Category: I-phone

Here’s an intriguing browser for the iPhone coming out of Japan just in time for Christmas. It comes to us courtesy of Fenrir Inc, the same company who brought us the Sleipnir browser for the Mac, which is currently on version 2.96 with 3.0 in development.

Continue reading Sleipnir Mobile browser 1.0 for iPhone released

Sleipnir Mobile browser 1.0 for iPhone released originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s amazing what you can find with your iOS device. With the whole internet in your hands, vast databases are yours to explore with a couple of taps.

Hyper Facts is a new way to more easily manage these searches, and overall it works pretty well. You type in a search term, a name, or an event (like a historical event) and off goes the app to do a search. The app searches 4 different databases, although the ones used aren’t specified, and there are also links to Wikipedia.

If you click the ‘nearby’ icon, the app gets your location via GPS and tells you interesting things around you, with links to articles.

Continue reading Hyper Facts for iOS: A powerful and fun database query app

Hyper Facts for iOS: A powerful and fun database query app originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although a number of interactive children’s books have billed themselves as being pop-up (or pop-out) books, like The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Night Before Christmas (both from Loudcrow), nothing really popped up and constructed the 3D scenes that I remember from my childhood. Grimm’s Rapunzel – Interactive Pop-up Book from Ideal Binary (US$1.99 for now) does just that, and beautifully. It’s a universal app that makes full use of the Retina Display of the iPhone and iPod touch, and it looks and plays gorgeously on an iPad.

When you start the book, you are presented with a profusely illustrated book similar to the one used at the start and ending of Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The book opens, and a text and picture page is displayed where nothing moves, … but turn the page and the book shifts horizontally as the scene springs to life. Using physics that feel just right, objects bounce up and form a scene where you are given a clearly described task to perform. Each of the pop-up pages contains an activity ranging from sowing and watering seeds to helping Rapunzel find her sheet music and harp. When completed, each activity pays off with a character thanking you or providing reinforcement, like Rapunzel playing a little tune on her harp. Touching objects on the pop-up pages causes things to bounce a bit, which is common, or add a few surprises; for example, when you touch a candelabra, it lights up.

Continue reading Grimm’s Rapunzel is an interactive pop-up book done right

Grimm’s Rapunzel is an interactive pop-up book done right originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iWork for iPad is an incredibly powerful tool for folks who want to use their iPads as a MacBook Air surrogate. However, if they want to round-trip their documents through the popular Dropbox service, there hasn’t been a way to save or open files from within Pages, Keynote, or Numbers for iPad. Until now, that is…

DropDAV is a new service from smiles + laughs that provides a WebDAV front end to Dropbox. What that means is that any iPad or iPhone application that can open or save files through WebDAV can now link straight to Dropbox. Since iWork for iPad has always had WebDAV capabilities built-in, DropDAV provides the long-needed door between iWork and Dropbox.

To sign up for DropDAV, you just need to have a Dropbox account. DropDAV provides a 14-day free trial; after that time, the cost of DropDAV is 30% of your Dropbox account price. If you have a 2 GB free account with Dropbox, your DropDAV service will be free. Hit the link below to see how it all works.

Continue reading DropDAV: An easy way to link iWork for iPad and Dropbox

DropDAV: An easy way to link iWork for iPad and Dropbox originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A recently discovered Apple patent application dated from June 2009 suggests Apple may build future devices with an antenna housed directly underneath the familiar Apple logo. The idea is genius — the Apple logo is going to be on the iPhone or MacBook anyway, so why not stick an antenna underneath it? This internal design would bring the antenna close to the surface without increasing the risk of accidental contact from your hand or any other interfering material. Such a design could have prevented the iPhone 4 antennagate scandal that rocked Apple’s world earlier this year.

According to the patent details, the logo would be made of a dielectric material that allows for the transmission and reception of radio-frequency signals. The patent applies to Wi-Fi signals as well as GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz so this technology could find its way into the MacBook as well as the iPhone. Unfortunately, Apple is not the first to apply for a patent for an antenna-fied logo. An earlier patent from Dell describes a logo-shaped antenna that actually takes the place of the logo in the device.

This antenna technology is also not new to Apple, as a variation is already in use on the 27-inch iMac and the Apple iPad. A teardown of the iPad by iFixit uncovered the iPad’s antenna which was resting directly underneath the Apple logo. A similar iMac teardown, also by iFixit, revealed the presence of an AirPort antenna hiding behind the aluminum-encased, plastic Apple logo. This patent presumably describes the next generation of this antenna-logo design. How much do you want to bet we see the second iteration of this in an upcoming iPhone, maybe even the iPhone 5?

[Via Engadget]

Apple patent application puts antenna in the logo originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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9to5Mac apparently snuck its way into the Mac App Store a little early (the marketplace is set to open up on January 6), and has brought back some screenshots of the app’s OS X trappings. You can see the app’s icon already, and the app will have a login screen very similar to what you already use in iTunes to install iOS apps.

Parental controls are available in the store’s preferences, and various installs will all be handled by another app called “store helper.” Those controls are configurable for various ages, so you’ll be able to define if you want apps to run for users over 4, 9, 12, or 17.

Unfortunately, The Mac App Store won’t support Game Center or in-app purchases at launch, but given the growing popularity of both of those elements, that may change in the future. We’re inching ever closer to the Mac App Store’s release, and developers are undoubtedly working even over the holidays to make sure their apps are ready to go at launch. It should be a nice way to kick off 2011 for Apple.

Mac App Store shots reveal Parental Controls, store helper app originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Our buddies at Engadget had an interesting rumor to pass along this morning. It appears that Skype will be making a major announcement about video calling from iPhone (and other devices) during CES.

The first hint Engadget picked up on was that Skype will be participating in a CES panel discussion titled “Video Calling Gets Ready for Primetime.” Of course, panel discussions usually include participants from a number of companies, so that’s not enough to base a rumor on.

The kicker was an email received by the team that contained a link to a help document on Skype’s site. The title? “How do I make video calls with Skype for iPhone?” While a search of the Skype site didn’t reveal that document to your humble TUAW correspondent, we trust our sister site enough to believe that they had access to it.

There’s no word on whether Skype will be providing the video calling capabilities to all major smartphone operating systems, but we’d bet that they would flip the switch on this capability for at least the iPhone and Android platforms on day one. The ability for the iPhone to make video calls over Skype to any other mobile phone or computer would at least put the damper on Sprint’s Android phone ads touting “video calls from anywhere.”

Now if Skype can just keep prolonged service outages from happening…

Rumor: Skype bringing video calling to iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Calling Apple’s turn-around over the last ten years “the most remarkable comeback in modern business history,” the UK’s Financial Times (free registration required) newspaper on Wednesday named Apple CEO Steve Jobs its “Person of the Year” for 2010. Thirty years after Jobs brought the company public at age 25, the proclamation focuses on his determined attention to detail and reputation as someone who “understands the art of the possible” with the ability to convince others of the plausibility of his ideas.

In talking to Financial Times, Roger McNamee, who recently attempted to rebuild Palm in Apple’s image, said “Steve’s the last of the great builders. What makes him different is that he’s creating jobs and economic activity out of thin air while just about every other CEO in America is working out ways to cut costs and lay people off.”

2010 has definitely been a good year for Apple, with MarketWatch naming Steve Jobs CEO of the Decade earlier this month and four Apple products making it onto Time Magazine’s Top 10 Gadgets list right in time for the holidays. If estimates of Apple selling 100 million iPhones and 48 million iPads next year are correct, 2011 should be a fantastic year as well for Mr. Jobs and company.

[via MacRumors]

Steve Jobs named Person of the Year by the Financial Times originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the video below, you’ll find a pretty rocking DJ set thanks to an iPad and some other pretty gnarly hardware. This isn’t exactly a DIY solution, since DJ Kutski is using Traktor Pro (that’s the software on the screen above) and an X1 controller, both of which are pretty significant pieces of DJ gear. But the iPad is definitely a big part of the equation, and it’s running TouchOSC, a neat app that allows you to hook up sound interfaces over Wi-Fi using some very configurable abstract graphics.

There’s not much in the way of explanation. You can definitely see him changing pitches and adjusting the volume in real-time (pretty impressive just running the controller over Wi-Fi), but non-DJs will probably have to look elsewhere to figure out exactly what’s happening here. Then again, if nothing else, you can enjoy some nice iPad-driven beats on this Christmas Eve. Enjoy!

Continue reading Video: DJing on an iPad

Video: DJing on an iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The hour is getting late, grab these while you can! From our partners at dealnews.com. If you haven’t played Plants vs. Zombies, now is your chance (on the Mac).

• iTunes Store: iPhone App Store Freebies: Snowing Screensaver, Vocal Training, more
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• Shnoop.com: 3 Duracell Mobile Chargers w/ 12 AA Batteries for $30 + free shipping

Daily Deals for December 24, 2010 originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mighty Eagle has finally landed for Angry Birds fans with an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Available as a US$0.99 in-app purchase, the highly anticipated new bird character will let you skip a difficult level and unlock the next one, earning points and achievements along the way.

There is a catch to this great power now bestowed on you: use of this Mighty Eagle is limited to once per hour. The Mighty Eagle brings some good news for hard-core Angry Birds fans tired of repeating levels. Once you have unlocked a level using your arsenal of regular birds, you can deploy the Mighty Eagle on that level as much as you want. As a bonus, Rovio also threw in 15 new, scorching ‘Ham Em High’ levels set within a desert environment and a new Golden Egg.

These new levels, the Golden Egg, and the Mighty Eagle are available in the latest version of Angry Birds now available in the App Store. Only the eagle requires the in-app purchase.

[Via Switched]

Mighty Eagle soars in for the holidays as in-app Angry Birds purchase originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This quick video retrospective of Apple’s fares and fortunes in the past year is pretty good. From the introduction of the iPad to the new MacBook Air and the release of the Beatles on iTunes, this is a very nice little walk through 2010 from Apple’s point of view.

It’s been one heck of a year for the company, too, and because of all the waves Apple sent out this year, it’s been an interesting twelve months for the industries that surround it. Next year may be even more exciting, with the Mac App Store, likely a new iPad, and whatever else Steve Jobs and company dream up for us.

Thanks, John W!

A video retrospective of Apple in 2010 originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While AppLink was initially only supposed to be for Android and BlackBerry phones, Ford decided to add the iPhone to its list of supported devices. By using Bluetooth streaming with Android and BlackBerry devices and a USB port for the iPhone, users just press the VOICE button on their steering wheel to enable voice command control of their apps. Currently only for SYNC-equipped Ford Fiestas, Ford says that additional vehicles and controllable apps are coming in 2011.

Just 12 months ago Ford started offering iTunes tagging in their cars with HD Radios, giving users the ability to tag songs for later purchase in iTunes. While that’s a neat idea and something I am sure we will see more of in the future, it’s really encouraging to see more work being done on the voice control front in the automobile world. With more and more people taking advantage of their smartphones while driving, and with Apple looking to hire more voice recognition specialists, anything that can make the roads a little safer to drive on is all right by me.

Ford’s AppLink to support iPhone voice control of apps originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I have to say, I really like the Yelp app on my iPhone. Of course, I’m in LA where there are plenty of full listings for all kinds of things; I can see how Yelp might not be quite as useful in a less populated area. But when I need to find a new restaurant or where a certain retail place is, I’ve found myself pulling out Yelp as a location app even more often than the iPhone’s built-in Maps application. Not to mention that the Monocle feature is a fun demo when I happen to be out and about with friends.

Now Yelp has been updated to be universal, running on both the iPhone and the iPad. It’s not quite as helpful on the iPad without a 3G connection, of course; I tend to use Yelp mostly when I’m out and about and need a quick address or map pin. But Yelp also has lots of user reviews and information about various businesses, so even when you’re at home and thinking about going out, the app can be useful. And what the heck, it’s free.

The update also includes some bug fixes for both versions, and it’s a free download from the App Store right now.

Yelp’s iOS app goes universal originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has updated the universal Remote application to support AirPlay and Internet Radio Control.

Daniel Eran Dilger of RoughlyDrafted Magazine has a great article on why the iPad will continue to dominate the tablet market.

Check out 10 things you can do with your new iPhone or iPod Touch.

Ford is planning to integrate iPhone Apps into your car with upgraded SYNC technology.

Apple is partnering with a Cherokee tribe to put Cherokee language software on you Apple mobile device.