TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Oldboy director Chan-wook Park shoots new movie on iPhone 4

Keith M — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:00:00 EST

Last year, I caught a top 10 list somewhere that listed the top movies ever with twist endings. All but one of them I'd already seen, that one being the critically acclaimed Korean film Oldboy, directed by Chan-wook Park. Seeing as it was available for streaming on Netflix, I pulled it up that night. Suffice to say, it has one hell of a twist ending, and I'll warn you now that it's... uncomfortable.

Oldboy isn't the only movie on Park's resume, though it's arguably his most recognized. The director is adding yet another film to his IMDb page, and this one has a different sort of twist involved: it was filmed entirely on an iPhone 4. The film, titled Paranmanjang ("life full of ups and downs" in Korean) clocks in at about 30 minutes and was made on a budget of only US$133,000. Park says he took advantage of the iPhone 4's small size and low price (relative to the project) to easily utilize multiple iPhones for many different camera angles.

I wonder what iPhone apps Park made use of in the recording of his film, other than the native Camera app. Would there be any reason he'd want to not shoot natively and do the full post-processing later on larger gear?

Paranmanjang is set to hit theaters on January 27 in South Korea.

Oldboy director Chan-wook Park shoots new movie on iPhone 4 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Control a car's interior via a dashboard-mounted iPad from Visteon

Keith M — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:59:00 EST

Visteon doesn't have the first idea for integrating an iPad into an automobile in some way, but it has arguably the most ambitious one so far.

At this year's CES, Visteon brought forth their iPad dash product which not only integrates into an auto's audio controls, but it has the ability to handle all interior electronic controls. The iPad communicates via Bluetooth with the box pictured to the right of the iPad, above. That device is installed in the car, in place of controls for climate, seat positioning, and engine information, among other things. There's also weather information displayed within the interface, access to a GPS, and more.

There is a dock connector for the iPad, at the bottom of the iPad holder, but it's to provide power only. Obviously you're going to need a 3G-enabled device and a data plan to go along with it, in order to take advantage of the weather and GPS.

It's not clear what cars this device is planned to be compatible with, but from the placement and size of the iPad holder, I have a feeling compatibility will be limited.

Engadget also has a nifty hands-on video of some of the iPad app's functionality.

Control a car's interior via a dashboard-mounted iPad from Visteon originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

View NBC's The Cape premiere via iPad app (or not)

Keith M — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST

NBC's new superhero-themed show The Cape officially debuts its two-hour premiere on TV this coming Sunday night (9 PM EST), but there's at least one way you can get a look at its first hour, legally.

The free DC Comics app on iPad now has a link that allows users to view the first hour of The Cape, or at least a late, unfinished cut of the episode. While the announcements about this new feature make one think you need the DC Comics app to view the video, the appearance of a "Safari" button at the top of the window allows you to send the video's link directly to the browser, where you can copy the URL and view it in any other browser or even download the video entirely. Oops?

So, either make DC Comics and NBC happy and view the video within the official iPad app, or go view it here. Up to you (for now). (UPDATE: Looks like the video was taken down from the app due to "high traffic" issues.)

View NBC's The Cape premiere via iPad app (or not) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Skateboard-inspired grip tape wrap for the iPhone 4

Keith M — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST

Most people I know are keen on keeping their precious iPhones smooth and scratch-free. They opt for ergonomic surfaces that will keep the device looking cool as it's protected, the smooth surface allowing for easy pocket removal when needed. Sometimes, though, that slick surface can cause the phone to get away from you when you least expect it. So, butterfingers, this may be the solution for you.

SlickWraps has a US$20 skateboard-inspired adhesive wrap for the iPhone 4 that's complete with scratchy skateboard grip tape on the back and faux wood grain on the front and sides. All of the necessary cutouts are there, including one for the Apple logo in the back.

Instead of it being scratched, the iPhone 4 will be doing the scratching. I imagine a phone with grip tape won't be all that easy to remove from a tight pocket, so think about that before slapping this on your device.

[via iPhone Savior]

Skateboard-inspired grip tape wrap for the iPhone 4 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

How-To: Create PDFs from your iOS device

Keith M — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST

AirPrint may not be officially implemented in Mac OS X yet, but the feature remains present in the latest iOS 4.2 GM available to developers. For those who do have iOS 4.2 GM installed on their iDevices and are hoping to enable AirPrint, we've got a handy guide for you. Or you can also can use the AirPrint Hacktivator to get the job done.

That all covers printing to paper from iOS, but I've decided to take it a step further for those who want to "print" but remain paperless: Print to a PDF. And not only print to a PDF, but then immediately have that PDF accessible to the same device.

