Feed Wrangler (US$19/year) is David Smith's subscription-based RSS aggregation and syncing service for web and iOS devices.

If you're a Google Reader user, you're probably aware that the service will shut down on July 1st. This means you'll either go back to browsing your favorite news and blog websites the old fashioned way or you'll be looking for an alternative RSS reader. Though I'm not a heavy RSS user, I am curious to find a good alternative to Google Reader. And now that Feed Wrangler has launched, I thought it would be worth checking out.

Feed Wrangler takes a different approach to RSS reading. Of course, you get to add feeds, view all your favorite web content in one place, and sync across multiple devices. But Feed Wrangler is somewhat different to others in that you pay a subscription fee to use the service. The idea being your support allows Feed Wrangler to offer excellent performance, while developing, growing and improving.

While Feed Wrangler is simple to get to grips with for beginners and light users, advanced users have not been forgotten. Smart Streams lets you create custom feeds based on text filters. Very handy if you're looking to keep track of something specific. You can also filter items out by creating a filter with a particular search term, keeping unwanted content away from your feeds.

Other features include full text search of subscribed feeds, starring and integration of read later services Pocket and Instapaper, a welcome feature, indeed!

On the web, Feed Wrangler has a really clean and easy-to-use interface. It puts your content front and center, without any unnecessary distractions or cumbersome features. To add feeds, import from Google Reader, an OPML file or enter URL and RSS addresses manually. Adding feeds while browsing is made easy by clicking on a custom bookmark link to Feed Wrangler from the website you want to add.

At version 1.0.1, the universal, free iOS app offers the same features as the web version as well as sharing options to Mail, Message, Facebook etc. The app interface is also clean and clear cut, though very basic, with everything pointing to content. My only immediate gripe was that there was no option to change the text size, which can be frustrating on mobile devices. But regardless, in no time I had my feeds setup across my devices -- everything syncing up perfectly.

After spending a bit more time with Feed Wrangler, I was pleased to find how stable and speedy it was -- things worked as they should. It was great to be able to set up Smart Streams and filter out content I wasn't interested in, a feature I've not taken advantage of before.

At the end of my time with Feed Wrangler, I found myself wondering if I would miss Google Reader using a service like Feed Wrangler. The conclusion I came to was that I would miss Google Reader, but I think purely for nostalgic reasons. For me, Feed Wrangler did everything I wanted a RSS reader to do.

With time, Feed Wrangler could easily become my go-to RSS reader. It's clear there's still a bit of growing up to do, particularly in terms of design and interaction, but the core functionality is well and truly in place. Would I pay $19 annually to use it? If I were a heavy RSS user looking for solid performance and great features, then yes, I would. And taking into consideration Feed Wrangler's commitment to developing and growing (there's already a Mac client on the way), the $19 price tag makes even more sense.

Feed Wrangler: A subscription-based RSS reader for web and iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 08 May 2013 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ecamm already makes the popular Printopia app; it's a Mac-based solution for printing from iOS devices (and other connected Macs) for those that don't wish to use or purchase specific AirPrint-supported printers. Now the company has released Printopia Pro to tackle the bigger challenges of AirPrint in corporate or institutional networks.

Similar to Printopia, Printopia Pro leverages AirPrint, but without the need for investment in new, AirPrint-supported printers. Ecamm has taken the features of Printopia and powered them up in Printopia Pro to work in extremely demanding print circumstances. [Some enterprise users have aimed to solve this problem with Lantronix's xPrintServer hardware, which now comes in both office and home editions. -Ed.]

Printopia Pro is scalable to support hundreds of users and supports all the existing printers on your network. With centralized management, you can manage print jobs, access controls, configure printers and monitor printer status in real-time and from any location.

The product supports printing across subnets (a key drawback of the basic AirPrint service, which normally requires some DNS and wide-area Bonjour tweaking to overcome) and integrates with corporate directory services for access control to printers. Print jobs can be sent via Secure AirPrint, using SSL encryption to hide them from network snoopers. You can even configure Printopia Pro to provide PDF virtual printers, so iOS users can transparently print to web or server folders for paperless workflows.

Pricing starts at US$79 for teams/small businesses and goes up to $499 for enterprise customers. Further details and a trial upon request can be found at the Printopia Pro website, here.

Ecamm releases Printopia Pro for corporate users originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Australia's Qantas airline has released a brand-new iPhone app (free) with many great features, including Passbook support.

The Qantas Airways app lets customers find and book Qantas flights, book hotels worldwide, view flight bookings, access up-to-the-minute flight status and create personalized alerts for specific flights and prices.

With Passbook support, fliers can check-in for most domestic flights and add their boarding pass to Passbook, meaning there's no need to carry a paper ticket when traveling.

Furthermore, Qantas frequent flyers can use the app to view their points balance and what their next flight is. Handy!

The Qantas Airways app is available now from the iOS App Store.

[Via AppAdvice]

Qantas lands Passbook-enabled iPhone app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Flying Meat has updated Acorn, its popular image-editing software for Mac, to version 4, bringing a plenitude of new features and performance enhancements.

Most notably, Acorn 4 is dramatically faster than previous versions as well as introduces the following new features: curves, non-destructive filters, multiple layer selection, Boolean shape operations, Merlin HUD, new shape tools and an improved UI. Full release notes can be found on Flying Meat's Acorn website.

Acorn 4 requires Mac OS X 10.8 and is available at a special introductory price of US$29.99 through to the end of May at Flying Meat's Acorn website. If you've not tried Acorn before, you can do so as a free trial for 14 days.

Acorn 4.0 arrives with much faster performance, curves and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

German site Apfelpage reports that Apple has installed new display cabinets outside of its new, yet-to-be-opened Berlin store. The displays currently promote the iPhone 5, with mock, over-sized iPhones not uncommon to other Apple retail stores.

It's understood that the move will attract customers to the store as there is not much else besides two small Apple logos mounted on the store front to attract potential customers. However, Apple Stores, particularly road side ones, are well known for having minimalist, sometimes understated fronts. Both the Regent Street and Covent Garden Apples stores in London come to mind.

As reported last week on TUAW, the new store, located in an historic building on the Kurfürstendamm, will open on May 3, 2013. It is the 11th Apple Store to open in Germany.

[Via MacNN]

Apple places product displays outside future Berlin Apple Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 01 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

polychord (US$9.99) is a virtual instrument for making and creating keyboard / electronic-style music on the iPad. With its easy-to-use approach and layout, polychord makes it painless to get your head around the basics and start making some really lovely sounding and creatively inspiring music. Whether you're an expert musician looking to perform live or a novice, you'll find polychord engaging and fun.

There are two main components to playing polychord: chord circles and strum keys. There are nine Chord circles, each representing a chord that is derived from the musical key you've selected. Each chord circle has seven chord inversions around it, so you can play a variant of the root chord (minor, major seventh, augmented fifth etc). This gives you 63 chords to play in total in a really straight forward and easy-to-read (and touch) structure.

Strum keys is a virtual keyboard with 13 keys or individual notes that are derived from the corresponding chord circle you're playing at the time. There are no keys present that wouldn't melodically fit in with the chord circle you're playing. Strum keys is placed horizontally at the edge of the iPad, making it really easy to reach for and play, as opposed to so many virtual keyboards that mimic a traditional piano layout. You can play individual or multiple keys, or strum the strum keys up and down, which produces a very satisfying sound. Additionally, swipe the keys to pitch bend or add tremolo. polychord lets you specify strum keys to play a specific scale pattern, like blues pentatonic, dominant Bebop or Ionian, depending on the style of music you're looking to play.

The idea is to play chords with the chord circles and a melody over the chords with the strum keys. In theory, polychord makes it nigh on impossible to hit a wrong note, and with very little practice you'll soon have some nice chord circle progressions and strum keys melodies under your belt.

Once you've got an idea for a song, turn on Auto Accompany to add drums and bass (27 patterns) to your track. There's also a customizable arpeggiator which plays the notes of the chord you're currently on. When you switch chords, Auto Accompany's drums, bass and arepggiator will follow you. It all adds much more dynamic to your song.

For more advanced musicians, and those wanting to dig deeper, polychord lets you mould and tinker the sound with some very practical variations and customizations (filters, envelope control, warm and fat waves, bitshift mode and timing). It's all accessible and generally designed to be tweaked on the fly, particularly in live performances.

When playing, everything is really responsive, with very little noticeable latency, so it really does feel like you're playing an instrument while you're tapping away on polychord.

Additional features include saving and exporting, sharing with Soundcloud, Twitter and Facebook, MIDI (for using polychord as a controller with a DAW) as well as virtual MIDI (controlling other apps) and finally, full Audiobus support and integration.

Speaking of Audiobus integration, polychord with a few other choice music apps on iPad (see video below) really does make for an exciting and rewarding music-making experience.

Spending some time with polychord, the things I loved about it most are just how engaging and playable it is. And it sounds great, too! If you're looking to approach a musical task from a different angle (like songwriting), polychord is a great way to inspire and think differently. Or if you're a beginner, or someone looking to kill some time, polychord is also just a lot of fun, too!

polychord is available from the iOS App Store now. For more info on polychord, check out the polychord website here.

polychord for iPad: an inspiring way to create music originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Thanks to the guys at Chromatic Labs, we've got three copies of Tabular for Mac to give away, worth US$19.99 each.

Tubular is a comprehensive application for reading, editing and writing tablature music on a Mac. If you're a musician, music teacher or composer of music who's looking to use tablature, Tabular has all the tools you'll need.

To find out more about Tabular, check out the review I did of it a little while ago here.

Here are the rules and how to enter:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
• The entry must be made before 3, May 2013 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
• You may enter only once.
• Three winners will be selected and will each receive a code to download Tabular for Mac with a value of $19.99.
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

TUAW Giveaway: Win a copy of Tabular for Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Collective (US$1.99) is a clipboard history utility for Mac. It keeps track of everything you copy to your Mac's clipboard, which in turn allows you to paste different items without having to go back and forth copying and pasting over and over again.

Since I've not used a clipboard utility app before, I know this frustration all too well! So when I got the opportunity to try out Collective, I jumped at it.

To use Collective, copy items as you normally would to the clipboard, whether it be an image, file or text. When you come to paste an item, hit Shift + ⌘ + V instead of the usual ⌘ + V, the Collective window will appear with a history of all you've copied to the clipboard. Either click and drag what you want to paste or select it and press ⌘ + V. If you're pasting multiple items the click and drag technique will be the easiest and quickest.

Of course, with copying so many things to the clipboard, Collective will soon become quite full, but Collective has some nifty features to help you keep on top of your clipboard. You can live search the Collective clipboard, filter items by the application they were copied from and Quick Look items directly from the clipboard. Collective also gives a thumbnail preview of non-text items. Furthermore, Collective copies text formatting but also lets you paste as plain text.

Finally, Collective has Retina display support, is restart resistant (meaning if you restart your Mac all clipboard items will be saved) and supports apps running in full screen mode. Collective won't duplicate items you happen to copy more than once and you can blacklist Collective copying from certain apps, like password managers.

Having spent the last few days using Collective, I'm really pleased with how it works. Aside from getting used to the new paste keyboard shortcut, Collective has been a pleasure to use and has improved my workflow.

You can get Collective from the Mac App Store now, or why not try out some of these other trusted clipboard utilities recommended by the TUAW team: Flycut or Clyppan.

Collective for Mac retains your clipboard history, saves you time originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CommandQ is a Mac utility that stops you from accidentally quitting apps when using the keyboard shortcut "⌘" (or command) and "Q".

Unfortunately, we are all susceptible to moments of human error. This means, with the ⌘ + Q shortcut, we sometimes quit apps we don't mean to. Perhaps when we're meaning to hit ⌘ and W or ⌘ and the TAB key. I know I've done it too many times to count!

Thankfully, there's an app for that! CommandQ is a Mac utility app that stops apps from quitting unless you press and hold down the ⌘ + Q shortcut for a short period of time. This gives you a moment to catchup with your mistake and let go before the app quits. It's a straightforward concept, but has the potential to save you a lot of frustration and stress.

CommandQ lets you customize the period of time it takes for ⌘ + Q to take effect, from half a second to two seconds. You can also specify which apps CommandQ works with, so it's only the important apps which require a longer ⌘ + Q press to quit.

CommandQ is a simple, well-designed app that will go largely unnoticed until it saves you from an unfortunate mistake. It costs US$3.99 or is available as a free trial for 30 days. It's not available on the Mac App Store, but you can get it from the CommandQ website here.

Friday Favorite: CommandQ for Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As reported by China Daily, a Beijing court has ordered Apple to pay three Chinese authors US$118,000 in damages for selling their books without prior consent through apps available on its App Store.

The lawsuit was filed against Apple by the Writers' Right Protection Union (also known as the Writers' Rights Alliance), an organization that protects the copyrights of authors whose works are published online.

According to China Daily, Judge Feng Gang, who was presiding over the case, said Apple "has the duty of checking whether books uploaded by third parties are in line with current laws."

The ruling follows a long line of complaints and lawsuits against Apple by Chinese authors who claim their works have been uploaded through apps to Apple's App Store without their permission.

[Via Engadget]

Apple to pay Chinese authors $118,000 for violating copyrights originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Zynga's Draw Something, the incredibly popular drawing game for iPhone, now has a follow-up: Draw Something 2. It's available now on the US App Store as an ad-supported free download or premium, ad-free version at US$1.99.

It was just in February that Zynga VP and General Manager, Dan Porter, said there were some exciting things in the pipeline for Draw Something, and we now know what he was talking about.

Draw Something 2 has many new additions and features, including 5,000 new words, more drawing tools and over a hundred colors, plus a social feed and "Galaxy," where users can store their favorite drawings.

Draw Something was originally developed by OMGPOP. It became hugely successful within a very short time and was soon acquired by Zynga. It eventually leveled off in popularity, but we're sure Zynga is hoping to re-ignite its popularity with Draw Something 2.

[Via The Verge]

Draw Something 2 available with new words, drawing tools originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Taphive's TodoMovies (US$1.99) app for iPhone has recently been updated to version 2.0. I'd not seen or used TodoMovies before, but as a huge movie enthusiast, I knew I had to check it out.

At its heart, TodoMovie is an app that keeps track of movies you want to watch, but it's supercharged in every way. Here's how it works.

Say, for example, you heard a friend talking about a film, like Iron Man 3. You want to know more about it, so you open TodoMovies and go to Discover View. You enter the title in the search box and it pops right up with a thumbnail picture, title and the release year. When you tap it, you're presented with the movie's poster and numerous options. Watch a trailer for the movie. Check out a gallery with all the official pictures. Add the film to your watch list or mark it as watched.

Furthermore, find out about the storyline, cast and crew, release date as well as TodoMovie's own universal rating. If that's not enough, review ratings are also imported from Rotten Tomatoes and Netflix.

In Discovery View, it's easy to find films by genre, what's in theaters at the moment and what's upcoming. With a tap and hold, quickly indicate whether you've seen a movie or you want to add it to your watch list. Movies you've seen will have a little green tick in the top-right corner. Movies you're still to watch will have a blue plus sign.

Gallery: TodoMovies

If you find a film you want to watch that's still unreleased, just add it to your watch list. TodoMovie will let you add a release notification reminder with notes, perhaps to remind you to buy tickets for a screening at your favorite cinema!

TodoMovie makes it easy to share information on a great film with friends or family. From within the app, share to Twitter, Facebook, a text message or email. The app also searches and links to the iTunes Store, should you want to buy a soundtrack or even rent or buy a film.

TodoMovie supports iCloud Sync, so if you're signed into iCloud, your list will be saved and accessible across your iDevices. There's also Dropbox integration, which lets you export images from movie galleries to your Dropbox. It's a really nice idea, especially if you enjoy having movie posters as your desktop picture. Add the Dropbox folder to Desktop pictures in your Mac's System Preferences and set it to change pictures periodically. Export the images from within TodoMovies and you'll have a carousel of movie posters as your desktop picture. My only gripe is the lack of high-resolution images.

While offering all of these fantastic features, TodoMovie keeps what's important front and center -- movies. The app is really well-designed, functions flawlessly and looks gorgeous. The only complaint is that it's sometimes hard to decipher the movie title from a poster image. I'd have to tap the image and enter the movie details section just to find out what it was, which was a little frustrating at times. A list view would be nice.

In summary, TodoMovies makes it really easy to discover new films, keep track of what you want to watch and what you've watched, and is a fantastic resource for movie info, reviews and media.

Whether you're a film addict, conniossuer or you simply want to keep track of movies you want to watch, TodoMovies is a must-have app.

TodoMovies is available from the App Store now.

Our own Victor Agreda, Jr. spoke to the creator of TodoMovie at last year's WWDC. To learn about the origin of the app, watch the video below.

TodoMovies: The must-have movie app for movie lovers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pupil (US$5.00) is an app specifically designed for Macs with Retina displays, specifically Apple's Retina-equipped MacBook Pro range (rMBP). Although Mac OS X gives users five screen resolution options, they are cumbersome to access and change, with users having to enter System Preferences any time they want to change the screen's resolution.

Most users of a rMBP will be happy with the native Retina display resolution of 2,880 x 1,800, but more demanding (or adventurous) users may wish to regularly change their Mac's screen resolution to take advantage of the greater screen real estate rMBPs have to offer.

Pupil is a simple utility app that gives you access to varying screen resolutions (including 1:1 native pixel resolution for Retina displays) directly from the Mac OS X menu bar. Two clicks will change your screen's resolution, instead of forcing you to dig into System Preferences. Pupil also lets you customize your favorite six resolutions and label them.

Gallery: Pupil for Retina display Macs

Some of the resolutions are extreme and impractical, like 3,840 x 2,400 or 720 x 450, and it's no wonder Apple doesn't give direct access to them -- though you may be an advanced user who might use them for testing purposes. Resolutions like 1,920 x 1,200 or 1,680 x 1,050 (which appear as Mac OS X's More Space and second from More Space options in System Preferences) can be really beneficial, so it's very convenient to have on-the-fly, two-click access to them through Pupil.

Pupil is available through the Pupil website. It's not available on the Mac App Store, but it's fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. An alternative to Pupil is SwitchRes 4, which you can check out here.

Pupil for Retina display Macs makes it easy to switch screen resolutions originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

NoIdentity's ListBook (US$1.99) is a straightforward list compiler that looks great and has some well-implemented features to help you get on top of all those lists and things to get done.

The list maker lets you compile numerous lists and add items (or to-dos / tasks) to those lists. To create a list, add one and give it a title, like "groceries" or "personal," and categorize it by assigning one of 15 images to it, to help differentiate what kind of list it is.

Within a list, just pull down to add a new item to that list. This takes you to a detailed view of the item. The first line of text you enter becomes the title of that item. If you add more text on a new line, that appears as a note underneath the title of that item when viewed in its respective list.

Items can be assigned or tagged a specific color, to help identify certain items within a list. Items can also have reminders set by date and time as well as location-based reminders, similar to Apple's Reminders app. So when you leave or arrive at a specific location you'll receive a reminder. Recurring reminders can also be set.

To complete, check or finish an item, just tap it and it is marked with a tick and becomes slightly faded, or you can set completed items in individual lists to be hidden.

There's no way to view all items in one list, but that's not the point of ListBook. ListBook is about making lists, categorizing them and helping you to remember to complete them.

Unfortunately there's no cross-platform syncing, which would be nice considering ListBook is a universal app for iPhone and iPad. But if you're looking for a reminders / list app with a bit more flare and power than Apple's Reminders app, but no desire to dive into the depths of pro-organization, then ListBook is worth checking out.

Daily iPhone App: ListBook: A list app with location based reminders and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chitika, the online advertising network, has released its latest Chikita Insights usage share data report for tablets for the March 2013 period.

According to the company, based on US and Canadian tablet ad impressions running through the Chitika Ad Network, the iPad still overwhelmingly dominates web traffic on tablets, at 81.9 percent. In fact, the iPad has seen its first month-on-month growth in web traffic share since December, 2012, a 1.4 percent basis points increase since February. Chitika partially attributes this growth to Apple selling refurbished fourth-generation iPad and iPad minis at a discount beginning in mid-March, 2013.

Android tablets unsurprisingly dominates what's left. The Kindle Fire comes in second at 7.1 percent, Samsung Galaxy Tablets third at 4.3 percent and Google Nexus tablets fourth at 1.7 percent. Interestingly, Microsoft's Surface tablet only took 0.4 percent of tablet web traffic and the defunct HP TouchPad took 0.1 percent.

The full Chitika report is available on the company's website here.

Chitika's March Tablet Update shows iPad usage share rising, still dominating competition originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The universal iOS LinkedIn app has been updated to version 6.0. The update brings a dramatic overhaul to the iPhone app, plus bug fixes and improved performance on the iPad.

According to the LinkedIn Blog, the iPhone app has a new interface, which makes using the app a lot easier to navigate and interact with. Now users can invite, follow, like, share and comment on content directly from the update stream, which is now the center of the app.

One particular new feature adds shortcuts to the new navigation area, accessed with a swipe to the right from the main homepage. This makes it quicker to get to certain features of LinkedIn, like connections or who's viewed your profile.

Finally, the app allows users to follow Influencers, and has added Dutch and Norwegian language support.

To celebrate the launch of the new app, LinkedIn has put together a video demonstrating the iPhone app in action. The LinkedIn app is available now as a free download from the iOS App Store.

LinkedIn overhauls its iPhone app in version 6.0 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As reported by ABC News, the new Twitter #Music app will officially launch today. It will be available through the Twitter #Music app for iPhone and on the web here.

Details are coming in this morning. A post has been published to Twitter's blog with a lot of information. The Twitter #Music app will help you discover music based on what's trending on Twitter, bands and others you follow and music gleaned from tweets. Basically, a music recommendation service based on tweets!

According to Twitter, it pulls music from iTunes Rdio or Spotify. Music previews will default to iTunes, and those who subscribe to Rdio or Spotify can log into their accounts and enjoy full tracks as they're available. Twitter notes that other music services will be added in the future.

It's going to be fun to play with and we'll have a detailed look at #Music soon.

Update: Twitter #Music is available it the App Store now.

Twitter #Music to debut later today (Update) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chromatic Lab's Tabular (US$19.99) is an all-in-one application for reading, editing and writing tablature music with a Mac. If you're a musician, music teacher or composer of music, on a percussive or stringed instrument, and you use tablature instead of music notation, Tabular has got all the bases covered.

With a detailed, built-in interactive tutorial to get you started and help you understand and learn tab music, and an easy-to-use interface with Retina display support, Tabular is simple to get your head around and a pleasure to use.

For starters, Tabular is a place to store all your tab music. Its library feature allows you to group and organize your tab music in one easy-to-find place. Import Guitar Pro 5 or MIDI files into Tabular and export them as PDF, MIDI or plain-text (ASCII) formats.

When it comes to reading and practicing, Tabular has a looping function, adjustable playback / tempo speed -- so you can start slow and increase the speed as you improve -- and a configurable speed trainer that increases the tempo after every loop -- a challenging way to encourage honing your skills. Tabular also keeps track of your hard work with practice logs.

If you compose, Tabular makes it really easy to enter tab using the keyboard. A virtual fretboard displays where each note is played. At your disposal is a large bank of notations, including legato, vibrato, bends and grace notes, to name a few. One feature I particularly like is custom templates, where you can create and save your most common instrument configurations as a template. Tabular also has full printing support.

Finally, Tabular supports full rendering of the musical staff, meaning you can see the music in notation form alongside the tablature.

If you are learning to play, practice or teach a stringed instrument (with three - 12 strings) or a percussive instrument -- and you don't read music notation -- Tabular is a fantastic way to organize, practice and write tablature music.

Tabular for Mac makes reading and writing tab music easy originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've teamed up with RHA, the Glasgow-based audio company who creates and manufactures fantastic, high-quality audio gear, to give away a wonderful set of MA450i noise-isolating in-ear headphones, worth US$49.95.

Utilizing RHA's own aerophonics design, the MA450i are machined out of solid aluminium and utilize a 10mm driver to provide a detailed and well-balanced sound. They come with an inline remote control and mic for easy control of your music library as well as making and taking calls. They are the perfect audio companion to an iPhone or iPod. Read more about the MA450i here.

TUAW's own Michael Grothaus put a set through its paces late last year and was really pleased with what he found. And I've reviewed the MA150 in-ear headphones and SA950i on-ear headphones and have been really blown away by the performance.

Here are the rules and how to enter:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
• The entry must be made before 26, April 2013 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected and will receive a set of RHA MA450i en-ear headphones.
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

TUAW Giveaway: Win a set of RHA MA450i in-ear headpones originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In 2008, Jason Koger had both of his hands amputated after accidentally coming into contact with a downed power line on his grandfather's farm. Since the accident, Koger has been using a variety of prosthetic arms to cope with everyday life.

However, the prosthetics Koger has been using have been limited. In an interview with CNN, Koger said, "It's like I'm carrying a toolbox, but only have one tool. You can't use a wrench for everything."

Now Koger has had the opportunity to be the world's first double-amputee to use some remarkable technology: the i-limb ultra revolution. Designed by Touch Bionics in the UK, the i-limb offers the most advanced and versatile prosthesis available, with a powered rotating thumb. It also includes biosim, an iPhone app that gives Koger instant access to 24 Quick Grip patterns.

The biosim app lets Koger choose from a selection of automated grips and gestures which aid in daily tasks, like index point for typing on a keyboard or a touch screen, precision pinch mode for gripping small objects, and a natural hand position. The app also lets Koger personally customize his own grips and gestures.

Using the Touch Bionics prosthetics and app, Koger said, "Nothing is perfect, but I feel like I can be a more active participant in everyday life with these hands. I can do pretty much everything I could before; it just might take me a little longer."

Read the full interview and watch a video of the prosthetics and app in action at CNN Health.

[Via Gizmodo]

iPhone app used to control Touch Bionics prosthetic hand originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

More Mac 101, tips and tricks for novice Mac users.

Every newly purchased Mac comes with a one-year limited warranty and 90 days of complimentary telephone technical support from Apple. Of course, by purchasing AppleCare with your new Mac, you can extend this warranty and telephone technical support to three years, but it will cost you extra.

How do you find out if your Mac is still in its first year of warranty or covered by AppleCare for an additional two years? Simple! Go to Apple's Service and Support Coverage page and enter your Mac's serial number. You'll get a break down of your warranty based on the date your Mac was purchased. Where do you find your Mac's serial number? You'll find it in About This Mac (here's how).

Or for an even easier way -- because remembering and grabbing your Mac's serial number can be a bother -- download WozWas's Mac Warranty Status Script, which grabs your Mac's serial number and enters it into Apple's Service and Support Coverage page for you. All with one simple click.

Knowing whether your Mac is in warranty can be really helpful, should something go wrong. It's also particularly useful to know the status of a Mac's warranty if you're planning on buying second-hand. Remember, warranty and AppleCare coverage stays with a Mac until it expires.

There are different views on whether AppleCare is worth the cost, but regardless, a general rule of thumb is that if you can afford it, you should get it. Though Macs are great, if / when something goes wrong, it can be expensive to repair. AppleCare provides you with peace of mind and first-rate support from Apple.

Mac 101: Checking your Mac's warranty status originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Better Ears (US$24.99) is a new Mac app that teaches you music theory while enhancing your hearing through training exercises.

Do you know your intervals? Your minor second, fifth or major seventh from a given root note? Or a major harmonic scale from a mixolydian chordal mode? Not only can you read it and play it, but can you hear it?

With 10 different exercise modes, Better Ears will train you to hear, play and read music in a simple and intuitive way. The app provides training ranging from interval and scale recognition to key signature recognition and chord music reading.

The app comes with two modes: learning and training. There are four levels of difficulty, from beginner to professional. Choose your level and start with an area to learn. For example, choose beginner and scale recognition. You're be presented with ionian and pentatonic major scales and aeolian and pentatonic minor scales. Click on one, and the scale is played and displayed on the virtual keyboard (or guitar fretboard), written on the music score, and an explanation of what the scale is and what it means is displayed from Wikipedia.

When you feel confident that you can recognize, play and read the scales, switch to training mode and hit the play button. The scale is played and you have to listen and identify what kind of scale it is. If you get it wrong, Better Ears tells you what the right answer is and then moves on to the next question. Better Ears gives you stats and feedback on how well you're doing and whether you're improving or not.

Better Ears has many different virtual sounds, so if you're learning an instrument other than piano, you're sure to find something that suits your instrument. For keyboard / piano players, you can hook up a MIDI keyboard and play using that instead of the virtual one. It's a brilliant way to practice your scales and become familiar with the instrument.

I really like Better Ears. It bundles theory and application into one easy-to-use package. There are no rules as to how you practice, you just go for it. It also looks good and performs well. However, I would love to see an easier way to practice the exercises in a given key. At present, Better Ears moves all around the keys as it cycles through the exercises. You can limit to one key from a control menu, but it would be nice to have an upfront way of controlling such parameters, so you can focus on practicing in one key.

Better Ears is available from the Mac App Store now for $24.99 or the beginner-only version is free.

Better Ears: A music theory and ear training app for Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitterrific for iOS has been updated to version 5.2 and now supports native push notifications as well as bringing performance improvements and a host of bug fixes. The update follows Twitterrific's 5.1 update, which was released just over a month ago.

With push notifications enabled in settings, Twitterrific will let you know when you receive direct messages, notifications, new followers and more on Twitter, right to your home screen. However, the service is currently in beta and will initially be available to the first 1,000 users to enable it. If you find you can't enable push notifications after the update, give it a few days and try again.

Other notable improvements include banner display, sharing of discussion via email and Storify, added Droplr thumbnail support and improved performance when rotating the display on iPhone/iPod.

For additional details on the update, check out Twitterrific on the iOS App Store.The update is available now for existing Twitterrific users, through the iOS App Store or available to purchase at US$2.99.

[via The Icon Factory]

Twitterrific 5.2 offers push notifications and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iKit, a London based accessories manufacturer for Apple products, has announced the NuCharge, an interchangeable, battery pack and protective cover for iPhone 5. iKit says the NuCharge is the world's first iPhone 5 interchangeable battery and case cover, and it's currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds, promote and sell the NuCharge, starting at US$59 with first deliveries expected in April.

Design

The NuCharge promises to double your iPhone's battery life while protecting your iPhone. It comes in three parts: the case or shell, the battery and the back cover, which comes in a variety of colors as well as leather.

You place your iPhone into the case, which has connection grooves on the outer back, and either connect the external battery or the protective back cover. The idea is you interchange the battery or the back cover depending on your needs.

The case itself is a lightly shaded plastic housing or shell for the iPhone. All controls, ports, the speakers and the camera are left exposed for easy reach and use. The display is not covered either. The iPhone fits snugly inside the case -- it doesn't rattle around and it won't easily fall out. In fact, it takes quite a bit of prying to get the iPhone out of the case.

The attachable back cover is a sheet of plastic, which has tiny teeth to lock into the case. Attaching the cover is easy. It fits and locks into the case's grooves as you slide it down the back. To take it off, push and slide the cover upwards. The case cover never came loose on its own in my time with it.

Gallery: iKit's NuCharge battery pack and interchangeable case

The battery pack comes on and off in the same way. It has a built-in lighting connector that you pull out of the bottom of the pack and plug into the iPhone. There are blue LEDs on the bottom right to tell you how much charge is left. To charge the battery, plug in a USB cable and connect the other end to a computer or a powered USB port. The battery pack is a charcoal color, and it's not very bulky or weighty considering its 1900 mHa charge capacity.

A nice little extra is a kick-stand that comes out of the back of the battery pack, letting you rest your iPhone upright in portrait mode.

Functionality

The case and cover offer a moderate level of protection in day-to-day use. The iPhone's sides and back are covered, but the front top and bottom edges of the phone are still exposed. So not all of your phone is protected from scuffs and scratches. Additionally, because the case and cover are two separate parts which are made of plastic, if you dropped your phone, there's little to no shock-absorption.

All in all, the NuCharge as a case offers some protection from scuffs and scratches, but I wouldn't trust it with more. On the plus side, the ports and controls of the iPhone are left open. You don't have to fiddle with the case to plug in your headphones or a lightning connector.

Although the back panel and case as a whole look nice enough, I struggled with the rest of the aesthetics of the case. For example, the case and back panel attach securely, but there's a small gap left between the two. The finish of the front top and bottom of the case present some raw edges where the case ends. And the overall feel of the case is quite plasticky and cheap.

As I mentioned above, attaching the battery pack is a simple process: slide off the back cover and slide on the battery pack. Of course, the battery pack is bulkier than the cover, but that's expected with any battery pack. Although, this is one of the lighter and slimmer ones I've seen.

To get power from the battery, pull out the built-in lightning connector and plug it into the iPhone. Unfortunately, when you do this the lightning connector cable sticks out quite a bit. Placing the phone in my pocket became a bit awkward, and I was worried the connection would come loose with an unintentional pull or tug or if I placed the phone in my bag.

iKit says the NuCharge will increase your iPhone's life by 100% and I have no reason to disagree with that. Unfortunately, after a few days of testing I couldn't get the NuCharge to charge my phone. I assume it must be a fault in the model I received. But during the time it was working, everything worked as it should and battery performance was good, though I couldn't complete my tests.

The kickstand is a nice little extra feature that is flush with the battery, but when extended, offers a practical addition to the case.

Conclusion

The NuCharge is a great battery life extender, which offers solid battery performance on top of your iPhone's built-in battery. However, I found the interchangeable protective cover, for when you're not using the battery pack, to be more of an afterthought, rather than offering any real protection. Furthermore, when using the battery pack, the protruding lightning connector is very impractical.

Pros

• Solid battery pack offering 1900 mHa
• Access to all ports, buttons and the camera
• Slim and fairly light weight for a battery pack
• Kickstand

Cons

• Minimal protection offered
• Poor case quality
• Protruding lightning connector when charging battery
• Interchangeability of battery and case is gimmicky

Who's it for?

iPhone 5 owners demanding the most power from a battery pack, but are not too concerned with the form or function it comes in.

For alternative battery packs for your iPhone 5, you might want to check out the Mophie Juice Pack Helium or the Mophie Juice Pack Air, which we found to perform the task of battery pack and protective case extremely well.

Review: iKit NuCharge, two-in-one battery pack and cover for iPhone 5 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Simply put, I'm not a fan of headphones. For me, they are bulky, unsightly and, more often than not, uncomfortable.

Sonically, I've found in-ear earphones provide a much better reproduction of sound, too. You don't need to have the volume as loud and they isolate external noise much more efficiently, too.

So doing a review on RHA's SA950i on-ear headphones (about US$60) was sure to be a challenge for me. However, recently I reviewed RHA's MA150 earphones and the MA350 earphones, too. I was really impressed with the quality of these earphones, especially when taking the price into consideration. So when RHA offered me the opportunity to try its SA950i on-ear headphones, I couldn't help but be tempted -- hoping to have my mind changed on headphones.

Design

The SA950i's have a more traditional headphone look about them, especially in comparison to the cheaper, but more modern looking CA200 headphones. And that's not a bad thing.

Gallery: RHA SA950i

RHA describes the SA950i's as offering professional-grade audio, whilst being compact and lightweight. And they certainly are compact and lightweight. Weighing just 105 grams, the SA950i's fit securely on your head. It's easy to customize the fit with the adjustable chrome sliders. They don't feel unnecessarily big or bulky, either.

The 40mm titanium-coated mylar drivers are encased in plastic, droplet-like enclosures with soft padding for contact on your ears.

RHA's shielded, 1.5m, detachable fabric braided cable -- with gold plated connectors -- easily connects to the headphones, while, of course, the other end goes into your source of audio.

The remote, which has volume up and down and a multifunction button (play / pause / answer call / end call) sits conveniently near the top of the cable, within easy reach. It has a good feel about it, and it's easy to feel for the controls as opposed to having to look down and see what button you want to press. The main function button is nicely indented -- your finger just slips into it -- so you know exactly where you are as soon as you touch it.

The SM950i's look good and the build quality is nice. While they don't necessarily feel high-end, they don't feel cheap either. They are very light, but I found they were sturdy and I definitely didn't worry about putting them in my bag with everything else.

Functionality

I mentioned that the SA950i's fit securely, but what about comfort? After many hours of use, I found the SA950i's to be quite comfortable, once I'd adjusted them to sit on my ears correctly. I didn't get that horrible pinching feeling you can sometimes get with some other on-ear headphones. They held to my ears, but not with an unnecessary weight.

If anything, I would have preferred the headphones to fit slightly more snugly to my ears to help get that noise-cancelling effect. And the speakers felt just a little far away from my ears, I wanted them to be nearer. However, once they were on, those niggles soon faded away.

I did a little test wearing them while hoovering the house. They stayed on, were comfortable and decent at noise cancellation, while producing a full sound -- though I had to push the volume a fair bit, but not to harmful levels.

Overall, I found the sound of the SA950i's to be satisfying. As with the MA150 and MA350 earphones, the SA950i's produced a full and warm sound that was engaging and detailed. My only complaint is that the mid-level frequencies seemed a little too emphasized, creating a slightly muffled appearance to the sound. I found it particularly noticeable if I was listening to music on speakers or other earphones and then switched to the SA950i's.

The remote and built-in mic worked flawlessly. I had no problem with my voice being picked up at the other end. Everything worked as expected when making or receiving calls using the SA950i's.

Conclusions

While I'm not converted to headphones, the SA950i's certainly have made an impression on me. The subtle but stylish look is appealing: they feel comfortable, they're compact and lightweight and they perform well -- even if sound reproduction feels a bit confined.

Considering the $60 price tag, the SM950i's really do appeal. If you're looking for a budget pair of on-ear headphones, the SM650i's are worth checking out.

Review: RHA's SA950i headphones with remote and mic originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Following the release of YouTube Capture for iPhone late last year, Google has finally added iPad (and iPad mini) support to the app -- taking full advantage of the iPad's bigger screen and extra pixels -- in version 1.2.

YouTube Capture lets you easily record, edit (with color correction, auto stabilization, trimming and music), upload to YouTube and share your life with the world through Google+, Facebook and Twitter. Now it's easier than ever to capture and share moments like this.

The universal YouTube Capture app is available from the iOS App Store for free now.

[Via Engadget]

YouTube Capture app adds iPad and mini support originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As reported by Reuters, China Mobile has announced it will inject US$6.7 billion into upgrading its network to 4G TD-LTE technology. The announcement comes as part of a wider $30.1 billion upgrade as well as anticipation that Apple's next iPhone will arrive on its network, supporting the 4G TD-LTE technology.

As confirmed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, China Mobile announced it will be rolling out 4G TD-LTE in over 100 cities across China, bringing fast mobile Internet access to an estimated 500 million customers.

China Mobile, the world's biggest mobile carrier, with 715 million subscribers, currently uses an inferior 3G (TD-SCDMA) technology, which is not fully compatible with the current iPhone, unlike the networks of its smaller rivals, China Unicorn and China Telecom.

With the announcement of Qualcomm's RF360 Front-End Solution (a worldwide one-size-fits-all 4G solution), which is widely expected to be used in Apple's next iPhone, coupled with China Mobile's network upgrade to 4G, Apple could be poised for some significant iPhone sales in China over the coming years.

[Via Apple Insider]

China Mobile will spend $6.7 billion on 4G network, preparing for next-gen iPhone? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It looks like Haarlem, The Netherlands will soon have the luxury of a new Apple Store along Grote Houtstraat, a prime retail location in a popular pedestrian walkway in the city.

ifoAppleStore reports that construction has begun on the ground floor of what appears to be the beginnings of an Apple Store. The space is said to comprise of approximately 8,000 square feet. Of that, 6,800 square feet will be public retail space, while the rest will be back-of-house.

The Netherlands currently has an Apple Store in Amsterdam (as pictured). Another is under construction in The Hague, although it's believed Haarlem's store could be completed first.

Check out ifoAppleStore's webpage for further details, photos of the construction site and a store plan.

Evidence points to new Netherlands Apple Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Photographer Ben Long has put together an informative and detailed article for photography aficionados at Creative Pro on using the iPad for post-production while in the field or traveling for a shoot.

For Long, taking a 13-inch MacBook Air into the field carries a lot of negatives in comparison to an iPad. Overall, Long says the iPad is a more resilient piece of kit in harsher environments, but of course, it doesn't offer the same kind of power that a MacBook Air does.

Long notes that when the iPad first arrived, it offered an exciting, lightweight alternative for photography out of the studio, but the apps supporting a pro-level workflow did not yet exist .

But over the last few months, Long notes that a few new apps have arrived on the iOS App Store (particularly Snapseed and Photos Info Pro), which offer "some important new post-production capabilities." Meaning, depending on what kind of shoot you're doing, you may be able to get away with just your camera and an iPad.

For Long's workflow with an iPad, and his take on the apps he uses, do check out the article here.

[Via The Loop]

Photographer Ben Long shares iPad photography workflow advice originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Breathometer wants to be the first breathalyzer that works in tandem with your iPhone, making it easy and convenient to breathalyze yourself, or a friend, to see if your blood-alcohol level is above the legal driving limit.

With a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, Breathometer has been designed to be compact and unobtrusive, small enough to conveniently fit on your keyring, but within easy reach when you need it most.

Plugging into your iPhone's audio jack, the Breathometer automatically works with the companion app. All you need do is blow into it to identify your blood-alcohol concentration (BAC).

The Breathometer app will also keep a record of your BAC, "so you can be sure to allow for the proper amount of time to pass before you think about getting behind the wheel."

The Indiegogo campaign opened today, with pledges of US$20 or more to secure yourself one of the first Breathometers.

Breathometer: A would-be breathalyzer accessory for iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Propellerhead has announced Reason 7, the latest version of its digital audio workstation software.

New features include the External MIDI Instrument device, which brings MIDI out support to Reason 7, letting you connect your favorite external MIDI gear right into Reason.

Audio editing has been improved with automatic slicing into single notes or hits -- making perfect timing a cinch -- and exporting those slices into Dr. Octo Rex Loop Player, Reason's samplers or the Kong Drum Designer.

For mixing, Reason 7 has taken some of that functionality into the Reason rack, added new bus channels and the new Spectrum EQ: a powerful spectrum analyzer with a graphic EQ overlay.

Additionally, Reason 7 comes with an expanded sound bank to inspire your creativity as well as new audio import formats, like MP3, WMA and AAC, making it easier to bring your own loops or music into Reason.

Finally, Reason 7 introduces the Audiomatic Retro Transformer. Propellerhead says the Audiomatic Retro Transformer is "a future‑retro effect unit with plenty of personality. Add Audiomatic to any channel or group and select a snapshot to instantly change the sound of your track. More details about the Audiomatic Retro Transformer are coming soon." And we look forward to them.

Reason 7 will be available soon, and if you purchase or upgrade to the current version of Reason (6.5 -- which we took a look at last year) after March 1st, you'll get a free upgrade to Reason 7.

Check out all the details here.

Propellerhead announces Reason 7 for Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gogo, the in-flight internet provider for when you're cruising at 37,000 feet, says iOS devices are by far the most prolific users of its service.

According to Gogo's blog, tablets and smartphones account for 67 percent of the devices connecting to its service, and laptops account for the remaining 33 percent. Of those tablets and smartphones, 84 percent of them are iOS devices, with the iPad being the most popular. If you only look at the smartphones, the iPhone accounts for 73 percent.

Gogo notes Safari as the number one browser used, followed by Internet Explorer and then Chrome.

Comparing Apple to Android, Gogo says that in 2011 Apple had a 98.6 percent share, while Android trailed behind with the remaining 3.2 percent. However, so far in 2013, Android has significantly increased its hold to 16 percent, but Apple's still king of the skies at 84 percent.

If you're a frequent flyer, you may want to check out Gogo's easy to use app.

For the infographic and all the details, check out Gogo's blog here.

iOS tops among airline passengers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Skype for iOS has been updated to version 4.6, with improvements to the experience of making and receiving Skype calls as well as numerous bug fixes.

There's been a complete overhaul to the UI when making and receiving calls. On first impressions, I wouldn't say it's any easier to use than the previous version, but it's a cleaner look that has an air of freshness to it!

According to Skype's blog, other major improvements include one-to-one chats appearing in the correct order and the ability to select messages as read in a few taps. Additionally, there have been bug fixes to Voice Over, conversations, file-transfer and account editing.

The update arrived yesterday. If you haven't already done so, Skype recommends all users update as soon as possible. It'll be waiting for you in the Updates section of the iOS App Store.

Skype is a free app that lets you make and receive voice and video calls over the internet.

Skype 4.6 for iPhone, iPad improves calling experience and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to iPhone 101, the series that explains the basics of iPhone operation.

A friend told me his iPhone was broken because the screen no longer rotated in Safari, Mail or any other app. He suspected the accelerometer was broken, but was confused because it still worked in games and apps like Google Maps.

He remarked how frustrating it was, and that he'd booked an appointment with a Apple Genius.

I must admit, I was flummoxed, too. I know you can lock and unlock the screen rotation in the settings section on iOS for iPad, but I couldn't find any such option in Settings on iOS for iPhone.

And then it suddenly hit me, there is a screen rotation lock / unlock button when you double tap the Home button and flick to the right -- where the Music player controls are. Sure enough, my friend's iPhone screen rotation was locked. With a simple tap, his screen rotated once more.

After a quick search on Apple's support forums -- and there seem to be a lot of people who struggle with this -- I found a support page which details the steps to lock and unlock screen rotation on iPhone and iPod touch.

• Double-click the Home button to display recently used apps.
• Flick from left to right along the bottom of the screen.
• Tap the Screen Rotation Lock button on the bottom left of the screen.
• If the button used to show a padlock, the padlock will disappear from the button after tapping it.

To lock the screen rotation, simply tap the button again, the padlock will appear to indicate it's locked again.

iPhone 101: Lock / unlock screen rotation originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As reported by Apple Insider, David Bowie's forthcoming album, The Next Day, is exclusively available to stream on iTunes in its entirety until March 12th, when the album is released.

The Next Day, available for pre-order now, is Bowie's first album in 10 years and has come as somewhat of a surprise. Bowie first announced the album in early January with a video for the track "Where Are We Now?".

iTunes streaming is becoming more prevalent as a means to promote high-profile releases. Previously streamed albums on iTunes have included works from The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Matchbox 20 and Jack White.

[Via Apple Insider]

iTunes exclusively streaming David Bowie's new album originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iFixit, the trusty resource for tech teardown and repair, has put together a tablet repairability guide for its readers. Unfortunately for the home tinkerer, Apple's iPad has performed rather poorly. iFixit places a high value on tech that is designed with repairability in mind, where consumers can easily and cheaply repair their tech.

Out of a possible score of 10 for ease of repairability, the iPad 2, 3 and 4, and the iPad mini, came in with a score of 2, with the mini being nearest the bottom. Reasons for the low score are primarily down to excessive amounts of adhesive used and a high chance of cracking the glass during the disassembly, making repairs extremely difficult.

The only tablet to score lower than the mini is Microsoft's Surface Pro, coming in last with a paltry 1. Dell's XPS 10 came in at number one for being easy to open and using color-coded screws and labeled cables. The XPS 10 is also noted for having an easy-to-remove battery. Apple's first-generation iPad scored a 6.

For all the details, check out the iFixit's website here.

[Via Engadget]

iFixit releases tablet repairability list, Apple scores poorly originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On TUAW we've looked at many apps which let you slow down the tempo or change the pitch of a song to help you practice music more effectively. And that's exactly what Anytune does, but with a great degree of detail and some extra features to help even further.

Anytune is a free, universal app, but with in app purchases (IAPs) to add extra features and functionality, turning Anytune into Anytune Pro+. The free version of Anytune lets you import music from your iOS library, adjust the pitch and tempo with great detail -- without affecting sound quality -- and select and mark certain parts of the song to loop for focused practicing.

IAPs (from US$1.99 to $12.99) include features like higher-quality audio, importing music from Dropbox / email / WiFi (although I don't know why you wouldn't just import songs from iTunes to your iDevice, but perhaps there are some niche users who will take advantage) and AirPlay support.

Some standout IAP features include "Step-It-Up" interval trainer, to challenge you in your practicing, "FineTouch" EQ lets you draw out particular dynamics of a song (guitar, vocal, bass) and exporting an adjusted song for practice at a later stage.

If you're looking for an app to help you practice your instrument to music, Anytune is a well-designed and easy-to-use app. It's certainly worth checking out, especially since its core features are free.

Anytune is available from the iOS App Store now.

Anytune, a music practise app with detailed functionality originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dunkin' Donuts has made it easier, and quicker, than ever for iOS users to pay for their fix of coffee, donuts and baked goods, by adding Passbook support (Dunkin' Pass) to the Dunkin' Donuts iOS app (version 2.5).

John Costello, chief global marketing and innovation officer for Dunkin' Brands said, "With more than a million downloads in just over six months, the Dunkin' App continues to make it even easier for our busy, on-the-go guests to keep running on Dunkin' throughout the day."

Since Passbook is location-aware, Dunkin' Pass will pop a notification in your lock screen when you're near your favorite US participating Dunkin' Donuts.

To use Passbook with Dunkin' Donuts, purchase a Dunkin' Donuts card and register it with the Dunkin' App. From the app, add money to an existing card or choose to automatically recharge a card. The Dunkin' App supports payment using American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover.

As well as Passbook integration, the Dunkin' App update also supports native resolution for iPhone 5 users, mobile offers / coupons, gifting of virtual gift cards and browsing of the Dunkin' Donuts menu.

The Dunkin' App is available free from the iOS App Store.

Dunkin' Donuts app now supports Passbook originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DEVONThink, the productivity app for Mac that stores all your documents, PDFs, bookmarks and information in one easy-to-find place, has been updated to version 2.5.

According to the Devonian Times, the update now officially supports database synchronization between "multiple computers and locations either directly or via Dropbox, WebDAV, file servers or just any mountable disk." The update also allows you to share databases with PC and Linux users through a web browser.

Other notable features include smarter scanning of a stack of papers in a time-saving manner (first odd and then even, saving you from feeding each page individually), improved tagging and more standard editing tools. There's also a whole load of interface tweaks, too.

Further details can be found at Devon Technologies Devonian Times. The update is recommended for all DEVONThink users.

DEVONThink is available through the Mac App Store (US$49.99) or directly from Devon Technologies.

DEVONThink 2.5 brings database sync out of beta and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you love Propellerhead's Figure app for iOS, you're sure to love triqtraq, a quick and easy music-inspiration and creation app for short bursts of creativity when you're waiting for a train with a few minutes to spare, or live for improvisation.

With a library of more than 350 samples, triqtraq lets you create musical patterns on the fly, either by simply improvising and seeing what works or being a bit more specific and using the step editor.

triqtraq has some exciting features, like specific sequence lengths per track, automation of effects in real time and automation of multiple tracks simultaneously. There's also the Loop Range, which creates poly-rhythms and other unique sounds / effects.

To share your music creations, triqtraq offers export via SoundCloud, AudioCopy, iTunes or email.

I've not had a chance to use triqtraq myself, but from what I've seen, a beginner could start using it and make some great sounds really easily, while there's plenty for the more advanced user to dig deeper into.

triqtraq costs US$2.99 and is available from the App Store now.

Have you used triqtraq? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.

triqtraq for iOS, an electro jam sequencer app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.