Category: I-phone

Go figure — this holiday season, kids want the priciest, hottest consumer electronics going. That’s according to a new Nielsen survey, which says that across the demographic of kids 6-12, the iPad is the hottest gift in town, with 31 percent angling for a future purchase of Apple’s tablet. The iPod touch is another big gift want as well, topping both the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP this year. And the iPhone is also on the list, with 20 percent of those polled hoping to see a smartphone under the tree.

I don’t have kids, but it seems a little nuts to me that six to twelve year olds are hoping for devices like the iPad and the iPhone. Then again, when I was a kid, there was nothing we wanted more than a new SNES or a Sega Genesis, and we still wound up getting things like books and sweaters anyway. So just because these kids want a big ticket Apple device doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be showing up under the tree later this year.

But you never know — those kids go to school for like eight hours a day, right? Maybe while they’re away at school, Mom and Dad get to use the iPad for themselves.

Kids 6-12 want iPads and iPod touches, survey says originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This morning, after working out AirPlay video streaming details with Steven Troughton Smith, I decided to give Matej Knopp a call. His name may not ring a bell, but he’s the developer of the awesome Air Video application. Air Video, which sells on the App Store for just three dollars, allows you to watch nearly any video from your home computer.

Instead of syncing movies to your iPad or iPhone, and filling up your limited memory, it leverages the ffmpeg library to let you convert and stream those videos instead, on demand. It’s a tremendous application and a favorite among TUAW staffers.

Air Video, with its always-available access to streaming entertainment, is the app that we hands-down felt was the most perfect match to Apple’s new AirPlay Video technology — and one that was most let down by Apple’s audio-only limitations for third party applications. So I called up Knopp and asked if he’d build me a one-off custom version of Air Video to showcase what AirPlay Video could have been. Not for the App Store, obviously — it’s using private APIs — but to see what it would look like.

He was happy to help. Read on to discover how well it worked and watch it in action.

Continue reading AirPlay and iOS 4.2 combine for Air Video TV playback demonstration

AirPlay and iOS 4.2 combine for Air Video TV playback demonstration originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just about a month after Apple filed patent complaints against Motorola, Bloomberg reports that the U.S. International Trade Commission is set to review the claim.

Apple’s complaints were filed on October 29, just a few days after Motorola sued Apple over 18 alleged patent infringements on October 6. In this case, it will be the ITC’s job to determine if Motorola is indeed infringing on Apple’s patents. It must also decide whether to block the import of Motorola phones made overseas running Google’s Android OS.

Apple was recently awarded patents for the iPhone 4’s design and UI as well as the iPad’s design. The specifics of each company’s claims are unknown, but we’ll follow this story as it develops.

U.S. ITC will investigate Apple’s patent infringement claims of Motorola originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iOS 4.2.1 update for my iPad brought many welcome features — and one unwelcome one. Since upgrading, I have found myself unable to use the handy shift-drag trick to type capitals. Now, I move my finger down to shift, place it on the screen, drag to the letter I want, release it — and get something random. Rarely, it’s the character I was aiming for. More often, it’s some other character I dragged my finger over on the way to it. Even more often, it’s something nothing at all.

The video shows the problem in action. This is really quite annoying — I failed to log into a server several times this morning, and it wasn’t until I watched the password box like a hawk that I could deduce why. Fix it please, Apple!

Thanks to Jon for sending this in

iPad keyboard has broken shift-drag capitalization under iOS 4.2.1 originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Apple announced its new iOS 4.2 feature set, Apple TV’s AirPlay video service really caught our attention. That’s why we were particularly disappointed when 4.2 debuted on Monday — only Apple’s own applications could ship video from iDevices to the 2nd generation Apple TV; third party applications were limited to audio transport only.

We contacted Apple PR to ask for a statement about that, asking why the feature shipped without third party support — and whether it had to do with performance licenses or similar legal matters. TUAW has not yet heard back from Apple at the time this post went live.

Mike Rose asked if I could poke into the situation and see what’s going on under the hood. Here’s what I found.

Big Massive Update: Thanks to Steven Troughton-Smith, the code has been reduced to a single line with no YouTube work-arounds needed. Details appended to the bottom of the post…

Continue reading Apple TV Hacking: Spelunking into the AirPlay video service

Apple TV Hacking: Spelunking into the AirPlay video service originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just a week after the teaser video was released, SlingPlayer for iPad (US$29.99) is officially available. This app lets you stream anything that comes from your Slingbox SOLO, PRO, or PRO-HD to and iPad via Wi-Fi or 3G. Thirty bucks is kind of high, and the app isn’t universal so you’re looking at sixty bucks if you want to toss an iPhone into the mix.