Here are some rather simple steps to get your PDF on.

Continue reading How-To: Create PDFs from your iOS device

How-To: Create PDFs from your iOS device originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comment: iPad used as protest sign

Keith M — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:30:00 EST

As if you needed yet another example of how there's no limitation to the uses people will find for the iPad, here's another one for you: 9to5 Mac points out this use of an iPad as a protest sign.

In a recent Lithuanian protest, observers noted and recorded a video of one industrious person who made his own app -- or, possibly, just a video or web page -- to display his own protests in animated form upon an iPad. There's just never enough room on those giant poster boards to get your message across, so why not get their attention with flashing messages on an iPad taped to a piece of wood, right? Given, it's an expensive sign to make, but at least it gets the word out.

Check out the full video after the break. This certainly deserves our Friday No Comment.

Continue reading No Comment: iPad used as protest sign

No Comment: iPad used as protest sign originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hollaback: an iPhone app to combat harassment

Keith M — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST

This week the anti-harassment website ihollaback.org has released an iPhone app that they hope will help encourage women to stand up and report cases of harassment in public places.

The Hollaback iPhone app does pretty much what you'd expect it to do. If you're being harassed or are witnessing someone being harassed, you can whip out your iPhone running Hollaback, take a photo of the violator and upload it to the Hollaback servers along with location data. A follow-up email comes back to you later, where you're asked to detail what happened. Once that's done, the scumbag's photo and your story are posted for all to see on the company's website. Though the US$0.99 app is now available in the App Store, I wasn't able to test it out because, well, I doubt I'd find volunteers to try it out on.

Allowing these incidents to be reported so quickly and easily could be a great way to help authorities nail down problem-ridden locations, but I have to wonder if whipping out a cell phone rather than running away or calling for help is the answer. Maybe you're better off pretending to make a call. Also, why is there a price tag on this app, when it was reportedly paid for already with donations?

Hollaback: an iPhone app to combat harassment originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The 7th Guest coming to iPhone in December

Keith M — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:30:00 EST

Retro games continue to make their way to the iOS platform. One of the latest early-'90s games about to make its way to iOS is Trilobyte's FMV adventure/puzzle game, The 7th Guest. The company says it is due to come out sometime early next month.

When it debuted in 1993, The 7th Guest was one the first computer games to come out on CD (CD!) and was originally priced at US$79.95. For the iOS version, you'll only have to fork over $3.99. It seems this won't be a universal app, as it's labeled as an "iPhone" game. Perhaps an HD version will be in the works if the iPhone version is a winner.

Are you a newcomer to The 7th Guest and interested in picking this one up? Or are you an old 7th Guest veteran who wants to try the app out on your iPhone next? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

[via Joystiq]

The 7th Guest coming to iPhone in December originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPad Facebook app Friendly updated with multiple account support

Keith M — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST

As we reported earlier, Facebook is holding a mobile event next week, where much speculation is being made about whether or not we'll all finally see an iPad version of the company's official app. Until that happens, there's still the terrific, unofficial Facebook iPad app Friendly, which has just undergone a major upgrade to version 3.0.

With Friendly's update comes quite a few improvements and enhancements, including the ability to sign in to multiple accounts on launch or on the fly, uploading photos, an "enhanced browser," and multiple bug fixes. The multiple account feature is an interesting one, as it makes the iPad a little more multi-user friendly in allowing different family members to sign in to the service on the same device. However, it doesn't appear that each account can be easily locked out from others accessing it once they are signed in the first time, so if you have something you'd like to remain private, beware.

It's probably unlikely any official app from Facebook will have a multi-user feature, so if that's something you'd make good use of, paying the US$0.99 for Friendly might be the way to go.

iPad Facebook app Friendly updated with multiple account support originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Another hardware keyboard solution for iPhone

Keith M — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST

There are many iPhone detractors who still won't let go of the fact that the iPhone doesn't have a physical keyboard. Whether it's because the on-screen keyboard is too difficult to use, or the move away from "the norm" is too jarring, it's what holds back many from making the switch or from liking the iPhone they already have.

There have been physical keyboard solutions for the iPhone for some time now, like the 4iThumbs and iTwinge overlays, but now there's a new type of keyboard from ThinkGeek that connects to your iPhone via Bluetooth and doubles as a case. The $49.99 keyboard is powered by its own rechargeable batteries (recharges via USB) and, when not in use, can flip to the backside of the phone.

Unfortunately, once the keyboard is flipped to the back, it's obstructing the camera, so taking photos is going to be cumbersome with this thing attached. It's also going to add a bit of bulk to your phone, but what do you expect when you're carrying around a separate keyboard for the thing?

