TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.tuaw.comTUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifTUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Origin Stories: TestFlighthttp://www.tuaw.com/2013/03/15/origin-stories-testflight/http://www.tuaw.com/2013/03/15/origin-stories-testflight/http://www.tuaw.com/2013/03/15/origin-stories-testflight/#comments

This week's Origin Stories goes to the heart of a problem developers had at the beginning of the App Store: how to easily deal with beta builds. There are numerous restrictions and difficulties for developers who wish to give out beta versions of an app for review or bug testing, and that's where TestFlight stepped in. The company has gone beyond this, however, and now offers a plethora of services to help developers (including Android support).

In this episode I talk to Ben Satterfield of TestFlight about their journey.

Origin Stories: TestFlight originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogOrigin Stories: TestFlight originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>developerorigin storiesOriginStoriestestflightVictor Agreda, Jr.Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:00:00 ESTTUAW Origin Stories: Retro Dreamerhttp://www.tuaw.com/2012/11/09/tuaw-origin-stories-retro-dreamer/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/11/09/tuaw-origin-stories-retro-dreamer/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/11/09/tuaw-origin-stories-retro-dreamer/#comments

Today we continue our Origin Stories series by interviewing Gavin Bowman, one of the co-founders of Retro Dreamer, a great iOS indie developer that's released games like Velocispider, Duckers, and most recently, Happy Fall. In the interview, Bowman lets us in on the wild story behind Happy Fall, and tells us about his company's philosophy lately, of simply making smaller games and testing the App Store market bit by bit rather than building huge projects with substantially more risk.

Thanks very much to Bowman for chatting with us at the recent MacTech conference in Los Angeles! Retro Dreamer has updates coming for a few of their apps very soon (including Ice Cream Jump), and we'll stay tuned for more releases from them.

TUAW Origin Stories: Retro Dreamer originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogTUAW Origin Stories: Retro Dreamer originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuresgavin bowmanGavinBowmanhappy fallHappyFallice cream jumpIceCreamJumpiOSiPadiPhonemactechorigin storiesOriginStoriesreleasesretro dreamerRetroDreamerMike SchrammFri, 09 Nov 2012 18:00:00 ESTTUAW Origin Stories: Party Doodleshttp://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/20/tuaw-origin-stories-party-doodles/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/20/tuaw-origin-stories-party-doodles/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/20/tuaw-origin-stories-party-doodles/#comments

Party Doodles is a fun drawing game that has an interesting twist. While you can play with just an iPad, adding an Apple TV to the mix allows you use AirPlay, transforming this into living room fun for the whole family. Here's a pic of the game in action.

Personally I think this is a great way for developers to use the Apple TV to enhance gameplay for an iOS game. Party Doodles is right at home using the larger screen, and it almost begs the question why you'd need an App Store on the Apple TV.

TUAW Origin Stories: Party Doodles originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogTUAW Origin Stories: Party Doodles originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>apple tvAppleTvgamesiOSiPadparty doodlesPartyDoodlesVictor Agreda, Jr.Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:00:00 ESTInterview with Jeremy Olson of the Grades apphttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/18/interview-with-jeremy-olson-of-the-grades-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/18/interview-with-jeremy-olson-of-the-grades-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/18/interview-with-jeremy-olson-of-the-grades-app/#comments Grades 2

Created by Jeremy Olson of Tapity, the Grades app is a tool for students to help them earn the grade they want in a class and achieve their target GPA. The app lets students input their current grades, list upcoming assignments and finally set their target grade or GPA. The app will calculate the scores students need on their upcoming assignments to turn a D into an A. We had a chance to interview this budding developer, and we talked with him about programming, payment and promotion. Read on for a closer look at this developer and his experience with iOS.

Continue reading Interview with Jeremy Olson of the Grades app

Interview with Jeremy Olson of the Grades app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogInterview with Jeremy Olson of the Grades app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>collegeeducationGradesInterviewiPhoneJeremy OlsonJeremyOlsonstudentsKelly HodgkinsWed, 18 May 2011 06:00:00 ESTFrom the iPad 2 line: Form Tools PDF for the iPadhttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/11/from-the-ipad-2-line-form-tools-pdf-for-the-ipad/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/11/from-the-ipad-2-line-form-tools-pdf-for-the-ipad/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/11/from-the-ipad-2-line-form-tools-pdf-for-the-ipad/#comments

Quite a few TUAWers are out and about this afternoon picking up iPad 2s, and our own Erica Sadun is in Colorado right now. While in line for her new magical and revolutionary device, she met up with developer Zach Starkebaum, creator of the Form Tools PDF app for the iPad, and got a quick demo on video, which you can watch after the break below. Yes, the app's function is a little dry, but hey, it's Friday -- why not find some fun in using an iPad to sign and fill out PDF forms?