Note that the Slingbox Classic, AV, and TUNER are not supported for use with SlingPlayer Mobile. If you own one of those you’re not completely out of luck; you can take advantage of an upgrade offer to save $50 on a new Slingbox SOLO or Slingbox PRO-HD.

SlingPlayer for iPad now available originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When we got word a few weeks ago that Apple was introducing CoreMIDI into iOS 4.2, our minds began to ponder the new possibilities it would present. Since the release of iOS 4.2, however, with all the buzz surrounding the latest iOS software update, we forgot all about CoreMIDI. And that’s because we hadn’t seen any apps on the App Store taking advantage of it, until now.

Apple has now begun to approve apps for the App Store that take advantage of the CoreMIDI API. Interestingly enough, one of the first apps to take advantage of CoreMIDI isn’t a music app at all.

It’s Luminair for iPad — a DMX-compatible lighting console app for your theatrical or concert lighting rig — and it takes advantage of the CoreMIDI API via Apple’s USB Camera Connection Kit for iPad or over WiFi.

Most importantly, this is now achieved without the need for specialized third-party hardware, like the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer.

We’re looking forward to seeing what other apps pop up on the App Store that take advantage of this exciting development. If you’ve noticed anything on the App Store, or if you see anything in the coming days, let us know in the comments below.

For now, check out Luminair using the CoreMIDI API by clicking on the read button.

[via iLounge]

Continue reading iOS 4.2 CoreMIDI apps begin to arrive on the App Store

iOS 4.2 CoreMIDI apps begin to arrive on the App Store originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Because we don’t have enough Twitter clients for the iPhone, ÜberTwitter is now available for the device. It’s been extremely popular for BlackBerry users for some time, and now iPhone users can get a taste of that ÜberTwitter goodness. It offers the features you’d expect, like direct messages, retweeting, link shortening, etc.

What’s new is what they’re calling “ÜberView,” which lets you view information shared in a tweet, like a link or a photo, without leaving the app or opening a new window. To try it out, either tap the link or tilt the iPhone on its side. That forces a new pane to open next to the stream of tweets.

If you try it out, be sure to send the team some feedback via the built-in feedback button. ÜberTwitter may be the latest Twitter client for iOS, but we’re sure it won’t be the last.

[Via Engadget]

Ubertwitter hits iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the first Apple computers ever made, the Apple I, has been sold at a Christie’s auction in London on Tuesday. The Apple I, one of only 200 of its kind to have been made, was won by the Italian businessman and private collector Marco Boglione for $210,000.

The Apple I was released in 1976 and originally sold for $666.66.

The computer came with its original packaging, a signed sales letter from co-founder and current CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, as well as an autographed letter by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who was present at the auction. Wozniak said of the Apple I, “It really was an important step, [even though] I didn’t feel that way when I designed it.” Wozniak added, “I’m very delighted for the gentleman who purchased it.”

According to Christies, the Apple I was the first personal computer to come with an assembled motherboard that worked out of the box. However, users still needed to provide their own keyboard, display and power supply. However, according to the BBC, the Apple I’s processor works 1,000 times slower than the processor found in today’s iPad.

Francesco Boglione, the brother of the winning bidder (who was present at the auction), said that the Apple I would likely be restored to working order before joining a collection of other Apple computers owned by Marco Boglione who “…loves computers.”

A detailed picture of the Apple I can be viewed on Christies website here.

[via AppleInsider]

Apple I sells for $210K at Christie’s auction in London originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re the owner of a second generation Apple TV, but you’ve not had the chance to install the latest software update (or, indeed, you’re just curious to know what the new update brings to the Apple TV), make sure you check out our own “hands on” take on the Apple TV update, and in particular, the new AirPlay features.

Once you’ve done that, and if you’re still hungry for Apple TV news and opinion, iLounge have put together a comprehensive review and look at the new features of iOS 4.1 for the Apple TV.

The review covers the installation process, AirPlay for music and video, streaming content from iOS devices and iTunes, the new accessibility VoiceOver feature as well as a section on playing videos in photo albums (not present in the previous software).

There’s also a look at some of the more minor fixes and features that will make a big difference to the everyday use of the Apple TV. For instance, there’s now better integration with your iTunes library. Playlists will appear as they do on your Mac, other sorting issues have been resolved and playback status is updated in iTunes after playing media on the Apple TV, to name a few.

One glaring omission, mentioned in the review, is the absence of support for iTunes LP and iTunes Extra. Both of which were available on the first generation Apple TV and anticipated in this release.

