Category: I-phone

John Nack, Principal Product Manager at Adobe, posted a video demo of Adobe Nav for iPad on his blog Saturday morning. Adobe Nav is one of the first apps to showcase the new tablet integration features included with the software maker’s upcoming Creative Suite version 5.5 (CS5.5). The video demonstrates two of the iPad app’s most useful features: the ability to build a custom tool palette and navigation among open Photoshop projects.

Adobe introduced the first mid-cycle release to its popular Creative Suite at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference earlier this month. The announcement highlighted CS5.5’s new Touch Software Development Kit (SDK) that allows developers to create tablet applications that interact with Adobe software on a personal computer. Adobe Nav for iPad is one of three applications the San Jose company built to demonstrate its forthcoming tablet SDK — the other two are Adobe Color Lava and Adobe Eazel. According to PCWorld, Adobe Nav allows Photoshop users to more easily manage open projects, activate frequently used tools, adjust a document’s zoom percentage, switch between Photoshop’s screen modes, and change foreground and background colors from their iPads.

The demo video certainly illustrates how the iPad can evolve the creative workflow. I look forward to seeing what else Adobe and app developers cook up to extend CS5.5’s usefulness beyond the boundaries of the desktop. To watch the video, please visit John Nack’s blog.

Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 and Adobe Nav for iPad will ship in early May, 2011. Customers can pre-order CS5.5 from Adobe’s website with a variety of options and prices. Adobe Nav for iPad is expected to be sold through the App Store for US$1.99.

Adobe Nav for iPad & Photoshop video demo originally appeared on TUAW on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When the new MacBook Airs began shipping last October they sported Toshiba’s Blade X-gale SSD (Solid State Drive). However, the latest batch of MacBook Airs appear to use an blade SSD from Samsung. Apple typically will use multiple vendors to supply the same parts for a particular product, as there usually isn’t a performance difference in using parts from different vendors. However, in the case of MacBook Airs equipped with Toshiba SSDs and MacBook Airs with Samsung SSDs, there is a difference.

Anandtech has run some speed tests on the two blade SSDs and found that the original Toshiba device with the model number TS128C has a read speed of 209.8 MB/second and a write speed of 175.6 MB/second. That’s slower than the newer Samsung SSD with the model number of SM128C. The Samsung SSD has read speeds of 261.1 MB/second and a write speed of 209.6 MB/second. While that read/write speed increase isn’t astonishingly faster, it is noticeable in real-world use. It’s also important to note that Anandtech can’t confirm that the newer SSD is manufactured by Samsung, but it is likely that is who makes it since Apple has used Samsung SSDs before and because the performance of the SSD matches Samsung’s 470 Series of blade SSDs.

So, how do you tell which blade SSD your MacBook Air is equipped with? Go to the Apple menu, and then select About This Mac. Click the More Info button to launch the System Profiler app, and then select Serial-ATA from the Contents source list. If you see Apple SSD SM128C you have the newer, faster Samsung blade SSD. If you see Apple SSD TS128C you have the older, slightly slower Toshiba blade SSD.

Apple adds speedier SSDs to latest batch of MacBook Airs originally appeared on TUAW on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s in-app purchasing system makes it far too easy for children to buy coins, trinkets and upgrades within games, sometimes unwittingly racking up hundreds of dollars in App Store charges for their parents.

The Washington Post broke the story of a parent who received a $1,400 bill from Apple after her 8-year-old bought hundreds of virtual accessories to customize her mushroom home in the iPhone game Smurfs’ Village.

While a class-action lawsuit over this issue has incited a debate over whether these unwanted in-app purchases are Apple’s problem or the parents’ responsibility, I am taking the position that Apple should do more to prevent app developers from manipulating children and enticing them to make purchases that they do not know the consequences of.

In a CNET thread about the class-action lawsuit, many parents proclaim that these are BAD PARENTS for suing Apple:

People need to grow up and take some responsibility. These are the values that we are instilling in our children!

If you give a kid an electronic devise that can connect to the Internet…and you don’t watch what they are doing…or educate yourself and the child about its capabilities…that’s your problem.

