Category: I-phone

My iMac is about three years old. I know this because my AppleCare is expiring on November 7th, and it extends the including one-year warranty by two years to give a total of three years of coverage. In short, I’m glad I’ve had it and wouldn’t consider owning a Mac without it.

In the last three years, I have had a hard drive replaced (December 2008), a logic board replaced (March 2010), and am currently scheduled to have a second hard drive replacement (late October 2010).

I’m not particularly hard on my computers. They’ve all be plugged into UPS units (I’ve had good success with APC) and treated well and fairly. Perhaps I’m just unlucky. Whatever the reason, choosing AppleCare is a simple matter of numbers: given the number of Macs that Apple sells, if even a fraction of 1% have issues over the course of three years, that’s going to be a significant number.

Others will tell you they’ve owned several Macs, without AppleCare. This is the same lot who never purchases “extended warranties,” which they consider “scams.” To them I say that AppleCare is an exception, especially since Macs are increasingly difficult or impossible to get into. Still others will say that Apple ought to include 3 years’ worth of protection with every Mac they sell. Perhaps, but the world as it exists is often disappointing compared to the world as we wish it existed.

Read on for some suggestions for getting the most out of AppleCare.

Continue reading AppleCare has paid for itself

AppleCare has paid for itself originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW is giving away a gaggle of ghoulishly good gadgets over the next few days. Be sure to come back every day between now and October 30th for a chance to win. The good part of the giveaways? You don’t need to wear a costume to win ’em.

According to the Dictionary app on my Mac, stabile is defined as “a freestanding abstract sculpture or structure, typically of wire or sheet metal, in the style of a mobile but rigid and stationary.” Stabile is also the name of a rugged and sturdy iPad stand from Thought Out.

Using what looks similar to the base from an iMac attached to a set of padded metal “fingers,” the Stabile is perfect for iPad owners who want a way to hold up their devices without wearing out their arms. I can see where the Stabile would be perfect for kiosk applications running on an iPad.

The Stabile comes in two finishes — black solid steel (US$59.99) and silver solid steel (US$69.99). These things are incredibly well built, weighing in at almost 4 pounds. The base has a set of non-slip rubber pads on it, so it’s hard to accidentally move the Stabile when an iPad installed. The center of gravity is low enough that tipping is out of the question as well.

As part of our Trick or Treat with TUAW promotion, we’re giving away a pair of Stabiles to some lucky readers. To enter, just let us know what you’d use your Stabile for — watching movies on your iPad, running a point-of-sale app on the iPad, whatever… Here are the rules:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter, leave a comment telling us how you’ll use the Thought Out Stabile stand with your iPad.
• The comment must be left before midnight on Sunday, October 31st, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
• You may enter only once.
• Two winners will be selected. One will receive a black solid steel Stabile valued at $59.99, while the other winner will get a silver solid steel Stabile value at $69.99.
• Click here for complete official rules.

Good luck!

Trick or Treat with TUAW: Thought Out Stabile iPad stand originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If a new patent application from Apple is any indication, the company is getting obsessive about making sure that future products are highly scratch-resistant.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published Apple’s application this week titled “Nitriding Stainless Steel for Consumer Electronic Products,” outlining methods for depositing a very thin layer (just over 15 microns thick) of nitride to stainless steel to provide scratch and impact resistance. Nitride coatings are unique in that they allow the natural feel and look of the stainless steel to show through, while creating a tough scratch-proof surface.

In the patent filing, Apple notes that stainless steel is a highly desirable material for consumer electronics since it is non-magnetic and doesn’t hinder Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular signals as much as other metals. However, as some iPhone 4 owners have noticed, the material is relatively easy to scratch.

Apple also entered into an agreement with Liquidmetal Technologies earlier in 2010 to explore using the company’s amorphous metal technology in future scratch-proof Apple products. Liquidmetal materials are twice as strong as titanium, but as easy as plastic to process.

[via AppleInsider]

Apple exploring new scratch-proof coating originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The US Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, has officially stated that travelers passing through US airport security with the 11.6-inch MacBook Air will not have to remove the little laptop from their bags for inspection. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with the 13-inch model.

Size is the differentiating factor. According to the TSA blog, any electronic device considered to be of a “standard laptop” size or larger must go through the x-ray machine solo. Apparently, the cutoff point is at or very near thirteen inches. The iPad, Kindle, Nook and other small devices, including the entry-level MacBook Air, may remain stowed away during screening.

