Recently, a Microsoft executive suggested that Apple's iOS is boring. Why would he say that? John Martellaro knows exactly why. Thank goodness iOS is very boring indeed.
Recently, a Microsoft executive suggested that Apple's iOS is boring. Why would he say that? John Martellaro knows exactly why. Thank goodness iOS is very boring indeed.
You like using Handbrake but loathe the UI when you have a folder of videos to convert? Now you're in luck. HandBrakeBatch, built to use Handbrake in the background and do exactly that, has been around since June of 2011 (near as we can tell), but was most recently updated just this past February (of 2013, that is), and worked very well in our tests. It requires that you have Handbrake installed, and will use any presets you have in Handbrake, including those you've custom-defined. Next time you need to batch convert a folder full of movies (and they don't really all need to be in the same folder, either), fire up HandBrakeBatch and let it get to work.
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Apple is facing a new investigation in China, this time over allegations that the company provides pornography through its App Store. Apple isn't alone in the investigation since the Chinese government is also targeting several other companies and websites, although it is interesting to see Apple on the list because the company already has its own anti-porn policy.
The Mac Observer Spin:
Apple has a reputation for being fairly conservative in its interpretation of what constitutes pornography, so it's surprising to see China claiming the company is allowing porn on the App Store. Maybe what we're really seeing is the Chinese government's next Apple-focused attack.
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The satire of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, "iSteve," from Funny Or Die is online and ready for viewing - assuming you don't mind sitting in front of your computer for 79 minutes. No, this isn't the Ashton Kutcher biopic that's been delayed. This movie stars Justin Long and Jorge Garcia, and is clearly a parody of Mr. Jobs's life. The few minutes we watched were pretty good and we're looking forward to blocking out some time to watch the rest. The downside is that you have to watch the movie at the Funny Or Die website; no download option is available, so be sure you have your comfy chair in front of your computer.
Chinese state-run newspaper the People’s Daily has named Apple as one of a number of websites and app stores investigated for providing pornographic content in the country. Apple is listed next to names of other app stores — a report notes the company is not emphasized or prominently featured.…
| Read more »Terry Myerson, the head of Microsoft's Windows Phone group, isn't overly impressed with Apple's iOS, and even suggested it's boring. Mr. Myerson shared his thoughts on Apple's popular operating system for the iPhone and iPad during D: Dive Into Mobile on Wednesday in New York, and he did a great job of setting himself up for attacks from the Apple and Android camps.
Along with Safari and iPhoto updates, Apple released Aperture 3.4.4 on Tuesday. The update for the professional image management and editing application improved Photo Stream support, and addressed an import issue when using Nikon's P7700 camera.
Facebook has hired Richard Williamson for its mobile-software group, according to Bloomberg. Mr. Williamson was part of the team that built the original iPhone, but is better known for being the manager in charge of developing the original Apple Maps service. He was fired from Apple after the launch of the service was panned.
Time Warner announced on Tuesday that it was bringing live mobile TV to Apple iPhones and iPads. The company said that it would make up to 11 channels available on Apple's mobile devices available outside the home, including news, entertainment, and sports networks. Bloomberg reported that the new feature would be available through the TWC TV app (a free download on the App Store) for Time Warner Cable subscribers starting at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, April 17th.
Samsung has been caught paying for anonymous posts bashing Taiwanese rival HTC. Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission has launched an investigation after receiving complaints about the practice, and Samsung itself posted an apology for the instance. Bryan Chaffin offers commentary.
Apple released iPhoto 9.4.3 Tuesday afternoon with improved support for iCloud's Photo Stream feature. iPhoto is Apple's image management and editing app and is part of the company's iLife suite of creativity apps.
Apple released Safari 6.0.4 for the Mac on Tuesday with fixes for several security-related issues. The update targets Safari running on OS X Lion and OS X Mountain Lion and adds the ability to enable the Java plug-in on a site-by-site basis.
Facebook, Inc. has updated its Facebook app (free) to version 6.0. The new update adds chat heads to both the iPhone and iPad versions of the app — a “floating” head now enables users to quickly continue a chat with a friend while browsing other feeds. iPhone Facebook app…
| Read more »It is with great pleasure that I announce this week's returning sponsor, Crashplan. We all know we're supposed to back up, and we even have some easy ways to do that locally now thanks to Apple building Time Machine into the OS. And that's good, but what happens if your Time Machine disk gets corrupted or, worse, what happens if it's stolen or damaged at the same time as your main Mac? CrashPlan can help.
