Category: I-phone

Hopefully, if you’re headed out to Macworld Expo next year, you’ve already made some hotel and air travel plans, as reservations in San Francisco are already filling up if not filled up completely. But just in case you’re still planning out the trip, make sure to try and include an extra day at the beginning.

MacTech is going to be hosting a one-day boot camp for IT and tech support folks interested in learning more about how to support small home and business users. I just attended the MacTech conference a few weeks ago here in LA, and while it was definitely centered around the IT and developer side of things (or at least people who want to know more about those fields), it was also an excellent networking opportunity, offering up lots of contact with all kinds of the best folks in the industry.

The Boot Camp is taking place January 26 2011, the day before Macworld, in San Francisco. It includes a networking lunch, along with sessions on all kinds of topics. It’s probably not for everybody, but if you have an interest in the subjects covered, it’ll be a really nice way to start Macworld week off right. Just be sure to get those reservations in soon — you’ll need your hotel and air covered ASAP, obviously, and reserving for the boot camp by December 15th will save you $200 (registration will be $295 instead of $495). If you’re going, we’ll be sure to see you there.

MacTech Boot Camp gives IT Mac mavens pre-Macworld day of workshops originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just in case you missed it, here’s a resolution to the whole question of where those iPads at TJ Maxx came from. A high tech tablet isn’t really the usual fare for the discount clothing retailer, and Steve Jobs himself confirmed that the chain wasn’t an “authorized reseller” of Apple’s magical, revolutionary device. But TJ Maxx says in an official statement that it has its ways: “Earlier this week, a small number of T.J.Maxx and Marshalls stores received a very limited quantity of first quality electronic tablets that were sourced from a retailer,” the chain tells Fortune.

In short, they bought the iPads from someone who was authorized to sell them, and then resold them (losing about $100 off of the standard retail price) to whoever came in the store and found them.

Why? The “coming in the store” part was the important one — for around $8000, according to analysts, TJ Maxx picked up a sizable amount of foot traffic from people just coming through the doors on the weekend before Black Friday, not to mention a flurry of publicity on Apple blogs like, say, this one. In short, it was a publicity stunt.

Honestly, as publicity stunts go, selling iPads for $400 is a pretty good one. Steve himself wasn’t real happy about it, but if any other retail chains want to pick up the banner, we’ll follow the charge.

[via App Advice]

iPads at TJ Maxx were bought at retail originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Editor’s Note: Several commenters have pointed out that the 5-point Torx screw is not unique to Apple gear, and although they are somewhat more difficult to work with than 6-point Torx or conventional screws, tools are readily available to remove them if needed. The actual ‘tamper resistant’ Torx TR screws have a center pin designed to prevent the use of alternative tools, which these screws do not have.

The question of whether the Torx replacements are primarily for mechanical or security reasons is not yet completely resolved. It is possible that the screw change has nothing to do with device security, but if it were simply a manufacturing change there is no reason Apple could not use 6-lobe Torx instead, which will work with the more common driver heads.

Finally, the original version of this post credited Cult of Mac for both the story and the accompanying image; we have since learned that the actual source was 9to5 Mac, and that CoM used the picture without crediting the site correctly. Our apologies.]

Apple has begun retro-fitting iPhone 4s brought in for service with proprietary torx screws, meant to keep customers out. Similar to those used to keep the new MacBook Air sealed, these screws are of Apple’s own design and send a clear message: Do not enter.

What would prompt such a move? No doubt the cottage industry of after-market conversion kits of white casing parts has something to do with it. The anti-tampering screws are showing up on recently-purchased iPhone 4s as well.

On one hand, it’s an understandable move: Apple makes no money on those kits. On the other, it seems like dirty pool. I’ve almost always been able to open my Apple products and make at least some changes on my own, even cosmetic ones (like the white iPhone kits). Locking the iPhones and MacBook Airs down eliminates that option entirely.

Apple retro-fitting iPhone 4s with 5-point Torx screws originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everything Everywhere is the UK’s largest mobile network operator, and it owns the UK telecom brands Orange UK and T-Mobile UK. According to Marketing Week, the two telecom brands are expected to issue a formal announcement on November 22 that they will sell the iPad at their dual-branded stores. Not only will the Everything Everywhere stores be carrying the iPad, but they will also offer a discount plan to consumers who enter a service contract with their telecom brands.

