Category: I-phone

Flour belongs in cookies, not on your iPad. The same goes for butter, wine, eggs, and oil. Your kitchen may be a treasure trove of cooking essentials, but iPads and food should never directly mix.

That’s why this cooking with your iDevice radio story over at NPR gave us a moment’s pause at TUAW central this morning. Although it’s a good piece about the varied experience of using traditional cookbooks and modern technology, one blogger still sighed with exasperation. “Did these people never hear of a gallon-sized Ziploc bag?”

Zip-seal bags — specifically the 1-gallon size — are, in fact, extremely iPad friendly and minor kitchen miracles. You can still touch your device’s capacitive screen through the plastic, and because the bags are so thin and basically iPad-sized, the iPad can be set in your normal holding stand so your recipes remain viewable.

Continue reading Holiday cooking with your iPad: be safer while you sauteé

Holiday cooking with your iPad: be safer while you sauteé originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The fun doesn’t stop in the ongoing Nokia/Apple patent dispute; the Finnish cellphone manufacturer has now filed claims in three European countries alleging Apple infringement on 13 additional patents, beyond the 24 patents already covered in the existing US and International Trade Commission filings.

Nokia has chosen to file claims on four patents in the UK High Court, seven patents in district court in Dusseldorf, five in Mannheim and 2 in the Hague. I’m not a patent lawyer (to say nothing of an international intellectual property expert) so I can’t say why there’s a split between the two German courts, but the company also filed separate claims in the US’s Federal courts in two states (Wisconsin and Delaware).

These patents cover technologies that Nokia claims are used in the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, among other products. They include on-device app stores, touch user interface elements, caller ID and more.

Apple, of course, isn’t standing idle on the patent litigation front. Over the past year, the company has retained top legal talent to help defend against Nokia, Motorola and other patent challengers while pressing Apple’s own counterclaims of patent infringement.

[via Engadget]

Continue reading Patent battle continues between Nokia and Apple with 13 more disputed patents

Patent battle continues between Nokia and Apple with 13 more disputed patents originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Behold the power of iPad. It can charm even the most non-technological of artists. This video highlights a Finnish acapella group (i.e. a chorus that normally sings without accompaniment, creating all harmonies through voice) who have finally gotten their hands on iPads. Here, they rock out to Madonna’s Material Girl using iPad-based instrument applications.

It’s a lovely little video and a nicer demonstration of how beautifully the iPad has evolved from a basic tablet into an artistic medium. Chorus member Jani Halme tells TUAW, “Naturally we shot this using iPhones.”

The iPad debuted in Finland just a week ago.

Found Footage: iPads take the acapella out of the girl group originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Board with your iPad? Try a game of Scrabble (we reviewed the iPhone version two years ago), now on sale for just a buck. Apparently Snood is addictive, and unless you’ve been on Mars the past twenty years there’s always SimCity (our iPhone review here). If none of that floats your boat, try The Sims 3, it’s never been $.99 before but it is now. Ho ho ho! All deals courtesy dealnews.com.

• iTunes Music Store: EA Games iPad App Downloads for $1: Scrabble, SimCity, Snood, more
• iTunes Music Store: iPhone App Store Freebies: Battle Bears -1, Doodle Games 9 in 1, more
• iTunes Music Store: EA Games iPhone App Price Drops: The Sims 3, Madden NFL 11, more
• iTunes Music Store: iPad App Price Drops: Christmas Treasury, Resident Evil 4, iMockups, more
• Trans Intl.: 8GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SO-DIMM Laptop RAM for $88 + $8 s&h, 16GB for $176
• Meritline: 7-Port Clip-On USB 2.0 Hub for $7 + free shipping
• Buy.com: Timberland Dogwood 15″ Laptop Messenger Bag for $30 + free shipping
• iGoneMobile: i.Sound Power View Pro Charger for iPad / iPhone / iPod for $55 + free shipping
• Meritline: Color-Coded Numeric Cable Organizer 100-Pack for $1 + free shipping
• MacConnection: Apple MacBook C2D 2.4GHz 13″ Laptop for $850 after rebate + free shipping
• Western Digital Store: Refurb Western Digital Hard Drives: 320GB USB for $41 + free shipping, more

Daily Deals for December 16, 2010 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Navigon today released version 1.70 of the MyRegion versions of our top rated GPS app. The North America, USA version and Canada version updates will follow shortly.

The new goodies include:

• Navigon is now a universal app, so it works at full resolution on both the iPad and iPhone with no extra charges. Route planning can be done on the iPad, then routes can be sent to the iPhone version.
• The active lane assistant includes animation to show the proper route at intersections. An orange line displays the suggested way to go. The feature can be turned off.
• Map Reporter allows the user to update road names, changed speed limits, new one way streets and to submit them to Navigon where they will be conformed and added to updated map releases.
• Improved Retina Display support.
• The Zagat survey of restaurants is available as an in-app purchase for US$5.99 until January 6.

