The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Apple introduces reserve and pick-up

Mike Schramm — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Retail, Odds and ends, Apple, Holidays

As a guy who likes shopping online, but who still appreciates the act of going into a retail store for big purchases, I love this news. Apple has introduced a "Reserve and Pick-up" service for the holiday season.

The name is a little unwieldy, but it gets the point across. You go onto the Apple web site to find what you want, click to reserve the product at a nearby Apple Store, and then go to the store and pick up the goods while you're doing your holiday shopping between December 15 to 24.

For many folks, this might seem awkward -- why not just buy the product online and get it shipped, or just go to the store and buy it? For guys like me, it's perfect -- all of the convenience of choosing a product online, with the added bonus of being able to check out the retail store during the holidays.

iLounge notes that there's no AppleTV on the list, so if you were planning to pick one up as a gift, you'll have to go a more traditional route. There's also no way to actually reserve an iPhone. Instead, you're told to get an iPhone gift card to give to some lucky recipient. Nevertheless, I like the idea of reserve and pick-up, an interesting mix of online shopping and in-store purchasing for the holiday season. It's Apple take-out.

TUAW Apple introduces reserve and pick-up originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IPhone - Apple - Unofficial Apple Weblog - TUAW - Handhelds

For sale on eBay: One iPhone development business, batteries not included

Mike Schramm — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, Developer, Deals, iPhone

Want an iPhone app business without all the boring hassle of actually programming and releasing iPhone apps? Boy, does Brice Milliorn have a deal for you! He's auctioning off his iPhone app business, which he says has 87 different apps for sale, over on eBay.

Milliorn says he started out developing apps on his own, but the business is just too big for him to keep up so he's selling all of the apps and their rights, all of the source code, and technical support for two months to transition everything over to the new owner. He doesn't specifically say that he'll transfer the developer account on Apple's App Store to your name (he says he'll send over a DVD with the source code and transfer "the whole kit and caboodle" to you), but we presume that's what will happen -- of course if you go for it, you're doing this at your own risk.

What will a burgeoning App Store business, complete with apps like iSexyRef and Swine Flu cost you? Just a cool $100 grand. That's the starting bid in the eBay auction, which has just over a week left and no bids as of this writing. There are certainly less expensive ways to get started selling apps on the store. It only costs $100 to register in Apple's Developer Program for a year, and then you just need to find a developer you can pay -- or even do it yourself with a helper service).

If you'd rather start off with a bunch of marginal to silly 99-cent apps and happen to have an extra $100,000 lying around to spend (maybe for a nice holiday gift?), here's your opportunity.

TUAW For sale on eBay: One iPhone development business, batteries not included originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppStore - IPhone - Apple - eBay - TUAW

Apple Store Carrousel du Louvre opens today

Dave Caolo — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail

Apple typically opens retail stores in high-end shopping areas, and this one is as high-end as it gets.

Beneath the great glass pyramid that marks the entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris is Carrousel du Louvre, home to shops, a gourmet food court, exhibition space and, as of this Saturday, an Apple Store. This will be the first Apple Store in Paris and in France. Another Apple Store is poised to open in the seaside town of Montpellier next Saturday.

This location has the now iconic glass spiral staircase that's featured in other flagship stores and two levels total. If you can't visit Apple Store Carrousel du Louvre this weekend, check out the photos and coverage from ifoAppleStore as well as these photos on Flickr. C'est Magnifique!

Also notable this week is the new Musee du Louvre app that's available for free from the App Store [iTunes link]. Coincidentally, of course.

TUAW Apple Store Carrousel du Louvre opens today originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppStore - Apple - Paris - TUAW - iTunes

The week in TUAW

Victor Agreda, Jr. — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:33:00 EST

Filed under: Video, TUAW Business

	Need a Mac or iPhone developer? TUAW job boards are here! Notice anything new at TUAW? We've had our job boards up for a week now, making sure all the tape would stick when new jobs were posted, and I'm proud to say that the doors are wide open for job...		TUAW Video: a tour of Freeverse Welcome to the first of what we hope will be many, many TUAW Videos to come. We've done lots of video on TUAW, from Macworld Expo coverage to WWDC interviews to fart apps and more. This time we're...
	Hands-on with the Magic Mouse Well, I got my Magic Mouse a few days ago, and I've been using it for my everyday tasks for a few days (and I'm still using it), and here are my impressions. Packaging: This packaging is...	Also of interest: TUAW Review: Kanex HDMI + audio adapter works fine but costs extra TUAW Gift Guides: Gifts for tech-savvy women Waveboard on the iPhone, Google Wave access slightly better than Mobile Safari

TUAW The week in TUAW originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Smaller iPhone on tap for Verizon in Q3 2010?

Steven Sande — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Rumors, Wireless, Apple, iPhone

If you're tired of dropped calls and dead zones, and pondering the merits of turning in your iPhone for a DROID... hold on there, champ. AppleInsider says it's received a copy of a report by OTR Global, claiming that Apple has signed contracts to produce a UMTS / CDMA hybrid iPhone to be released in the third quarter of 2010.

The hybrid handset, built around a dual-system chip from Qualcomm, would allow the iPhone to run on virtually any GSM/UTMS cellular network worldwide -- and also on the CDMA2000 networks of US carriers like Verizon and Sprint. In particular, Verizon is cited in the report as the target carrier for the new devices.

The report states that Foxconn, the Taiwan-based sole-source provider of iPhone hardware at this time, will not build the new device. Instead, a subsidiary of Asustek known as Pegatron has been selected to kick off manufacturing. It's also rumored that the hybrid device uses a 2.8" screen, making the handset smaller than the current model which uses a 3.5" display.

Photos of the smaller display were first featured on iLounge in June of 2008 (see photo at right), sparking widespread rumors at the time that an "iPhone nano" was on the way. Over a year later, neither the smaller iPhone nor a Verizon model are available. However, if the leaked report is any indication, 2010 could be yet another year of incredible growth for the iPhone economy.

TUAW Rumor: Smaller iPhone on tap for Verizon in Q3 2010? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - AppleInsider - Qualcomm - Smartphone

Squarespace hosting/CMS service launches iPhone app

Dave Caolo — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, Blogging, Internet Tools, iPhone, App Store

After a long wait, Squarespace customers finally have an iPhone app of their own. Squarespace is a hosted blogging/CMS service that competes with the likes of WordPress.com and Typepad. Having used all three, I can say that interacting with Squarespace (posting, changing your site's look and feel, etc.) is unlike the others. Instead of a separate control panel/dashboard, Squarespace previews changes in real time on the same screen. It's really nice.

The iPhone app [iTunes link] seems to be an extension of its browser-based sibling. For example, check out the live preview mode pictured at right. You can also manage multiple accounts, post, upload multiple images at once (awesome) view stats and more. The UI looks nice as well.

While bloggers on other platforms have had compatible apps in the App Store for a while now, this is Squarespace's first solution. We're eager to play around with it. Squarespace for iPhone is free and requires a paid Squarespace account.

