Category: I-phone

It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for another edition of Ask TUAW video! On the heels of our AppleScript episode, we are going to talk today about GeekTool. GeekTool is a great way to have information displayed on your desktop, without it being too intrusive.

First thing, you need to download GeekTool here. I have posted some example GeekTool scripts, which can be downloaded here.

As always, the video is in the second half of the post, and please ask questions — that’s what we’re here for!

Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: Geeking on GeekTool

Ask TUAW Video Edition: Geeking on GeekTool originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When you’re using a MacBook in the vicinity of a desk, you’re likely to have a lot of things plugged into it. Be it hard drives, flash drives, memory cards or any other type of storage, we all know how bitterly OS X complains when you just pull them out. When you’re in a hurry to get out the door, the last thing you want to do is eject 15 different drives. Luckily, as with many Mac-related issues, there’s a simple solution to the problem, and that’s unDock.

UnDock does one-click ejection, or undocking, of every mass storage drive you’ve got connected to your Mac. Any networked drives or optical media can be ejected as well, and for anything else, you’ve got the option to fire off an AppleScript at the same time. It can be triggered from a customizable shortcut key or a menu bar utility, while Growl takes care of the notifications. Once the operation is complete, which is nearly instantaneous for anything that doesn’t need to spin-up before being ejected, the menu bar icon stops flashing and you’re good to go.

While you can achieve the same task for free with an AppleScript, if you have a portable Mac with more than one USB drive plugged in at any one time and aren’t comfortable messing with AppleScripts, then this US$0.99 app could be a real time saver.

TUAW’s Daily Mac App: unDock originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier today, the US Senate judiciary subcommittee held a hearing on privacy, technology and the law. You can view a video of the opening statement by Senator Al Franken from today’s hearings here.

The purpose of this hearing was to aid lawmakers in understanding if current privacy laws around tech (which are quite old) are still valid or need updating. But what did Bud Tribble, an MD, PhD engineer and Apple’s Vice President of Software Technology have to say versus Google’s representative, Alan Davidson, who happens to be a lobbyist? Let’s look at Apple’s statements and answers to key questions, then cross-check with Google’s answers.

Apple

First, the big question is whether or not Apple is “tracking you.” In opening statements, Tribble pointed out (also in his written testimony) that Apple is “deeply committed” to protecting consumers’ privacy, and Apple does not share personally identifying information with third-party vendors without explicit consumer agreement.

As stated in a release on April 27, 2011, the company does not track you and never has had any plans to track your whereabouts. Instead, the location database is designed to provide a crowdsourced database of local Wi-Fi hotspots and cellular towers in order to provide a quicker method for locating an iPhone on a map faster than GPS would alone. This information is not used by Apple itself, but can be accessed by applications that happen to use Location Services. These services can be turned off, and last week, Apple fixed a bug which stored these on the computer you use to sync in an unencrypted way and which contained all locations. Tribble also mentioned that in the “next major version of iOS this data will be encrypted.”

Continue reading The difference between Apple and Google at the Senate hearings

The difference between Apple and Google at the Senate hearings originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In his last appearance during an earnings conference call last year, Steve Jobs hinted that Apple tested several designs for the iPad during its development stage. One of these possible designs may have reared its ugly head in a patent application recently approved by the USPTO.

This patent details a Wi-Fi+3G iPad with an extra USB slot for landscape connectivity. This auxiliary USB slot would let you place the iPad in a dedicated landscape dock as well as dock in portrait mode and simultaneously sync using both USB slots. Apple now holds a patent for this design, but it may never debut in an upcoming iPad model. While many consumers would prefer two USB ports, Apple may opt for wireless charging and syncing, which would eliminate the need for any USB ports on the popular tablet device.

Apple patent reveals unused iPad design with two USB slots originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sandvox by Kareila Software will celebrate its fifth birthday this year. The festivities begin with Sandvox 2.0, a major update to the WYSIWYG Web editor for the Mac. With more than 5 dozen new or improved features, such as the super-handy Objects Menu and full HTML5 compliance, Sandvox 2 is ready for weekend Web warriors and small business owners alike. Here’s my look at Sandvox 2.

UI

Web editors like Sandvox are meant for those who wish to create websites without touching HTML. That’s a large number of users, like new parents, baseball coaches and small business owners. The common thread among them is the need for simplicity. Fortunately, Sandvox 2 meets that need.

The main UI window is familiar to anyone who’s used iTunes, Pages or iWeb. On the left-hand side you’ll find thumbnails of pages. On the right is the page you’re currently working on. A customizable toolbar allows easy access to your favorite functions.

Working on a page, be it a blog, gallery, form, etc. is as easy as editing text. Simply type (or paste rich text) and Sandvox handles the code for you. Adding interesting elements — what Kareila calls Objects — is also a breeze, as this article will point out later. Also, an inspector lets you fine-tune page elements. Adding YouTube videos, Amazon product links and more is drag-and-drop easy.