[via iPhone Savior]

Another hardware keyboard solution for iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Game Boy decals for your iPhone 4

Keith M — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST

Looking to amaze and impress your gaming friends with a new decal for your iPhone 4? Well then feast your eyes on the Game Boy Color sticker for your iPhone!

The vinyl adhesive decal affixes to the back of your iPhone to give that retro-gaming look to your iDevice. The same seller makes the skin in other colors, as well as a classic Nintendo console controller. Each sells for US$6, and it's not exactly clear whether or not they're easily removed once the novelty has worn off. I guess you could always just stick it on a case.

Alright, maybe it won't so much amaze or impress. But old-school gamers will find them just nostalgic enough to prompt a purchase.

[via DVICE]

Game Boy decals for your iPhone 4 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

White iPhone shows up in Apple Store app

Keith M — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST

As reported earlier today, Apple has updated the App Store app, and with that update seems to come indication that the much coveted white iPhone 4 may be making its way to stores soon.

If you open the App Store app and navigate to the "Stores" area, then attempt to make a product reservation for an iPhone, you may note that there are black AND white versions listed. Unfortunately, if one attempts to reserve one of the white versions of the iPhone, you'll get the notice pictured. Attempting to reserve a black iPhone appears to work, though.

Still, this is promising indication that things may be changing soon, if you're one who has been holding out for one of these.

White iPhone shows up in Apple Store app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Verizon's FiOS Mobile Remote app ready for iPhone

Keith M — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Verizon has had their FiOS DVR Manager app available for some time. Now, the company has released another offering to the App Store in the way of a wireless remote.

Using the Verizon FiOS Mobile Remote requires you to be connected to your FiOS-provided wireless network in order for it to work. Once you follow the simple steps presented by the app, you'll be paired with your cable box and have the ability to quickly change channels, traverse the on-set programming guide, and control the DVR. You know, like the actual cable box remote already does.

I've tried the app out, and it was certainly painless to set up. The controls are surprisingly responsive and, dare I say, may actually work faster than the standard IR remote. The biggest plus to using the app is the presence of a QWERTY keyboard. No more cursor-ing around an on-screen keyboard to search for programs!

I'm not really sure why Verizon didn't just roll these functions into the DVR Manager app, but I guess they have their reasons. Both apps are free and on the App Store now.

[via electronista]

Verizon's FiOS Mobile Remote app ready for iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Old Sierra games coming to iPad as unofficial web apps

Keith M — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Sierra's old-school adventure games of the '80s bring back many memories of days where finding cheats and walk-throughs were hard to come by, and a binder of scribbled clues sat by my tiny monitor. Many of those same games have been ported to the web, and we're likely to see them made especially for the iPad soon.

Martin Kool of sarien.net has made a hobby of porting many of Sierra's older adventure games to the web, and now he wants to make those same games work especially well on the iPad. Kool plans to make each title on its own landing page, where visitors can create web app icons on their iOS devices to each page, essentially giving them access to a full-blown, free Sierra game.

Another cool aspect to these ported games is that Kool has added a multiplayer aspect to them. You could be walking around the Kingdom of Daventry and see another player completing the quests along with you!

So far Sierra's parent company, Activision, has not submitted a cease and desist letter, but he won't fight them if it comes to that. Kool does not plan to make any money off his ports, and they will remain ad-free.

[via Touch Arcade]

Old Sierra games coming to iPad as unofficial web apps originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple sells 250k Apple TVs in six weeks

Keith M — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST

While Apple TV sales were apparently not published in Apple's quarterly earnings release, during the much-ballyhooed investor conference call yesterday, Steve Jobs noted that as many as 250,000 Apple TVs have been sold since its debut last month.

To put that number into perspective, in the first month of sales of the original Apple TV (January 2007), Apple took orders of around 100,000 units. Also, prime contender Roku has reported sales of about 500,000 of its devices after being on the market for a year-and-change.

Although Apple stands a good chance of taking the lead over Roku in sales at some point, as far as the company is concerned, those numbers still put the Apple TV in the "hobby" category. iPads and iPhones still reign supreme in terms of sales for the company's fourth quarter.

Apple sells 250k Apple TVs in six weeks originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Incident update includes iPhone as iPad controller

Keith M — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST

I'm a sucker for retro 8-bit games, and the addicting iPhone/iPad game The Incident is no exception. Its interface is simplistic, but gameplay is fast and fun. What's more, it's a universal app that costs only $1.99 -- a bargain!

