Category: I-phone

For those of you who don’t know, most of us at TUAW are big fans of Scrivener. If you’re a writer — whether it is a screenplay, novel, or blog you’re working on — Scrivener should be your tool of choice. It lets you organize and format your writing projects with an ease that is unparalleled.

Scrivener 2.0 just hit the Mac App Store last week and we’re happy to be able to provide three lucky TUAW readers with promo codes that will let you download the full version of the app – a US$44.99 value. To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below. Even if you don’t win, if you do any kind of writing, you should seriously think about getting this app. I’ve written four books using it and doing so would have been much more difficult had it not been for Scrivener’s workflow.

So, want to win a copy of Scrivener 2.0? Here are the rules:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter leave a comment.
• The comment must be left before Thursday, April 14, 2011, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
• You may enter only once.
• Three winners will be selected in a random drawing.
• Each winner will receive one Mac App Store promo code for a copy of Scrivener 2.0 (Value: US$44.99)
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

TUAW Giveaway: Scrivener 2.0 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Animated GIFs, the bane of many flashy websites circa the mid-to-late ’90s, have made a comeback thanks to resurging popularity on places such as Tumblr. Jumping on the revival bandwagon is 3Frames, a $2.99 app that lets you use your iPhone or iPod touch to create animated gifs.

The app features a “burst mode,” similar to what sports photographers use to capture rapid action, that will let you catch several frames of footage quickly. In fact, you can grab up to ten shots in a row very easily, which can make for some pretty interesting animated gif compositions. Edit the footage using the in-app editor and unleash it on the world via Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr.

[via The New York Times]

3Frames brings animated GIF creation to the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s an intriguing patent highlighted by the patent-following folks at Patently Apple — it’s an idea Apple has registered for a “smart bezel,” which would be a part of the touchscreen that worked as a separate display only when you’re using that part. In other words, if you just needed to adjust the volume or answer a call on your iPhone, only that part of the display would light up and become useable. This could enable things like developers hooking in to an “official” gaming controls layout, or just certain tools in parts of the screen layout, like music controls or phone controls in certain states.

The patent also mentions using other parts of the device for a touch interface, which would clear up some space on the main display for more information, allowing you to see it unblocked by your dirty fingers. There’s also a hint at a back-panel touchscreen, where your fingers on the back of the iPad, for example, could make some gestures and control things on the main screen as well. This technology isn’t unheard of — the Xperia Play mobile phone has touch panels on the lower section of the device, and rear touch panels have been seen in various concepts before.

It looks like Apple is messing around with all kinds of touch interfaces. As always, these are only patent filings, not actual implementations, so we’ll have to wait and see which of these concepts from Cupertino makes it off the drawing board.

Apple patents idea for smart bezel touch area originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And they’re off! I thought it was weird that Time Warner was pushing so hard to get streaming cable channels on their new iPad app, but apparently it’s ready to back up that stance. The company has just dropped a request for a declaratory judgment on a US District Court, asking the courts to rule on whether it can or can’t show cable subscription channels on the iPad. There’s more information on the official blog: Time Warner’s current interpretation is that the iPad is just like any other TV screen in the house, and since you can already stream Time Warner’s content to multiple TVs, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to stream it off to your iPad if you want as well. Sounds reasonable to us, but Time Warner has officially asked the courts for agreement.

As Time Warner says itself, this request wouldn’t have been filed if it had any inclination it was wrong. Essentially, it’s for the providers who have been fighting to keep their content off of TW’s app — if Time Warner gets the ruling it wants, those companies won’t have a proverbial leg to stand on. Time Warner says that a resolution should be out soon, and when it is, we’ll likely see Time Warner’s customers get those channels back that were lost before.

Time Warner goes to court over iPad streaming app originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESPN is one of those big media producers that has done well on the App Store — not only has the company released a number of successful apps for its various properties, but the content sells well on iTunes also. Now, the company is actually sending content directly to your iOS device.

By downloading a new app called Watch ESPN, and hooking it up to a certain Internet/TV provider account, you can watch ESPN and its various spinoff channels right on your iPhone. Currently, the service only works with subscribers to Bright House Networks, Time Warner Cable, or Verizon FiOS TV, but presumably ESPN is working with as many other providers as possible to make sure that if you can watch the channel at home, you can watch it on your iOS device as well.

This is a very cool bonus for people with the right services, and hopefully we’ll see it open up to more viewers soon. This is undoubtedly driven by the attention around Time Warner’s cable viewing app, which also allows you to watch streaming cable TV right on your iPad. The floodgates are open with that one — once one service lets customers choose when and where they want to watch the TV they subscribe to, the pressure’s on for all of the other cable providers to do the same.