Instead of blaming someone else, how about you take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself what YOU could’ve done, like, for example, and I might REALLY be out of line here, BE A REASONABLE, CONSCIENTIOUS PARENT?

I disagree with this pro-Apple, anti-parent sentiment. While I hope that every child is fortunate enough to have a good upbringing, I do not believe it is solely parents’ responsibility to shield their children from the manipulative actions of overreaching companies.

When Pepsi lobbies for the privilege to place soda and candy machines in elementary schools, some people will assert that Pepsi has that right, and that it is parents’ responsibility to make sure their kids make healthy dietary decisions. When M&M’s, Fruity Pebbles and McDonald’s advertise to children, some people say it is not the corporations’ responsibility to keep junk food away from children, but rather the responsibility of parents. If cigarette companies advertise on television, it is parents’ sole responsibility to teach their kids to stay away from smoking too, right?

I agree that parents have a responsibility to teach their kids important values. However, I do not believe that we should simply give companies free reign to manipulate children and expect that parents should have to protect their kids from the bombardment of this marketing. For this reason, I believe Apple has a responsibility to prevent developers from using the App Store to take advantage of kids who might buy a bucket of gold in an iPhone game unaware that they are actually costing their parents money.

While Apple did make a change to its in-app purchasing system by issuing an update in iOS 4.3 that requires password reentry to make an in-app purchase, some parents say it is too little, too late.

Corporations like Apple are not people. They do not understand ethics, they understand profits. So if a class-action lawsuit is what it takes to make Apple take a stronger stance against in-app marketing to children, then I am all for it.

Do you agree or disagree? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments.

Opinion: Apple is to Blame for Allowing Developers to Lure Kids With In-App Purchases is a post from Apple iPhone Review.

Throughout the day we’ve had a number of readers contact us to say the Apple Discussion Forums were down. Now we know why. Apple has just launched Apple Support Communities, a revamped discussion forum with the focus on allowing Mac and iOS users to find answers to their questions quickly and easily.

Don’t worry, if you’ve started any or replied to any topics in the past, all your old posts are still there. What the Apple Support Communities redesign does is add nifty little features, like an easier-to-browse forum, the ability to “like” any post, and even the ability to upload images so you can show everyone just what it is you are talking about (“See! I get two beach balls, not one!”). Head on over to the support communities and check them out, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Also, you can check out a walk-through of all the new features here.

Apple revamps/rebrands discussion forums as Apple Support Communities originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paul Kent might as well be called Mr. Macworld, having designed the conference in 1997. Paul’s experience creating events for Mac users dates all the way back to year the Mac debuted. We caught up with him in front of our booth at Macworld this year and he let us know his “best” 3 apps (listed below). Interesting picks!

Sonos Controller

PolyTune

Genius Scan

Top 3 iPhone apps: Paul Kent originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square is one of the coolest accessories made for the iPhone. It’s a hardware/app combination that, when the hardware bit is plugged into the headphone jack on the iPhone, lets the user accept credit card payments.

Simply swipe the card through the Square device while running the Square iOS app and your customer’s credit card is charged in moments. Beginning yesterday the Square Credit Card Reader became available on Apple’s online store and, according to TechCrunch, it will be appearing in Apple retail stores this week; although TechCrunch says it will be the “only payments solution featured in the store,” VeriFone’s PAYware Mobile is already on sale there. (Interestingly, Apple uses a different mobile payments solution with the iPod touch in its retail stores.)

The Square Credit Card Reader comes in black or white and can be used with any 4th generation iPod touch, iPhone 4, or iPad. The device itself is US$9.95, but you get a $10 Square credit when you activate your free Square account. There is no monthly fee for users, as Square takes 2.75% of every sale and deposits the rest to your checking account on a daily basis. The device will accept any U.S.-issued Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card. After a transaction is processed, you can simply email the receipt to your customer from the Square app.