Stay tuned for more live coverage from iPad 2 lines all around the country today -- Mike Rose is currently headed to the Fifth Avenue store in New York City, and our own Steve Sande will be broadcasting live this afternoon from Colorado as well. We'll have coverage from all over for the big iPad 2 launch today.

Continue reading From the iPad 2 line: Form Tools PDF for the iPad

From the iPad 2 line: Form Tools PDF for the iPad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogFrom the iPad 2 line: Form Tools PDF for the iPad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>demodeveloperform tools pdfFormToolsPdfiPadipad 2ipad 2 lineIpad2Ipad2Linelaunchvideozach starkebaumZachStarkebaumMike SchrammFri, 11 Mar 2011 17:15:00 ESTInterview: Firemint's Rob Murry and Steve Faulkner of Infinite Interactivehttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/01/06/interview-firemints-rob-murry-and-steve-faulkner-of-infinite-i/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/01/06/interview-firemints-rob-murry-and-steve-faulkner-of-infinite-i/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/01/06/interview-firemints-rob-murry-and-steve-faulkner-of-infinite-i/#comments

Firemint and Infinite Interactive surprised us all the other day with the news that the one company was buying the other, but Firemint's Rob Murray and Infinite's Steve Fawkner weren't surprised themselves. "We've actually been talking about this for years, going back to 2006," Murray told TUAW today.

Fawkner actually showed Murray a prototype of his company's Puzzle Quest game back in the day, and that reportedly encouraged Murray to start a game of his own that eventually became Flight Control, which itself spawned the Firemint company. "It's always been in the back of our minds, sometimes we've talked about it. It's only now that we've been able to make it possible."

So the first question is: why now? It turns out that the two companies may have more in common than we think. "The studios have evolved with similar kinds of ideas and similar kinds of things," says Fawkner. "We've wanted to get into digital distribution for a long time, and Rob's already headed down that path, so it really made sense to go ahead and bring the studios together and go along that path together."

Continue reading Interview: Firemint's Rob Murry and Steve Faulkner of Infinite Interactive

Interview: Firemint's Rob Murry and Steve Faulkner of Infinite Interactive originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogInterview: Firemint's Rob Murry and Steve Faulkner of Infinite Interactive originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuresfiremintgaminginfinite interactiveinfinite-interactiveInfiniteInteractiveiosiOS 4Ios4iPhonenamco bandaiNamcoBandaipuzzle questPuzzleQuestMike SchrammThu, 06 Jan 2011 06:00:00 ESTJohn Carmack talks about Rage SD and HD, iOS, and what's next for iOS gaminghttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/19/john-carmack-talks-about-rage-sd-and-hd-ios-and-whats-next-fo/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/19/john-carmack-talks-about-rage-sd-and-hd-ios-and-whats-next-fo/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/19/john-carmack-talks-about-rage-sd-and-hd-ios-and-whats-next-fo/#comments

We've all seen the potential of what a demo like Epic Citadel can do, but while work continues on Infinity Blade, John Carmack's id Software has released Rage, an iOS-exclusive tie-in to the big FPS console and PC title scheduled to come out next year. The game is a pretty incredible feat in and of itself, with realistic graphics set in Rage's post-apocalyptic world and an on-rails shooting experience that feels extremely dynamic. It also has a fun reloading mechanic, a dodge button, a constant flow of mutants to shoot, and power-ups and bonuses to grab. At just one or two dollars for the SD or HD versions, Rage is a steal, and if you can play the game in full HD on the iPhone or the iPad, there's no question you should.

I got the chance to chat with Carmack himself earlier today about this game and what he thinks of the iOS platform, and you can read the results of our interview after the break below. The good news: he says he's more focused on this kind of mobile development than ever before, and as a result, he's hoping we'll see at least two more mobile games from id before the full version of Rage comes out next year.

