Category: I-phone

Defeating the words “junk” and “WikiLeaks,” the word “app” was picked as the 2010 word of the year by the American Dialect Society. Short for “application,” “app” received 69 votes from the linguists in the society. Speaking to MSNBC, the Dialect Society’s executive secretary said “I think this past year there wasn’t anything clearly dominant. But there’s no question ‘app’ is a very powerful word.”

Other words listed by the group this year could also pertain to Apple users — “fat-finger” meaning to mistype and “-pad” used to combine the form of any tablet computer. Last year’s winner was the word “tweet,” but with “app” winning this year, could it have an effect on Microsoft’s objection to Apple’s “App Store” trademark application? None at all, of course — but it’s fun to contemplate.

[via MSNBC]

“App” chosen as word of the year by American Dialect Society originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well hello there, here’s something new. On Apple’s developer page for iOS 4.3 beta there’s this gem:

“Test Multi-Touch Gestures for iPad
This beta release contains a preview of new Multi-Touch gestures for iPad. You can use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen; swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar; and swipe left or right between apps. We are providing this preview before releasing them to the public to understand how these gestures work with your apps. Test them and give us your feedback on the Apple Developer Forums.”

So we’re getting some new wibbly wobbly gestures? Too bad they won’t change the orientation lock back to the way it used to work. Still, these new gestures make a lot of sense for Apple’s tablet and its touch-centric interface.

A new version of Xcode (Preview 6 beta) was also released to support the beta iOS build and adds Airplay and Apple TV services (not apps on Apple TV — yet) for apps. Specifically:

“AirPlay Video support is now available as an option for developers in the MPMoviePlayerController class. It is also available to web authors via the QuickTime Plug-In or media element.”

Developers, check it out and let us know if you find anything else of note.

Updates: Thanks to our commenters!
Looks like you’ll be able to revert the orientation lock functionality in 4.3 so that you can use it as a mute or orientation lock.
Also, hotspot functionality is there, but it’ll work like tethering on AT&T, likely with those fun-time data caps.
And last but not least … well, iPhone 3G seems to be left in the cold, so maybe it is the least.

Update 2: Some folks are diving into the info.plist file and finding some new camera effects. Neat!

New iOS beta released offering new gestures, Xcode updated with AirPlay services for apps (updated) originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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“Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends…”

TUAW TV Live is back for another hour of discussion, chat, demonstrations and unplanned technical difficulties. Starting at 5 PM ET, I’ll be firing up the cameras and studio lights, putting on my Apple logo’d hat and talking about everything that’s happened in the world of Apple over the last week or two. Not that anything big has happened…

Following that, I’ll be talking about ways that you can reduce the amount of paperwork on your desktop by using a few commonly available software tools and some relatively inexpensive hardware. If you’re fired with enthusiasm to make your workplace (or home office) paper-free after the show, then consider getting a copy of longtime TidBITS blogger and Mac author Joe Kissell’s amazing electronic tome on the topic — Take Control of Your Paperless Office.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Take Control Books, TUAW readers and TUAW TV Live viewers can get a 30% discount on this e-book. Just use the link above to view the description and purchase the e-book, and you’ll get 30% off of the already bargain price of US$10. You can also manually enter in the coupon code CPN011310112UAW to get the discount.

To watch TUAW TV Live from your Mac or PC, go to the next page by clicking the Read More link at the bottom of this post, and you’ll find a livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments.

If you’re driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you’re stuck in traffic, please don’t — keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream Viewing Application. If you’re on an iPad, you should be able to use the Skyfire Browser to watch the stream, although you will not be able to participate in the chat.

We’ll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you’re seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you get the live stream.

(Photo: Flickr CC | Stephen Edmonds)

Continue reading TUAW TV Live: Completely paper-free and now with fewer calories

TUAW TV Live: Completely paper-free and now with fewer calories originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Since we’re The Unofficial Apple Weblog, we kept it pretty Apple-oriented during last week’s CES conference. There were plenty of interesting Windows apps and other smartphones and tablets around, but if it wasn’t Apple-centric, we usually walked past it to find something more our style. But VoxOx is a notable exception — it’s an app and a service that runs on both Windows and Mac, and we sat down with a few members of the team to talk about the app and where it’s headed next.

The idea for VoxOx is that it encompasses all of your communication in one app. Phone calls, IRC, instant messages, SMS, social networks and so on, are handed through VoxOx’s client. The big news at CES was that the VoxOx client was updated, and VoxOx told me that the Mac version is being reworked according to feedback to look more like a Mac app, according to the Apple HIG. Once inside the app, it’s quickly apparent that VoxOx is powerful — you can merge contacts from multiple networks and even keep conversations going across protocols. There is a charge to call out (just like Skype), but there’s never a charge for inbound calls, so family and clients can call your computer directly, and/or you can get those calls routed off to any other number. There’s even a translation service now integrated into the client, so you can see real-time translations of chats back and forth to other countries.

Unfortunately, VoxOx’s biggest issue is that it’s not very open — you can’t pull in contacts from another app, and you definitely can’t bring them out of the service easily. The UI looks better than it used to, I’m told, but it’s still not what I’d call a “beautiful” app. Still, if you’re looking for a way to consolidate voice communications, VoxOx seems a compelling option.

Continue reading VoxOx combines all your contacts into one Mac client

VoxOx combines all your contacts into one Mac client originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iomega was at CES last week showing off its upcoming SuperHero Backup and Charger for the iPhone. You may ask why anyone needs a backup system for the iPhone as iTunes backs up your iPhone when you sync. The Iomega rep explained that many iPhone users don’t plug their iPhone into a PC or Mac. They simply use a wall charger, downloading apps directly onto the phone, almost never syncing up with iTunes. Sources at Apple retail confirm this is the case. Personally, I plug my iPhone into iTunes every night to update my podcasts and apps as often as possible.

For those who don’t sync, however, Iomega is releasing the SuperHero. It’s super simple — you just download an app onto the phone, and then whenever you plug the iPhone into the dock, the app will turn on and backup your contacts and pictures onto an included 4 GB SD card. Lose your iPhone, and you won’t lose your important information.

Yes, for family members or friends who don’t ever sync through iTunes, this might be helpful. But wouldn’t it be worth it to teach them how to do it? Syncing seems simple enough to me. Then again, if you don’t own a PC or Mac and use your iPhone like a small computer, this would at least give you some assurance your data will persist. The Iomega SuperHero backup and charger should be available by the end of next month for US$69.99.

Iomega’s SuperHero backup and charger for iPhone syncs without a PC originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I switched to the Mac several years ago, and I’m still finding apps that have been around for a long time that I wish I had known about sooner. Hopefully the Mac App Store will help, but it also raises two issues: 1) What about apps that aren’t in the store (for whatever reason, perhaps because they don’t fit Apple’s guidelines), and 2) How do you find apps in the Mac App Store?

Turns out that “there’s an app” for the former and a website for the latter.

Regarding the issue of finding apps that aren’t in the App Store: Bodega lists many apps, and it even offers deals like NetworkLocation for $14.50 (50% off today). Bodega also lets you keep a wishlist of apps, and it will point out any you’ve got installed that are in need of updates. Another nice touch is that they have linked to the “Buy” page for apps and will let you purchase them without leaving the app (although it’s important to note that you are not buying through Bodega itself, they’re just providing a nice wrapper around whatever setup the developers already have in place).

But what about apps that are in that shiny new Mac App Store? It opened with almost 1,000 apps on day one, and it’s already a challenge to find less popular gems that might not make the “Top” lists or the “Featured” page.

That’s where macappsthatrock.tumblr.com comes in. The premise and the execution are simple: find great apps, include a screenshot, the official description and the price (if any).

I’ve already found a few gems through the site, including Apptivate (US$3) and Screenninja ($10). My only complaint about the site is that it just pulls the official description in from the app’s description pages, making it more of a rehash of the official marketing information than “Here’s why I think this app is great and worthy of your attention.” On the other hand, the descriptions are usually nice and short, and (if the developers have done a good job writing them) clearly explain what the apps do. Having the prices listed right there is a very good thing too, as I find it annoying to read a review of an app with no indication whether it’s free, $5 or $50.

You don’t have to be a Tumblr user to use MacAppsThatRock, of course. Browse the archive or use the random page feature to find an app that was listed on the site, or grab the RSS feed.

(While you’re there, don’t forget about another of our favorite Tumblr sites, safariextensions.tumblr.com, which highlights more Safari Extensions than are shown on the official page.)