ESPN launches Watch ESPN app that lets you do just that originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Associated Press has gotten a hands-on look at the Hasbro My3D, the 3D-goggle accessory for the iPhone that the toy company originally announced in November.

The final price of the device is $35, but as AP points out, it’s more of a curiosity rather than a device someone will use for the long run — much like its predecessors, the stereoscope and the View-Master. After purchasing the My3D, you can download free — for now — apps that can be used with the device. Some of them, such as Sharks, require an iPhone 4, since the My3D takes advantage of the gyroscope. The AP does confirm that the 3D images are side-by-side stereoscopic images, which the reporter says looked a bit pixelated on her iPhone 3GS.

For now, the review suggests to save the $35 and spend it elsewhere. But, if you’re really clamoring for a Hasbro My3D, they are a Target exclusive until June.

The Hasbro My3D is out, but the AP says stick with 2D for now originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That’s the prediction from analysts at Gartner today. In a new report, Gartner’s experts say the Microsoft-Nokia partnership will give Windows the number 2 spot in 2015, with a 20 percent market share after the Android OS grabs 48.8 percent of the smartphone market. Gartner predicts Apple will have a 17.2 percent share by 2015, just behind Microsoft, but will remain a solid number 2 in the worldwide market through 2014. IDC had a similar prediction last month.

Gartner bases its Apple predictions on a belief that Apple be more interested in maintaining margins rather than market share.

Perhaps. Somehow, the gurus at Gartner missed the fact that Apple is maintaining leadership in the tablet space with some of the lowest prices and feature rich products available. Like most research firms, Gartner is pretty good at predicting the near future, which, frankly, is pretty easy, but not so good at looking out into the distance. Gartner was raving about netbooks a few years ago, and sales of netbooks have all but collapsed after the launch of the iPad last year. Gartner has rather consistently missed the rise of Android until lately, but hardly anyone saw that juggernaut coming. The truth is, predicting the future accurately is pretty tough. Take a look at the 1939 World’s Fair movie that predicted the 1960s. Hmmmm. Not so good.

[Via BusinessInsider]

Gartner says Microsoft will surpass Apple in mobile by 2015 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SyncPad (US$9.99) is touted in the App Store as “the ultimate whiteboard for remote and local collaboration.” That description really doesn’t do justice to what SyncPad is designed for, which is sharing an iPad screen with one or many other users.

SyncPad developer Davide Di Cillo of 39 Inc. received a video (see next page) from one of his enterprise clients who put the app to the test. In the video, 40 iPads are shown doing the iOS equivalent of synchronized swimming. Every gesture and action on a host iPad show up on the other iPads immediately. While there is a tiny lag on some of the more dramatic changes (i.e., going back to a full-screen slide), a demo of drawing on a whiteboard shows no lag at all on any of the devices, which are all using the same Wi-Fi network.

This app could have amazing uses in business, education, and entertainment. Enjoy the video.

[via MacStories]

Continue reading 40 iPads running SyncPad at once

40 iPads running SyncPad at once originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys “R” Us kid. A million toys to choose from that I can play with. From bikes to trikes and video games… And soon the iPad 2, according to an anonymous Toys “R” Us employee who provided ModMyi.com with pictures of internal training materials focused on Apple’s tablet. The iPad 2 could go on sale at the iconic toy retailer as early as next month.

Since the original iPad launched last April in about 1,200 locations, Apple has aggressively expanded the device’s retail distribution. The iPad 2 is now available at over 10,000 storefronts in the United States, including the company’s own retail stores and national chains like Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club, AT&T, Verizon, and Radio Shack.

At first, Toys “R” Us seems like an odd addition to the growing list of iPad 2 retailers; the New Jersey-based company is the world’s leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer, and not the first chain most of us would associate with high-tech gadgets. But Apple products won’t be new to the retailer; Toys “R” Us already carries the iPod in its online and retail stores. If Apple’s music player is selling well at Toys “R” Us, it seems natural for the company to carry the iPad 2 as well. Also, a recent survey by Piper Jaffray found that 22% of teenagers already have a tablet device in their homes and another 20% intend to buy one (or force their parents to buy one) in the next 6 months. Both Apple and Toys “R” Us could tap into this valuable teen market by putting the iPad 2 into some of the retailer’s approximately 1,300 locations worldwide.

