MyAppleMenu | Tomorrow | Reader | Singapore
You are here in the archive: MyAppleMenu > 2009 > March
by Joseph Cadotte, Inside Mac Games
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
PhotoUpLink enables iPhoto to work with FTP and SFTP sites, ODBC and Office exports, and in this latest update, lets iPhoto export photos over Wi-Fi to any iPhone or iPod touch also running PhotoUpLink.
by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
If you're running Leopard you can automate the process of enabling the Private Browsing option with AppleScript. Like so.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Apple’s MobileMe certainly had its growing pains when it launched last summer, but the online collection of syncing services has matured since then. MobileMe has definitely become an integral part of my computing experience.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
Priced at $1800, Animate Pro incorporates content creation, animation and compositing tools in one package. The software lets you animate digitally or import content from paper, and combine the two with tweening and cleaning tools.
by Arik Hesseldahl, BusinessWeek
Last week, I got a few minutes to try out Skype’s new application for the iPhone, which my colleague Olga Kharif has written about today. I tried it out sitting in a Starbucks in Rockefeller Center, and made a short call to someone over the AT&T Wi-Fi network, and I have to say the sound quality was great.
The bad news? You’re limited to making Skype calls via Wi-Fi only, and not over the 3G network. The good news? It will work with the iPod touch provided you have the iPhone headphones with the microphone in them.
by Jeff Gamet, The Mac Observer
The U.S. Library of Congress audio archives are becoming even more accessible now that the recordings are being added to Apple's iTunes Store. The move is part of an effort to bring some 15.3 million digital recordings to the public in an easy to access manner.
by Philip Michaels, Macworld
Macworld Expo will shift its dates to February in 2010 and open its show floor to attendees on Saturday, as part of the first steps to remake the long-time Mac trade show after Apple’s decision to end its involvement.
by Scott McNulty, Macworld
Apple’s latest Time Capsules are what any good networking and backup devices should be: easy to set up, manage, and forget about.
by Daniel Donahoo, Wired
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
GraphicDesignerToolbox is a graphics editor that helps you generate textures, compose logos, manipulate photos, produce text effects or graphics for use on the Web and more.
by Nicole Martinelli, Cult of Mac
by Jeff Merron, Macworld
Pace, a running journal app for the iPhone, may get me into the habit of keeping notes on my daily runs again.
by Sinead Carew, Reuters
Skype, the Internet telephone unit of eBay Inc, is planning to launch its service for iPhone users on Tuesday and for BlackBerry in May as part of its effort to expand beyond desktop computers.
by MacNN
by Contemplating Code And Life
by Jenna Wortham, New York Times
Mobichp provides a free, kid-safe browser for iPhones and iPod Touches. The company's browser works exactly like Safari, but bars access to Web sites containing sexually explicit material, graphic violence, Web-based chat clients, e-commerce, social networks and games.
by Glenn Fleishman, Seattle Times
Before this month, the Mac mini was stuck in 2007; now it's a reasonable part of the iMac and Mac Pro family, while being a viable option as a home entertainment hub.
by Sindya Bhanoo, The Industry Standard
Apple's iPhone and several Nokia and RIM devices dominate global smartphone traffic in many countries, according to a recent report by mobile ad serving company AdMob.
by DPA
Those looking to buy a computer from Apple, but unable to spare the extra couple of hundred dollars should consider a used model.
by Jeff Carlson, TidBITS
by Jessica Dolcourt, CNET
The folks at Smule, Pandora, Nokia, and BlueRun Ventures may not agree on everything, but during a Thursday night panel discussion on the business of mobile applications, their attention centered on a single device time and time again: the iPhone.
by Joel Santo Domingo, PC Magazine
Pricey? Yah. Impressive? Definitely. Is it for you? If you're part of a select group, maybe.
by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider
An Apple retail store rep tells us that, like the 2-year-contract iPhone 3G, you'll need a U.S. government-issued ID to get one. According to the Apple retail rep, foreign government IDs will not qualify.
by Brendan Wilhide, Macworld
Air Sharing lets you easily copy files between your iPhone and a wirelessly-connected Mac. By doing so, Avatron Software’s app addresses one of the most frequently lamented shortcomings of Apple’s mobile devices—their lack of storage space for documents and similar files. That makes Air Sharing a dream come true for mobile workers and productivity gurus.
by Aayush Arya, Macworld
by Scott McNulty, Macworld
The 2009 version of the AirPort Extreme Base Station packs in a ton of features, as well as speed, into a small, reasonably priced package.
by Dan Moren, Macworld
This $19 program from Bitfield can add soft subtitles—i.e. captions you can turn on or off—to your video files that you can then watch via iTunes or QuickTime Player, or on your iPhone, iPod touch, or Apple TV.
by Adam C. Engst, TidBITS
To sum up, there are multiple good reasons why ADMs cost more than bare retail drives of the same size, it's possible but not recommended to replace the drive in one, and Apple is in no way charging an unusual premium for ADMs.
by Steven Frank
Next Tuesday is the 13th anniversary of the shuttering of eWorld, Apple’s answer to the AOL-style gated internet community. It didn’t survive to the end of its second year.
by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune
by Benjamin A. Plotinsky, City Journal
Once overtly political, the genre increasingly employs Christian allegory.
by Jefery Battersby, Macworld
AccountEdge has long been the best and most versatile business accounting package available for the Mac. While I’d still like to see better form customization tools, AccountEdge 2009 offers excellent new features for current users who are looking to upgrade, and a solid foundation for anyone who needs a business accounting app.
by Dan Schawbel, Mashable
Here are ten apps that will help you own your online identity, build a strong database of professional contacts, and locate a job in your area in a flash.
by Prince McLean, AppleInsider
Apple retail stores are now selling unrestricted quantities of the iPhone 3G at the full, non-subsidized price of $599 for the 8GB version and $699 for the 16GB models.
by David Chartier, Ars Technica
Mac blogging client MarsEdit has emerged from beta with official support for Tumblr, a streamlined blogging service with ample style. Nearly all of Tumblr's features are available in the new version of MarsEdit, making it a solid option for those who cannot blog by bookmarklet alone.
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld
by Dan Moren, Macworld
This year’s program is likely to be a double threat for many programmers, as sessions will include information about both the forthcoming iPhone OS 3.0 update as well as the forthcoming Snow Leopard revision of Mac OS X.
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
If you do a lot of importing into iPhoto using photos that are already on your Mac—perhaps you’re migrating from another photo management tool, or you just downloaded all 1,500 pictures taken by relatives at the last family reunion—here are a couple of tricks that you can use to control and ease the import process.
by Prince McLean, AppleInsider
Charlie Miller, the security expert who won both this and last year's CanSecWest Pwn2Own security contests by exploiting Macs running Safari, repeated in an interview that he'd recommend Macs to typical users as a safer alternative to Windows PCs.
by John mahoney, Gizmodo
Here's how to downgrade back to 2.2.1.
by Jack Shiels, Inside Mac Games
FishCo has plenty to do, but unfortunately it doesn’t attempt to break the mould.
by Tom Krazit, CNET
The section in the SDK agreement that mentions 90-day refunds seem to apply only if a purchaser brings a "notice or claim" against Apple in the process of trying to return the application. That's a legal term, not a request for a refund because you thought the fart application, for example, delivered six sounds when it has only five.
by Kenny Sia
When’s the last time you see a telco company hiring out an entire convention centre just to sell one phone?
by Sam Grobart, New York Times
For all its abilities and powers, the iPhone is a tremendous pocket computer, but a lousy phone.
by Leena Rao, TechCrunch
The developer not only has to return the money for the sale, but also has to reimburse Apple for its commission.
by Lukas Mathis, Ignore The Code
Does MacHeist hurt the amount of money people are willing to pay for great Mac software? Does it hurt the market for indie software?
by Rene Ritchie, The iPhone Blog
Suddenly Push Notification is trying to pop up 30 text boxes all at once — while you’re in the middle of an urgent phone call. How will you handle this, Apple?