TUAW Squarespace hosting/CMS service launches iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CoPilot Live for iPhone updates features and maps

Mel Martin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, iPhone

We're seeing a lot of updates to navigation applications, and the latest is for the CoPilot Live app [iTunes link] for the iPhone. As promised, the company has updated the map data to fix mistakes or omissions that were reported by users. The latest update also adds iPod controls within the app, which many users were requesting.

The update fixes a reported address search issue, improves GPS reception and makes some improvements to the user interface.

The previous version of the U.S. $34.99 app added text to speech and a better method of text entry.

As we've mentioned before, the competition in nav apps is going to get very interesting if Apple allows the Google nav app into the app store. It will be free, and has a host of features that are not currently available in the paid apps that are shipping for the iPhone now.

With the FCC watching the relationship between Google and Apple, I'm thinking Apple will have to let the app in, but Apple has surprised me before, and not always in a positive way.

TUAW CoPilot Live for iPhone updates features and maps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tons of software on sale thanks to One Finger Discount

Victor Agreda, Jr. — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, Deals

How does a 20% discount sound? How about 20% off software from over 30 developers? This list has been growing since One Finger Discount started this week and continues to grow as developers jump on board with a pretty darn good deal if you're in the market for any one of these awesome applications. They run the gamut from productivity to games to blogging software.

Kudos to Daniel Jalkut of Red Sweater Software for putting these deals together on one page, somewhat cheekily as a response to MacHeist, it would seem. The One Finger? Well, that comes from 1/5, 20% discount as opposed to a five-finger discount (free). 20% is still a steal, right? Very clever, Mr. Jalkut -- we'll leave the readers to consider which finger they should order with.

[via Macworld]

TUAW Tons of software on sale thanks to One Finger Discount originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RFID coming to iPhones?

Sang Tang — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, iPhone

Photo courtesy of flickr: Thijs Jacobs

Back in April 2009, TUAW's Dave Caolo posted a video showing off the potential (and some of the potential annoyances as well) and possibilities of an RFID-enabled iPhone world via an iPhone RFID prototype by Near Field. And, according to a Near Field Communications blog posting, Apple is said to have equipped prototypes of the next-generation iPhone with RFID readers.

How awesome would it be if, instead of using my Mobil Speedpass, I could turn to my iPhone and swipe that against the gas pumping station to pay for gas? And, because there may eventually be "an app for that," I may also be able to view my current balance and fuel economy statistics. Or, instead of needing to put a FasTrak transponder atop my windshield (which is annoying), I could simply put my iPhone on the dashboard as I cross the toll road. I could then view my balance, as well as fill up my credits on the fly. These are just some examples of RFID applications in use today.

TUAW RFID coming to iPhones? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - TUAW - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Handhelds

Hands-on with the new Apple Remote

Joachim Bean — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Accessories, Reviews

Like many of the others at TUAW who really wanted to see this remote, I got my new Apple Remote a few days ago, and here are some of my impressions.

Continue reading Hands-on with the new Apple Remote

TUAW Hands-on with the new Apple Remote originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - TUAW - Unofficial Apple Weblog - AppStore - IMac

5 smart albums to help you organize your iPhoto library

Sang Tang — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: iLife, How-tos

Like smart playlists in iTunes, smart albums in iPhoto provide a way for you to better organize your photos. Whether it's a list of your most recent photos or photos with a specified aperture range, there are countless smart albums you could create to fit your needs. Here are a few of my favorite.

Recently added: I always like having my most recent photos with me, and this is the smart album that gives them to me.

Match the following condition.
Date is in the last "90 days" (or whatever date range you prefer).

The smart family album: Say there are three family members in a family -- Tobias Fünke (dad), Lindsay Fünke (mom) and Maebe Fünke (daughter) -- and you want pictures of all of them in one place.

Match any of the following conditions.
Face is "Tobias."
Face is "Lindsay."
Face is "Maebe."

The camera-specific smart album: We've recently added a new member to the camera family, the Canon EOS 40D. But, like many a household, ours is one with several different cameras, and sometimes it's nice to see where each photo originated from.

Match the following condition.
Camera Model is "Canon EOS40D"

A smart album for videos: Some digital cameras these days can also function as "good enough" alternatives for camcorders. Here's a smart album that collects all of your videos imported from your digital cameras.

Match the following condition.
Photo is "Movie."

The best of the best: Your highest rated photos in one place

Match the following condition.
My rating is greater than "*" (or however many stars you desire)

Readers, tell us about some of the iPhoto smart albums that you've created.

TUAW 5 smart albums to help you organize your iPhoto library originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTunes - Apple - TUAW - Canon EOS 40D - Digital camera

Apple adds submission histories to iTunes Connect

Erica Sadun — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Developer, App Store

iPhone developer Brian Stormont pinged us this morning to share the news that Apple has quietly updated iTunes Connect with a great new feature: Status History. Appearing near recently reviewed items, this option opens a detail table showing how your application has worked its way through the App Store review process, and on to the shelf. Stormont details this update on his site.

This option does not, at this time, appear to be universally available. When I checked my personal apps this morning in the iTunes Connect "Manage Your Applications" screen, I was unable to find any Status History links on any of my application listings. However, I was able to confirm this feature with other iPhone developers.

Another new feature appears to be that the amber-bubbled status messages have been extended. In addition to the standard "In Review," iTunes Connect now offers a "Waiting for Review" status for newly uploaded material. If you see any further interface changes or new status messages, drop us a comment and let us know.

So what does this all mean? In my opinion, this is all great stuff, helping move Apple towards greater developer feedback. No, it's still not the full ticketing system that a lot of us are hoping for but it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Thanks, Maior

TUAW Apple adds submission histories to iTunes Connect originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppStore - IPhone - Apple - TUAW - iTunes

The loot from the recent MacHeist

Josh Carr — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Software, Freeware, Deals

As Kevin pointed out on Wednesday, MacHeist has a new bundle for us at the moment -- but this one is what they consider a "nanoBundle" and it's free. I can't speak for everyone here at TUAW, but when I see the word "free" next to software, I horde it.

They've decided to just give away this bundle of apps in what appears to be a move to encourage their users to come back for more. 6 great mac apps for zero dollars. That's my kind of deal. There are only 6 more days to download this bundle, so go grab it after checking out the loot:

Shove Box -- An awesome reminder, organization, gotta-get-it-done application that sits in your menu bar. You can then drag things like text, URLs, images... possibly anything to the menu bar app and it'll save it for later. When you get some free time, you can go back through and see what you have. There's an iPhone companion app as well.
WriteRoom -- A simple writing application that removes all of the typical distractions from your writing sessions. It makes the text window full screen, completely cutting off the rest of the world from your mind -- if you so choose. It still has simple tools like word count, background/text color adjustments... but definitely keeps you focused. We've covered it quite a bit.
Twitterrific -- One of my favorite apps on my iPhone as of late. The desktop version is similarly simple. Set up your Twitter account and tweet away with the easiest solution imaginable.
TinyGrab -- Is a screen capture maniac's dream. It allows you to use the standard command-shift-4 and select part of your screen or hit spacebar to capture a specific window. The kicker: it uploads it directly to your own FTP server and puts the URL in your clipboard so you can paste it in Facebook, Twitter, email, IM... whatever your pleasure.
Hordes of Orcs -- I'll admit, this is the real reason I'm downloading the bundle. I've heard nothing but great reviews about this game even from our own Mike Schramm. It's one of the most innovative desktop tower defense games I've seen. Everything is in 3D, there are 6 different game variations and let's not forget tower defense.
Mariner Write -- This is a word processor with features you need but none of the "bloat" found in other applications *cough* Microsoft *cough.* Of course, it will open and save Word documents, as well as other formats.