I think Square is an awesome example of how devices like the iPhone are empowering people and enabling them to do what would once have been impossible (or at least a lot more cumbersome). Now any individual, not just businesses, can accept credit card payments. This is a boon to people who do things like private consulting on the side for extra cash, as they now have an easy way to accept credit card payments.

This even makes selling expensive items on Craigslist a lot easier. Now you don’t have to rely on cash or being near a computer to complete a PayPal transaction when you sell off your old junk. And who knows, maybe the next time you buy a drink from your neighborhood lemonade stand, the nine-year-old behind the cardboard box will ask you “cash or credit?”

Square’s mobile payment card reader now available on Apple’s online store, retail stores this week originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We heard a little while back that the iPad 2 was coming to retailer Toys R Us, of all places, and now 9to5Mac follows that up with news that the day arrives tomorrow. As of tomorrow, Sunday April 17, the magical, revolutionary tablet will be ready to go, along with a selection of Smart Covers. You can visit the chain’s website to see which stores are selling the tablets.

Toys R Us actually has a pretty good retail relationship with Apple, having offered iPad trade-ins at the store before. But that relationship doesn’t seem to extend to online sales — it’s likely that iPads will be available only in-stores rather than on the toy retailer’s website as well.

If you’ve been trying to get your hands on an iPad 2 with no luck so far, there’s one more option for you. Good luck!

Toys R Us getting iPad 2 tomorrow originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s always nice when a TUAW reader tips us off to a rumor of a new North American Apple Store, and especially cool when the rumor includes two new stores.

In this case, Canadian reader Noah let us know that he was looking at job postings on Apple’s site and found two new stores in Ontario listed with the information “New Stores, New Opportunities.” A quick look at the Canadian job listings for Apple retail stores shows that the stores will be in Waterloo (Conestoga) and Burlington (Mapleview Centre), Ontario.

If you’re a reader in the Waterloo-Kitchener or Burlington areas near Toronto who is looking for employment with Apple, this could be your opportunity.

Two new Apple Stores coming to Ontario, Canada originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This eMac-turned-cat bed is the product of a friend of mine here in LA named Colin Hughes. A little while back, he got a new computer to replace his old (though still working) eMac, and instead of junking it, he decided to clean out the hardware and turn the case into a makeshift kitty pad. He says it took about an hour, mostly because the inside of the case was full of dust, but after transferring all of his files off, cleaning it out, and taking a screwdriver to the actual monitor, the case was ready for its feline tenants.

The cat above is named Little Mama, and she shares the setup with Colin’s other cat, Elvis. Cute stuff — you can see a few more shots of the conversion in the gallery below.

eMac becomes cat bed originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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History and A&E Television Networks Mobile have teamed up to bring an excellent history app to iPad owners. The Civil War Today application chronicles the events of the Civil War over the next four years.

Each day, iPad users will be greeted with an update detailing the battles and historic information from that date 150 years earlier. These details are presented interactively using photos, maps, newspaper clippings, diary entries and more.

Socially aware, the iPad app also includes a Twitter feature that lets you send telegrams via Morse code and a tie-in with GameCenter to earn Civil War achievements.

The Civil War Today application launched on April 12, 2011, the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. Daily application updates also began on April 12 and will continue until April 26, 2015.

The Civil War Today app is available now in the App Store and will set you back US$7.99. All things considered, this is a reasonable price for four years of fresh content straight from the annals of history.

[Via ZDNet]

The Civil War Today app brings four years of daily history updates to your iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Every time I write about an Apple patent, I make a point to remind my readers that Apple files patents for a lot of things that never see the light of day in products. With that in mind, Apple has filed one of its coolest patents yet. It’s for a hybrid laser projection technology that could be used in any number of devices ranging from laptops to iPhones, even TVs.

Apple describes the hybrid laser projection technology as cheaper than traditional projectors with the added advantage of eliminating the grains and specs seen on current projection technologies. With (admittedly far-fetched) rumors of Apple getting into the TV business later this year, wouldn’t it be interesting if we saw one without a traditional display? Knowing Apple, I wouldn’t put it past the company. Apple always seems present us with future science fiction-like technology before most people think such a technology is a viable possibility.

photo by ben.chaney | flickr cc

[via Engadget]

Apple patents hybrid laser projection technology for use in laptops, iPhones, TVs originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe showcased several new and upcoming features of its Flash Media Server during the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show last week. One interesting feature for media producers who plan to target iOS users is the eventual addition of the iPhone-friendly HTTP Live Streaming to the Media Server’s supported protocol list. Adobe blogger Kevin Towes noted this change in a “sneak peak [sic]” of developments on the streaming and encoding front, but no specific timeframe was given for delivery of the new feature.

HTTP Live Streaming is an HTTP-based media streaming protocol developed by Apple. It uses H.264 video and AAC or mp3 audio to deliver its media stream. The protocol is supported by QuickTime on Mac OS X and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

This move by Adobe to support a non-Flash streaming format could be framed as a win for Apple in the Flash versus HTML 5 streaming wars. Since Apple shows no signs of moving towards Flash support on iOS, Adobe is modifying its services to support mobile streaming on Apple’s platforms; this makes Adobe’s solution more universally useful and compatible, while handing Apple a small but significant win.

[via Ars Technica]

Adobe plans to add HTTP Live Streaming to Flash Media Server to support iOS originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In March, Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) pushed his idea to amend the Constitution to guarantee an iPad, Kindle or Nook for every school child in the United States. In the intervening month, something must have happened to change Rep. Jackson’s mind about Apple’s tablet device.

According to a report from Real Clear Politics, Representative Jackson is now blaming the tablet device for “eliminating thousands of American jobs.” He pins the closing of Borders and a decline in book sales at Barnes & Noble on the iPad and similar tablet devices. On the House floor on Friday, in remarks about the seeming inability of the current Congress to focus on America’s unemployment problem, the congressman stated the following:

“A few short weeks ago I came to the House floor after having purchased an iPad and said that I happened to believe, Mr. Speaker, that at some point in time this new device, which is now probably responsible for eliminating thousands of American jobs. Now Borders is closing stores because, why do you need to go to Borders anymore? Why do you need to go to Barnes & Noble? Buy an iPad and download your newspaper, download your book, download your magazine.”

As he continued his remarks, he noted (correctly) that the iPad is manufactured in China, not in the US.

What say you American people, do you think the iPad is killing jobs in the US, or is the honorable gentleman off track?

[Via MacDailyNews]

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. calls out iPad as a job-killer originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you like the wargame/board game strategy of Neuroshima Hex, but want to quietly challenge your brain as you play, the new Neuroshima Hex: Puzzle app should be right up your alley. Even better, the universal app is on sale for just a $0.99 this weekend (a 66 percent discount).

The game is a close cousin to the original Neuroshima Hex iOS game (also on sale this weekend for $2.99 (40 percent off) and we recommend the puzzle version most for people who have already gotten lots of enjoyment out of the multiplayer version and want to spend some time learning about how to play better and thinking about why they often lose. Keep reading for more details.

Continue reading Neuroshima Hex: Puzzle for iOS reviewed, on sale this weekend

Neuroshima Hex: Puzzle for iOS reviewed, on sale this weekend originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a somewhat parasitic admittance of being a team player, Google’s Asia-Pacific president Daniel Alegre said that Google wants the iPhone to keep growing, because Apple’s device is delivering so much mobile search traffic their way. “Whenever iPhone succeeds, Google succeeds,” Alegre told AdNews. “I actually don’t look at it as iPhone versus Android. iPhone is a very strong driver of query growth for Google. We also monetize apps through the iPhone…we actually benefit from iPhone’s growth.”

While it’s no surprise that Google benefits from iPhone usage, as its search engine is the default one on the iPhone, it’s refreshing to hear Google admit that the iPhone helps them. But before you start to believe that Google has only good wishes for Apple’s or any other manufacturer’s phones, Alegre does admit that Google believes having too many mobile OSs is bad for development. “We truly believe there has to be as few platforms as possible in order for apps developers to focus their development,” he said.

Google: “Whenever iPhone succeeds, Google succeeds.” originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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