of retail discounter Argos.co.uk.

Experian Hitwise tracking numbers are for website traffic recorded between August and October.The #2 spot represents a six-spot move for Apple.com. In July, Apple.com ranked as the #8 most trafficked online retail site in the UK. Experian Hitwise said Apple moved up to the #2 spot thanks to its five-fold increase in hits.

The web tracking firm does point out that Apple’s rapid rise to the #2 spot could be an anomaly spurred by Steve Jobs death and the resulting surge of interest in Apple. In October, the month Steve Jobs passed away, Apple.com/uk received 14 million hits — one for every 250 visits made by UK-based browsers.

However, Experian Hitwise Marketing Research Analyst James Murray acknowledges that the iPhone 4S announcement was also responsible for Apple’s massive traffic numbers. “The tech world mourned the death of Steve Jobs this quarter but Apple goes on, and the launch of the iPhone 4S has helped push Apple to its highest ever ranking in the Hot Shops list,” he said in a press release. “Amazon UK and Apple are now the two biggest brands in online retail, and this Christmas they will go head-to-head in the gadget wars as the Amazon Kindle contends with the Apple iPad. Our data shows that iPad is the more popular gadget online but the Kindle’s lower price point may entice shoppers this Christmas.”

Apple becomes UK’s #2 online retail store originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s possible that Apple’s flagship Grand Central Terminal store in New York City is set to open as early as this (Black) Friday, November 25th. If 9to5Mac’s sources are to be believed, Apple will announce the store opening tomorrow by removing the black boards that are currently hanging around the store, blocking views to the construction and setup inside. The Black Friday opening of the Grand Central store was first reported by PhoneArena back in October.

Apple’s Grand Central Terminal store will be notable for many reasons. It will be the largest Apple store, by square footage (23,000 sq ft, including offices and stock rooms), in the world. It will also have a staff of over 300 (impressive, but not a record) to take care of customers from the potential pool of 750,000 commuters that stream through Grand Central each day.

Apple’s grand openings are usually massive events in themselves, with hundreds lining up at the door hours — sometimes days — before the opening. If the store is a flagship store, like the Grand Central one is, the lines of waiting Apple fans can reach the thousands. Throw in a Black Friday opening and you’re looking at potentially the largest group of waiting shoppers in the world. Of course since Grand Central Station is one of America’s largest travel hubs, due to security issues it’s possible the City of New York may not allow early lines to form for the grand opening.

Grand Central Apple Store reportedly close to opening originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPad is the perfect tablet for consuming magazines. It’s the right size and its interactive features can make a magazine come to life. The Association of Magazine Media realizes that and asked 1,009 mobile magazine readers about their experience reading digital magazines. Not surprisingly, most respondents wanted more — more electronic newsstands, more magazines, and more issues to read.

In an age of digital entertainment which includes streaming movies, music and TV, it’s encouraging that over 90 percent of respondents said their consumption of magazines has stayed the same, or even increased, since buying a mobile device. In fact, a majority (over 60 percent) expect their digital reading level to increase in the future and want even more magazines in digital format.

Besides wanting more content to read, over 80 percent of digital consumers want to archive content for later viewing as well as share this content with friends or family. A majority (70 percent) also enjoy videos in their magazines, but want the clips to be one-minute or less. It’s an interesting survey that suggests magazines are not dying, but have to learn to adapt to the needs of a growing number of digital customers.

[Via Electronista]

Study shows iPad owners read more magazines originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chinese website M.I.C. Gadget is reporting that the iPhone 4S has leaped an important hurdle in preparation for sale by cellular carrier China Unicom. The newest iPhone has apparently been tested by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and is about to be given the stamp of approval — a network access permit.

MIIT is a state agency in China that regulates the Internet and wireless communications. Local media in the country reported that the network access permit for the iPhone 4S will be issued in as soon as two weeks. No official word has come from either Apple or China Unicom, but if the rumor is true, the desirable 4S will be going on sale soon in the world’s biggest market. China Unicom is dropping the 16 and 32 GB iPhone 4 models, presumably to prepare for the arrival of the 8 GB iPhone 4 and the three models of iPhone 4S.