While I was writing this, the download total went up 5,000 downloads but it'll take 500,000 for all of us to get the full benefit. MacHeist says that Mariner Write is the unlockable application, so I'm hoping to get a serial and really try it out. Head over to Macheist, and download your nanoBundle. For the first time, I'll be using all of the apps in it -- and it's free!

TUAW The loot from the recent MacHeist originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Facebook - Apple - Microsoft - WriteRoom

iTunes LP now available for Apple TV customers

Dave Caolo — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:45:00 EST

Filed under: iTS, Multimedia, iTunes, Apple TV

A few of us here at TUAW received an email from Apple this morning stating that Apple TV-compatible versions of previous iTunes LP purchases are available for download. You'll remember that LP purchases made before the Apple TV 3.0 release would need a second download to work with the Apple TV. Apple is now offering those downloads.

The email from Apple is very straight-forward:

"With the latest versions of iTunes (9.0.2) and Apple TV software (3.0), you can now use iTunes LP on your Apple TV. We have updated the iTunes LP that was included with [your previous purchase here] so that it can now be viewed on Apple TV in addition to your Mac or PC...."

From there, the message provides a download link. Grab it, sync your Apple TV and you're off. My own is syncing as I type this, so we'll let you know how it looks and behaves later today. In the meantime, enjoy iTunes LP on your Apple TV!

TUAW iTunes LP now available for Apple TV customers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Macintosh - iTunes - TUAW

AT&T looking to sell an 8GB iPhone 3GS?

Josh Carr — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: iPhone

Boy Genius Report is claiming that two separate sources have told them that AT&T is looking to sell an 8GB iPhone 3GS for $99 US before Christmas. While this news wouldn't come as a shock, it would certainly take more than AT&T to make it happen. As most of you know, Apple doesn't make an 8GB iPhone 3GS and it would probably mean the discontinuation of the iPhone 3G in general.

If you think back to the time of the first generation iPhone (it was so long ago now), you'll probably remember that Apple quickly discontinued the 4GB iPhone after realizing that most people were opting for the larger capacity. Not too long after that, Apple introduced the 16GB version and discounted the price of the 8GB. Now that the iPhones themselves are subsidized by the wireless carrier, the game is a little different.

I doubt that we'll see AT&T discount the 16GB iPhone 3GS to $99 US, even though it would be a huge strategic move before the holiday season, but I have a hard time believing that Apple would be willing to manufacture an 8GB iPhone 3GS. It's one thing for them to continue with the 8GB iPhone 3G because they already have the manufacturing in place, but for Apple to start manufacturing another iPhone 3GS at a capacity less than its current models -- that just seems out of place.

I've found it disappointing that the iPhone (a professional device) has had a smaller capacity than that of its sister, the iPod touch. Currently, the iPod touch is shipping at a top capacity of 64GB and the iPhone only 32GB. Here's the point: if AT&T and Apple could work together and release the 16GB iPhone 3GS at $99 then that could potentially allow for the 32GB at $199 and a 64GB model at $299. That would be a killer plan for the two companies just before the holiday season.

While this may be far-fetched, I don't think it's impossible: Apple did release a bump in storage to the 16GB iPhone in early 2008 without any warning. Here's hoping that they do that again.

TUAW AT&T looking to sell an 8GB iPhone 3GS? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - IpodTouch - Unofficial Apple Weblog - AT&T

G-Map East and West for iPhone updated with text to speech

Mel Martin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, iPhone

When the latest G-Map app covering navigation in the U.S. and Canada was updated with text to speech, it didn't make owners of the older East and West [iTunes store links for each] versions too happy. Now that has been corrected, and both iterations of the U.S. $24.99 app have text to speech, iTunes integration, and the ability to resume navigation automatically after a call.

Traffic will be added soon to both apps as an in-app paid update.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Canada version has been pulled from the app store. According to the company:

'we found a critical issue in the new update of G-Map US & Canada. In order to protect our current users, we have no choice but to temporarily pull the app from the App Store. We already corrected the problem and re-submitted the G-Map US & Canada for approval. Please allow us a few more weeks to serve you. We will do our best to minimize any inconveniences that might occur to you.'

All the G-Map apps have been reasonably priced, but a bit buggy which has not pleased buyers. I'm working on a holiday buyers guide for nav software for the iPhone, but the whole landscape will change radically if Apple approves the free Google nav app with turn by turn directions and photo realistic rendering of routes. The app is shipping in the new Android 2.0 phones, starting with the Verizon Droid, which is scheduled for release tomorrow.

TUAW G-Map East and West for iPhone updated with text to speech originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - App Store - Apple - Google - TUAW

Quick QuickTime Q&A

TJ Luoma — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Multimedia, Software

QuickTime was one of the few apps which changed significantly in Snow Leopard. We've heard from some readers who missed the initial reports about it, so we're repeating it here, with some additional QuickTime information.

Q: "What happened to QuickTime in Snow Leopard?"

QuickTime Player "X" has brought significant changes to the way the app looks and works. Most notably, there is no "chrome" to the player when a file is being played. This is intended to let you see as much of the picture as possible.

Q: "How do I get the old QuickTime back?"

You can install QuickTime Player 7 on Snow Leopard. Apple even posted instructions which boil down to this:

Insert your Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Install DVD.
Open the Optional Installs folder and double-click "Optional Installs.mpkg".
Select the QuickTime 7 option and click Continue.
QuickTime Player 7 will be installed in your Utilities folder.

It goes on to say "If you double-click any media that requires QuickTime Player 7 for playback and it is not already installed, you will be asked if you want to download it from Apple."

Q: "I had QuickTime Pro before I upgraded to Snow Leopard, I want to use its features!"

That's not really a question, but we understand that you're upset. QuickTime Pro had the ability to do more than QuickTime X. If you installed Snow Leopard over your Leopard installation, check /Applications/Utilities/ QuickTime 7 should already be there. If not, you can install it as above.

Q: "I have QuickTime 7.6.3, and I tried to install 7.6.4 but it wouldn't let me."

That isn't a question either. You're not very good at this Q&A thing, are you? Nevermind. This confused me as well. The webpage for QuickTime 7.6.4 says that it is for "... Mac OS X 10.5 or later" but the download page for QuickTime 7 says that it is for Leopard or Tiger only. The installer for QuickTime 7.6.4 refuses to install on Snow Leopard.

Q: "What's New in QuickTime 7.6.4?"