When iOS 5 was released, Apple introduced geofences, the ability to detect proximity to a location. Today, in iOS6 with the Reminders app, users can set up a reminder so that when they enter or leave a geographic location, they'll get a notification on their iPhone. John Martellaro explains how to set up this really cool feature.
For years the best option for Mac-using TiVo owners to get content off of our TiVos and to our iDevices was iTiVo. But iTiVo, built largely in AppleScript Studio, has always had a buggy user interface, and with Mountain Lion it originally required some Terminal fu to get it to work at all. Building on the work done for iTiVo (and even reading your preferences from iTiVo), cTiVo picks up and takes the whole project into Objective C, making it a faster, cleaner app than its predecessor. And as with iTiVo, cTiVo is 100% freely available and open source.
Logitech has announced two new home control remotes — the Harmony Ultimate ($350) and Harmony Smart Control ($130) — that can both use an iOS app for control. Harmony Ultimate is a full remote with 2.4” color touchscreen that can control up to 15 devices through swipes and…
| Read more »A small number of third-generation Apple TVs have known Wi-Fi issues, and Apple has started a replacement program for these affected units. Apple has determined replacements can be offered free of charge for up to two years after the device’s purchase date. …
| Read more »Going to space is a tricky business, and landing a probe on another planet even more so. The Soviet Union learned that in 1971 when its Mars 3 lander stopped transmitting only seconds after landing on the red planet. It's been missing ever since, but now it's location may have been discovered thanks to NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and amateur astronomers in Russia. The group sifted through images of the Ptolemaeus Crater where the craft landed and eventually found what looks like the lander itself, it's heat shield, parachute, and retrorocket. Mars 3 was the first craft to successfully land on Mars, so it's great to finally have images showing it's still there.
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Facebook is talking to Apple about a new version of its mobile Home software for iPhone, according to a new report. Facebook’s Home software debuted for Android this month, and Facebook is now discussing expansion with the likes of Apple and Microsoft. Though the idea of Facebook Home appearing on…
| Read more »Former Rochedale Securities trader David Miller has entered a guilty plea in the U.S. Federal Court case charging him with wire fraud and conspiracy. Mr. Miller tried to game the system by using a client buy request to purchase about $1 billion in Apple stock for his own profit, but the scheme fell apart when it dropped instead of climbing as he expected.
The Mac Observer Spin:
Greed can be amazingly expensive. In this case, it cost Mr. Miller his freedom, and put his employer out of business, costing other people their jobs, too. That, and now his family has to deal with his actions. Ouch.
Apple rolled out a small update for Xcode Monday evening that improved performance when debugging Objective-C code. Xcode is Apple's app system for writing apps for the Mac and iOS.
Eric Schmidt has apparently found religion on privacy, and he's here with a message: mini-drones need to be regulated. Bryan Chaffin thinks that the Google Chairman is plumbing new depths of audacity.
Apple is now selling refurbished fifth-generation iPod touch models in its online store. The store is offering 32GB models for $250 each, and 64GB models for $350 — a $50 discount off the new models. All colors except for red are now available. [via 9to5Mac]
| Read more »In addition to 3rd party app data, iCloud also stores data for a few Apple apps and services, and if this data gets corrupted you can wind up with a very unstable iPhone (or iPod or iPad). Unfortunately Apple doesn't provide a way to let you tell iCloud to reset this data. Short of permanently disabling "Documents & Data" syncing with iCloud, the only way to fix this is to delete the offending data from the iCloud (Mobile Documents) folder on your Mac and reboot your iOS device.
While researching an editorial relating to privacy I found a great essay from former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée titled, "Online Privacy: Nothing to Fear." He talks about privacy both from the government and from corporate powers, and encourages us to support groups that look out for our privacy like the ACLU. And don't forget to vote for candidates who support privacy (when you can find them). It's a good read.
The iTorch IMP52D charger with LED light and laser pointer presents as a multi-function device that will charge all existing versions of the iPhone and iPad. There's also a laser pointer and flashlight thrown in for good measure. For the most part, it achieves those goals well.