Bodega and MacAppsThatRock help you find new Mac apps originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon customers and others who are picking up iPhones and iPads can rest assured that their shiny new iOS devices are going to be less likely than Android smartphones and tablets to pick up viruses and malware.

In a recent interview in Taipei, Trend Micro chairman Steve Chang said that Google’s Android operating system is more susceptible to hacker attacks and viruses than iOS. Chang ought to know; his company is the leader in security software for corporate servers.

Chang noted that Android, which is an open-source operating system, makes it easy for hackers to “understand the underlying architecture and source code.” He went on to say that Apple’s sandbox concept “isolates the platform, which prevents certain viruses that want to replicate themselves or decompose and recompose to avoid virus scanners.”

That doesn’t mean that iOS devices won’t get hit with viruses or other malware in the future. Chang commented that iOS devices could be compromised by social-engineering attacks, in which users are scammed into downloading or installing malicious software.

Trend Micro makes security products for both the Android and iOS platforms. Their free Smart Surfing app for iPhone and iPad is a web browser that calls upon the company’s Web Reputation technology to block users from visiting malicious web pages.

[via Electronista]

Trend Micro says iOS a ‘more secure platform’ than Android originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bloomberg has posted an interview with Verizon Communications Inc. President Lowell McAdam that explores a bit of the lengthy process that brought the iPhone to Verizon. The technical acrobatics took the most time, while “the commercial deal took us a day,” McAdam said.

The two companies actually built Verizon cell towers at Apple’s Cupertino campus, and Apple also received “their own laboratory to play with,” according to McAdam. Additionally, Verizon’s executive director of technology David McCarley spent a year working at Infinite Loop.

The two companies also had to agree on branding. Verizon typically places a logo their handsets; Apple allows only its own. It was a concession Verizon was apparently OK with.”They don’t put a lot of logos on their phones,” McAdam told Bloomberg. “So that wasn’t a major issue for us.”

There’s no mention of the clearly redesigned antenna, or how the associated brouhaha in 2010 might have influenced negotiations. The interview concludes with speculation on likely sales numbers (spoiler: a lot) and the announcement’s effect on each company’s stock prices. It’s an interesting peek into a very high-profile business deal.

[Via MacRumors]

Apple, Verizon negotiations from the inside originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s another solution for streaming TV in your home or over 3G: Hauppauge Computer Works has just announced the new Broadway box. The US$199 device has a built-in HD H.264 video compressor, an ATSC tuner for local broadcasts and support for QAM digital cable, so if that’s all you want, the box can be used on its own. It also allows hookup to your cable or satellite box.

The programming you select can be viewed over Wi-Fi or the internet on any iOS device. Details are a bit sketchy, and despite the announcement at CES 2011, the Broadway hasn’t even shown up on the Hauppauge website.

It looks like a solid competitor to the Slingbox line, but we’ll wait until we actually see one before making our mind up. The Broadway should be available in mid-February.

Hauppauge announces Broadway: live TV streaming for iPhones and iPads originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2011 is over, Macworld Expo 2011 is just two weeks away, and just twelve days into the new year, we’ve had a lot to be excited about. Our favorite computers have their very own Mac App Store, the iPhone has a second carrier in the U.S., and the rumors of iPad 2 are beginning to fill the air.

Today on TUAW TV Live, I’ll be talking about all of these topics and more. You can join in on the discussion through the Ustream chat tool, suggest topics and even see if I can touch my cat without having my mic go offline (you should have been there last week…).

I also plan on discussing my mixed success in going to a paperless office in 2010, what software and hardware I used to be able to accomplish those goals and how I expect to move even further towards a paper-free office in 2011.

Join the usual suspects for TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT / 10 PM GMT today. Drop by TUAW about 5 minutes before the show goes live, and you’ll find a post with instructions on how to watch the live streaming video and use the chat.

TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET: Chasing the paperless office and more originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the world of computer monitors, there’s quality, … and then there’s the rest of us. I buy my monitors at places like Costco, Target and Best Buy, where you can pick up a 27-inch unit for under $300.

Remember that statement about “you get what you pay for?” It’s particularly true of low-end monitors where color calibration is often an afterthought rather than a guiding product principle. TUAW Talkcast regular Shawn “Doc Rock” Boyd offers a great workaround for all of us who buy low on the food chain.

