The Saturday Evening Post, one of America's most iconic magazines, thanks in part to cover artist Norman Rockwell, is finally on Apple's Newsstand. Apparently many people don't know the magazine is still in publication (I didn't, and even the magazine's technology director Steve Harman admits to TechCrunch that many people don't think so either), yet it still has a subscription base of 300,000 annually. And now it's ready to enter the digital age on iOS.

The magazine will keep its general-interest focus while attempting to appeal to younger readers with articles on technology and movies. Considering the magazine's history (publishing some of the best short stories by America's most famous writers) and beautiful artwork, I'd love to see the Post begin selling digitized back issues starting with ones that featured F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories. Sadly right now there are no signs of any plans to do that.

The Saturday Evening Post is a free download on the app store. Single issues are available for US$3.99, a single issue subscription costs $1.99 per issue until canceled, and a one year (six issues) subscription costs $9.99.

Iconic US magazine Saturday Evening Post comes to Newsstand originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 22 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Intel has tapped former Apple VP Mike Bell to head up the company's new Smart Devices Unit, according to AllThingsD. Bell last worked at Apple in 2007, and then Palm after that and has a long experience in mobile device development. Recently he has been co-leading Intel's mobile chip business. His new position as the head of Intel's new Smart Devices Unit signals a shift in strategy for the chipmaker.

As AllThingsD notes, Intel's competitors Qualcomm, Nvidia, MediaTek, Broadcom and other ARM-based manufactures have a strong foothold in the mobile device market -- a place Intel knows it needs to be to stay competitive in the future. While Intel did not explicitly state what the Smart Device Unit would produce, it did say, "The group will be tasked with turning cool technology and business model innovations into products that shape and lead markets."

Longtime Apple VP to head Intel's new devices unit originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mark Crump at GigaOm has an interesting piece on how the iPad is becoming an important tool for music bands. Crump is an amateur musician whose band is rehearsing for a gig. What's interesting is Crump's realization that the iPad is almost all his band needs at rehearsal.

Crump explains how his iPad fits into band rehearsals. First, he chooses the songs in the Music player app and sends his friends links to the songs on YouTube. Next he'll use the AmpliTube app (free) to load up his selected song from the iPad's music app and play along with it via a Fender Squire USB guitar. To chart the songs during rehearsal, Crump uses Apple's Pages app (US$9.99). He supports the iPad in front of him by using the iKlip 2 ($39.99) from IK Multimedia. The iKlip 2 is a universal microphone stand that allows you to attach an iPad to almost any mic boom.

If you're a musician, Crump's piece is well worth a read. It's another example of how Apple's iDevices are changing almost everything we do.

How iPads, YouTube help bands practice originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai is often referred to as "the world's only 7-Star hotel." And now you can see why. The hotel has announced that it will be giving 24-carat gold-plated iPads to guests at check-in. The iPad will act as a "virtual concierge" for the hotel's guests, with information like maps, housekeeping services, spa services and more.

Guests will be required to give the iPads back when they check out, unless they choose to purchase it (there's no word on the cost). The gold-plated iPad isn't the only Apple product that the Burj Al Arab's guests can enjoy: each of its 202 rooms has an iMac as well.

'The world's only 7-Star hotel' is giving 24k gold-plated iPads to guests originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has announced that its next Apple store will open at Rundle Place Centre in Adelaide, South Australia this Saturday. It will be the first Apple Store in South Australia. This will bring the number of Apple's retail stores in Australia up to 20.

Rundle Place Centre is a four-story shopping center with over 70 retail outlets. The store is set to open at 10 AM local time this Saturday. However, interested customers can already set up Genius Bar appointments on the store's web page.

Apple's first store in South Australia to open on Saturday originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Football fans rejoice (that's soccer for you in America)! Sky Sports has released an update to its popular iPad app that offers a new feature called Sky Sports 360. It lets you switch between over 20 camera angles during a replay. The app also allows you to choose to view the replays at normal speed or in slow motion. Announcing the new feature, Director of Sky Sports Digital Media David Gibbs told Sky Sports:

"This is great news for the Sky Sports for iPad app, which keeps getting better and better. This is about putting the technology into the hands of the viewer and allowing them to recapture the big moments in the final. It's the first time we've offered this through our app and it's another example of our investment in the Sky Sports viewer's experience."

Though the feature is built into the iPad app now, it won't go live for the first time until this Saturday, May 25th, during the Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich. Sky Sports 360 will also be available throughout the 2013-2014 season.

Sky Sports for iPad is a free download from the UK App Store. It's free to use for all customers who subscribe to the Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 channels. Non-subscribers can access content in the app for £4.99 a month via in-app purchase.