China is a large and growing market for Apple, and one that the company is focusing on for future revenues. China Unicom is the second-largest carrier in the country. China Mobile is actually the largest; although the company doesn’t officially carry the iPhone (the phones can only make calls and send texts on the China Mobile TD-LTE network), they apparently have 10 million iPhone users on their network.

Subscribers to China Telecom, the nation’s third-largest carrier, will reportedly need to wait until February or March of 2012 to get their hands on the iPhone 4S.

iPhone 4S has reportedly received China’s network access permit originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK-based visual artist Kyle Lambert put together a slideshow for Macworld that showcases the power of the iPad in the hands of professional. I couldn’t create anything nearly as nice as this, but Lambert has been able to create a life-like portrait using only his fingers, the Brushes app for the iPad and an iPad as the canvas.

It doesn’t look like much when he starts with his rough outline, but the finished product is amazing. We won’t spoil the fun by spilling his secrets here. You will have to travel to Macworld and learn the tricks of the trade from the expert himself.

Kyle Lambert paints portraits with the iPad originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last week, a bunch of hackers cracked open the Siri protocol and explained how the service sends information back and forth to Apple’s server. Now, another developer, known only by his twitter handle @plamoni, created a proxy server to extend the functionality of Siri on your phone.

The proxy server contains custom commands that Siri on the iPhone 4S can use. In his demo video, he shows how Siri can communicate with his indoor wireless thermostat. He is able to grab status information and turn the heat on and off.

The server works with Siri on a stock iPhone 4S handset and doesn’t require any jailbreak. It only works with the iPhone 4S right now and is not ported to earlier iPhone models or the iPod touch.

He has released the proxy server to the open source community so they can experiment with it. You can grab the source code from github and check out a demo video from the developer below.

[Vis Engadget, ijailbreak.com and iPhone Hacks]

Developer builds Siri proxy server originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amidio, makers of mobile music creation apps like Seline HD, have released Songineer, a scale-based sequencer to help you create and generate melodic sound and groove while on the move.

Featuring a drum machine with 5 drumkits, a beat randomizer, 20 instruments, a DNA keyboard (which means you never hit a wrong note), on-board FX and easy recording / editing , Songineer has all the tools you need to create and compose your next big hit. And if you do happen to find you need to expand the sample library, there are more instrument and drum packs available through in-app purchase. Once you’ve completed a song simply export it as a MIDI file, .WAV, .M4A or multi-track dry .WAV file.

If the idea of layering beats and grooves down while capturing that perfect hook over the top appeals, all from your iPhone or iPod touch, Songineer (US$1.99) is probably right up your music-making street.

Check out this video below of Songineer in action.

Amidio debuts Songineer – Instant Composer for the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You might have already played Galcon, it’s a solid realtime strategy game from the early days of the App Store, where you guided little ships from planet to planet, eventually swarming over all of the planets in a certain galaxy. That game was fun, but it was a little more abstract than anything else, so creator Phil Hassey has decided to tweak the formula for just a little bit more fun with Chickon, a new free-to-play app on the store. Chickon, as you might imagine, takes the Galcon formula and brings a much goofier battle of chickens vs. robots, with a fairly deep metagame to play through as well.

This is much sillier than Galcon’s abstract shapes were, but the gameplay is essentially the same. You need to direct your troops (in this case, chickens) around from nest to nest trying to beat out robots. And while Galcon (the Labs version especially) mixed up its gameplay with various AI multiplayer modes, Chickon is an experience built much more for singleplayer — as a chicken, you need to wander an overworld, fighting your battles, collecting various objects and powerups, and then accomplishing certain goals in the ongoing battle of chicken vs. robot.

That campaign does a great job of putting a little more structure on the Galcon experience, and even if you tried the original and didn’t find a lot of longevity in it, Chickon’s worth a look. Plus, it’s completely free, in a universal version no less, and while prompts to purchase in-app items came up a few more times than I’d prefer, that’s a small price to pay for a free game with lots of fun, colorful content (and likely more coming). Chickon is a great download that really builds on the ideas that Galcon laid out, even while transferring the setting over to a much more looney framework.

Daily iPhone App: Chickon originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With no untetehred iOS 5 jailbreak and no jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2, many are using iOS 5 settings shortcuts to quickly access iPhone settings without any need of a jailbreak. Designer Jeff…

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