The netbook never became the killer product the PC market hoped for, and thanks to the iPad, the only killing in that market now is happening to the netbook. In fact, a new study says the netbook market will be completely dead by 2015, and it's all Apple's fault.
Multiple outlets are reporting Foxconn has resumed hiring for the production of a new iPhone. More workers have been hired at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant, the company’s main production facility for iPhones. A hiring freeze imposed in February has ended, and new workers will help assemble both the new device —…
| Read more »Jeff Gamet, The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, joined the team at The Mac Show to talk about what may be in store for future iMacs, as well as Intel's upcoming changes to the Thunderbolt standard.
Got something to hide? Sure you do. Wanna know how to disguise that fact from anyone who may use your Mac? You can do so easily, so you'll never have to answer pesky questions about what you've hidden and why. And we here at TMO would never judge you for needing to hide files. They're Christmas present ideas, right?
The Mac Observer's Managing Editor Jeff Gamet joined The BIG Show from the British Tech Network to talk about the sudden rise in Bitcoin, plus streaming video from big companies like HBO and YouTube.
Dave and John are back, as usual, for this Sunday evening show, helping you answer your pesky Mac and iOS questions as well as using their own experiences to teach valuable lessons. This week Dave spent far too much time troubleshooting a crashing iPod. He even got it replaced and it was still crashing, which got very interesting. Dave finally figured it out and will share the solution in the show. All that and more in this week's Mac Geek Gab!
Almost all modern OS X apps give you the ability to customize the toolbar to your liking and to accommodate your workflow habits. Sandro Cuccia shows you how to do this in the Preview app.
Bitcoins are a hot topic right now, and while there is a detailed Wikipedia entry, a FAQ at bitcoin.org, and all manner of articles looking at recent volatility, we thought a comprehensive primer would come in handy.
T-Mobile officially started selling and supporting Apple's iPhone on Friday, and Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert said sales were "gangbusters." The carrier is the last of the major cell phone service companies to land an iPhone deal and was hoping its "Uncarrier" package that does away with subsidized phone prices and complicated service contracts would draw in new subscribers.
The Mac Observer Spin:
Offering the iPhone through T-Mobile gives customers yet another carrier choice. Assuming the company's "Uncarrier" plan takes off, it could help push competitors into offering similar no-contract, no-subsidy deals, too.
New e-periodicals blur the line between apps and magazines. In this week's Free on iTunes Vern Seward take a look at "app-zines" from one company, MERI Media .
Digital Treasurers has introduced an iPad mini folio case that includes a built-in 8000 mAh battery for recharging on the go. The outside is composed of a heavy duty plastic that features red stitching and the inside has a soft suede type lining that offers protection for the iPad mini. LEDs show the charge remaining.
Some notable executives who have worked for Apple fail when they leave and go to work for another company. Why does this happen? It's the paradox of power for Apple VPs. John Martellaro explains what he learned for himself at Apple.
The latest edition of iLounge Weekly, our weekly newsletter covering all things iLounge, will be arriving in subscribers’ inboxes early next week. iLounge Weekly is a summary of the week’s best news, reviews, and feature articles we’ve published, and it also features giveaways and accessory discount offers from various companies.…
| Read more »Apple has been hit with yet another lawsuit, this time from a company named Wyncomm, for allegedly infringing on a Wi-Fi patent that until recently belonged to AT&T. The patent describes a system where data is transmitted over a Wi-Fi network while voice communication is happening on the same device -- or carrying on a phone conversation while surfing the Web.
The Mac Observer Spin:
You have to wonder if products like the iPhone would cost less if Apple and other companies didn't have to spend so much money on infringement lawsuits from patent holding companies.
Panic's Status Board for iPad has been available for only a couple days, and already ingenious coders are coming up with cool custom widgets to make this great app even more useful. You can check out some of the Status Board add-ons that are already available all in one place thanks to the Status Board App Info website, and thier list is quickly growing. The site includes links to widgets that show the schedule status for Sa Francisco's BART system, link to your Nest Thermostat, and even an Apple stock monitor designed by The MacCast's Adam Christianson. Of course, you'll need Status Board on your iPad to take advantage of these add-ons, but you already knew that.