Sky Sports for iPad lets you choose your own replay camera angles originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A few months ago I reviewed an external hard drive enclosure I was pretty fond of -- the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro. Today I want to tell you about one I like even more: The Oyen Digital MiniPro enclosure. The two enclosures actually are very similar in functionality. They both allow you to take your old laptop hard drives, insert them into the enclosure, and turn those old drives into useful spare external drives. They also both offer one USB 3.0 port and two Firewire 800 ports. The reason I like the Oyen Digital MiniPro more, however, is because its design mirrors the Mac Pro. It's made from a solid aluminum housing that Mac Pro users know and love. Because of this, it actually looks like it was designed by Apple. The enclosure is also bus-powered, so no power cord is required.

The Oyen Digital MiniPro enclosure comes in black or silver aluminum and is US$69.95. It's available on Amazon and at the company's store.

Oyen Digital MiniPro enclosure dresses your hard drive like a Mac Pro originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Users of iOS file-management apps File Lite and File Lite Pro might want to delete the apps from their iOS devices for now (or at least turn off WiFi sharing). That's because the Vulnerability Laboratory has discovered three vulnerabilities in the latest versions of the apps, according to iMore.

The worst vulnerability allows an attacker to upload files to a user's account without any interaction, while the other two permit code injection in the user's browser while they are viewing file listings. All three exploits require that a user has the apps' WiFi sharing option turned on.

Since the vulnerabilities were discovered on May 17th, the app has not been pulled from the App Store, nor has it been updated. Until an update is released fixing the vulnerabilities, users should at the very least disable WiFi sharing within the app.

File Lite, File Lite Pro for iPhone shown to have vulnerabilities originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Museum buffs and tourists might want to download Google's Field Trip app right now. As we've told you before, the location-based app shows you cool things to do while on a trip. For a limited time, the app will also get you into 13 major US museums for free, as Google announced on the Field Trip Google+ page:

Rumor has it you can visit 13 museums in 6 cities for FREE with Field Trip...

RUMOR CONFIRMED!!! For a limited time you can walk into any of these for free:

Conservatory of Flowers, SF
California Academy of Sciences, SF
Walt Disney Family Museum, SF
Museum of Contemporary Art, LA
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Adler Planetarium, Chicago
The Field Museum, Chicago
Museum of the city of New York, NY
Museum of Arts and Design, NY
National Building Museum, DC
Portland Children's Museum
Portland Art Museum
Pittock Mansion, Portland

If you are around one of the following 13 museums, you will get a Field Trip card with "Free Entry" in the title (check the 'nearby' tab). Show the card on your phone to the admissions staff and they'll take care of the rest.

Enjoy your Field Trips!

Living in Europe I'm pretty spoiled, as almost every major museum is free. But looking at the list above -- especially seeing three of Chicago's best museums (my old stomping grounds) -- leaves me feeling a little envious of my US friends at the moment.

Field Trip is a free download for iOS and Android.

Google's Field Trip app gets you into 13 museums for free right now originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was seen visiting Apple's headquarters in Cupertino over the weekend, reports The Hurriyet Daily News. The visit was part of a series of stops to major technology companies in Silicon Valley, including Google and Microsoft. The visit wasn't just out of casual interest on the PM's part, however. Turkey is seeking to purchase 10.6 million tablet computers for use in its schools.

Even for a company as large as Apple, an additional 10.6 million iPads sold would be massive. It's unknown who Erdoğan met with at Apple, but this was not the first time a Turkish government official stopped by. Way back in 2011, Turkish Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan visited Apple to discuss the same tablet education program.

Turkish Prime Minister visits Apple HQ originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Political is reporting that Tim Cook is set to testify at a Senate hearing next week that is investigating the offshore tax practices of American corporations:

Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to testify at the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation's hearing Tuesday, POLITICO has learned.

Apple has been under fire for its tax practices. The company recently avoided paying as much as $9.2 billion in taxes by buying back stock with debt instead of offshore cash, Bloomberg reported. Apple has a reported $100 billion in offshore funds.

The hearing is part of the panel's continued examination of how companies shift profits offshore and how that impacts the tax code. Representatives from Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard testified in September 2012 in a hearing on the same topic.

Tax avoidance by big corporations has (finally) become a hot topic in the US. Here in the UK, pressure has been mounting for months on companies like Google, Amazon and Starbucks over their tax-avoidance schemes (Amazon only paid £3 million in UK taxes off of £4 billion in UK sales). Other EU countries are following suit in clamping down on offshore tax practices. In addition to Tim Cook, Politico states that representatives from the IRS and Treasury are also set to testify.

