Category: I-phone

More Mac 101, tips and tricks for the novice Mac user.

I’ve been using the Mail app in Mac OS X for a good four or five years now. I thought I pretty much knew most of how to use it, but today I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I’ve just stumbled across a nifty little feature that I hadn’t known about before, and it’s going to make a small, but significant improvement to the way I do email in Mail app.

In replying to an email in Mail.app, when you hit the reply button all the text from that email is inserted into the reply message (like all other email clients). However, having just been sifting through a rather complex message & trying to decipher a few key areas, I selected a specific portion of text to copy and insert into the reply message to illustrate and help clarify a few points.

This is a practice I usually follow, but in haste, I selected the text I wanted to copy before I’d created the reply message. When I hit the reply button, I suddenly realized that I had a reply message with only the selected text from the previous mail present.

If you select text in Mail.app and then hit the reply button, Mail.app will automatically insert the selected text into the reply message whilst leaving everything else behind. This is useful if you want to quote a specific piece of text in a reply message, but not make the recipient trawl through the previous conversations to get there (and it saves you cutting and pasting the text, too).

I’m sure this is quite obvious to veteran Mac users, but that’s why this is a Mac 101; for new Mac users, and those slightly less proficient with email, it’s a little tip to make your email experience that much more pleasant.

Let us know if you have any helpful tips for using Mail.app in the comments below.

Mac 101: In Mail.app, reply with selected text originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well that was fast. In just three years, Apple has become the forth-largest phone maker worldwide. According to an IDC report, Apple moved into the 4th position in the 3rd quarter of 2010, overtaking competitor Research In Motion (RIM). As of IDC’s report, the top vendors are, in order:

1. Nokia
2. Samsung
3. LG Electronics
4. Apple
5. RIM
6. SonyEricsson

Apple’s ascent has also pushed SonyEricsson and Motorola out of the top five. IDC notes that Apple’s iPhone as well as Android phones from HTC and Samsung boosted overall smartphone performance in Western Europe. In the U.S., the smartphone market grew in the 3rd quarter while sales of traditional phones fell, despite attempts to add smartphone-like features.

Finally, IDC notes that Apple managed to outsell RIM by 1.7 million units, and Sony Ericsson by 3.7 million units during the 3rd quarter while releasing the iPhone 4 in 17 new countries. All of this despite the “antenna issue” that was supposed to seriously hinder performance.

Congratulations to everyone at Apple.

[Via Electronista]

Apple is now the fourth-largest phone maker worldwide originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In 2007, we saw the first generation iPhone in some comically large costumes (video on the next page). Last year we brought you the footage of Reko and John sporting giant TV screens with jailbroken iPhones powering the costumes. They used “updated” iPhones, but still sported square edges and no touchscreen interfaces. This year John Savio goes it alone with an updated, touchscreen iPhone 4 costume that’s the best we’ve seen.

With a light on the back to simulate the LED camera light, a 40-inch LED LCD panel strapped to sandwich board and a 12-volt battery, the entire rig weighs 75 pounds. Quite a way to work off all that candy. Watch a painfully awkward yet strangely adorable video of the costume on the next page.

[via Switched and iPhoneSavior]

Continue reading Found Footage: iPhone costume update includes working 40″ LCD

Found Footage: iPhone costume update includes working 40″ LCD originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has released updates for Logic Pro 9, its flagship digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer application and Logic Express, its lighter counterpart.

Both the Logic Pro 9.1.3 update (193.1 MB) and the Logic Express 9.1.3 update (139.68 MB) improve general stability and compatibility and addresses issues including:

• Resolves problems related to the support of Hyper-Threading
• Improved compatibility with 6 and 12-core Mac Pro systems
• Support for iOS control surface apps that utilize the OSC protocol
• REX files now supported in 64-bit mode
• Improved compatibility with select Audio Unit plug-ins

Both updates require Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later and are recommended for all users of Logic Pro 9 and Logic Express 9 respectively.

Further details on the Logic Pro update can be found here, and on the Logic Express update here.

Logic Pro and Logic Express updated originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint recently noticed an increase in sales of its Overdrive (3g/4g) MiFi wireless hotspot, and it seems the iPad is behind it all. In an interview with GigaOM, Sprint’s chief executive officer, Dan Hesse, noted that most iPads sold are Wi-Fi only. Since their introduction, his company has seen an increase in sales of the Overdrive.