There are price reductions on all the Navigon apps until January 6. The North America Mobile Navigator, normally $59.99 is now $44.99. The USA-only version is discounted $15.00 to $34.99, as is the Canada only version. The MyRegion apps, covering East, Central or Western U.S. have been discounted $5.00 to $24.99. No date has been offered as to when the Canada, North America and U.S. apps will get this update, but it should be soon. Purchasers of those versions will get the update at no charge when it’s available. Current owners of the Navigon apps will also get the updates for free. For now, these updates only apply to the North American versions of the apps.

Navigon is also celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary with some free apps in 2011, with the first released to the app store today. The first, called help2park finds nearby parking facilities, with a list and directions. The app can be used stand alone, but it also integrates with any of the Navigon MobileNavigator products. We haven’t tested these new features, but will soon.

Navigon updates MyRegion versions with new features and makes it a universal app originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The holiday is a time for giving, and Electronic Arts (EA Mobile, specifically) wants to give you a huge pile of iOS gams for just US$0.99. It’s the EA Holiday Sale and with the number of titles available, you’re sure to find one you like.

TouchArcade has the full list, but here are a few of the titles currently on sale:

• Need For Speed Hot Pursuit for iPad (was $9.99)
• Need For Speed Shift for iPad (was $9.99)
• Madden NFL 11 By EA Sports for iPad (was $12.99)
• Mirror’s Edge for iPad (was $9.99)

Electronic Arts selling huge number of iOS games for 99 cents originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Firemint confirmed today that it is launching a free, ad-supported version of its popular Flight Control game for the iPhone and iPod touch. The app has received the rubber stamp of approval from Apple and should appear in the App Store in the upcoming days. The free version has the same gameplay as the paid version but limits several salient features. Multiple maps are not available in the free version, but you can play on the original map without any time or score limits. Multiplayer, both local and online, are missing from the free version as well.

The free version does support the iOS Gamecenter leaderboard and includes a limited number of achievements. If you choose not to use Gamecenter or are running an earlier version of iOS without Gamecenter, you can still post your achievements to Firemint’s leaderboard. In the end, the free version is a nice alternative for those that want to try the game before they hand a dollar over to Apple and Firemint for the full version. It is also a chance for Firemint to compare two revenue models – paid and ad-supported, to see which generates the most cash.

Firemint releases free, ad-supported Flight Control to App Store originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Police in Australia take iPhone theft seriously; so seriously, they will not hesitate to employ the use of a helicopter to nab a thief who has made off with one of Apple’s prized mobile devices. The story begins in a hospital in Heidelberg, Australia where an iPhone was stolen from an unsuspecting woman. The woman’s iPhone presumably had the now well-known Find My iPhone app setup installed and the police used the app on another device or MobileMe to track and locate the iPhone in the neighboring suburb of Greensborough.

Lucky for the lady and her missing iPhone, a police helicopter was already in the area and was dispatched to the iPhone’s GPS coordinates. The tracking was so accurate that the helicopter was able to spot the thief riding a stolen bike down a city street. The 16-year old suspect ditched the bike as soon as the helicopter was hovering above him (who wouldn’t?) and ran towards the Tram to make a hasty escape.

The suspect was apprehended by police on the ground in Bundoora and the unfortunate lad was caught with the stolen iPhone and some marijuana. He is now being charged with burglary, theft, and the possession of cannabis. Mark that down as another win for the now free Find My Phone service and another loss for iPhone thieves.

Thanks to Gavin B for sending this in!

Police hunt down stolen iPhone in chopper originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Now that we’ve got an official Mac App Store release date, developers are being urged to get their apps submitted. A quick statement from Apple notes that that apps must be submitted for review by December 31, 2010.

Apple began accepting submissions in the first week of November. With the first submissions come the first rejections, and as far as we can tell, LittleIpsum was the first to get the big DENIED stamp from Cupertino.

Get down to it, developers. You don’t want to spend the holiday hovering over your Mac.

Developers urged to submit Mac App Store apps by December 31 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Popular magazine-style reading app, Flipboard, has announced major changes to its iPad application, bringing with it support for Flickr, Facebook Groups, and Google Reader. The new version also includes improved Twitter and social networking integration. Named iPad App of the Year, Flipboard has gone above and beyond with this update. It’s no surprise why Sports Illustrated partnered with the company to deliver Swimsuit edition content to Flipboard users.

