The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

The Apple Store is offline

Mike Schramm — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:24:00 EST

Yes, as expected, the Apple Store is down for the morning, presumably to update us with brand new MacBook Pros and whatever else Apple has cooked up for a release.

We'll keep an eye on the website along with you readers, and when we see what's been updated, we'll let you know. Do be patient -- as many of us are traveling to Macworld today, we might actually be on the roads and/or in the air when it happens, but we'll update as soon as we can. Stay tuned.

Thanks to all who sent this in!

TUAW The Apple Store is offline originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppleStore - Apple - MacbookPro - TUAW - Macworld

TUAW Giveaway: Win a BearExtender n3

David Winograd — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Accessories, Hardware

Last month, we highly recommended the BearExtender n3 [US $44.97] as a great way to extend a Wi-Fi network to reach those pesky dead spots. In my testing, I found that it's possible to get around three times as much range as from an Airport device.

Now the nice people at Rokland Technologies have given us five units to give to you. If you're having weak signal problems, you want one of these. I bought the unit they sent me to review and have been overjoyed and amazed at it performing exactly as advertised.

The details of the giveaway are as follows:

Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
To enter, leave a comment telling us what what problem you would solve with a BearExtender n3.
The comment must be left before February 13, 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
You may enter only once.
Five winners will be selected in a random drawing.
Prize: One BearExtender n3 (Value: US$49.97)
Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Best of luck to everyone

TUAW TUAW Giveaway: Win a BearExtender n3 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Washington DC - TUAW - Wi-Fi - BearExtenderN3 - Eastern Time Zone

Navigon adds some unique features to GPS app

Mel Martin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:30:00 EST

Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, iPod touch

Navigon has been very aggressive about keeping its highly rated MobileNavigator app [iTunes link] up to date. Now, new features are putting it even further ahead of a lot of the competition.

The update adds three innovative features: in-app connection to Facebook and Twitter, Panorama View 3D with 3D terrain views powered from NASA data, and personalized route delivery via NAVIGON MyRoutes, an intelligent direction provider.

For Facebook and Twitter connectivity, a simple icon tap posts the user's current position, destination, and ETA without navigation interruption -- handy for advising family of your expected arrival or updating other travelers with your location if you stopped for a break.

The MyRoutes feature analyzes driving habits, patterns, location, time/day and provides up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each.

The 3D views enable intuitive orientation of the surrounding environment, and show you what lies ahead with digital landscape elevations, shadows, and geographic images. Panorama View 3D is integrated in-map, independent from the phone's data connection. The Panorama View 3D feature will be available via an in-app purchase.

There is a special Macworld promotion of the current version of MobileNavigator for US$69.99 and one time in-app purchase of Traffic Live for $19.99 (regularly $24.99) from February 5-15. All the new features except Panorama View are free updates for existing owners of the app. The Panorama View feature will be $9.99. All the new announced features are expected to be available this spring.

Besides being available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, the NAVIGON app also runs on the first-generation iPhone or an iPod touch. Additional accessories are required for GPS navigation on these devices.

TUAW Navigon adds some unique features to GPS app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Navigon - Facebook - IpodTouch - Twitter

Found Footage: Charlie Rose hosts iPad chat club

Michael Rose — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:30:00 EST

Filed under: Found Footage, iPad

In case you missed it last week, PBS top gab guy Charlie Rose (no relation) hosted a roundtable discussion about the latest product from Steve & co. on his show, featuring the NYT's David Carr, 'Uncle' Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal, and TechCrunch founder/would-be tablet impresario Michael Arrington. The segment is about 23 minutes long, but it's a good conversation.

Mossberg described the iPad as "wicked fast" and praised the software's grace notes and sophistication, while noting that nobody has really succeeded at making a tablet that the market embraced wholeheartedly. Arrington said "Personally, I think people are going to love this." David Carr (who strongly evokes the actor Austin Pendleton for some reason) also compared the Apple tablet to the Kindle, with the Amazon device coming out unfavorably: "Mr. Jobs did say we stand on the shoulders of Amazon, and he was very professional and gracious about that, but he left that picture of the Kindle up there for two minutes... it looked like something Mennonites made 150 years ago." Ow.

[via iPhoneSavior & TechCrunch]

TUAW Found Footage: Charlie Rose hosts iPad chat club originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CharlieRose - Apple - Walt Mossberg - Wall Street Journal - Austin Pendleton

The tweet that made Steve Jobs furious

Dave Caolo — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Rumors, Steve Jobs

Apple doesn't have a huge social media presence. There's an iTunes Facebook page and what can arguably be called a MobileMe blog, but that's about it. However, they do monitor the likes of Twitter, like any self-respecting company would, and a recent tweet reportedly ticked off Steve Jobs but good.

While publicizing the iPad, Steve met with a number of tech writers in New York including Wall Street Journal editor Alan Murray, who sent the following Tweet:

"This tweet sent from an iPad. Does it look cool?"

According to Vallyewag, the tweet infuriated Steve Jobs and was soon deleted. When Valleywag followed up with Alan to ask about the incident, he replied by simply saying that he can't discuss it.

Apple is notorious for great design, extreme secrecy and what many have called paranoia. Teams working on unreleased products are kept under a "cone of silence," and Steve has reportedly gone off on high-profile members of the press who had written disagreeable reviews of Apple products. This seems like another example.

Lest you think Steve is just a big meanie, he gets it as much as he dishes it out. In rather not-safe-for-work terms, Steve shared with the panel of journalists the flavor of some of the angry emails he's received from disgruntled fans after product announcements. We'll let you read that on your own.

[Via MacRumors page 2]

TUAW The tweet that made Steve Jobs furious originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Jobs - Apple - Wall Street Journal - iTunes - MacRumors

Rumor: MacBook Pro refresh imminent, SKUs dropped from Best Buy systems

Michael Rose — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, Macbook Pro

Update: Commenters point out that our tipster pulled the Best Buy inventory screen image from this thread on the MacRumors forums (he did provide independent confirmation of the SKU deletion). I was not aware of the forum thread at the time the post was written, and there was at the time no corresponding post on the main MacRumors site (although there is now). My apologies to the forum poster for the lack of credit for the image; I should have double-verified where it came from before running it.

In the world of retail computer sales, nothing is quite so deterministic as the disappearance of model SKUs (stock keeping units, store jargon for "the numbers that correspond to the widgets we sell, and how we track our inventory and sales") from a chain's price list or database system. When that happens, no additional orders can be placed for the deleted item(s), and it's a pretty safe bet that something new is right around the corner.

Dovetailing nicely with the rumor I noted early Saturday morning regarding benchmark results showing up for a mystery MacBook Pro, we now have a tip that existing MacBook Pro SKUs have been deleted from Best Buy's sales system. The picture above (which was posted in the MacRumors forums) shows the screen display for the 13" model, no longer orderable. It's now dramatically more likely that we'll see new MacBook Pro models in the immediate future -- possibly as early as this Tuesday, just in time for Apple to show them off on the Macworld Expo show fl--

Oh. Right. Drat.

Thanks Jose

TUAW Rumor: MacBook Pro refresh imminent, SKUs dropped from Best Buy systems originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - Best Buy - Hardware - Macintosh - Unofficial Apple Weblog

Game developers on iPhone outnumber DS and PSP two-to-one

Mike Schramm — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Gaming, Multimedia, Apple, iPhone, App Store, SDK, iPod touch

Game Developer Research has published its 2009/10 survey of video game developers, and the results are pretty impressive for the still relatively fledgling iPhone platform: The number of developers who are working on mobile games increased by 12 percent, and there are actually twice as many developers working on iPhone games as are working on the Nintendo DS and Sony's PSP handheld consoles.

That's a pretty amazing number, though it's not quite a surprise when you consider it. First of all, Nintendo DS and PSP publishing takes a much larger investment than Apple's $100 developer fee and an SDK download. Second, while the DS and the PSP are certainly selling a lot of games, they're not actually releasing nearly as many as the hundreds of thousands of apps on the App Store. Finally, new DS and PSP games sell for $30 or $40, while new App Store games sell much closer to 99 cents. So the fact that there are lots more people moving to the much more open and accessible platform isn't really that surprising.

But a figure like that does show just how much Apple's handheld platform has changed the mobile gaming environment. I would argue that there's still a place for handhelds like the DS and PSP -- devices essentially meant to play games rather than check email or browse the Internet. Even with the iPad coming, Apple still isn't actually focusing on games, though the iPod touch is probably closest to that idea. Whether Apple focuses on gaming or not, there's no question that there's a huge new player in the mobile gaming space. Sooner rather than later, Nintendo and Sony may have to sweeten their deals to keep premium developers on their platform.