[via Electronista]

iPad 2 coming to Toys “R” Us originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple recently filed a patent application titled “Systems and Methods for Switching Between an Electronic Paper Display and a Video Display,” which describes a hybrid display technology capable of dynamically switching from a standard color LCD to black and white E Ink. The display would be controlled by the operating system and display switching would be done on the fly. According to the patent, the entire display or select portions of the display would switch based on the applications and content being viewed by the user. As expected, the color display would be used for rich media content while the E Ink display would be used for text-based content from a source such as iBooks.

This is not the first time a manufacturer has envisioned a single product capable of simultaneously displaying E Ink and rich media content. Entourage took a different approach when it developed the Edge, a dual-screen clamshell tablet that has a LCD panel on one side and an E Ink display on the other. The unique tablet hit the market in 2010 and never caught on due to its older Android 1.6 operating system and bulky dual-screen design that pushed its size into netbook range. A single display solution would overcome this size problem and let users have one device that merges the best of the iPad with the Amazon Kindle.

Apple rumored to be considering LCD/E Ink hybrid originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM announced its PlayBook tablet last year and eager BlackBerry fans have been waiting months for this QNX-based tablet to debut. According to a rumor from Digitimes, this wait was made even longer thanks to Apple and its stranglehold on the touch panel market. Asian supply chain sources suggest Apple used its treasure chest of cash to secure touch panels for its iOS devices, leaving other manufacturers out in the cold.

RIM reportedly delayed the Playbook while it secured touch panels and put the finishing touches on its tablet OS. Digitimes is notoriously hit or miss with its insider information but, in this case, its report may be accurate. Apple is known for its ability to secure critical device components from Asian suppliers before its competition. A few years ago Apple cornered the market on NAND Flash for its iPhone and iPods while other manufacturers were left scrambling for the scraps.

Apple’s touch panel demand helped delay RIMs Playbook originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s no secret that many post-production professionals feel Final Cut Studio has been falling behind over the last two years. While Apple has taken its time developing a new version of its video suite, competitors like Adobe have jumped ahead with significant updates; some have even questioned Apple’s commitment to its Pro apps and hoped that Final Cut Studio doesn’t go the way of Shake.

As we reported yesterday, that is hopefully going change with Apple’s announcement at the Final Cut Pro User Group SuperMeet on April 12, coinciding with the National Association of Broadcasters convention.

Continue reading What do you want to see in the next Final Cut Studio?

What do you want to see in the next Final Cut Studio? originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Machines that go ‘Bing!‘ now include your iPad.

Microsoft’s search tool has surfaced in the iOS App Store, and a first look at Bing for iPad (free) shows it to be a solid and well-designed competitor to Google and the parade of news, weather, and search apps that have appeared for Apple’s tablet in the last year. The app has been available for iPhone and iPod touch for quite a while and is now in version 2.1.

Although there’s probably no truth to the rumor that Bing stands for “Bing is not Google,” the search service has been steadily gaining market share (usually at the expense of Yahoo!) since it first appeared in 2009. The iPad app should help Microsoft’s plans for domination of the search world, and give them a good solid grounding in how to design apps for future Windows-based tablets.

Launching the app displays a changing photo, with small transparent squares on it that appear when you tap on the picture. Each of those squares links to a search result for a fun topic; today’s photo of the John Day Fossil Beds in Oregon had links to a map, a paleontology song by They Might Be Giants, and a gallery of beautiful photos of the area.

Continue reading Bing search engine arrives on iPad

Bing search engine arrives on iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On the heels of the March 25th iOS 4.3.1 release, BGR suggests that another update is on the way. iOS 4.3.2 is rumored to be released within the next two weeks for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. There’s not much information yet, but it’s expected to fix some security issues, add a few enhancements and squash some bugs that have bitten users. Do I smell a battery life fix coming?

iOS 4.3.2 rumored to arrive within two weeks originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple may be moving forward with plans to expand its retail arm into Russia. According to ifoAppleStore, Apple Senior Vice President of Retail Ron Johnson and Vice President of Real Estate Bob Bridger visited Moscow recently and toured the newly renovated Hotel Moskva located in the heart of downtown Moscow. The former Hotel is in the final stages of reconstruction and will be the future home of the Four Seasons Hotel and other retail establishments.

Apple is reportedly looking at a 16,000 square-foot, two-level retail space within the building that should be ready for occupancy by the end of 2011 or early 2012. A lease has not been signed, but a decision on renting the space could be made very soon. This store would be the first for Russia and the first to land in far Eastern Europe. Currently, there are no Apple stores in any of the former Soviet Union republics and the Easternmost store is located in Dresden, Germany.

[Via Macstories]

Apple planning Moscow, Russia Apple Store originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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