Tim Cook to testify at Senate hearing on offshore tax practices originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 15 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

EA has announced that its Frostbite game engine, used to power popular game like Need for Speed and Battlefield 4, is coming to iOS. Dubbed Frostbite Go, the game engine is set to give a big graphics and performance boost to cutting-edge iOS games. From the Frostbite website where the engine was officially announced for the first time:

One of our most exciting current projects is called Frostbite Go, a mobile division empowering EA game developers with Frostbite's proven excellent workflows and features to bring true Frostbite experiences to all major mobile platforms.

Currently there's no release dates for any games using Frostbite Go, but the site does mention that EA games using Frostbite Go are actively in development.

EA's Frostbite engine could improve iOS games originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An app called Buycott is giving iPhone owners the chance to make a political statement each and every time they shop. The concept behind the app is simple: when you're in a store, scan an item's UPC code to see what parent company owns the product.

"What company owns the product?" you might ask. "Wouldn't that be the name of the company on the package?"

Not necessarily. Popular brand names are often subsidiaries of bigger corporations. And those corporations might have their fingers in things you politically disagree with. This means that even though there is no way you would support the corporation's political activities (say they donate to political campaigns you don't like) you may be inadvertently supporting that corporation by buying one of its subsidiary's products.

Gallery: Buycott

Take, for example, Angel Soft bathroom tissue. The ultimate owner of that company is Koch Industries, which has extreme political views on one end of the spectrum that you may disagree with. By scanning that product with Buycott in the store, you're immediately told who the owner is (Koch Industries) and that information can allow you to make more informed buying decisions.

Buycott also allows you to create and follow campaigns covering issues you care about. These campaigns cover a wide variety of topics and allow you to make better buying decisions by not only telling you what companies to boycott, but also by telling you which companies support your ideological views (hence the "buy" in Buycott). Currently the most popular campaign is "Demand GMO Labeling," while the most trending campaign is 'Avoid Koch Industries.'

Buycott is a free download.

Buycott lets you boycott evil companies while you shop originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The CharityBuzz auction for coffee with Tim Cook closed at US$610,000 yesterday. The high bidder will meet Tim Cook on a mutually agreed-upon date for 30 to 60 minutes. On the last day of the auction the high bid sat at $605,000, but in the last 30 minutes someone who had not placed a bid before came in with a bid that was $5,000 higher. The only thing known about the winning bidder is that his bidding name was "a********s."

CharityBuzz will not reveal the name of the winning bidder, but it's possible that the bidder could come forward himself or herself. Of that amount, 20 percent goes to CharityBuzz while the remaining 80 percent goes to the RFK Center for Justice & Human Rights.

If you had just paid $610,000 to talk to Tim Cook, what would your conversation be like? Let us know in the comments.

Coffee with Tim Cook auction closes at $610,000 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 15 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Groupon has launched a new iPad app called Groupon POS (perhaps not the best name) in an attempt to enter the iPad mobile payments arena and take on current leader Square. As of the time of this writing, Groupon has not made an official anouncement, but the app is now live in the App Store. Here are the deets from the app's description:

A beautiful and simple way to manage your business and accept payments at the lowest rates available today.

Set up your offerings in seconds, quickly check out customers and view real-time analytics. Start running your business more effectively.

Groupon POS works also works with an optional cash drawer and printer to automate and simplify your point of sale.

Groupon POS works for a wide variety of merchants from cafes and delis, to salons, spas and florists.

9to5Mac points out that Groupon POS appears to be a scaled-down version of the Breadcrumb POS app Groupon acquired last year. Groupon already offers another mobile payments app called Groupon Merchants for the iPhone.

Update: The app has disappeared from the App Store. Looks like it was released prematurely.

Groupon launches mobile payments iPad app to challenge Square originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When my iPad 3 was acting funny -- and by that I mean a sleep/wake button that would only work on every third press -- I made an appointment at the Genius Bar at my local Apple Store. Fifteen minutes later I walked out with a brand-new replacement iPad. Many readers who have owned a faulty iPhone, iPod or iPad will have had experiences similar to my own: broken iDevice, go to Apple store, get new one. But now that's all set to change.

