The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gif The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Road Tested: AT&T Navigator for iPhone]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/road-tested-atandt-navigator/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/road-tested-atandt-navigator/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/road-tested-atandt-navigator/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Like my colleague Mel Martin, I've had a serious GPS jones for quite a while. When I was in much better shape, I rode the local trails on a mountain bike with a Garmin eTrex Summit. It didn't have any maps, nor did I really need any for what I was doing. My next GPS receiver was a Garmin GPSmap 60cs that I used for geocaching. It had a nice color screen and some limited maps, but really didn't do a very good job of helping me find my way around town.

The third GPS unit was another Garmin, and in this case it was my first real "navigator." I still have it; it's the Garmin nüvi 660, which is an awesome little unit that can help you find your way around the US or Europe (depending on the model you purchase), act as an MP3 player, or even work as a fairly serviceable hands-free unit for Bluetooth phones.
I've used mine with my iPhones since way back in 2007, and have enjoyed hearing the amplified voices of callers blasting out of the nüvi.

It's best capability, of course, is as a navigator. In this post, I'm going to compare the AT&T Navigator app [App Store] and service with the nüvi, and give you my take on how this free app works. Mel already filled you in on some of the details in his earlier post; we agreed that I'd give you the road test perspective.

Continue reading Road Tested: AT&T Navigator for iPhone

TUAWRoad Tested: AT&T Navigator for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attgpsiphonenavigationnavigatorroad testRoadTestFri, 03 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rolando 2 out now on the App Store]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/rolando-2-out-now-on-the-app-store/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/rolando-2-out-now-on-the-app-store/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/rolando-2-out-now-on-the-app-store/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Just in case you haven't yet heard, ngmoco has released Rolando 2 out into the App Store for the premium price of $9.99. The game's subtitled Quest for the Golden Orchid (in this one, you're rescuing a relic rather than a prince), and though it's not cheap by App Store standards, but on the other hand, it's as quality a game as you'll find on the iPhone. We were big fans of the first one, and the second one ups the ante with a brand new 3D look (though still the same great 2D gameplay), and lots more types of Rolandos to roll and jump and fly and drive around the more than 45 new levels. It's fair to say that if you liked the first one, you'll love this one, and if you've never tried rolling a Rolando around, this is a perfect opportunity to start.

There, unfortunately, no lite version of the second game yet, but there is a version of the first one to try, and there are lots of movies to watch over on ngmoco's site, so you can probably get the idea from there. If you're interested in gaming on the iPhone at all, Rolando's on the short list no matter what your tastes are.

TUAWRolando 2 out now on the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dapp-storeiphonengmocoquest-for-the-golden-orchidrolandorolando-2Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Pocket Universe ups the astronomy app ante]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/pocket-universe-ups-the-astronomy-app-ante/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/pocket-universe-ups-the-astronomy-app-ante/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/pocket-universe-ups-the-astronomy-app-ante/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When the fireworks stop and the smoke clears, it would be a great weekend to look at our beautiful summer skies. Pocket Universe [App Store] is a US$2.99 app that has been updated to make star finding easier for those that have a new iPhone 3GS.

The app uses the position sensors and the compass to orient your phone to match the real sky. As you turn or tilt the phone, the sky map changes to give you a very accurate picture of where you are pointing, with lots of labels and links to more information. This is one of the first examples of an augmented reality app to hit the platform since the introduction of the 3GS.

If you have an older iPhone or iPod touch running OS 3.0, you can tilt the phone to match where the real sky is, but you'll have to manually set the direction you're facing.

This changes everything for the novice astronomer. I tried the feature and it worked really well, even though I was near a large metal building. As I turned my phone the display of the sky changed very rapidly to keep up with my movement.

Other nice features from the last version are intact. You can tap the 'locate' button to find any object that is above the horizon. Select it and it centers on the map. Tap a pop-up for more info and you get a quick summary of the object. In the new version of the app a further tap gets you a Wikipedia entry.

You also get a list of meteor showers, lunar phases and a very nice 'tonight's sky' feature that tells you right away what's up and worth seeing.

Some things I'd like to see improved: The app could support finger-pointing to an object to identify it in addition to going to the locate menu, and the Virtual Sky feature is buried in an options menu. I'd like to see an onscreen button to turn it on and off.

The 3GS features are similar to a Celestron product called the Sky Scout that is a dedicated astronomical instrument. The Sky Scout has a lot more information, and audio tours of the skies, but it costs $200.00. If you're really serious about the stars and planets I'd give it a look.