The app has just recently undergone a significant update, including a new "Endless Night" mode, additional objects and music, and new balloon power-ups/downs. But the neatest addition to the app is the ability to use your iPad as the gameplay screen and an iPhone as the controller!

I gave the game a go in controller-mode, and it was surprisingly responsive. Tilt the phone to move Mr. Soloway to the left and right, tap the screen to jump -- that's all the controls you need, and they work flawlessly. Thankfully they made it difficult to accidentally tap out of controller mode, requiring you to use a slider to deactivate.

Of course, you need both an iPad and iPhone to try the new controller feature. If you have both, definitely give it a try. Hopefully we'll see a lot more games give this feature a go in the future.

The Incident update includes iPhone as iPad controller originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Delicious Library may regain iPhone support... sort of

Keith M — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

Once upon a time, Delicious Library was available for the iPhone, and it was quickly yanked from the App Store due to infringing upon Amazon's API TOS. I learned all of this after recently purchasing the fantastic OS X application, and then wondering why it didn't have an accompanying iPhone app. So, over a year since the app was pulled, I had to ask the folks at Delicious Monster what was up -- would it be coming back, somehow?

The answer I got back wasn't all that promising. Since Delicious Library still makes use of the Amazon API, it's still infringing upon Amazon's API rules if it goes on a mobile device. However, there's nothing stopping the OS X application from doing what it does. So, I asked, why not marry the two together?

Delicious Library has the ability to make use of Bluetooth-enabled scanners to read barcodes, and since the iPhone's camera is perfectly capable of reading the same barcodes, couldn't it be used as a scanner interface to Delicious Library? Heck, Apple seems to be loosening their restrictions regarding Bluetooth.

"That's an idea we're actively exploring, as it wouldn't upset Amazon's terms of service, and it'd be cool," Chief Delicious Monster Wil Shipley told me last month. "But we have nothing to announce at this time, except our next product is not going to be this."

The next product he was talking about was most likely the recently announced Google Googles client, Noogle Noggles. So, could a scanner-centric Delicious Library iPhone app be next? It certainly seems plausible.

Delicious Library may regain iPhone support... sort of originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EA Mobile announces fall iOS game lineup

Keith M — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

If you've been waiting for SimCity to make its way to iPad/HD format, you don't have much longer to wait.

EA Mobile has recently announced its game release slate for the rest of fall 2010. Along with FIFA 11, EA Sports NBA Elite 11, and others, the company will be releasing the iPad-specific SimCity Deluxe HD. The game will obviously feature a bigger, interactive display and an optimized HUD that takes advantage of the increased screen real estate. Unfortunately, the price for SimCity is unknown, though it's expected to debut in November.

Other games on EA's slate include High Caliber Hunting, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Heroes Lore. Battlefield is a console-style warfare simulation with 14 single-player levels; High Caliber Hunting sounds like your run-of-the-mill hunting game; and Heroes Lore is a Korean RPG featuring 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 battles. It appears that you can expect some of these games to run around US$5 or so when they're released.

[via MacNN]

EA Mobile announces fall iOS game lineup originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tony Curtis buried with iPhone

Keith M — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:15:00 EST

As many of you have likely heard, actor Tony Curtis passed away in his home last week at the age of 85, due to cardiac arrest. Curtis was best known for his lead roles in movies such as Some Like it Hot and The Defiant Ones.

The late actor was put to rest Monday, the funeral being attended by family and friends. It's reported that Curtis was buried with some of his most cherished possessions, including a Stetson hat, an Armani scarf, driving gloves, a copy of his favorite novel ... and his iPhone.

I'm not really sure what's more surprising about Curtis being entombed with his iPhone: that he's buried with it for eternity, or that an 85-year-old man was so enamored with an iPhone that he (or others) felt it should remain with him.

Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before the jokes of Curtis calling from the grave are in full force.

[via 9 to 5 Mac]

Tony Curtis buried with iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple's North Carolina data center nears completion

Keith M — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:15:00 EST

It seems we've been discussing Apple's upcoming, massive North Carolina datacenter for a long, long time -- since around May 2009, actually. Word is that the $1 billion facility is nearing completion, meaning we'll hopefully see the fruits of Apple's labor very soon.

Here's one interesting item to come out of the story: the company reportedly paid one family upwards of $1.7 million for their one-acre lot. Even having paid that amount for such a small bit of land, Apple could have come away from this having paid as little as $35k per acre.

While many people speculate that the new datacenter will support Apple's initiatives into streaming media, it's just as likely that it will be used for technologies that Apple hasn't really dipped its toe into quite yet. Social media could be one area, as we've seen the company testing those waters with Ping (with questionable results).