That's a good question. From Apple: "QuickTime 7.6.4 includes changes that increase reliability, improve compatibility and enhance security. This release is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users." It's unclear why this isn't available for Snow Leopard. Perhaps the security and compatibility aren't applicable. I hope.

Q: "How can I take a screenshot of a movie in QuickTime X?"

One gripe about the new QuickTime X is that when you pause a video, the on-screen controls stay visible, making it impossible to grab a clean screenshot. TUAW reader Gwion Daniel wrote in to tell us that you can make the controls fade by double-clicking the picture frame. I have had mixed results with this. I have had the most success double-clicking on the far right side of the window (where the scrollbar would be, if there was one). Sometimes it seems to work, sometimes it takes a few tries. If you can't get it to work, fire up VLC and use the menu item Video > Snapshot.

Q: "What happened to QuickTime X's preferences?"

Thery aren't any clearly visibe as there's no preference menu. However, if you install the Secrets preference panel which we mentioned earlier you'll find hidden preferences for:

Autoplay movies on open
Allow multiple simultaneous recordings
Always hide title bar
Autohide titlebar/controller
Autoshow titlebar/controller
Automatically show subtitles and closed captioning on open
Exit fullscreen when switching apps
Use square corners

I'm hoping that the new QuickTime player will eventually regain all of QuickTime 7 Pro's functionality and the user interface will become a little more user-friendly (hiding these basic preferences seems like an odd decision), but for now we are living in an in-between time in QuickTime's development. QuickTime turns 18 this year, and it's obviously going through some changes. 'Ol Quicktime is no longer who it was, nor is it yet what it will be when it grows up. At least you don't have to worry about it staying out all night with its friends.

TUAW Quick QuickTime Q&A originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snow Leopard - Apple - QuickTime - Mac OS X v10.6 - Mac OS X

Fortune names Jobs "CEO of the Decade"

Dave Caolo — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Steve Jobs

~~Forbes~~ Fortune bestowed a significant honor on Steve Jobs today, naming him their CEO of the Decade. Fortune outlines the incredible leaps in business, technology and industry Apple has made since Steve's return. For anyone who might not remember, the 90's were not kind to Apple and nearly everyone thought the company was finished.

Consider this incredible fact: Apple launched OS X and iTunes, opened the first two retail stores and introduced the first iPod ... all in the same year (2001). Fortune also goes on to describe how Steve changed the film industry with Pixar, the music industry with the iTunes Store and the cell phone industry with the iPhone and the App Store.

He also kicked cancer's ass.

This is precisely why I'm excited about the prospect of a new piece of hardware from Apple. I won't call it a tablet because that's not what it will be. Apple didn't invent the digital music player, the mobile phone or mass distribution of media. But, they did demonstrate how to do those things the right way, which no one else could come up with.

If there's a new product coming, comparing it to contemporary tablets or netbooks is a huge mistake, because it won't behave like any of them.

Click below to watch Fortunes' video on this announcement.

[Via MacDailyNews]

Continue reading Fortune names Jobs "CEO of the Decade"

TUAW Fortune names Jobs "CEO of the Decade" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Job - iPhone - iTunes - Apple - App Store

Secrets preference panel updated for Snow Leopard

TJ Luoma — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: OS, Software, Odds and ends

From time to time we have shared hidden settings in applications which can be used to "tweak" an app's behavior, such as forcing Snow Leopard's dictionary to reuse the same window or make the print dialog expanded by default. These settings are normally changed using the Terminal.app which can be daunting to some.

Secrets is a (free!) preference panel which has collected a bunch of these settings and made changing them as simple as checking a box or choosing from a drop-down panel of possible choices. It includes settings for about 40 different applications, from Apple applications such as Mail, iCal, iChat, Finder, Front Row, Keynote, DVD Player (and more) to third-party applications including Adium, Audio Hijack Pro, BBedit, EyeTV, VMware Fusion, and TextMate (just to name a few). Some applications have a lot of hidden settings, and some have only one or two.

If you see a setting but don't know what it does, click it and Secrets will show a brief explanation (these are also available on the Secrets website, but they are easier to read in the preference panel). If you change a setting which requires you to restart the application, Secrets will tell you, and even give you a "Quit This" button. (It's usually best to make these changes when the app isn't running.)

Unfortunately at least one of the secret settings from 10.5 doesn't seem to work in 10.6. That is, the setting to turn HelpViewer into a regular (instead of floating) window. There may be others.

I'm off to explore and see what new goodies Alcor (the developer of Secrets, who you may also know as the creator of Quicksilver) has uncovered.

Thanks to the recently-revived Hawk Wings site for bringing this to my attention. If you use Apple's Mail.app, Hawk Wings is a great site for tips and information.

Update: We seem to have taken down the Secrets website (oops!) but you can download the preference panel from a mirror (zip) (166kb).

TUAW Secrets preference panel updated for Snow Leopard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mail - VMware Fusion - TUAW - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Snow Leopard

iStopMotion now Snow Leopard happy

Mike Schramm — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Multimedia, Software

Just in case you were waiting for the stop-motion app on your hard drive to be compatible before switching to Snow Leopard, you can stop waiting -- even if you're using some other program to do stop motion, iStopMotion is the best and brightest, and with the brand new update to version 2.1, it's completely compatible with the newest version of OS X.

OK, you probably weren't waiting for this upgrade to bring the OS up to date, but hey, Snow Leopard compatibility is a nice selling point with any app. This upgrade also includes the ability to put markers (with their own name, color, and description) in the timeline of your video, as well as a full Japanese localization, to go along with the English, German, and French already in there. It's a free update for all current users, and considering that iStopMotion has made quite a few appearances in various Mac software bundles, odds are you've already got it anyway.

TUAW iStopMotion now Snow Leopard happy originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Operating system - Snow Leopard - TUAW - Macintosh - Hard disk drive

An interview with the man behind the name "iMac"

Mike Schramm — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Cult of Mac, iMac, Steve Jobs, Apple History

This is a cool interview over at Cult of Mac -- you've heard of Steve Jobs of course, you know who Jonathan Ive is, you might have heard of Rob Janoff, but do you know Ken Segall's name? He's a former creative director from TBWA\Chiat\Day, and he has two claims to Apple fame: he worked on the "Think Different" campaign, and he's responsible for coming up with the one letter that may have defined the modern-day Apple as we know it. That's right, he named the iMac.

The writeup is fascinating, even if you get the sense that we're looking through the lens of history, and things may not happened quite as stylishly as they seem. Jobs apparently showed the Bondi Blue iMac to the ad team, and while he originally "hated" the name, he obviously came around -- though Segall apparently never got the satisfaction of official approval.

He closes with an interesting sentiment about the company, too: at Apple, it's always about moving forward to the next big thing, and everything is product-centered, not number-driven. Segall says he was around for a few Jobs "flare-ups," but if there was a fit thrown, it was always in trying to keep the company moving forward as quickly as possible.

