John Paczkowski of AllThingsD is claiming that Apple will hold a press event in the beginning of March to announce the new iPad, which he calls "iPad 3" (noting that might not be its official name). Paczkowski expects the announcement to take place in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, where Apple has held several other similar events.

The iPad 2 was announced on March 2, 2011 and was released on March 11 on the US. If the rumor is true, the so-called iPad 3 would be in line with a similar schedule. Paczkowski's sources say it should be available for purchase "...a week or so after the event."

AllThingsD: Apple to announce iPad 3 in March originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Glooko makes it easy for customers with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar on the go. The company's MeterSync Cable lets users share data between self-monitoring blood glucose meters and an iOS app, Glooko Logbook (free). Glooko recently raised US$3.5 million in funding, ensuring that development will continue on new versions of its products.

Glooko Logbook, which debuted in November, 2011, lets patients create a logbook of readings, monitor and annotate daily blood sugar levels and finally share the lot with a doctor. The app and cable solution supports several meters, and Bayer's Breeze 2 meter was recently added to the list.

We've seen other iOS solutions for diabetes patients over the years, including the iBGStar. Researchers at Northeastern University have even been testing an iPhone-readable nanosensor tattoo, but at far as we know, that's still an experimental device.

Glooko raises $3.5M for glucose meter iPhone app project originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Don't walk past police with a stolen iPhone in your boot.

According to the New York Times, a quick-thinking police officer and Apple's Find My iPhone managed to retrieve a woman's stolen iPhone. The woman was in a handbag store in Manhattan when a thief allegedly held her up at gunpoint and took her iPhone.

After searching the immediate area, NYC police officer Robert Garland entered the woman's Apple ID on his own iPhone and used "the iCloud feature" (we're going to assume that means Find My iPhone) to track the phone. Once they had arrived at its apparent location, the suspect walked past with the iPhone beeping in his boot. He was apprehended and the iPhone returned to its rightful owner.

Well done, Officer Garland! For another lost-and-found NYC iPhone story, check out Newsday's LIRR report.

NYPD meets FMI: Cop nabs iPhone thief in NYC originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apparent has announced a new model of its popular Doxie Go scanner with Wi-Fi support. The tiny appliance can be charged up, slipped into a bag and carried around for on-the-go scanning of documents, receipts or other slip of paper you want to digitize and save.

When we reviewed the Doxie Go in December, a workaround with Eye-Fi Wi-Fi / SD cards enabled wireless scanning of sorts, but now the devices have wireless functionality built in. Documents scanned with the new model can be sent to your computer, mobile device, or to Evernote, Flickr, or an FTP account. Its street price is listed at US$239.

Check back with us all week as our team at Macworld | iWorld is providing complete coverage of all the goodies on the expo floor.

Apparent announces WiFi-powered Doxie Go scanner originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple recently confirmed its purchase of Israeli-based flash memory firm Anobit, and today Israeli business newspaper Calcalist reports [Google translation, subscription required] Apple will open a research center in Haifa this February.

Calcalist notes that the research center is not related to the Anobit acquisition, and Anobit employees should not expect to be working there. Speaking of employees, Apple is reportedly seeking engineers with experience in chip development, and has already received "several hundred resumes" from interested hopefuls.

During yesterday's earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield is now in charge of the Anobit team.

[Via 9to5 Mac]

Apple increasing operations in Israel with Anobit, new research center originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple released the seventh beta of Mac OS 10.7.3 (build 11D50) to developers yesterday amid the hubbub of the financial conference call.

The update lists no known issues and asks developers to focus on iCloud Document Storage, Address Book, iCal, Mail, Spotlight and Safari. The delta update is a 997.01 MB download while the combo is 1.26 GB in size.

The last beta release didn't list known issues, either, so perhaps this update is almost baked and ready. If you're a developer, grab it and poke around.

Apple seeds seventh 10.7.3 beta to developers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A Dutch appeals court has dismissed Apple's appeal to have the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned in the Netherlands on Tuesday. The move confirmed the Dutch lower court's ruling from last year which stated that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 were not a copy of Apple's popular iPad.

This legal back-and-forth between Apple and Samsung has been going on for a long time, and there's no sign of either corporation backing down. At one point, Samsung even credited Apple with the Galaxy Tab's popularity, billing it as "The tablet Apple tried to stop."

Apple denied new appeal for Galaxy Tab 10.1 ban by Dutch court originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has released iTunes 10.5.3 for Mac and Windows. As of this writing, it's available from Apple's site, but not Software Update.

As noted by MacStories, the new version adds support for synchronizing the iBooks 2-savvy textbook format announced during today's education event.

It's been an exciting day for Apple fans, especially those in education, as the company has released a new version of iBooks, a full-on textbook initiative and all-new apps iBooks Author and iTunes U.

iTunes 10.5.3 now available, adds iBooks 2 textbook sync originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As anticipation builds for Apple's January 19 press event, the tech web has latched onto the notion of "GarageBand for iBooks," suggesting that Apple will release iBook creation tools to the public. Ars Technica believes it's true, while Philip Elmer-Dewitt does not. Interestingly, both opinions are based on discussions with the same person.

Chris Foresman at Ars and Elmer-Dewitt both spoke with Matt MacInnis, CEO of Inkling, a company that's been making interactive textbooks for the iPad for some time. MacInnis does expect Apple to make production tools available, but does not feel that Apple is out to "digitally destroy" textbook publishing, according to Elmer-Dewitt.

"Apple is not trying to kill the incumbents," MacInnis told Elmer-Dewitt. "They've learned their lesson from upending the music industry."