As if travelers needed another reason to lust after the thing.

[Via The Mac Observer]

TSA: 11.6-inch MacBook Air is checkpoint-safe originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By now, we all know that the iPad has been a runaway success story, but it seems the iPad is also making waves in the business world, too. According to the Apple Blog, Ted Schadler, from Forrester, has written a report on the impact of the iPad (primarily on the enterprise market, since January 2010). Speaking with more than 200 companies, Schadler’s report points out three major ways that the iPad is changing IT in the enterprise.

Firstly, the iPad is reportedly displacing the traditional laptop, especially in the case of those who would use their laptop primarily for email and other types of Web-based communication, though, at this stage, only in scenarios where it is more appropriate.

Secondly, the iPad is replacing paper. Wherever people would usually carry around stacks of paper or files, particularly in medical and pharmaceutical industries, the iPad is now the preferred choice. Clearly, the iPad has more functionality than a wad of paper, and it’s a lot easier to carry around, too.

Finally, Schadler says that the iPad is allowing companies to do things more efficiently by providing immediate connection to further resources and data. Schadler uses the example of a salesman being able to customize an order for a customer on the spot by using the iPad.

However, Schadler says there are still some pretty significant hurdles for the iPad to jump through. For one, the iPad has minimal support for Microsoft Office, and the Redmond based company doesn’t have any official solutions in the near future to rectify this. This, in part, limits where you can and can’t use an iPad in a Microsoft Office dominated enterprise world.

The Apple Blog has further details on Schadler’s report here, or if your a Forrester subscriber, you can read the full story here.

Report: iPad infiltrating enterprise IT originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RealVNC, the company behind the original VNC remote computing protocol, has added iOS to the list of devices that are supported by its VNC Mobile Solution for Automotive. In general, VNC (virtual network computing) allows users to see the display output from another computer over a network. It’s commonly used to manage servers that are running without an attached monitor.

While a number of automakers have integrated iPod/iPhone control functionality, many of them have implemented rather clunky user interfaces. VNC Mobile will allow the actual iOS interface, including Cover Flow or even Google Maps, to be displayed directly on the larger in-dash touchscreen in the car. This way, a user could just use the larger display to manage what they are listening to without fumbling with the iPod or iPhone. The new version uses the “iPod Out” feature that Apple has built into the latest versions of iOS to provide this capability. Check out the video in the second half of the post.

Update: The video actually shows the capability of the VNC software to display the output of a smartphone using a Nokia N900. RealVNC is utilizing the newly implemented capabilities in iOs 4.1 to do the same thing.

[Via Macnn]

Continue reading RealVNC adds “iPod Out” so cars can display iOS device screen data

RealVNC adds “iPod Out” so cars can display iOS device screen data originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even if Apple CEO Steve Jobs isn’t interested (for now at least) in giving his followers a touchscreen desktop computing experience, Troll Touch is. The company has added touchscreen monitors to its existing lineup with a pair of options based on the latest 27-inch LED-backlit Cinema Display.

Troll Touch is offering an integrated display, where the front glass is replaced with an analog resistive panel, or a user installable option, where the same resistive panel can be applied to an existing display and removed when not needed. Both options come with calibration and driver software.

The integrated unit is priced at US$2,499, and the user installable SlipCover version is $1,099. If you already have a 27-inch display, you can ship it to Troll Tech, and they will install the integrated touch panel for $1,499. Troll Tech also offers touch-enabled versions of other Apple and Dell displays as well as iMacs and plastic MacBooks.

Watching the video in the second half of the post, we’d have to agree with Jobs that a desktop touchscreen just doesn’t really make much sense, especially for extended use. A vertical touch panel, especially one this large, would be very fatiguing. The only place we see this system being useful is for installation into a kiosk.

[Via Macsimum News]

Continue reading Troll Touch announces 27-inch touchscreen Cinema Displays

Troll Touch announces 27-inch touchscreen Cinema Displays originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After a sudden disappearance, it has been confirmed that many Middle Eastern carriers do not support FaceTime. Now, the team at iPhoneislam.com has offered a hack to get the service working.

To make it work, you’ll need a jailbroken iPhone 4 and the Cydia app. Once you’ve added apps.iphoneislam.com to Cydia, grab FaceTime Hacktivator. From there, you should be good to go.

Keep in mind that you jailbreak your iPhone at your own risk. If you’re comfortable with that process and adding apps via Cydia, then have at it.

[Via The Mac Observer]

Hack to defeat Middle East FaceTime block originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GigaOM is reporting on a rumor that Apple has been working with security firm Gemalto, a simcard manufacturer, to create a software-reconfigurable SIM that will be directly integrated into future European iPhones. The iPhone would then be activated on the carrier of your choice by downloading a carrier-specific app from the App Store, instead of the traditional activation methods.

Essentially, Apple wouldn’t have to worry about bundling carrier-specific SIMs with the iPhone and end-users would have only virtual contact with the carriers. Something Google tried to do with the Nexus One.

This would make the overall purchase of an iPhone from Apple’s Online Store, or Apple’s brick-and-mortar stores, a much simpler and smoother process for the end-user — whilst cutting out the retail aspect that carriers currently hold. Although, I can’t imagine carriers not wanting to sell the iPhone directly from their retail stores since the iPhone is such a hot commodity these days.

It’ll be interesting to see how this one pans out.

[via Engadget]

Rumor: Apple, Gemalto working on integrated SIM originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today is October 28th, and that means the iPad is now available in Verizon Wireless and AT&T retail locations. The arrangement was announced October 14th. As a refresher, here’s how it works.

At Verizon stores, the iPad (all models) is sold bundled with a Verizon MiFi 2200. The access point offers a 1GB allowance in exchange for $20/month with no contract. Bundles start at $US630 for the 16GB iPad plus a MiFi and go up to $730 for the 32G model and $830 for the 64GB model. At AT&T stores, 3G models are sold with not external access device.

As the holiday shopping season officially begins, the iPad is available from seven vendors: Apple, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Best Buy, Micro Center, Target and Walmart. That distribution will get the gadget in front of a lot of potential customers. Here’s to a successful shopping season.

iPad now available at Verizon, AT&T stores originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The only company that can make Apple’s products look comparatively ugly is Apple. Take for example the new MacBook Air. Grab one of those babies, put it next to a current MacBook or MacBook Pro, and the bigger notebooks look like monstrosities. Now, I’m sure Apple will start to port many of the improvements of the latest Air — like the SSD chips and improved screens — over to the MacBook and MacBook Pro, but I’m hoping that Apple takes the biggest step that it can regarding the MacBook line and tears out the optical drives.

I’ve owned my 15″ MacBook Pro (the last one to have a removable battery) since June 2009. Not once in my seventeen months of ownership have I ever used the optical drive. I’ve never used it to import music, play a DVD, or burn a CD or DVD. I’m not alone in my realization of having a completely irrelevant piece of hardware on my top of the line laptop either. MG Siegler at our recently acquired sister site, TechCrunch, pretty much noticed the same thing a few weeks ago.

If the MacBook Air really is the sign of the future of Apple’s laptops, then the optical drive just has to go. People own laptops because they take them places. Portability is their main attraction. As Apple has shown us, no optical drive equals more portability. I mean, it’s not like most users need them, is it? When was the last time you actually were out and about and needed to use your optical drive? Were you in a coffee shop, and the guy next to you needed to give you a Word file, so he burned it to a CD? I didn’t think so. There are so many faster, lighter, and more portable ways to transfer data — like USB drives or DropBox — that the optical disc is all but pointless for file transfers. Installing software is also a moot point, since most of us download our software or will buy it through the upcoming Mac App Store. As for watching DVDs? A movie plays better and drains less power on your laptop if it resides on your hard drive.

Continue reading Dear Apple: Tear out your optical drives

Dear Apple: Tear out your optical drives originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Every so often I see a free app that is just dying to be used as an iPhone demonstration. The candidate for today is the American Museum of Natural History app called Cosmic Discoveries.

When you open the app, you see an image of Saturn. It’s a bit crinkly, so you dive in for a closer look, dragging your fingers apart to trigger a zoom. What you’ll find is that the image is composed of many hundreds of pictures that can be expanded to near full screen proportions. The zoom goes almost literally to infinity. Some of the pictures are historical photos of observatories or scientists, while many others are striking images of the planets and deep space objects taken by some of our best observatories, or the Hubble or Spitzer Space Telescopes.

You can explore the images and the attached information for hours. Alas, all things are not perfect. The app doesn’t support the iPhone 4 Retina display. Another big foul up is that you’re given the opportunity to share any image with someone via email, but when the image arrives, text is plastered across the middle of the image suggesting that the recipient download the app, too. It’s hard to believe that the people who want you to enjoy the grandeur of the universe would deface their own images for some cheap promotion, which could have been handled in the text of the email and not in front of the image.

I hope that rather glaring fault gets fixed, but even so, this is a really cool program that you can explore at no cost. You’re bound to learn a few things, and the gigantic zoom is just the thing to show off your iPhone. There’s no iPad-specific version, and the app requires iOS 2.2.1 or later.

Cosmic Discoveries is a great free demo for your iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The guys at Scoopertino have the exclusive details on Apple’s “next big product launch.” According to them, “Apple is making a multimillion-dollar bet” that you’ll want it, too. Apple is set to release their first ever clothing line, dubbed “iWear,” which lets you dress exactly like Steve Jobs. The iWear line will consist of a mock black turtleneck, jeans, gray New Balance 991 sneakers, and a pair of non-prescription Steve Jobs-style glasses. Apple will push the new iWear clothing line with the ad campaign slogan: “Be Like Steve.”

If you haven’t realized by now (and I hope you have), this is just another joke from Scoopertino, a Mac satire news site. Click on over to their site to read the whole article; they’ve got some great “quotes” from Apple’s PR people and have really outdone themselves with iWear mock-ups (including a really funny tag with care instructions for your iWear jeans). And fret not: just because iWear isn’t real, it doesn’t mean you still can’t dress like Steve for Halloween.

Dress like Steve Jobs for Halloween with iWear originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First it was delayed until late 2010, then spring 2011, and this morning’s latest rumors pointed to an outright cancellation of the white version of the iPhone 4. Adding fuel to the cancellation rumors: the white iPhone has unceremoniously disappeared from Apple’s online store. The increasingly mythical white iPhone 4 still shows up in Apple’s iPhone gallery — for now — but the “unavailable for pre-order or in-store pickup” placeholder for the white iPhone 4 that’s been on the Apple Store since the iPhone 4’s debut has vanished.

As soon as we heard the white iPhone 4 was being delayed until spring 2011, most of us felt it was only a matter of time until the device was canceled altogether. The next-generation iPhone — we’ll just call it iPhone 5 for now — is most likely due for release in June or July of next year. That would give a white iPhone 4 only a few months on the market before, in the words of Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, it’d be “dropped to the $99 last-year’s-model cheapskate bin.” Others have speculated that the white iPhone 4 might be a Verizon exclusive; however, that comes at a risk of alienating not just AT&T (and more importantly, its iPhone customers), but also the myriad of international carriers offering the iPhone 4.

Cancelling the white iPhone 4 seems like a foregone conclusion now. At this point in the product cycle, Apple likely wants to devote more of its R&D efforts to the next-gen iPhone rather than spending tons of man-hours, materials, and cash figuring out how to solve the problems with a white version of the iPhone 4 when the black version seems to be selling just fine. Hopefully, when Steve Jobs ascends the stage at WWDC 2011 he’ll show the world an iPhone 5, say “it comes in white,” and this time really mean it.

White iPhone disappears from online Apple Store originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halfbrick Studios is quickly becoming one of the best-loved developers on the App Store. They made a nice hit with Fruit Ninja, and I’m still enjoying their Canabalt-style Monster Dash title. Now, they’ve brought their PSP mini title, Age of Zombies, to the App Store, and it’s another good one.

Originally created for Sony’s handheld, and starring Barry Steakfries (the guy who’s running around in Monster Dash, which this game has more or less been made into a sequel for), Age of Zombies is a dual stick shooter with the same old Halfbrick polish and a cool pixelated aesthetic. The action is fast but still friendly. You blast your way across five different worlds thanks to solid controls, a few witty lines from Steakfries and his dialogue, and a few weapons and power-ups to find on the way. Both Game Center and OpenFeint integration is included as well, along with a survival mode and a few other extras.

The game is US$2.99 right now as a universal app. It’s an excellent game — maybe a little casual for most dual stick fans, but if you’re a big fan of Fruit Ninja and/or Monster Dash, this one is right up your alley. I’m excited to see even more from Halfbrick Studios in the future — it certainly seems like they’re doing very well on the iPhone.

TUAW’s Daily App: Age of Zombies originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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