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When you use iCloud to store documents from apps like Keynote, Pages and Numbers, they get saved to your Mac's hard drive as well. Getting at those documents through the Finder, however, is something of a chore. Luckily a resourceful coder has come to the rescue with a handy little utility that makes it easy to get at the local versions of your iCloud files.
Apple has agreed to pay $53 million to settle a class action lawsuit in San Francisco federal court involving iPhone and iPod touch warranties, according to a new report. The settlement, which has yet to be filed, will pay cash to iPhone and iPod touch customers denied repair or…
| Read more »Twitter is planning on launching its new standalone music application this weekend, possibly as early as today, according to reports. A new site, music.twitter.com, asks users for permission to allow an app called Trending Music Web, though at this point authorization of the app only sends users back to…
| Read more »Jeff Gamet, The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, discussed Apple's Messages service and why the government isn't able to eavesdrop on our conversations -- at least not yet -- on this week's We Have Communicators.
Field trips to the planetarium were always one of our favorite school activities, so of course we have an affinity for apps that help us see what's in the night sky. Stellarium is one of those apps for the Mac that lets us do just that with amazing detail -- so much, in fact, that it's being used with actual planetarium projectors. The app includes over 600,000 stars, and additional catalogs are available with over 210 million stars. It also details our solar system's planets, moons and other satellites, constellations for several cultures, eclipse and supernova simulation, telescope control, supports fisheye and spheric mirror projection for planetarium domes, and more. Despite Stellarium's powerful feature set, it's a free app, which means you don't have any more excuses for putting off that home planetarium project.
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Apple has agreed to a US$53 million settlement in a class action lawsuit that alleged the company failed to properly honor warranty repairs on iPhones. The lawsuit was filed after several iPhone owners were denied warranty repairs when the moisture sensoris in their smartphones were triggered even though they hadn't suffered from any water damage.
The Mac Observer Spin:
It's unfortunate that this issue ended up in court as a class action lawsuit, but it is nice to see Apple finally making good on iPhone warranty service that was denied because of bad moisture sensor readings.
Apple could sign a deal for streaming music rights with Universal as soon as next week, according to unnamed sources cited by The Verge. The deal would put Apple one step closer to being able to launch a streaming radio service, something the company has reportedly been wanting to do for some time.
BiteMyApple.co announced on Thursday the release of the Tiltpod, a Kickstarter funded project. Tiltpod is a stand for your iPhone that's small enough to keep on your keychain. Think insta-stand for taking photographs pretty much anywhere. It rotates, pivots, and tilts, all through a magnetic ball. It holds your iPhone through a quick-connect release, too. Pretty cool, eh? It's $14.99 for the iPhone 4 and 4S. $29.99 gets one designed for the iPhone 5, including a case.
Readdle has made Documents a universal (hybrid) app, meaning that iPhone owners can use it, too. Documents lets you read Office documents, read and annotate PDF files, edit text files, move files to and from your Mac or PC, download documents from the Interwebs, and more. It's a free download, and it's available now. For iPad owners who already had it, the new version is 4.1.
John Kirk took a look at Android numbers from IDC and a new approach to measuring Android activations by Google. Neither data set was found to be satisfactory, and Mr. Kirk's opinion is that Google’s New Android Math Doesn’t Add Up. He also called for firms like IDC to stop counting all Android sales as "Android" sales, and instead to count only those sales that contribute to the platform as a whole, and to divide out Android variants in China, Kindle Fire sales, and perhaps even Android devices running Facebook Home. It's a very good read.
Rain Design has introduced a potable iPad stand that folds flat, is quite sturdy, and gives users everything they need to adjust the angle of their iPad or iPad mini.
U.S. District Judge Robert Scola said in an order that neither Apple nor Google’s Motorola Mobility unit have any interest in resolving their ongoing patent litigation, instead using the lawsuits as business strategy. “The parties have no interest in efficiently and expeditiously resolving this dispute; they instead are using this…
| Read more »Over the decades, personal computers have made enormous gains in speeds. But in the short term, not much has happened. On the other hand, the maintenance burdens on customers just kept increasing. That's why customers have moved briskly to the tablet. In a sense, the PC industry failed its original vision, and customers moved on. Now what?
Apple has found a way to boost sales of the iPhone in India, a market where Apple's smartphone has languished with minimal success. The Times of India reported that Apple initiated a smartphone buyback promotion for the iPhone 4, and that sales of the entry level model have tripled. Bryan Chaffin pokes his nose in the development.
