Category: I-phone

Apple has announced a new version of iPhoto in iLife ’11, and it brings a boatload of new features to the table, including:

• Full screen browsing of all Events, Albums, Maps, and pretty much everything else.
• “Smart” slideshows that use your location information from Places to create dynamic shows that use maps from places you’ve been.
• Floating menus that allow for operation of the entire app from the full screen mode.
• Deep Facebook and Flickr integration that syncs all of your photos both ways, regardless of whether or not they were added by iPhoto.
• A new email template feature that creates some stunning HTML email galleries of your photos.

All of this is wrapped in a gorgeous iOS-styled interface (look at the bottom navigation bar)! More to come in the near future.

iPhoto ’11 brings huge updates to printing, full screen, Facebook sharing originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One in five PCs sold in the United States is a Mac, making up 20.67% of U.S. consumer market share, and bringing in triple the amount of money the Mac has earned since fiscal year 2005.

That’s the amazing number that Tim Cook, Apple’s COO, shared at the beginning of today’s “Back to the Mac” conference. Other awesome numbers?

• Year-over-year growth is 27% for the Mac compared to 11% for the PC
• There are 600,000 Mac developers
• 33% of Apple’s revenue comes from the Mac. That’s enough to fund a Fortune 500 company on its own, and would rank 110th on the list (though it was made clear Apple has no plans to spin the Mac off)
• More than 75 million people have visited an Apple Store within the last business quarter
• The stores in China have the highest traffic of any Apple Store, signifying lots of potential in that company

All very impressive numbers for Apple’s traditional computing platform. iPhones and iPads are no slouches, either, of course, but the Mac is stronger than ever.

Apple: Mac sales could sustain a Fortune 500 company by itself originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By now you’ve probably read our predictions for today’s Apple event, and we’re sure that you’ve dusted off your crystal ball as well and come up with your own good ideas about what we’ll see and hear today. Now it’s time for the TUAW gang to provide you with a play-by-play and commentary of what’s going on at the event through our liveblog. For those of you who are working in offices where you’re not allowed to watch streaming video, we’ll give you a detailed report on what’s happening, even if Apple is streaming the event (so far, they haven’t announced that they are).

We’ll also be entertaining your questions and tweeting highlights on Twitter. Follow us on @tuaw and @tuawlive, or send your questions to us via @ask_tuaw.

Will there be news of a revised MacBook Air? How about Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion?” Perhaps the focus might be on iWork ’11 and iLife ’11, or cloud-based storage and apps as part of a more cloud-based MobileMe. Maybe we’ll see a fusion of iOS design elements into Mac OS X, or an App Store for Macs.

Regardless of the news that we hear in the next hour or two, it’s sure to be interesting, controversial, and even (in some cases) frustrating. There may be devices that ship today, but some things we hear about might not make it from Cupertino for another year.

We have a guest blogger providing TUAW with content from the event today: Sam Levin from AppMinute, who joined me a few weeks ago on TUAW TV Live. Sam is there with his iPad in hand, and he’ll be updating us live from the floor. And now? Enjoy the show. The actual Apple event is scheduled to begin at 10 AM PDT.

Continue reading TUAW Liveblog of the Apple ‘Back to the Mac’ event

TUAW Liveblog of the Apple ‘Back to the Mac’ event originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At a recent talk in Taiwan, Chairman J.T. Wang said he believes demand for netbooks is stable except in the US and the UK. I’m sure that is his hope and fondest dream.

Wang said he thought that early sales of the iPad were simply the result of a rush for the new device. He added that most iPad users were switching to desktops and laptops to write text documents or spreadsheets.

When asked about Acer’s loss of market share, the Chairman replied that the drop was “…mainly due to competitors cutting prices to compete, and that Acer did not follow suit.”

The report, carried in DigiTimes, noted that the Acer tablet is behind schedule. It will supposedly have a 7″ screen and be based on Android. Wang says the company is waiting for “related technologies to mature.”

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said earlier this week that 7″ tablets are not terribly usable, despite rumors that Apple has been working on a tablet of that size.

[Via Electronista]

Acer Chairman says iPad impact not serious originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pwnapple heads rejoice. The iPhone dev team has just released PwnageTool 4.1 for Mac OS X. Updated to use the recent geohot limera1n exploit, the new tool provides 4.1 jailbreaks for the Apple TV 2G, iPad (3.2.2), iPod touch (3G, 4G), and iPhone (4, 3GS, and 3G).

For download details, please hop over to the team’s announcement post to grab a copy of the official torrent or to find an unofficial mirror.

Thanks to Brad for the heads-up.

Pwnage tool 4.1 released originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No, cries the masses as they click on their web browsers in vain to view the Apple Store. But, never fear, it shall be back eventually and we’ll have the latest on any changes that are made. New MacBook Air? New iLife or iWork? Patience is a virtue.

The store is down! originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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7digital, a UK-based online music store that offered the first DRM-free tracks from the four major music labels, has submitted an iPhone music store app to Apple, which is currently pending approval by Apple.

The app, already available on Android and BlackBerry phones (it’s the number one music app on the BlackBerry app store with 500,000 installs), offers an iPod and iTunes music service replacement. If approved, the 7digital app will compete directly with iTunes on iOS devices.

Offering users the ability to browse, download and play music from the 7digital music store on their iOS device (over 3G or Wi-Fi), the 7digital app will sync users’ downloaded music wirelessly to their computers, too – something iTunes does not currently offer. The tracks are offered in 328kbps high quality format and 7digital also plans to introduce a streaming service in the future, though, obviously this would require a further approval from Apple.

According to 7digital’s blog, they now offer “the most comprehensive mobile [music] offering on the market.” That’s a bold statement to make. Having just released their Android app as well as their recently announced, mobile-optimized, web-based, HTML5 forward compatible online music store (accessible on most smartphones as well as scaling for tablet computers, too), 7digital appears to have a certain Apple iTunes Music Store in their crosshairs (if not all digital music stores).

To top it all off, 7digita has announced that there API is powering the music service on Toshiba’s Folio 100 tablet as well as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab music hub, which 7digital believes will be a “real contender” against the iPad. Although, if the Galaxy Tab’s 7-inch screen is anything to go by, Steve Jobs doesn’t seem to think it will be very successful.

With Steve Jobs recently saying the iOS model isn’t closed, but rather “integrated,” will Apple approve an app that is in direct competition with its own iTunes Music Store? It’s a tough one to call. Apple has allowed streaming apps like Pandora into the App Store, but to approve an app that would directly purchase and download music on an iOS device that’s not from iTunes, that’s the big question. We’ll keep you posted on any further developments.

[via theAppleBlog]

Would-be iTunes competitor pending App Store approval originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen an iPhone-controlled R2-D2, a quadricopter, a dog treat dispenser, a tank, and even an iPhone-controlled soda machine. But c’mon people, let’s get a little more practical here — let’s hook it up to a massage chair. That’s exactly what Human Touch did with the HT-9500. For just US$4,999, you can sit back, relax, and let your iPhone do the massaging. The free HT-Connect app designed to work with the chair allows you to control posture and massage frequency, and you can even set schedules and create programs designed to work your back in just the right way.

Sure, sure, playing Angry Birds or texting friends on your iPhone might be cheaper, but this chair lets you — oh wait. Yeah, that’s the… oh yeah, right there. Oooohhhh yyeeahhhhh.

[via Engadget]

Chill out with the iPhone-powered massage chair originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As the clock ticks down toward today’s Back to the Mac event, Engadget relays some insider info from a trusted source regarding the capabilities and specs of the all-but-certain MacBook Air 11.6″ form factor subnotebook.

The details:

• 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (with a 2.33GHz BTO option). No surprise that the Core i3/i5 was too much oomph for this configuration.
• 2GB of memory
• Mini DisplayPort, USB, and SD card reader along the left-hand side and USB and power on the right. The addition of the 2nd USB port is sure to cheer the hearts of would-be buyers.
• Buttonless trackpad like the rest of the line.
• About the same thickness as the current MacBook Air.
• A black power key now sits immediately to the right of a smaller eject key on the MBA’s keyboard — the round aluminum power button is gone.

Engadget also says their source could not lock down the rumored SSD-on-a-stick storage changes, so that remains mysterious. Apple Insider and Cult of Mac originally reported the likelihood of the smaller MBA.

We’ll be live in just about 2 hours with our coverage of the announcements. See you then!

Rumor: MacBook Air downsized details previewed originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s Wednesday, October 20th, and that can only mean two things: it’s my wife’s birthday, and there’s an Apple event going on today. TUAW won’t be covering my spouse’s 55th birthday, but we will have plenty of coverage of all the news that comes out of the “Back to the Mac” event.

As Dave noted earlier, we now expect a QuickTime stream to be available for the event, so you should be able to watch along with us.

We’ll start our liveblog coverage at 9:45 AM PDT (12:45 PM EDT) today. TUAW editors and bloggers Victor Agreda, Mike Rose, Erica Sadun, and Dave Caolo are joining me to provide commentary and reports as the news comes through. Sam Levin from AppMinute is our man on the street at the event, keeping us posted with his take on what is happening as it’s happening. As with all of our liveblogs, we welcome your comments and questions in the live chat.

At 12:30 PM PDT (3:30 PM EDT), Mike Rose and I will be hosting a special early edition of TUAW TV Live. We’ll be discussing the announcements from the event and sharing our opinions, and you can join us in the chat.

Throughout the day, we’ll be posting detailed information about all of the announcements, so keep your browser open and pointed at TUAW.com. We’re excited about today’s event, and we hope that you can experience it along with TUAW.

TUAW coverage of today’s ‘Back to the Mac’ event originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With only hours to spare, it seems that Apple has announced its intentions to live stream today’s press event — at least it’s been announced to Italian customers.

According to Italian site setteB.IT, Apple has issued a media alert stating their intention to live stream today’s big announcements. Macstories has posted the full text of the press release, which states (Italian-to-English translation from Babelfsh):

“Apple(R) will transmit to online own event of 20 October using the Live Streaming HTTP of Apple to the vanguard in the field. The vision demands or a Mac(R) with Safari(R) on Mac OS(R) X version 10,6 Snow Leopard(R), or iPhone(R) or a iPod touch(R) with iOS 3,0 or successive version, or a iPad[TM]. The broadcast live it will begin to the 10:00 a.m. 20 PDT of October, 2010 on www.apple.com.”

As of this writing, there is no official announcement on Apple.com*or its Italian PR page, so keep that in mind while reading this post. It’s exciting, but we’d prefer to hear it from the domestic horse’s mouth.

If it does indeed happen, it will be only the 2nd live stream from Apple to require QuickTime X (the Apple TV announcement was the first).

*Update: Apple has posted an announcement.

Italian Apple PR: Apple to live stream today’s event [Updated] originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All props to Polish blog spidersweb.pl this morning, as they did a bit of sneaky digging into Apple’s support forums to turn up compelling evidence of some of the products we expect to see later today.

Knowing that when the forum administrators create new support categories the forum URLs get sequential numbers, writer Przemys?aw Paj?k got curious. Simply editing the address of the forum site to go past the most recent addition (the Apple TV, at #276) reveals a ‘Reserved 10 20‘ forum — aha!

That alone is a fun discovery, but if you keep going as Spider’s Web did, you will rapidly discover forums for iMovie, GarageBand and iPhoto ’11, followed by a forum for ‘MBA (Need Official Name).’ Oops.

If you have “new iLife” and “new MacBook Air” on your Keynote Bingo card, might as well start chilling the champagne now. You might also spare a good thought for the Apple Support forum administration team, which is almost certainly going to have a pretty lousy day at work.

Also note the absence of iWeb and iDVD from the presumptive product line.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Apple support forums inadvertently leak 10/20 product announcements originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bebot is still one of my favorite apps on the App Store, and mScribble, a recently revamped app from Appular and a developer named Panpipes Ho!, reminds me a lot of Bebot in its simplicity and versatility. That’s pretty high praise indeed if you’re as big a fan of Bebot as I am, but if you’ve never heard of Bebot, let me explain. mScribble is an app that generates a melody for you on the fly. The app plays a simple drum beat in the background with whatever rhythm you want — there are nine to choose from in the app’s menu). Drawing a scribble on the screen plays notes in a melody that’s already lined up to the tune. It sounds complicated, but the app does all of the hard work — just swiping across the screen gives you music, and with a little bit of practice, you can make some really interesting tunes by just playing around.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as friendly to professional musicians as Bebot. This is more of a music generator than an actual instrument, and there aren’t as many options. Each tune can play four tones, but you’re pretty hard-coded to the drums in the background. But that’s a plus for less experienced players — it means that anyone can sit there, swipe across the screen, and create an interesting melody. It’s a lot of fun, and just the ten minutes of random joy I spent playing around with the app was more than worth the buck they’re charging for it. I’d like to see the idea developed even further (and Bebot is an excellent model), but for just swiping up a tune, mScribble is a great experience.

TUAW’s Daily App: mScribble originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Macsimum news reports that Apple has received a number of patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. These patents include:

• iChat, involving its video conferencing
• A stereo-windowing system with translucent window support involving Quartz Extreme
• A news-feed viewer
• A portable power source
• Two MacBook Air-related patents
• A patent design for the iPhone compass icon

As with all patents, these designs might never appear in actual shipping products (except the iPhone’s compass icon, of course). Then again, we may see evidence of some of them in today’s “Back to the Mac” announcements, especially if the MacBook Air does get updated.

Apple wins patents to MacBook Air, iChat, iPhone compass icon, more originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I know I’m extremely late to the game, but I only just downloaded and started playing Doodle Jump two weeks ago. Since then, I’ve become addicted to it, both on my iPhone and iPad.

Doodle Jump has been updated to version 1.24, which introduces a new Halloween theme: Doodlestein! The update includes new monsters (zombies, vampires, and witches among them) in the Halloween theme, plus broken bone platforms and a broompack (a jetpack made from a witch’s broom).

Doodle Jump developer Lima Sky also announced that the next version of Doodle Jump will support Game Center. Now the only thing I’m waiting for is an iPad version of the app. Version 1.24 of Doodle Jump is free to those who have already purchased the app; for everyone else, Doodle Jump is US$0.99 in the App Store.

Doodle Jump updated to Doodlestein Halloween edition originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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