The latest version of Flipboard lets you read and sync to your Google Reader account. All RSS feeds are displayed in magazine-style layout with the ability to jump to your starred items, shared items, folders, and individual subscriptions. Flickr integration is also an excellent addition to Flipboard. The iPad’s large display lends itself to images and the new Flickr feature lets you view your favorite photos, your photostream, your contact’s photos, and interesting photos of the day.

Flipboard originally launched with support for Twitter and Facebook and the app continues to build on its social networking roots. Flipboard lets you view your Facebook groups, friend’s list, and Fan pages within the app’s gorgeous UI. Photos from your Facebook feed also look fantastic.

Twitter integration has been expanded to support favorite tweets, mentions, and both public and private lists. You can also now use Flipboard to post a status update, share a photo, or even a Flipboard page across multiple social networks. If you use any of the above web services or social networks and have not installed Flipboard, you should do it now. The Flipboard app is available for free from the App Store and is well worth checking out. You will be hard-pressed not to fall in love with it.

New version of Flipboard adds Google Reader, Facebook groups and more originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We’ve been anticipating the Mac App Store‘s arrival and now there’s an official date. Apple will open the Mac App Store on January 6, 2011. The store will be available in 90 countries and feature games, productivity apps and a whole lot more. Speaking through a press release, Steve Jobs said, “The App Store revolutionized mobile apps. We hope to do the same for PC apps with the Mac App Store by making finding and buying PC apps easy and fun. We can’t wait to get started on January 6.”

Mark your calendars, folks! We’ll have full coverage on the 6th.

Mac App Store to open on January 6 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

When the news hit earlier this month that Zynga had purchased iPhone developers Newtoy (after Ngmoco and Tapulous were also purchased this year), I immediately joked on Twitter that we should make odds on which iPhone developer gets acquired next. In all seriousness, however, Backflip Studios is actually a pretty good candidate to be acquired by a larger company. I heard Julian Farrior speak at GDC earlier this year, and Backflip shows all the signs of a healthy, growing developer: quite a few solid apps, lots of ways to generate revenue and a healthy knowledge of how to make apps popular and profitable. Backflip has one more juicy plum a prospective investor might want to pull: 20 million monthly active users.

Backflip is also claiming 2 million daily active users in its apps, and it’s reportedly making over half a million dollars a month in ads alone. Farrior is a big fan of multiple revenue streams, though, so paid apps are probably a nice source of income for the company as well. Farrior also says Backflip is porting popular titles to iPad and the Android platform, and the company has some big plans in store for 2011.

Of course, as with all successful app developers on the App Store, the question is if Farrior even wants a partner in development. Lots of small studios that are doing well on Apple’s platform probably aren’t interested in bringing another partner on. But some of the investors shopping the App Store have some pretty deep pockets, and when a big traditional game publisher comes along offering a big check, lots of experience and infrastructure for marketing and development, it’s hard to think that a studio like Backflip wouldn’t be tempted.

Backflip Studios reports 20 million active monthly users originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

This rumor is like saying it will rain somewhere in the world during the first half of 2011, but DigiTimes reports that Apple will launch new MacBook Pros and iMacs in the first half of next year. The iMac was last updated in July 2010, and the MacBook Pros last received an update way back in April 2010, so updates to both those lines in the next six months shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone.

As for details, DigiTimes doesn’t have many except there will be “at least four upgraded MacBook Pros,” and the new iMacs will feature “a new panel size and a price point for the mainstream market.” Personally, I’m hoping Apple drops the optical drive from at least one of the 15-inch MacBook Pros and throws in 512GB solid-state drives across the line. As for the iMac, the “new panel size” could mean a new aspect ratio or just larger displays featuring the current aspect ratio. Given how Apple seems to be gearing up to push the Mac in 2011, cheaper iMac price-points should come as no surprise. As for Blu-ray, although many still hold out hope that Apple will include Blu-ray drives, that seems unlikely.

Rumor: New iMacs and MacBook Pros in the first half of 2011 originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple has released a firmware update for the 27-inch LED Cinema Display. The 957KB download “addresses intermittent audio issues some users have experienced while using the 27-inch LED Cinema Display.” To install the update you must have Mac OS X 10.6.4 or later, plus the confusingly similarly-named LED Cinema Display Software Update 1.0 (released in September). Alternatively, an installation of Mac OS X 10.6.5 will do, as the previous display update was bundled with the 10.6.5 updater.

If you own the latest 27-inch Cinema Display, you’ll likely be able to get the new firmware via Software Update; if it’s not showing up, it’s also available via direct download.

[via MacUpdate]

Apple releases LED Cinema Display firmware update originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments