Share between devices painlessly with Instashare

by Shawn "Doc" Boyd (May 18th 2013 at 5:00PM)

There will come a time when you would like to simply transfer a file from one iOS device to another or to a Mac; it's inevitable. When the time arises, you will discover as most of us already have that the process is not as straightforward as one would think, considering how powerful these devices ...

Caturday: Mac mini is Biru's pillow

by Steven Sande (May 18th 2013 at 3:00PM)

What can be more comfortable to a cat than a pillow that blows warm air out of an optical media slot and vibrates ever so gently? That appears to be why Biru (Indonesian for Blue) loves to rest on a Mac mini owned by reader Peter Stagg and his wife. Peter says, "Biru is my wife's British ...

DevJuice: Spark Inspector offers real time iOS interface inpection

by Erica Sadun (May 18th 2013 at 10:00AM)

Spark Inspector (US$39.99 single-license) offers an exciting new development tool. Targeting devs looking to refine their user interfaces, it enables you to interactively tweak view properties like frames and layers. The app centers around an Interface Builder-like experience, with ...

Weekend Poll: What apps did you discover via the 50 billionth download contest?

by Erica Sadun (May 17th 2013 at 8:00PM)

On Wednesday, Apple sold its 50 billionth iOS app. TUAW was there keeping track of the excitement and monitoring the iTunes store. Many of our colleagues and readers used this contest as an opportunity to stock up on numerous free apps, to test and explore. Were you one of them? What apps did ...

Kenu Airframe: An ingenious car mount for your iPhone

by Steven Sande (May 17th 2013 at 7:00PM)

One thing that seems to be a common attribute of hard-core Apple fans is that they are connoisseurs of great design. It doesn't matter if it's the sleek curves of a new iMac or the minimalist slab of the iPhone 5, we love how the devices are designed with pleasing dimensions and an enjoyable ...

Stitcher Radio announces a Car Mode, but it's not quite what I want

by Mike Schramm (May 17th 2013 at 6:30PM)

I use my iPhone a lot to listen to music and podcasts in my car -- I connect it right up to my car stereo, and it's my main listening source while driving around LA. As a result, I really wish there were more options to control my music while driving around. Music- and podcast-streaming app ...

Download N.O.V.A. 3 and Gangstar Rio for iOS free this weekend

by John-Michael Bond (May 17th 2013 at 6:00PM)

Looking for some new games to play this weekend? You're in luck. Developer Gameloft is offering two of its premium titles, N.O.V.A. 3 and Gangstar Rio, for free this weekend in the App Store. Picking up both titles would normally set you back US$12 so jump on this deal quickly. Gangster Rio is a ...

Origin Stories: Victor Agreda, Jr.

by Victor Agreda, Jr. (May 17th 2013 at 5:30PM)

I was lucky. My mom and dad had me while they were finishing up their graduate work in the 1970's at North Carolina State University. My dad was, at the time, a bit of a gadget nut. Of course, back then "gadgets" were more commonly found in the kitchen and came from companies like Ronco. My dad ...

Daily iPhone App -- Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte is cute, arcade fun

by Mike Schramm (May 17th 2013 at 5:00PM)

Zoombies is a fascinating little game. It's made by a company called High Voltage that is probably best known for the Conduit shooter series, though they've been making licensed games for years (I remember visiting the studio for a tour back when I lived in Chicago -- they were based out in the ...

Daily Update for May 17, 2013

by Steven Sande (May 17th 2013 at 4:45PM)

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player ...

MacBook Air supply dwindling as WWDC approaches

by Mel Martin (May 17th 2013 at 4:30PM)

It's clearly not the best time to be looking for a MacBook Air -- 13-inch versions are in especially short supply. The reason for the shortage will be obvious to those who follow Apple closely: it's almost time for the Apple World Wide Developer Conference starting June 10, and Apple is likely ...

US Pentagon grants security clearance to iPad, iPhone

by Steven Sande (May 17th 2013 at 4:00PM)

Earlier this month TUAW reported that iOS 6 had obtained FIPS 140-2 certification, "opening the door to more government use." It didn't take long for that door to swing wide open, as the Pentagon has now officially approved iPhones and iPads running a version of iOS 6 for use on secure government ...

Your Mac's connection to Harry Potter

by Steven Sande (May 17th 2013 at 3:00PM)

The next time you wish to hack into a Mac, it may help to grab your wand and book of spells. At the NoSuchCon security conference this week, security architect Alex Ionescu presented a talk where he revealed that special undocumented code on a Mac's SMC (system management controller) can be ...

Apple's 50 billionth app contest winner saved up five app purchases

by Steven Sande (May 17th 2013 at 2:00PM)

Brandon Ashmore, a 21-year-old from Mentor, Ohio, has a lot to smile about as the winner of a US$10,000 gift card from Apple for being the person who downloaded the 50 billionth app from the App Store. Ashmore told NewsChannel5 in Cleveland that he had saved up five apps to download onto his ...

US Air Force is saving huge money with iPads

by Dave Caolo (May 17th 2013 at 1:00PM)

The US Air Force has opened up about how the iPad will help it realize over US$50 million in savings over the next 10 years, as 18,000 iPads replace flight manuals. In an interview with The Street, US Air Force Major Brian Moritz described the huge drop in costs. "We're saving about 90 pounds of ...