When asked about the iPhone, Hess refused comment, stating that Sprint policy is to refrain from commenting on its relationship with vendors. He also noted that Sprint is banking its future on great customer experience, a simple value proposition and finally the actual devices (in that order). Currently, Sprint is carrying BlackBerry and Android phones, while arch-rival Verizon is almost a lock to be selling the iPhone next year.

Meanwhile, Verizon is addressing the iPad-plus-hotspot trend directly by offering iPad/MiFi bundles in its retail stores. For those who want to support an iPad in addition to a few other devices, it’s not a bad way to go.

How the iPad is benefiting Sprint’s mobile broadband sales originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OS X’s built-in Calculator.app has built-in support for currency conversions. To get accurate results, you have to update the currency exchange rates from inside the application.

This feature is currently broken for many users, as I discovered after it wouldn’t work for me. Several threads on the Apple Discussion forums show this is a “known issue” with no known fix at this time. This seems to be happening to users of both Leopard and Snow Leopard.

In the meantime, you can use the “Unit Converter” widget which is still working and updates successfully. You can add the widget by clicking on the “+” in Dashboard, or by double-clicking on it from /Library/Widgets/.

Some users are reporting that other conversions are not working either. I did not have that problem, but if you do you can try deleting the ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Calculator.plist file (where ~ means your Home folder).

If you need to do currency conversions but don’t want to use Dashboard, you can use Google instead; it will accept plain language conversions such as “20 euro to us dollars” and will offer other currency conversions as well.

Calculator’s currency calculations currently kaput originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a profile of Verizon’s CEO Ivan Seidenberg, Fortune couldn’t quite get him to spill the beans on the upcoming Verizon ‘dream phone,’ as the story’s headline puts it. Still, between the timeline of meetings between Seidenberg and Steve Jobs, and the story of how Verizon and Google found common ground on net neutrality, writer Sarah Ellison lays it on the line. Like the Wall Street Journal before it, Fortune is now confirming a 2011 launch for the long-awaited Verizon iPhone.

The report suggests the phone will be a 3G-only unit (sorry, would-be 4G early adopters) and most likely will not carry a SIM slot and GSM radio to allow worldwide roaming, at least not in the first version of the device. It’s also possible that the phone will include live FIOS TV streaming video service, much as the company’s anticipated iPad app will do.

We won’t know the exact plan until Ivan and Steve take the stage at some undisclosed future date — but if you’re a Verizon customer with your upgrade date coming up in the next few months, you might want to think twice before getting that new Droid while re-upping your contract.

Verizon iPhone definitely coming in 2011, says Fortune originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like every other publicly traded company, Apple Inc. is required to file a form 10-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission every three months. These typically contain some interesting bits of information that aren’t necessarily revealed in press releases. Apple’s most recent 10-K chronicles its unit sales and per-unit revenue for its just completed 2010 fiscal year.

Apple sold almost 13.7 million Macs in 2010, a 31 percent increase compared to 2009. Interestingly, portables (not including the iPad) accounted for almost two-thirds of that total. Nonetheless, desktops still grew faster than portables with a 45 percent increase to almost 4.7 million units. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t break out sales of specific models, so we’re not sure which machines account for the growth. However, it’s a safe bet that the huge and gorgeous 27-inch iMac, and perhaps the latest generation mini, accounted for most of the increase. Overall revenue per unit for all Macs (portable and desktop) dropped off a bit from $1,333 last year to $1,279, which points to success for both the mini and the plastic MacBooks.

The U.S. market has always been the strongest for Apple, but the increasing popularity of the iPhone and the opening of new retail stores overseas seems to be helping Mac sales, too. Overseas Mac growth outpaced the U.S. in 2010 with Asia-Pacific in particular jumping 62 percent to 1.5 million units while Europe was up 36 percent to almost 3.9 million units.

All of these Mac sales, however, are dwarfed by the iPhone and the iPad. Global Sales of the iPhone nearly doubled last year to 40 million units while nearly 7.5 million people picked up the new tablet in its first six months on the market. You can check out all of the details of Apple’s 10-K right here.

[Via Mac Daily News]

Apple Inc. files SEC form 10-K with sales figures originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that iPhone 4 sales in Germany have passed from the exclusive realm of T-Mobile to O2 and Vodafone as well, AppleInsider reports that customers there can also opt for a carrier-free version of the superphone. Apple has previously offered unlocked iPhones in some other countries, including France where the option is required by law. However, this is the first time that Germans have been able to order the iPhone from the Apple store there and pop in whatever SIM card they want.