TUAW Game developers on iPhone outnumber DS and PSP two-to-one originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Nintendo DS - Sony - App Store - Video game

Plants vs. Zombies coming to iPhone on February 15th

Mike Schramm — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store

Yes, PopCap is at it again -- this time, their crazy addictive (just like all of their games) take on the tower defense genre, Plants vs. Zombies, is headed off to the iPhone. They just tweeted confirmation a little while ago, and released this trailer showing all of the flower vs. undead action that we enjoyed so much in the other versions of the game, squeezed into the smaller screen of the iPhone.

They don't mention a price point, but I'm guessing it'll come out at $4.99, since that's what most of their releases have debuted at (though if you're patient, it'll probably drop down in price after a while). I'll tell you that yes, if you've never played it, the game is more than worth $5, but even if you don't believe me, you can go play it online for free and see what you think. PopCap is the master of dropping colorful graphics, sparkling gameplay, and constant little rewards on your plate, so PvZ on the iPhone will probably be yet another meal you won't want to stop eating.

TUAW Plants vs. Zombies coming to iPhone on February 15th originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - plants-vs-zombies - PopCap Games - App Store - Apple

Loopt teams with Mobile Spinach for check-in discounts, Booyah talks about MyTown

Mike Schramm — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store

If the iPhone has a leading app genre, aside from gaming, I'd say the current surge of "check-in" apps is probably it. Sure, back when the App Store first opened up, Twitter apps were everywhere (and they're still being made daily, it seems), but in terms of a genre that can only exist on a location-aware device like the iPhone, "check-in" apps like Foursquare, Gowalla, and so on, are making their mark right now. Here's news on two such apps continuing to grow on the App Store skyline.

First up, Loopt [iTunes link] has announced a partnership with a company called Mobile Spinach to start trying to monetize this kind of app usage. Mobile Spinach delivers local ads, and Loopt says that it'll be using their location-based social networking service to bring specials and deals to users from wherever they check-in from. Note that while Apple doesn't necessarily want location-based advertising as the sole purpose of an app, it seems to be all right with location-based advertising as an extra feature like this. Loopt tells us at TUAW that it's a great deal for the company, as it is "an easier and cost-effective way to do online/mobile advertising," and that it means "Loopt users can get great free offers on everyday things they want in need just by walking around in the neighborhood." It'll be interesting to see just how useful this extra advertising can be.

After the link below, read about how MyTown finally got the success they'd been hoping for.

Elsewhere in check-in app news, PocketGamer has an interesting interview with Keith Lee of Booyah about their extremely popular MyTown check-in app. It's been fascinating to follow these guys -- they're former Blizzard devs, and their first app called Booyah Society, had some good ideas but failed to impress. So they went back to the drawing board, and MyTown [iTunes link] (which I've been playing with lately) has definitely made a few steps forward. As Lee points out, they looked at how they could better validate what people were doing, and they also upped the "gaming" side of it -- you can earn points and money and even buy the properties you check in from to create your own kind of social networking city. And then when other people check in from the properties that you "buy," you earn "rent."

Lee says they really pushed on iteration and what felt fun for the team -- he says that they had a few different expectations for Booyah Society, but that the relative failure of that app helped them learn a lot about which directions to go with on MyTown. Lee also talks about monetization -- the app currently has a partnership with Citysearch (so you can easily access news and information about the places you check-in from), but they're just running in-app ads, not necessarily anything tied to location yet. The app also has some in-app purchases -- Lee says that they wanted to design for both the occasionally "check-in" user as well as the social "spammer," so there are a few ways that the game balances those two types of players out so everyone levels at a fair rate.

Very interesting stuff. With their pedigree, it's not surprising that Booyah eventually hit gold with MyTown, but the way they did it is really fascinating. I think we're only scratching the surface of these check-in apps, whether you like them or not. As they get more competitive and more popular, we'll really start to see some major innovation happening.

TUAW Loopt teams with Mobile Spinach for check-in discounts, Booyah talks about MyTown originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppStore - IPhone - Gowalla - Foursquare - Apple

Microsoft still beats Apple in cash and investments, for now

Mike Schramm — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Apple Financial, Apple

Back during the earnings call a few weeks ago, it was mentioned that Apple has a jaw-dropping almost $40 billion just sitting around in cash. In the chat, we started talking about other companies that might have that much money in the hopper -- Google came up, but I don't think we were able to guess another one. But it turns out Apple isn't even the most flush company out there, and the name of the first might surprise you: According to this chart on Silicon Alley Insider, Microsoft is currently sitting on just slightly more money than even Apple, with Google and Intel coming close behind; although Apple briefly pulled ahead of MS at the end of 2008, the Redmond Revenue Racers had more cash through most of '09 than Apple did.

Well how 'bout that. Of course, the current curves are not so favorable to Microsoft (after the Win7 update push slows down a bit) so it may not be long before Apple's pile grows even bigger. We can probably look for some significant acquisitions from all of these companies very soon -- with the rest of the economy down and lots of interesting ideas looking to sell, odds are we'll see some of this money spent on worthy purchases.

[via Cult of Mac]

TUAW Microsoft still beats Apple in cash and investments, for now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - Microsoft - Google - Cult of Mac - Unofficial Apple Weblog

Purported pics of next-gen iPhone front face surface

Chris Rawson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, iPhone

iResQ, the iPhone/iPod repair site, has posted pics of what they claim is the front faceplate of the next-gen iPhone. Two things about this piece of hardware are particularly interesting. First, the part is approximately 1/4 of an inch taller than the iPhone 3GS, indicative of a slightly taller form factor for the next-gen iPhone. Second, there's a small, reflective strip directly above the hole for the phone speaker. iResQ believes this is likely to be the new location for the iPhone's proximity sensor rather than an indication of any new hardware; however, moving the proximity sensor to a new location and increasing the overall length of the device could still point to a front-facing camera or other new hardware on the next-gen iPhone.

It's worth mentioning the possibility that these "iPhone" parts aren't legitimate. iResQ hasn't revealed its source for the part, and purported iPhone bezels leaked in 2009 turned out to be parts for a completely different device. The backside of the supposed next-gen iPhone's face is missing quite a few parts present on the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, which either means the part iResQ received was incomplete, the next-gen iPhone has had its internal hardware shifted around, or the part is fake.

So case manufacturers, don't throw out your old blueprints just yet. Unfortunately, it's likely we won't find out whether these are legit or not until June/July of this year; despite rumors of an iPhone update in April, the most likely date for the next-gen iPhone's release is early summer.

[Via MacRumors]

TUAW Purported pics of next-gen iPhone front face surface originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - iPhone 3G - Handhelds - Smartphones

Dev team releases PwnageTool 3.1.5 to jailbreak iPhone 3.1.3 firmware

Mike Schramm — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, iTunes, Apple, iPhone, SDK, Jailbreak/pwnage

Jailbreakers ahoy! Yesterday brought the release of the Dev Team's pwnage tool for jailbreaking and unlocking iPhones equipped with the new 3.1.3 firmware. As usual, though, there are a few catches: first, if you don't need to update to 3.1.3, the dev team says you shouldn't bother anyway -- it doesn't do much that the old versions of the firmware doesn't, so if you don't need to upgrade, just leave your jailbreak as is.

3G and 3GS users especially should be leery of this one, since if a mistake is made, there's a chance you could upgrade your firmware and then not be able to unlock it again. They also have all sorts of other warnings and exceptions on their blog post. As they say, don't download and run those files without seriously thinking about what you're doing with your iPhone.

If, after all of that thinking, you decide it is time to crack open your iPhone with the 3.1.3 firmware, the jailbreak will put together a custom 3.1.3 IPSW for you to restore back on to your iPhone -- here's a quick how-to to start with. Good luck, and be careful out there!

[via Engadget]

TUAW Dev team releases PwnageTool 3.1.5 to jailbreak iPhone 3.1.3 firmware originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - iPhone Dev Team - Jailbreak - Pwnagetool

Could iPad prices drop the way the iPhone did after launch?

Mel Martin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Retail

Looks like they might. That's the opinion of a note out last night from Credit Suisse quoting meetings with Apple executives. The Wall Street Journal this morning quotes Senior Analyst Bill Shope as saying "While it remains to be seen how much traction the iPad gets initially, management noted that it will remain nimble (pricing could change if the company is not attracting as many customers as anticipated)."

This is a similar situation to the original iPhone launch in 2007, where the original price quickly dropped US $200 from the original $599 retail. Agitated early adopters got a $100 Apple store credit from Apple.

Apple will be watching sales of the device carefully in the early days, and the company appears to have enough margin built into the iPad to take some hits if it is slow moving.

On the other hand, if the iPad blows the doors off Apple stores in sales, don't expect any discounts soon.

TUAW Could iPad prices drop the way the iPhone did after launch? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - Wall Street Journal - Credit Suisse - Unofficial Apple Weblog

Hutchison offers discounted iPad in Austria

Megan Lavey — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, iPhone

Hutchison Austria is following in the wake of the iPhone and is offering a subsidized iPad to users willing to commit to a 2-year data contract, Engadget reports. When you sign up for a €29.90, 5GB monthly contract, you'll get a €333 markdown on the iPad -- which may or may not be all that much since we still don't know how much an iPad is going to cost overseas. Instead of built-in 3G service, a Huawei i-Mo 3G modem will be provided.