Interesting stuff. It's quite a legacy, too -- the iMac was originally called so because it was a Mac that connected to the Internet, but obviously since then, the i has become symbolic of many other things, all the way up to iLife, the iPod, and the iPhone. You tend to forget, after all of the millions of dollars and the culture and promotion, that it all came from the head of a guy in a conference room looking at a computer Jobs just pulled the cloth off of.

TUAW An interview with the man behind the name "iMac" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - Steve Job - iPhone - IPod - IMac

Andy Ihnatko on Verizon Droid "iDon't" ads: baloney (mostly)

Steven Sande — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Odds and ends, Blogging, iPhone

Most American television viewers have been treated recently to endless reruns of Verizon's "iDon't" advertisements. These ads attack the iPhone, playing music that's similar to that played in iPhone ads while displaying a series of messages stating such brilliant and cutting phrases as "iDon't have a real keyboard," "iDon't run simultaneous apps," and so on.

Mac fan and Chicago Sun-Times writer Andy Ihnatko was apparently as fed up with the ads as most of us here at TUAW, so he took Verizon to task in a Wednesday column. In the column, he takes on Verizon's claims and for the most part finds them lacking or at least overblown.In describing the faults of the ad campaign, Ihnatko says "Its claims about the limitations of the iPhone are baloney (Mostly.)"

Andy has been testing the new Motorola Droid phone for an upcoming review, and he does like the phone -- a lot. But his take on the ad campaign is right on the mark: "Verizon's 'iDon't' is a terrible commercial. It provokes experienced iPhone users like me to get all Tyra Banks on the phone and the Android 2.0 OS. That can't possibly be good for business."

Don't mess with us iPhone fans, Verizon...

[via Chicago Sun-Times]

TUAW Andy Ihnatko on Verizon Droid "iDon't" ads: baloney (mostly) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - TUAW - Andy Ihnatko - Chicago Sun-Times

Perhaps Apple won't block Atom support after all

Dave Caolo — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, OS, Hacks, Snow Leopard

There was a report this week that Mac OS X 10.6.2 will block Atom support, leaving Hackintosh owners stuck at 10.6.1. Intel's Atom processors have been used in netbooks by MSI, Dell and ASUS for their low cost and modest energy consumption. Hackintosh owners were disappointed.

Shortly after that report was published, Electronista noted that a newly-released build of 10.6.2 (10C535) brought it back. Of course, we're talking about "support" for hackintoshes in a developer build of the OS, so keep that in mind.

The moral of the story: Apple can kill this when ever they please, so have fun while you can.

[Via Engadget]

TUAW Perhaps Apple won't block Atom support after all originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - Mac OS X - TUAW - Mac OS X v10.6 - Unofficial Apple Weblog

Logos brings free Bible study tools to the iPhone

TJ Luoma — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: App Store, App Review

We've mentioned Logos for Mac before, but now there is Logos Bible Software for iPhone (iTunes link), a free app providing access to several translations of the Bible and other Bible study books (most of the ones available at http://bible.logos.com). That's pretty good.

If you create a free account at Logos.com, you gain access to even more free resources. That's even better.

The app also lets you set up reading lists, which is an excellent idea. I've read through the Bible twice in the past few years, and used Mobile Safari on my iPhone to keep up with online lists. This app would have been much easier to use.

Many of the free resources are older, but the English Standard Version (ESV) is a good and fairly modern translation. There are also comparison tools available, as well as dictionaries. (UPDATE: Ryan Burns from Logos.com added a complete list in the comments.)

I'm almost hesitant to mention this next feature. Here's the good news: the new Logos version 4 will work with the iPhone app, giving you access over the Internet to books that you have purchased. That's a pretty killer feature.

Here's the bad news: the Mac version of Logos 4 is not finished. (That sound you just heard was an angry mob of Mac users grabbing their pitchforks off the wall and looking for the kerosene to light their torches.) Logos is developed both for Windows and Mac, and the Windows version beat the Mac version out the door.

The developers explain that the underlying "core" works on both Windows and Mac, and that the pre-release version "reads and indexes the exact same resources and data files as the Windows version. It synchronizes with the server and even uploads and downloads notes, settings, and other data. It can automatically update itself over the Internet. It just needs work at the user interface level, and we're doing that as fast as we can."

They go on to explain that the Windows and iPhone versions are both ready, and delaying "wouldn't speed up the Mac product, it would just delay access for the larger group of users." They describe version 4 as "a completely new product." All of which is fairly reasonable, but unlikely to soothe the nerves of some Mac users who will no doubt feel like second-class citizens.

The iPhone app still offers a lot of functionality, even without Logos 4 integration, and it is completely free.

Do you have a favorite iPhone Bible study app? If so, please let us know in the comments. I realize a lot of you are not religious and may not have any use or affinity for this particular app, but it would be appreciated if you'd let others have a chance to discuss this.

TUAW Logos brings free Bible study tools to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - AppStore - Apple - TUAW - iTunes

Developers report a moment of upside-down app rankings, now returning to normal

Michael Rose — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: App Store

It seems to be back to status quo ante now, and we're not sure exactly what was going on, but something apparently slipped off the crazy shelf and whacked the App Store firmly in the noggin. Multiple users and developers emailed to let us know that the Top Paid rankings in the store were completely jumbled up, with unfamiliar apps taking over the rankings from long-standing champs. iGlowStickPro? 301+ Short Stories? That ain't right.

The US store was definitely fritzy, but other tipsters report that the Australian store was affected as well. Now that things seem to be returning to normal, it's interesting to note how quickly everyone reacted to send a heads-up about the problem... when your monthly revenues depend on that Top Paid ranking slot, even a few minutes of confusion will get your attention in a hurry.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

TUAW Developers report a moment of upside-down app rankings, now returning to normal originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AppStore - Apple - TUAW - IPhone - Unofficial Apple Weblog

TUAW Gift Guides: Gifts for tech-savvy women

Erica Sadun — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Humor

Holiday time is drawing near, with Black Friday just over the horizon. So have you started thinking about what to get your favorite gal? You might want to subscribe to a Monoprice e-mail alert to catch the latest restocks for your beloved's iPhone or iPod touch. Last night, they sold out of their 2200 mAh charge boosters within minutes. I snagged mine just in time.

Because, gentlemen, you need to face it: cables, remotes, and batteries are made of holiday win. Why not consider a miniDisplay cable to give your lady that second Mac mini monitor she's been dreaming about? Those redesigned Apple remotes make the perfect accompaniment to the treadmill, when watching "The View." Or, for that matter, when watching the morning financial news. Whatever floats your boat.

One of my female TUAW colleagues writes, "Last year I got earrings and returned them for a MacBook. My husband also knows that on Black Friday morning, in the dark, I will be at Radio Shack or MicroCenter -- elbows out to fend off other customers -- hissing at the sunlight and hoarding hard drives, enclosures, and spindles of DVDs."

Face it: Chicks love technology. Trust me. I'm a woman.