Instead of spending upwards of $200 for a display calibrator, he’s discovered that you can rent a color meter from your local photo shop for somewhat less than $20. He offers a quick but excellent write-up on his personal blog, with hints about the process. (Don’t forget to save your calibrated settings in case you need to swap out hard drives or upgrade to a new OS.)

Apple-branded shiny and white is a wonderful thing, but it’s not a solution for everyone. Doc’s calibration rental solution provides an effective workaround for people who want to make the most of the equipment they can afford.

Calibrate your monitors for cheap originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What do you do when you just can’t get that high score you’re looking for in Tilt to Live? You build a computer that’s better at playing the game than you are. For Shane Wighton, that turned out to be a mechanized joystick for tilt-controlled iPhone games.

When Shane couldn’t achieve the score wanted on Tilt to Live, he asked himself, “[Can] I program a computer to detect patterns in the enemies, be strategic, and make the best moves using its superior reaction time and raw processing power?”

As part of answering that question Shane’s made the above illustration a reality by building a mechanized joystick with an Arduino, some servo motors and metal. The next phase is for Shane to mount the webcam, write the code that will actually play the game for him and, hopefully, rack in some damage on the score board.

Check out the video after the break to see the beast in action.

Shane, we’re looking forward to seeing how this works out for you. From all of us here at TUAW, we wish you the best of luck. Go get ’em!

[Via Joystiq, TouchArcade]

Continue reading Mechanized joystick built to control iPhone tilt sensor, rack up high score

Mechanized joystick built to control iPhone tilt sensor, rack up high score originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After getting their hands on the Verizon iPhone at yesterday’s press event, several people have noted that it seems unaffected by the “death grip” phenomena that troubled iPhone 4 users last year.

First up, Ars Technica’s Chris Foresman noted that gripping the phone by its edges did not cause any CDMA signal reception attenuation, even during a call. Slashgear’s Evan Sellek reported a loss of one bar while bridging the antenna gap (from four out of five to three out of five), noting that, “…we still couldn’t reproduce the ‘death grip’ symptoms that plagued the initial launch of the iPhone 4 … it looks like Verizon’s confidence in the iPhone 4 on their network seems to be pretty sound.” Finally, PCMag’s Sascha Segan managed to bridge all four gaps — an uncommon way to hold an iPhone for sure — and only lost a single bar.

We noticed right away that the antenna had been redesigned for Verizon, with the notches shuffling about a bit. Sure, you’ll need a new case, but that’s a small concession to make for a phone that can actually place and receive phone calls.

Verizon iPhone reportedly unaffected by “death grip” issue originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacHeist bundle owners may be disappointed to discover that the latest version of Twitter for Mac removes the hidden Super Secret menu, which was covertly added by developers. This backdoor was included as a bonus for disgruntled customers who purchased the MacHeist bundle before Tweetie was acquired by Twitter. Bundle owners were promised a free update to Tweetie 2, but that update never materialized.

The Super Secret menu was enabled by pressing Control, Option/Alt, and Command keys simultaneously, clicking MacHeist Secret Stuff and entering your credentials into the resulting dialog box. These extra settings let you hide the app in the background, type anywhere to start a tweet and more. The latest version of Twitter for Mac disables this feature by preventing users from accessing the initial MacHeist Secret Stuff menu, at least by using the method listed above.

Twitter for Mac users that enabled the Super Secret menu will keep this feature, but new downloads lose the ability activate it using the above method. Though perhaps not desirable, the removal of the Super Secret menu was expected. When this hidden feature was first discovered, we wondered how Apple would respond. Thankfully, Twitter did not have to pull the app from the Mac App Store and was able to push out an update quickly.

Twitter for Mac update removes hidden features originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While the tech world debates both the merits and the shortcomings of the Verizon iPhone, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart and John Oliver used the occasion to do some good ol’ AT&T bashing. They celebrated the announcement of the Verizon iPhone with a rousing chant of “Freedom!” and poked fun at the dropped calls that plague iPhone owners on AT&T. The pinnacle of the seven-minute skit occurred when a band of frustrated iPhone owners trampled an AT&T sign. You can enjoy watching the segment in its entirety after the break.

The video comes straight from The Daily Show’s website, which uses Flash; sorry!

Continue reading The Daily Show takes on the Verizon iPhone

The Daily Show takes on the Verizon iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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