by Liam Tung, ZDNet Australia
Apple's 2008 financial statements, submitted to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in March, details the company's rapid growth in a year that saw it open its flagship George Street store in Sydney, as well as in Chatswood and also Melbourne.
by Walter S. Mossberg, Wall Street Journal
I am not saying these are the best apps on the iPhone, only that they do their jobs and make the device much more useful for me.
by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider
Apple has been targeted twice in lawsuits this week by companies that claim patent infringement in the iPhone, the App Store, and even the chips that power its camera.
by Sarah Perez, Read Write Web
Evernote, the popular note-taking, cataloging, and bookmarking service has been busy over the past month, cranking out a number of updates
by Tom Krazit, CNET
EA Mobile is making a big bet on the iPhone and iPod Touch, announcing plans this week to port more than a dozen of its most popular games to Apple's gadgets.
by Jeff Smykil, Ars Technica
The collection of software can be purchased now via the MacHeist website and currently offers 10 pieces of Mac software with the possibility of three additional apps being unlocked if certain sales marks are met. Further, a free copy of Eventbox, the social everything app, is being given away to each visitor of the bundle site for an undisclosed period of time.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
According to the company, OmniGraphSketcher 1.0 is a tool that combines the data plotting power of charting applications with the ease of a basic drawing program. The application is designed for reports, presentations and problem sets where graphs need to be produced on the fly.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
MacBook Pro Graphics Firmware Update 1.0 addresses the appearance of vertical lines or distorted graphics on the notebook display, according to notes provided by Apple with the update. It appears that is the only issue fixed in the firmware update.
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
iPhone app developers are beginning to complain about other, less ethical individuals copying apps and selling them via the App Store. The affected developers believe Apple should help combat this problem, but so far, the company has reportedly been unresponsive.
by Sheylara
"You kena eye-phone!!!"
by Lance Ulanoff, PC Magazine
The transition is complete. My formerly heterogeneous home MP3 environment has transformed into a one-company, one-brand house. Everyone is using Apple iPods. If my home is a microcosm of the market, the MP3 industry has a major problem.
by David Blatner, TidBITS
Three things are lost with a computer’s theft: hardware, data, and privacy. I’ll let others deal with the emotional aspects of loss, and instead focus on the practical ones.
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
iTunes' Genius sidebar feature now works with TV shows and movies in addition to music. The feature will be able to provide you with video recommendations based on what other customers have bought, assuming it has enough data to work from.
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
A new online Apple Store option allows US customers to purchase and send gifts to friends and family in México, much of Europe, and select countries in Southeast Asia. Getting a real gift still trumps receiving a gift card, that's for sure.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
For me, the iPod shuffle is perfect in every way. The controls are easy; it’s very small and tucks away nicely; and features like VoiceOver means that I can listen to what I want, when I want.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
The new 11.5 release features a new 5.1 channel surround sound audio engine that has real-time mixing capabilities. It now supports the H.264 (Advanced Video Codec) video encoding format and RTMP-based streaming, for delivering High Definition (HD) video content.
by Dan Moren, Macworld
RipDev’s InstallerApp is an application for your Mac (soon to be available for Windows PCs as well) that allows you to download iPhone apps on your computer and transfer them to your device over a USB connection. If that sounds a bit like iTunes for jailbreak apps, well, that’s because it is.
by Sam Oliver, AppleInsider
Photos and specifications for the iPhone have been posted on the website of wireless carrier China Unicom, a sign that Apple may finally be ready to enter the world's largest cell phone market.
by Katie Marsal, AppleInsider
An overseas communications firm is suing Apple for promoting its iPhone handset as a touchscreen digital book reader, a concept it claims to have patented over seven years ago.
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
In case you’ve lost track of time, Tuesday marks the eighth anniversary of the release of Mac OS X (version 10.0.0). In that time, there have been 52 different releases of OS X, counting the public beta as well as major and minor updates. So in honor of this eighth birthday, here are eight great things about OS X.
by Neven Mrgan
For a simple app, this is mad. In addition to the app itself, the developer of my pill reminder would now have to maintain 1. a very busy server, 2. user accounts on the server, hopefully in a very safe way, and 3. some sort of (simple) server process to send notifications. I’m no expert, but this complicates the development tenfold, and it’s pretty ridiculous for a feature of such tiny scope.
by David Morgenstern, ZDNet
Am I the only one who see’s Redmond’s continued rehashing of the PC vs. Mac wars as a sign of weakness?
by TouchArcade
Id Software published a lengthy letter from John Carmack who describes the development of the iPhone version of Wolfenstein 3D Classic. This classic first person shooter has been submitted to the App Store with the source code released to the public.
by Brian Crecente, Kotaku.com
After years of being a punchline among hardcore gamers, Apple has gotten serious about gaming. They just happened to use a cell phone and not a computer to do it.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
Espresso streamlines the development of Web projects by combining coding, project management, publishing and synchronization features in one application.
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
by Lex Friedman, Macworld
With great art, new modes, multiplayer options, and genuinely fun gameplay, Topple 2 is a worthy sequel to the first version and an easy game to recommend.
by Arik Hesseldahl, BusinessWeek
This family doctor is using Apple's smartphone and numerous medical mobile apps to save time, see more patients, and provide better care.
by Cade Metz, The Register
Apple has apologized for breaking Perl with its latest Mac OS X security update, saying it will distribute a solution to the problem with a future update.
by Mel Beckman, InfoWorld
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
by James Galbraith, Macworld
The new Mac Pros, with their cutting-edge Nehalem processor technology, are able to execute more tasks at a faster clip, despite lower processor speeds. And their new internal design makes adding hard drives, memory cards, and PCI Express 2.0 cards easier than ever. Apple’s most expandable Mac is the pro platform for power users.
by Dan Moren, Macworld
Reports over the weekend suggested that the 17-inch model still remains available, for some—specifically, the education market.
by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider
One or more of AT&T's more senior officials have reportedly slipped important details about the next iPhone, including a June unveiling and a continued emphasis on speed.
by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld
Looking for some quick time-savers? Chances are you don’t need to hunt down a new utility, you just need to take advantage of the tools OS X already offers.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
If that were all there was to Pocket God, we would sum up the application by saying: "cute for five minutes, possibly worth the one-dollar price, no good long-term gameplay." However, there's far more to the whole Pocket God experience, and that's due to the designers behind the product.
by Brian X. Chen, Wired
What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but if its name ended in "pod," it might attract the ire of Apple's shark-like legal team.
Apple's obsession with the blockbuster success of its iPod has driven the corporation to chase down many companies attempting to use the media player's three-letter suffix in their product or business names.
by Slash Lane, AppleInsider
Apple this weekend appears to have discontinued its iPhone Bluetooth Headset, a possible sign that the company could be planning to introduce an updated model alongside new iPhones a bit later this year or cede the market segment to third parties.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
The shuffle is a pretty good little device if you have a specific use for it. For me, that's running. I already have a 2G iPod shuffle that has, you know, buttons and no proprietary headphone requirements, but the 4GB of space is what's selling me on the new version.
by Nicole Martinelli, Cult Of Mac
by David Chartier, Ars Technica
When asked why Meebo has waited until now to offer a native iPhone app (besides a Web-optimized iPhone app and Android app), Sternberg offered the obvious answer: Push Notifications.
by Andrew Vanacore, Associated Press
by Iljitsch van Beijnum, Ars Technica
Microsoft Office may have more advanced features, and OpenOffice may be free, but neither of them is as polished, easy-to-use, or well-integrated with Mac OS X as iWork.
by Thomas Fitzgerald
People want to pay for content. I know the execs at NBC and every other major studio don’t believe that, but a lot of people are willing to pay for good high quality access to their favorite TV shows. But they don’t like being taken advantage of either. As many commenters on iTunes have pointed out, it’s crap like this that pushes people back to bit-torrent.
by Philip Michaels, Macworld
I have seen the future, and, man, is it jumpy.
by Chris Matyszczyk, CNET
Apple recognized this from the beginning. The company understood that technology had to recognize humanity's irrationality and emotionality, with all the risk and subjectivity that entailed.
by Ben Parr, Mashable
If the iPhone application store revolutionized the mobile as a platform, then the iPhone 3.0 OS may very well be the spark that revolutionizes the mobile as its own economy. iPhone apps no longer have to be one-hit wonders, but can make sustainable income from a smaller base of committed customers.
by Lukas Mathis, Ignore The Code
by Arik Hesseldahl, BusinessWeek
You don’t think it’s okay to pay more for a computer because of its logo, Mr. Ballmer? Fine. Then how about paying more for one that works?