As for the tools themselves, Elmer-Dewitt suggests we should expect a solution to support the textbook industry. The GarageBand reference may have been misplaced as well. In his conversation with Elmer-Dewitt, MacInnis referred GarageBand for iPad, and how Apple used it, in part, to demonstrate what was possible on the iPad 2. Expect a similar demonstration from Apple on Thursday. Specifically, "...a sample iPad textbook, produced in-house and packed with pedagogical bells and whistles" to serve as a model for publishers.

Apple's press event is getting "overhyped" originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A check of the iTunes Match availability page shows that Apple has launched the service in 19 new countries, with focus on Latin America and Europe. As of today, Apple has enabled iTunes Match for Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.

That takes the total number of countries with availability to 37. Additionally, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands now have access to iTunes in the Cloud compatibility for music and music videos, a first for those customers. Enjoy, folks!

[Via MacRumors]

iTunes Match to open to more Latin American countries, Europe originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Manufacturer Volex makes power and USB cables for Apple. As a part of Apple's "green push," the company will move to halogen-free power cables within the year, according to the London Evening Standard. The change will initially cost Volex quite a bit of money, but it's hoped that long-term environmental benefits will outweigh the initial investment.

Volex expects a hit of about £3.9 million (about US$6 million as of this writing) in set-up costs. However, Volex expects to see profits in line with market expectations, despite these "one-off" costs.

It's important to remove halogen from these cables as they're often incinerated after being thrown away. The incineration process can release dioxins and furans into the atmosphere. Apple has been criticized for its environmental performance and has worked to change that. Late last year, Apple jumped to fourth place on a Greenpeace survey, up from where it stood in 11th place just four years prior.

[Via Giga Om]

"Greener" Apple power adapters will cost manufacturer originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With only hours before sales begin, customers are lining up to buy the iPhone 4S in China. There are five Apple Stores in China, and Tech In Asia reports that each location already has "hundreds" of eager shoppers waiting for doors to open.

As we've seen elsewhere, Apple employees are using a ticket system to deter would-be line jumpers. China Unicom will begin selling the iPhones at 12:01 AM as well, but Tech In Asia believes many customers are interested in getting unlocked phones from Apple.

If you're in the queue at one of China's Apple Stores, let us know! We'd love to see your photos and hear your stories.

[Via MacRumors]

iPhone 4S customers lining up in China originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's retail business continues to roar along, as new openings and remodels continue. Now, a Florida Apple Store is being redesigned, the result of which will triple its current size.

ifoAppleStore reports that Apple Store Florida Mall in Orlando will grow as neighboring Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn vacate their spaces and Apple occupies those locations. It's unknown when the additional space will become available or when work will begin.

Once completed, however, the revamped Apple store will sport a 90-foot storefront (it's 30 feet now) and grow from 2,700 square feet to 8,640. If you see construction or that familiar black barrier, let us know!

Florida Apple Store to triple in size originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has reportedly opted to settle a patent dipute with Elan to the tune of US$5 million. The settlement allows the company to avoid a trial and possible ban of Apple products. Elan's complaint was over two multi-touch patents.

Early last year, an International Trade Commission judge decided in Elan's favor when Elan brought a complaint that Apple had used its multi-touch patents in the iPhone. At the time, it was estimated that Apple could pay as much as $70 million in the case. With that bargaining chip off the table for Elan, it received significantly less this week.

Apple did counter-sue Elan, but this settlement has brought that to an end, too.

Apple pays $5 million to settle Elan lawsuit originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earlier this week, Apple was fined for poor communication of its warranty policies in an Italian court. Today, Apple has stated that it will appeal that ruling, according to The Register.

Apple was fined 900,000 Euros (approximately US$1.2 million) for failing to inform customers that they may receive free service biennially (via the Consumer Code) and for selling Apple Protection Plans that overlapped availability of that free service.

Apple denies up-selling the typically year-long Apple Protection Plan, and will appeal the associated fines, according to The Register. Apple was also ordered to alter AppleCare packaging so that it mentions the free Customer Code service.

Apple to appeal ruling in Italian court originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The government of Argentina has temporarily blocked the sale of smartphones, including Apple's iPhone, in an effort to stabilize its own economy. This consumer electronics ban is meant to slow inflation and reduce the widening chasm between the peso and the US dollar.

The ban is a part of Argentina Ministry Industry's recent decision to reduce the automatic import of certain phones. RIM and Apple have been forced to wait between 60 and 180 days for permission to sell from the Customs Authority. There's no word on how long the current ban will last.

Argentina Government blocks sale of iPhone, other smartphones originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UK Prime Minister and long time iPad fan David Cameron will receive a custom iPad app for keeping on top of government news, according to The Telegraph. Cabinet Office programmers have been working on the app that will deliver information such as crime stats, unemployment numbers and much more to the Prime Minister.

Mr. Cameron is a full-on Apple fan. Last year he described how he uses his iMac, iPad and remote speakers to enjoy wireless music in his office. He told The Telegraph, "I'm very proud of the fact that I've got an iMac and I've got a speaker remotely linked without a wire which I did myself. I have all the music on the iMac. The cool thing is that I now control my iMac from the iPad, to play out through the speaker but I have to admit I had a little bit of help from someone in IT on that."

Of course, Prime Minister Cameron isn't the only world leader to enjoy Apple hardware and software. The iPad is popular in Washington, DC, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

UK Prime Minister to receive personalized iPad app for government news originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DigiTimes reports that Intel plans to "fully release" Thunderbolt technology in April of 2012, and that many "top-tier PC vendors" are readying Thunderbolt-ready motherboards.

Apple has shipped Thunderbolt-compatible devices, including the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, iMac, the Thunderbolt cable and a Thunderbolt Display. DigiTimes reports that falling costs will allow the technology to proliferate across lower-end devices and machines.