It's not a bad idea, and we're likely to see more carriers jump on this particular bandwagon as the iPad gets closer to release. What I would love to see from carriers is a way to extend existing service for iPhone customers to those who want an iPad plus iPhone. AT&T already gets close to $100 a month from me for basic cell service, plus iPhone data and a text messaging plan. I wouldn't mind paying an additional $5-10 a month for my iPhone contract to cover an iPad as well.

The thought of having to pay another $15 or $30 a month for extra 3G service to an iPad, on top of the charges already being paid for an iPhone, leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and if the decision is made to have an iPad join my family, I'm most likely sticking with Wi-Fi only.

TUAW Hutchison offers discounted iPad in Austria originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - Handhelds - Smartphones - TUAW

Turn your old Macs into clocks, lamps and more

Megan Lavey — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Cult of Mac, Odds and ends

We've written about the recycled Mac clocks that pixelthis on Etsy has created before, but this one is definitely worth a mention. This particular piece combines an old iBook G4 with an Apple mouse to create a time piece that's complete with a working pendulum. Current pieces include a clock made from a recycled iMac G4 motherboard.

Looking for other handcrafted Apple goods for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day? How about a cap honoring Apple of a bygone era? Or an Alfred Hitchock decal for your MacBook? Or if you want a custom-made laptop case, here's one made out of denim. If you need a new lamp for your desk, try one made from an old G4 iMac. If your special someone really desires jewelry, you can always get some Apple cufflinks or earrings.

[Via The Daily What]

TUAW Turn your old Macs into clocks, lamps and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - Macintosh - Cult of Mac - G4 iMac - IMac

TUAW Giveaway: iCamcorder for iPhone EDGE, 2G, 3G

Steven Sande — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: iPhone, App Store

If you don't have an iPhone 3GS, there are now apps available to enable video recording capabilities on the older phones. One of those apps, Drahtwerk's iCamcorder [US$0.99, iTunes Link], has a ton of features that might make 3GS owners jealous. Some of those features include:

Quad-cam, mirror, pop-art, old movie,color-flip and four more special effects
Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube sharing of recorded videos
Adjustable recording frame rate
Bonjour sharing for downloading videos from your iPhone

Drahtwerk wanted to give away some promo codes for this app, and now 20 lucky TUAW readers are going to walk away with a free copy of iCamcorder. Here's how to enter:

Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
To enter, leave a comment telling us what you'd like to record with iCamcorder.
The comment must be left before Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
You may enter only once.
Twenty winners will be selected in a random drawing.
Prize: One promo code for a copy of iCamcorder (Value: US$0.99)
Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Good luck, TUAW-ites!

TUAW TUAW Giveaway: iCamcorder for iPhone EDGE, 2G, 3G originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - App Store - Facebook - Apple - YouTube

iPad in the family: What it'll take

Michael Grothaus — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware

When Steve Jobs announced the iPad, I thought it was neat, but I didn't see how it would really fit into my life. What could it do for me that my iPhone or MacBook Pro couldn't? It seemed like that gap Steve Jobs said the iPad filled was targeted at a group of people I didn't belong to. So I asked the TUAW readers if you'd be getting one. Then I began talking to my family about the iPad and discovered some surprising things: the very people I thought would never buy one plan to, and the people I thought would jump at it are holding off.

So here's a rundown of four very different people in my family and if/why they will be getting an iPad:

Person: My mother. 62. Queen of the Luddites.
Computer proficiency: Absolutely none.
Will she be getting the iPad? Yep. The 16GB 3G model.
Why? My mom has never owned a computer. She doesn't have an internet connection. She couldn't explain to you what Facebook is. And she refers to my iPhone as "that information device."

Given all this, I was quite surprised when she said she'll be getting one right away. But then it made perfect sense. My mom hates computers because the icons are so small and the various program UI's are relatively confusing (remember, she's a 62 year old woman who still clings to her VHS tapes). My mom never saw the value in getting a computer and subscribing to a $30 monthly internet service when computers were always hard for her to use (she never really understood the mouse moves the cursor on the screen thing) and the only thing she would really use the computer for would be email.

For her the iPad is perfect. It's not small like the iPhone, so she can see everything on the screen without squinting. Because my mom is a light internet user (think email and Skype), the $15 pay-as-you-go 250MB 3G price plan is perfect for her - especially since she can cancel at any time. She doesn't have to sign a $30 a month contract and has no modem to worry about dying on her. But, the real appeal about the iPad is there is no mouse for her to fuddle with or cursor to follow. With the iPad, when she wants to check on her email, she simply touches the screen. My mom has poor sight but the iPad is both large enough and features a simple enough UI that she can touch to email with ease.

Best of all, when she isn't checking her email, the iPad will double as a digital picture frame. My mom loves her photos and has recently gotten a digital camera. But with no computer, she's had to take the camera card to Walgreen's to get the pictures printed. Now with the iPad and the camera connection kit she can bypass a computer entirely and view her photos as never before.

Person: My brother. 34. Public school teacher.
Computer proficiency: Intermediate.
Will he be getting the iPad? Not yet.
Why? My brother won't be getting an iPad until it offers him something he doesn't already have in his iMac. What would that something be? An iComicbook store.

My brother has collected comics since he was a kid - back when they were 75 cents an issue. Today they run about $3.99 each - a price many think is just too high. He's had to cut back on the amount of comics he reads because of their high cover price. But what if he could buy a digital issue for 99 cents each? That would be enough for him to get the iPad.

And it just might happen. Jon Fortt over at Fortune wrote an article that made a lot of sense about why he believes comics will come to the iPad. His thesis? Steve Jobs is the largest Disney shareholder. In August Disney bought Marvel Comics. Disney is extremely concerned about turning a young, tech savvy, male audience back to their brands. The marriage of Disney and Marvel might just produce a subsection of the iBookstore in the very near future called the iComicstore. If Marvel signs on, you can bet DC Comics will follow suit. Once this happens, my brother will buy an iPad, as I'm sure legions of comics fans would.

Person: Me. 32. Tech blogger and writer.
Computer proficiency: Expert.
Will I be getting the iPad? Not yet.
Why? No, not because they didn't put a front facing camera on it as planned. Really people, do you really want the person you're vid chatting with to be staring up at your nose hair? I think the iPad's pretty cool, but I see it more as a content/leisure device - and right now the content is lacking. Sure, the iBooks app is nice, but I'll have to see if reading a book on an iPad is an enjoyable as reading a paperback or as easy on the eyes as reading on an E-ink reader.

There is one thing that would make me buy an iPad right away. It's another subsection of the iBookstore that I envision: the iMagazine store. I've written about this before, but I'll repeat my talking points here: I like magazines, but like my brother, I find the newsstand cover prices are a bit too high when I only want to read one interesting article that's caught my eye. If I could buy that single issue on an iPad for 99 cents, it would be a done deal. Add bookmarking, highlighting, and a built-in dictionary panel like the one in Mac OS X and I would be in heaven.

As with comics, the expensive cover price is a result of the costs of printing, shipping, and distribution. If magazine and comic publishers switched to the digital iPad distribution format, they could easily cut the cover prices while still maintaining profits (due to no printing or shipping costs, and cheaper distribution costs through Apple). Magazine publishers may actually be able to make a healthier profit if they introduce pay-per-click dynamic ads in the issues. This would especially benefit digital comic books because many fans go back and read their favorite issues again and again (thus they would be seeing new ads each time).

Person: My sister. 30. Occupational Therapist.
Computer proficiency: Intermediate.
Will she be getting the iPad? What's that?
Why? Please, I'm still trying to get her on a Mac or even just an iPod.

IMHO, Apple will implement an iMagazine and iComicbook store sooner rather than later and that's when my brother and I will jump on the iPad bandwagon. In the meantime, I'll have to live with the fact that my mom will have the latest and greatest tech gadget on the planet while I curl up with a good book and a copy of Men's Health.

TUAW iPad in the family: What it'll take originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - Steve Jobs - iPhone - IMac - Mac OS X

Review: Hive board game app offers all sorts of buggy fun

Sebastian Blanco — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

As a tabletop board game, Hive has been around since 2001. It draws inspiration from classic abstract strategy games like chess and shogi but does away with that pesky board (see also: Tile Chess). The iPhone/iPod touch app [US$1.99, iTunes link] brings everything from the physical version to your pocket, and if clever placement of bug-decorated pieces is your thing, the game is well worth the download - at least for a short while.