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld
So why hasn’t Apple opened up the Apple TV to the outside world? The most obvious answer is that such a move would cut into iTunes Store sales. But perhaps considering that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has called the Apple TV a “hobby,” Apple just doesn’t care to invest too much time or effort into it.
by Dan Frakes, Macworld
Accessory vendor Mophie has announced the Juice Pack - iPod touch 2nd Gen, a combination case and battery for the second-generation (2G) iPod touch.
by Mat Buchanan, Gizmodo
If you dropped $20 on an HD movie from iTunes since they came out yesterday, but have a newer Mac and an older external display, you might not be able to watch it.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Apple and AT&T are being sued again for over-promising and under-delivering on their claims of fast Internet access of the iPhone 3G.
by Stewart Meagher, The INquirer
Apple has decided that two Western European countries don't deserve to appear on the world map as they don't have access to the iPhone.
by Michael DeAgonia, Computerworld
With its sleek lines, thoughtful and minimalist design, large and beautiful screen, robust operating system, polished iLife suite of apps, and updated hardware, the new iMac is a great value for anyone looking for a desktop computer.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
You can play the HD movies on a Mac, a PC, or on widescreen TV with an Apple TV, as well as in standard definition on the iPhone or iPod with video (previously Apple only offered HD movie rentals to Apple TV owners).
Another small step towards the death of Blu-Ray?
by Prince McLean, AppleInsider
A new feature in the iPhone 3.0 firmware appears to let users remotely pinpoint a lost or stolen phone by securely requesting the device's location via Apple's MobileMe service.
I hope I can also use it even when my phone is not lost or stolen, but just as a location service.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
This free download lets you set the backup frequency using a simple GUI. You can choose from calendar intervals or set the backup interval to a certain number of hours, such as every two or six hours.
This might be useful for those of us who don't have their time-machine external hard disk plugged in all the time.
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
As developers begin downloading and installing the beta of the next-gen iPhone SDK, clues continue to surface about future iPhone and iPod touch models.
Why do I get this feeling that Apple is messing with our minds, and some or all of these references are 'easter eggs'-style fakes?
by John mahoney, Gizmodo
So start with jailbreaking, then get yourself downloading these apps to get that fresh 3.0 experience before the software even drops.
by Associated Press
Spokesman Michael Coe said Dallas-based AT&T will sell the phones starting next Thursday for $599 or $699, depending on the storage capacity. The new phones will still be "locked" to AT&T and won't work with any other cellular carrier unless they're modified.
by Brent Simmons, INessential.com
I remember thinking: how weird it must be for him, to be interrupted by fans at random times at these things.
And I remember thinking it’s not something I would ever have to worry about in the future.
On the other hand, I still don't have to worry about this for my future. :-)
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
As the name hints, Syncopation tracks what’s in the iTunes libraries of the Macs on a local network it’s installed on and when you make a change to one library, Syncopation copies the new files to the other Macs’ libraries. This includes not only music files, but also videos and podcasts.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
In Wandering Willows, you have been marooned on a strange land after your hot air balloon malfunctions, and you have to go on a series of adventures to get home.
by Richard Hallas, Inside Mac Games
by Sascha Segan, PC Magazine
Why can't any other smart phone vendors do this? Apple's upgrade strategy helps their users and the company in a bunch of different ways. It lets users buy iPhones with some confidence, knowing that they're not going to get left behind next year. It lets developers aim at the latest platform, without having to worry about supporting the older versions of the iPhone OS. And it keeps users with Apple because they don't enter a new buying cycle, thinking of new choices and potentially churning off to the latest new thing.
by Lonnie Lazar, Cult Of Mac
Newber, the FreedomVoice Systems app that sought to bring innovative calling functionality to the iPhone, has thrown in the towel after having had its app submission ignored by Apple for five months, according to an open letter (pdf) published Wednesday by FreedomVoice CEO, Eric Thomas.
by Dan Fletcher, Time
There's a war on buttons. No, not the clothing kind; bulging American waistlines are the biggest threat they face. This war is against buttons of the electronic variety, those tireless servants that dot elevators, cell phones, car dashboards and control panels the world around. They're the perfect antidote to baffling binary of a switch. One button, one function, press here to power/submit/self-destruct. Simple? Yes. Elegant? Apparently not.
by Jennifer Guevin, CNET
by Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times
Hardware accessories will move way, way beyond car chargers and headphones.
by Jeff Bertolucci, PC World
Despite Apple's efforts, the iTunes App Store isn't immune from the problems that plague other user-review sites. But it doesn't appear to be overrun with fakes, either.
by Jack Schofield, The Guardian
Last year, at least the Mac lasted a couple of minutes before it was hacked. This year, it lasted seconds…
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
One of the most sought-after features game developers have requested is what Apple calls In App Purchase. This lets developers create additional content for apps that users can buy after they’ve made their initial purchase.
by Dan Moren, Macworld
Even in the midst of a lengthy legal disagreement with Apple, Psystar still manages to find the time and the guts to release new models of its Open Computer line.
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
by Cyrus Farivar, Macworld
by Ben Boychuk, Macworld
Unconventional news ticker a little too unconventional.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
The mood of iPhone developers is enthusiastic about the upcoming changes announced by Apple. Though there are still areas developers would like to see improved, the "over 1,000 new APIs" already have them champing at the bit to integrate new functionality into current and future projects.
by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider
Confirming what Apple had hinted at in its iPhone 3.0 presentation, a developer has successfully, if unintentionally, enabled data tethering on the new iPhone firmware.
by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet
The issue isn’t that Bluetooth wasn’t on the spec sheet in the first place, it’s that everyone’s who has bought an iPod touch has already paid for the hardware, and is now having to pay again to unlock hardware that they’ve already paid for.
by Jennifer Bosavage, ChannelWeb
While preventing you from doing things that will more liekly run down the battery before the end of the day.
by Christina Tynan-Wood, InfoWorld
An Apple store quotes a woman twice what they quote her husband — to fix the same computer.
by Duff McDonald and Julia Dennis, Portfolio
A back-of-the-envelope assessment of how much the ailing CEO has been worth to Apple and to the tech industry overall.
by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider
From what we've seen publicly, third-party music apps still can't play while you're using the phone for anything else, such as browsing the Web or reading e-mail.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Lawyers representing Apple’s intellectual property interests sent a cease and desist letter to Procreate over its use of the names Flypod and Podium for its products.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
WeatherCal creates calendar objects which contain that day’s weather along with four days of forecasts. The information is presented in iCal as an all-day event which you can read at a glance. Calendars and events synch to other computers or the iPhone or iPod touch along with other iCal sync data, using MobileMe or local iTunes syncing.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
This agreement is likely to remain in place until 3.0 is released to the public. And, like the previous NDA, it makes about as little sense. Yes, the agreement prevents most public discussion of the new iPhone features but it does nothing to protect Apple's intellectual property rights from being discovered by competitors. Anyone can walk off the street, download a copy, and take a look.
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
According to a reader with access to the latest iPhone OS 3.0 developer beta, there is a plist file for a new, unknown device.
by Dan Moren, Macworld
The real question is: are push notifications good enough to keep iPhone users happy until a more capable solution is possible? We’ll have to wait until this summer to find out—well, assuming it actually ships this time.
by Nancy Gohring, Macworld
The new iPhone software announced Tuesday has some features that should make enterprise users happy, but it lacks others that could have made the iPhone far more enticing to businesses.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
The new iPhone 3.0 SDK will offer ad-hoc connectivity built on Bonjour-powered data sharing. This means that developers can build games and utilities that communicate with nearby phones without having to be on the same network.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
Devs can now embed maps in applications and access many of the same GUI features found in the Google Maps application.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
Having built-in e-mail support means developers can let users mail items directly from within their applications.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
Among Apple's announcements at today's SDK 3.0 event, Apple introduced several new business models, including subscription support and end-user purchases for expansion materials. If you own a game that ships for 10 levels, for example, users will be able to purchase additional levels directly from their game using their iTunes credentials.