Results are not typical or representative of all real women's buying habits. Please check with a lawyer before deciding whether purchasing Mac peripherals are right for you. Side effects, including being kicked out of your home and/or marriage, may occur. Peripherals are not a substitute for fine jewelry. Do not attempt to offer technology when the spouse is pregnant or nursing. Consult a physician should a piece of technology make an accelerated impact with your head. In case of technology overdose, seek professional assistance, or contact a family counselor immediately.

TUAW TUAW Gift Guides: Gifts for tech-savvy women originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - IpodTouch - Apple - TUAW - Black Friday

Snow Leopard quirk prevents opening groups of recently downloaded files

Michael Jones — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Snow Leopard

Reports of an odd bug affecting downloaded files in Snow Leopard have been circulating Apple's discussion boards recently. As reported by TidBITS, the issue appears to be affecting all computers running Snow Leopard.

While different users have reported varying symptoms and differing circumstances, it essentially boils down to this: if you download a group of files, and then attempt to open the entire group of files at once (rather than opening each file individually), chances are either some or all of the selected files will not open.

My initial response to this was that it could possibly be one of those "it's not a bug, it's a feature" ordeals. We have already seen some indications that Apple is working on enhanced security and virus protection in Snow Leopard, so it stands to reason that the operating system may be simply trying to prevent what it thinks is malicious activity by imposing restrictions on what you can and can't do with a newly downloaded file.

Of course, that's just my theory, but I'm apparently not the only one who has explored that possibility -- a reader on the Mac OS X Hints forum discovered some hard evidence supporting that theory. In OS X, newly downloaded files are flagged with a "quarantine" attribute, which remains until the file is opened. If this attribute is set when the file is launched, and the file is an application, you would receive the typical "This application was downloaded from the Internet" confirmation before the application is allowed to continue launching. This is nothing new in Snow Leopard, but it would seem that the additional protections and scanning that were added to Snow Leopard most likely prevent opening multiple files so that each file can be individually checked before it is launched.

Whether or not this is a serious bug or a minor inconvenience depends entirely on your workflow. Personally, I find that I don't often open multiple files from Finder, as most of the applications I use have the ability to select multiple files from their Open dialog. I can easily see where this might pose significant problems, however. For example, if you do a lot of work with graphics, you might download a several photos from a client, highlight them and open them with a custom tool that automatically resizes and processes for you. With this bug in play, that task would become much more difficult if you had to open each file individually.

So what about you? Is this bug bugging you, or is it a non-issue? If you are affected, feel free to chime in with your experiences on the discussion boards, and be sure to let us know in the comments!

TUAW Snow Leopard quirk prevents opening groups of recently downloaded files originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mac OS X - Snow Leopard - Operating system - Apple - Mac OS X v10.6

iPhone user survey gives excuses to dump gadget-undesirable romantic partners

Megan Lavey — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cult of Mac, iPhone

My beloved fiancé,

It is with great sadness that I write you at home to your Gmail account to inform you that I am intending to sell your ring on Ebay and we will part ways. You see, ours was a mixed relationship to begin with. You have your Windows 7, your Linux, your original Android phone from T-Mobile in the UK. I have my iPhone, my iMac and everything good that's Apple (and even a few pieces that aren't).

That's why I know it'll never work out between us. According to a recent study from Retrevo, iPhone owners believe that a "cool gadget" makes a person far more attractive than the measly doctorate you've spent years studying for. Every time we are together, I can't help but shudder over the fact that your Android phone is not of the latest generation.

So forget the four years of history between us, the months of separation due to our being in two different countries, and the fact that you are a wonderful, kind, sweet, and intelligent man with a bright future ahead of you. I have someone else I think the world of, and it is my iPhone. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go watch adult material and post up an ad at Match.com for someone with a 3GS.

Much love,
Your dear departed Megan

P.S. This letter is satire, I'm not dumping my fiance over his gadget preferences. Love you, honey!

TUAW iPhone user survey gives excuses to dump gadget-undesirable romantic partners originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - Gmail - Linux - TUAW

N64 emulator for jailbroken iPhones on the way?

Dave Caolo — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Gaming, Software, iPhone, iPod touch

There's an exciting announcement at All Tech Related this week that has us saying, "We can't wait!"

ZodTDD, the developer behind GpSPhone (a Nintendo Gameboy Advance emulator for the iPhone and iPod Touch), announced the development of an N64 emulator for the iPhone and iPod touch. Zodttd believes that the current generation iPhone and iPod touch have the graphic CPU horsepower necessary to run those games. "...I can't promise it will run games top notch just yet, as things are too early to say. There's hope though, with a 3D accelerated graphics plugin, as well as an ARM dynarec."

As iPhone Savior points out, the toughest challenge could be fitting the controls onto the screen in an unobtrusive yet usable way. That was my main complaint about Resident Evil for iPhone [iTunes link] -- my hand is often in the way of what I'm trying to see.

Note that this will require an jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch.

[Via iPhone Savior]

TUAW N64 emulator for jailbroken iPhones on the way? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - IpodTouch - Apple - iTunes - TUAW

Sony offers 1,000 ringtones for iPhone for 20 bucks. Pass.

Mel Martin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, iPhone

Let's file this under 'really bad ideas done poorly.' Sony would like to sell you 1,000 ringtones, sound effects, and comedy voices on a data DVD that's just oh so ready to import into iTunes. Sony doesn't seem to offer a comparable product for other cellphones, like maybe the Sony Ericsson brand, so I can only conclude this is a plot by Sony to make iPhone owners look dumb when a call comes in.

I listened to some of the samples on the Sony website, and the DVD seems to be a collection of bad and unmemorable production music, obnoxious sound effects, and jokey voices saying things like "Dude -- everybody keep your voice down, I think it's my Dad calling."

Continue reading Sony offers 1,000 ringtones for iPhone for 20 bucks. Pass.

TUAW Sony offers 1,000 ringtones for iPhone for 20 bucks. Pass. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW Video: a tour of Freeverse

Victor Agreda, Jr. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, TUAW Business, TUAW Interview

Welcome to the first of what we hope will be many, many TUAW Videos to come. We've done lots of video on TUAW, from Macworld Expo coverage to WWDC interviews to fart apps and more. This time we're trying something a bit different. This time we're taking it slow and profiling Mac and iPhone users, developers, mavens and anyone with a story to tell. If you've ever seen MacHeads or Welcome to Macintosh (both of which are awesome), you know there are plenty of passionate Apple fans out there. If you're reading this blog you probably know this, right? Well, now's the time to tell these stories.

We visited Freeverse in Brooklyn, NY and spent some time checking out the factory where Skee-ball, Moto Chaser, Big Brain Games, Burning Monkey Solitaire and the awesome Flick series of iPhone games come from. We found a passionate, creative team of coders and designers working hard to keep you entertained. We also got a peek at Warp Gate, which looks like a huge game to cram into an iPhone.

Watch the video and tell us if you'd like to see more of these profiles. If you're a passionate Mac user with an interesting story to tell you can get in touch with us here.

On an iPhone? Here's the link for the iPhone version of this video.

