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If you could get past news of Steve Jobs taking a medical leave of absence, Apple’s earnings call yesterday was not too shabby. With retail sales records in the last quarter, Apple was led by the four China-based stores (two in Beijing and two in Shanghai), which had the best sales figures of any stores worldwide, and the most visitors to boot.

Tim Cook, who took over for Jobs, said that the greater China region — China, Hong Kong and Taiwan — brought in US$2.6 billion in the quarter, which was four times as much as the sales for the same period in the previous year.

Chinese consumers’ well-known taste for luxury goods does indeed include all things Apple, as the desire to own the very best is the mark of many of China’s newly rich. One devoted Apple user we spoke to in China says that the iPad is doing especially well, and it’s “a must for all kinds of awards and prizes, lucky draws, internet activities, promotions, you name it.”

As great as Apple’s sales figures are, China’s love for the brand is even greater if you factor in unauthorized sales in the country. Many Apple products sold inside China originate from outside the nation’s borders.

Apple fared well in the rest of Asia too, with sales in Japan up 83 percent year-over-year. Korea’s sales were up as well, driven by strong sales of the iPhone and iPad.

With such strong results in the Asia-Pacific region, Cook says the company will be devoting more resources to the area to take advantage of the high demand.

Continue reading Apple Stores in China contribute to Apple’s record quarterly sales

Apple Stores in China contribute to Apple’s record quarterly sales originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Before the iTunes App Store marks its 10,000,000,000th app download, Apple has posted the top iPad apps of all times. Checkout the complete list of Top iPad Apps and Games of All times below…

Also check: Top iPhone Apps and Games

SoundHound leads the top 10 PAID iPad apps and Pandora reigns the Top Free Apps category. Here’s the list of Top iPad Apps of All Times:

All-Time Top Paid iPad Apps

[iTunes Link]

1. SoundHound
2. StickWars
3. FlightTrack
4. Backbreaker Football
5. Calorie Tracker
6. BlocksClassic
7. iFart Mobile
8. GoodReader for iPad
9. Cro-Mag Rally
10. Ambiance

All-Time Top Free iPad Apps

[iTunes Link]

1. Pandora
2. Google Mobile App
3. Movies by Flixster
4. Google Earth
5. Yelp
6. Fandango Movies
7. Remote
8. iBooks
9. Bible
10. Solitaire

As iPeople are counting down to the 10,000,000,000th app download, Apple has listed the top iPhone apps of all times. Checkout the complete list of Top iPhone Apps of All times below…

The top 10 FREE iPhone apps of all times includes 9 apps. Paper Toss is the only game in Free Apps category. Facebook iPhone leads the Top FREE iPhone apps category.

The top 10 PAID iPhone apps of all times comprises of 9 games. AppBox Pro Alarm is the only application that could make it to the Top PAID apps and Doodle Jump reigns the Paid apps category.

Here’s the list of Top iPhone Apps of All Times:

Also check: Top iPhone Apps and Games

Top Paid iPhone Apps

[iTunes Link]

1. Doodle Jump
2. Tap Tap Revenge 3
3. Pocket God
4. Angry Birds
5. Tap Tap Revenge 2.6
6. Bejeweled 2 + Blitz
7. Traffic Rush
8. Tap Tap Revenge Classic
9. AppBox Pro Alarm
10. Flight Control

All-Time Top Free iPhone Apps

[iTunes Link]

1. Facebook
2. Pandora
3. Google Mobile App
4. Shazam
5. Movies by Flixster
6. The Weather Channel
7. Google Earth
8. Bump
9. Skype
10. Paper Toss

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An image found in the iOS 4.3 beta 2 confirms that Camera, FaceTime and PhotoBooth are coming to the iPad 2. MacRumors found an image named homeScreenOverlayFaceTime~ipad.png in the latest iOS 4.3 beta 2 firmware and is used by iOS to show a preview of your wallpaper selection. Notice the new icons for Camera, FaceTime, and PhotoBooth in the image below!
The image below (homeScreenOverlayFaceTime~ipad.png) reflects the three new app icons that must come with a standard iOS installation on iPad 2; FaceTime, Camera and Photo Booth.

Camera app: To take photographs. We can’t say anything about back facing camera, as the camera app could possibly be used only for the front camera.

FaceTime: Video conferencing on iPad 2 with iPhone, iPod Touch and Mac owners.

