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We reviewed Sandvox earlier this year, the handy WYSIWYG web editor from Karelia Software. Those looking for very Mac-friendly web design software that requires no coding (or even an iWeb replacement) ought to consider Sandvox. The time is right, too, as version 2.1.10 is in the Mac App Store at a special price (aren’t holiday sales great?).

Typically priced at US$67, you can now grab a copy of the latest version for $49. Version 2.1.10 offers a few new features, like a new Blueprint design and a revamped SFTP publishing system which includes WebDAV subsystems.

In our review, we pointed out the Objects Menu (introduced with version 2.0) which lets you add all manner of useful objects to your site, like a text box, raw HTML, Flickr thumbnails, Twitter tools, IM status, RSS tools and more. Again, no coding is required and the results look great.

Consider a purchase if you’re looking for a Mac-friendly web editor at a bargain price.

Sandvox hits Mac App Store, on sale for limited time originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The DirecTV app for iPad got a significant bump in capabilities today by adding live streaming to giving you essentially a portable TV you can take to any room of your house.

You have to be on the same network as your DirecTV receiver, and not all channels are available. I’m not seeing the pay movie channels, or the local channels, which are all a matter of rights with the owners of those channels. I counted 38 available channels for streaming, including CNN, Fox News, National Geographic, FX, History Channel, Discovery and many more. You can watch the video in a window hovering over the program guide, or watch full screen.

With my multiple tuner DVR I could be watching one channel on the iPad while someone else could be watching another channel on that same receiver, which is pretty handy.

This new update also allows you to change start and end times of a recording if you think a program time needs adjusting. The app has also added an option to set parental controls on your receiver from the iPad.

Other TV providers, notably Comcast, have been working on streaming live TV to the iPad. The app is free and requires iOS 4.2 or later.

Go get it. It’s a worthwhile update.

DirecTV adds live video streaming on iPad originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Walter Isaacson recently appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to promote his biography of Steve Jobs. In the seven-minute interview (embedded below), Stewart and Isaacson discuss the the process of writing the biography while trying to stay objective about its subject — a task Isaacson admits was difficult, especially in the face of Jobs’s long illness.

The two men discuss something I also found fascinating about Jobs when I read the book: his extremely emotional nature.

Stewart: The really interesting thing in the book is how often Steve Jobs cries.

Isaacson: He’s a very emotional person. That was the biggest surprise to me.

Stewart: He is a weeper.

They go on a bit of a tangent after that, but eventually Isaacson gets to the core of both Jobs himself and public opinion of him. “He connected emotion to technology. This is why the outpouring of grief at his death was beyond what most may have expected,” Isaacson says. “I think that emotionalism came from a deep passion for artistic things.”

The real gem of the interview comes at the end, when Isaacson describes the difference between Jobs and Bill Gates. “In the end, [Bill Gates] makes the Zune and Steve makes the iPod.”

Stewart busts out laughing, along with the audience, and responds, “That is the best eulogy I have ever heard in my life.”

The full video’s embedded below (sorry iOS users, Comedy Central doesn’t offer a non-Flash version and there’s nothing we can do about it), and it’s definitely worth watching. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive review of the biography itself, we just happen to have one right here at TUAW.

Jon Stewart interviews Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You’ll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what’s happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today’s Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Daily Update for October 26, 2011 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today’s topic is landlines.

In the age of the iPhone, when each person can have their own voice and data center that travels with them in their pocket (or sits on their desk), what’s the point of land line.

Got no service? Your provider can set you up with a microcell to plug into your router. It runs off your cable data, adding full house-bound coverage.

Want to use traditional handsets that ring throughout the house? You can buy a Bluetooth adapter that hooks into your home wiring and distributes your phone service to the wired handsets.

Many turn to Skype or Vonage for home phones.

So what’s the point of a landline?

You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions.

View Poll

You’re the Pundit: Do you need a landline? originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coming on the heels of the release of Walter Isaacson’s long-anticipated biography of Steve Jobs (and, if you haven’t read Chris Rawson’s review yet, stop what you’re doing and do so), PBS will premiere “Steve Jobs — One Last Thing” on November 2, time depending on local listings.

The documentary appears to be the televised version of what Isaacson’s book has turned out to be — an unflinching look at Jobs’s complex disposition and insights as seen through some of the eyes of the people who knew him best. Featured interviews include Ronald Wayne, the little-discussed third co-founder of Apple; Ross Perot, former U.S. presidential candidate who invested in NeXT Computer as the company was floundering; the Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg; will.i.am., frontman and producer for The Black Eyed Peas; Dean Hovey, designer of Apple’s original mouse; Robert Palladino, the calligraphy professor at Reed College whose classes inspired Jobs with his typography for the Mac; and more.

The documentary also has a never-before-aired 1994 interview where Jobs talks about his life’s philosophy.

Steve Jobs — One Last Thing was produced by Pioneer Productions for PBS and the UK’s Channel 4, which doesn’t have the documentary listed yet, but will most likely be added within the next couple of days.

PBS to air Steve Jobs documentary originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tech.pinions’ Tim Bajarin has opined on why they feel Google and Microsoft hate Siri, citing some excellent sources. As the article states, Google’s Andy Rubin told the Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg, “You shouldn’t be communicating with the phone; you should be communicating with somebody on the other side of the phone.” Likewise, Bajarin quotes Microsoft’s Andy Lees saying it “isn’t super useful.”

The reasons he gives behind Microsoft and Google’s dismissal comes down to two no-brainer answers: Jealously and knowing that Siri will develop into such a powerhouse that it will be a threat to business. And, you know what? He’s right.

Bajarin points out that Siri is a front to some major databases including Yelp and Wolfram Alpha. And, just wait until Apple allows developers at Siri’s API. The possibilities will be endless. Even now, like Remember the Milk has done, developers are figuring out ways to make Siri work for them. Siri’s future paves the way for similar technology to be introduced across all Apple products. Tech.pinions sees Siri as “the gatekeeper to natural language searching” and urges Apple to acquire as many databases as it can to promote this. I think Apple should open the API to developers.

I also think it’s more than gatekeeping.

I had the absolute thrilling experience Tuesday to watch someone be introduced to an Apple product for the first time. I was in a Verizon store starting the process of switching carriers, and the other woman in there was picking up her new iPhone 4S.

It was amazing to see her use Siri for the first time, as the salesman asked for hamburger joints, and Siri responded with several locations. He had her instruct Siri to call her spouse, which it did. She talked for a bit, then started playing with the other features. She called one of her children using FaceTime. I finished my business and left before she did, but watching her morph from skeptic to fan was brilliant. Apple’s most likely gained another lifetime customer.

And a big chunk of it is that Siri makes an already easy-to-use device even easier. Right out of the package, you can press and hold a button and have Siri do so much for you. My grandmother, who had crippling arthritis by the end of her life, could have used Siri to enrich her life.

To circle back to Rubin’s quote, you’re not just communicating with your phone. You’re using it as a bridge to be able to connect with people on the other side of the phone easier. Whoever possesses the technology and ability to do this will be the one to dominate the industry in the future, and right now, the ball is in Apple’s court.

Why Google and Microsoft need to fear Siri originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple is reportedly building a solar farm to provide energy for its North Carolina data center. An erosion permit granted by Catawba County, North Carolina gives Apple permission to transform 171 acres of vacant land across from the data center into a solar farm. The area will be resloped and will include multiple gravel roads that provide access to the solar panels. It’s the first step in a larger plan called Project Dolphin Solar Farm A Expanded. Project Dolphin is the codename given to the construction project behind Apple’s billion dollar data center.

The constucton is in the early stages of planning and very little in known about the farm. Scott Millar, president of the Catawba County Economic Development Corp. and the man who helped bring Apple to the area, was not aware of the solar farm plans. He did not know Apple filed for a permit until the Charlotte Observer brought it to his attention and said he has had “no communication” with Apple about these plans. A building permit which would contain construction details has not been filed.

The only people aware of the solar farm are neighbors of the data center who are complaining about smoke from the property. Apple is burning the field to clear it and, according to residents, is producing a thick smoke that blankets the surrounding area. The burning is also driving animals out of their habitat. “I had a snake on my steps,” says local resident Zelda Vosburgh, “I’ve seen rabbits and squirrels everywhere.”

It’s an eco-friendly move for Apple, but don’t expect to be able to say the iSun is powering your iCloud anytime soon. Most of this solar power will likely go to the office part of the building, and won’t be used to power the servers. Modest estimates suggest the 170 acre solar farm would generate about 24 megawatts of power, which is far below the 40 to 100 megawatts Apple’s datacenter is estimated to use.

[Via DataCenter Knowledge and The Hickory Record]

Apple to build a solar farm next to North Carolina data center originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today’s Daily iPad App is The Weather Channel for iPad. The Weather Channel has had an iPad app practically since the iPad launched in early 2010, but The Weather Channel has released version 3.0 of the app, and it’s a complete rewrite.

Besides an entirely new UI, the new Weather Channel for iPad app borrows some features from other popular iOS weather apps like full-screen animated weather backgrounds for local weather forecasts and in-line hourly forecasts. There’s also an improved mapping feature which lets you view the current weather in select cities around the world on an interactive spinning globe.

Of course, having an entire cable news channel behind your app means it can also do some things the other weather apps can’t, like provide instant news updates and stories, complete with a built-in tweet viewer for The Weather Channel personalities like the constantly over-excited Jim Cantore. The app also offers a nice selection of videos, which include weather forecasts as well as clips from Weather Channel TV shows.

The problems with the new Weather Channel for iPad app, however, are the same as with the old app: the advertising. There’s simply too much of it. There’s actually so much it becomes distracting. Yeah, The Weather Channel for iPad is a free app and they’ve got to make their money back some way, but it would be nice if TWC offered an in-app purchase for $0.99 or so that allowed people to get rid of the ads. Those ads really do keep a good weather app from being a great one.

The Weather Channel for iPad is a free download and requires iOS 4.2 or later and if you want to take advantage of the animated backgrounds, an iPad 2 or later.

Daily iPad App: The Weather Channel originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone 4S has been out for a dozen days, and it’s already proving to be Apple’s most popular phone ever. The 8 MP camera takes spectacular photos and video, the speed of the device in both native operations and running web apps is amazing, and Siri has raised the bar for what a smartphone needs to be.

On today’s TUAW TV Live, I’m going to walk through a lot of the features of this new device, do side-by-side comparisons with an iPhone 4 running iOS 5, talk about Siri in daily use, and — as always — take questions from TUAW TV viewers in the chat room. Is the iPhone 4S enough of an improvement over the iPhone 4 to make for a no-brainer upgrade decision? You’ll find out in just a few minutes.

Below, you’ll find a Ustream livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. Remember that you can also join the chat room via IRC, using server chat1.ustream.tv and room #tuaw-tv.

If you’re driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you’re stuck in traffic, please don’t — keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream App. It’s a universal app and is wonderful on an iPad, both for viewing and participating in the chat.

We’ll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you’re seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. Those who can’t join us for the live edition will be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.

TUAW TV Live: Reviewing the iPhone 4S originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dear Aunt TUAW,

This isn’t a scientific analysis, but I switched to the Mac in 2004 and have owned every product since without issue. Today, however, I am on my third iPad 2 because the mic keeps dying. It seems statistically unlikely to receive two consecutive iPads with defective mics.

The only reason I notice the issue is because I rely on Skype and FaceTime on my iPad. If this is a non-public but real defect then no wonder they don’t want to put pressure on using the mic. Is the hardware different by chance? Design issue?

Your loving nephew,

Brian E.

Dear Brian,

The fail rates on the iPad 2 have been astronomical. Auntie is on her 3rd iPad as well, but for other parts (specifically the bits that do video out mirroring through the cable connector port).

Basically, Auntie doubts that it’s hardware limitations holding back Siri deployment on the iPad 2. She believes Apple wants to maintain an exclusive feature on its premiere product. Plus, Siri is still in beta and its capacities are already being strained by iPhone 4S owners alone.

Nor does Auntie think that the noise cancellation bits on the iPhone (that aren’t on the iPad) play a role here.

Does Auntie think Siri will make it to the iPad? Yes. Is it due to microphone issues? Probably not.

Hugs,

Auntie T.

Dear Aunt TUAW: Are iPad 2 mic issues causing Siri holdbacks? originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the more unsung apps available on the iPad with iOS 5 is Newsstand, Apple’s portal for newspapers and magazines. While many iPad users seem to be unaware of the app and its purpose, publisher Condé Nast is reporting that subscriptions for the digital editions of its titles have jumped 268 percent since Newsstand was released on October 12, 2011.

Single copy sales are also seeing a boost with Newsstand, as the publisher noted a 142 percent gain over the previous eight week period. Condé Nast currently publishes Allure, Brides, Glamour, Self, GQ, Golf Digest, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Wired on the iPad, with Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, and Vogue expected to join the collection by the first part of 2012.

This is great news for Newsstand and for publishers dabbling with electronic editions. Condé Nast reported last month that digital circulation of all of its titles had reached 500,000 readers, with 225,000 of those subscribers receiving the magazines only in digital format. Hearst, a competitor to Condé Nast in the magazine publishing field, reported last month that paid digital downloads of its titles had topped 300,000.

Adobe has touted that their Digital Publishing Suite will soon provide support for Newsstand, so expect to see many more of your favorite magazines on the iPad soon.

Condé Nast sees iPad subscription boom with Newsstand originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Jobs interacted with many people over the course of his career at Apple, NeXT and Pixar. Employees and journalists covering his companies became part of his inner circle and got a rare glimpse of the real man behind the public persona. One such journalist was famed Fortune writer Brent Schlender.

Schlender followed the career of Steve Jobs starting in 1987, covering him when he was at NeXT and then again as head of Apple. In a recent Fortune article, Schlender recounts his time with Jobs over the past two decades. He tells the story of how Jobs laughed when Schlender called him the “graying prince of a shrinking kingdom” in an article that appeared before Jobs introduced the iPod and turned Apple around.

Schlender also recounts a time when Jobs invited him and his children over on a Saturday to show them an early version of Toy Story. Jobs wasn’t interested in Schlender’s opinion, he was watching the kid’s reactions. Even though most of it was an animated storyboard and not fully fleshed out, the children were captivated by what they saw.

You can read more about Jobs’s interaction with Schlender and the media in his piece at Fortune. It may not be as comprehensive as Isaacson’s biography, but it’s still worth a read for those interested in a personal look at the man who co-founded Apple.

Journalist Brent Schlender shares memories of Steve Jobs originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hotels are at a crossroads because of the iPad, says a report from the New York Times. Travelers armed with iPads are taxing WiFi internet connections and causing problems for hotels that want to provide reliable internet service for their visitors.

This bandwidth crunch is the result of iPad owners who use their tablet to stream video, browse the internet and work remotely from their hotel room. David W. Garrison, the CEO of iBAHN, a global provider of digital information systems for hotels, says hotel bandwidth consumption has increased threefold in the past year alone. Dedicated internet service providers can handle this increase, but many hotels have slow internet connections that are easily swamped by this jump in consumption. And this is only the beginning of the iPad problem for hotels. Apple confirmed it has sold 11 million iPads in the past three months and the Gartner Group predicts the total number of iPads in circulation will rise to 100 million by the end of 2012.

Hotel owners will have to decide whether they want to continue offering WiFi service to their visitors that’s inexpensive to provide, but excruciatingly slow or pay to upgrade their bandwidth and institute a paid tiered service for their customers. Customers might frown on paying a meter-based fee, but many don’t like encountering poor internet connectivity when traveling either. Over 2/3rds of business travelers surveyed by iBahn said they would not return to a hotel that had a poor internet connection. According to Garrison, only 10 to 15% of hotels offer tiered service; for the remaining 85 to 90%, it’s time to cough up the cash to improve connectivity or stop offering a dysfunctional service that’s hurting their business.

iPads affect the future of hotel Wi-Fi originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the frustrating things about driving a car with an iPhone (or other smartphone) in tow is syncing its contents with the car’s audio or navigation system. But thanks to Toyota‘s new Toyota Touch Life, that doesn’t have to be so much of a problem anymore.

According to Engadget, Toyota’s new Touch Infotainment system lets iPhone and iPod touch users access a handful of apps directly from their iDevice. By downloading Toyota’s “application launcher,” a free app from the App Store, users can access certain apps on the in-car display, which mirrors iPhone’s screen…in part. Only certain apps are compatible, including Garmin StreetPilot and some Internet news and radio apps like AUPEO!, plus Stitcher, Facebook and Twitter.

Touch Infotainment is exclusive to new new Toyota Verso-S, Yaris and Hilux cars. We don’t know if will become available to the Avensis, Prius or Verso models or as an add-on to existing Toyota vehicles.

Toyota’s Touch Life will “mirror” your iPhone’s display originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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