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1) iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta 3 available now
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/iphone-sdk-3-2-beta-3-available-now/
Filed under: Apple, iPhone, SDKThe new beta version of the 3.2 SDK (beta 3, for those of you keeping track) is now available for download. The Apple developer site will likely be getting slammed over the next hour or two, so plan your downloads accordingly. The beta is available to all paid members of the iPhone developer program, with at least the $99/year membership. You will need your credentials to sign in and download the new SDK.
As usual, the new beta SDK is under NDA, so please go check out the details for yourself to get further information about the changes between this beta and the last. Good luck, and happy programming!
Update: 6PM Pacific. It's baaaaaaaack.
Update: Here then gone? Readers report that Apple seems to have pulled Beta 3 for the moment and when I returned to Apple's iPhone developer site, I saw the same. Watch this space. We'll update as we find out [...]
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2) College offers freshmen a choice: iPad or MacBook
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/college-offers-freshmen-a-choice-ipad-or-macbook/
Filed under: Education, MacBook, iPadA few colleges offer a laptop to incoming freshmen (paid for out of their tuition, of course), but Oregon's George Fox University is, so far as we know, the first college to give students the choice between a MacBook or an iPad. According to Macsimum News, George Fox University's chief information officer, Greg Smith, said, "The issue for us is the changing landscape of educational computing and the value dilution of a laptop for a traditional undergraduate." Smith says offering the iPad as an alternative to the MacBook is well-suited to students who already have a laptop of their own, or students who think the iPad will be a better fit for them than a full-sized MacBook.
Smith is aware that the iPad has potential issues associated with it, and he wonders if the iPad will be able to fully meet students' educational needs. According to Smith, "These [...]
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3) TaskPaper for iPhone, simplified to-do lists go mobile
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/taskpaper-for-iphone-simplified-to-do-lists-go-mobile/
Filed under: Productivity, iPhoneTaskPaper, from the developer of WriteRoom, has been around for a while, and we've been talking about it since version 1.0. After what seems like a long wait, TaskPaper for iPhone is out. The super-simple to-do list with surprisingly robust capabilities is now mobile, and syncs with the desktop version (through Simpletext.ws) for a complete task management solution.
The interesting aspect of TaskPaper is that it uses plain text files with minimal formatting to create and manage to-do lists. The file is easily read by other applications, and things such as tags and due dates are handled in a very human-readable format. The iPhone version offers the functionality of the desktop version, and the two work together quite well. Current users of TaskPaper on the desktop should note the format changes in TaskPaper files.
TaskPaper costs $29.99US for the desktop [...]
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4) Freeware find: Smith Micro Photo A.K.A. bulk file renamer
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/freeware-find-smith-micro-photo-a-k-a-bulk-file-renamer/
Filed under: Software, FreewareWhile I'm saving my pennies for a new 27" i7 iMac, I'm finding that "free is good." Software development house Smith Micro made my day this morning when I received an email telling me about their free Photo A.K.A. application for Mac (site registration required).
The app is a single-tasker -- it is a bulk file renamer, much like Dare to be Creative's Renamer (US$29). Like its more expensive competitor, you can rename any batch of files, not just photos. While I don't think that the user interface for Photo A.K.A. is as well-designed as Renamer, the former application does have several features that can't be found in the latter.
For example, Photo A.K.A. can rename files, stuff them into an archive file, and then email the information to someone. There's also a handy built-in function to directly upload your renamed photos to Flickr or Picasa.
But wait, [...]
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5) 5 tips for switchers
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/5-tips-for-switchers/
Filed under: Switchers, Tips and tricks
Every now and then I'll have an "I never knew about that" moment as I come across a setting or nuance in Mac OS X that I never realized existed. Take, for instance, character viewer, which allows you to display a variety of characters in your document. Whether you're a switcher or seasoned Mac veteran, here are five tips that could help improve your Mac experience.
"I hate that noise my Mac makes when changing the volume"
By default, changing the volume on a Mac will result an audible chirp. If birds could burp, this is the sound they would make. While tolerable with your Mac's built-in speakers as well as external speakers, the noise can be a bit startling when you have your headphones on. To disable, navigate to the "Sound" portion in System Preferences and uncheck "Play feedback when volume is changed." Now that's a sound decision.
"Why are [...]
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6) Apple earns 5.5 percent total market share in France
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/apple-earns-5-5-percent-total-market-share-in-france/
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail, Apple FinancialApple had a great holiday sales quarter in the US and now research firm Gartner is reporting similar good news from Europe. Specifically, Apple shipped 182,000 machines in the fourth quarter of 2009, giving it a 5.5 percent total market share in France. It should be noted that Apple didn't reach the top five in any other European country.