Continue reading John Carmack talks about Rage SD and HD, iOS, and what's next for iOS gaming

John Carmack talks about Rage SD and HD, iOS, and what's next for iOS gaming originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogJohn Carmack talks about Rage SD and HD, iOS, and what's next for iOS gaming originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>3gsfeaturesgamesgamingid softwareIdSoftwareiOS 4Ios4iPadiPhoneiphone 3gsIphone3gsjohn carmackJohnCarmackphonesragerage hdRageHduniversalupcomingMike SchrammFri, 19 Nov 2010 10:00:00 ESTMacworld 2010: We discuss iBird Pro with Mitch Waitehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/macworld-2010-we-discuss-ibird-pro-with-mitch-waite/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/macworld-2010-we-discuss-ibird-pro-with-mitch-waite/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/macworld-2010-we-discuss-ibird-pro-with-mitch-waite/#commentsWe had the opportunity to interview Mitch Waite, the developer of iBird Explorer Pro (US$29.99). This is an iPhone/iPod touch App running under OS 3.0 or better. According to Mitch, it is fourteen field guide books rolled into one App.

Apple liked the App so much that it was included it in an iPhone TV commercial. Macworld liked the app too and it was awarded the best reference App of 2009.

This is one big App, since it contains over 900 beautifully rendered pictures of birds, that Mitch will tell you all about in the video. It weighs in at 391MB, which may be a concern for those of you running out of storage. It's self-contained, needing no Wi-Fi or cellular connection. This was a wise design choice, since out in the wild, Cell signals can be a hard commodity to come by.

We apologize for the poor audio syncing of the video, but Mitch's story is quite fascinating.

Click on the 'Read More' link to view the video interview and demonstration of iBird Explorer Pro.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: We discuss iBird Pro with Mitch Waite

Macworld 2010: We discuss iBird Pro with Mitch Waite originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: We discuss iBird Pro with Mitch Waite originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appbirdsiBird Explorer ProIbirdExplorerProinterviewiphoneipod touchIpodTouchDavid WinogradTue, 23 Feb 2010 10:00:00 ESTMacworld 2010: Interview with Roland Saekow of BearExtender n3http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/macworld-2010-interview-with-roland-saekow-of-bearextender-n3/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/macworld-2010-interview-with-roland-saekow-of-bearextender-n3/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/macworld-2010-interview-with-roland-saekow-of-bearextender-n3/#comments
At the TUAW booth on the Macworld show floor the other week, I was fortunate enough to interview Roland Saekow, the developer of the BearExtender n3, a product that replaces your Airport card giving any wireless network a much wider wireless range. The best part is that is sells for US $49.97, about one third the price of its competition.

Roland and BearExtender n3 were nice enough to do a TUAW givaway that ended last week. The contest garnered over 600 comments from entrants, a huge number, which speaks to the general interest in the product.
Roland has a fascinating story to tell, and you can see and hear him tell it by clicking on the 'Read More' link to watch the video it in Viddler. To see it on your iPhone or a Bluetooth-enabled iPod touch, you can click on this YouTube link.

We apologize for the poor audio sync.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: Interview with Roland Saekow of BearExtender n3

Macworld 2010: Interview with Roland Saekow of BearExtender n3 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: Interview with Roland Saekow of BearExtender n3 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bearexpressn3BearExtenderBearExtender N3BearExtenderN3extenderRoland SaekowRolandSaekowwi-fiDavid WinogradMon, 22 Feb 2010 23:30:00 ESTMacworld 2010: iFixit.comhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/macworld-2010-ifixit-com/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/macworld-2010-ifixit-com/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/macworld-2010-ifixit-com/#comments One website that must reside in nearly every Machead's bookmarks collection is iFixit. They provide detailed, step-by-step repair guides (and parts) for nearly every Mac, iPod or iPhone fix you can think of. Their instructions are always clear and thorough enough to make even the most daunting repair possible. If you lack those special tools, they've got those, too.