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
The long-promised push notification feature will lead an assortment of changes to third-party apps in the upcoming iPhone 3.0 software, Apple revealed at a special event at the company’s Cupertino, Calif. campus on Tuesday.
by Aayush Arya, Macworld
Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPod and iPhone product marketing, announced that the iPhone is now available in 80 countries around the globe, and that Apple has sold a total of 17 million iPhones—that includes sales of both the original iPhone and iPhone 3G—thus far.
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld
Topping the list is the ability for users to copy and paste information. iPhone 3.0 will also bring Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) support.
by Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
Singapore's key exports fell for the 10th straight month in February due to the global slowdown, but shipments to China rebounded, offering signs that the world's third biggest economy may be headed for a recovery.
by Katie Marsal, AppleInsider
Apple appears to be distributing a new firmware update that will attempt to address flickering and blank video issues on the latest generation of MiniDisplay Port-equipped Macs connected to external displays using the company's Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter.
by Nathan Alderman, Macworld
Google Earth 5 offers a wealth of educational information in a fun package. Its nonexistent price also makes its minor inconveniences far more forgivable. If you don’t object to the updater, it’s well worth a download.
by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld
iTunes and the iPod can work together to help you balance these differences in volume using a feature called Sound Check.
by Philip Michaels, Macworld
Assess Apple on what it does, not on what someone says it should do.
by David Needle, Internet News
Vdopia thinks its ad network can help keep the cost of iPhone apps low or free even as rumors of a 'Premium App Store' from Apple spread.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
by Matt Neuburg, TidBITS
Although BBEdit, from Bare Bones Software, is not my primary text editor, I've recently observed myself using it a great deal anyway for various tasks, some which don't have all that much to do with editing text. Here, in no particular order, are the ten primary things that I do with BBEdit.
by Lex Friedman, Macworld
There are no points in Pocket God, and there's no real goal either. There's plenty to discover, and everything looks great—but once you've "done" it all, the game’s replay value suffers. The good news: Bolt Creative has been rolling out near-weekly upgrades, adding new features (read: godly powers) with each new iteration.
by Dan Frakes, Macworld
iPod-accessory vendors V-moda and Scosche, as well as other vendors speaking to Macworld anonymously, have confirmed these reports, though calling the circuitry a “control chip” rather than an authentication chip. As with Apple’s dock connector and—more recently—proprietary circuitry necessary for iPods to output video signals to third-party accessories, Apple will charge vendors a fee, via the Made for iPod program, to include this new control chip in headphones and other accessories.
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
If you’re happy with Apple’s headphones and don’t care a lot about navigating your iPod, this could be the iPod for you. I, however, cherish my third-party headphones, find a controller that requires memorizing a series of button sequences an unwelcome burden, and don’t need an even smaller iPod shuffle. Like the MacBook Air and Mac mini, the 3G iPod shuffle is a product designed for a particular kind of user. You may be that user. Regrettably, I'm not.
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
Mariner Calc is a potentially very good iPhone spreadsheet application that’s presently hobbled by a few issues. It doesn’t support functions you may find in intermediate or advanced Excel worksheets, you can’t organize your saved files, it was somewhat unstable in my use, and you can’t transfer a file via e-mail.
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
by Brian Lam, Gizmodo
by Sam Oliver, AppleInsider
Apple saw double-digit declines in Mac unit sales last month but is nonetheless seen in good shape to pull off a March quarter that's fairly in-line with current Street estimates thanks to accelerated shipments of new desktop models this month.
by Alan Zisman, Low End Mac
Darwine is a free and open source project to allow the use of Wine on Mac OS X installations.
by David Morgenstern, ZDNet
The Mac Pro will hold its value and offer useful performance for many many years. A keeper.
by Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
“The Lost City of Z” is at once a biography, a detective story and a wonderfully vivid piece of travel writing that combines Bruce Chatwinesque powers of observation with a Waugh-like sense of the absurd.
by Nick Farrell, The Inquirer
Things keep exploding.
by Blake Patterson, Touch Arcade
by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld
You spend a lot of time in the Finder, so learning about its many possibilities can save you time and give you more power over your files and folders. Mastering Finder views is one of the first steps to becoming a real Mac power user.
by Jeff Smykil, Ars Technica
by Aron Trimble, The Unofficial Apple Weblog
by Dan Fost, Los Angeles Times
With so many iPhone users descending on Austin, the convention center has become an almost impossible place to make a call or get a data connection — on AT&T, the only U.S. network providing service to iPhones. People with Sprint and Verizon Wireless won't stop gloating.
by David Farber
"There is zero confirmation of an authentication chip, only speculation."
by James Savage, Macworld
Whether you’re a Power Seller or just an occasional eBay buyer or seller, eBay Mobile is an excellent way to keep track of auctions on your iPhone or iPod touch.
by Lonnie Lazar, Cult Of Mac
Consumers have the last vote and to the extent it may seem Apple products are stifling competition, raising prices and limiting choice, Apple’s tiny devices will go unsold.
by Steven Sande, The Unofficial Apple Weblog
by Jason Clarke, The Unofficial Apple Weblog
The iPhone needs a native Gmail application. There, I've said it.
by David Sharp, Associated Press
Despite the economic turmoil, Maine is expanding its program to provide laptop computers to students.
by Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times
The new Shuffle is out there doing its own thing, filling its own role, solving its users’ peculiar set of peculiar problems.
by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider
Apple iPhone app developers will be able to plug into Facebook the same way Web sites have been able to for months.
by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider
Pangea Software has been making software for Apple's computer platforms since 1987. No more.
Why not? Because the iPhone app store has been such a huge success, the company is only going to focus its efforts on Apple's portable gadgets from now on, founder Brian Greenstone said during a panel today at the South by Southwest conference in Austin.
by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider
Apple's build quality has been called into question as fresh lawsuits blame the company for an iPod touch that caught on fire as well as the widely-known vertical line defect on iMac displays.
by Lonnie Lazar, Cult Of Mac
by Thomas Fitzgerald
Perhaps even more surprising is the lack of the word iPod anywhere on the device.
by Fred von Lohmann, Electronic Frontier Foundation
According to the careful reviewers at iLounge, third-party headphone makers will have to use yet-another Apple "authentication chip" if they want to interoperate with the new Shuffle.
by Matt Richtel, New York Times
by Lukas Mathis, Ignore The Code
It’s important to remember that not everyone will use every feature of the Shuffle.
by Roman Loyola, Macworld
The iMac continues to be a desktop Mac that’s powerful enough to please both general consumers and professionals.
by Dan Frakes, Macworld
Well, as of iTunes 8.1, Apple has finally—finally—made Autofill available to any iPod. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t made the feature easy to find if you don’t have a shuffle.
by Jeffrey Hatton, Macworld
In essence, this app is really nothing than a macro that automates location finding in Google Maps and drafts an e-mail with the link—and it doesn’t pretend to anything more than that. But it does that one task consistently well.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
After disappearing from view while developer memberships started to expire, Apple has now e-mailed iPhone developers to extend their memberships until July 11, 2009. A short-term solution to the problem is good, but it shows that Apple is still working out the longer-term details.
by Dan Frakes, Macworld
Apple's latest iPod is so special it makes most headphones obsolete.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
Nopali features scheduling, electronic medical record tracking, insurance billing, photo archiving, patient tracking, quote management, patient billing, office ledger support, patient documents and reporting and statistics.
by Roman Loyola, Macworld
by Apple Gazette
Kramer actually tells the host of this video program how important it is to spread a rumor about Apple to help manipulate the stock.
by David Zeiler, Baltimore Sun
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
With the addition of hardware virtualization, support for 64-bit guest operating systems, and OpenGL support, VirtualBox has become an even-better free solution.
by Thomas Ricker, Engadget
by TouchArcade
Apple added a new feature to the App Store customer reviews that separates user reviews based on version number.
by Dan Moren, Macworld
"The feature isn't live yet, but it will be in the coming days."
by Jason Snell, Macworld
When you turn on the shuffle with anything plugged into the headphone jack, it will begin automatically playing. So a workaround, especially for car-stereo types, is to pick your playlist and volume on the stock Apple set of headphones, then unplug those headphones and plug in your own cord.
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
Here’s a simple tip for those of you who rely on Stickies as a catch-all for reminders, to-dos, and other bits of trivia (text or graphics) that you like to keep handy.
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
"I’ve never understood about OS X is the multiple Library folders."
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Apple on Thursday sent out invitations to select media about an event the company will hold at its Cupertino, Calif. headquarters on March 17, 2009.
The event will focus on iPhone software 3.0, the next generation operating system for the device.
by Ben Boychuk, Macworld
Trio of apps have their pluses, but also flaws that keep them from out of the head of the class.
by James Savage, Macworld
I tested iPrint Photo with several HP printers on my local network with excellent results.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
Oregon Trail the iPhone game delivered the educational connection it promised: it's bringing that part of history to life for my kids, captivating their imagination, and helping them apply their critical thinking skills to solving problems along the way.
by David F. Gallagher, New York Times
by Zach Spear, AppleInsider
CBS Sports announced Thursday plans to stream NCAA March Madness basketball games live to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch through a new application, but with a WiFi-only requirement and price tag of $4.99, many fans may choose to watch tournament for free on their Mac, PC, or big TV.
by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune
Apple’s iPhone was the fastest-growing smartphone of 2008, despite end-of-year sales that failed to maintain the blistering pace set in July with the launch of the iPhone 3G, Gartner researchers reported Wednesday.
by Franklin Pride, Inside Mac Games
Pixie is a clone that definitely does not measure up to its 1996 counterpart. It takes a few steps back on difficulty and has almost nothing tactical about it.
by Dan Frakes, Macworld
The new Mac mini models provide the most significant upgrades to the line yet, offering slightly better CPU performance, considerably improved video capabilities, increased expandability, and better wireless technology. The result is that for the first time, the Mac mini is a computer that’s truly capable of handling the iLife suite.
by Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times
Boy, how things have changed. Installing Mac OS X on this Dell Mini 9 wasn’t as simple as installing it on a Mac, but it was far easier than many of my experiences installing Windows. The Hackintosh community has three years of experience under its belt. Specific machines (like the Mini 9) that can run Mac OS X graciously have been identified and the techniques and software to make it happen have become increasingly simple and sophisticated.
by Marie Boran, Silicon Republic
At just 20 years of age, Steven Troughton-Smith is a student of digital-media engineering at Dublin City University, and also a successful developer of iPhone applications for Apple’s iTunes App Store.
by Jonathan Steele, Neowin.net
by Yukari Iwatani Kane, Wall Street Journal
With chief executive Steve Jobs out on medical leave, Apple Inc. hasn't announced a major new product this year. That has freed the rumor mill to churn about what new gadgets the company may be preparing to launch.
by Darrell Etherington, The Apple Blog
In the email, Mokugift’s representative describes how Apple called them a week ago to inform them that A Real Tree would need to be altered or would be removed from the App Store. The reason given was that a new policy was in place prohibiting apps from claiming to do anything beyond themselves, and that any and all applications related to charity were also no longer permitted.
by Ginny Mies, PC World
I am baffled as to why Apple would announce immediate in-store availability, but not actually deliver.
by Jim Dalymple, Macworld
by The Killfile
The multi-function button on the new Shuffle is different. Playlists aren't a bonus feature (unless you're coming from an older Shuffle), but an essential part of the product for which there is no obvious path to discovery.
by Eric Silvka, MacRumors.com
"iTunes 8.1 is now faster and more responsive. You will enjoy noticeable improvements when working with large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, preparing to sync with iPod or iPhone, and optimizing photos for syncing."
by Jason Chen, Gizmodo
by Jeremy Horwitz, iLounge
Though the prior-generation model was capable of playing individually synchronized podcasts, the new iPod shuffle supports sequential audio podcast synchronization—it can automatically synchronize a series of podcasts, rather than just specific episodes.
by Craig Grannell, Cult Of Mac
Compilations were the other thing that broke 1980s gaming in the UK, since almost every half-decent game ended up on a compilation eventually.
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
I’m trying to apply old iPod rules—one where the iPod is as flexible as Apple can make it—to a device that is clearly directed at a specific user—one who accepts it for what it is and nothing more.
by Jason Kincaid, TechCrunch
Photosynth stitches together user-submitted photos of the same subject, allowing users to ‘fly-through’ the area by clicking on each successive photo. The technology works best in places and events with many user-submitted photos (popular Synths include the Taj Mahal and President Obama’s inauguration).
by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider
Is Apple in the process of reinventing the way mainstream headphones are designed for the second time this decade?
by Nilay Patel, Engadget
Yes, Apple's cheapest iPod is now the most needlessly complex, and far from cost-effective if you want to use your own cans.
by Thomas Fitzgerald
Well, if the whole speaking tracks thing sounds familiar, it’s because Apple’s own iPod nano has a similar feature called “spoken menus”.
by Kirk McElhearn, Kirville
While this new shuffle may be right for some, I’m sure that many users are going to complain about it.
by James Galbraith, Macworld
Subtle update returns subtle performance improvements.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
Zen Bound offers an extremely playable, beautifully designed gaming experience for the iPhone. Between its compelling gameplay and interactive delights, it offers very good value for its five dollar price. It's fun, it's stable, it's beautiful, and it offers something unique and iPhone-like in its current App Store incarnation.
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
Apple's iTunes page lists out a few things that users can expect from the upcoming update (scroll to the bottom). Speed improvements when loading large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, and syncing devices will be coming with iTunes 8.1, as well as Genius sidebar updates that will include recommendations for TV shows and movies (right now, Genius sidebar only recommends music).
by Dan Moren, Macworld
If you ask me, the war on buttons has gone too far. The new iPod shuffle takes a step back in both the usability and compatibility departments.
by Dale Gardner, Macworld
Time-tracker offers simple, though functional way to log billable hours.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
The shuffle has always been Apple’s smallest iPod, but now it is nearly half the size of the previous model.
All of the controls for the Shuffle are located on the earphone chord, allow you to play, pause, adjust volume, switch playlists and hear the name of the song and artist.
Me thinks that Apple has really gone too far with the no-buttons idea. You can't use an ordinary piece of headphones with this new shuffle!
by Kate Dohe, Macworld
App’s options, Google Reader integration make it a powerful RSS tool.
by Charlie Sorrel, Wired
Could this be one of those handsets "loaded with fake software"?
by Eric Savitz, Barrons
by Jennifer Bosavage, ChannelWeb
Apple iPod and iPhone prototypes were on the loose on eBay recently — but they were yanked off before they could be sold, at least through the popular auction site.
by Mg Siegler, Venture Beat
At the end of the day, we have what we wanted: A new version of Tweetie in the App Store (it should be live tonight).
by Arustisha
What constitutes “renaming” or “cloning” may mean very different things to very different people, and depending on how thoroughly you’ve embedded the old name in source, filenames, build settings, string constants, etc. you may have a lot of manual work to do in order to achieve the results you want.
by Aayush Arya, Macworld
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
I understand everyone wants the lowest cost computer they can get—so do I. But I think there is a point when the lower price starts to affect the quality of the machine you are getting. I would rather see Apple stay on the quality side of that line.
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
TextSoap helps you “clean” text while maintaining formatting. You can clean text based on its format or format based on text contents. More than 100 built-in cleaners are included, and custom cleaners are also available and can be created.
by James Savage, Macworld
It is the perfect puzzle game for those quick moments during the day when you’ve got some time to kill and a puzzle to solve.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
The secure algorithm that generates iTunes Store gift codes has apparently been duplicated by hackers. $200 iTunes gift cards are being sold in China for just a few dollars each, and the problem seems to be getting worse.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
When Apple's staff of application reviewers makes a blunder, what should you do? Sometimes, you should just roll over and take it. Agreeing to changes, no matter how inappropriate, is often the quickest path to getting your program into App Store.
by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider
Big picture, this means nothing to Apple's business. But it doesn't help us trust that Apple is telling us — or the public, or its investors — the truth.
by Charlie Sorrel, Wired
The EyeTV has a ridiculous amount of functionality which I haven't even touched yet. As a straight up TV replacemant, though, it is outstanding —good quality and easy to use.
by Dan Moren, Macworld
Here’s the catch: the obscenity was in Tweetie’s Trends feature, shown at left, which scans the social networking to find the most popular keywords that people are talking about (and no, the obscenity in question was not "Kindle," smartypants). If there’s a naughty word in that section, it’s not because Tweetie’s developers put it there, but because people on Twitter were talking about it. It’s akin to rejecting the app because somebody was posting swears to their Twitter feed.
by Aidian Malley, AppleInsider
Viewers hoping to hear 5.1-channel Dolby audio from movies and TV shows on Apple's iTunes Store are being frustrated by a known bug that disables the surround feature in software.
by Erik Sherman, BNET
My guess is that Apple sees the writing on the wall and is deemphasizing even more the business market because it knows that is not the company’s strong suit.
by Sharon Gaudin, Computerworld
Technology has long paid off for Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak and he's expecting nothing less now that he's on Dancing with the Stars.
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld
Adobe on Tuesday fixed a critical security vulnerability in its Acrobat 9 and Reader 9 applications, which the company said "would cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system."
by David Allen, Inside Mac Games
Firaxis/Feral have done a very good job with taking modest-budget graphics and investing them with class and humor, adding that to a collection of rather simple but still engaging mini-games, and placing the whole thing in a large and vital world that you will want to keep exploring for many many hours. This game is very much more than the sum of its parts, and I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone looking for a great value in an immersive game, and who isn't too hung up on bleeding-edge graphics.
by Tom Hesser, Macworld
Pano is an amazing app for creating on-the-spot panoramic photos without the need of desktop software to stitch the photos together. Developed by Debacle Software, Pano does a very simple thing in principle, but the results are incredible given that this is something created by a mobile application.
by David Epstein, PC Magazine
Though it's become much easier to switch, old Windows hands can avoid feeling like rank Mac newbies with these useful tips.
by Suzanne Choney, MSNBC
Kindle for iPhone is not necessarily the program to have, but it’s a welcome addition to an already strong group of e-readers.
by Ryan Singel, Wired
Apple denies claims from a clone Mac maker that it is abusing copyright law in order to prevent other companies from making computers that can run its Mac OS X operating system.
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
The rumor mill is churning once again after a Chinese newspaper says two companies are currently working on supplies for Apple's netbook. This seems to go against the Apple party line on netbooks, but we can think of two reasons for (and against) such a venture.
by David Needle, Internet News
Jay Freeman stays plenty busy with his graduate studies in computer science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In his spare time he’s worked on applications for the iPhone, but now he’s competing against Apple itself.
by Prince McLean, AppleInsider
In its latest effort to positively impact the environment, Apple's retail stores have initiated a new "no plastic bags" policy to cut back on the amount of unnecessary packaging it dumps in the hands of shoppers.
by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet
by Dave Winer, Scripting News
I switched because I was Mired In Malware.
by Tom Krazit, CNET
Despite public statements to the contrary, Apple did lay off around 50 enterprise salespeople last week, CNET News has learned.
Sources who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal confirmed reports by Valleywag and 9to5Mac.com that roughly 50 salespeople were let go by the company for "business and economic reasons," according to one source. An entire sales group based in Austin, Texas, was let go as well as workers in Cupertino, Calif., where Apple is headquartered.
by Om Malik, GigaOM
Just as it redefined the MP3 player experience and reinvented the iPhone, Apple is going to pursue the netbook opportunity. But it won’t be with anything like the cheap, anorexic laptops being sold as netbooks today.
by Milo Yiannopoulos, Telegraph
Apple simply cannot handle the volume of developers and apps flooding to the iPhone.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Apple posted a page on its Web site showing how HTML 5 will change what we can do on the Web and how it will look in Safari.
by Kate Dohe, Macworld
A Personal Assistant Premium is a helpful app, though not nearly as powerful as it could be.
by Jay Nelson, Macworld
When iStudio Publisher 1.0.4 is updated to include a few more essential features, it will be perfect for people who want more power and freedom than Apple’s Pages ’09 offers. In the meantime, feel free to jump in and start using it now; the program is easy and fun, and the upgrade will be free.
by Joe Kissell, Macworld
How to read e-mail, browse the web without net access.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
I’m delighted to see Apple finally bring the Mac mini in line with the rest of the Mac product line, and make it, for the first time, something that users with gaming interests beyond basic casual titles will be able to enjoy.
by David Chartier, Ars Technica
iWeb may not have received the majority of Apple's attention for iLife '09, but despite its drawbacks, it is finally the dead-simple Web design tool worthy of Apple's name. While iWeb still contains a number of irksome drawbacks and strange template design choices, the addition of choice via FTP publishing and fleshed-out widget support should turn a whole new set of heads toward giving iWeb a try.
by Jeremy Schoemaker, ShoeMoney
I left the Apple Store feeling more proud then ever to be an Apple user.
by Brooke Crothers, CNET
At major resellers, the latest version of the high-end MacBook Air is now selling for--hold your breath--$2,399 instead of the listed $2,499 on the Apple web site.
by Daniel Lyons, Newsweek
Jobs, his onetime partner, has spent the past 30 years battling with Microsoft over market share, flying around the world, haggling with business partners, screaming at engineers, introducing new products—basically living and breathing the daily battle of the business world. Woz has been out having fun. Which one would you rather be?
by Shannon McPherson's Web Log
It’s official. Apple’s Mac OS X is my favorite opperating system.
by John Paczkowski, Wall Street Journal
by Apple
by Joel Santo Domingo, PC Magazine
Green and compact, the Apple Mac mini makes a good second PC in the house, or a great home base PC for someone with an iPod or iPhone.
by James Galbraith, Macworld
Apple’s entry-level desktop benefit from new graphics chips.
by Cyrus Farivar, Macworld
by Ben Boychuk, Macworld
The Kindle app is certainly impressive. But as e-book apps go for the iPhone and iPod Touch, it’s not the best. I wouldn’t “just say no,” but I wouldn’t fret getting hooked, either.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
Gogii Games, Macgamestore.com and Mac Games Arcade have announced the release of Nanny Mania 2, a new casual task management game for the Mac.
by Lex Friedman, Macworld
There’s room for a good version of TextTwist on the iPhone. TextTwist Turbo isn’t it.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
Apple seems to be caught flat-footed and unprepared for the upcoming deluge of developer renewals for its iPhone program, Ars has learned. Here's what we found regarding the status of both ADC and iTunes Connect renewals.
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
Speculation about the 2009 Worldwide Developers Conference has already gotten off to a good start, with two possible dates being thrown around. Will Apple schedule WWDC '09 in May or June? Only the Magic 8 Ball knows.
by Aayush Arya, Macworld
by Jeffrey Hatton, Macworld
The eclectic mix of news, talk, and music available over the airwaves courtesy of public radio stations throughout the U.S. would seem a perfect fit for the iPhone and iPod touch.
by Adam C. Engst and Doug McLean, TidBITS
With the iPhone, Apple is changing the game, because carrier lock-in helps AT&T, not Apple, and Apple isn't content to be just another mobile phone maker subject to the whims of the carriers. Instead, Apple is applying lessons learned from the Macintosh world to the mobile phone industry, and using the App Store and its applications as a way of generating platform lock-in on top of AT&T's contractual carrier lock-in.
by Mg Siegler, VentureBeat
The most popular price? While you might assume it would be free, it’s actually $0.99 — by a long shot.
by David Karlins, Macworld
Accessible, affordable drawing package appeals to all levels.
by Slash Lane, AppleInsider
Apple on Thursday evening released a firmware update that resolves issues with the firmware shipping on its brand new Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme. It also adds Back to My Mac drive sharing support to the prior generation of the wireless products.
by Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post
After ordering the computer company to revise its plans four previous times, an architectural review board embraced Apple's new design yesterday for a store it plans to open on Wisconsin Avenue.
Apple's glass storefront is to be broken into panels, echoing the bay windows and entrances that dominate Georgetown. "This is beautifully executed," Stephen J. Vanze, chairman of the Old Georgetown Board, told Karl Backus, Apple's architect. "We're very pleased."
by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune
Apple is the exception to what one analyst describes as a “permanent and structural” collapse of PC pricing and revenue triggered by the onset of the recession and the rise of low-cost netbooks.
by Lee Na-ri, Kim Chang-woo, JoongAng Daily
Lee Chan-jin, head of the local Internet search engine DreamWiz, couldn’t believe his eyes when he recently visited Apple Inc.’s online App Store. There, Lee found that the fifth-most downloaded game, “Heavy Mach,” was created by someone named Byun Hae-joon.
by Ken Mingis, Computerworld
For most would-be owners, even the stock configuration will exceed their needs by orders of magnitude. Apple's newest laptop should handle anything thrown at it. If you've managed to avoid the belt-tightening that comes with a recession -- in other words, you've got the money and need to shave a few seconds off routine tasks -- go with the SSD, order the faster processor and double the RAM.
by Carolyn Kellog, Los Angeles Times
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
Developer Fraser Speirs has released a new version of his FlickrExport plug-in for iPhoto '09, which offers several features over the built-in Flickr integration. A version for Aperture is also available.
by Joe Kissell, TidBITS
So the evidence suggests there's a bug in AirPort Utility 5.4.1 that prevents it from reading the configuration of existing AirPort base stations and Time Capsules, even when directly connected via Ethernet.
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
If you have ever found yourself addicted to Tetris, Bejeweled, Lumines, or anything of the puzzle game ilk, Shivering Kittens for iPhone and iPod touch is for you. Rescuing kittens has never been so addictive.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Environmental impact now included on product information pages.
by Joe Kissell, Macworld
If you have lots of e-mail accounts, you can often streamline things by routing them through one account. Even though Mail and Entourage can check numerous accounts, having just one can simplify checking mail and filing messages (particularly if you use IMAP). It also makes checking your e-mail while you’re on the road easier (because you log in to one account instead of several). And if you use an iPhone, having one e-mail account means less tapping—unlike Mail in OS X, the iPhone’s Mail program doesn’t consolidate your inboxes in a single view.
by George Sun, Macworld
Thinking up a strong password when you need one right away is not always easy. Password Generator 2.0 for the iPhone and iPod touch simplifies the task of creating difficult-to-crack passwords for you by randomly spawning strings of passcodes based on variables of your choosing.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
PlayFirst, publishers of the hugely successful casual game Diner Dash, have announced the latest game to round out the franchise: Diaper Dash, a game set in a daycare.
by John Paczkowski, Wall Street Journal
We’re doing our best? Not the answer the questioner was looking for, I’m sure.
For years, the iPod is the best-selling MP3 player on the Windows platform, and Microsoft -- as a platform owner -- failed to embrace (let alone extend) the device. Now, we are seeing the same mistake with iPhone, just because Microsoft happens to have a competing product.
by Walter S. Mossberg, Wall Street Journal
My verdict is that Safari 4 really is significantly faster than its rivals, but that its user-interface changes are a big disappointment. They either add relatively minor eye candy, are catch-ups to features introduced by rivals, or actually make the browser harder to use.
by Diann Daniel, CIO
by Eric Lai, Computerworld
With most PC makers slashing prices or embracing cheaper models such as netbooks, Apple could be dangerously out of step.
by Jason Brightman, Macworld
Between Air Mouse Pro and the Apple Remote, I’ve managed to banish that keyboard and mouse from my living room forever. Now I can watch movies on iTunes, web videos via a browser, and just about any other kind of content I can think of, all while sitting on my couch with my iPhone.
by Chris Holt, Macworld
While the plot is clichéd, the soundtrack is thin, and the combat can’t compare to higher-end console games, Hero of Sparta is one of the most entertaining and well-developed games I’ve seen for the iPhone.
by Sam Oliver, AppleInsider
Bolstering reports from last month, the chairman of China Unicom has confirmed negotiations with Apple to bring the iPhone 3G to China, but so far there's no indication that a deal is close to fruition.
by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider
An Apple (AAPL) spokesman says Gawker's report that 50 salespeople were laid off yesterday is not true.
by Brian X. Chen, Wired
Apple's shabby treatment of the device still leaves plenty of questions unanswered.
by Chris Barylick, Macworld
iDracula is one of the most fun games I’ve had a chance to play on the iPhone and almost can’t be put down. The title stands on par with anything offered for the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, has incredible room to grow into something even better with a few updates and the inclusion of Wi-Fi-based co-op multiplayer gameplay and I can’t wait to see what happens in the future.
by John Gruber, Daring Fireball
Safari started life in 2003 as a fast browser, at least by the then-low standards of Mac OS X web browsing, and it has gotten nothing but faster since.
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
If you’d like particular documents to open at startup, click the Login Items tab and drag those documents into the list.
by Scott McNulty, Macworld
Here’s a dirty little secret about computer buying, Mac or PC: as soon as you unbox your brand new computer, it's out of date.
by Justin Berka, Ars Technica
The game includes a new look, new music, and a number of new features. Best of all, the application is still free.
by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet
If Apple had done this a year or so ago, it might have been big news, but doing it now, in a market where desktops are tanking I really don’t think it’s that much of a big deal.
by Jim Darlymple, Macworld
by James Galbraith, Macworld
by Michael DeAgonia, Computerworld
With an eye on what's out there now in the App Store — and what that inventory indicates about what could be coming next — I've sorted through thousands of programs to pick a few apps that indicate the direction we could see the iPhone and other future mobile devices take.
by Rachel Metz, Associated Press
In a bid to increase its slice of the e-book market, the Seattle-based online retailer plans to roll out a free program Wednesday that brings several of the Kindle's functions to the iPod and iPhone's smaller screen.
The application does not connect to the Kindle store, however, so users must access the Web browser on their iPhone, iPod or computer to buy the content.
by Gene Steinberg, MacNightOwl
by Ben Lorica, O'Reilly Radar
by Stephen Wildstrom, BusinessWeek
by Tom Krazit, CNET
The reality is that regardless of price, desktop computers have fallen out of favor with the public, and Apple's pitch for the new iMacs—with a heavy emphasis on old-fashioned speeds and feeds—suggests that it no longer views the iMac as a product that is driving its growth, said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis for NPD.
by Devin Coldewey, CrunchGear
The problem is just that the iMac’s board only has room for 2 DIMMs. 4GB DDR3 1066MHz costs at least a couple hundy a stick. If Apple had allowed iMacs the space to have 4 DIMMs, they could sell 4×2GB DIMMs instead of 2×4GB, saving probably around $700.
by Tom Kaneshige, CIO
Even as Apple readies new computers, companies continue to face daunting challenges supporting popular MacBooks, iMacs and Mac Pros.
by Nick Mediati, PC World
There are a few things to be aware of before you go out and plunk down money on a new Mac.
by Unbeige
After four rejections over the past two years, Apple is apparently hoping the fifth time is the charm, as they've already turned in the latest proposal for their retail store in the Georgetown area of Washington D.C., after their aforementioned fourth rejection by one of the neighborhood standards boards back in mid-January.
by Peter Burrows, BusinessWeek
Apple can slash prices, or crank up the innovation. Unless there’s more to come from Apple, it doesn’t feel like it has achieved either with its desktop line.
by David LaGesse, U.S. News
The Mac premium has disappeared for now, at least among well-equipped consumer PCs, as Apple today revamped its desktop PC offerings.
by Kirk McElhearn, Kirville
It’s worth noting that AAC is here to stay; it’s not Apple’s audio format, and more and more devices and software are supporting it. So if you haven’t understood this whole point, and still think that AAC is “owned by Apple”, think again.
by David Morgenstern, ZDNet
From what I’ve seen in the past couple of years is that the growth segments are Mac and Linux geeks who are using these inexpensive Macs as servers, virtualization machines and colocation boxes.
by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet
While I’m ready to admit that the Mac mini is an odd nichcy bit of kit that looks a lot like a biscuit tin, I’ve had one in the lab for about 16 months now and the ownership experience has been a flawless one. The Mac mini is a nice, quiet system that just works.
by Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
"It's an easy target," said Charlie Miller, the vulnerability researcher who last year walked off with a $10,000 cash prize for breaking into an Apple laptop just a few minutes into the contest.
by Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net
Given this alarming rise in indebtedness and delinquency, I seriously question the wisdom of MAS and the Law Ministry in allowing banks to offer more unsecured credit facilities to all and sundry in such uncertain times.
by Adam Frucci, Gizmodo
Now I hate to sound like a broken record here, but am I the only one mystified by the new Mac Mini pricing? Who's dropping $200 more for the higher end model?
by Roger Yu, USA Today
Tech-savvy road warriors are enjoying a new era of handheld computing as more sophisticated smartphone software floods the market.
by Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
Updates complete line, but Apple holds firm on entry prices for iMac, Mac mini.
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld
Apple says the update improves oversall stability and addresses minor issues with internet connectivity, keyword import, and slideshow export.
by Agam Shah, IDG News Service
Intel hasn’t officially announced the launch of its Xeon quad-core chips featuring the Nehalem microarchitecture, but Apple has started taking orders for new Mac Pro workstations that are powered by Xeon 3500 and 5500 processors.
by Glenn Fleishman, Macworld
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
by Peter Kirn, Macworld
For beginners and music lovers, Djay is simply the friendliest way I’ve seen to have some fun with your music and start to explore DJing.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
Peggle plays as a cross between pinball and pachinko — your goal is to make pegs disappear by hitting them with steel ball shot from a cannon at the top of the screen.
by Dan Moren, Macworld
Knowing the way Apple thinks, I bet there’s an engineer or two in the company who’s just bugged by the fact that the MacBook doesn’t have a FireWire port—it’s the kind of thing that irks the sort of people that the company hires.
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
So clearly, this is evolution at work…but it’s still an evolutionary step that may cause some hiccups for upgraders.
by Aayush Arya, Macworld
It may not be as exciting as the new Mac Pros, Mac minis, or iMacs, but Apple also quietly added a new version of its wired USB keyboard on Tuesday, this one without the numeric keypad. Apple is so sure that this one is better, in fact, that it’s now the default keyboard that ships with the latest iMac models.
by Macworld
by AppleInsider
Apple on Tuesday refreshed its AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule wireless products by adding a new Guest Network feature and support for simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz dual-band networking.
by Philip Michaels, Macworld
In addition to updating its consumer line of desktops with new Mac mini and iMac models, Apple on Tuesday also gave its high-end desktop an overhaul. The revamped Mac Pro sports Nehalem versions of Intel’s Xeon processors and a new system architecture, along with a starting price tag that’s $300 cheaper than before.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Apple on Tuesday refreshed its consumer iMac computer, with new 20-inch and 24-inch models.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
Apple on Tuesday introduced a new version of its low-priced Mac mini desktop computer, featuring faster graphics, faster memory and other enhancements, but still priced starting at $600.
by Michael J. Miller, PC Magazine
The Monday afternoon sessions at Demo 09 started with a session called "iLove My iPhone," which focused on mobile applications, including applications for sending voice messages over SMS, for connecting your address book with your social network, and for flirting over a mobile phone.
by Ryan Faas, Computerworld
Tools and techniques for adding Macs to your network safely and effectively.
by Asher Moses, The Sydney Morning Herald
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has banned iPods and iPhones from his household, the software billionaire's wife, Melinda, has revealed.
by Joe Wilcox, eWeek
During this global economic earthquake, PC companies will have to better manage production and distribution. Apple's in a strong position to manage costs and anticipate sales declines. Of course, that's not enough. Apple must also sell products, and that's going to be tougher with spending down but Mac prices still way up there above PCs.
by Chris Walters, The Consumerist
James almost got cheated out of CS4, the suite of graphics software sold by Adobe, when he bought a new Macbook Pro recently. He kept pressing the issue though, and his persistence and level-headedness finally, after several near misses, convinced Apple to do the right thing and send him what he paid for.
On hindsight, once the Apple manager figured out Apple is at fault but compensating the customer correctly is beyond her personal limits, she should have immediately escalated the matter upwards.
by Gabriel Madway, Reuters
As U.S. demand for personal computers craters, Apple Inc is getting a boost from overseas PC sales, where iPods are hugely popular but Macs have not been a major presence.
Although analysts see the international market as fertile ground for Macs, they say the growth momentum may be tough to maintain due to the spreading economic gloom, Mac's higher price point and smaller retail distribution network.
by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica
Here are the quick facts you need to know regarding where your applications are stored, how to delete (and restore) them, and what happens to your application data.
by David Morgenstern, ZDNet
If your Mac’s audio suddenly silences, it may likely be that your headphones port has been taken over by its hidden and usually silent partner. The solution requires a low-tech device: a wooden toothpick.
by AppleInsider
Apple is poised to introduce new versions of its Time Capsule wireless backup appliance and AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless routers, regulatory filings with the Federal Communications Commission reveal.
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld
Apple on Monday released Battery Update 1.4, an update for all MacBook models designed to improve the ability of MacBook batteries to maintain a charge when shut down and not used for an extended period of time.
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
The updated software adds support for two new cameras: Nikon’s D3X and Epson’s R-D1x. It also “addresses issues related to specific cameras and overall stability,” according to Apple.
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
In an annual survey that asks business people to rank the top 50 companies they admire most, Fortune has bestowed the title of "Most Admired Company" to Apple for the second time in two years.
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Having a visual way of seeing the sites I visit is a huge time saver, especially when you add in the ability to search your history.
by Lesa Snider King, Macworld
Corel delivers 40 new brushes, tool enhancements, and a tidier interface.
by Bobbie Johson, The Guardian
All that's clear is that while the iPhone might not be a strong player in Japan's mobile culture – and with no support for emoticons, no built-in TV, no multimedia messaging it's not a surprise - it seems that plenty of Japanese people like it well enough.
Not as exciting, but probably a bit more realistic.
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
More demanding users will not likely be satisfied with the all the improvements. The new or casual user, however, will most likely be pretty impressed with the results they can achieve with a minimum of fuss, all with an interface that stresses results but allows for play and experimentation.
by Kim Cofino, Always Learning
If I wasn’t already convinced that Apple is the best choice for education, I certainly would be now.
by Gerg Kumparak, Seeking Alpha
We’ve been using the iPhone for just a few months shy of two years now, and a few things that once seemed trivial have come to drive us up the wall. You’ll find no mention of the glaring faults (The lack of MMS, Copy and Paste, etc) in this list - we’re talking about the stuff that we just can’t believe made it through Apple’s user experience team.
by Shawn Blanc
iPhone offers two different locations to touch in order to answer an incoming call. If answering from a locked-screen state, you touch the bottom-left corner and slide to the right; if answering from a non-locked-screen state you touch the bottom-right corner.
by GottaBeMobile.com
by Mike Elgan, Computerworld
Sure, the iPhone's battery life is still horrible. And many of the original flaws still exist. But the quality of apps, the user experience, from browsing the App Store to installing to using applications on the iPhone is so good that I was compelled to give up my Pearl.
Microsoft may have put a computer on every desk, but it is the iPhone that had put a computer in every pocket.
by David Zeiler, Baltimore Sun
AAPL’s continued above-average performance indicates fears over Jobs have indeed subsided (though any bad news or rumors could quickly reignite them).
I also think AAPL is benefiting from Wall Street’s consternation over where to put its money in such a dreadful market. It’s one of the few companies not going over the edge.