Category: I-phone

If you’ve been craving an iPhone but you consider the lack of Adobe Flash video support on iOS devices as a dealbreaker, there’s nothing standing in your way anymore.

At 9 AM ET on Thursday, November 4, the Skyfire browser will hit the App Store for US$2.99 and provide a way to watch Flash video on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The app has been available on the Android platform, and was finally approved by Apple after a “rather rigorous review.”

The app is a standalone WebKit browser for the iPhone (like iCab Mobile and others), with a key difference; when visiting a page with a Flash embed, a thumbnail appears that allows the content to be streamed to the device. The video is transcoded on Skyfire’s servers and converted to HTML5. Flash games won’t work due to the interactivity required, and Hulu has also blocked Skyfire to guarantee that users who want to watch the streaming TV service on the iPad have to continue to pay $10 per month for Hulu Plus.

Skyfire is sure to be popular on iOS devices, as it provides an viewing solution for the half of all Web video that is still Flash-only. The Android version of the app has sold over 1.5 million copies, so the new iOS version may well be a hit in the Apple App Store.

There’s a video clip on the next page demonstrating how the app works.

[via AppleInsider and Download Squad]

Continue reading Flash video on iPhone with the Skyfire browser coming 11/4

Flash video on iPhone with the Skyfire browser coming 11/4 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An October survey by market research firm ChangeWave spells doom for manufacturers of netbooks. While just a few holiday seasons ago the cheap little PCs were on everyone’s Christmas list, now they’re only attractive to 14% of people who are considering the purchase of a laptop computer. At their peak, almost a quarter of laptop customers wanted inexpensive netbooks.

Why the big change in such a short amount of time? The iPad, which is attracting the attention of buyers who want a small, portable device for web browsing and email. It doesn’t appear that the upcoming flood of iPad competitors is having much of an effect, either. ChangeWave’s data (based on a sample size of 3,108 consumers) shows that a whopping 80% of potential tablet buyers are considering the iPad, a figure 10 times that of the next closest competitor — the still-unreleased RIM Playbook. A tiny 3% of tablet buyers are opting for the Android-based (and also unreleased) Samsung Galaxy Tab (see next page for graphic).

Continue reading Netbook demand plummets while shoppers snap up iPads

Netbook demand plummets while shoppers snap up iPads originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As we told you yesterday, Apple released its iOS 4.2 GM to developers. Gold Master, or GM, status means development on the software is complete and usually also means users can expect to see it sooner rather than later. While the GM brings everything Apple promised it would, there were also a few surprise tweaks in it.

Multitasking bar: The multitasking bar adds brightness and volume controls for easy access. An AirPlay button has also been added.

MobileMe settings login: The new MobileMe settings login allows you to log into your MobileMe account using your Apple ID (like the one you use for iTunes purchases). While MacRumors is hesitant to state what this change implies, they suggest it could be an indication that Apple is about to offer some of the pay-only features of MobileMe to any person with an Apple ID.

Apple has not set a specific date for the release of iOS 4.2, only promising to deliver it sometime in November.

[via MacRumors]

iOS 4.2 gold master offers design tweaks originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting on November 7th, all 158 Best Buy Mobile stores will begin to sell the iPad. Best Buy Mobile stores are smaller versions of the regular Best Buy stores; they focus on mobile electronics that can be found in shopping malls. In some cities they exist as standalone stores.

The advantage for Apple in selling the iPad in Best Buy Mobile stores is, of course, more iPad presence in front of potential customers. This also puts the iPad into shopping malls without an Apple Store during the upcoming holiday season.

News of the iPad/Best Buy Mobile deal comes just one day after Target announced it would begin stocking the iPhone 4 and 3GS on November 7th as well (and reports are coming in that Target will begin selling the phones as soon as stock arrives). Regular Best Buy stores have sold the iPad since April.

iPad to be sold in all 158 Best Buy Mobile stores originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It should come as a surprise to no ones that the Apple iPad completely dominates the tablet computer market right. After nearly a decade of availability, Windows-based tablets have never gained much traction except for a some vertical markets like healthcare. Meanwhile, Android-based tablets have gotten a lot of press in recent months but only a handful cheap, underpowered, off-brand units have actually made it to market. As a result, the iPad currently accounts for 95.5 percent of tablet sales, according to data from Strategy Analytics.

The first really serious challenger from the Android camp is the new Samsung Galaxy Tab, which is just going on sale in Europe now and coming to North America in the next couple of weeks. The Samsung will be followed by Android, WebOS and Blackberry entries in the coming months. By the end of the first quarter of 2011 we should have a better idea if anyone can really challenge Apple in this segment.

iPad nabs 95.5 percent of tablet market originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When people think of the name Marshall in the context of music, they often picture stacks of amplifiers that are meant to amplify the sound of guitars so that anywhere from dozens to hundreds of thousands of people can hear it. Now Marshall is going from spreading the music to keeping it private.

On November 15, Marshall will introduce its first set of headphones. So far they’re in testing, but we do know that Marshall will offer at least two models, an over-the-ear set of cans dubbed Major and in-the-ear units called Minor. Full specs haven’t been released but Major will apparently have a gold-plated 1/4-inch plug and urethane pads.

Minor apparently has a unique Ear-Click design that helps keep the buds in your ear canal when you’re working out. No other details are available, but we’d wager that both units will be pricier and better sounding than the white buds that came in that iPod or iPhone package.

[via iPoddNN]

Marshall goes from amplifying music for the masses to private headphones, earphones originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Base One Labs introduces ImpactBand, a beefier alternative to iPhone bumper

Base One Labs introduces ImpactBand, a beefier alternative to iPhone bumper originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What’s better than an iPhone, or even an iPad for that matter? How about a table with full multi-touch capabilities that just requires a simple cable connection from your iPhone?

That’s exactly what the guys at Table.Connect (their website isn’t currently up and running) are demonstrating in the video on the next page. The heck with Microsoft’s $12,500 Surface, a similar table with touch capabilities — this is something that a lot of iOS fans will eat up.

There’s no word on availability or pricing yet.

Continue reading iPhone table connector project gets a demo video

iPhone table connector project gets a demo video originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holiday shoppers in the U.S. looking to buy an iPhone will soon have another retail option, as Target will start carrying the iPhone 4 and 3GS as of November 7th. Actually, shoppers will have 846 more options, as that’s how many Target stores cover the country.

You’ll find a kiosk in your store similar to the one pictured at right, so they shouldn’t be hard to find. At this point, we think it’s safe to say that the supply shortages on the iPhone 4 are officially a thing of the past.

Target will sell iPhone 4 and 3GS as of Nov. 7 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reghardware is reporting that Apple has dropped the international price on Mac mini from £649 to £599 for the base model. In fact, Apple implemented a £50 price reduction across the board in the UK.

Those paying in Euros also benefit, as that same model (2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo) dropped from 809 € to 709 €. Additionally, the 2.66GHz Snow Leopard Server mini also dropped 150 € in price to 999 € (from 1149 €). Mini prices remained unchanged in Canada, the U.S. and and Australia.

GigaOM suggests the drop could be a response to the Mac’s recent loss of worldwide market share. That’s certainly possible. In any case, the diminutive mini just became more attractive for a number of shoppers. If you’ve been eying one, now is the time to buy.

[Via GigaOM]

Mac mini prices drop outside the US originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Security company Sophos has today released a free Home Edition of its Mac virus scanner suite. This is a timely move by Sophos to get an early foothold in what could become a significant market for aftermarket OS X security tools.

While it’s true that Macs have, until now, enjoyed a relatively blissful life free of viruses and other malware, increasing market share means we can sadly expect to see more bad guys target us from now on.

There are more examples of recent Mac security problems on the Sophos company blog, and while (of course) they are motivated to scare you into using their product, they aren’t making it up either.

Sophos releases free Mac anti-virus package originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you like to be able to mount a non-jailbroken iOS device as a disk on your Mac or PC? And what if this capability was (for a limited time) free? My guess is that a lot of you would take someone up on an offer like this.

Developer Macroplant has come up with a solution that runs on a Mac with OS X 10.5 or 10.6, or on a PC with Windows XP/Vista/7, that allows you to view the contents of your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Phone Disk lets you open, copy and save files directly on the device, and you can mount multiple devices simultaneously. If you’re a Mac user, you see the iOS file system in the Finder, while Windows users can view it in Windows Explorer. The app runs in the system tray in Windows or the menu bar in Mac OS X, so it’s out of the way, but available when you need it.

Note that Phone Disk will not give you “real” root access to your iOS device — the program allows you to access media files (photos, music, and even apps), but system-level access still requires a jailbreak. Still, this is more access than non-jailbreakers can get otherwise — if you know where to look, you can even pull soundtrack files out of the apps installed on your iPhone.

Through December 1st, 2010, the developer is giving away Phone Disk for free. You just need to download and then unlock the software with the registration code available here.

[via Macgasm]

Phone Disk: Mounting your iOS device in OS X or Windows for free originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A new iPad ad hit the TV screens of America last night. The new ad, “Electric,” shows Apple’s tablet as being “cinematic”, “elementary”, “academic”, “full-size”, “presenting”, “bought”, “sold”, “fantasy”, and finally “electric.” For the first time in the history of these ads, the piano riff is replaced in the last few seconds with a blast from an electric guitar connected to the US$19.99 AmpliTube app with a $39.99 iRig interface.

It’s another example of just how many different uses there are for the iPad. Anybody think that Apple is going to sell a few of these puppies over the holiday season?

[via RazorianFly]

Found footage: New ad declares that ‘iPad is electric’ originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you had a smart pogo stick, wouldn’t you want it to run apps? It just makes sense, in a strange sort of way.

Thanks to Sesame Workshop and those lovable Muppets, here’s your Tuesday No Comment. Click the image or Read More to see the video.

[via Switched Tumblr, Laughing Squid & Minyanville]

Continue reading No Comment: Sesame Street’s iPogo and the App for That song

No Comment: Sesame Street’s iPogo and the App for That song originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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