They're also known for being among the first to take apart brand new Apple hardware. When I sat down with Kyle Weins from iFixit during Macworld Expo, he revealed that who gets the privilege of the first teardown is determined by the flip of a coin. He also talked about the site's history, current offerings and of course the iPad. You can watch the full interview after the break.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: iFixit.com

Macworld 2010: iFixit.com originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: iFixit.com originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>fixhardwareifixitrepairDave CaoloMon, 22 Feb 2010 22:30:00 ESTMacworld 2010: A few more video tidbitshttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/19/macworld-2010-a-few-more-video-tidbits/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/19/macworld-2010-a-few-more-video-tidbits/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/19/macworld-2010-a-few-more-video-tidbits/#comments
It's hard to believe that it's been a week since I left Macworld Expo 2010 to head home. Last night, I finally went through the last snippets of video from the Expo and put together this short compendium of three interviews.

The first company I talked to was Telnic.org, a group which champions the use of the .tel top level domain as a type of global address book. There's a free iPhone app available for updating your .tel domain information from anywhere.

Next, I visited shortly with John from Agile Partners, the developers behind GuitarToolkit. TUAW's resident musician, Mat Tinsley, reported on this app last September and it's quite impressive.

Finally, I talked with the folks from myRete, who have created an interesting social networking app called WhosHere. There are over one million users of WhosHere, and with the free texting and VoIP capabilities of the app you can ask the locals in cities around the world for travel tips or a date. Want to perfect your language skills with a native speaker? WhosHere is an easy way to find someone to chat with.

As with several earlier videos, this suffers from a bit of mic noise. Our apologies!

Macworld 2010: A few more video tidbits originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: A few more video tidbits originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>agile partnersAgilePartnersdottelguitartoolkitinterviewiphonemyretetelnicvideowhoshereSteven SandeFri, 19 Feb 2010 16:00:00 ESTMacworld 2010: TUAW talks to OpenFeinthttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/17/macworld-2010-tuaw-talks-to-openfeint/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/17/macworld-2010-tuaw-talks-to-openfeint/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/17/macworld-2010-tuaw-talks-to-openfeint/#comments On the day before Macworld last week, I got a chance to sit down with Eros Remini, VP of Marketing for OpenFeint, to talk about his social gaming network for iPhone apps. He shared with me that the network has claimed a gigantic 12 million users total, with about a million of them active in iPhone games from day to day. Additionally, the average user plays three or four games regularly -- unlike most other consoles, the iPhone is really a device that can split attention rather than have players dive deep in on one game.

He also told us about the OpenFeint app that was released last month, as well as their popular free game of the day giveaway -- once per day, they give away an OpenFeint game for free right there inside the app. And we also talked about both how OpenFeint is serving as connection between developer and customer, as well as why Apple hasn't really shown an interest in an official iTunes gaming network like this.

You can check out the whole interview on video right after clicking through the link below. Enjoy!

Continue reading Macworld 2010: TUAW talks to OpenFeint

Macworld 2010: TUAW talks to OpenFeint originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: TUAW talks to OpenFeint originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app storeAppStoreattentiondeviceeros-reminigamesgaminginterviewiphonemarketingmike-schrammnetworkingopenfeintsocial-networkingusersvideoMike SchrammWed, 17 Feb 2010 14:45:00 ESTMacworld 2010: Get an education with the DriveSavers Hard Drive Disk-aster Simulatorhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/17/macworld-2010-get-an-education-with-the-drivesavers-hard-drive/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/17/macworld-2010-get-an-education-with-the-drivesavers-hard-drive/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/17/macworld-2010-get-an-education-with-the-drivesavers-hard-drive/#commentsDriveSavers has been the go-to company for data recovery since 1985, when I used to read about them in Apple ][ magazines. They have saved the bacon (and jobs) of many people over the ensuing years. When all else fails, DriveSavers can be counted on to retrieve your data -- whether it's on a hard drive, memory card, iPod, iPhone, or just about any type of storage media.

It seems that their heart is in the right place; although seemingly not great for their business, they created the wonderful free DriveSavers Hard Drive Disk-aster Simulator app for the iPhone or iPod touch. The app teaches, in interactive fashion, how a hard disk works, and all the things that can crash a drive. It shows the inside of a hard disk where you can tap around to read descriptions of all the components.

Next, using interactive animation, sound and vibration, you'll learn all the things that can crash a drive. You'll learn what happens during a clicker failure, seized motor, problems with spinning up and down, solid state drive failures (yes, they can fail too), contamination and head crashes. It's both entertaining and educational. There is also a section relating to protection strategies, which covers best practices, backup strategies, securing your data, and how serious a problem must be before you call DriveSavers. Knowledge is power, and I consider this critical information for any computer user.

Another section shows you pictures of the clean room where all the data recovery gets done. DriveSavers employs the most advanced certified IS 5 (class 100) clean rooms in the industry and is authorized by all hard drive manufacturers to work on hard drives without voiding a warranty. If you don't have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can still learn everything in the app via a web-based Flash video.

Gallery: Gallery of the Drivesavers app


We conducted an interview with Chris Bross from DriveSavers from the show floor. Chris talks about the philosophy behind DriveSavers. I found it interesting that there is a suicide prevention professional on staff to take call from clients on the verge of a nervous breakdown -- which is not an uncommon occurrence. Click on the Read More link to see the interview.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: Get an education with the DriveSavers Hard Drive Disk-aster Simulator

Macworld 2010: Get an education with the DriveSavers Hard Drive Disk-aster Simulator originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: Get an education with the DriveSavers Hard Drive Disk-aster Simulator originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>data recoveryDataRecoverydisk driveDiskDriveDriveSaversflash videoFlashVideohardwareDavid WinogradWed, 17 Feb 2010 09:00:00 ESTMacworld 2010: Telltale Games and their Mac revolutionhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/16/macworld-2010-telltale-games-and-their-mac-revolution/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/16/macworld-2010-telltale-games-and-their-mac-revolution/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/16/macworld-2010-telltale-games-and-their-mac-revolution/#comments Well, there you go. After consistent rumors that the whole catalog would be coming over to the Mac, Telltale Games announced at Macworld last week that that's exactly what was going to happen. Starting with the Tales of Monkey Island series (based on the Lucasarts games, where many Telltale developers formerly hung their hats), the company will co-release Mac and PC versions, giving customers versions for both platforms at the same time. Telltale is hosting a vote on its website right now as to the next game set to be released, but as we learned directly from co-founders Dan Connors and Kevin Bruner, eventually the whole platform, including Monkey Island, Sam and Max, Wallace and Gromit, and Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, is coming over. And it's probably not long until the iPhone and the iPad follow suit.

Kevin Bruner spoke with us on the livestream during the show, and Dan Connors sat down for a longer interview about Telltale's past, the decision to join the Mac gaming community, and what both founders think of Apple's newest platforms and the Mac community at large. Read on to see the full text of the interview.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: Telltale Games and their Mac revolution

Macworld 2010: Telltale Games and their Mac revolution originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: Telltale Games and their Mac revolution originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dan-connorsgamingipadiphonekevin-brunermacmac-revolutionplatformsam-and-maxtales-of-monkey-islandtelltale gamestelltale-gamesTelltaleGameswallace-and-gromitwebsiteMike SchrammTue, 16 Feb 2010 22:00:00 ESTMacworld 2010: ScreenGuardz Privacy film keeps prying eyes off your iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-screenguardz-privacy-film-keeps-prying-eyes-off-y/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-screenguardz-privacy-film-keeps-prying-eyes-off-y/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-screenguardz-privacy-film-keeps-prying-eyes-off-y/#commentsNLU Products makes a very large line of screen and computer protection products. I got a chance to speak with Kirk Feller the President and CEO of the company about their newest product ScreenGuardz Privacy (US$19.95), that was released last month at the Consumer Electronics Show.

With the iPhone gaining more functionality seemingly every day through third party apps, privacy has become a concern. I really don't think I want someone looking over my shoulder when I'm doing online banking or reading private email. Kirk told me that there is a large demand for products that not only provide screen protection, but also increase privacy protection.

ScreenGuardz Privacy is a very sturdy screen protector for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The film used to cover the screen adheres using static electricity making it easy to put on and take off. But there are a lot of screen protectors out there, some offering privacy protection. This does it a bit differently.

Using tiny louvers built into the film, ScreenGuardz Privacy uses four way privacy protection. This means that whether you are using your iPhone in portrait or landscape mode, anyone to your side will see a dark screen. It also helps reduce the amount of light put out by the display which may be distracting in some situations. According to Kirk, other privacy protection products are fine under normal use, but turn the phone to landscape mode and your screen will be visible to any prying eyes. This is the first screen protection product that gives you full privacy protection,

I played with it for a few minutes and it worked exactly as advertised. The iPhone felt just as responsive as ever, but unless you were looking directly at the display, the screen appeared dark and this was true any way I held the device. This is a very simple idea, but the implementation is perfect. It's easy to install, and gives you some peace of mind. For anyone concerned with sensitive data, it seems well worth the price.

Click the 'Read More' link to see a short video of ScreenGuardz Privacy in action.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: ScreenGuardz Privacy film keeps prying eyes off your iPhone

Macworld 2010: ScreenGuardz Privacy film keeps prying eyes off your iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: ScreenGuardz Privacy film keeps prying eyes off your iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>NLUScreenGuardscreenguardz privacyScreenguardzPrivacyvideoDavid WinogradFri, 12 Feb 2010 21:00:00 ESTMacworld 2010: Microsoft's MacBU talks Office for Mac 2011http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-microsofts-macbu-talks-office-for-mac-2011/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-microsofts-macbu-talks-office-for-mac-2011/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-microsofts-macbu-talks-office-for-mac-2011/#comments
The next version of Microsoft's Office suite, slated for arrival during the fourth quarter of 2010, has a new name, enhanced functionality, and even a more streamlined look. TUAW met with members of the Microsoft Mac Business Unit (MacBU) on Thursday to hear how the developers of Office for Mac are responding to requests from users to make it easier to work on documents across platforms.

Some of the most welcome additions to the suite from an author's point of view are the co-authoring tools (see below). These tools enable Mac users to work on Office documents across platforms and locations, eliminating issues with version control. Office for Mac 2011 will have a Presence Everywhere feature providing status updates on who is working on a document at a particular time. The suite will also connect to Microsoft Office Web Apps (currently in beta) so that any Office documents can be shared or accessed from any Internet-connected computer.

Microsoft has taken a cue from the "tool ribbon" in the existing Windows Office applications and changed the Office for Mac user interface to be familiar to Windows users, yet intuitive to Mac users. The team noted that more than 80 percent of the features used most by Office users are now located in the tool ribbon so that the users don't have to dig around to find tools.

The MacBU had previously announced that the Office 2008 collaboration application, Entourage, would be replaced by Outlook for Mac. According to the team, Outlook for Mac utilizes the Exchange Web Services protocol and is a Cocoa app, providing not only additional Exchange compatibility but also better integration with Mac OS X. Many Microsoft customers had requested that Outlook for Mac have the ability to import .PST files from Outlook for Windows, and that wish has been granted. The single database used in Entourage is being replaced with a high-speed file-based database that works well with Spotlight and Time Machine.

If you need to make sure that sensitive documents or information are not spread outside the confines of your company's email system, Information Rights Management is now built into Outlook for Mac. That essentially puts a lock on sensitive information, insuring that it isn't readable by non-authorized personnel.

Microsoft's MacBU wants to hear from you! The team has a Twitter account (@OfficeforMac), a Facebook page, and a blog, and they'd love to hear your input about this application suite. We'll be sure to keep you updated as we get closer to the release date.

Macworld 2010: Microsoft's MacBU talks Office for Mac 2011 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: Microsoft's MacBU talks Office for Mac 2011 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cloud computingCloudComputingcollaborationMicrosoftmicrosoft officeMicrosoftOfficeOffice for Mac 2011OfficeForMac2011softwareSteven SandeFri, 12 Feb 2010 11:00:00 ESTMacworld 2010: Andrew Gregory of AutoTune the Newshttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-andrew-gregory-of-autotune-the-news/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-andrew-gregory-of-autotune-the-news/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-andrew-gregory-of-autotune-the-news/#comments We can reveal our secret now: during Macworld's setup, we wandered into the wrong room, and randomly came across a stage shared by David Pogue, LeVar Burton, and the Gregory Brothers A.K.A the AutoTune the News crew, all rehearsing for David Pogue's keynote. The keynote went off well, and afterwards, I asked Andrew Gregory to come by for a conversation at the booth; Andrew does the extremely popular Autotune the News segments on YouTube with his brothers Michael and Evan, along with Evan's wife Sarah. He kindly agreed, and you can watch the video of our chat by clicking on the link below.

Andrew told us that he and his brothers have been Mac users from the start, and he also shares with us part of the story behind the I am T-Pain AutoTune app, along with his impressions of the Macworld show floor. It was very fun to meet up with him in a pretty unlikely place -- be sure and give our chat a look.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: Andrew Gregory of AutoTune the News

Macworld 2010: Andrew Gregory of AutoTune the News originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: Andrew Gregory of AutoTune the News originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>andrew gregoryAndrewGregoryappautotuneautotunethenewsgregory brothersGregoryBrothersi-am-t-paininterviewlivestreamvideoMike SchrammFri, 12 Feb 2010 10:30:00 ESTMacworld 2010: Chatting with Phil Libin of Evernotehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-chatting-with-phil-libin-of-evernote/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-chatting-with-phil-libin-of-evernote/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/12/macworld-2010-chatting-with-phil-libin-of-evernote/#comments There are some big fans of Evernote on the TUAW staff -- we've talked quite a bit about the app that promises to store important clips and notes from anywhere, and make them accessible at any time. But even if you haven't heard of the app before, the interview with CEO Phil Libin is definitely worth a watch. He explains why the app is both so magical and so hard to wrap your mind around, as he discusses the idea and the mechanics behind what the Evernote team has done. We talk about their retention problem (and I apologize for my investor-rousing mistake), and how Evernote has to actually make you remember to use it before you can use it to remember.

He also talks about plans for the future, including the iPad (which is getting its own separate app, though the iPhone app will work on it as well), as well as the way he originally found out about our blog here at TUAW. Hit the read more link below to see the full video.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: Chatting with Phil Libin of Evernote

Macworld 2010: Chatting with Phil Libin of Evernote originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: Chatting with Phil Libin of Evernote originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>evernotefutureinterviewinvestoripadmacworld2010phil-libinplansstreamvideoMike SchrammFri, 12 Feb 2010 07:00:00 ESTMacworld 2010: TUAW interviews Jeff Scott of Best App Everhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/11/macworld-2010-tuaw-interviews-jeff-scott-of-best-app-ever/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/11/macworld-2010-tuaw-interviews-jeff-scott-of-best-app-ever/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/11/macworld-2010-tuaw-interviews-jeff-scott-of-best-app-ever/#comments We've been livestreaming all day long from the floor of Macworld 2010, and our very first interview of the day was with Jeff Scott, both of 148Apps.com and the Best App Ever awards. Jeff just announced the Best App Ever winners (in all fifty-six categories) at the show last night, and he brought the list of winners to our booth today to discuss the winner of the 2009 Best App Ever (spoiler: it's Pocket God) and all the other winning apps. Additionally, we show off a little of the show floor around our broadcasting booth, and we chat about what we expect to see at Macworld and how it's changed in years past.

Excellent interview, and thanks to Jeff for stopping by to help us kick off the livestream right. Hit the break to watch the video, and stay tuned all this week for more interviews and coverage just like this, as TUAW covers every single inch of the Macworld show floor at the Moscone Center.

Continue reading Macworld 2010: TUAW interviews Jeff Scott of Best App Ever

Macworld 2010: TUAW interviews Jeff Scott of Best App Ever originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: TUAW interviews Jeff Scott of Best App Ever originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app-storebest-app-everboothiphonejeff-scottpocket-godtuawvideoMike SchrammThu, 11 Feb 2010 21:30:00 ESTMacworld 2010: TUAW video interview with The Neat Companyhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/11/macworld-2010-tuaw-video-interview-with-the-neat-company/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/11/macworld-2010-tuaw-video-interview-with-the-neat-company/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/11/macworld-2010-tuaw-video-interview-with-the-neat-company/#comments

Steve Sande visited with Kevin Garton of The Neat Company today to hear what the scanning superpower is up to at Macworld 2010.

The company is about to go live with a beta of a new version of NeatWorks for Mac, and Garton noted that Mac users will be able to join the beta program. Just in time for the tax season, the new version will provide the capability of flagging receipt scans with taxing categories, as well as creating numerous levels of folders and subfolders for organization of your receipts.

If you'll be at Macworld Expo 2010, drop by the Neat booth (#847) to see the software and several of the company's other products in action.

Macworld 2010: TUAW video interview with The Neat Company originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMacworld 2010: TUAW video interview with The Neat Company originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>interviewneat companyneatcoNeatCompanyscannerscanningSteven SandeThu, 11 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST