Filed under: Software

While discussing the iPad with the Associated Press on Tuesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted at his company's plans for the iPad, and called it "a game changer."

He gave brief examples of ideas they're throwing around for the iPad, including ESPN ScoreCenter and an interactive app for the ABC drama "Lost." ESPN ScoreCenter is currently an iPhone and iPod touch app that provides real-time scores and updates from the world of sports. Iger says that the iPad gives them an opportunity to "...really make the scores come to life." I think of the demo of Major League Baseball's At Bat for the iPad and see how the ESPN app could do the same -- provide gorgeous, full-screen video and stats plus chat and trash talk with other fans during the game of your choice. Multiple camera angles, locker room interviews, fantasy leagues, and so on, could all enhance the fun of watching the big game.

Likewise, a Lost app could provide a similar experience. "When you think about ABC," Iger said, "you think about a program like Lost and not just being able to watch the program, but all the other things that viewers like to do with that program." As a leisure content device, the iPad could be a killer with the right apps in place.

Iger went on to say, "We think [the iPad] could be a game changer in terms of enabling us to create essentially new forms of content." No, it's not the same as watching your favorite show on that big, shiny HD TV, but the iPad might further synthesize the TV and computer into a single device.

[Via MacDailyNews]

Kerio, developers of Kerio Mail Server, announced today that a new version of their powerful enterprise-class collaboration product is now available. Kerio Connect 7, as the product is now called, is a re-branding of the venerable server application that illustrates that the package has gone well beyond just being a mail server.

John Jones of Kerio explained the details of the new release in a recent phone interview with TUAW. Kerio Connect 7 now allows distributed servers to work with one another, making it possible for large enterprises with widely-dispersed facilities to place servers at locations local to each office.

The multiple servers can behave as a single, large server, sharing calendars and global address lists, and users can be easily moved between servers for load balancing. The new release also provides web-based administration tools.

The minimum size group license for Kerio Connect 7 is 5 users, making it possible for small organizations to start out with a power collaboration server, and then scale up as they gain employees. Kerio Connect 7 also supports CardDAV and CalDAV, providing a way for organizations to share address books and calendars. The server is, of course, cross-platform (Mac OS X, Windows, Linux) and works well with all clients including iPhone and Android phones. In addition to running natively, Kerio Connect 7 can be run on a virtual machine under either VMWare or Parallels.

The upgrade is free to customers who have purchased support and maintenance from Kerio, and other pricing for the product can be found on the Kerio website.

Hot on the heels of the Navigon update, AT&T is adding more features to its subscription based Navigator app for iPhone [iTunes link]. This update includes 'shake-to-go,' which allows users to shake their iPhone at any time while in an AT&T Navigator menu screen; the phone will automatically initiate a route to a pre-designated "home" address the user has set. This doesn't work while in navigation mode, so there's no worry about a pothole or bumpy road initiating a new route during a trip.

Other updated features include:

• Speed Limit Display & Alerts: Navigation screen includes speed limit information and provides visual alerts if the limit is exceeded
• Last Trip Origin: Once a trip is completed, users can easily return to the origin of their last trip by accessing the "Recent Places" menu
• Nighttime Maps: The brightness levels of map screens are adjusted for nighttime driving for easier viewing
• Improved Route Avoidance Options: Drivers may now choose to avoid routes that make use of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes or choose to avoid routes that include toll roads
• Improved Pedestrian Mode: Users will be able to clearly identify when they are navigating in pedestrian mode with the introduction of a new pedestrian icon on the map screen

All current subscribers will get the new features free of charge. The app, which was developed for AT&T by TeleNav, costs US$9.99 per month, or $69 a year. The maps on this app are not present on the iPhone, so to use it you will have to have a good cellular signal and the maps will be downloaded as needed.

The latest version is 1.5i and current owners should be able to download the latest build from the iTunes store.

It certainly caused a lot of excitement when the Apple web store went down this morning. No, it wasn't an updated MacBook Pro line but Aperture 3, Apple's high-end photo editing and image management software.

The latest version is U.S. $199.00, and upgrades are available for any existing Aperture users for $99.00.

Apple says Aperture 3 has "more than 200 new features", including Faces and Places, brought over from iPhoto '09. There is an enhanced tool called Brushes, which allows photographers to paint adjustments and filters directly onto their images using new enhanced edge detection.

This latest version of Aperture runs in 64 bit on Snow Leopard and 64 bit processors.

Aperture has been in a long features war with Adobe Lightroom, a similar and very popular application. Aperture was last updated in February, 2008.

We'll have a close look at Aperture 3 when we get our hands on it. Apple has a free 30 day download for people who want an advance look, but as of this writing download links haven't yet been provided. Aperture 3 needs an intel-based Mac, so older machines like the G5 are out of luck.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Thanks to @RyanACash for the Twitter tip]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Via TechCrunch]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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