Overall PC sales declined throughout Europe in 2009, while Mac sales in the U.K. increased from 3.8 percent in 3Q 2008 to 5 percent in 3Q 2009. Gartner attributed the increase partly to the "halo effect." That's the common term for increased sales of Macs from PC owners who have purchased iPods or iPhones and find that they love the design and ease of use of the Apple devices.
The only manufacturer to out-perform Apple's growth in Europe during 2009 was Acer, which saw 35.5 percent [...]
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7) TUAW Interview: Freeverse CEO Ian Lynch Smith on the Ngmoco purchase
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/tuaw-interview-freeverse-ceo-ian-lynch-smith-on-the-ngmoco-purc/
Filed under: iPhoneWe were all pretty gobsmacked last night with the news that iPhone gaming developer Ngmoco had purchased longtime Mac game developer Freeverse, so we went hunting for answers. Fortunately, Freeverse CEO and founder Ian Lynch Smith was nice enough to sit down and take our questions this morning, and he provided a little more background and insight on the deal.
The first thing we wanted to do was what would happen to Freeverse's extensive Mac catalog, and we were told conclusively that "it's not going anywhere at all." While Freeverse will still "sell and maintain" their Mac titles, Smith did tell us that they've "been pretty much exclusively focused on the iPhone for the last 18 months anyway," so while they have a legacy in the Mac, the company believes that OS X is "on a collision course with the iPad," and that the main opportunities and user bases for Mac software [...]
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8) Report: Initial iPad demand greater than iPhone's
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/report-initial-ipad-demand-greater-than-iphones/
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail, iPadIt's hard to forget the near mania that preceded the iPhone's US launch. New Yorkers began lining up to buy one four days in advance. David Pogue wrote a song about it. Things got out of hand. Now, according to RBC Capital Markets' Mike Abramsky, iPad demand is even higher.
RBC recently conducted a survey of 3,200 people and found that 13% are likely to buy the US$499 iPad. Initial interest in the iPhone was at 9% prior to launch in 2007. Perceived value for the cost is probably the deciding factor. Remember, the original iPhone was also $499. The iPad has obvious differences like size, resolution, a huge existing library of 3rd party apps and 16GB of memory (the $499 iPhone had only 4GB of storage). The iPad is also contract-free, something the iPhone can't (officially) do in the US.
What's most interesting is the number of people who said [...]
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9) Apple OS and the new A4 chip could be headed to new gadgets
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/apple-os-and-the-new-a4-chip-could-be-headed-to-new-gadgets/
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Hardware, OS, Developer, iPadApple appears to have plans for the iPhone OS beyond the iPhone, and iPad. A report in Computerworld notes a new Apple job posting for an Engineering Manager that can bring the iPhone OS to new platforms.
The Core Platform team within Apple's Core OS organization is looking for a talented and inspired manager to lead a team focused on bring-up of iPhone OS on new platforms. The team is responsible for low level platform architecture, firmware, core drivers and bring-up of new hardware platforms. The team consists of talented engineers with experience in hardware, firmware, IOKit drivers, security and platform architecture.
What could those new products be? Maybe a thinner, friskier Apple TV. Maybe smaller and lighter versions of laptops that get into netbook territory. And it is a pretty good bet that the next iPhone will be [...]
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10) iPhone chalkboard lets kids be adults and adults act like kids
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/iphone-chalkboard-lets-kids-be-adults-and-adults-act-like-kids/
Filed under: Humor, Odds and ends, iPhoneThere's a huge world of creative, crafty people on Etsy.com, and we're always hearing about new Mac or iPhone-related products that have been developed.
The latest, by Etsy shop owner and artist "PlayingGrownUp," is the cool iPhone Chalkboard (US$25.00 plus shipping), The chalkboard is hand cut and painted to look just like the iPhones that Mom and Dad use. It has a wonderful funky folk-art feel to it, which is exactly why I want one in my office.
Judging from some of the pictures accompanying the iPhone Chalkboard, you can use either regular chalk or Chalk Ink markers to draw on the surface. The artist notes that she will customize orders, so if you'd like an iPhone Chalkboard showing one bar of AT&T 3G service or your favorite grouping of home apps, you might be able to have one made. There's no word from PlayingGrownUp on whether or not an [...]
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11) Mystery key on iPad keyboard = Dashboard?
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/mystery-key-on-ipad-keyboard-dashboard/
Filed under: Accessories, Rumors, iPadOne of the accessories that will be available for the iPad at its launch is a dock with a full-sized keyboard. On the top row of the keyboard, where the Escape, F1 - F12, and Eject keys are on a standard Mac keyboard, are 14 keys geared toward the iPad's interface. In place of Escape there's a dedicated Home key, then a Search key, keys for increasing and decreasing screen brightness, a key to activate the photo portrait screensaver-like function, a key to invoke the iPad's on-screen keyboard, a blank key, three keys for controlling media playback, and -- hey, wait a minute. A blank key?
MacRumors forum member macduke noticed this completely blank and apparently functionless key, and 9to5Mac picked up on his speculation concerning the mystery. 9to5Mac noted that it's "...silly, even for Apple" to have a key on the keyboard that does nothing and [...]
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12) Phil Schiller responds to sex app purge
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/phil-schiller-responds-to-sex-app-purge/
Filed under: Apple Corporate, iPhone, App Store, iPod touchLate last week, Apple removed some 5,000 apps from the App Store for what it called "objectionable content." The story broke when Jon Atherton of Chillifresh, developer of the app Wobble iBoobs, sent an email to Techcrunch detailing his app's removal. Since then, Jon posted what is allegedly Apple's definition of "objectionable content"* to his site, which includes:
No images of women in bikinis
No images of men in bikinis
No skin
No silhouettes that indicate that Wobble can be used for wobbling boobs
No sexual connotations or innuendo: boobs, babes, booty, sex - all banned
Nothing that can be sexually arousing
No apps will be approved that in any way imply sexual content
Of course, that immediately raises the question about the Playboy app and Sports Illustrated (SI) Swimsuit app, which are both in the store as of this [...]
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13) Macworld 2010: We discuss iBird Pro with Mitch Waite
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/macworld-2010-we-discuss-ibird-pro-with-mitch-waite/
Filed under: Macworld, Interviews, iPhone, App StoreWe had the opportunity to interview Mitch Waite, the developer of iBird Explorer Pro (US$29.99). This is an iPhone/iPod touch App running under OS 3.0 or better. According to Mitch, it is fourteen field guide books rolled into one App.
Apple liked the App so much that it was included it in an iPhone TV commercial. Macworld liked the app too and it was awarded the best reference App of 2009.
This is one big App, since it contains over 900 beautifully rendered pictures of birds, that Mitch will tell you all about in the video. It weighs in at 391MB, which may be a concern for those of you running out of storage. It's self-contained, needing no Wi-Fi or cellular connection. This was a wise design choice, since out in the wild, Cell signals can be a hard commodity to come by.
We apologize for the poor audio syncing of the video, but [...]
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14) Hints of video chat for iPhones and iPads
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/hints-of-video-chat-for-iphones-and-ipads/
Filed under: Rumors, iPhone, SDK, iPadUPDATE: Engadget confirms video support, file downloads and local storage, plus more text tools (user entries in Dictionary, for example), location-aware ads in Maps, the ability to draw to external displays and prototype support for a "handwriting keyboard." Neat!
9to5Mac reports that it has found both icons and code in the iPhone 3.2 SDK that could be indicative of video chat functionality coming to future iPads and/or iPhones. Specifically, there are icons labelled "AcceptVideo" and "DeclineOrEndVideo" complete with camera icons reminiscent of those already used by iChat, as well as a text string in the TelephonyUI which reads: "setButton2:_updateButtonSettings:_buttonWidthinitForVideoChatWithFrame"
-- both of which are indicative of at least the embryonic beginnings of coding for video chat.
This isn't the first hint we've heard of video [...]
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15) Found Footage: Photoshop v1.0 recreated on iPhone
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/found-footage-photoshop-v1-0-recreated-on-iphone/
Filed under: Multimedia, iPhone, Graphic Design
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Photoshop, Adobe recently recreated Photoshop 1.0 -- on the iPhone. Porting the venerable application over to the iPhone reportedly took Adobe a mere two weeks of development. The application is not available on the iTunes Store; Adobe only created the app as a promo for their 20th anniversary Photoshop celebration. The app is really only valuable as a bit of nostalgia anyway, as Adobe's free iPhone app, Photoshop.com Mobile, has far more features than the Photoshop 1.0 app demoed above, which only seems to perform global level and RGB channel adjustments.
Even though the app isn't available to the public and is of limited utility compared to more modern offerings, it was still pretty cool to see UI elements from Classic Mac OS running on the iPhone. Using the Mac startup chime when Photoshop 1.0 [...]
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16) Macworld 2010: Adam Jackson
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/macworld-2010-adam-jackson/
Filed under: Macworld
Adam Jackson has been attending Macworld since 2003, including the New York and Boston shows. His devotion to Apple and the Macworld Expo was highlighted in the excellent "fanboy" film Macheads (available via iTunes). When I sat down with him at Macworld we spoke about the past, present and future of Macworld. Video after the link (pardon the abrupt start).
TUAWMacworld 2010: Adam Jackson originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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