Unlocked and contract-free phones are common in Europe, and SIM cards with prepaid voice and data buckets are readily available. People that travel overseas on a regular basis often buy unlocked GSM phones and local SIM cards to avoid extortionate roaming rates. Of course, avoiding a carrier commitment doesn’t come cheap. An 8GB 3GS will run about US$715 in the German Apple online store or at any of the four brick and mortar outlets in Germany. Fourth generation models will cost $866 or $1,017 for the 16 and 32GB versions respectively.

Apple offers unlocked, carrier-free iPhone in Germany originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega’s classic ChuChu Rocket! puzzle title is on the App Store for both iPhone and iPad right now. I’ve been waiting for this one for a while. I loved the old Dreamcast version, and the remake for the iPhone not only recreates the mouse-redirecting gameplay (you place arrows on a board to guide mice around cats and into their mouseholes), but it adds a few iOS-specific features as well. There are 145 puzzles to play through, and as a special treat, Sega has added a one to four player multiplayer capability via Apple’s Game Center; there are achievements to score as well.

The iPhone version is US$4.99, which is less than you’d pay if you found the used Dreamcast version in a store somewhere. The iPad version is $6.99, but it includes a multiplayer mode where up to four players can play on one screen — it sounds pretty crazy. This one is a classic puzzler that you should definitely check out even if you never played the old game. We’re lucky to have it up and running on iOS.

TUAW’s Daily App: ChuChu Rocket! originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When I purchased my MacBook Pro in early 2008, I threw down US$69 for a .Mac (now known as MobileMe) membership. I expected to get an email confirmation of my .Mac order (which I did), followed shortly by another email with an activation code.

Instead, I received the hot mess you see in the pic above (US size 9.5 shoe included for scaling purposes). First, a huge FedEx package, about the same size as the current MacBook’s packaging. Rattling around inside of it was a cardboard box with .Mac emblazoned on the front, large enough to fit a CD or DVD inside. But instead of a CD or DVD, I found a small paper booklet with a sticker on the front page containing my activation code. In all, it was about a pound of packaging (at least) for something that really didn’t need to be mailed to me at all.

Nearly three years later, the situation hasn’t improved. The New York Times notes that MobileMe’s packaging needs to go on a diet, and they’re absolutely right. Apple’s made a big deal in recent years about its push for “greener” practices in both its products and its packaging, and they’ve made big strides. In 2006, Greenpeace gave Apple very poor ratings for its environmental practices. Greenpeace spent the next few years hounding Apple for its environmental record, until earlier this year when Apple got top ratings. Apple has since slipped to ninth place in the rankings.

Continue reading MobileMe may be Apple’s least “green” product, packaging-wise

MobileMe may be Apple’s least “green” product, packaging-wise originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comedian/musician/mad genius Reggie Watts found himself sans equipment (seems to be going around) when he was being interviewed on Sirius XM radio, but that didn’t slow him down one bit. He pulled out his iPhone 4, and using a looping app (possibly Everyday Looper, $5.99) he improvised a number that absolutely wowed host Ron Bennington and the rest of the folks in the studio. Be sure to listen for Bennington’s final line.

Seeing this, you wonder: are the rest of us really getting the maximum utility out of these ridiculously powerful miniature computers disguised as phones?

[via CrunchGear, hat tip to C.K. Sample III]

Found Footage: Reggie Watts and his iPhone rock Sirius XM originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guys of jLe Productions, who created iPhone 4 FaceTime, Antenna and iPad banned promo videos, are back with another hilarious iPhone 4 version, taking a shot at the missing white iPhone 4.

Checkout the video after the jump…

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Sherif Hashim reports that Apple has blocked the trick to activate iPhone with Phonebook SIM card. Sherif Hashim is the same guy who found the trick to activate iPhone with Phonebook SIM card and exploit to unlock iPhone baseband.

iPhone Activation via Phonebook SIM card was the best thing in the age of Spirit and Jailbreakme jailbreaks which required your iDevice to be activated before using the jailbreak. However, with tools like Limera1n, Greenpois0n, PwnageTool and Sn0wbreeze featuring bootrom exploit, there’s no need for any SIM to active iPhone because jailbreak tools do this (hacktivation) for you.

You can follow us on Twitter, Join us at Facebook, and also Subscribed to RSS Feed to receive latest updates.

Also checkout:

• How to: Jailbreak iOS 4.1
• How to: Downgrade iOS 4.2 to iOS 4.1
• Appsync 4.1 : install cracked games