Share

TUAW TUAW Video: a tour of Freeverse originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - Macintosh - TUAW - Moto Chaser

Prepare for digital music from the Beatles -- but not on iTunes

Josh Carr — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: iTunes, Music

In a limited run of 30,000 units, Apple Corps Ltd. will be releasing the Beatles' remastered catalog for your consumption in a green apple USB device. Unfortunately, I didn't say anything about iTunes in that sentence... It looks like the Apples still can't play nice together, so we're left to dream that one day the Beatles collection will make it to the big download cloud in the sky.

Our sister site, Engadget, reports that these drives are available for pre-order now but will not ship until December 7th in the UK and December 8th in the US for $279.99. The 16GB USB drive will include the Beatles' 14 stereo tracks in FLAC (for the audiophiles in the audience) as well as the rest of their collection in 320 Kbps MP3s. The drive will also include 13 documentaries about the studio albums, expanded liner notes, re-touched album art, and several rare photos.

What does all of this mean? The Beatles' record company basically created a massive iTunes LP without iTunes. According to The Beatles' website, there's a special Flash interface for consumer interaction with the extra content. Some would say that this is just another stepping stone in the road to online distribution... while that may be true, I'm getting tired of all the back-and-forth. I own a good majority of the Beatles albums on CD and have already ripped them into iTunes. I expect that most anyone who really wants these in their iTunes library has already gone through the motions to accomplish that. I could pay the $280 for a USB drive, or buy all of the CDs from Amazon.com for half that price and spend several hours putting them on my computer. Sure, sure, I'm not getting the officially remastered files from the Beatles themselves... but I'm willing to make that sacrifice. Even still, this may be the perfect Holiday gift for the Beatles fanatic in your household. (Honey, I don't want one.)

TUAW Prepare for digital music from the Beatles -- but not on iTunes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - ITunes Store - Amazon.com - iTunes - Compact Disc

Waveboard on the iPhone, Google Wave access slightly better than Mobile Safari

Brett Terpstra — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Productivity, iPhone

If you're lucky enough to have a Google Wave account, you may be familiar with Waveboard. I started out using Wave via a Fluid SSB, running Wave Growl for Growl notifications and Dock badges. Then I found Waveboard, and it made things smooth enough that I haven't looked at Wave any other way since. So, obviously, I'd been anticipating the iPhone version of Waveboard. It's here, and it's, well, moderately interesting.

The desktop app is essentially a Single Site Browser, like a Fluid app, but it adds handy, Mac-like keyboard shortcuts, Growl notifications, Dock and Menubar notifications, etc. The iPhone app is the same, a webkit browser showing what Google already provides, but there just wasn't as much potential integration to take advantage of on the iPhone. They took advantage of the shake gesture to reload or log out. Websites can be opened in the same browser or sent to Safari. Landscape mode is supported. And you can kind of get push notifications, by using Prowl (which Aron has mentioned before). Setup instructions are available on the Waveboard blog.

That's about it, for now. Google hasn't offered an API, which seriously hampers a developer's ability to do cool things. More features are reportedly in the works, so we'll see if it turns into a truly useful counterpart to its desktop cousin over time.

Waveboard for iPhone is available on the App Store iTunes link for $0.99US. Under a buck, and it might be worth a look for avid Wavers (which I would be, if enough of my clients and cohorts had accounts to make it truly useful).

[via TechCrunch]

TUAW Waveboard on the iPhone, Google Wave access slightly better than Mobile Safari originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Google Wave - Apple - Google - App Store

Apple launches Music Movies on iTunes

John Burke — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: iTunes, Music

In an attempt to increase movie sales, Apple is pushing out more alternative content on the iTunes Store. Today, they've spruced up their "Music Movies" library and added a landing page to promote upcoming releases. Music Movies are music-themed movies, concerts and documentaries that generally feature exclusive content and behind-the-scenes footage.

While the selection is currently limited, Apple does offer a few movies that are not available anywhere else, such as an exclusive Kings of Leon concert DVD among other selections such as U2's "Rattle and Hum" and "John Lennon Imagine". In addition to the added content, a prominent landing page has been created that is dedicated to this genre of film.

Apple also plans to negotiate early access to music-themed movies and is trying to make the content available for download long before it is available in stores.

TUAW Apple launches Music Movies on iTunes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTunes Store - John Lennon - Apple - Unofficial Apple Weblog - Imagine

Ask TUAW: Arranging icons on the iPhone, installing Windows on a Mac, Airport networks and more

Chris Ullrich — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wireless, Features, Airport, iMac, iTunes, Ask TUAW, Snow Leopard

Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we have questions about arranging icons on the iPhone, installing Windows via Boot Camp, AirPort networks, iMac rotation support, replacing the video card in an iMac, and more.

As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions.

Leah asks:

Is there a better way to arrange icons on my iPhone than by trying to drag them around on the phone itself. I can't seem to get it to work very well and usually mess it up.

Apple provided a better way of organizing iPhone icons in iTunes 9. In the past, I always tried to arrange my icons on the iPhone the same way you do, by dragging them around on the device itself. This isn't as easy as it sounds, especially if you have larger hands.

Now, with iTunes 9 or higher installed and your iPhone connected to your Mac or PC, launch iTunes, click on the Applications tab, and you will not only see the apps you have installed on your iPhone, but the iPhone screens and the placement of the icons as well.

Simply drag the icons around in iTunes and put them in the desired order. The next time you sync, the icons are arranged identically on your iPhone as well. It's so much easier.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Arranging icons on the iPhone, installing Windows on a Mac, Airport networks and more

TUAW Ask TUAW: Arranging icons on the iPhone, installing Windows on a Mac, Airport networks and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Mac OS X - Apple - BootCamp - iMac

App Store smashes the 100,000 app barrier and keeps on growing

Steven Sande — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Apple Financial, iPhone, iPod touch

Apple announced early this morning that there are now over 100,000 apps available to iPhone and iPod touch users in the the App Store. Customers of the App Store have purchased over two billion apps, and it is the world's most popular applications store.

In this morning's press release, Apple senior vice president for Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller noted that "The App Store, now with over 100,000 applications available, is clearly a major differentiator for millions of iPhone and iPod touch customers around the world."

Schiller's statement was echoed by top executives from EA Mobile and Smule. EA Mobile's Travis Boatman, VP of Worldwide Studios, praised the App Store as an innovative marketplace to over 50 million iPhone and iPod touch owners, while Smule's CEO Jeff Smith took the perspective of a small, new development house that has skyrocketed to success. "With 10,000 downloads a day, worldwide customer response to our I Am T-Pain App has exceeded our wildest expectations," said Smith. "The App Store has given us a unique opportunity to create and grow a very successful business, and we're looking forward to an exciting future.

By comparison, the Google Android Market had just over 10,000 apps as of early September, almost 65% of which were free. An analysis of iPhone and Android app purchases shows that iPhone users are more likely to purchase apps, while users of Android-based smartphones appear to like getting their software for free. Developers for the most part will go where the money is, and at this time, that appears to be the App Store.