Apple was handed a nice win in Germany on Wednesday when the country's Federal Patent Court ruled that Samsung's patent covering 3G wireless technology was invalid. The patent in question, EP1005726, covers "turbo encoding/decoding device and method for processing frame data according to QoS," and was considered an essential component of the UTMS 3G standard.
The Mac Observer Spin:
Samsung has been having a hard go of it in the courts in its patent fight with Apple, and losing an essential 3G patent in Germany isn't helping the company's case. For all of the losses in this fight, however, business continues on as usual with Samsung making new smartphones and tablets, and Apple suing for infringement. Don't expect this legal fight to end any time soon.
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Google Inc.‘s Chrome (free) app has updated to version 26.0.1410.50. Google’s browser for iOS now allows users to access fullscreen browsing for iPhone and iPod touch — the toolbar can be scrolled off the screen to view a full page of content on the devices. Printing has also been…
| Read more »Mac users turned their attention to long time Mac app developer Ambrosia Software Wednesday night when the company's coders posted messages on Twitter saying they lost their jobs and that the business was shutting down. Despite what the word is on Twitter, however, company president Andrew Welch says that's not what's really happening.
Jeff Gamet, The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, will be speaking at the Colorado Macintosh User Group meeting on Thursday, April 11, in Boulder, Colorado. Jeff will looking at online and networked file storage, sharing, and syncing services along with options for setting up your own system at home or work.
Facebook is hoping to take over Android phones with its new Home interface, but consumers still use their iPhones and iPads far more than their Android-toting friends. Apple's former retail boss, Ron Johnson, is on the job hunt again, too, which gives Jeff and Bryan plenty to talk about this week on the Apple Context Machine.
A job listing on Apple’s website specifically mentions flexible displays, indicating the company has at least some interest in the technology. The listing, for a Sr. Optical Engineer, notes in its summary that “Apple Inc. is looking for a Display Specialist to lead the investigation on emerging display technologies…
| Read more »Smartphone competition is keen. Should Apple panic, jump to the iPhone 6 name? But then Apple always has its own agenda. What are the real issues? John Martellaro, in typical style, explores the iPhone 5S vs iPhone 6 naming issue.
An alleged plan for Microsoft’s next wave of Office updates indicates we may not see an iOS version of Office until fall 2014. An apparent roadmap spotted for Microsoft’s “Gemini Wave” lists Office for iOS in October 2014. Though such roadmaps often change, a source indicated this plan was “likely…
| Read more »Apple has refused to carry a comic, Saga #12, on app-based platforms due to gay sex scenes, according to a report. The comic’s writer, Brian K. Vaughan, said in a press release, “Unfortunately, because of two postage stamp-sized images of gay sex, Apple is banning tomorrow’s SAGA #12 from being…
| Read more »Apple has given Samsung the boot on the next generation of AX processors, according to a report from The Korea Times. Citing Samsung suppliers, the newspaper reported that Apple has begun sharing proprietary information for a new generation chip with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), excluding Samsung in the process
Adding lenses to your iPhone for for photo effects isn't a new idea, but building them into a case so they're always available just might be. AppBanc is hoping to raise the funds for just such a case on Kickstarter, and they say it "rivals the performance of a 200mm camera." It includes macro, wide angle, cameo, and polarized lenses you switch out with the flick of a finger, and the company's own eZoom app that offers what they call lossless digital zooming. They're working towards a US$50,000 goal, and pledges start at just $1.
| Read more »We found another cool Kickstarter project, the Vaavud Wind Meter for your iPhone. This device fits into the audio jack of your iPhone, iPad, or Galaxy S2 and S3, and it measures your real-time wind speed. Better yet, it does so without any active electronics. Instead, the developers are converting data from two magnets in the device's rotor into wind speed. Pretty cool! They've already hit their funding level of £20,000, but there are some Kickstarter edition units up for grabs if you want to boost funding even higher.