As for looks, Sandvox 2 ships with about 60 themes, while third-party theme developers extend the options even further. In short, Sandvox 2 looks good, and the UI is simple enough for its intended audience.

Continue reading Sandvox 2 features major overhaul, Objects Menu, more

Sandvox 2 features major overhaul, Objects Menu, more originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple is edging closer to Nokia and poised to assume the leadership position in the smartphone market, according to IHS iSuppli. In the first three months of 2011, Apple shipped 18.6 million iPhones globally, a 14.9 percent jump from the previous quarter. While Apple showed impressive gains, Nokia posted a significant decline. Q1 2011 shipments from the Finnish handset maker declined 14.5 percent from the 28.3 million handsets shipped in Q4 2010 to 24.2 million in Q1 of this year.

At the end of last quarter, a mere 5.6 million handsets separated the two companies. This gap could be narrowed in the current quarter by continued strong sales of the black iPhone 4 and the launch of the white iPhone 4. The long-awaited white handset sold out quickly in Asia and is expected to give iPhone sales a moderate boost. Nokia, on the other hand, is in a holding pattern while it sunsets its Symbian OS and preps for the debut of Windows Phone later this year.

[Via Digitimes]

iSuppli: Apple bucks decline in smartphone market, edges closer to Nokia originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple reportedly compensated a customer injured in a melee outside the Sanlitun Apple Store in Beijing, China. The customer, identified as Ding Wencheng by the Global Times, was reportedly paid a 20,000-yuan ($3,000) settlement by the Apple store for injuries he received in the altercation. According to state reports, a scuffle erupted when a foreign Apple employee allegedly started to beat suspected line jumpers. In the aftermath, several customers were hospitalized, and the front glass door of the Apple store was smashed.

Apple spokesperson Carolyn Wu acknowledged the brawl, but did not comment on the rumored settlement. “The Apple Store Sanlitun was closed for several hours on Saturday after a group outside the store became unruly.” Wu added, “The store team acted to protect themselves and our customers by closing the doors and preventing the group from entering. The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority.” Details on the status of the hospitalized customers are unknown, but presumably, Apple may compensate others injured in this unfortunate incident.

[Via The Next Web]

Apple compensates customer injured at Beijing store originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe announced the immediate availability of its Photoshop Touch applications for the iPad. The three touch-friendly apps use the touchscreen of the iPad and interact with Photoshop CS5 on the desktop. The trio includes Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop. Color Lava lets you mix and match color swatches to create new colors on the iPad. Eazel lets you draw using the touchscreen of the iPad and Nav lets you use common Photoshop tools as well as browse open Photoshop documents on the iPad.

There are many excellent applications that let you paint on the iPad, but these apps let you create and seamlessly share your projects with the desktop version of Adobe CS5. All three apps were created using the Photoshop Touch Software development kit and showcase what is possible with this touch-centric SDK.

The apps are available now from the App Store. Adobe Nav for Photoshop is the cheapest of the bunch with a price tag of US$1.99. Adobe Color Lava comes in second at $2.99 and Adobe Eazel is at the top with a semi-premium price of $4.99.

Continue reading Adobe releases trio of Photoshop Touch Applications for the iPad

Adobe releases trio of Photoshop Touch Applications for the iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take an iChair, remove the case, add a suction cup and, voilà, the Oona smartphone stand. The Oona stand is a Kickstarter project, looking to raise US $10,000 to produce the first run of the neat, unobtrusive stands that look perfect for holding your iPhone steady on your desk or attaching it to your car windscreen.

We liked the iChair a lot and there’ll be a hands-on review tomorrow, May 11, on TUAW TV live. The Oona fills a slightly different need, particularly in places where you want to have your iPhone stuck to something rather than just resting it on a flat surface. Its developers have gone to some lengths to use just the right kind of material for the suction cup. “We spent a lot of time designing the right suction cup for The Oona,” says Sam Gordon, one of the project founders. “The ones we prototyped early on were made of a thermoplastic elastomer so they could be easily injection molded. After testing we found that low shore durometer silicone produced the best results.”

The Oona is designed to be stuck and un-stuck many times a day, rather than rest in place for long periods of time. Its size lends itself to this usage as it is certainly small enough to be carried around easily.

Check out the Kickstarter page and let us know what you think.

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Oona smartphone stand, as seen on Kickstarter originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you enjoy soccer or soccer video games and happen to own an iPhone, First Touch Soccer is a must-buy. I’m not a big fan of soccer, but this is an impressively premium title with great visuals, solid controls and lots of extras, including home team themed menus, multiple modes, social integration and even a real rock soundtrack.

If there’s a drawback to First Touch Soccer, it’s that the game suffers from the same issues more traditional console sports games do. The gameplay obviously depends on your love of soccer, and things like the announcer tracks can get repetitive. Also, the teams aren’t officially named; there are over 250 teams that are obvious versions of the various soccer clubs around the world, though they’re tweaked enough to avoid official licenses. But those are small quibbles in the bigger picture: a full-scale professional soccer title running great on iOS.