According to reports from AppleInsider, Apple vice president Tara Bunch announced to employees last week that AppleCare will be changing in the US, with international markets to follow. Soon iDevices with faulty hardware won't necessarily be replaced with new units. The role and capabilities of Geniuses in Apple stores will soon be expanded to allow them to fix the faulty parts, instead of having to issue completely new hardware. As AppleInisder explains:

Currently, Apple Stores have the tools to replace speakers, receivers, home buttons, the vibrator motor and battery. Come June, capabilities will be expanded to display replacement, and by July cameras, sleep/wake buttons and logic boards will be dealt with in-store. In addition, employees will have access to advanced diagnostics tools that can remotely assess hardware issues and relay the data directly to technicians, allowing for quicker turnaround times.

The move is expected to save Apple a whopping US$1 billion a year in replacement costs. As to how the move will affect customers' perception of AppleCare remains to be seen. AI also reported on other potential changes to AppleCare, including a switch from per-device coverage to per-user coverage. Under the new model, all of a user's devices would be covered under an AppleCare subscription-based model.

Revamped AppleCare means changes for Genius Bar employees originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I use my iPhone 5 so much throughout the day that its battery is often nearly drained by 4 PM. That's why I'm constantly carrying around and trying out new external battery packs to keep my iPhone charged. The latest battery pack I've tried is the Phonesuit Flex Pocket Charger. I've reviewed Phonesuit's products in the past (and the one I reviewed is now my external battery pack of choice), so I was excited to try out their new Lightning connector battery pack.

The Phonesuit Flex Pocket Charger is slightly thicker and longer than two AA batteries in size, to give you an idea about how big it is. It fits easily into a jeans pocket but it's just a bit wider than my iPhone 5. When plugged into the phone, the Flex overruns the length of it on either end. Still, just given how small the Flex Pocket is in the first place, the fact that it's just slightly wider than the iPhone 5 can be forgiven -- especially considering when my iPhone is running out of battery, the last thing I care about is how good my battery pack looks.

Inside the Flex Pocket you'll find a 2,600 mAh battery that gives you iPhone an extra 125 percent charge. Externally, the Flex Pocket offers a built-in Lightning port and plugs directly into your iPhone 5. There are no cables to attach. When you plug the Flex Pocket into your iPhone, tap the electrostatic power button on the side to turn it on. To recharge your Flex Pocket, simply connect it to any computer via the included USB cable.

The Phonesuit Flex Pocket Charger is US$69 in a choice of colors: metallic red, blue or black. It works on the iPhone 5, the fifth-generation iPod touch and the seventh-generation iPod nano.

Review: Phonesuit's Flex Pocket Lightning Charger originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last night Bill Gates was interviewed by Charlie Rose on 60 Minutes. Though the interview covered many subjects, it inevitably turned to Gates' relationship with Steve Jobs. In the part of the interviewed that aired, Gates understandably teared up when he talked about the last time he saw Jobs, at his home in May of 2011. When Rose asked Gates what they talked about, Gates replied, "...what we'd learned, families... anything." Gates also elaborated on their relationship over the years in unaired footage of the interview that is available to watch online.

Bill Gates talks about the last time he saw Steve Jobs originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The team at Astrid has announced the company has been purchased by Yahoo. Astrid is a popular iOS and Android to-do manager with over 4 million users. In a blog post, Astrid CEO Jon Paris said:

We are thrilled to announce that we have been acquired by Yahoo. When we set out to build Astrid, we sought to help as many people as possible become happier, healthier and more productive. We're really excited to join the mobile team and continue this work with Yahoo's goal of "making the world's daily habits more inspiring and entertaining."

Astrid will continue to work as is for the next three months, but the company is no longer accepting new premium subscriptions.

Yahoo has been on a roll lately with acquisitions and revitalization of its mobile apps. Earlier this year, the company acquired Summly and integrated it into its Yahoo News app. Last month Yahoo released a weather app that has garnered universal praise. There's no word yet on Yahoo's plans for Astrid.

Yahoo acquires Astrid task manager originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Adobe's Lightroom product manager Tom Hogarty has shown off an early beta of Lightroom for iOS, according to CNET. Hogarty made the semi-announcement on an episode of The Grid this week. Here's what CNET's Stephen Shankland had to say:

He wouldn't promise when the app would ship or what exactly it would do, but he did demonstrate some features of the prototype software running on an iPad 2. He also offered several details about its features:

o. The ability to edit photos taken in RAW photo formats, including Lightroom develop-module parameters like exposure, clarity, shadows, highlights and white balance.

o. Cloud-synchronized editing so that changes made on a tablet arrive on the same photo on the PC.

o. The ability to zoom all the way to 100 percent for checking photo focus and details.

And without promising anything, he said he'd like to see some of Lightroom's library-module features, like sorting photos into categories or flagging picks and rejects, in the app.

Lightroom is the immensely popular photo management and editing app for OS X and Windows. It's seen as a direct competitor to Apple's Aperture. While Adobe has made small strides into the iOS ecosystem, none of its apps yet offer the pro-level features many photographers want to see on a tablet. Still, just because Adobe previewed a prototype of Lightroom for iOS doesn't mean photographers should get their hopes up. The prototype appeared to be in the very early stages and no release schedule (or pricing) was mentioned.

[Image via Cnet]

Adobe previews Lightroom for iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The US Department of Defense will soon approve the iPhone and iPad for use by military agencies for non-classified communications, reports The Wall Street Journal. The approval will only be for devices running iOS 6 or higher. According to the WSJ:

Separately, DISA [The Defense Information Systems Agency] is expected to rule in early May that Apple's latest operating system, iOS 6, conforms to a different security-requirement guide, the Defense Department spokesman said. That would allow iPhones and iPads to be used by military agencies for non-classified communications, such as email and Web browsing.

The Journal also reports that certain Samsung devices, like the Galaxy S 4, will receive the same approval. As the US Department of Defense has the largest employee pool of any government agency, and third-party security companies employ hundreds of thousands of people in the US, DoD approval for iOS devices could give a boost to sales in those industries.

iOS 6 devices get DoD approval for US government use originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter has released an update to its iOS app that adds new features and several improvements. The biggest new feature is the ability to view global trends. Previously a user could view local trends in the Discover tab, but now you can select global trend locations and view trending hashtags from locales across the world.

Twitter for iOS now also lets you invite friends to join Twitter from within the app. Previously this feature was only found on its web-based client. Also, retweets have been tweaked to include both the original author's Twitter handle and the handle of the person retweeting it. Finally, Twitter has improved the playback of Vine videos within the app.

Twitter for iOS is a free download.

Twitter for iOS updated with location-based trends, more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Outside the United States, Passbook-supported apps are a rarity. That's why it's especially exciting that uber-popular European discount airline easyJet has just added Passbook support to their iPhone app.

The move comes days after easyJet announced that it is eliminating check-in desks at airports. Now all easyJet passengers will be required to print or download their boarding passes before they leave home.

But that shouldn't be much of a hassle for iPhone owners. With version 2.0 of the free easyJet mobile app, fliers can download and store boarding passes in their Passbook. Currently easyJet is trialing mobile check-in and boarding passes at six airports: Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Manchester, Nice, Southend and Stansted.

But the company says that if the trial is successful, it will work with other airport partners to roll out the digital boarding passes to other airports.

Popular European discount airline easyJet adds Passbook support originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mac power users will rejoice -- or be relieved -- that Belkin has announced it is officially shipping the Thunderbolt Express Dock. The dock allows users to expand to a wide range of ports via a single Thunderbolt connection on their Mac. The dock offers two Thunderbolt ports (one for input, the second for passthrough to as many as five downstream devices), one gigabit Ethernet port, one FireWire 800 port, stereo headphone and microphone jacks and three USB 3.0 ports.

Belkin officially announced the Thunderbolt Express Dock back in January of 2012; since then, it has seen numerous delays and design changes.

In the meantime, another Mac accessory vendor, Matrox, released the DS1, a docking port that offers fewer ports, but may provide enough connectivity for the average user (and at US$50 less than the Belkin offering). Still, those that like Belkin's products and have a wide array of peripherals they need plugged into their Mac will no doubt welcome the availability of the Thunderbolt Express Dock.

The Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock lists at $299, and is available now from Belkin's site.

Belkin begins shipping Thunderbolt Express Dock originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Consumer Reports has announced that Apple has come out on top again -- and bested its previous score -- in providing consumer tech support to its users.

The company scored far higher than the other big companies for the elements that make for successful online and phone support: ease of contacting staff, clarity of advice, technical knowledge, patience and time for follow-up.

The annual survey found that 88 percent of of customer problems were solved at an in-store Genius Bar, compared to only 70 percent at Best Buy's in-store Geek Squad bars. Consumer Reports also notes that Apple was able to resolve 82 percent of computer problems across all its support lines (in-store, phone, etc.).

Overall, Apple scored 86 our of 100 in the survey -- the highest of any computer manufacturer. The next best was Lenovo, which scored a 63 out of 100.

Apple comes out on top in Consumer Reports tech support ratings originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The original iPhone will soon reach "obsolete" status at Apple retail stores. Obsolete status means that a product is not eligible for repairs or parts replacement even if the customer pays for it. The date the original iPhone reaches obsolete status is June 11, 2013, according to 9to5Mac, which obtained a leaked memo revealing the date.

Products typically become obsolete at Apple five to seven years after they make their debut. Other products that will become obsolete on June 11 will be the late 2006 Xserve, mid-2007 iMacs and the original Mac Pro.

Original iPhone to be obsolete at Apple stores originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Discovery Communications, parent company of the cable channels Discovery and TLC, has released updates to the Discovery Channel HD and TLC for iPad and iPhone apps that now offer second-screen features on the iPad side.

The second-screen feature is branded as Discovery Plus and TLC Plus and offers "an interactive second-screen experience, synced live to your favorite shows! Fully integrated into the app, simply tune in during a TLC/Discovery Plus-enabled show and sit back for exclusive factoids, photos and more! Or play a previously aired Plus-enabled show on your DVR, and sync to view the experience on your own schedule," according to the app descriptions.

Discovery Communications does note that not all of its shows are Plus-enabled yet. Also, the Plus features are only available on the iPad, though the company does plan to add them to the iPhone version of the apps soon.

Discovery Channel HD and TLC for iPad and iPhone are free downloads.

Discovery, TLC iPad apps add second-screen feature originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You can tell Scapple was designed by a writer. It's a simple, sparse Mac app that's free of unneeded bells and whistles. Scapple comes to us from the team at Literature & Latte, the developers who are responsible for the popular Scrivener word-processing and writer's management app.

While Scrivener is bursting with nearly every feature a writer could need, Scapple is simply a note-jotting app -- but it still keeps writers satisfied. Many have called Scapple mind-mapping software, but by L&L's own admittance, it's not. Instead, they liken it to a freeform text editor or "virtual paper" that allows a user to make notes anywhere on the page -- just like a writer would with his notepad as he furiously scribbles down ideas.

The way Scapple works is you double-click anywhere on a document and start writing. This can be something simple like the name of a character, or something longer, like a chapter's opening paragraph. Or it can be a note that has to do with anything your mind can think of and needs to get down quickly. You can double-click to create as many new notes as you wish in a single document and you can drag them around to any position on the page. And if that's all you want to do, that's fine.

But you can also link different notes together with dashed or arrowed lines. You do this by dropping one note on top of the other. All your notes can be connected, or only one can, or none; it's your choice. Notes also aren't limited to text. You can also drag in images and other external text files to your Scrapple document. And as you would expect with a good note-taking app, there are plenty of formatting options that let you change the appearance of your notes and Scrapple documents. Scapple also offers a number of export options.

If you're a writer, I think Scapple will immediately appeal to you. If you're a mind-mapping power user, it probably won't. Either way, Literature & Latte offers a demo version so users can try before they buy. If you want the full version of Scapple it's available for only US$14.99. Currently you can only buy it through Literature & Latte's web store, but the company says they have submitted the app to Apple, so you'll be able to find it in the Mac App Store soon.

Scapple for OS X is the note jotter tool many writers are looking for originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple is celebrating "A Decade of iTunes" with a cool interactive timeline in the iTunes store. The timeline pulls out milestones for iTunes each year. For example, on September 7th, 2005 it says "iPod nano replaces iPod mini and goes on to become the bestselling music player ever."

Each year also displays the the Top Ten bestselling singles and albums. The entire timeline is actually really cool -- especially if you're an Apple history buff. There's no way to grab a direct link to it, but to see it just open up iTunes, go into the iTunes store and look for the "A Decade of iTunes" white carousel banner at the top.

Apple celebrates 'A Decade of iTunes' with interactive timeline originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has pushed out a new update to its Apple Store app for iOS. Version 2.6 will notify you when an item you've ordered has been shipped and delivered. But perhaps the coolest push notification is the one that tells you when your iPhone is eligible for upgrade pricing. The iPhone upgrade eligibility is only available to US users.

Here's the details from the listing:

- Choose to receive notifications that let you know exactly when you're eligible for upgrade pricing on a new iPhone. And since all you need to complete the order is your Apple ID and password, buying your new iPhone is fast and easy (US only).

- Stay on top of your delivery with notifications. We'll let you know when your order ships, keep you informed of any updates and notify you when it's delivered.

The Apple Store app is a free download.

Apple Store app updated with iPhone upgrade notifications originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Those of you looking to get your hands on a qualified refurbished iPad might want to check out the Apple store online. Apple has dropped prices on second- and third-generation models. The discounts apply to only the WiFi+3G and WiFi+Cellular models and not the WiFi-only models.

Interested customers can now pick up a second-generation iPad WiFi+3G 16 GB for only US$349 -- that's $180 (34 percent) off the regular $529 price. The 32 GB unit costs $429 (a $200 savings), and the 64 GB is $529 ($200 off).

As for the third-generation iPad WiFi+Cellular, the 16 GB is only $409 -- that's $170 (29 percent) off the regular $579 price. The 32 GB unit costs $499 (a $180 savings), and the 64 GB is $579 ($200 off).

Prices on refurbed models are, as always, only good while supplies last.

Apple drops prices on refurbished second-, third-gen iPads originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A new app called FocusTwist by Arqball lets your iPhone do what a US$400 Lytro light field camera is used for. Like the Lytro, the FocusTwist app lets you adjust the focus a picture after you have taken it. However, the method of after-focusing is completely different in FocusTwist than it is in the Lytro. The Lytro uses specialized hardware and software (you can read about it here). FocusTwist, on the other hand, has a bit of trickery up its sleeve.

The app actually takes several photos at different focus points when you expose an image. Users can change the focus by tapping different parts of the image. Arqball's back-end servers handle the image processing, so the images can even be refocused by any friends you've shared a photo with. Because the FocusTwist app takes a succession of rapid images at different focal lengths, the after-focusing feature only works well if you manage to hold your iPhone very steady while taking a pic. For best results, a tripod is handy.

FocusTwist is US$1.99 and available in the App Store now.

FocusTwist lets you focus photos after taking a picture originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As first reported by AppleInsider, Apple has begun restricting the use of special characters in app descriptions in the App Store. For now, Apple is restricting the checkmark, the explosion, the "no symbol" and the speech bubble. One can only hope that Apple will eventually add emoji faces to that list; some app descriptions have a decidedly unappealing "MySpace" feel.

The new iconography rules came into place on April 19th. While Apple did not specify a reason for the changes, it's easy to speculate the company wants a more uniform appearance in its App Store listings, instead of letting some developers using checkmarks as bullet points while others use, you know, real bullet points.

Apple begins restricting use of special characters in app descriptions originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The US$15 "AntennaGate" settlement checks have started arriving for qualifying iPhone 4 users. The checks are a settlement for those who filed a claim in a class action lawsuit against Apple for "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale and servicing of its iPhone 4 -- particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."

One reader told us, "My $15 Apple iPhone4 AntennaGate settlement check came today. It has been so long I forgot what it was for and had to look it up." The reason for the delay, however, was because though AntennaGate happened with the release of the iPhone 4 in 2010, the lawsuit was not settled until February 2012. Claimants have until July 16 to cash their checks. If you did not file a claim previously, you can no longer do so.

iPhone 4 'AntennaGate' settlement checks now arriving originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has updated its Chinese homepage in recognition of the earthquake that struck parts of the country over the weekend. A translation by Engadget reads:

Our deepest condolences to those who were taken away by the Sichuan Yaan earthquake, and respect to all the rescuers. May those who have passed away rest in peace, and may the survivors stay strong.

Apple has also released a statement pledging cash donations and donations of new Apple devices to help schools that have been hit by the quake:

In this difficult time our hearts are with the Sichuan earthquake victims. In addition to cash donations to help the victims ride out the storm, we will also commit to donating brand new Apple equipment to some of the schools in the affected region, and the local Apple staff will be on standby to provide support.

Apple has reportedly offered US$8 million in aid in total.

Apple updates Chinese homepage with earthquake donations and support offers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Essential Anatomy has become the most popular medical reference app on the iPad since its launch earlier this year. Now, developer 3D4Medical has brought its newest anatomy software to the Mac.

Essential Anatomy for OS X brings all of the features of the iPad version to your MacBook Air, Pro and iMac. Using 3D4Medical's proprietary graphics engine, users can explore seven systems with the most detailed digital anatomy tool ever created for the desktop. Currently the sytems include Skeletal, Connective Tissue, Muscle, Veins, Arteries, Nerves and Respiratory. The app also includes the brain and the heart. In addition, 3D4Medical tells me that a free update will be coming to Essential Anatomy for OS X in the next few weeks that will add other systems, including digestive and urinary.

I've written about Essential Anatomy for iPad in the past, and in my tests of Essential Anatomy for OS X, I've found that the Mac version lives up to the quality and experience you'd expect from 3D4Medical. Just as with its iPad app cousin, anyone in the medical or health community should get this app for their Mac.

Essential Anatomy for OS X is US$24.99 and available in the Mac App Store.

Gallery: Essential Anatomy for OS X

3D4Medical's Essential Anatomy now available for OS X originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google has launched a new Places for Business app for iPhone and iPod touch. It's an extension of the Places for Business web service that allows business owners to manage their business across Google's search, maps and Google+ services. Here's a rundown of what Places for Business offers:

• Verify your business listing directly from your phone.
• Update your business information: hours, address, contact information and description.
• Post beautiful pictures of your business on your local Google+ page.
• Track web traffic going to your listing.
• Manage multiple business locations from one app.

The app is handy because it untethers business owners from their PCs and allows them to make important listing changes from anywhere. Since the app also integrates with the iPhone's camera features, users can snap new pics of their business and upload them to their Google+ page quickly.

Places for Business is a free download in the App Store.

Google launches new Places for Business iPhone app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Volkswagen will unveil the "iBeetle" this week at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show. The iBeetle will be "...one of the first cars in the world to have a genuine integrative interface for the iPhone that was coordinated with Apple," according to the company.

iPhone fans and gear heads shouldn't get too excited, however. This isn't the mythical iCar. It's a Volkswagen Beetle with an integrated docking station and specialized app. The app offers a number of features users already have on their iPhone, like Spotify. It also offers social features, like the ability to take a picture of yourself while the car is driving and post it to Facebook, or send "postcards" to your fiends from the road with maps of where you are.

The app also offers some more car-like features like Expert mode, which makes the iPhone "an extended on-board instrument of the Beetle, such as a G-Meter (for measuring lateral acceleration), oil and coolant temperature gauges for the engine, a chronometer and a compass" and Trainer mode, which "can be used to compare driving times, distances and fuel economy values for different routes between any two destinations."

I know what you're thinking. How is this different that any other third-party car docking system? Well... it's not really. But since Volkswagen has officially teamed up with Apple to do this, the iBeetle will feature equipment that is "stylistically linked to the Cupertino-based US company, bringing its iconic smartphones into harmony with what is certainly one of the world's most iconic automotive designs."

That means that if Apple makes a yellow iPhone, we should see a yellow iBeetle. Of course that also means if someone custom paints his iBeetle fuschia, rumors sites are bound to report that Apple is set to release a fuschia-colored iPhone 6.

Volkswagen to introduce iBeetle iPhone-equipped car originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chinese hackers have launched a pirate app store that allows people to download pirated iOS apps with no jailbreaks needed. The online web store uses geolocation to determine a user's whereabouts. If the user is outside of China, he is not granted access to the store, instead being redirected to another page run by the hackers.

Out of respect for the hard work iOS developers do, we aren't linking to the store or revealing its name.

Piracy takes away from the development of apps on iOS. Many of the best apps today were created by a single developer or small development team that didn't initially have a lot of financial resources. If the apps being created are pirated and result in limited financial reward to the developers, why would they want to continue to come up with new and exciting apps? Some of the best apps in the App Store -- apps that are part of the reason your iPhone is so cool -- wouldn't exist.

So please, think before you pirate, because in the long run, you're hurting not just the developer, but the entire iOS ecosystem and yourself as well. And no, "I pirate an app to see if I'll like it and then buy it if I do" is not any kind of valid excuse.

Chinese hackers launch pirate App Store, no jailbreak needed originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A lot of people in the tech world yesterday were talking about Twitter's new app, indeed, its new music initiative, called Twitter #Music. But interestingly enough, Twitter's foray into the world of online music only happened on one ecosystem -- iOS. That means that, for now, Twitter is excluding over half of the smartphone users in the world by choosing to only release for iOS. Why? Sarah Perez at TechCrunch has an interesting piece explaining why Twitter went with iOS only, for now, and explains why many devs still choose to deploy on iOS first.

As Perez writes:

Apple device owners tend to do more mobile web browsing, as has been widely known for awhile. But they're also increasingly likely to stay with apps over time - reports have shown that iOS users are more loyal to the apps they download, for instance.

But perhaps most importantly is the fact that some number of Android owners aren't downloading mobile applications at all. Google tacitly acknowledged this fact earlier this month, when it made a change to the way it measures Android version adoption on its Developers site. The company explained that, going forward, it would only show data reflecting those devices that had visited the Google Play Store.

Or in other words, there are enough Android devices out there which are not visiting the Google Play Store to affect the data that developers most care about - people who might download their apps.

But it's not just the lack of user engagement on Google's Play story that encourages devs to deploy on iOS first. There's also the fact that iOS developers make 3x as much money on their iOS apps as they do on their Android apps. Perez also quotes Flipboard co-founder Evan Doll explaining another reason devs may choose to deploy on iOS first: "iOS devices are more predictable in terms of screen sizes and capabilities, which is helpful when you're building new functionality."

Why companies are still deploying iOS apps first originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.