All of this means we should finally start to see more Thunderbolt-compatible peripherals, etc. some time next year. That's good news for early adopters who've been waiting to make the most of their Thunderbolt ports.

[Via MacRumors]

Thunderbolt PC motherboards on the way for Q2 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has been fined 900 thousand Euros by the Italian Antitrust Authority [Google translation], citing unfair business practices against consumers. Specifically, the ruling cites two offenses against Apple, Apple Sales International and Apple Retail Italy.

First, the judgement says that Apple's retail arm did not fully inform consumers that they are eligible to receive free care every two years via the Consumer Code, instead focusing on Apple's own warranty plan (one year, plus subsequent paid AppleCare service).

Additionally, the Italian authorities said Apple allowed customers to pay for an Apple Care Protection Plan even when the supplementary plan overlapped the two-year coverage guaranteed by the Consumer Code.

As a result, Apple was fined 400,000 Euros for the former offense and 500,000 Euros for the latter (a total of about US$1.2 million as of this writing). Apple will also publish an explanation to its Italian consumer website. Finally, Apple must adapt sales packages of the Apple Protection Plan to include information on the free service that's available to customers after two years. That change must be made within 90 days of the decision.

Thanks to Marc and Jacopo for sending this in.

Apple fined in Italy for poor communication around warranty policy originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A preliminary assessment in a German court this week suggests that Apple probably won't secure a ban of the Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1N in that country. The court believes that the recently-redesigned Tab 10.1N has "...moved away sufficiently from the legally protected design," said Judge Johanna Brueckner-Hofmann. Note that this is a preliminary statement and that ruling is scheduled for February 9, 2012.

You'll remember that Samsung redesigned the Galaxy Tablet 10.1 after the court ruled in Apple's favor. The 10.1N features an altered bezel design and relocated speaker, and is an attempt by Samsung to get around Apple's assertion that the Galaxy Tab design is just too close to that of the iPad. It seems like Judge Brueckner-Hofmann feels Samsung was successful.

Like I said, this is only a preliminary assessment. We should get a decision in February.

Preliminary assessment: Apple unlikely to secure Galaxy Tab 10.1N ban in Germany originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Steve Jobs has been awarded a posthumous Grammy by the Recording Academy. On Wednesday the group announced the winners of its 2012 Special Merit Awards, including musician Dave Bartholomew, recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder and Steve Jobs.

Jobs, Bartholomew and Van Gelder were awarded the Trustees Award, which recognizes "outstanding contributions to the industry in a nonperforming capacity." The Recording Academy will hold a special ceremony for the Merit Awards recipients on Feb. 11, 2012. They'll also be recognized during Grammy Awards telecast on Feb. 12.

Steve Jobs awarded posthumous special Grammy originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google has pushed an update to Google Voice for iPhone (free) which offers multi-recipient texting, full support for Sprint and one-touch copy/paste in the dial pad, among other things.

The big news is that Sprint iPhone owners can now "send calls to the native dialer," as the app description says. Also, the text entry field now accepts more than one line of text, delighting the more verbose among us.

Go and grab version 1.4.0.2372 now and get chatting.

Google Voice for iOS updated with multi-party text, more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Kindle app for iPhone and iPad (free, universal) has been updated to version 2.9, giving iPad users access to the Kindle Fire's collection of more than 400 magazines and newspapers. You can buy individual issues or subscriptions, which will be delivered to the device when available. Note that the magazines and newspapers are limited to the iPad.

That doesn't mean there's nothing new for iPhone and iPod touch owners. You folks will be able to email documents to the app via a special email address and open PDFs from Mail or Safari.

The free update is available now. Have at it!

Kindle for iOS updated gives iPad users access to Kindle Fire's magazine collection originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last month we learned Sotheby's would auction off an original Apple contract signed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Experts expected it to fetch around $100,000 - $150,000. Turns out they were way off, because the document sold for almost 1.6 million bucks.

When the auction closed, the final bid was $1,350,500. Add Sotheby's 12 percent commission for a grand total of $1,594,500. Mr. Eduardo Cisneros, CEO of Cisneros Corp. in Miami is the proud new owner of this document. Congratulations to Mr. Cisneros on purchasing this significant piece of Apple history. You can watch the gavel fall in the video below.

Apple's founding contract sells for nearly $1.6 million originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple is reportedly altering the terms of its iAds mobile advertising service in an attempt to attract more customers. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that the price of entry has dropped (again) as Apple is becoming more flexible with the pricing structure in general and even wooing potential advertisers onsite in Cupertino.

According to "a person familiar with the matter," the WSJ reports that the price of entry has dropped to US$400,000. That's down from the half-a-million price tag the company adopted in February and further still from the cool million that was required when the service launched.

The Journal also suggests that Apple is prepared to cap its per-tap charge to advertisers. Previously unlimited, the $2 per-tap fee (and $10 per thousand views) was quickly draining advertising budgets. There were no further details on how the cap would work or when it will take effect.

Finally, Apple has supposedly been providing high-profile marketing executives with information sessions and tours of the Cupertino campus. While this is common practice for many Silicon Valley corporations, the Journal notes that Apple hasn't wooed advertising executives like this before. Shiv Singh, head of digital at PepsiCo Beverages, told the Journal "[Apple] are still learning the advertising world."

The success of the iAds program has been debated by analysts on the outside. In August of 2010, just a month after the first iAds began to appear, the Wall Street Journal noted that advertisers were balking at Apple's insistence on creative control, causing friction. A pricey trademark settlement reportedly costs Apple $1M in October of 2010. Then in February of this year, a study conducted by Medialets suggested that iOS ads were surging against Android.

Apple changes approach to iAds originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What do you do with an obsolete computer the size of a huge, plastic canned ham? Let your cat use it to tweet her naps, of course.

The eMac was a behemoth of a computer, released by Apple in 2002. Originally meant for the education market, Apple eventually made them available to all consumers. It looked like the runner up in a "Re-design the iMac" contest and was very heavy.

Now discontinued, it makes a sweet cat bed.

The "eSleeper" by Samuel Cox is an eMac shell that's been tricked out with lights and cozy blankies. But that's not all. An infrared beam is monitored by an ethernet-connected Arduino. When the cat breaks the beam to enter the eSleeper, its lights come on, the startup chime sounds and the cat's entry time is recorded. When it breaks the beam again to leave, the lights switch off and a random phrase is tweeted to @eSleeper1.

I imagine this is how Auntie TUAW's cats sleep.

Pretty neat, Samuel, but we're afraid you weren't the first. I was going to end with a Mac OS X naming convention house cat joke, but decided against it. You're welcome. Here's a video of the eSleeper in action.

eSleeper from Sam Cox on Vimeo.

eMac converted to self-tweeting cat bed originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of my favorite Mac utilities, Alfred, has been updated to version 1.0 with a long list of super new features. The biggies include greatly enhanced global hotkeys and my favorite, an option to remember URLs for quick use in the future. Note that the new features require the optional Powerpack. those of you who've put off buying it will like to know that it's still available at the discounted price of £12 (the 1.0 price of £15 hasn't kicked in as of this writing). Here's a look at Alfred 1.0.

Global Hotkeys

Global Hotkeys are keystrokes that can open a file, perform an action, etc. regardless of the frontmost application. They're an extremely handy way to access oft-used files or perform common functions. Alfred 1.0 offers a number of ways to use this powerful tool.

To get started, open Alfred's preferences and click the Hotkeys tab. There's a two-pane layout, with categories on the left and hotkey assignments on the right. The categories include apps and files, extensions, system commands, iTunes and finally paths and URLs. Click any category to create a new hotkey assignment.

There's really so much that can be done here that I'll explain just two common setups. First, I'll assign a hotkey to a folder. I've got a project folder buried deep in Dropbox that I dip into almost every day. So, I've used Alfred to create a hotkey combination to open it for me.

With the hotkey preference pane open, I first click the "+" symbol and select Apps and Files from the contextual menu. Then I'll simply browse to the folder and assign a keystroke. Since many are in use by the OS, I chose to double-tap the Command key. Now all I've got to do his quickly hit Command twice and my folder opens up in the Finder, no matter what else I'm doing. Awesome!

I've also assigned a hotkey to a favorite URL (see if you can guess which one). The process is the same: click the "+" symbol and then choose Paths and URLs. This time I chose a double-tap of the Shift key.

The other hotkey extension categories really open up the functionality. For instance, the extensions category will let you run a shell script, an AppleScript, a workflow or a file or group. You can also issue a number of system commands (like restart, shutdown, sleep and more) or control iTunes. It's an extremely useful feature.

URL History

Speaking of URLs, Alfred now supports URL history. This is something I loved when I used Quicksilver. Basically, you can have Alfred remember a URL by typing the whole address in Alfred's main window once and hitting Return. That's it! To view saved URLs, open the Features preference pane and then click the Features tab. Next, click URLs/History to see and edit the list. From then on, Alfred will recognize that destination and make it available in its main window with just a few keystrokes.

Those are just the main features. Other niceties include an improved payment system and an option to copy current search results with Command-C. You can get the full run-down here.

Alfred is one of the apps I immediately install on any Mac I'll use for a length of time. It's a huge time saver with a very devoted team behind it. I recommend Alfred highly. Those who have already purchased the Powerpack will receive an updated license in the mail. Otherwise, take advantage of the low price and buy it. You'll be glad you did.

Alfred 1.0 offers enhanced global hotkeys, URL handling, more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tic Toc for Mac (US$4.99) from Overcommitted is a simple task timer that sits unobtrusively in your menu bar while you work. It's a great option for those who must monitor time spent on a task. There are no client records, project management features or support files. Simply create a task, start the timer and get to it. Here's how Tic Toc for Mac works.

Once installed, Tic Toc places an icon in your Mac's menu bar. Click it to create your first task. A slip appears. Give your task a name and click Save. The task then appears in a list which shows its title, most recent modification date and time spent on it over the last day and the last week. Click Start to begin timing.

The task's title appears next to the menu bar icon (you can turn that off). Finally, set the idle timer to watch for periods of inactivity between five minutes and one hour, so that Tic Toc won't record time accrued while you're away.

What's nice is that you can maintain several timers simultaneously (you double-dipper you) and export your data to XML or CSV. From there, simply import with your favorite financial software, project manager and so on.

Tic Toc isn't for everyone. For as much as it does, there's a lot missing. As I said, you won't build projects with Tic Toc or manage client information. But that's really not the point. Those looking for a simple, reliable task timer that works as advertised ought to consider Tic Toc. At five bucks, it's an easy investment.

Daily Mac App: Tic Toc originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here's a compelling use of the iPad that's meant to encourage users to consider a more slow-paced life -- The Biome Smart Terrarium which can be controlled with an iPad or iPhone.

Terrariums are typically dome-shaped structures used to re-create and maintain specific habitats. Some can support desert life -- plants and small animals -- while others mimic tropical features or even herb gardens. The Biome Smart Terrarium, designed by Samuel Wilkinson, contains sensors that monitor its needs, such as water, light or nutrients. Those sensors are monitored by the iPad, which triggers it to receive what it needs when it needs it.

Why an iPad? Wilkinson says the project is meant, in part, to prompt users to consider a more slow-paced life. "The idea promotes 'digital downtime' by finding an alternative use for smartphones and encouraging their owners to consider a slower life. The control and nurturing of a real mini eco-system takes patience and care, contrasting with the immediacy of messaging or tweeting that is so characteristic of the smartphone generation."

Biome was developed for a recent exhibition titled Slow Tech - Designs for Digital Downtime. There's no information on Wilkinson's plans to market the Biome or its companion iOS app.

[Via Gigaom]

Biome Smart Terrarium controlled by iPad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has updated GarageBand for iOS. It's now universal with support for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation) and iPod touch (4th generation). There are several new features, too, like custom chords for smart instruments, support for additional time signatures (3/4 time and 6/8) and new audio export quality settings.

GarageBand for iOS was introduced earlier this year as a marquee app for the iPad 2 (here's our review). Apple notes that this version, 1.1, offers "numerous enhancements," including adjustable velocity settings for the touch instruments, new transposition options (semitones or full octaves) and support for recording in straight eighth notes, swinging eighths and triplets.

Of course, the big news is that its now available to devices other than the iPad. This is a free update to existing users and sells for US$4.99.

GarageBand app goes universal, now ready for iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since the iPhone 4S was released, several customers have reported sub-optimal battery performance. Not only in standby time (Apple's iPhone specs comparison chart notes that the 4S offers 200 hours of standby time, while previous models offered 300), but in daily use as well. The UK's Guardian newspaper reports that some users have been directly contacted by Apple engineers (!) who are trying to suss out the issue.

Today, Erick Schonfeld reports his experience at Tech Crunch. Despite moderate use during an 8-hour work day -- about two-and-a-half hours of Internet and email and roughly 30 minutes of calls -- his iPhone's battery had died. If the iPhone saw hands-on activity for about three hours, according to Erick's anecdotal observation, it spent about 5 hours sitting idle.

As Erick notes, the phone was "...constantly bleeping with notifications and emails. And that may very well be the problem." Often a "resting" iPhone is in fact doing something, and it's possible that very frequent notification alerts can contribute to battery drain. Per the Guardian story, problematic contacts may also be to blame (see Chris Breen story below).

While we wait and see if anything official will come from Apple on this apparently widespread problem, here are a few general tips you can use for preserving battery life on an iOS device. You won't suddenly run 12-hour days after trying these things out, but every bit helps, right?

1. Lower screen brightness. A blazing screen equals a blazing battery. Move that slider a bit to the left.
2. Reduce alerts you don't need. Yes, push notifications are wonderful as are their corresponding beeps. Just look at how many you've got enabled and whittle it down to the essential.
3. Enable quick screen locking. You can typically let the display go to sleep when you aren't actively using your iPhone.
4. Enable Airplane mode when offline. It kills Wi-Fi and data dead. Plus it's polite to whomever you happen to be talking with.
5. Reduce email checking. Do you really need to see a new message every five minutes?
6. Make sure you're not synchronizing massive mail folders you don't actually need on the go, like Sent, Drafts or Junk.
7. Try de-synchronizing your Exchange, iCloud or Google contacts and seeing if that improves matters -- you may have a corrupt contact record in there.

Admittedly these tips are common sense stuff and probably won't address more specific issues others are reporting. For example, the folks at iDownloadBlog suggest that the Time Zone setting could be a problem and describe a way to test your own device (note that they tested the iPhone 4 and 3GS, not just the 4S), while Christopher Breen discovered that an errant contact was causing a battery-draining crash loop while trying to sync to iCloud.

If you've found any helpful tricks, please share in the comments.

iPhone 4S battery concerns and tips for better performance originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has issued a number of updates this week, in addition to iPhoto 9.2.1. Here's what's newly available.

Thunderbolt Software Update 1.1 is for those using Lion on a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac. Apple says it "provides support for the Apple Thunderbolt Display and bug fixes for Thunderbolt device compatibility." Mac OS X 10.7.2 or later is required.

iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.7 is for early 2011 iMacs. According to Apple, this update "enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection and includes fixes that resolve issues with Apple Thunderbolt Display compatibility and Thunderbolt Target Disk Mode performance on iMac (early 2011) models."

MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.2 is for mid-2011 MacBook Airs and offers stability improvements, resolves Thunderbolt display compatibility issues and improves Lion recovery from an Internet connection.

Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.4 is for mid-2011 Mac minis and offers, you guessed it, improved stability of Lion Recovery from an Internet connection and fixes for Thunderbolt Display compatibility. Plus, improved Thunderbolt Target Disk Mode.

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.3 is also available (are you sensing a trend?). This update is for early 2011 MacBook Pros and it improves the stability of Lion Recovery from an Internet connection, fixes Thunderbolt Display compatibility and fixes Thunderbolt Target Disk Mode.

Apple issues firmware updates, Thunderbolt software update, more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has released iPhoto 9.2.1 via the Mac App Store and Software Update. It's a minor update which, according to Apple, "Addresses an issue that could cause iPhoto to quit unexpectedly on Macs with the 3ivxVideoCodec plug-in installed."

If you're rocking the 3ivxVideoCodec plug-in, grab this puppy and say good-bye to "unexpected quitting," which is the nice way to say "crashes like the Hindenburg."

iPhoto 9.2.1 now available originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We reviewed Sandvox earlier this year, the handy WYSIWYG web editor from Karelia Software. Those looking for very Mac-friendly web design software that requires no coding (or even an iWeb replacement) ought to consider Sandvox. The time is right, too, as version 2.1.10 is in the Mac App Store at a special price (aren't holiday sales great?).

Typically priced at US$67, you can now grab a copy of the latest version for $49. Version 2.1.10 offers a few new features, like a new Blueprint design and a revamped SFTP publishing system which includes WebDAV subsystems.

In our review, we pointed out the Objects Menu (introduced with version 2.0) which lets you add all manner of useful objects to your site, like a text box, raw HTML, Flickr thumbnails, Twitter tools, IM status, RSS tools and more. Again, no coding is required and the results look great.

Consider a purchase if you're looking for a Mac-friendly web editor at a bargain price.

Sandvox hits Mac App Store, on sale for limited time originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Powder Monkeys from XMG Studio (US$0.99, universal) is a big, varied game for the iPhone and iPad with enough going on to entertain kids and adults alike. Its good looks, many quests, game mechanics and upgrade opportunities increase longevity and keep players coming back for more. Plus, who wouldn't want to help monkey pirates battle enormous bugs on the high seas? Here's our look at Powder Monkeys.

Way back in the 17th century, a "powder monkey" was a member of a warship's crew. It was his job to deliver bags of gunpowder to the gun crew, and keep the fight alive. XMG has had a bit of fun with the term, casting animated monkeys as its seafaring heroes, sworn to defend their turf against evil, enormous bugs. As the player, you must aide the monkeys by completing quests, surviving battles, upgrading your weapons and more. Before we get to that, let's take a look at the game itself.

UI

Powder Monkeys features big, chunky "cartoonish" illustrations that look fantastic on the iPad as well as a less detailed overview of your character's position on the sea. Other elements are easily identified, like treasure chests, islands of interest and enemy ships. There's not a lot of reading to be done, either, which benefits younger players (both my 6-year-old and 8-year-old tested out Powder Monkeys for me).

Gallery: Powder Monkeys

As you sail around the environment, seeking adventure, a large ship's wheel appears, though you only really need to drag to move. If you're on a quest, an arrow points you in the right direction.

Other elements, like the store (for buying ammo, coins and upgrading equipment) repair shop and quest log are also attractive and legible, and a badge identifies the number of open quests you've got.

Finally, two badges in the lower right-hand corner of the screen monitor your inventory.

Gameplay

The real advantage here is the variation. This could easily have become a game of repetitive shooting, which gets old fast. Instead, XMG has included asset management, travel and some puzzle solving, which keeps the games interesting.

You begin by sailing into a cluster of islands and receiving a quest to visit one in particular. Of course, the bugs are waiting! Engage in your first battle.

Battle mode begins as two ships line up side-by-side. Each ship has four canons and various "bullets," including watermelons, darts and, if you're desperate, cutlery. Load a canon by tapping the type of ammo you'd like to load and then tapping the desired canon (bullets will destroy incoming bullets mid-air). A shot is fired and health decreased. The first player to run out of XP loses.

Fortunately, you've got powerups at your disposal. These special, upgradeable attacks will slow down the action, erect a defensive shield or increase your rate of attack, among other things. They're all handy when your enemy's vessel is superior to your own. If you win, a barrage of coins appear. Pick them up with a tap.

Pick up additional quests by traveling from island to island. One required me to navigate a maze filled with superior ships. Another had me escort a companion across dangerous seas. Again, the variation keeps it interesting.

Other elements

Gather coins by winning battles and completing quests. You'll also need wood, iron and special Banana Coins. These can be obtained by completing quests, opening treasure boxes (found floating in the sea) or spinning the wheel! Some treasure boxes contain goodies, while others offer a Wheel-Of-Fortune type spinner, lined with various assets. Tap anywhere to stop the spinner and see what you've won.

Coins are used to buy additional ammo, powerups and upgrades via the "store." Additionally, changes to your ship's hull, canons, rigging and armor also require wood and iron.

The all-important Banana Coins can be found in the game or purchased with real money via an in-app purchase. My 6-year-old was tempted to put dad's hard-earned cash down on a pretend coin, but I put the kibosh on that (big meanine). Plus, the app required my Apple ID (as you'd expect) which he does not have.

Conclusion

My only complaint is with the overhead map. You can zoom out at anytime to get an overview of your location, but must zoom back in to move. This probably defeats the sense of adventure, but I'd like to be able to move while in the distant, overhead view. Plus, the tiny island icons are tiny indeed on the iPhone.

Other than that, Powder Monkeys is a winner. It feels much deeper than you'd expect from a 0.99 app, with all the questing and upgrade options. Game Center achievements are also supported. It's just as comfortable on both devices and just plain fun. Plus, I dare you to get that Caribbean theme song out of your head.

Powder Monkeys offers challenging fun for young gamers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tony Fadell, Apple's former Senior Vice President of the iPod Division, oversaw iPod and iPhone development between 2001 and 2009. Ten years after his most iconic project first saw the light of day, the "father of the iPod" has a new product: Nest, a home thermostat that's smarter than the average bear.

Nest is a new breed of home thermostat that Fadell has developed with partner Matt Rogers, who led an engineering team at Apple's iPod division in 2009. Mike Matas, formerly of Delicious Monster and Apple, contributed to the design.

"It's a thermostat for the iPhone generation," says Fadell. Aside from its striking looks and color-coded, digital display, the Nest thermostat boasts impressive features. For example, a motion sensor notices if there are people in a room and adjusts its temperature accordingly. It also learns your habits and preferences, so there's no programming to be done.

Even fine-tuned adjustments of just a few degrees can make a big difference for consumers and the environment. The New York Times notes that each degree cooler (in winter) or warmer (in summer) a house is kept translates into a 5 percent energy savings, according to experts. John E. Bowers, director of the Institute for Energy Efficiency at the University of California, Santa Barbara, likes the idea of using an smart device to monitor those adjustments. "There is a huge amount that can be gained in homes, and an intelligent thermostat could be a great opportunity," he told the Times.