The Game

The rules of this two-player game are entirely simple. Each turn, you either add a piece to the hive (you can think of the hive as the board) or, if you've already placed your queen bee, you can move a piece in the hive. The object of the game is to surround your opponent's bee and, like in chess, each type of piece (different kinds of bugs) has its own movement abilities, so knowing when to move where is a challenge and certainly part of the fun. Beetles climb on other bugs, the ant runs around the hive, and so on.The full rules are detailed in the app's tutorial, or you can watch a video review after the jump (or get the rules PDF). Read on to discover if these bugs are the kind you want invading your iPhone.

Gallery: Hive

A game of Hive goes pretty quickly, taking anywhere between five and 30 minutes depending on how good you are and what level you're playing against. The app can save up to eight games so you'll always have room for any game that gets interrupted.

The App

Since Hive, like chess and many other abstract strategy games where all pieces and options are known at all times, is a game of perfect information, it works wonderfully as a two player app. In fact, if your tabletop board game shelves are already full of abstract games, there's really no reason any more to shell out the $25 or $30 for the physical copy when almost the same functionality - with quicker set up - can be had for $1.99 in the App Store. Heck, just the 2007 Mosquito expansion costs $10 in a store. There's no way an iPhone can replace an entire board game collection, but in this case, it makes more sense to have the app than the box.

While the app doesn't offer a way to playing with multiple mosquito tiles, the game's visual options are ridiculously varied. None of them make the game look quite as nice and the polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride (sorry, Bakelite) pieces available for tabletop play, but you can pick from about two dozen background colors and five different tile types. There are also four difficulty levels and toggles to to turn the mosquito option and tournament rules on and off and to select which color the AI will play in single player mode. We recommend leaving the tournament rules set to be always on. Tournament rules mean that neither player can place the Bee as their first piece, a choice that often leads to games that end in a draw. Boring.

The trouble is that the AI, even on hard, is not too difficult to beat. In the course of an evening, an experienced abstract game player can learn the rules and manage to beat the system with some regularity. It's not a total cakewalk, but a difficulty level beyond "hard" would be appreciated. You know, something really frustrating. Considering the game's mediocre AI, a real online player option would be a great thing. Instead, the pass-the-device two-player and local network P2P are all that's offered.

Of course, a harder-working AI might be a bit much for early iPhones. Running on a first-gen iPod Touch, the game repeatedly reported low memory and suggested restarting the device. Even after doing so, though, the message appeared. Still, the app continued to work, so it's not the most useful of warnings. When playing the medium and hard AI levels, there is some - not too much - delay in the bot's moves, which is kind of nice and mimics playing against a person, but it might become too annoying if the AI got smarter.

Thankfully, the game's music and sound effects can be muted and, if iTunes is playing when the app starts, the audio continues without interruption. Also, while there is no undo button per se, you can touch the "Hive" logo on the game screen and call up the game menu, which includes a "Back to Game" option. If you do this when you're selected the wrong piece, the piece will be unselected when you come back to the game. Handy, but the location of the logo makes it kind of troublesome for one player in a two-player game.

All in all, Hive is like so many of the "easy to learn, hard to master" style of games. Even when playing on the iPod touch, having two human players is better than playing against the bots, and the game loses nothing in the translation to virtual tabletop.

Review of the board game version by the Dice Tower:

Official app promo from Lotus Studios:

TUAW Review: Hive board game app offers all sorts of buggy fun originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - iPod Touch - Board game - App Store - IPod Classic

Talkcast tonight, 10 pm ET: Macworld Expo preview

Michael Rose — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Macworld, TUAW Business, Podcasts

We're back live tonight with the usual gang of ruffians, this time (partially) live from San Francisco as we warm up for Macworld Expo 2010! So what if the iPad isn't out for a few more weeks? We're revved up for the show -- it's our first year with a booth of our own, and our first year livestreaming video directly from the expo floor -- so what we need now is to hear from you. What coverage do you want to see, which products do you want reviews, who are the pundits and industry veterans you want to hear from? C'mon & call the show to let us know.

We'll kick things off at 10pm Eastern (7pm Pacific); hopefully the Superbowl will be over by then, and if not, we'll vamp. Once you sign in on Talkshoe, you'll be able to call in with your own phone and chat live with TUAW bloggers and listeners. See you then!

To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantage of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8.

If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk with you then!

TUAW Talkcast tonight, 10 pm ET: Macworld Expo preview originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TalkShoe - Facebook - Apple - San Francisco - Macworld Conference & Expo

TUAW at Big Nerd Ranch: Aaron Hillegass

Brett Terpstra — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, Developer

More coverage of TUAW's inside look at developer boot camp. See below for notes & disclaimer.

On my last day at Big Nerd Ranch, I got a chance to sit down with with the biggest nerd at the ranch, Aaron Hillegass, and talk about nerds, NextStep, the iPad and more. Aaron has a unique vantage point on all things Apple, and it was definitely an enjoyable conversation. If you continue reading after the first video, there's a second short video of Aaron and I out at the site of the future Big Nerd Ranch.

After chatting with Aaron for a while, we drove about 20 minutes to get to the site of the "new" ranch (it's much closer to the airport than the current residence). Ground hasn't been broken yet, but the plans are laid for a new Big Nerd Ranch. Aaron expounds a little on his "monastic" approach, and had me walking up and down slippery slopes to see the land ...

A big thanks to Aaron for his time, it was definitely a pleasure and an honor to sit down with him!

In order to give our readers the first-hand account of what it's like to experience developer boot camp, Big Nerd Ranch has permitted Brett to attend complimentary classes and has provided transportation/lodging assistance. Other than those considerations, no sponsorship or advertising relationship exists between BNR and TUAW. This series is not an endorsement of BNR's programs or teaching methodology.

TUAW TUAW at Big Nerd Ranch: Aaron Hillegass originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - BigNerdRanch - Aaron Hillegass - NextStep - TUAW

Hands-on with the OWLE bubo: Better photos and video from your iPhone

Steven Sande — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: iPhone, Road Tested

A while back, we had a product announcement about the OWLE bubo (US$129.95). That bizarre name is actually a play on words: OWLE stands for "Optical Widget for Life Enhancement" (the company's name) and bubo is the genus for American horned owls and old world eagle owls. The device, if you have an imagination, even looks like a cartoonist's idea of a horned owl.

So, now that we've got the name all figured out, what the heck is an OWLE bubo? You could call it the ultimate iPhone case for photographers, and you'd be pretty darned close. The current bubo is a sleek, machined piece of aluminum that is designed to be held with both hands for better stability when shooting photos or video with the iPhone. The bubo does a great job of making it easier to shoot video, but that's just scraping the surface of the feature set.

bubo also has a 37mm .45x wide-angle/macro combo lens that is awesome for doing close-ups of objects, taking crowd or landscape photos, or doing interviews. In fact, it's this last use case that finally convinced me to purchase a bubo. Since TUAW is going to be doing a lot of video and other photography at Macworld Expo during the this week, I want to see if I can make my iPhone 3GS my primary tool for capturing imagery since I'd prefer to pack light. The lens accommodates screw-in filters at a standard 49mm size, so UV haze or polarizing filters can be added to further improve image quality.
The lens is one excellent feature, but there's more. OWLE includes a 3.5mm 4-pin omni-style mic with a windscreen that can be swiveled to pick up either the camera operator's voice or the sound the subject is making. The aluminum case also provides four standard threaded receptacles for mounting on a tripod or attaching other threaded accessories, and there's also a cold shoe mount for adding extras like lights or other mics (see front view at right). That's a quick release for a Manfrotto monopod attached to the bottom, and a 36-LED camcorder light in the cold shoe.

OWLE's testing a bubo made from composites that should be lighter than the aluminum model, although I think I'd prefer the heft and strength of aluminum. They're also saying that a bubo for iPod nano is "coming soon," although there are no pictures or drawings of what that may look like.

The screw-in design for the lens will make it possible for OWLE to sell other lenses for the bubo case. While the company isn't divulging future plans, a spokesperson said that telephoto or zoom lenses were in consideration as accessories.

How does it work in the real world? Pretty darned good! Inside the box is the bubo with the lens attached, the small mic (which plugs into the headphone port on the iPhone), a pair of lens covers in case you wish to remove the lens, a lens cleaning cloth, a silicone case for your iPhone (the bubo works with a lot of standard iPhone cases), a small case for carrying the lens when removed, and instructions.

I had to remove the existing case from my iPhone (an Otterbox Commuter) and used the included case since the Otterbox was a very tight fit in the bubo. The iPhone fits snugly into the case, but users will want to take care not to jar the bubo as the iPhone could simply "pop out." I'd love to see some sort of swiveling tabs to help hold the iPhone in, although in normal use it should remain firmly lodged in the bubo. The photo at right shows the niche that the iPhone fits into.

The construction of the bubo is rock solid. The design of the case makes it very easy to grip it in both hands, helping to create a stable handheld platform for your iPhone photography. I found that using one of the threaded receptacles to attach the bubo to a tripod, monopod, or clamp worked very well in keeping the device completely still.