The discount plan to Orange and T-Mobile subscribers could mean up to 70 percent off of the iPad price tag if the subscriber signs an 18 month or 2 year contract. This is pretty big news, since this is the first widescale iPad subsidy being offered to consumers. Hopefully, Everything Everywhere is merely leading the charge, and we’ll soon see iPad subsidies from other mobile carriers.

No further details have been offered yet, although we should expect more contract details with the formal announcement soon.

UK iPad subsidy plan to be announced later today originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier this month we reported the iPad had cleared governmental hurdles in Korea and was about to begin taking pre-orders. Today, Electronista reports that over 60,000 pre-orders for the iPad have been taken. KT Corp. is offering the iPad in Korea with a subsidy if you sign up for their data service, bringing the 16GB version to less than US$200. You can still buy a Wi-Fi model without a subsidy for around US$559.

Competitor SK Telecom, meanwhile is selling the Galaxy Tab with some success, predicting over 1 million in sales by the end of the year. As far as we can tell, SK Telecom is still considering carrying the iPad (and iPhone 4), but there have been no new announcements from Korea’s #1 carrier. Until then, the iPad will continue to be sold by KT Corp.

iPad will hit Korea on November 30 originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The updates keep coming today, and now iOS 4.2.1 for Apple TV is available. This update supports the much-anticipated AirPlay feature in iOS 4.2, which allows compatible iOS devices running 4.2 stream content to the Apple TV. This is build 8C150 and can be found via your Apple TV’s update feature or directly here.*

We’ve been waiting to test AirPlay ourselves and will have a review of the feature up soon. For now, grab the update, start playing around and plan how you’ll be showing off your new toys this holiday season.

*Note: If you grab the manual download, you’ll need to use iTunes and option-click the update to push it to your Apple TV.

[Via MacStories]

iOS 4.2.1 for Apple TV available now originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As promised by Apple, iOS 4.2 is now available. Head on over to iTunes and download the latest and greatest iOS firmware to date. iOS 4.2 brings a huge number of improvements to the iPhone and iPod family and finally brings the iPad into the 4.x fold. It’s a terrific update, and one, we think, that’s been worth the wait.

Let us know in the comments how your upgrade went, and how you like the new release.

Continue reading iOS 4.2 for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch ready for download

iOS 4.2 for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch ready for download originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon has released Price Check, a free app that allows you to do some comparison shopping. You start by saying the name of your target product, scanning its barcode, typing its name, or snapping a photo. You’ll get several results; tap one to see who’s offering it with prices and shipping costs listed. Of course, Amazon hopes it has the lowest price, but it doesn’t always win.

I tried the app in a local store and found the barcode scanning and voice recognition worked well. I took a picture of some DVDs, and the app figured out what the movie was and offered meaningful price comparisons to other retailers.

I used to use the Amazon Mobile app in bookstores while I browsed, and I often just ordered from Amazon while I was in a brick and mortar book store. I felt bad, but sometimes the price differential was too significant to resist. You can share your pricing info via email, text message, Facebook, or Twitter. The Price Check app is listed for the iPhone only, but it will run on the iPad and the iPod touch. Amazon also has an iPad app called Windowshop, but it doesn’t do price comparisons and is just an easy way to shop at Amazon.

Price Check is so good that I can’t conceive of shopping without it. If you want to give it a go, be careful — there are a bunch of apps with Price Check as part of the name. Price Check requires iOS 3.1 or later.

Amazon releases Price Check app just in time for holiday shopping originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last month, we talked about the rumor that Apple is developing an integrated SIM card. This integration would allow the user to activate his phone with any service carrier by simply downloading an app. Apple would include a generic SIM card in the mobile device like an iPad or iPhone, and the new user would only sign a virtual contract with their phone carrier. While it’s difficult to say what effects this new dynamic would have on the retail phone business, an integrated SIM card would definitely change the phone game. Despite rumors about the integrated SIM, there hasn’t been any further confirmation of the news.

However, on November 21, The Telegraph reported that even this conjectural development into the integrated SIM has been stopped. Citing an unnamed senior source, The Telegraph says that Apple gave up their plans to bundle an integrated SIM when mobile carriers threatened to no longer subsidize the purchase of new devices. Since many iPhone users enjoy a discount on their phone cost thanks to the mobile carriers’ contracts, the loss of that subsidy could have a significant impact on the purchase of new iPhones. The Telegraph cites this as the reason that Apple has stopped integrated SIM development for iPhones, although it will continue plans to bundle such a SIM card with the iPad.