If you’re an Apple TV fan boy or girl and you’re wanting a bit more nitty gritty detail on the new Apple TV update, we highly recommend you head on over for a read. Then come on back and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Secrets of the Apple TV originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An interesting article over at CNN talks about the growth of Mac inside the worldwide market for personal computers. The original report was created by Charlie Wolf, who pointed out that Apple’s growth is three times that of the overall, worldwide market for computers. The article itself is concerned that Wolf might have been too fair to Apple, since Macs only represent about 5% of that total market in the last quarter.

The challenge, though, is that Wolf is talking about two things: the overall growth of personal computers against the growth of Macs. Of the two numbers compared, Mac is gaining ground much more quickly than your average PC. Wolf’s data isn’t meant to be an apples-to-apples argument anyway. The whole point is that “PCs are still getting bigger worldwide. But, of that market, Macs are growing faster than the overall market.”

Mac shipments are outpacing the market 3 to 1 originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firemint’s Flight Control has long been one of my favorite iPhone games; it was one of the first apps I bought. When I first heard the game was being ported to the Mac, I wondered how well the game’s control scheme would work. Flight Control’s gameplay seemed tailor-made for the touchscreens on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and I wasn’t sure the game would translate well to a more traditional point-and-click interface.

Flight Control HD for Mac came out on Steam last week, and since then, I’ve been putting the game through its paces. Many hundreds of crashed aircraft later, I can say that while the gameplay suffers a bit in translation to a non-touchscreen platform, overall the experience is still worth the US$4.99 asking price. Click “Read More” for the full review.

Continue reading Review: Flight Control HD for Mac

Review: Flight Control HD for Mac originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that iOS 4.2 and AirPlay are officially available for our Apple portable devices, we’re starting to see third-party devices that can take advantage of the new capability. Among the first of those is the AP1000 from Japan’s PhotoFast. The AP1000 is a Wi-Fi host that gets wired into a car audio system to receive AirPlay streams.

The little box supports 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi signals, and once it’s connected to 12 volt power and an input on the audio system, it should appear in the AirPlay connection screen on the iOS device. It’s probably just as well that there doesn’t appear to be any in-vehicle video streaming support with the AP1000, although it could be handy if you have a rear-seat entertainment system for the kids.

For many new vehicles that already have built-in support for Bluetooth audio streaming, the AP1000 doesn’t really seem to provide any additional functionality, although the audio fidelity may be somewhat improved. PhotoFast is currently seeking a distributor outside of Japan, so we have no idea when the AP1000 will be available in the U.S. or how much it will cost. Check out the video of a sample installation in the second part of the story.

Continue reading Photofast AP1000 brings AirPlay audio streaming to your car

Photofast AP1000 brings AirPlay audio streaming to your car originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Usually, if you’re trying to get a new remote to work with home electronics, you teach the remote to work with your electronic device. You look up the name and brand of your electronic in the remote’s manual, plug in the super secret code, and hope it works. It’s especially painful if your universal remote control doesn’t have the necessary code for your home electronic.

The Apple TV is smarter than that. You actually teach the Apple TV to use whatever remote control you want to use. It’s kind of nice to have a home electronic that’s smarter than a remote control. It can even use the remote that came with your television, cable box, or DVD player. Here’s how to do it.

Go to the Settings menu, select General, and then Remote. Choose the Learn Remote option. Make sure the remote you’re using isn’t already controlling something else (like “Television.”) On the Apple TV, choose Start. On the Apple TV screen, the Up button will become highlighted. Press the button on the remote control you’d like to use for Up. And then continue down the rest of the controls.

Setting up a new remote to work with the Apple TV really couldn’t be much easier.

Teaching your Apple TV to use a 3rd party remote originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s only been a few days since iOS 4.2 landed on our iPhones, iPads and iPod touches, and already, speculation has begun that version 4.3 could arrive within just a few weeks. The only major new feature that is expected to debut is app subscriptions, which would allow recurring charges. This would address one of the biggest complaints raised by magazine publishers since the iPad launched last spring.

Currently, publishers have to either charge once for an app and then provide the ongoing content for free, or else create and sell a new version of the app each day/week/month. The new approach would likely expand on the idea of in-app purchases, allowing publishers to provide an app for free and then automatically charge for new content on a recurring basis, much as they have done with paper subscriptions.

In addition to supporting the new payment mechanism, 4.3 will reportedly also include the capability to automatically push out fresh content to tablets. A similar feature has been available on the Amazon Kindle since it launched. Unlike the text-only Kindle, however, iOS devices support media-heavy content, and the mythical Maiden, North Carolina data center may play a big part in delivering this content.

Among the first publications to take advantage of this new capability will probably be The Daily, the new tablet-only “newspaper” planned by News Corp. Apple and News Corp have reportedly been collaborating on the development of The Daily, and a beta version may arrive with iOS 4.3 by December 13.

iOS 4.3 could come in December, add subscriptions originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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