How does that mic work? A quick test showed that it really helped in terms of clarifying and amplifying sound from speakers who were standing in front of me. However, on several occasions the mic also seemed to be picking up interference from the iPhone itself. Needless to say, I'll be checking this out more completely before doing any major interviews at Macworld Expo.

The cold shoe (as opposed to a hot shoe, which provides power to a camera accessory) was useful in attaching a Sima LED Camcorder light to the bubo, although it was a bit of a tight fit. Whether this is due to tight clearances in the construction of the bubo or the base of the camcorder light isn't clear, but it really required a lot of force to jam the light onto the cold shoe.

Since a picture is worth at least a thousand words, I'm going to show you several images taken with my iPhone 3GS. The first (at top) is taken without the bubo, while the second (at bottom) uses the bubo's wide-angle lens:

Notice that the lower picture, taken with the bubo from the exact same location, shows a wider field of view. The shrubs in the foreground and large spruce off to the left are not visible in the upper shot taken with the built-in iPhone 3GS lens.

The bubo's lens does a fairly good job with close-up macro shots as well. In the next set of photos, the top picture represents the closest picture I could take with the standard lens of the iPhone 3GS, while the bottom picture shows just how close I could focus:

Purists will note that I got a little TOO close on the bottom closeup, as the foreground petal of the artificial flower is slightly out of focus.

Are there other macro / closeup attachments for the iPhone that don't cost as much? Sure. The Griffin Clarifi (US$34.99) is a perfect solution -- if you don't need all of the attachment points that the bubo offers or a cold shoe attachment isn't needed. Likewise, you could purchase the little microphone (VeriCorder Mini Mic, US$20.00) separately for better recordings. But frankly, for self-filming of interviews with an iPhone 3GS on a Manfrotto monopod complete with an attached LED light, there really was no other solution.

If you'd like to see the bubo in action, I'll have it at Macworld Expo next week. Drop by the TUAW Booth (#654) and ask for me, or just look for the middle-aged nerd carrying one around -- that will be me.

TUAW Hands-on with the OWLE bubo: Better photos and video from your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - OWLE Bubo - IPod Classic - OWLE - Wide-angle lens

Patent suggests location-based social networking for iPhone

Chris Rawson — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rumors, iPhone

Imagine you and a friend are on a phone call, and both of you own iPhones. You're trying to meet up somewhere downtown in a city neither of you know very well, so the best answer you can give your friend when he asks, "Where are you now?" is "Uhhh..." followed by several seconds of silence. It's already possible to share your location using the Maps app on the iPhone -- find your current location, tap on the blue marker on the map, tap "Share Location," and then send it to your friend either as an e-mail or MMS. Then your friend receives the e-mail or MMS with your location, opens it in Maps, and has the option of finding directions to your location from his current location.

If that sounds like a lot of unnecessarily complex steps to answer the simple question of "Where are you," you're in luck, because according to a new patent application, Apple agrees with you. By putting "Request location info" and "Release location info" buttons on the call screen in the Phone app, it would be possible to share your location or request someone else's with a single button press. The same process applies -- the iPhone polls its GPS to find out where you are, then transmits that info to your friend's iPhone -- but instead of having to jump through all the hoops yourself, the OS handles it for you in the background. Once your phone receives a request for location info it comes up in a notification, probably very similar to the notifications location-based apps already use when they request permission to use location data. If you agree to release your location data to the caller, it's transmitted in a fully encrypted signal to the caller's iPhone. Your location data would then show up on your friend's iPhone, complete with the option to find directions.

Some other interesting information has come out of this patent application. In describing the type of call this feature could be applied to, Apple says, "Note that the reference to 'voice call' here is not limited to a conventional, sound-only conversation. It may also include video of the two users, synchronized with their audio. The call may be a cellular network telephone call that has been initiated by either user." This shows further evidence that Apple is researching the possibility of including video conferencing capabilities in a future iteration of the iPhone.

Additionally, Apple seems to be exploring greater location-awareness options for its own apps, including weather and a Yellow Pages app. The patent also refers to several apps as "Widgets" -- Calculator, Alarm Clock, and Dictionary all fall under an application module subset referred to as "Widget Modules." There's two possibilities here: either these apps are still being referred to as widgets because their basic interfaces grew out of OS X's Dashboard Widgets (an explanation I've heard a few times before), or Apple is looking toward bringing Dashboard-style functionality to a future version of the iPhone OS, with smaller apps like Calculator and Alarm Clock being implemented as "widgets" rather than standalone apps. This has been offered as one possible explanation for the mysterious absence of several of Apple's apps from the iPad.

TUAW Patent suggests location-based social networking for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Global Positioning System - Smartphone

16 month-old bug continues to crash Flash

TJ Luoma — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Multimedia

Matthew Dempsky has discovered a bug which will crash the Flash player on every supported platform. That might not seem like a huge deal, except that he discovered this bug in September of 2008 and has reported it to Adobe, which hasn't fixed it yet.

16 months later.

If you'd like to test it for yourself, make sure there's nothing important open in your browser window and head to http://flashcrash.dempsky.org/.

In Safari and Google Chrome, this crashes the plugin but not the browser. It took Firefox 3.6 down entirely.

Why would Matthew post such a page? Isn't that reckless? Well, he explains on that page:

"Regarding crashing, I can tell you that we don't ship Flash with any known crash bugs, and if there was such a widespread problem historically Flash could not have achieved its wide use today," Lynch wrote. "Addressing crash issues is a top priority in the engineering team, and currently there are open reports we are researching in Flash Player 10." (Source: PC Mag, "Adobe Defends Flash, Calls Apple Uncooperative")

He goes on to say:

This page exploits a bug that I reported to Adobe in September 2008, and has affected every release of Flash on every platform since then. Despite numerous email exchanges with the Flash product manager about the bug, the bug report being hidden from the public for "security" reasons, and [although] Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch's claims otherwise, it continues to be an issue.

...I'm not an Apple fan boy out to prove Steve Jobs right in Apple's decision not to support Flash on the iPhone / iPad. Instead, I'm just a software engineer who at one time had to deal with Adobe's sorry excuse for a development platform and made an earnest effort on several occasions at helping them improve it for everyone. (This issue is merely the tip of the iceberg of ridiculous bugs and random backwards and forwards incompatibilities known as Adobe's Flash Player plug-in.) After trying to work with them to fix this issue and experiencing nothing but frustration, I just don't give a damn anymore.

Adobe has been able to rest on its laurels with Flash, because it was a de facto standard. Now that the platform is being left behind by new mobile devices and computing metaphors, Adobe is making an appeal to the public that Flash isn't that bad.

Adobe's been able to do much the same with Photoshop and CS4. Even people who love the apps and use them every day have learned to live with the crashes and other problems. Adobe seemed not to be in too much of a rush to get Snow Leopard compatible versions out. Ditto for when Apple switched to Intel.

I'm amazed by people who continue to defend Flash, including those who believe that alternatives will have a chance if web developers weren't pushed to start using newer alternatives like H.264 and HTML 5. (No, I'm not saying H.264/HTML 5 is a drop-in replacement for Flash, and I'm not even going to mention SVG.)

If we all went with the "de facto standard" we'd be using Internet Explorer 6 on Windows. Actually, we'd probably be using Internet Explorer 4.

No doubt that Flash has done some great things. At one time, it was cutting edge stuff. Now it's a dull butter knife.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you about ClickToFlash which I've reviewed previously.

(Hat tip to Craig Hockenberry and Mike Damm for bringing this story to our attention.)

TUAW 16 month-old bug continues to crash Flash originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flash Player - Google Chrome - Steve Jobs - Safari - Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch

Rumor: Geekbench hints at a Core i7 MacBook Pro

Michael Rose — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, Macbook Pro

A quick couple of tips from readers Ken and Jack, and this thread over at the MacRumors forums, point us towards an interesting results page at the Geekbench site (Google cached version, in case they get hammered), which aggregates benchmark results from thousands of users all over the globe. This particular page reports the performance of a previously unreleased MacBook Pro model (MacBookPro6,1) which claims an Intel Core i7 M 620 processor running the show.

Real? Maybe, although at this point it's a bit suspicious that it's not running a dev build of 10.6.3 instead of an internal build of 10.6.2 as reported on the page; also, Geekbench results are frequently spoofed by hackintoshes (unless Apple built an AMD-based MacBook Pro and simply neglected to tell us about it). Fast? Heck yes; the benchmark score of 5260 handily blows by the speed of currently shipping machines.

The eventual appearance of the 6,1 version of the MBP has been a bit of a foregone conclusion since October of last year, when developer builds of OS X 10.6.2 were found to include support files specific to those model IDs. A laptop refresh in Q1 would be a very nice thing, but in this case I wouldn't get the checkbook sharpened quite yet.

Thanks to Ken and Jack for sending this one in.

TUAW Rumor: Geekbench hints at a Core i7 MacBook Pro originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - MacRumors - TUAW - Google - Intel Core i7

TUAW is going to Macworld 2010

Victor Agreda, Jr. — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Macworld, TUAW Business

Join TUAW next week from Macworld 2010! Several TUAW team members will be in San Francisco for the biggest expo of the year for the Apple faithful, including David Winograd, Ken Ray, Brett Terpstra, Mike Schramm, Steve Sande, Mike Rose, Dave Caolo and myself. Despite Apple's bailing on the event, the good folks behind Macworld have put together a week's worth of amazing learning and product demos plus talks with Kevin Smith, Guy Kawasaki, Leo Laporte among others.

This year TUAW will have a booth (number 654, come on down and say "Hi!") and we'll be livestreaming video from the show floor. We'll have plenty of hands-on video from the floor and around the show as well, plus our usual stream of posts and galleries. It'll feel like you're there!

We've got a few more surprises in store, so stay tuned for more details on Monday.

By the way, huge thanks to Paul Kent and the folks at IDG World Expo for Macworld and the enthusiastic support of the community at large.

TUAW TUAW is going to Macworld 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - San Francisco - GuyKawasaki - kevinsmith - Leo Laporte

More eBook trouble for Amazon

Mike Schramm — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, iBook, Apple

Amazon has run into more trouble with its pricing -- after Macmillan and HarperCollins, a third company has pressured the online book retailer to raise prices on their Kindle eBooks. This time it's the Hachette Book Group, and their CEO in an internal memo says that the company will switch to an "agency model" for eBook sales.

What's an agency model? Why, it's the 70%/30% split between platform and content provider currently used in the App Store, and the same model that's planned to be used in iBooks on the iPad. And it's important to note that this is exactly what Jobs said would happen -- that publishers would move away from Amazon when they had another system to go with.

What we don't yet know is where prices will end up on the iPad -- Jobs said that prices would be "the same," and it's looking more and more like the $9.99 bestseller price is going to be abandoned for $14.99 or even higher. But that's only because Amazon is fighting shadows with the iPad right now. If they can actually woo some content back to their side when the iPad actually releases, we may see prices get a little more competitive. Until then, the iPad hasn't even come out and it's already shaking up the ebook industry completely.

TUAW More eBook trouble for Amazon originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HarperCollins - E-book - Apple - Amazon.com - App Store

Found Footage: Woz on coloring computers

Mike Schramm — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Cult of Mac, Apple, Found Footage

This video of Woz talking about the "revolutionary" idea of putting color into computers is amazing. It sounds like an LSD trip -- he says he was awake for four days in a row, plunged into some sort of television screenglow madness, and somehow emerged from this zeroes-and-ones induced frenzy with a cheap way to create color screens (which we presume eventually found its way in the Apple II).

This is why Woz is really the preeminent geek for our times -- he's done some brilliant things with computers, really helped revolutionize the industry, and invented from scratch some of the most amazing things in this already amazing age, and when asked how he did it, he doesn't credit his own intellect or any personal insight. He says he stayed up for four days, and "sometimes, you're not sure if it's going to work because it didn't follow all of the methodology, all of the science that's in the books... but in this case it did." That is quintessential Woz -- way before marketing types put together the "Think Different" slogan, this guy was living it.

[via Cult of Mac]

TUAW Found Footage: Woz on coloring computers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - Cult of Mac - Macintosh - Unofficial Apple Weblog - TUAW

Flying Magazine blogger wants an iPad in the cockpit

Steven Sande — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Software, App Store

Here at TUAW, we've talked about some potential markets for the iPad; for example, the health care industry. Over at Flying Magazine's website, blogger Robert Goyer is lusting after the iPad as a tool in the cockpit.

The iPhone has become a pilot's toolkit since the App Store opened, with apps like Flight Plan - Pilot's Toolbox [iTunes Link] and CoPilot - Flight Planning [iTunes Link] making it into the cockpit for private and commercial pilots alike.

Goyer loves the idea that the iPad will have a much larger display than the iPhone and, most importantly for the quick pace of flying, that it's an instant-on device unlike many laptops. He thinks that the 3G models will be most useful for aviation since they'll provide online access to a plethora of aviation, regulatory, and weather-related data sources.

What Goyer is looking forward to the most about the iPad is that extra screen real estate. As he says in his post, he'll likely go with a netbook for situations when he's not in the cockpit. But while flying, the iPad's "brilliant display" and GPS capability should make it "supremely easy to use" for pilots needing map apps. We can't wait to see what flies into view.

[Thanks to @RyanACash for the Twitter tip]

TUAW Flying Magazine blogger wants an iPad in the cockpit originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - AppStore - Apple - iTunes - Aviation

iPad hands-on: Not a full desktop replacement, but the keyboard works

Mike Schramm — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Bluetooth, Internet, Apple

For all of the back and forth about the iPad over the last week, only a handful of people (including Stephen Colbert) have gotten to actually touch one. Fox News, of all the outlets out there, posted a pretty clean and objective hands-on with the iPad earlier this week, and you can get a pretty good idea of what it's like to actually hold the device in your hands from them. They say that it works well -- the keyboard is about the same as an iPhone keyboard (though they don't say whether they try the hunt-and-peck of the iPhone, or actually try to lay their hands down as if on a laptop), and they agree to what we've heard elsewhere: that while the iPad is a nice computer, it's much more of an iPhone extension than a full laptop or even desktop replacement.

One of the most interesting notes is that the much-discussed camera might not be the biggest omission from Apple's tablet -- Fox says that an SD slot or a USB port is a much bigger exception, meaning that if you want to actually do anything with files (view photos or print PDFs) from the iPad, you'll have to transfer them to and from another computer first. Of course Apple is introducing an SD addon with the device, and I thought that I'd heard the Bluetooth connection would print from the iPad, but then of course you've got to have a Bluetooth-enabled printer, and as you already know if you've ever depended on Bluetooth, even then it may be a crapshoot.

Still, the device sounds about like what we all predicted a tablet would be: a MacBook Air sort of satellite extension to your household web browsing and minor computing. I still can't wait to get my hands on one -- hopefully we'll get to see a unit in person at next week's Macworld.

[via MacDailyNews]

TUAW iPad hands-on: Not a full desktop replacement, but the keyboard works originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Bluetooth - Stephen Colbert - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Universal Serial Bus

Charge your iPhone, or any two USB devices with ZAGGsparq

David Winograd — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Accessories

In the never ending saga of finding the best battery backup for your iPhone or iPod touch, Zagg has taken a different approach in releasing the ZAGGsparq [US $99.95]. Instead of a dongle or a snap in case, The ZAGGsparq is a big honking block, around the size of an Airport Express that contains the largest lithium polymer backup battery I've seen weighing in at 6000 mAh. For reference, the two Monoprice pieces we covered contain 2200 mAh batteries. The battery in an iPhone is 1150 mAh, so the ZAGGsparq is good for up to four iPhone/iPod touch charges. Running the numbers it seems like it should be about 5 charges, but I never said that I understood electricity.

The beauty of the piece is that it can charge two USB devices at the same time. So along with your iPhone, it's also good for your Bluetooth headset, video camera or just about any USB device that needs some juice. Four LED lights tell you how much power remains. You can also plug the ZAGGsparq into a wall, plug in two USB devices, and all three will charge at the same time. This gives you quite a bit of flexibility and helps explain the fairly high price of the unit. Currently ZAGG is sold out, but you can score one on eBay where they seem to be quite plentiful.

[via Unplggd]

Take a look at the video on the next page (click "Read More") to see it in action:

TUAW Charge your iPhone, or any two USB devices with ZAGGsparq originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - IpodTouch - Apple - Airport Express - IPod Classic

Dear Auntie TUAW: I've got a great idea, now what?

Erica Sadun — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Apple

Dear Auntie T.,

I have the best idea for an iPhone app, well, modestly speaking, ever! So how do I sell this great idea? Is there a forum for discussing how to get an idea sold? Any help you can offer will be appreciated.

Love and kissies and hugs,

Your nephew,

Mike (who isn't Max)

Read Auntie's answer below!

Dearest Mike,

It's pretty cold and dreary out there this winter. Are you remembering to supplement with Vitamin D? My doctor swears by the stuff -- tells everyone it's the secret to everything from better cardiovascular health to a brighter smile. Now, isn't that a nice image to keep in your head? Reason I put that shiny vision there is because the news I have for you is pretty bleak.

Unfortunately, the odds aren't good. According to Uncle Ernie, there is basically "a zero percent chance" that you can sell your idea and "make a million dollars -- or even score a free cup of coffee". The sad facts are these (and, I'm sorry, darling, but this is going to sound a little harsh): Ideas are cheap. Work is hard. And App Store is, I'm afraid, built on a lot of hard labor. If you really believe in your idea, you're going to have to work out a business plan, arrange for capital, hire and oversee artists and programmers, and market that baby to success.

Absolutely no one that I'm aware of is searching for new ideas or, more importantly, is willing to pay for them. Lots of people have ideas. Many people have way too many ideas. There is just no demand, market-wise. True, the "next, best thing" may be out there, but it's the doers, not the dreamers, that make that dream take shape.

If your idea is great -- and I have no doubt that it is -- it's yours for you to grasp. Whether you program it yourself or find a way to fund its creation, there is no road but hard work in order to bring it to its realization. I wish you the best of luck along that road and I can't wait to see it when you're ready to ship.

Take care and best wishes,

Auntie T.

TUAW Dear Auntie TUAW: I've got a great idea, now what? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IPhone - Apple - App Store - Business plan - TUAW

Apple puts limits on location-based advertising in the App Store

Mike Schramm — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, Apple, iPhone

Apple's excited about mobile advertising (and it certainly seems like they're setting up a plan for local ads), but to devs, they say, "not so much." Apparently they've sent out a message that says location services should only be used to provide "beneficial information," not targeted advertising. Any apps that include ads targeted to where you and your iPhone are will be rejected posthaste, says Apple.

There's a few things going on here -- Mobile Entertainment wonders just what "beneficial information" means. Certainly apps like Foursquare and MyTown provide business information based on your iPhone's location, and Foursquare especially is working on local deals with places that you've checked-in to -- is that considered advertising?

And a few developers, including our friend Craig Hockenberry (MacNN messed up Chock's name in their post) say that Apple wants location-based ads for themselves. Kind of a jerk move by Apple, but if that's where the money is, I guess you can't blame them.

TUAW Apple puts limits on location-based advertising in the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - AppStore - Apple - Advertising - Foursquare

Company that owns iPad trademark in EU wants Apple's business

Steven Sande — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Apple

While Apple appears to be the rightful owner the iPad trademark for the U.S., there's a bit of a problem in the E.U. A French-Italian company, STMicroelectronics, currently owns the rights to "iPad" in two different classifications -- "electronics and components" and "using the name in print." ST has held the trademark since September 14, 2001, but it is set to expire on September 1, 2010.

So what does ST intend to do? Possibly try to get Apple as a customer in return for trademark rights. The president and CEO of STMicroelectronics, Carlo Bozotti, is currently meeting with customers in Taipei, and when asked if the company would make some sort of deal with Apple, he replied "Our ambition is to have a great customer named Apple."

It's a possibility. The existing ST iPad (Integrated Passive and Active Devices) trademark covers chipsets for cell phone manufacturers, so Apple could theoretically use the company's products in future devices. Apple's other choices could include paying ST a license fee for rights to use the trademark, or legal action to gain rights to the name.

This isn't Apple's first run-in with trademark difficulties. The day after the iPhone was announced in 2007, Cisco sued Apple for infringing on the iPhone trademark name. The two companies eventually came to an agreement and both use the term iPhone for their products.

TUAW Company that owns iPad trademark in EU wants Apple's business originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - STMicroelectronics - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Mobile phone

Siri for iPhone is like the proverbial Genie in a bottle

Mel Martin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: iPod Family, Freeware, iPhone, App Review

We're getting closer and closer to some of the stuff we see it science fiction literature and films. Siri [iTunes link] is a small Silicon Valley startup with a really breakthrough product that for now only works on the iPhone.

Here's the deal. You download the free app, start it up, and tell it what you want. It could be "Will it snow in Des Moines today?" or "Where can I find the nearest burger" or it could be "Find the nearest parks". It parses your comments, runs out to the web for a few seconds and comes back with a lot of suggestions. It gives you buttons to call the places you've found, or to show them on Google Maps and get you directions.

I tried to get a bit fancier saying "Make me a reservation for 2 at the nearest Olive Garden tonight at 7." The app figured out Olive Garden didn't take reservations through their service, but it provided me a number for the nearest Olive Garden and offered to map it.You can even tell the app to remind you of things, and it will send you an email at the appropriate time.

Very Cool. The tech behind this app came out of a project from the Stanford Research Institute as part of a government funded artificial intelligence project called CALO, or Cognitive Agent that Learns and Organizes.

Over time, the app will learn about what a user likes and the searches will get better and better.

As you will notice, the speech recognition of the app is very good. It comes from Nuance, and the companies software powers both Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search which are both top drawer apps for the iPhone.

The company makes money by getting a small fee from any transactions like buying movie tickets or making a reservation for dinner, but the user pays nothing.

To get started you need to register with your email address and then you're good to go. Siri recommends an iPhone 3GS, but doesn't say it won't work on older iPhones. They do say you need iPhone 3.0 or greater. Versions for older iPhones and the iPod touch are coming. The app is U.S. only.

I had a great experience using the app, and it's going on my iPhone home page. Let us know how it works for you, and especially how it works on phones other than the 3GS.

It's yet another reason why the iPhone rules. Get this app and be very impressed.

TUAW Siri for iPhone is like the proverbial Genie in a bottle originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - IpodTouch - Apple - iTunes - ITunes Store

Vanity Fair releases Oscar predictions app

Dave Caolo — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store

Film fans everywhere will be sitting before their TVs on March 7th to catch the Academy Awards. Now, as with so many other things, there's an app for that.

Vanity Fair Magazine has produced the free Oscars app called Vanity Fair Hollywood. Users can submit their predictions for winners, browse photo galleries, share comments and prediction results via Facebook and more. Of course, you can chat in real time during the show itself from within the app and watch trailers of the nominated films. I'm not an Oscars fan, but I often fire up Twitter when watching my beloved Red Sox because the accompanying chat makes the experience more fun.

For more iPhone fun on Oscar night, check out these apps:

The Envelope (Free) Try and predict the winners and share results with your friends.
Awards: Oscar Edition ($0.99) Search for winners and nominees in all categories quickly, search award histories and get up-to-date information and results.
The Adademy Awards Bible ($2.99) lists all 850 Academy Award winners, organized by name, title, category, etc. It's quite the mobile tome for Oscar bufffs.
Oscar Pool 2010 ($0.99) Invite your friends to bet on who will win. Create a profile, add photos and more.

[Via TechCrunch]

TUAW Vanity Fair releases Oscar predictions app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppStore - iPhone - Apple - Facebook - Academy Award

Apple hires two more for mobile ad sales

Mike Schramm — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Portables, Software, Freeware, Apple

In addition to their Quattro Wireless buy last month, Apple has picked up two more new employees that seems like additions to an incoming mobile advertising business. Theo Theodorou was picked up from Microsoft's mobile advertising sales department and will head sales in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. And Todd Tran, from mobile ad agency Joule, will serve as general manager in Europe.

Apple hasn't announced exact details of what they plan to do with all of this mobile advertising, but they did say in the conference call last week that they plan to use their Quattro Wireless acquisition to help app developers make money, especially on free apps. We don't yet know the exact specifics of that plan ("iAds," coming soon to an App Store near you?), but it looks like Apple is making a significant investment in putting mobile ads on their devices.

TUAW Apple hires two more for mobile ad sales originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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QuattroWireless - Apple - App Store - Advertising - Microsoft

App Store devsugar: Browser-based previews and URL tricks

Erica Sadun — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: iTS, Software, iTunes, Apple, App Store

TUAW reader Gabby tipped us off this morning that Apple has expanded its new browser-based iTunes previews to include App Store offerings. Sure enough, I pasted a standard App Store URL for Apple's Remote application into Safari and was treated to the preview shown just above.

This new preview option is just one of many App Store URL tricks you may want to take advantage of. You can find some of the most useful tricks right after the break on this post. Got another URL trick for App Store? Let us know in the comments.

Direct App Links (and creating them proactively). Right-clicking (or Control-clicking) the application icon in an iTunes App Store listing allows you to copy a URL that provides direct access to your App Store listing. A typical link looks like this:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/remote/id284417350?mt=8

Notice the "id" portion of the URL. That id represents a unique iTunes product number. Also notice the "us" part. That refers to the store that this was linked from.

The application id represents the same product number that appears in iTunes Connect. Knowing this number allows you to construct a valid iTunes URL, even before your application goes live. Of course, the URL will not work until Apple green lights your application, but being able to build it proactively lets you create and distribute an iTunes URL safe in the knowledge that the URL will work on product launch.

To find your application's product number, log into iTunes Connect and open Manage Your Applications. Select any application and locate the Apple ID. It's found between the Version number and the Date Submitted. Prefix that number with id and substitute it into this URL scheme:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/idYourApplicationIDHere.

Notice that the application name, the store country, and the mt-8 parts are not required in the URL. This, for example, is a fully working URL:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/id 284417350

"Artist" links. You can provide a direct link to a list of all your for-sale apps by using what iTunes calls Artist links. To retrieve yours, load any one of your applications. At the top of the iTunes page, you'll see a category hierarchy along the lines of

App Store > [Category, like Games] > Your Company Name.

