Cablevision releases iPad app for cable subscribers

Not to be outdone by Time Warner, Cablevision has released Optimum for iPad, which allows its cable subscribers to use their iPad “as an additional TV in the home.” In addition to watching live TV, the app also allows Cablevision subscribers to record from the iO TV Listings Channel Guide, manage iO DVRs, browse and view Free On Demand content, and view other On Demand content from iO Active Rentals.

The free Optimum for iPad app requires a digital cable box on the iO TV account and an Optimum-provided modem. Last month Time Warner cable released a similar app that lets subscribers view live TV on their iPads (but that does not include the DVR/guide and on demand features of the Optimum app). Shortly after that, Discovery, Fox, and Viacom demanded Time Warner remove their channels from the app. Time Warner responded by removing the channels, but also adding new ones to replace them. The new channels included A&E, Disney, Bravo, SyFy, Travel Channel, and USA. While the Optimum for iPad app allows Cablevision customers to “watch all of your subscribed-to channels live” it’s yet to be seen if Discovery, Fox, and Viacom will demand their channels to be removed from that app as well.

Cablevision releases iPad app for cable subscribers originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 5 to sport an 8MP Sony camera?

As reported by 9to5 Mac, last night Sony’s CEO Sir Howard Stringer told Walt Mossberg that a Sony camera image sensor factory in Japan was damaged in the Sendai earthquake. As a result of that damage, Stringer said that getting those image sensors to Apple for the iPhone will be delayed. The interesting thing about this statement is, of course, that Sony doesn’t supply any camera sensors to Apple for use in previous or existing iPhones.

Stringer’s comments align with a report from The Street back in April 2010 that the iPhone 5 would sport an 8 megapixel camera from Sony. Sony currently makes an 8 megapixel back-lit camera sensor for the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc.

In the image to the right you can see some of the features of the camera sensor found in that phone. The current back-lit 5 mega-pixel camera and 3.2 mega-pixel camera found in the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS respectively are manufactured by OmniVision, which The Street also reported Apple would be parting ways with after the iPhone 4.

[hat tip to The Loop]

iPhone 5 to sport an 8MP Sony camera? originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In search of the perfect remote access app: TeamViewer

If you have multiple computers or have to provide support to a remote Mac or PC used by a family member or friend, or if you travel and need to contact your computer at home, you’re a customer for some sort of remote access. There are lots of choices, both free and paid. I’ve tried many, like some of the varieties of VNC, and solutions like LogMeIn Ignition and RDM+. They have all worked, but I was looking for more.

After reading a review of TeamViewer by our Erica Sadun last fall, i decided to give it a try. For home/personal use, it’s absolutely free. I was only using personally, so free sounded good. I installed it on my Mac, on a Windows laptop, and grabbed the iPhone and iPad clients. Each computer you want to contact needs to run a version of the TeamViewer app appropriate for the computer it’s installed on. There are versions for Windows, Macs and Linux. With that done, you run the program and your shared machine is assigned an ID. A password will also be assigned, but you can choose your own.

Connecting to a remote computer is as easy as typing in the ID of that computer, and logging in with your password. In a couple of seconds you’ll see the remote screen and some extra buttons that allow you to do file transfers, remote reboot a computer, and tune the connection by adjusting the quality and scaling of the remote display. You can also bring up a chat window if you are working with someone on the remote computer. The is no reason to have to fool with firewalls or chase changing IP addresses. TeamViewer just works. Sound is not supported on the Mac side. PC to PC, there is a VoIP chat and video option. These features are coming to the Mac version, but no dates.

Continue reading In search of the perfect remote access app: TeamViewer

In search of the perfect remote access app: TeamViewer originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weather Channel adventure series links to iPad app

The Weather Channel has recently introduced a new “adventure” series called From the Edge, and instead of the usual weather forecasts and reports, the show seeks out some extreme weather, exploring the world in search of some of the craziest natural phenomena around. What’s most interesting about this from our perspective, however, is that the show has a free companion iPad app, designed to connect up viewers to all kinds of extras based around photographer Peter Lik’s journeys. The app actually “syncs” up to the show’s audio, and feeds out information in what seems like real time as you’re watching.

Even if you’re not into “crazy weather” programming, it’s a really cool idea. Media blogger Steve Smith agrees, and says it’s a great example of the growing trend of “second screen programming” — programming for a computer or mobile device that’s designed to extend the experience you have while watching television.

Not only does it obviously promote the show you’re watching, but it gets viewers more connected with the property as a whole, especially since so many of us these days are already browsing the ‘net or playing with apps while we watch television anyway. We’ll definitely see more of this going forward, on both the TV screen and the one sitting in our laps.

Weather Channel adventure series links to iPad app originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple-backed rules prohibit electronics makers from buying minerals used to fund wars

Bloomberg reports that new rules have gone into effect which prohibit electronics makers from buying minerals that help fund wars in Central Africa. The Conflict-Free Smelter program specifically bars electronics makers like Apple and Intel from buying tungsten, tin ore, gold and coltan from Congo and neighboring countries unless mineral processors can prove purchases don’t contribute to conflict in eastern Congo.

The Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition in Washington, D.C. and the Brussels-based Global E-Sustainability Initiative developed the regulations in conjunction with Apple, Intel and others in hopes to bring more ethical responsibility to the mining of materials used in everyday products like the iPhone and motherboards. However, while the new regulations take effect in America and Europe many Congo mines will seek out new buyers in Asia. “We’re committed to continue with all these programs,” John Kanyoni, president of a mineral exporters association in the Democratic Republic of Congo told Bloomberg, “But at the same time we’re traveling soon to Asia to find alternatives.”

Apple-backed rules prohibit electronics makers from buying minerals used to fund wars originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Using iPhone TableView for Displaying Data

This is the “TableView” example. There are many ways to display the “TableView” in iPhone. I am going to show you the simplest way to execute the TableView.

Step 1: Open the Xcode and create a new Xcode project using View base application template. Give the application name “TableView”. As shown in the figure below:

Step 2: Expand classes and notice Interface Builder created the Table_ViewViewController.h and Table_ViewViewController.m class for you. Expand Resources and notice the template generated a separate nib, Table_ViewViewController.xib.

Step 3: Open the TableViewViewController.h file and make the following changes in the file.

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface Table_ViewViewController : UIViewController {
       
        NSArray *listData;

}
@property(nonatomic,retain) NSArray *listData;
@end

Step 4: Double click the Table_ViewViewController.xib file and after that make the following changes.
A) Open the view window, first drag the table view from the library and place it to the view window and select the table.

B) Connect File’s Owner icon to tableview and select “View”.
Once this is done, save the TableViewViewController.xib file, close it and go back to the Xcode.

Step 5: If you want to add some image in table, then you have to go to Resources folder and add image in resource folder.

Step 6: Open the TableViewViewController.m file and make the following changes in the file.

#import "Table_ViewViewController.h"

@implementation Table_ViewViewController
@synthesize listData;

// Implement viewDidLoad to do additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
(void)viewDidLoad {
        NSArray *array = [[NSArray alloc] initWithObjects:@"Vishal",@"Vinod",@"Sachin",@"Nilesh",@"Balu",@"Amrita",
                                          @"susho",@"Akash",@"Nil",@"Lop",@"Koi",@"Absoulate",@"Dwalin",
                                          @"Fili",@"Kili",@"Oin",@"Gloin",@"Bifur",@"Bofur",@"Bombur",nil];
       
        self.listData = array;
        [array release];
        self.listData= array;
       
    [super viewDidLoad];
}

(void)didReceiveMemoryWarning {
        // Releases the view if it doesn’t have a superview.
    [super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
       
        // Release any cached data, images, etc that aren’t in use.
}

(void)viewDidUnload {
        // Release any retained subviews of the main view.
        // e.g. self.myOutlet = nil;
}

(void)dealloc {
    [super dealloc];
}
(NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView
numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section
{
        return [self.listData count];
}

(UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView
                cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
        static NSString *SimpleTableIdentifier = @"SimpleTableIdentifier";
        UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:
                                                         SimpleTableIdentifier];
        if(cell == nil){
                cell = [[[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectZero
                                                                           reuseIdentifier: SimpleTableIdentifier] autorelease];
        }
        NSUInteger row = [indexPath row];
        cell.textLabel.text = [listData objectAtIndex:row];
        //cell.font=[UIFont boldSystemFontOfSize:20];
        UIImage *image = [UIImage imageNamed:@"macosxlogo.png"];
        cell.image = image;
        return cell;

               
}
@end

Step 7: Now build and run the code and view the Output in the Simulator.

You can download source code from here TableView

Time Warner Cable iPad app adds channels to replace pulled ones

I never think I’d be writing about Time Warner Cable as an advocate for consumers getting more content, but sure enough, that’s what the cable provider has become. After being forced to remove some channels from its newly-introduced streaming iPad app, TWC has added a whole list of new channels into the app for viewing at no extra charge, including A&E, Disney, Bravo, SyFy, Travel Channel, and USA.

TW even gets a little confrontational on its official blog, going poetic on the channels that they were forced to remove from the app: “Instead of rowing down the river of history and into the future, these programmers have chosen to sit on the bank and kick rocks.” Them’s fightin’ words, pretty impressive to hear from a company that has traditionally gotten a bad rep from even its own customers.

Of course, all of this is great news for iPad owners with a Time Warner cable subscription, and good news for the rest of us anyway, as more choices in content for Apple’s devices benefits most everyone. If you’ve got the iPad app and the service, you can get started watching right now.

[via Engadget]

Time Warner Cable iPad app adds channels to replace pulled ones originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onion releases iPad app, The Onion Tablet

It’s not an April Fool’s joke — the Onion really has released an iPad app, called The Onion Tablet. The company has had a few apps out already on the iPhone (and recently combined them into one), but this is the first time the hilarious fake news organization has appeared on the iPad. It’s a pretty straightforward affair, allowing you to read and browse the latest and greatest from the humor newspaper of record, with a nice clean interface, and all of the content from the website available right there in iPad app form.

The only complaint so far seems to be the ads — there’s one right in your face when the app opens up that sticks around for what’s said to be longer than it should. But that’s not too big a deal, considering the app is completely free anyway. If you’re a frequent Onion reader, it’s probably one you’ll want to pick up for your iPad or iPad 2.

Onion releases iPad app, The Onion Tablet originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Witness for iPhone turns your Mac into a home alarm system

If you have $40 and a recent Mac with an iSight camera, then you have the makings of a simple home surveillance system thanks to Witness. Developed by Orbicule, Witness is a surveillance app that turns your Mac’s camera into a motion sensor. The application runs in the background on your computer and will begin recording video or photos if motion is detected.

The system includes a free remote iOS app compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. When an intruder is detected, Witness will send a notification to your iOS device and your web browser if it is open. Photos and video captured by the Witness app are available online and can viewed using a web browser or via the Witness Remote application.

While it is not as robust as a dedicated multi-camera home surveillance system, Witness is an inexpensive alternative that would work well in homes where the computer is located near the door or other routes of entry. Besides intruder detection, it can also be used to spy on others in your house or office, which is especially useful if you want to find out who is lifting all the pens from your desk or stealing the cookies from the cookie jar.

Witness for iPhone turns your Mac into a home alarm system originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Traveling in circles: the Navigon way

Our beloved leader Victor has an entire comedy routine worked out about GPS apps. In his “Maps powered by Match.com” schtick, he jokes “I took a detour…and 10 years later we were married.” In real life, iPhone nav apps can be just as funny as his stand-up.

Take yesterday. I was driving my daughter to an appointment across town, when Navigon started directing us in circles. Now, we are no stranger to Navigon oddities. I can’t tell you the number of times that the app has had us turn off a perfectly straight road, and maneuver right, then left, then left, then right back to the same road we started on.

It’s a Navigon thing.

Continue reading Traveling in circles: the Navigon way

Traveling in circles: the Navigon way originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple-themed April Fools’ day pranks through the years

If it wasn’t apparent already, today is April Fools’ day and Apple’s 35th birthday. To celebrate this occasion, Network World has compiled a list of popular Apple-themed April Fools’ jokes from the past. Some are from Apple employees and some from the news media, but almost all of them are entertaining.

The most famous joke involves Clarus the Dogcow. Created by Susan Kare, designer of the happy-faced Mac computer icon, the black and white dog-slash-bovine became an integral part of the Page Setup dialog box in early versions of Mac OS.

Discussion of the cow-like dog icon continued internally within Apple’s Developer and Technical Support (DTS) group until one member, Mark “The Red” Harlan, let loose the dogcow and named it Clarus in an Apple Technical document released on April 1st, 1989. This off-the-cuff joke has taken on a life of its own and is now a part of Apple’s pop culture history.

Other notable April Fools’ jokes include Macworld’s 2004 “wicked fast”, triple-CPU system called the PowerMac G5 Cubed or iFixit’s genuinely clever 2010 teardown analysis of the Apple tablet, otherwise known as the Netwon MessagePad 2000. Oh yeah, we can’t forget the April 1, 2006 date when we announced that TUAW was closing up shop.

Apple-themed April Fools’ day pranks through the years originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good news for Australians: Apple drops iPod prices

Apple often charges more for products sold outside of the US, but with the Australian dollar coming over parity with the value of the US dollar (currently less than a four cent differential), the company has reduced Australian prices of the entire iPod line.

The 160 GB iPod classic was reduced A$ 30 from $329 to $299.

The 8 GB iPod touch was cut $30 from $289 to $259 and the 32 GB version was lowered $29 bringing it from $378 to $349. The 64 GB model was slashed a full $50 taking it from $499 to $449 which is the largest price decrease in the line. The smallest price decrease was only $4 lowering the iPod shuffle from $69 to $65.

The iPod nano 8 GB is down $20 from $199 to $179 and the 16 GB version was lowered only $10 from $229 to $219. Perhaps it’s a slow seller in Australia.

I really hope that Apple has taken to heart the ebbs and flows of the US dollar as compared to other currencies and will follow suit in other countries.

Good news for Australians: Apple drops iPod prices originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad 2 mirroring: Capturing video in higher definition

Co-blogger Steve Sande and I have been collaborating on our attempts to find a solid solution that allows iPad 2 owners to use the screen mirroring feature in tandem with a computer video capture tool; this would simplify screencasting, training, recording and scores of other things. Steve was looking for a way to integrate his iPad’s screen into his TUAW TV Live shows. I need to create videos for demonstrations, reviews, and tutorials.

While this would be relatively straightforward if Apple’s mirroring support included the older Composite AV and Component AV adapters for the iPad, sadly it does not. Only the HDMI-sporting Digital AV adapter and the VGA adapter are permitted to work with the mirroring option, which helps close the analog hole for purchased/rented digital video, but it doesn’t make the job of DIY iPad recording any easier.

Steve recently blogged about our first solution, a quick and dirty approach that offered a “barely enough” 480p standard-definition video feed. As Steve pointed out, this basic setup is not a high resolution answer to our video capture needs. Text is barely readable, screens fuzzy — not ideal for either product demonstrations or how-to-videos.

We were determined to nudge quality up. To do that, I turned to Elgato, who graciously provided an EyeTV HD unit (normally retails for $199), which allows Macintoshes to capture HD video from component sources. (Our original solution was built around composite video.)

Sewell Direct, manufacturers of the $40 PC to TV converter Steve bought, provided a SW-4280 unit (retails for $79.95) that offers plug-and-play VGA-to-Component conversion at 720p (60fps) and 720i (30fps) as well as 480p.

Continue reading iPad 2 mirroring: Capturing video in higher definition

iPad 2 mirroring: Capturing video in higher definition originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy 35th birthday to Apple, Inc.

Classic Apple logo cake

It’s no joke: Apple Inc. turns 35 today.

On April 1, 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne (who 12 days later sold his share of the startup for a meager US$2,300) founded Apple Computer. As a newborn, Apple intended to sell low-cost, hand-manufactured microcomputer components to fellow members of the local Homebrew Computer Club. [Ron Wayne will be appearing on Fox Business News this afternoon at 3:30 pm to talk about his early Apple experiences. -Ed.]

Not satisfied with selling a few parts to a handful of enthusiasts, a persistent Steve Jobs pitched Apple’s products to Paul Terrell, owner of a newly founded computer store in Mountain View, CA, called “Byte Shop.” After a few exposures to Jobs’s reality distortion field, Terrell agreed to an order of fifty fully assembled Apple I personal computers from the infant company. The two Steves, with a bit of help from their friends (and funded by the sale of a few prized possessions and a favorable loan from a parts supplier) assembled the company’s first fifty machines. Together with Byte Shop, Apple put the original machines up for sale at $666.66 each, lighting the match that would later ignite the personal computer revolution.

Continue reading Happy 35th birthday to Apple, Inc.

Happy 35th birthday to Apple, Inc. originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPad’s effect on rival companies’ CEOs

Apple’s iPad and iPhone are shaking up the netbook and smartphone market, producing a chain reaction of events that has led to the resignation of chief executives from three major electronics manufacturers.

This past Thursday, Acer Corp. CEO Gianfranco Lanci became third in the line when he announced his resignation from the Taiwanese company. A report from Digitimes suggests the success of the Apple iPad had a major impact on Acer’s netbook business, which in turn led to Lanci’s departure.

Acer climbed to the top of the netbook market when it introduced the Aspire One netbook back in 2008. Since the launch of the iPad in 2010, netbook manufacturers have struggled to compete with Apple’s tablet device. The past year was particularly hard for Acer which saw its netbook sales go flat, while the Apple iPad took off among consumers.

Acer is reportedly working on an iPad competitor but tablet device is said to be underpowered and “outmatched by the iPad in terms of both hardware and software.”According to the report, Acer’s focus on affordable consumer devices makes it incapable of producing a device to compete with Apple.

Acer is not alone in sacrificing its CEO as a result of Apple’s success. In this last year, both Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo and LG CEO Nam Young left their respective positions due to increasing competition from Apple’s mobile products. Both LG and Nokia are struggling in the smartphone market and have yet to produce a blockbuster handset to compete with the iPhone. LG’s latest offering, the dual core Optimus 2X, features a dual-core processor, 4-inch display and an 8-megapixel camera, but the Android handset has not caught on as well as the Apple iPhone.

[Via AppleInsider]

The iPad’s effect on rival companies’ CEOs originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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