The Nest will ship sometime in November at US$250, via the company's site and Best Buy's website. It certainly looks cool, but what would you expect from "the father of the iPod?"

iPod designer Tony Fadell takes on thermostats with Nest Labs originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I love Halloween. As kids we anticipated the night we'd canvas the neighborhood in plastic costumes, visiting house after house. Especially that one crazy lady who dressed as a witch and tried her best to scare us.

We had fun, but we didn't have iPhones. Today a slew of digital treats lurk inside the App Store. Here's a selection of our favorites.

Getting ready

There are prerequisites to Halloween fun. You've got to choose a costume, carve a pumpkin and set a creepy mood. Here are some apps to get you started (all prices are USD).

Costume Decider (Free) Can't decide on a costume? Let your iPhone help. This app from GS Design features two "wheels" for you to spin; one features adjectives such as "super" and "Vulcan" while the other offers nouns like "nurse" or "granny." Flip through the 625 possible combinations to find a winner. We'd like to see a Vulcan nurse, actually.

Haunt Finder ($2.99) Trick-or-treating not your thing? Check out Haunt Finder, a mobile database of haunted houses and and other frightening attractions across the US. Powered by HauntedHouse.com, Haunt Finder will list all the spooky goings-on within 200 miles of your current location. Listings include a description, distance and URL.

Halloween Soundlab ($0.99) If you intend to host a Halloween party, you'll need an eerie soundtrack. Halloween Soundlab offers 13 spooky loops that can be played solo or in combination to produce a horrifying soundtrack.

Kids

Like many other holidays, Halloween is mostly about the kids. Help them channel that sugar-fueled energy with a bit of iOS fun.

Carve It ($0.99) Carve a virtual jack-o-lantern with Carve It from ABCya. There's no sharp knife, fistfulls of goo or burning candle to worry about. Plus, if Jr. makes a mistake, he can just start over. Choose from 8 characters and enjoy the mini-game (it's kind of like Plinko) once the novelty of carving virtual pumpkins wears off.

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin ($0.99, universal) This app is based on one of my kids' favorite Halloween books. Poor Spookely isn't like the other pumpkins in the patch, he's a cube! A not-so-spooky soundtrack enhances the charm of Susan Banta's illustrations.

Halloween Postage ($1.99) If your kids are like mine, they adore looking at themselves. Embrace that tendency with Halloween Postage from RogueSheep. Take a photo of your costumed children and then add a postcard theme, creepy effects, titles and more. Finally, share it with far-flung family and friends via email, Facebook and more.

Reading

The air is getting cooler, the days getting shorter (here in the northern hemisphere at least) and the time is right to curl up with a good, scary book. Of course, we suggest doing so with your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Here are a few Halloween suggestions.

The Masque of the Red Death ($0.99) This digital interpretation of Edgar Allen Poe's classic tale is rather unique. As you read, a soundtrack creates an effective mood. It's more than music, though. Actions described in the text can be heard in the soundtrack: doors slam, maidens scream, chandeliers crash to the stone floor. As you read, the app notices your pace and times these sounds to almost the very moment you read the corresponding words. It's uncannily accurate and a lot of fun.

Incidentally, the Vincent Price movie is also quite good.

Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition ($4.99) Here's another enhanced book app. This title goes beyond a soundtrack by offering lots of fun stuff to do. As you read, you'll swing a lantern to reveal text, open letters tucked inside envelopes and blow the leaves off of a tombstone. You'll also find vintage photographs from the Dracula legacy, some released for the first time with this app. It's an unusual reading experience -- more of a game than a book -- and a lot of fun. Plus, it's got the full blessing of the official Stoker Family Estate.

Mickey's Spooky Night Puzzle Book ($0.99) Here's one for the kids. Mickey's Spooky Night Puzzle Book from Disney offers a cute tale plus a few fun activities. Read the story and then complete the various puzzles. You can even record your own voice, turing the app into a personal read-along.

Games

Forget bobbing for Apples, we've got A5 chips! Here are a few picks for iOS gaming, both light-hearted and hardcore.

Plants Vs. Zombies HD ($6.99, $2.99 for Plants Vs. Zombies for iPhone) It'd be impossible not to mention this smash hit from PopCap Games. It's a tower defense game with an undead theme. You're job is to stop the invading horde from entering your house by hurling all matter of plants at them. It sounds crazy and it is. Crazy fun!

Dark Meadow ($5.99, universal) Built on the Unreal Engine, Dark Meadow is serious fun with serious graphics. Part first-person-shooter and part puzzle game, your job is to unravel the mystery of the abandoned mental hospital, battle baddies and eventually escape. There's a lot of story here, nice battle mechanics and good looks.

Monster Dash ($0.99, universal) This platform shooter has you blasting away all sorts of bad guys across various worlds, from back alleys to ancient Egypt and icy tundras. Grab yourself a jet pack for high-flyng fun.

There you have it, a dozen apps to enhance All Hallow's Eve. Have fun, and don't eat your candy all at once.

Spooky fun: iOS apps for Halloween originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When the original iPad was released last April, Glasshouse Apps released The Early Edition, one of the first styled RSS readers for the device. Much like Flipboard and some others, The Early Edition gathered your feeds into a self-curated "magazine." It was nice, but The Early Edition 2 (TEE2) is a huge improvement.

A complete UI redesign, gesture support, Google Reader sync (as well as in-app feed additions) and a fun sharing function make TEE2 a pleasure to use. Here's my look at The Early Edition 2 (US$4.99) by Glasshouse Apps.