Right-click and copy that link. This URL brings up an artist overview, showing all the apps you currently have in App Store. Mine looks like this:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/erica-sadun/id282772077

and again, you can omit the country for a more universal URL like this:

http://itunes.apple.com/artist/erica-sadun/id282772077

It's a useful link to keep on-hand and use in your marketing materials.

Named iTunes.com links. When your application has a fairly unique name, you can use Apple's itunes.com address scheme to offer natural-language-like access to software. For example,

http://itunes.com/apps/AdHocHelper

provides direct access to my Ad Hoc Helper application. This does not, however, work for my super common app names. A link to

http://itunes.com/apps/Poker

brings up a search page using "Poker" as a application name search.

A similar natural-named URL service is available from http://linktoapp.com/. You provide an application name or a set of names separated by "+" characters. The site returns a natural-language style search link. As link-to-app is a third party service, your comfort levels may vary in using it.

Links to your review page. At times you may want to link directly to an application's review page, whether from the application itself or from your website, in order to encourage positive reviews. Apple's built-in "rate on delete" policy tends to skew reviews towards unhappy customers. Providing an in-app link for users who have launched your app for, say, the third or tenth time, can help counterbalance that trend.

A review page URL looks like this, consisting of an app id, a page number for the reviews to start from, and a sort ordering. Valid orderings are 0 or 1: Most Helpful, 2: Most Favorable, 3: Most Critical, and 4: Most Recent.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewContentsUserReviews?id=284417350 &pageNumber=0&sortOrdering=1&type=Purple+Software&mt=8

Just substitute your id in in place of 284417350. Notice that this does not use an id prefix before that number the way the direct app links do. To link from your application use a standard openURL: call, e.g.

[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:[NSURL URLWithString:yourApplicationReviewURL]]

Using iTunes affiliate links from applications. If you need to use affiliate links when connecting to iTunes or App Store from an application, Apple has you covered. Apple's Technical QA1629 shows you how to create an NSURLConnection that handles the affiliate redirection to create a affiliate-ready URL without using intermediate applications. That's really handy for anyone who needs to monetize their apps through commissions.

Thanks Raingrove

TUAW App Store devsugar: Browser-based previews and URL tricks originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppStore - Apple - iTunes - Safari - IPhone

AppFund offers VC money for iPad apps

Mike Schramm — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, Developer, SDK

A group of investors has teamed up to form AppFund, a company solely focused on raising money for and incubating apps for the iPad. You'll remember the somewhat similar iFund, which even got a mention in an Apple keynote a while back, and eventually offered up millions of dollars to emerging iPhone app companies like ngmoco and others. AppFund is trying to do the same thing, though they're starting out a bit smaller, promising $5000 to $500,000 to folks with interesting iPad ideas and the means to get them up and running.

They're soliciting ideas right now, so if you saw the iPad on stage and came up with a brilliant way to use it, you can send them a report and see if they bite. You'll probably need a solid business plan and/or a prototype as well, since they probably won't give you $500,000 to develop an iPad whoopie cushion that you can sneak onto a chair and make someone sit on. Or will they?

Excuse me, I have go to compose an email...

TUAW AppFund offers VC money for iPad apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IPhone - Apple - ngmoco - iFund - Business

Sonic 4 coming to the iPhone/iPad?

Mike Schramm — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Gaming, Hardware, Rumors, Software, Apple

Sega surprised everyone last night with the reveal of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -- apparently the newest game in the series will be a download-only episodic title coming to the Xbox and PS3 later this year. And the iPhone, too? The very end of the trailer, as you can see above, has a blank rectangle after the XBLA, PSN, and WiiWare logos, which some presume is a space for the App Store logo eventually. In addition, various graphics were found on the official site that hint at an iPhone release as well. The game, which you can see in the trailer linked above, is a colorful return to the series' 2D roots, but even the updated 3D graphics are probably enough for the latest versions of the iPhone to handle.

And of course there's the iPad -- considering that the game is called "Episode 1" (so presumably Sega is going to be releasing a few of these), Sega will probably want as big an install base as possible. Just widening the display of an iPhone app might not work so well, as these simulator screenshots on Gadget Lab show, so it's very possible that one of the launch games for Apple's tablet could be a sweet, high-resolution old school Sonic sequel. We'll keep you updated -- just watch out for the drool.

TUAW Sonic 4 coming to the iPhone/iPad? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - App Store - WiiWare - Sonic the Hedgehog - Xbox Live Arcade

The Flash saga continues: Adobe responds to charges of "laziness"

Chris Rawson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Internet Tools

Kevin Lynch, CTO of Adobe, has posted the latest riposte in the ongoing fencing match between Apple and Adobe concerning the lack of Flash support in Apple's portable products, including the iPad. Apple's latest word on the subject reputedly came from Steve Jobs himself at the recent Town Hall meeting with Apple employees, where he characterized Adobe as "lazy," condemned the plugin's poor performance on the OS X platform, and predicted a future where HTML5 would supplant Flash. Presumably in response to those comments, Adobe's Lynch has argued in favor of Flash, citing the plugin's ubiquity, flexibility, and Adobe's commitment to "focus on enabling our customers to do their best work, and helping them reach people effectively and reliably around the world across operating systems, browsers, and a variety of devices."

Lynch acknowledges the rise of HTML5 video in his post, but he notes that he sees the two technologies as co-existing rather than "one replacing the other." He also claims that since no standard implementation of HTML5 video exists, widespread adoption of HTML5 in place of Flash would lead us back to the "dark ages of video on the Web with incompatibility issues." He also re-affirms Adobe's commitment to bring Flash 10.1 to mobile platforms like the Nexus One, and he claims that 10.1 provides enhanced performance across a variety of platforms. His claim is true -- our own testing showed substantial improvements in Flash 10.1's performance on OS X -- but whether those improvements are enough to enable it to run well on iPhone OS is another story.

What's most interesting about Lynch's post isn't within the main body of the post, but rather in the comments that follow. Read on to find out more.

[Via The Register]
In the comments section on Lynch's post, he makes the following statement: "I can tell you that we don't ship Flash with any known crash bugs, and if there was such a widespread problem historically Flash could not have achieved its wide use today." That's an interesting statement. Let's consider the particulars of it.

Lynch claims Flash is installed on 98% of computers on the internet. If we're being extremely generous, we could say that OS X makes up 10% of those computers, and we could say Linux runs on an additional 1%. So, out of all the computers hooked up to the internet that run Flash, 89% of them are running some flavor of Windows. If Flash runs just fine on Windows but has middling to terrible performance on other platforms (which is usually the case), it's all too easy to dismiss these problems as not being "widespread" -- even if millions of OS X and Linux users are experiencing poor performance from Flash, many millions more Windows users aren't.

Lynch himself admits that "given identical hardware, Flash Player on Windows has historically been faster than the Mac, and it is for the most part the same code running in Flash for each operating system." You know what? That's exactly the problem right there. That's where the accusations of laziness are coming from. If Flash is optimized for Windows but doesn't run well on Unix-based platforms using the same hardware, it's Adobe's job to modify its code to improve performance. It's not Apple's job, it's not Linus Torvalds's job, it's Adobe's job. Even Microsoft knows better than to expect Office for Windows to run in Mac OS X with the same code; that's why Office for Mac exists.

As for Flash's commitment to mobile platforms? The writing is already on the wall for that one: Firefox for Maemo disabled plugin support for its latest release because "the Adobe Flash plugin used on many sites degraded the performance of the browser to the point where it didn't meet our standards." Remind me again why people are bashing Apple for keeping Flash off the iPad?

Oh, yeah: Hulu. Many people are coming out in defense of Flash because they want to view videos from the site on their iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads, but until or unless Hulu moves away from Flash to HTML5 or some other solution, they're unable to do so. Mike Schuster of Minyanville summed up the anti-Apple side of the argument pretty succinctly by saying, "Effectively blocking the site comes solely at the customers' expense and directs them to Apple's pay content in the worst way possible, and it's in direct opposition of net neutrality and an open Web."

Hang on. Did he really just use the words "net neutrality" and "open Web" in the same paragraph as the word "Hulu"?

This is what an open Web looks like?

Yeah, fine, it's not Hulu's fault the site is useless to the billions of people who don't live in the US. It's the US entertainment industry's fault, with its Byzantine copyright laws and its insatiable thirst for cash. But if you're going to bash Apple over "net neutrality" like Schuster or "open access to content" like Lynch, it's pretty foolish to continue citing access to Hulu as one of your linchpin arguments. If you're really championing for an open Web, how about advocating for a site that is actually open to all?

TUAW The Flash saga continues: Adobe responds to charges of "laziness" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe Flash - Apple - Steve Jobs - IPhone - Microsoft