| Read more »Apple has paid about $10 million to license patents from ACCESS, including patents related to Palm, Bell Communications Research and Geoworks. Japan’s ACCESS owns the company formerly known as PalmSource. The move was likely done to aid Apple in patent litigation moving forward. Interestingly, Steve Jobs once threatened to…
| Read more »Apple has hired Foster + Partners to work on new designs for its retail stores, according to a new report. Foster + Partners is the London-based firm behind Apple’s “spaceship” corporate campus, Campus 2, which is reportedly $2 billion over budget. Apple has previously worked with rival firm 8…
| Read more »Prior to T-Mobile’s upcoming Friday launch of the iPhone 5 on its network, the carrier has announced a trade-in deal for iPhone 4/4S users. Qualified customers trading in an iPhone 4 or 4S can get the iPhone 5 for $0 down. A credit of up to $120 may also…
| Read more »A new report claims the recent removal of AppGratis from the App Store was just the beginning, as the ouster of AppGratis was “a first step in a broader enforcement action,” mainly targeted at similar discovery apps found to violate clauses 2.25 and 5.6 of Apple’s App Store review…
| Read more »Apple and Yahoo have been discussing the possibility of Yahoo’s services playing a greater role on iPhone and iPad, according to a new report. The companies are discussing deals that could push more content from Yahoo News and more onto Apple devices — possibly through “an expanded Siri partnership.” Currently,…
| Read more »The fifth-generation iPad bezel has allegedly been leaked, as new photos have been posted at French site Nowhereelse.fr. Photos show someone holding an alleged white iPad bezel, which appears to have the same full-sized iPad screen with a smaller footprint. The photos may be legitimate, but the bezel —…
| Read more »Apple has licensed several patents from Access in a US$10 million deal that includes technologies from Palm, Bell Communications Research, and Geoworks. The deal will likely help Apple shore up its mobile device patent portfolio and avoid at least some potential legal fights over infringement claims.
The Mac Observer Spin:
Spending $10 million on patent licenses is small change for Apple, and considering this could help prevent some lawsuits is money well spent.
We've mentioned this a few times recently in conjunction with Google shutting down their Reader service, but for those of you who weren't aware, Google offers a service called Google Takeout which allows you to download all your data from every Google service you're using. It's super-easy to use and gives you your data in industry-standard formats, making it easy to view and edit your data almost anywhere.
Panic released a new app on Wednesday called Status Board that turns your iPad into, well, a status board showing your schedule, news, projects, messages, and more. It's configurable so it can show just the information you want, can build graphs and tables from the data you provide, and it supports HMDI and AirPlay for showing your Status Board on an HDTV. It's available through Apple's App Store for US$9.99, and looks great.
In this tip, Melissa Holt will tell us about how to disable the screen flash—either temporarily or permanently—and the three-second countdown in Photo Booth. So when you're saving those weird warped images of yourself on the machines in the Apple Store, you'll know how to do it discreetly and quickly. C'mon, we know we're not the only ones who do that.
Former Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti has reached a settlement with the university, and the good news is that he gets an iPad. Oh, and US$1.2 million, some insurance, and a car allowance, but when the AP found details of the settlement, it was the money and the iPad that made the headline.
Starbucks announced a change to its iTunes Pick of the Week program on Tuesday that pushes customers to the company's mobile app for free downloads, which had some people thinking the cards they're used to seeing next to the cash register were going away, and soon. Turns out that's not the case, and what Starbucks is really doing is giving away even more free iTunes content every week.
We found something pretty cool called the SOS Charger. This is a portable recharger for your iPhone with a hand crank so that you can use it even when the power's out or somewhere where a wall socket isn't an option. The device can also be charged from a standard powered USB slot (like Apple's plug-in USB adapter). This is a Kickstarter project that zoomed way past its initial goal of US$27,000. There have been 2,261 backers who have pledged $86,491.
| Read more »iPad owners know where the FaceTime app is. So where is it on the iPhone? The answers is: well, there isn't one. But you can, of course, still make FaceTime calls. John Martellaro explains.
Long time Mac users will remember Bungie's Pathways Into Darkness, and now everyone else can get a taste of this amazing first-person shooter, too. Thanks to Mark Levin and Bruce Morrison, the game has been brought back to life for the Mac, and it's available for free on Apple's Mac App Store. The game predates Marathon -- the FPS that redefined the genre -- and is an amazing snapshot of what state of the art gaming was like back in 1993, and thanks to The Loop's Peter Cohen turning us onto the OS X-compatible version, we're about to lose a lot of productivity.
Scottevest's Tropiformer is a water-resistant jacket with pockets for all your electronic gadgets, including your sonic Screwdriver, your Communicator, your portable Bluetooth speaker, a copy of the Hobbit, your iPhone...there's even a pocket big enough for your iPad, and that's a real iPad, not an iPad mini. Check out the video below. Come on, that's cool! It was made for ThinkGeek, and it's priced at US$149.99.
I love this one: some folks may not remember, but rumors started up in 1996 that Steve Jobs might team up with Oracle Larry Ellison to buy Apple, or maybe Mr. Ellison was simply going to buy Apple so his buddy could run it again.
HBO GO (free) from Home Box Office, Inc. has been updated to version 2.1. The app, which lets HBO subscribers stream episodes on mobile devices, now features AirPlay multitasking capability. Now users can stream HBO video to AirPlay while continuing to use other apps on their iPad, iPhone, or…
| Read more »Those mostly awesome tabletop optical projectors that are used for presentations are bright but are still fairly expensive. For certain uses, it's often handy to have a handheld device that can attach to an iPhone. The ipico handheld projector is about the size of the iPhone and can throw an image over 6 ft. with good visibility in darkened conditions. Currently available for iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S.
BlackBerry, formerly Research in Motion, is shutting down its online music subscription service, which is bad news for its subscribers, but is also big news in that -- wait, BlackBerry still had a music service?
As multiple outlets reported yesterday, former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson has been ousted as CEO of J.C. Penney. Johnson left Apple for J.C. Penney in 2011, and he has been replaced by his predecessor, Mike Ullman. Many are now speculating that Johnson could return to the job he…
| Read more »Have a couple printers you'd like to get more use out of, or maybe you don't want to have to ask which printer is available? No problem. Just make your own printer pool from your Mac.
Intel has been hard at work on prepping the next generation, and now the company is saying it'll double current Thunderbolt speeds to 20Gbps by the end of 2014. The company previewed the second gen Thunderbolt spec, code named Falcon Ridge, during the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas and that was about the smartest move Intel could make.
Apple Inc. continues to claim the vast majority of revenue generated fom app sales, despite the company's minority share of the smartphone market. Canalys released a report on Monday that said Apple claimed 74 percent of app revenues in the top 50 markets in the March quarter, which once again begs the question of what all those Android users are doing with their devices.
Former Apple retailing VP Ron Johnson has been fired from JC Penney, the company he left Apple for in 2011. Mr. Johnson had been hired to turn JC Penney around, and he promised to reinvent the shopping experience. Customers were slow to embrace change, and sales, profits and JC Penney's stock all fell during Mr. Johnson's tenure.
An Apple job posting for a software engineer points to chip development in Florida. The job is in Melbourne, Florida, at a previously unknown facility called the Melbourne Design Center. That is (most likely not) coincidentally where fingerprint technology firm AuthenTec is located, a company Apple bought in 2012.
Apple has removed AppGratis, a popular deal and discovery app, from the App Store for violating two clauses in Apple’s App Store review guidelines. According to a new report, Apple has confirmed the app violated clause 2.25, “Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in…
| Read more »Today, iLounge is introducing Rumor + Speculation Roundups — a new section of the site to keep readers updated on rumored Apple devices. Each page is designed to help readers quickly canvas all the major credible rumors and speculation concerning a specific upcoming Apple product, such as the iPhone 5S…
| Read more »Jeff Gamet, The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, joined TUAW's Talkcast Sunday night to talk about the importance of backing up the files on your Mac. If you missed the live show, you aren't out of luck because it was recorded and is available online now.
Avid has announced the launch of Fast Track Solo ($179) and Fast Track Duo ($299), two new portable audio interfaces compatible with iPad. Both interfaces feature a metal chassis, a Bus-powered USB port, and the ability to capture two sources simultaneously at 24-bit, 48 kHz resolution. …
| Read more »Despite the promise long ago of the paperless office, we still need to print documents from our Macs at times. The usual launch an app to print a document routine works fine for that, but you can save a little time by printing your files directly from the Finder.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has withdrawn its recent refusal to Apple’s trademark application for the term “iPad mini.” A suggested disclaimer within the USPTO’s new office action now notes “mini” cannot be claimed as an exclusive Apple term, and can only be used in conjunction with…
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