Click the link below to see video of a helicopter fly-over of the new facility.

Continue reading Apple's North Carolina data center nears completion

Apple's North Carolina data center nears completion originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

BMW's official iPad integration: "heinous"

Keith M — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST

The iPad is a wonderful device to consider integrating into one's car. Many have already gone the DIY route, mounting the device into a center console, for example. However, not everyone's handy enough or brave enough to hack their cars to pieces for these things, so it's comforting when something more "official" comes around.

BMW recently displayed their answer to an official integration of the iPad in their cars, at the Paris Auto Show. As Engaget puts it, the implementation is heinous. But, to be fair, if the goal of this integration is to allow backseat passengers to use an iPad hands-free, then what more can be done to fix it?

Integration of an iPad into a dashboard is one thing, but that's not going to solve the problem of passengers wanting to watch a video. A dashboard-mounted iPad is good for controlling music and following maps, but if you're using it to watch video, you've seriously got a screw loose.

BMW's official iPad integration: "heinous" originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Archeologists brave flinging bits of rock with the iPad

Keith M — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST

You hear about interesting uses for the iPad all the time, and many times, those uses are merely theoretical. Sure, using an iPad at an archeological dig sounds cool and practical and all, but does anybody really do it? As it turns out, the answer to that question is "yes."

In some of Apple's online promotional galleries, the company highlights a team of archeologists making use of the iPad for tasks such as text and graphical data entry. One of those in charge of the dig says that using the iPad for this work has saved countless hours of data entry that would have otherwise been done back at the field office.

Sure, the iPad needs to be sufficiently protected from the elements (such as, y'know, flying hunks of rock), but that's likely a small price to pay vs. paper notebooks with one's chicken scratch that someone needs to translate. I bet these archeologists were wishing there was an on-board camera for the iPad right about now.

[via Cult of Mac]

Archeologists brave flinging bits of rock with the iPad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Multitouch casing could remove buttons from iPhone, iPad

Keith M — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST

Back before the iPhone was formally announced, there was talk that Steve Jobs was simply not happy with the product because Apple's engineers couldn't figure out how to eliminate all of the physical buttons. There was just no practical way to put the functions of a power switch or home button into a touch-only interface. But all of that hasn't stopped Apple from trying.

A recently-filed patent by Apple clearly shows that the company means business when it comes to sleek, clutter-free interfaces. This particular patent aims to take advantage of multiple sides of a device (in this case, it appears to be the iPad, as pictured), including parts of the casing, in order to perform functions that physical buttons currently handle.

Talk of an interactive case has come up before, but with this new patent, it's clear the minds at Apple are still churning about in search for that holy grail of button-free, ultra-portable devices. I'm just not so sure there will be a way to get rid of them entirely -- who wants to have to resort to a paperclip to reset their device?

Multitouch casing could remove buttons from iPhone, iPad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Warner Bros. says Apple's TV rentals are too cheap

Keith M — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST

When Apple recently announced the availability of $0.99 rentals of TV episodes, not every network was on board with it. The Walt Disney Co. and News Corp. (parents of ABC and FOX, respectively) were good with the deal, though one of the most notable opponents was Warner Bros. (CW, among others). The reason: $0.99 for an episode rental is too cheap.

Chief Exec Barry Meyer of Warner Bros. went on to say that having rentals set at such a low price would hurt sales of full seasons of their television shows, adding that the current $2.99 to own an episode, via iTunes, suited them just fine.

Ever since the idea of renting TV episodes came about, I couldn't fathom why someone would choose to purchase -- permanently -- an entire season of a show until after they'd already seen it. I can see why one would want to watch their absolute favorites over and over again, but only once they know they're good. Rentals can only help boost sales of permanent purchases, but the show has to be proven good first. Maybe that's what's really scaring Warner Bros. here.

[via 9 to 5 Mac]

Warner Bros. says Apple's TV rentals are too cheap originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPad wine list boosts sales in high-end restaurants

Keith M — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST

When the iPad was originally announced (and, heck, when it was rumored), lots of us were dreaming up different ideas for how the iPad might revolutionize the way written content is consumed. There were books, of course, including comics, magazines and coursebooks. This is the first time, though, where I've seen a different kind of print medium successfully making the jump to digital: restaurant wine lists.

One upscale restaurant in Atlanta, for example, has decided to take its very extensive wine list and bring it over to the iPad, as the New York Times reported. The restaurant uses iPad-specific software to display its wine list, along with information on each wine, including ratings, pricing and pairing suggestions. Like traditional menus, the iPads are handed out to diners. The result of the switch is pretty impressive: wine sales shot up 11% from the first day the iPad wine list was introduced.