Photo Booth: Mac OS X Photo Booth app which allows users to take fun photos and apply various filters to them. Filters also found in the beta include Thermal Camera, Mirror, X-Ray, Kaleidoscope, Light Tunnel, Squeeze, Twirl and Stretch.

iPad 2 is expected to be released in the first quarter of year 2011. We’ll keep you posted as we know more about iPad 2. [via MacRumors]

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

Also checkout:

• iOS 4.3 features
• Downgrade iOS 4.3 to iOS 4.2.1, iOS 4.1 (iPhone 4, 3GS, iPod Touch, iPad)
• Ultrasn0w Unlock for iPhone 4, 3GS to be Released After iOS 4.3 or 4.2.5 [Official]
• Download iOS 4.3 Beta for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Apple TV

iOS 4.3 beta 2 is now available for download. Apple has released the 2nd beta of iOS 4.3 firmware for iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad, iPod Touch 4G, 3G, Apple TV 2G. If you’re a registered iOS developer, you can download iOS 4.3 beta 2 build 8F5153d for iDevices from the iOS dev Center.

We have already posted a detailed post on iOS 4.3 features. We’ll update the features post as soon as we know more about iOS 4.3 beta 2. Stay Tuned!

Download iOS 4.3 beta 2 build 8F5153d

iOS 4.3 is available to developers only. Developers can download iOS 4.3 beta 2 from the iOS Dev Center. However, if you still want to give it a shot, Google the queries listed below. (Please don’t ask for the links)

Download iOS 4.3 beta 2 for iPad

• iPad1,1_4.3_8F5153d_Restore.ipsw
• ios_4.3_beta_2__ipad__8F5153d.dmg

Download iOS 4.3 beta 2 for iPhone 4

• iPhone3,1_4.3_8F5153d_Restore.ipsw
• ios_4.3_beta_2__iphone_4__8F5153d.dmg

Download iOS 4.3 beta 2 for iPhone 3GS

• iPhone2,1_4.3_8F5153d_Restore.ipsw
• ios_4.3_beta_2__iphone_3gs__8F5153d.dmg

Download iOS 4.3 beta 2 for iPod Touch 4G

• iPod4,1_4.3_8F5153d_Restore.ipsw
• ios_4.3_beta_2__ipod_touch__4th_generation__8F5153d.dmg

Download iOS 4.3 beta 2 for iPod Touch 3G

• iPod3,1_4.3_8F5153d_Restore.ipsw
• ios_4.3_beta__ipod_touch__3rd_generation__8F5153d.dmg

Download iOS 4.3 beta 2 for Apple TV 2G

• AppleTV2,1_4.3_8F5153d_Restore.ipsw

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

Also checkout:

• Downgrade iOS 4.3 to iOS 4.2.1, iOS 4.1 (iPhone 4, 3GS, iPod Touch, iPad)
• Ultrasn0w Unlock for iPhone 4, 3GS to be Released After iOS 4.3 or 4.2.5 [Official]
• Download iOS 4.3 Beta for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Apple TV

1. Cosmic Top – “Swipe it, swirl it, twist it, twirl it… It’s a top, but not like any from this world… It’s cosmic!

Cosmic Top is a virtual toy, a 3D audiovisual physics simulation of a spinning, wobbling, and sometimes morphing top.

Seeming to float among stars, the top can take on unlimited shapes and sounds which appear to glow and hum from within your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.

You control the top with your touch and can experience its sights and sounds at any angle by moving your device around.”

2. Live From The Red Carpet – “**Catch our red carpet LIVE STREAM on January 30th, 2011 before the SAG Awards! (4 PM ET/PT)**

The fashion! The stars! The glitz! The winners! It’s all here in this unparalleled, high-class and FREE app from E!, the leader in red carpet entertainment.

This Live From the Red Carpet app lets you experience total VIP access to Hollywood’s hottest events, right at your fingertips.

You’ll hit all the big shows, live and in high-gloss interactive bliss: the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Grammy Awards, SAG Awards, red carpets of weekly movie premieres and film fests.

This app brings you celeb news, A-list fashion photos and interview videos from awards season’s marquee events. (And on the iPad, you can zoom in and check out every fab fashion detail in stunning high-res galleries.)

Get up-close celebrity interviews with our livestreams and massive video coverage, and dive into the GlamCam 360, our futuristic Matrix-like fashion cam!

You’ll have instant access to hundreds of E! articles, breaking down everything from the winners and upsets to the shows’ best (and worst) moments. Plus, connect with Twitter to share your VIP access with the world.”

3. Sundance Film Festival 2011 – “This is the official iPhone App of the Sundance Film Festival presented by Sundance Institute and developed by QuickMobile Inc. The Sundance Film Festival comes to Park City, Utah from January 20 to 30, 2011 to celebrate today’s most innovative storytellers. Purchasing this mobile app supports Sundance Institute’s year-round nonprofit work of developing and discovering new artists and audiences. Our mobile app features:

• Real-time on-the-go Festival film guide and screening schedule. Sort by Title, Category, Date, Location, or Director. Full view calendar planners work for film and events schedules.
• Original content feeds including exclusive short films from past Sundance Film Festivals, interviews with the 2011 filmmakers, Live@Sundance event videos, news articles, blog posts, and photography from the ground.
• History section covering films, jurors, awards, and trailers highlighting the Festival from 1985 to 2010.
• Social media integration with Facebook, Twitter (featuring special Guest Tweeters), YouTube, and photos.
• Visitor information on shuttles, venue locations, ticketing help, Festival tips, and more. Includes theatre and Off Screen event mapping.

Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers, and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza, and Angels in America.”

4. Movie Night Out – “Movie Night Out is an app that’s all about helping you plan your night out. Featuring Citysearch local information, Movie Night Out can give you multiple ideas for your night out, no matter where you are. And now it’s an even better app for finding the Movies you want to see.
Some of the features include:
· A unique night planner that lets you slide and drag categories to customize your night out to suit the right occasion

· Citysearch Local data provides multiple results to customize your night out

· My Must See List: Add movies to your must see list and rank them in order of importance

· Improved theater listings and search distance

· Movies Now which lets you find the movie showing nearest to you closest to the current time

· Find the movies you want to see easily by easy search, closest theater, top box office, and most recent release

· Also see all the latest trailers, movie details, photos and reviews

And coming soon: Notifications of your plans, the movies you want to see and reminders of movie showtimes and ticket availability!”

5. TV.com – “The TV.com iPhone application delivers your favorite shows wherever you go – for FREE!

You can search and access tons of video including full episodes of your can’t miss shows. Personalize your TV experience by watching shows when you have the time. Can’t get through the entire episode? No problem. Start it now and finish it later!

* Browse through our vast list of featured shows or view by channel
* Watch full episodes from some of your favorite CBS shows
* Catch shows from CBS, THE CW, Showtime, CNET TV, and much more!
* Search through millions of videos

For highest quality videos watch TV.com on Wi-Fi”

The text box is the standard used to display the dialogue between the player and non-playing characters in most RPG’s and adventure games, especially those that don’t have the benefit of voice acting.

Fabio Rodella has created a very usefull class for creating these dialog boxes in Cocos2D iPhone game engine that automatically creates line breaks, and handles user touches for longer text — so you just need to supply your dialogue, customize the colors for your game, and you have your adventure game dialog box.

Here’s a quick video showing the class in action (with default colors which can easily be changed):

The tutorial along with a downloadable example can be found at Crocodella software here:
RPG-like Text Box With Cocos2D

Definitely useful if you are creating a game with text dialog.

Read More: Cocos2D Examples And Tutorials

©2011 iPhone, iOS 4, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips. All Rights Reserved.

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Apple has already released iOS SDK 4.3 Beta 2 for all the beta nuts out there and it is now available for download.

In case you missed it 4.3 added new APIs for Airplay video within dev apps, and AVFoundation API’s allowing for the tracking of popularity and performance of HTTP streams along with full screen iADs on the iPad.

With this new Beta it’s been confirmed that the iPad gestures available for testing will not be added to the official OS in 4.3.

They’ve added an Apple TV download for those looking to test the new Airplay video APIs with Apple TV.

You can download the beta over at the Apple website here if you are a registered developer.

Read More: iPhone Dev News

©2011 iPhone, iOS 4, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips. All Rights Reserved.

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I found out about an excellent tool for extracting artwork from the UIKit, and creating glossy buttons in a similar manner to the glossy iOS button maker which I mentioned some time ago.

You might be wondering why you would want to have these buttons when you could just use the UIKit. Well for one, the UIGlassButton class is undocumented so you can’t use it in your apps, but you can use the button maker, and then use the saved images within your apps as buttons. Another reason is you might be using a framework such as the Corona SDK which requires you to use your own interface images, but want to keep the same iOS look and feel. Or you may be using an iPhone game engine such as the Sparrow Framework which has easy classes for button handling, but requires you to use images and you don’t want to have to deal with any issues that could arise from using UIKit elements with an OpenGL ES View.

The artwork extractor is from Cédric Luthi and can be found on github here:
https://github.com/0xced/UIKit-Artwork-Extractor

Hundreds of elements can be saved from within the app, just run the project in Xcode and you are ready to go.

[via Under The Bridge]

New Category: Open Source iOS Libraries And Tools

©2011 iPhone, iOS 4, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips. All Rights Reserved.

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