[via Engadget]

TUAW App Store smashes the 100,000 app barrier and keeps on growing originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - App Store - IpodTouch - Apple - Jeff Smith

TUAW Review: Kanex HDMI + audio adapter works fine but costs extra

Michael Rose — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hardware, Video, Reviews, Mac mini

When we first heard about the Kanex HDMI + digital audio converter a few weeks ago, I was eager to give it a trial run and see if it managed to deliver on the promise of integrated audio with HDMI video. I've been playing with the $70 unit for a few days now, and the answer is a qualified yes: it does the job, but depending on your home theater setup you may be able to get by with a less expensive option.

The digital-audio Kanex unit ships without a manual and is largely self-explanatory (although the company has now posted a basic user guide and FAQ) -- a female HDMI port on one side of the roughly iPod-sized unit, and three male cables coming out the other side. The cables connect to the mini DisplayPort, optical audio out, and USB port of your Mac; while Kanex does sell a $60 unit that handles audio over USB, this version only uses that connection to power the adapter and does not provide a USB audio interface. If you're running short of open powered USB ports you might opt to plug it into a USB power adapter instead.

In operation, there's not much to worry about: I plugged in all three ports to a unibody MacBook Pro and connected an HDMI display, then went to the normal Mac OS X Displays preference pane, where I found a full assortment of resolutions for my enjoyment. The top few 'television' options may vary with your connected gear; on my test set (a Vizio 42" 720p display) I was able to choose 720p and, oddly enough, 1080i and 1080p. Below that you have resolutions ranging from 640x480 up into the 1600x1000 range.

Continue reading TUAW Review: Kanex HDMI + audio adapter works fine but costs extra

TUAW TUAW Review: Kanex HDMI + audio adapter works fine but costs extra originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacBookPro - Mini DisplayPort - MacMini - HDMI - Mac OS X

Parallels Desktop 5 ships with a host of new and improved features

TJ Luoma — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Enterprise, Software

There are two kinds of people in the Mac world: those who sometimes need Windows, and those who don't. If you're one of the latter group, feel free to skip the rest of this post.

Parallels 5 for Mac has been released, with Snow Leopard compatibility, Windows 7 support, full support for Aero, including Flip 3D in Windows Vista and 7 & OpenGL 2.1 and a host of other new or improved features. You aren't limited to Windows either; Parallels also adds support for OpenGL 2.1 support for Linux guest operating systems. (Although we're a Mac site, I'm glad to see other OSes getting some development attention too.)

It is a free upgrade for those who purchased version 4 on October 1st, 2009 or later. Others will have to pay $49.99USD to upgrade, or $79.99 for a new license.

Parallels is also offering crossgrade licensing to VMware Fusion 2 users. If you have a license key for Fusion 2, you can get Paralells 5 for the same $49.99 upgrade fee as existing Parallels customers.

If you're new to Parallels, check out their introductory video for an overview of how it works.

If you need Windows to go with your Intel Mac, there are a lot of options: Parallels, VMware Fusion (which also recently released a new version), Boot Camp (although Apple isn't yet supporting Windows 7 in Boot Camp), CrossOver, and if you're willing to do a little more "nerd work" to set it up, you can even set up Windows virtualization for free with Sun's VirtualBox tool (well, "free" plus the cost of Windows).

Parallels and VMware Fusion seem destined to be the dueling "favorite flavors" of Windows virtualization on the Mac like Coke vs. Pepsi or vanilla vs. chocolate. Which is the right one for you? Download a demo and take a look. I own both Parallels and VMware Fusion, and look forward to putting them both through their paces with Windows 7.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

TUAW Parallels Desktop 5 ships with a host of new and improved features originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 - VMware Fusion - Windows Vista - BootCamp - Apple

Survey: Less than half of touchscreen users prefer touchscreen

Mike Schramm — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Gaming, Hardware, Apple, iPhone, iPod touch

Here's a few interesting stats from a survey recently conducted in Europe. These aren't specifically about the iPhone, but given that smartphones relied on buttons almost exclusively before Apple's handheld came along (and nowadays, everyone's bragging about their touchscreen technology), a temperature-taking on what people think of touchscreen controls is more or less a referendum on what people think of Apple's influence.

At least in France, Germany and the UK, reactions are mixed. While 38% of those surveyed say they were planning to get a touchscreen on their next mobile phone, only 47% of people who already owned a touchscreen said they would get another one. In other words, less than half of touchscreen owners thought they'd stick with the technology on their next purchase. Apple remains an anomaly -- both HTC and Apple have a higher amount of current customers planning to stick with their touchscreen interface (with the full numbers being released at a conference later this month), but the fact remains: current touchscreen users aren't anywhere near 100% on living button-free forever.

Especially as a gamer, that makes a lot of sense. Touchscreens are great for a lot of things -- they allow for limitless flexibility in the kinds of interfaces on offer, and especially with multi-touch, a lot of the controls on the iPhone are extremely intuitive (you automatically know now that pinching equals zooming, and so on). But as nice as touchscreen is, there are a lot of functions on mobile phones, from adjusting volume or changing music tracks on a phone out of sight in your pocket, to hitting exact button controls while twitch gaming, that work much better with tactile feedback. Steve, as he always does, made a big deal about the iPhone being a one-button interface, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see future iterations of the iPhone include either a few more buttons, or, even better, a few more haptic interface technologies.

TUAW Survey: Less than half of touchscreen users prefer touchscreen originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - IpodTouch - Smartphone - Unofficial Apple Weblog

iTunes 9.0.2 adds extra home screens to app management

Mike Schramm — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: iTunes, Software Update, iPhone, iPod touch

It's funny -- when the iPhone App Store first opened up, the first thing I asked for next was a way to manage apps from directly within iTunes. But when that finally did show up, I was still left unsatisfied for some reason. I'm not sure why -- app management offers drag-and-drop functionality with your app icons, and that's about the easiest way to organize things across the home screens. But for me, it still seems unwieldy somehow -- dragging icons onto full pages stlll creates empty pages, and dragging icons between screens is awkward to me.

I'm not an interface designer, but having more than one home screen open at a time seems like it would be nice, and being able to assign my own tags and categories to apps (combined with an auto-sort function) seems nicer. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that we can manage apps from iTunes, but it just seems harder than it should be.

Fortunately, iTunes 9.0.2 snuck a few updates to the system under our radar last week -- you can now put more than 176 apps in the organizer, and those will move on to grayed-out homescreens. You can still access them on the iPhone by using Spotlight, but those grayed-out homescreens only serve as a buffer to hold your overflow apps while you're organizing them. Doesn't really help the actual experience of sorting apps, but it should give you some breathing space when dealing with lots and lots of apps.

Speaking of buffers, it would also be nice to have a "shelf" to store app icons on while you're moving them around (you can use the bottom 4 apps as a minishelf, but that's not really enough). Maybe you could pile them into different areas on a screen and then drag them in the way you want onto your homescreens. Like I said, it's great that we do finally have an app management system in iTunes. But my feeling is that it's a little too much like the awkward iPhone-based system, especially with large numbers of apps, to be much help.

TUAW iTunes 9.0.2 adds extra home screens to app management originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone - Apple - IpodTouch - AppStore - iTunes