Similar experiences with iPad wine lists were noted at restaurants in New York City, London and Sydney. At least one company, Incentient, makes wine list software that several restaurants are using, while others are developing their own apps. [Chances are that FileMaker Go would work fine for most restaurants ~~with modest wine lists~~. -Ed.]

I wonder why a simple web app isn't used instead? Maybe it's hard to keep a solid Wi-Fi connection through all those bottles of vino.

[via Cult of Mac]

iPad wine list boosts sales in high-end restaurants originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video demo of ABC's My Generation synchronized app

Keith M — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:30:00 EST

As Dave reported earlier, ABC and Nielsen have teamed up to develop an iPad app that supports the new series My Generation. Users run the app while watching the show -- either live or recorded -- and it will stay synced with the section of the episode you're watching by "listening" to the audio from your television, using the built-in microphone.

From there the app will present you with polls and quizzes related to what you're watching, along with other interactive elements. You can get a sense of how this new form of interactivity will play out by watching the video above. [Yes, it's Flash; sorry, but ABC's hosting it and that's the only way to get at it. -Ed.]

While you're watching TV, the iPad is actually watching you, in a manner of speaking; the app serves as a tool for Nielsen to understand viewing habits, as they will use digital watermarking to track user behavior. With such a small percentage of viewers likely to be using the app during the show, it's hard to tell just what kind of data they'll get. But it is an interesting experiment.

My Generation doesn't premiere until September 23. I tried it out on the screener (preview copies available to media and reviewers) of the pilot, and it wasn't able to sync, so hopefully that just means the app's just not ready to go live yet; either that, or the Nielsen audio encoding wasn't embedded on the screener but has been added to the broadcast version.

Video demo of ABC's My Generation synchronized app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Angry Birds introducing Mighty Eagle, costs real money to skip levels

Keith M — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST

If you're an Angry Birds player like me, you've hit a couple of levels you've had to play 10 or more times before finally being able to progress. Curse those speedy yellow birds! Give me more bombers! If that's you, Rovio Mobile -- creator of Angry Birds -- has the solution to your frustration, which it announced recently at the Nokia World conference. But the bad news is that it's going to cost you.

Meet the new, angriest of the Angry Birds: Mighty Eagle. Via an in-app purchase (with real money) of a can of sardines, you'll be able to summon this new bird for a one-time shot at clearing an entire level. If you want to make use of Mighty Eagle again, you can try going back to the previous level where he was used and clear it without him. Then, voila -- you can use him again in a later level.

Check out the video introducing Mighty Eagle in the 2nd half of the post.

Continue reading Angry Birds introducing Mighty Eagle, costs real money to skip levels

Angry Birds introducing Mighty Eagle, costs real money to skip levels originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Unreal Engine now able to make iOS apps

Keith M — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST

With Apple's recent decision to ease off on its third-party app creation tools restrictions, gamers are in for some very cool and interesting developments. At the Korea Games Conference, Epic Games announced that the Unreal Development Kit (UDK) will have the ability to generate iOS games and other applications.

The UDK is freely available and has the ability to churn out incredible looking environments, such as the Epic Citadel tech demo you might have downloaded or at least gazed upon in wonder.

If the gameplay of the final, released version of the Citadel demo is as smooth and playable as what was shown at the most recent Apple press event, there's no doubt we'll see even more amazing things come from what developers can churn out with the UDK. Think someone will port Unreal Tournament?

Unreal Engine now able to make iOS apps originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

TomTom offers free car kit adapter for iPhone 4

Keith M — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:30:00 EST

Attention, folks who purchased the TomTom car kit for their iPhone 3G or 3GS, only to upgrade to a won't-fit-quite-right iPhone 4: you're in luck. TomTom is now providing a free adapter for the aforementioned car kit that allows an iPhone 4 to fit properly.

Apparently the adapter is simply a piece of plastic that one sticks into place over a spot at the bottom of the dock. It's included in the kit packaging from September 1, though if you bought a car kit before then, you can claim your adapter from TomTom for free.

The TomTom car kit retails for about $120. Obviously, to make full use of the TomTom car kit at all, you'll want to have the $40 iPhone app to go along with it.

[via Electronista]

TomTom offers free car kit adapter for iPhone 4 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Carry more iPad data with you, using HyperDrive

Keith M — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:45:00 EST

No matter what size iPad or other portable device you get, many times it seems that you're going to hit that storage limit and find yourself aching for more space. The HyperDrive may not fix that problem for you, but it may be handy in certain circumstances.

Using the portable HyperDrive and the iPad Camera Connection Kit, one can transfer movies and photos onto the iPad from either the HyperDrive's internal storage or via memory cards attached to it. Since the iPad only allows attached storage of 32GB or less, the HyperDrive sections off its on-board storage into 32GB "folders," each of which is viewable using the iPad Photos application.

It's definitely a hacky way to go about transferring data to your iPad while on the go, but at least it doesn't require jailbreaking to use (if that's a concern of yours). The usefulness of the HyperDrive seems rather limited, though, as it's not able to transfer data off of your iPad, only onto it.

The HyperDrive comes in 120GB up to 750GB models, starting at US$299.

[via Macworld UK]

Carry more iPad data with you, using HyperDrive originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Retro new iPhone dock has pricey, film noir feel

Keith M — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:15:00 EST

If you're feeling nostalgic and have US$250 burning a hole in your pocket, perhaps we've found the iPhone dock for you.

The iRetrophone Skyliner, designed by artist Scott Freeland, is a retro-style iPhone dock (compatible with 3G, 3GS, and iPhone 4) within a custom-designed, old-style desktop telephone. The iPhone connects via a standard connector within the dock, providing charging power and a working handset -- yes, the handset works.

Combine this dock with the aptly-named iRetroPhone iPhone app, and your iPhone retro-izing is complete. But for $250? They lost me there.

[via iPhone Savior]

Retro new iPhone dock has pricey, film noir feel originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aqua: Digital paintings made up of OS X elements

Keith M — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST

Here's more proof that beauty can often lie hidden, even though it's right before your eyes. Digital artist Johannes P Osterhoff found an artistic quality to Apple's Aqua user interface and decided to base a series of digital "paintings" using several of its elements.

With a few simple and subtle alterations, Osterhoff was able to make what looks like actual water droplets or ice, only using elements of Aqua (hence the series' name), at least at first glance.

So far Osterhoff is making use of very few elements of the Aqua UI, so I'd like to see what can be done with something else. There's only so much that can be done with bubbles and bars.

[via today and tomorrow]

Aqua: Digital paintings made up of OS X elements originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iOS surpasses Linux as browsing platform

Keith M — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST

Seems like only yesterday that Linux was vastly outpacing iOS in terms of how many were using it as a browsing platform. Actually, make that last November; at that time, Linux's presence more than doubled the total iOS stake. Now, iOS-based browsers claim 1.13 percent of all browsing platforms, compared to a declining 0.85 percent for Linux.

To the right is a screengrab from Google Analytics, as I see traffic coming to one of my own websites. However, I'm sure the list looks very different depending on the content. For example, I'm pretty sure TUAW's #1 OS isn't any flavor of Windows (but I'll check).

How long before the total of all mobile-only OS clients outranks desktop OS users in this area?

[via AppleInsider]

iOS surpasses Linux as browsing platform originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mooncharge solar charger for iPhone 4 won't charge via moonlight

Keith M — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST

For many people on the go, a full charge on their iPhone just isn't enough to get them by. Oh sure, they could hunt around for a standard wall outlet or plug into their laptop, but that's not always possible. So, they might carry a portable battery pack, like the splash Intense. But for green-minded folks, maybe something more sustainable?

The Frostfire Mooncharge is a solar-powered, portable charger for your iPhone 4 that attaches directly to the back of your device. Fully loaded up with the power of the sun (or via USB), it will power your iPhone for an extra 315 hours on standby and provide up to 27 additional hours of music, 10 hours of video, and five hours of talk time. From no charge at all, 20 minutes of sunlight will fill its battery pack to provide five extra minutes of calling or 50 minutes of standby power.

A few negatives for this device, right from the start, are: 1) it appears extremely bulky, and there's no reported weight for the device, 2) its name is sadly misleading, and therefore 3) we have to leave our caves and brave daytime sunlight to take advantage of its full potential.

[via MacStories]

Mooncharge solar charger for iPhone 4 won't charge via moonlight originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple to increase frequency of pay for iOS developers

Keith M — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST

Are you an iOS developer who's been pained by the threshold at which Apple decides to send payment out for your hard-earned app sales? Well, Apple has a bit of good news for you on that front.

Along with a new reporting module within iTunes Connect, Apple has decreased the amount developers must accumulate from sales before payment is issued, along with an increase in the frequency at which those payments are made. Not only will this decrease the amount spent on bank fees for developers, but the reports will give them a better understanding of how sales are doing.

Right now there's no word on what the pay threshold and frequency have been changed to, but the quicker earnings make their way to developers' pockets, the better. Are you a developer, and have you been hoping for such a change?

[via Macworld]

Apple to increase frequency of pay for iOS developers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Overclocked, liquid-cooled Mac Pro trades noise for speed

Keith M — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

I wonder if it's only a matter of time before Apple decides to go to a liquid-cooled solution rather than keeping with bigger and faster fans. In any case, one technically adept person over at Asetek didn't want to wait for that day. He went about not only water cooling an older 8-core Mac Pro, but overclocked it as well. The result was a much quieter system, with the same speed as a newer Mac Pro and at lower cost.

I haven't noticed a Mac Pro to be all that noisy, but the quieter the system the better, especially when it's on or under your desk. What this guy didn't explain, though, was how much time and money it cost to outfit the older Mac Pro with water cooling. Would the time, effort and cost there still make it a worthwhile mod? Check out his full video after the jump.

Continue reading Overclocked, liquid-cooled Mac Pro trades noise for speed

Overclocked, liquid-cooled Mac Pro trades noise for speed originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Angry Birds fever continues

Keith M — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST

Here's one Angry Birds fan who took things to a whole new level. An industrious fan decided to recreate one of her favorite iPhone games using balls, clay, eggs, slingshots and cardboard boxes for a sort of "live" version of the popular iPhone/iPad game. I sure hope that's not a wick on the top of the big black bird ... or do I?

Meanwhile, everyone's talking about the previously-reported rumors of an Angry Birds movie. Variety recently spoke with Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio, creator of Angry Birds, where he talked about the success of the game and a short word on a probable sequel.

Add to all of this that Angry Birds is slated to hit the Sony PSP, PS3 and the Nintendo DS. Is it possible we'll get sick of all this Angry Birds-ness before it's allowed to become as big as Hed hopes? The title is certainly primes for moving in more directions, so long as Hed gets the ball rolling quickly.

Angry Birds fever continues originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iTunes TV show rentals for 99 cents may be on the way

Keith M — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:30:00 EST

Here's another rumor about the new Apple TV (or "iTV" as some are calling it), which may be in the cards for the upcoming Apple event in two weeks.

Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is in advanced talks with several media outlets to offer TV show rentals through iTunes for 99 cents an episode. Each episode would be made available within 24 hours of the episode's airing on television, allowing one to essentially rent the episode for 48 hours, commercial-free.

This isn't such a huge surprise, really, though it does strongly support the idea of a new Apple TV device and cloud-based streaming services to handle these rentals.

It'll be interesting to see if one would be able to get a discount on a season pass of streaming episodes. If you watch two shows every weeknight, that's about $40 a month. Depending on how many networks get on board, even at three shows a night at $60/month seems like a bargain against what some cable and satellite companies charge. Even a better deal, when they are commercial free and viewable on many devices.

iTunes TV show rentals for 99 cents may be on the way originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Patents hint at iMac Touch and touchscreen MacBooks

Keith M — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST

With the sweet glass-fronted, LED-backed displays on the newer MacBooks, Apple seemed a step closer to giving us touchscreen displays beyond the current ultra-portable devices. Patently Apple has recently unearthed a couple of Apple patent filings that seem to point in that direction, not just for MacBooks, but for a future iMac as well.

Apple is clearly driving very quickly toward mass adoption and integration of its iOS software, and these patents certainly support that. As far as the "iMac Touch" patent, apparently you'd get the best of both worlds as far as Apple's OS offerings are concerned. Based on the orientation of the display, the iMac would switch between Mac OS and iOS. Lay it flat, you get iOS. Stand it up, you get Mac OS.

Obviously there are many Apple patents reported that never will see the light of day, but I believe this one has some meat to it. For an iMac refresh, this seems a very logical update. Though it makes sense we could see the same thing in a MacBook update, I'd say we'll see an iMac sporting this dual-OS first.

Patents hint at iMac Touch and touchscreen MacBooks originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Google app gets updated with push notification for Gmail

Keith M — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST

After many months of users having to resort to third-party or jailbroken apps to get push notifications from Gmail, Google has finally released an updated version of its iPhone app that now handily does that all for you.

The update -- which is now freely available in the App Store -- allows you to sign into one or several Google accounts and set up Gmail and Google Calendar push events, which work just as you'd expect. It's not yet clear how consistently quick the app is at alerting you of new mail, though it seems to have a significant delay upon initial testing. So far connectivity to my Gmail account using the Mail app responds much quicker.

As you can see from the screengrab of the update, you can specify quiet times for notifications, which could be handy if you tend to get a deluge of mail in the wee hours of the night. Google customers rejoice: push notifications are finally here!

Google app gets updated with push notification for Gmail originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments