Category: I-phone

Stormy weather, as long as we’re not talking hurricanes or tornadoes, can be quite beautiful from a safe vantage point. Whether it’s flashes of lightning dancing across the sky, or the rumbling claps of thunder that accompany them, there’s something majestic about electrical storms.

Lightning! attempts to capture that visceral beauty. The app is simple, simulating the flashes of fork-and-sheet lightning to give you the sensation of seeing lightning through a window. If you’ve got your Mac hooked up to a large screen monitor or a TV, the effect is truly beautiful.

The storm intensity can be adjusted to your liking, from “intense” through “natural” and “calm.” Lightning! will also showcase freeze frames, allowing you more than the glimpse you’d get in real life. A screen saver is included with your purchase, but must be downloaded separately from an “install screensaver” menu option.

For those worried about resources, Lightning! used less than 10 percent of CPU time on a 2011 MacBook Pro. Unfortunately, there’s no option for audio effects to go along with the on-screen flashes for either the screensaver or the standard app. In other words, no rumbling thunder. But I’ve never been a fan of screensavers with sound tracks, so that’s fine with me.

If you’re a storm lover, and want something with a bit of a zap for a screensaver, then Lightning! is available from the Mac App Store for US$0.99.

TUAW’s Daily Mac App: Lightning! originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier today, Apple updated the iMac line with Thunderbolt, quad-core processors across the line and a HD camera for FaceTime. Prices start at US$1,199 for the 21.5″, 2.5 GHz model and climb to $1,999 for the big daddy. How do the specs compare to the previous models? Here are some of the highlights.

Processor

There are still two basic models, 21.5″ and 27″. Each stars with two configurations, beginning with the processor. As of January 2010, the 21.5″ model sold with a 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 or a 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3, while the 27″ model featured either a 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 or a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i5.

Today, the 21.5″ machine offers either a 2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 or a 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, while the 27″ iMac features a 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 or a 3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5. That’s the first time quad-core has been available across the entire iMac line. (The previous 27″ model had an i7 build-to-order option, but that processor wasn’t the current Sandy Bridge variety.)

Additionally, the previous models featured a 3MB shared L2 cache, with a build-to-order 8MB shared L3 cache option for the 27″ iMac. Current models feature a 6MB on-chip shared L3 cache across the board.

Display

The display resolution is the same as it’s been. The current options are 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution for the 21.5″ model and 2650 x 1440 pixel resolution for the 27″ iMac.

Apple notes that the current iMac displays feature “in-plane switching,” or IPS. Originally designed by Hitachi in 1996, IPS improves color and contrast at sharp viewing angles.

RAM

Current models all start with 4 GB of RAM, just as previous models did. The current 21.5″ models are upgradable to 8 GB of 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM from Apple, while the 27″ models can house up to 16 GB of the same.

Graphics

Previous models featured either a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M or a ATI Radeon HD 4670 with 256 MB on the 21.5″ model, while the 27″ model offered the ATI Radeon HD 4670 or a ATI Radeon HD 4850 with 512 MB.

The new iMacs are clearly improved. The base 21.5″ model sports either a AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512 MB or a AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 512 MB, while the 27″ starts with either that same Radeon 6770M or a AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 1 GB.

All this at the same price points. The new iMac line is clearly compelling. Maybe I’ll finally replace my long-suffering G4.

Comparing the old iMacs with today’s new models originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I’ve been a Todo user since the iPhone app, then bought the iPad version, but I never tried their online service since Todo ties in nicely with my cloud todo service of choice, Toodledo.

That may change now that Todo for Mac has been announced for the Mac App Store and features cloud sync with the Todo Online service. Previously you had to use Appigo’s sync client on your Mac to sync your iOS apps, or use a 3rd party service like Toodledo.

Todo for Mac is a compelling app even without sync, however, adding things like Task Zooming[TM] and Multi-Adaptive Windows[TM]. Yep, those trademarked features sound pretty cool, but we’ll have a hands-on later this week with more details. For now, know that Task Zooming allows you to change the amount of detail in a view, seeing perhaps only the todo itself, or more details such as due dates, alert times, etc.

Multi-Adaptive Windows allows you to have more than one view available at a time, and allows you to arrange windows in a way that you can see a week’s view and urgent tasks for the day all at once. Sounds great, and comes close to being more like a project manager than a simple “to do” application based on lists and alarms.

The cloud sync side will cost you a bit more than Toodledo (which costs US$14.95 per year for a Pro account, and that’s what I use) but not much more at $19.99 per year. This will allow you to sync your iPhone, iPad and Mac data effortlessly — something Cultured Code has long promised for competitor Things but only recently released in beta. The web app version of Todo is also in beta, but the sync service appears to be ready to rock starting today. Plus, you get a free 14-day trial.

Stay tuned for our full review of Todo for Mac later this week.

Appigo just beat Things to cloud sync with latest Todo for Mac originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s yet another big iOS developer picked up by a traditional gaming giant: EA has acquired Firemint, the maker of iOS hits Flight Control and the Real Racing series. This is a pretty big purchase, but not a big surprise: Firemint has done work for EA in the past, including a few ports of popular EA titles, and as it has just merged with Infinite Interactive and has a big new title on the way called Agent Squeek, Firemint seemed primed for a connection with a larger company.

The last time I talked with Firemint’s Rob Murry and Steve Fawkner back at GDC this year, they obviously didn’t mention any plans to join up with EA, but they did hint to me that Firemint’s future included more traditional console titles — either versions of their current games for systems like Xbox and PlayStation, or new games entirely. Those plans may be put on hold, however — EA’s press release connects the Firemint acquisition with another purchase of a company called Mobile Post Production, which specializes in porting games across smartphone devices, and says it will use MPP’s technical abilities and Firemint’s creative skills to kick out high quality mobile games.

EA buys Firemint, makers of Flight Control and Real Racing originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s the first Tuesday in May, which means it’s time for another edition of Ask TUAW, the video version.

Today, Brad writes to us with a security question:

I love using Wi-Fi where available, but I am always leery of doing anything requiring secure access as I don’t know who is on the network and what they are up to. I think the best way to protect myself is using a VPN. But what service do you choose? Is there any chance they can see my info and passwords? Any help you can give would be great.

We answer Brad’s question in the video below by showing him two companies that offer VPN services, then we tell him how to set up a VPN in OS X.

Companies mentioned in the video:

• StrongVPN
• OverPlay

Other VPN approaches we’ve covered in the past include Hamachi, HotspotShield, CJB and more.

Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: VPN services

Ask TUAW Video Edition: VPN services originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For those of us who use the TripIt service and app to keep track of our upcoming travel plans, the lack of an iPad version of the app was somewhat annoying. You could always load the iPhone app onto your iPad and use the 2X button to expand the size, but it just didn’t look or feel right. Third-party apps that accessed TripIt’s API like TravelTracker Pro filled the gap, but they didn’t have that TripIt ‘made here’ feel.

All of our requests for the iPad app were answered today, as the travel organizer has come out with a new universal version of the app. The app is available in two flavors — a free, ad-supported version, and a US$3.99 version without advertising.

The TripIt iPad edition is nicely designed to take advantage of the extra space afforded by the tablet’s screen, and large maps that display your trip plans to accentuate the information in your itineraries.

If you already use TripIt and have been wanting a bit of additional “legroom” in the app, download the update right now. A few screenshots of the iPad version can be seen in the gallery below.

TripIt goes First Class with new universal app for iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Korean mobile carriers SK Telecom and KT Corp have suspended online sales of the iPad 2 only a week after the product was launched. According to a report this morning, tight supplies of the tablet were responsible for the suspension.

Reuters noted that the SK Telecom website is showing an apologetic message stating that “our iPad 2 inventory has been depleted and we apologize for failing to provide enough supplies due to the product’s global supply shortages.”

While Apple is still showing wait times of only one to two weeks for most of the Apple online stores (including the South Korean store), it’s apparent that supplies of the iPad 2 are insufficient to meet the demand from Apple and the two telecom companies. Both of the carriers are counting on tablet and smartphone sales to make up for dismal growth in voice traffic revenues.

Korean carriers suspend iPad 2 online sales originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With new iMacs comes new software. Apple has released a Boot Camp update for Thunderbolt iMacs. The small update (the download is just 638 KB) can be found via Software Update or Apple’s website and offers a specific fix. According to Apple, the update “…addresses issues with Japanese and Korean keyboards on early 2011 iMac.”

If you’ve been having struggling with this issue, on the iMac you can’t possibly have received yet, here’s the update for you.

Boot Camp update for Thunderbolt iMacs available originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cast your minds back to the launch of the 27″ iMac in mid-2009. One of the new features was Target Display Mode, which introduced the ability to use the iMac as a pure external monitor, bypassing the built-in computer entirely. This could be useful if you wanted to dock a laptop to a big screen temporarily — or if you were worried that the substantial investment in a 27″ screen would, in years to come, be hobbled by the ageing CPU and GPU inside the iMac. The theory was that you could eventually just stop using everything but the display.

However, Apple has quietly dropped substantially modified the feature on the latest iMacs, which were announced today. For one, the Apple knowledgebase article describing the feature specifically mentions it is for “iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010), iMac (27-inch, Late 2009),” excluding the newest model. For two, whilst this archive of the old model’s tech specs page states “27-inch models also support input from external DisplayPort sources,” there is no such mention on the updated page for today’s model.

UPDATE: Macrumors spoke with an Apple rep who said the feature is still supported on the new models (through the Thunderbolt ports), despite not being mentioned on the tech specs page.

UPDATE 2: Macworld has confirmation from Apple that the new iMacs will support Target Display Mode but only when the device they are connected to is also a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac; the trick won’t work with older mini DisplayPort models.

So a new MacBook Pro connected to a new iMac will work, but older MacBook Pros will not, and a current MacBook Air won’t work either. This also means the popular Kanex adaptors (which convert HDMI signals to mini DisplayPort ones, letting users plug things like games consoles into their iMacs) probably won’t work with the new iMacs — we’ve contacted Kanex to ask for confirmation.

This change is probably tied to the mini DisplayPort being replaced by two Thunderbolt ports. Whatever clever hack Apple did to make the mini DisplayPort connection bi-directional in the earlier iMacs is presumably difficult or impossible to replicate through Thunderbolt, as they have less control over the protocol (remember that Thunderbolt is an Intel design, and uses a special Intel communications chip).

UPDATE 3: Consider that, for legacy mini-DisplayPort devices to work, the Thunderbolt interface would need to consume a raw display signal — not one wrapped up in the clever Thunderbolt protocol (note, PDF link) which combines PCIe and DisplayPort data into a single stream. This is probably why the new Thunderbolt ports cannot maintain backwards compatibility with older devices. However, when the device sending the signal also has Thunderbolt, they can negotiate a way to send the signal that the receiver can understand.

What do you think, readers — was Target Display Mode always a pointless curiosity, or do you think this is a loss for the iMac’s feature set? Has anyone out there used Target Display Mode in anger?

Target Display Mode on new iMacs limited to Thunderbolt sources (updated) originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last month, Apple began tweaking its App Store to more accurately rank applications based on criteria besides the number of downloads. Presumably, this new rating system takes into account both app reviews and ratings from customers. To tighten up the reviews and keep them honest, Apple has reportedly implemented a new policy that prohibits people from leaving a review when they obtained the application using a developer promo code.

A forum post at TouchArcade contains an email purportedly from Apple customer support that describes these changes. The support personnel writes, “I am sorry to inform that it is no longer possible to rate or review an app if it was downloaded using a developer’s promotional code.” Anecdotal evidence suggests this policy applies to applications recently downloaded with promotional codes. Promotional applications downloaded from a year ago still allow user reviews. Though inconvenient for some, these changes are consistent with Apple’s desire to shore up its App Store ratings system.

[Via MacStories]

Apps downloaded with a promo code can’t be reviewed anymore originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fluid, the neat little application that turns websites into standalone native Mac apps, has finally grown up into version 1.0 after three and a half years of development.

The application allows you to move frequently updating pages like Gmail or Facebook out of your browser tabs and onto your Dock where you can more clearly see ‘unread’ or ‘New mail’ notifications. It can also help with browser tab clutter (while at the same time adding to the clutter on your Dock…).

As before, the app is free, but there’s now a US$4.99 optional license that unlocks a few neat extras: the ability to create apps with separate cookie storage, pin Fluid apps to the Status Bar and use Userscripts or Userstyles in Fluid apps.

If you’ve installed previous versions of Fluid, you’ll need to remove them and start again with version 1.0, says developer Todd Ditchendorf. “Sorry for the inconvenience, but this is necessary to get Fluid on a solid foundation for future improvements and feature additions.”

And, he adds on the Fluid blog, “Fluid 1.0 is Intel-only and runs on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or later. Sorry, but Fluid 1.0 will not run on Leopard or PowerPC Macs.”

Fluid for Mac gets updated to 1.0, offers paid version originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has refreshed its iMac all-in-one desktop line with upgraded CPUs and a few other new features. The key upgrades for the iMac refresh are the new quad-core Sandy Bridge processors and the Thunderbolt I/O port first introduced in the most recent MacBook Pro updates. Offering speeds of up to 10 Gbps, Thunderbolt provides a far faster connection than either USB 3.0 or Firewire. The iMac has also seen an upgrade to its GPUs, which are now three times faster than the previous model.

The iMac comes in two 21.5-inch and two 27-inch models, as detailed below:

iMac 21.5″

• Price: Starting at US$1,199
• CPU: 2.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 or 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
• RAM: 4GB (2 x 2 GB)
• HDD: 500 GB or 1 TB hard drive
• GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6750M or AMD Radeon HD 6770M
• Other: Single Thunderbolt port, FaceTime HD camera, aluminum and glass design, IPS LED-backlit high resolution display, Mini DisplayPort, One FireWire 800 port, Four USB 2.0 ports, SDXC card slot, Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive, Audio in/out, Gigabit Ethernet, IR receiver, 802.11 a/b/g n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and an Apple wireless keyboard with a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.

iMac 27″

• Price: Starting at $1,699
• CPU: 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 or 3.1 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
• RAM: 4GB (2 x 2 GB)
• HDD: 1 TB hard drive
• GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6770M or AMD Radeon HD 6970M
• Other: Two Thunderbolt ports, FaceTime HD camera, aluminum and glass design, IPS LED-backlit high resolution display,Mini DisplayPort, One FireWire 800 port, Four USB 2.0 ports, SDXC card slot, Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive, Audio in/out, Gigabit Ethernet, IR receiver, 802.11 a/b/g n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and an Apple wireless keyboard with a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.

The new iMacs are available now on Apple’s online store.

Continue reading Apple updates iMac with Thunderbolt, beefier GPUs

Apple updates iMac with Thunderbolt, beefier GPUs originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holy Moly Dragons is a fun and colorful tower defense game in which you place down dragons (actually their eggs, but they quickly grow up into attacking dragons) to try to defeat waves of incoming enemies. It’s a pretty standard tower defense game, but the stages are very open, so it’s up to you to figure out how to guide the enemy waves around and where you want to strategically place your dragons. Additionally, you have access to various dragon types and special abilities, which can be used to take down the 15 levels and three various challenge modes.

Holy Moly Dragons doesn’t do a lot of new things with the tower defense genre, but it benefits from a solid presentation and an excellent and fun premise. Game Center integration rounds out the feature list. It’s currently on sale for US$0.99 (there is a lite version out as well), so if you’re a fan of the genre, definitely check it out.

TUAW’s Daily iOS App: Holy Moly Dragons originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HBO GO allows an HBO subscriber to stream over 1400 programs on a computer with a Flash-enabled browser, but just last week, a few days ahead of the scheduled May 2nd release, HBO released the HBO GO iOS app. This free universal app is pretty amazing.

If you are an HBO subscriber and your provider is among the favored ones (AT&T U-verse, Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Suddenlink, Verizon FIOS or some flavors of Comcast), you now have the ability to stream a world of HBO content to your iPad, iPhone (3GS or iPhone 4) or iPod Touch (4th generation) away from your home, as long as a WiFi or 3G connection is available.

Given the size of the iPad screen and the design of the app, the experience of navigation and viewing is far more enjoyable on an iPad than other iOS devices when using HBO GO. On the iPad, the app works in both landscape and portrait mode, but on anything else navigation can only be done in portrait mode, while programming plays in landscape mode.

Continue reading HBO GO for iOS lets you play over 1400 programs from just about anywhere

HBO GO for iOS lets you play over 1400 programs from just about anywhere originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I’m not a big fan of iPhone cases. I got my free bumper because my iPhone showed attenuation when I bought it, and I’m a sucker for free stuff. The Apple bumper worked brilliantly when I dropped my iPhone on the pavement once — it saved the iPhone from being shattered. But I use cases for specific purposes, like a bumper when I’ll be walking around the city or a Mophie when I may be away from power for an extended period. So I bought the HipstaCase when we wrote it up because I wanted a stylish “case” that allowed me to mount my iPhone on a tripod. Following are my thoughts on the case after a few hours of use, plus some pictures of it in action.

Materials and Design

The case was designed by Agent 18, who do good work. That said, it’s a simple thing, really — just a plastic case with a faux camera molded onto the back. It won’t offer the shock absorption you’d get from an Apple bumper, but the slot in what is molded to look like a lens is designed to help mount the iPhone onto a small U-bracket which you can add to any tripod.

It comes with a lanyard/wrist strap already installed (but removable). There’s an adjustable clasp on the loop, so you can tighten it and really secure the iPhone on your wrist (for whatever reason). In my attempts to shake the iPhone out of the case, I found it was quite securely jammed in; I don’t think it should worry anyone to “carry” it in such a way, but I don’t know that I’d carry my iPhone on my wrist on a regular basis anyway.

After some time with the lanyard, I have to say it’s one of the more compelling reasons to use this case. If you wear jeans and find it annoying to fish your iPhone out of your pocket, the strap is useful. Even in the little storage pocket in my car I found it handy to grab the strap. That’s a plus, but I’m not sure it makes it worth the price.

Continue reading Hands-on: HipstaCase for iPhone

Hands-on: HipstaCase for iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 03 May 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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