The game’s a bargain right now at US$0.99. When you compare that to the $20 or $30 that you’d normally pay for a full handheld soccer game like this, First Touch Soccer is a no-brainer.

TUAW’s Daily iOS App: First Touch Soccer originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the big problems with using metal detectors to find unexploded landmines is that they detect all pieces of metal in the ground, often forcing operators to inspect every suspect item they find. This can be very dangerous, so researchers at Harvard have figured out how to use smartphones to find landmines.

Trained and experienced operators can tell by the beeps coming from their detectors the size and shape of objects found. Harvard researchers take these beeps and map them onto a smartphone screen, such as an iPhone, to better visualise what’s been found. The PETALS (Pattern Enhancement Tool for Assisting Landmine Sensing) researchers have shown that inexperienced users are up to 80 percent more efficient using their technique, which could save a lot of lives.

Using existing devices like iPhones makes the system potentially very cheap to deploy. Researchers hope that users already familiar with their smartphone interface should find it simple to use.

Using an iPhone app to test for landmines originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logo is a great introduction to programming for children, so a version for the iPad seems like a great idea. Emmanuel Crombez’s implementation of Logo is very welcome indeed — at least, it is if you speak decent French.

French developer Crombez has a large suite of educational software apps covering reading, writing and math. Crombez produced the iPad version of Logo to introduce children to the world of computer programming.

He’s targeting his US$3.99 app at children over eight looking for an interesting introduction to computer programming. Since it was introduced in 1969, Logo has helped many thousands of future programmers get a taste of the joy of coding.

If you can’t wait for an English version of his Logo app, there is Logo Draw for the iPad available in the App Store, which provides an introduction to programming concepts, computer graphics and logical thinking.

Want to write in LOGO? There’s an app for that originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rdio, the on-demand social music service from the founders of Skype, has opened up its service to developers and published a mobile playback API for iOS, although the current terms of use prohibit the sale of any apps made using it. Instead, the company will make mobile apps work with its affiliate scheme. “We’re working on providing a good affiliate program flow for mobile apps so that you can monetize that way. Getting that working well is one of my top priorities so you’ll hear about that soon,” says Ian McKellar, Lead Platform Engineer at Rdio.

According to Rdio, the mobile API will allow you to make an app “that searches and plays all the artists, songs, albums, playlists, and top charts in Rdio’s catalog of over 8.5 million songs. You can also build and edit playlists, show a user’s network Heavy Rotation, follow other people, and view Collections.”

Is this something you’d see yourself building into an app? Let us know in comments.

Rdio posts Mobile Playback API for iOS originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stick with us on this one: An industrious Touch Arcade forum goer did a little poking around the Steam page for the upcoming Duke Nukem Forever release (the long, long, loooong-awaited title is finally, supposedly, coming out in June of this year). On that page is a link to the game’s manual for the digital release, and in that manual, there’s some legal boilerplate lifted straight from Apple’s “App Store Additional License Terms.”

So there’s a few potential things happening there. First up, this could simply mean there’s a Mac version of the game on the way to the Mac App Store, though if that was the case, odds are that the game would be released on Steam for Mac as well, and it’s not currently listed as a Steam Play title.

Or, as Touch Arcade speculates, there could be a version of Duke Nukem Forever coming to iOS. That’s an interesting rumor — last I heard, Duke Nukem Forever was using a heavily modified version of Unreal Engine 2.5, but of course, Gearbox (the company that has taken over the game to finally finish it), has extensive experience with Unreal Engine 3, an engine we’ve already seen running successfully on the iPhone. It seems a little much to hope for a full iOS port, but when (if?) Duke finally returns to video gaming, he may arrive on iOS in some form as well.

Duke Nukem Forever digital manual refers to Apple’s App Store originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to CNET, Google will unveil its cloud music service, Music Beta, at the I/O Developer Conference. The free service will be invitation-only (and US-only) at launch, and it will allow users to upload up to 20,000 songs onto Google’s servers and stream that music to many web-connected devices.

If all that sounds good to you, here’s the monkey wrench: the service won’t work on iOS devices, because Google has (perhaps deliberately) hobbled it by requiring support for Flash Player. While this means the service will work on PCs, Macs and some Android devices, any iPhone, iPod touch or iPad owners will be forced to use alternative services, like Amazon’s Cloud Player or Apple’s presumably forthcoming “iCloud” service.

Like Amazon, Google hasn’t secured licensing deals with the major music labels before launching its music streaming service. Unlike Amazon, Google doesn’t have its own music store to assist in monetizing that service, and by choosing to utilize Flash in its implementation, Google’s also shut out over 100 million potential mobile users from Music Beta. Google, of course, has a “convenient” answer for any iOS users wanting to use Music Beta — buy an Android device — but those of us who are unwilling to do so will either flock to Amazon’s service or hope that Apple comes out with something superior.

Google’s cloud music service to launch without iOS support originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 10 May 2011 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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