Overall UI

Glasshouse went with a newspaper theme. When you first launch the app, a rolled newspaper appears on a hardwood background (reminds me of my days as a paperboy). A progress wheel spins as the app updates your feeds. Once that's done (it was quick over Wi-Fi for me; I was unable to test 3G), your paper "unfolds" and the front page is presented.

Its appearance will be immediately familiar to anyone who's seen a newspaper during the last 100 years or so. The app's title is written in script across the top with the current date just below it. Blurbs from the first three articles can be read, and photos will appear as they're downloaded. Kudos to the Glasshouse team on keeping this initial download nice and snappy. I subscribe to an insane number of feeds and watch as well over a thousand images download (you can track their progress on the front page). Yet, the app's performance never suffers.

Gallery: The Early Edition 2

Unique to the front page is the "Sections" section. If you're using Google Reader as TEE2's source, the sections correspond to any folders you've set up.

To read an article, just give it a tap. The black-and-white layout keeps everything legible, as does the optional style override (more on that later). Additionally, three font size options let you choose the size that's right.

The second page of each issue offers several handy features. A "trending words" feature lists terms that appear frequently; tap each for a list of the top articles. Saved searches offer additional content customization and the Sync Stats let you know the last time the app performed a sync with your RSS source(s). The remaining pages offer individual articles, sorted by topic. This is where the fun begins.

Cool features and other UI goodies

Three super-cool features of TEE2 include the Browse Menu, the Clippings Menu, sharing options and the Toolbar. Each offers a fun and darn attractive way to interact with your news. Here's a look at each.

The Toolbar remains hidden until you need it, which is nice. To produce it, swipe down anywhere on the screen (just not the very top, as that will reveal the iOS 5 Notification Center). The chestnut-brown Toolbar offers access to the app's preferences, brightness settings, help files and sync progress notification.

Among the more interesting options is the Featured Feeds list. Just tap the spotlights icon in the Toolbar and the app "flips over" to reveal a list of suggested feeds across several categories, like Mac + iOS, Business, Entertainment and more. Tap any category to reveal its sources and check those you'd like to subscribe to.

The Browse Menu is also pretty cool. Tap the Toolbar's list icon to produce a list of your defined sections and feeds. Each displays an unread count and an optional star rating. Starred articles go into the clippings file.

Consider the clippings to be a collections of favorite articles. To access it, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. The newspaper will disappear and a box of your favorited articles appears. It looks great, in keeping with the rest of the app. Have I mentioned that The Early Edition 2 is very pretty? Because it is.

Sharing

Speaking of pretty, prepare for some serious eye candy. TEE2 goes all social on you with its sharing feature. To share an article, tap the share button in the article-specific toolbar (available when reading an article full-screen). A "Shared Copy" stamp appears on the article, and a manila envelope UI slides into place, offering to share the article with Twitter, Instapaper, Facebook, Delicious or Read it Later. Once you've set these up, just tap Send and off it goes.

Gesture support

Who has time to tap buttons? TEE2 offers some sweet gesture support. Swipe left-to-right with two fingers to bring up the Browse Menu. Swipe up to produce the Clippings UI (though you can't swipe again to put it away) and swipe down to reveal the main Toolbar. Finally, swipe left-to-right on an individual, full-screen article to dismiss the style override and read it as it appears on its parent website (I much prefer the ad-free style override).

The Early Edition 2 will be available from the App Store on October 20. Note that this is a separate purchase from The Early Edition, and requires iOS 5. In my opinion, it's absolutely worth it. The app looks fantastic, has a clever and engaging UI and is plenty fast. Plus, those who don't use Google Reader aren't out of luck, as you can switch to standalone mode and add feeds a la carte style. I recommend you check it out and curl up with a good read.

Early Edition 2 rebuilt, offers Google Reader sync, UI changes, more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fantastical by Flexibits has been updated to version 1.1, which offers a slew of new features. Users can now edit events and notes within Fantastical, and changes are immediately synchronized with iCloud. There's a lot to like about this new version, including behind-the-scenes bug fixes that make the whole experience more enjoyable. Here's what's new in Fantastical 1.1.

At last, you can edit events within Fantastical! This is the feature I've been waiting for, and I'm glad to report it works. To edit an existing event, simply double-click its listing in Fantastical. An edit window pops up, ready to accept your changes. You can edit notes in the same way.

The other major change is full iCloud integration and near-immediate synchronization of data. Previously, Fantastical required you to launch iCal (or have it running hidden) for sync with a MobileMe calendar. Now that's changed, thanks to iCloud and Fantastical's CalDAV integration. In my testing, events created in Fantastical showed up on my iPad by the time I launched the calendar app.

Several smaller changes further improve the Fantastical experience. For example, new events now automatically set the start date to the selected date on the calendar, with is a nice time saver. Multiple all-day events are grouped by calendar and sorted by event name, and Outlook events are color-coded by category.

Fantastical has been one of my favorites since I first reviewed it in May. It's out of the way when I don't need it, and quick when I do. Now that I can use it to edit tasks and notes, I probably won't look at iCal very much at all. Fantastical 1.1 is available now from the Mac App Store for US$19.99.

Fantastical 1.1 offers editing, notes, full iCloud support originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has released iTunes Movie Trailers for iOS. This app lets you view the latest movie trailers right on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Fortunately, the app isn't limited to streaming trailers. Use it to view movie posters, search local theaters for what's playing and monitor a built-in calendar for upcoming releases.

Tap on a movie to reveal specifics like synopsis and cast, tweet the film you intend to see and even star some as favorites.

The app is available now for free.

Apple releases iTunes Movie Trailers app for iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.