The challenge with these rumors is that there has been no announcement or indication from Cupertino itself. While we’ve been following the information from unofficial sources, we’re mostly seeing rumors about a conjectural functionality. An integrated SIM card could mean awesome freedom for iPhone and iPad users, but we just don’t know the true heart about what’s going on yet. It is worth noting the GSMA has launched an initiative that would enable an embedded SIM to be remotely activated, but this initiative never mentions Apple. Further, such functionality wouldn’t even appear until 2012.

[Via Boy Genius]

Ongoing rumors about the integrated SIM card originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving, one of my favorite American holidays. Although it’s representative of the Pilgrims’ first harvest festival with the Native American Indians, it’s really about one of my favorite things — eating. But before we can eat, many of us have to cook, and we have to face the usual issue of too many dishes needing to be prepared at the same time. This sort of cooking can be akin to the guy who used to spin plates on the Ed Sullivan Show.

KitchenPad Timer (US$1.99 until Thanksgiving) from Prativo can help. It’s an app that gives you eight graphically represented timers — four for burners and four for ovens. Each timer lets you enter the name of a dish and how long it should be cooked. The burner timers allow for heat settings, and the oven timers let you enter internal temperature. Conceivably, you can keep eight “plates in the air” at the same time.

A nice feature is that once set, if you leave the app, a pop-up alert is sent to your device alerting you that something is done. This is a universal app, and the iPad version shows you all eight timers on one screen. On the iPhone or iPod touch, you can see burners on one page and ovens on a second screen.

If you’re doing some heavy duty cooking this week, consider picking it up. It’s only a couple of bucks and can be really useful.

Take a look at KitchenPad Timer in action after the break.

TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.

Continue reading KitchenPad Timer helps with your Thanksgiving meal

KitchenPad Timer helps with your Thanksgiving meal originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tech industry analyst Michael Gartenberg tells Mac fans not to worry about the future of their favorite platform in his latest column over on Macworld. Over the past year, there has been a lot of consternation about the future of Apple’s traditional computing platform as the company has seemingly put most of its development efforts into iOS-based products, like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

Following comments from Steve Jobs comparing PCs to trucks and mobile devices to cars, there was even speculation that Apple might eventually abandon traditional computers. However, Gartenberg says that unlike the original Apple TV, the Mac lineup is “a business, not a hobby.” While the mobile devices now account for more than half of Apple’s revenue, the Macs are still very significant, and perhaps more importantly, they’re growing at a steady, rapid pace.

Despite some functionality of the small devices that has found its way back into the Mac, the OS X and iOS devices remain very distinct. Each has capabilities that the other cannot manage, and won’t for the foreseeable future. The lines are unlikely to converge as long as a keyboard and large display remain important for the completion of many tasks. iOS machines will probably outsell OS X in sheer volume, but it seems like the latter will remain available.

Gartenberg: “The Mac is back” and it’s a business, not a hobby originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It only makes sense: the AirPlay video streaming features of iOS 4.2 on the iPad are all well and good, but there’s no way to use them effectively if the Apple TV doesn’t get a version bump along with the mobile devices. Sure enough, AppleInsider notes that 4.1 for the Apple TV should be coming along about the same time as 4.2 drops.

Besides the video and audio streaming capability, the update is also going to add VoiceOver accessibility to the iOS-based Apple TV. Macworld says the feature will read menu items, media metadata and song titles to help visually impaired users.

[via Macgasm]

Apple TV 4.1 update also coming today originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iWork productivity suite for iPad is receiving significant upgrades to coincide with the release of iOS 4.2, Macworld reports. Most significantly, the three iWork tools (Numbers, Keynotes, and Pages) will support multitasking on the iPad.

Multitasking in 4.2 will already be familiar to many iPhone users. When you switch away from one of the iWork applications, the iPad will save the state of your work in iWork. When you come back to that application later, you’ll be able to resume right where you left off.

iWork has many other updates. The Tools menus have been simplified and now support AirPrint. PDFs should be more reliable when created in iWork, fixing a font compatibility issue. Keynote now supports more presenter-display functionality, allowing a presenter to see notes and slide information on their iPad without that view also being sent to the presentation projector. Keynote should also be more reliable when importing from PowerPoint and Keynote ’09.

Numbers is updated to allow you to preview how your spreadsheet will print when using multiple pages, but now it also includes an AutoFit function. There are many usability upgrades to Numbers and Pages which add up to really making the iWork apps a much more functional productivity suite.

These iWork updates should be available today (November 22), coinciding with the release of iOS 4.2.

iWork suite gains iOS 4.2 support on iPad originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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