Meanwhile, another favorite astronomy app, Distant Suns [App Store] has been updated recently, and is now on sale for US$3.99. It has added features to the wonderful tour guides and now includes more information about the objects displayed, including travel time at light speed to the planets. It also includes some breathtaking images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

This is the International Year of Astronomy, so it's a great time to get outdoors and look up. It's fun to do, and the iPhone apps really make it a more compelling and educational experience.

Here are some screen shots of Pocket Universe in operation:

Gallery: Pocket Universe screen shots

TUAWPocket Universe ups the astronomy app ante originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeastronomyaugmented realityAugmentedRealityDistant SunsiPhoneiPod touchPocket Universesky mapsSkyMapsstar chartsFri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Latest iPhone TV ad highlights video editing]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/latest-iphone-tv-ad-highlights-video-editing/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/latest-iphone-tv-ad-highlights-video-editing/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/latest-iphone-tv-ad-highlights-video-editing/#commentsFiled under:


If there's one thing Apple wants you to know about the iPhone 3GS, it's that this is the device to get for mobile video. Witness the latest TV ad for the new phone, "Skateboard": it could hardly look easier to shoot, trim and email your clips from the neigborhood skate park.

The ad is airing now, and continues the feature-focused ad series for the 3GS that started with Copy & Paste and Voice Control. It's a shame they can't do ads for Tethering & MMS, or Cooking An Egg.

Side note: does it seem weird to anyone else that the "Itchy" ad features a compass app (Tommy Westerberg's Compass Go) that came out prior to the release of the 3GS?

Thanks Chris F.

TUAWLatest iPhone TV ad highlights video editing originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adscompassiphoneskateboardtvvideoFri, 03 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Developer-to-developer: application sharing for the iPhone simulator]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/developer-to-developer-simulator-application-sharing-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/developer-to-developer-simulator-application-sharing-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/developer-to-developer-simulator-application-sharing-for-iphone/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Last week, TUAW showed you how to sign iPhone applications for informal developer-to-developer distribution. That approach lets you share applications between members of the iPhone developer program by using your signing credentials to authorize the application for use on your development units.

iPhone applications compiled for the Intel-based simulator can also be shared between developers. And, since the free developer program offers access to the simulator, the apps can be distributed even more widely than with the re-signing approach.

Simulator testing does not offer the full suite of device-specific capabilities. You cannot simulate the onboard camera or retrieve proper accelerometer feedback. The simulator does not vibrate or provide general multitouch input. (You can pinch, but that's about it.)

The strength of simulator-based distribution is that it lets you send out applications for early testing and feedback. Sim-only tests strengthen the preliminary design process; this approach helps solicit feedback on user interface and general program layout before the main development push gets underway.

Simulator-based apps are easy to transfer and easy to use, cutting out a layer of overhead that's needed for when you go to a full ad-hoc beta.

To distribute a simulator application, go to the Library/Application Support/iPhone Simulator/User/Applications/ folder in your home directory. There you'll find the application sandbox folders that are currently installed for your simulator. Each folder is named with a unique id (i.e. 56E66CE5...DC028F) that does not reflect the folder's contents.

You'll have to peek inside to determine which folder is which.The folder contains the application, and three sandbox directories: tmp, Library, and Documents.

To share a simulator folder compiled for 2.2.1 and earlier, you must zip up both the folder with the application and the .sb (sandbox) file that shares the same name as the folder. 3.0 and later applications do not use a .sb file. Just zip up and share the folder.

Install the shared app by decompressing its sandbox folder (and, for 2.x, its .sb file). The recipient must have installed the iPhone SDK. Drop it into the simulator's Applications folder on another machine and launch the simulator. The app should appear in the simulator, ready for testing.

TUAWDeveloper-to-developer: application sharing for the iPhone simulator originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Ad HocAdHocdeveloperDeveloper to DeveloperDeveloperToDevelopersdkSimulatorTestingFri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[VA Apple store closed due to shooting, armed robbery attempt]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/va-apple-store-closed-due-to-shooting-armed-robbery-attempt/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/va-apple-store-closed-due-to-shooting-armed-robbery-attempt/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/va-apple-store-closed-due-to-shooting-armed-robbery-attempt/#commentsFiled under:


The Clarendon Apple Store in Arlington, VA is closed today as police investigate a shooting that took place there this morning. The Washington Post reports that a woman was injured via a gunshot to the shoulder during an armed robbery attempt. TV station WJLA adds the detail that the victim was an employee who went to answer a knock at the store's rear service door.

I've shopped at the Clarendon store, and the staff has always been unfailingly helpful and courteous. I hope that the victim of the shooting enjoys a complete and prompt recovery, and that the Clarendon team can also recover quickly from what must be a very traumatic experience.

Via jdonels tweet, thanks Chris Anderson.

TUAWVA Apple store closed due to shooting, armed robbery attempt originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When I consider what should really be system software, I always think of three little beauties that belong on every Mac: Alarm Clock 2, AppTrap and TimeMachineEditor. They are all one-trick-ponies, take up little space, are free for the downloading, and Apple should buy them up for Snow Leopard.


Alarm Clock 2, currently up to version 2.4.5, sits nicely on your menubar ready to awaken you with your favorite song, or remind you that your dinner is ready to come out of the oven. You can set an alarm to use any song from your iTunes library, or if no song is chosen, it will just beep at you.

It has an Easy Wake option that slowly brings up the volume of your chosen song over an adjustable period of up to two minutes. As any good alarm clock, it comes with a snooze feature, which is also adjustable. I use it mostly as a kitchen timer that keeps me out of the kitchen. Multiple alarms can be set of course, and if you happen to have an Apple remote lying around, pushing the pause button will tell an alarm to 'snooze'. Since downloading it, I can't think of a day that that I haven't used it at least once



Apptrap is a preference pane that allows you to delete applications more completely than dragging to the trash and emptying. Trashing the normal way usually leaves support files in your library folder that will never go away and do nothing more useful than take up space.

With Apptrap installed, whenever you drag an application to the trash and try and empty the trash, you are presented with a window showing you the file and all support files that go along with the application, allowing you to trash them all together in one stroke. There are no settings, options or anything else to worry about. Just install it and forget it. The next time you delete an application, it will be there for you.

Note that AppTrap is open source but is no longer being actively maintained; the developer is looking for someone to pick up the project. If you want a commercially supported uninstall tool, you can check out the $12.95US AppZapper or the highly-recommended and multicapable file organizer Hazel for $21.95. Mat also wrote up a helpful Mac 101 on uninstaller tools last year.


TimeMachineEditor stops Time Machine from backing up every hour. On my network, with four Macs backing up to Time Machine, hourly, the network slows down to a crawl. This is especially annoying since my information isn't critical enough to be backed that frequently. TimeMachineEditor allows you to set exactly when Time Machine will run.

You can set backups for hourly intervals, like every 12 hours, or set up calendar backups which allow you to backup daily, weekly or monthly at any time you set. The hourly calendar interval is new to version 2.1. I have my Macs backup once a day during the wee hours with each Mac staggered by an hour or so to keep the network hit to a minimum.

Download all three and see how these brilliant little afterthoughts improve your Mac life.

TUAWFriday Favorite Triple Pack: Alarm Clock 2, Apptrap, and TimeMachineEditor originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>friday favoriteFridayFavoriteutilitiesFri, 03 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Want to BBQ with the iPhone? You don't even need an app]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/want-to-bbq-with-the-iphone-you-dont-even-need-an-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/want-to-bbq-with-the-iphone-you-dont-even-need-an-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/03/want-to-bbq-with-the-iphone-you-dont-even-need-an-app/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Not really -- if you really are planning to grill up some meat (or mushrooms and pineapples, they're good too) today or this weekend, you'll need a little more heat than your iPhone will give. But it's true, Apple's little handheld can get nice and toasty when it's really working*, and illustrator Chad Covino made a little Fourth of July BBQ-themed sketch about that very subject. We love it -- very nice work!

My iPhone does get hot, but not so hot I can't pick it up -- usually when I'm running 3D for a longer stretch of time or when the phone is doing some serious calculating like audio or photo editing, I start to feel the heat coming off the back. Batteries are to blame for some of the more extreme problems, however, and that's not a huge surprise, given that batteries in any mobile device have their issues. The good news in that case, however, is that the phone is unlikely to actually explode -- the repair guy Wired talks to says that "a little bit of smoke eventually is probably the best bet." Not that a smoking iPhone is a good situation at all, but you can at least be sure that your iPhone is not quite as hot as the fire under your burgers this weekend.

[* Note that the Apple KB article referenced here about temperature warnings/"don't leave the iPhone in the glove compartment" for the iPhone 3G and 3GS is not a new post, nor is the temperature alert screen unique to the 3GS; the KB was simply updated to include the newer device. Jim Dalrymple at The Loop has a solid rundown. FoxNews incorrectly reported that the support article was specific to the 3GS, but then did cite PC World's Melissa Perenson and David Coursey with personal stories of wicked-hot 3GS units. If your 3GS is overheating, check in with Apple support or your local AT&T store. -Ed.]

TUAWWant to BBQ with the iPhone? You don't even need an app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I love GPS. in the mid 1990s I had a Garmin unit that had no maps, just a bread crumb trail of where you were and where you'd been. I lived in England at the time, and thought I had a highly original idea to take it to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and walk across the Meridian line and watch the screen as the numbers dropped to zero longitude. When I got there, I was hardly alone. I was surrounded by other geeks doing exactly the same thing. Oh well.

GPS has come a long way, and AT&T has released their subscription based Navigator [App Store] for the iPhone. It requires OS version 3.0. It is fee based, and will set you back US$9.95 a month on your AT&T bill. It is loaded with features, and has voice guided turn by turn directions. It also offers:

  • Automatic rerouting
  • Updated maps with no additional charge
  • Real time traffic updates
  • Fuel Price searches and navigation to those locations
  • Point of interest searches in all the usual categories like ATM machines, hospitals, restaurants, airports

The map gives you a 3D view from a position just above and behind your vehicle. On the setup page you can chose flat maps if your prefer. I found the maps easy to read but would have preferred a landscape view instead of portrait (there is no option to change the orientation). I saw a little lag when driving, but generally the response was fast.

The app really needs a 3G connection. It works on the EDGE network, but was slow to load graphics. If you are somewhere where you have neither you are out of luck. No maps are contained on the app and nothing is cached. In essence, the app is only as good as the AT&T network, and if you do a lot of driving where the network is weak or absent, you'll be navigating on your own.

I found the voice very hard to hear. This is a limitation of the iPhone speaker. It just wasn't designed to be played at a loud volume. On the highway, with road noise, good luck hearing that warning to turn. Of course, the directions are on the map, but the whole purpose of voice instructions is to keep you from looking at the map.

Other features are a high altitude view of your entire trip from beginning to end, a list of your turns on a scrollable page, directions to the nearest AT&T WiFi hotspots (nice), and the ability to set your default navigation method like shortest, fastest, traffic optimized, prefer highways or streets, or pedestrian routing if you're not driving.

I found the voice alerts were too frequent. Frankly, the app is a blabbermouth, and it kept reminding me of a faraway turn too often for my taste. It would be nice to be able to set just how aggressive the voice warnings are.

The big question for most iPhone users will be whether to wait for other nav apps to appear. TomTom is imminent, as is an app from Navigon. They both download the maps to your phone, so you are not dependent on the AT&T network. You only need GPS, and that signal is everywhere. You could also buy an inexpensive dedicated unit; on the low end that will cost about the same as a year of the AT&T subscription, and will certainly have a better speaker. Of course, there will be fees to update the maps, but in my experience you can use a GPS for years without doing that. Points of interest change, but the iPhone provides other sources like Google for up to date info.

I also think it is a bloody shame that the AT&T app has no access to your address book. Apple has walled that data off from 3rd party apps, (Update: Apple provides the ability, the Navigator app hasn't implemented it) and it is just senseless to have you type everything in again. You can copy and paste the data, but it is a needless pain. The AT&T app has this access when it runs on other phones like the Blackberry.

In summary, the app works, and is feature laden. I'm not sure it is the best option for in-car navigation, and you might want to wait for other solutions to appear. Of course, you can always get the AT&T app and cancel. It's a month-by-month charge.

So how is it like to drive with this app? My colleague Steven Sande did just that, and his report will follow soon.

Before you go, here are some screen shots to give you a look at some of the features on AT&T Navigator:

Gallery: AT&T Navigator

TUAWCruising with the AT&T Navigator originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple is apparently alerting ALI forum members that Learning Interchange account passwords have been compromised. In a message forwarded to us by several TUAW readers, Apple warns that members who commonly use the same credentials on multiple sites may be at risk. If you are an ALI account user, please consider updating any accounts that use identical credentials. Here is the Apple quote that was sent to us.
We recently learned that the security of Apple Learning Interchange (ALI) members' names and passwords may have been compromised. These accounts are limited to accessing the ALI discussion board and do not contain sensitive information such as credit card or social security numbers.

While ALI member names and passwords are not linked to your Apple ID, our records indicate that your ALI member name and Apple ID are the same. For this reason we strongly recommend that you change your Apple ID password as well as any others that might have the same name and password combination.

At the time of posting, the ALI site (also linked to in the Source link) is unavailable. We do not have confirmation from Apple about this situation, although we have contacted them for a statement.

TUAWApple Learning Interchange: Security Compromise originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AlertALIApple Learning InterchangeAppleLearningInterchangeSecurityThu, 02 Jul 2009 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Because you can never have enough iPhone news... three more stories]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/because-you-can-never-have-enough-iphone-news-three-more-stor/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/because-you-can-never-have-enough-iphone-news-three-more-stor/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/because-you-can-never-have-enough-iphone-news-three-more-stor/#commentsFiled under:

While most of us at TUAW (in the US, anyway) are staring out the window, running down the clock to hit the lake or ocean or pavement in some manner, the intrepid bloggers of Engadget never take a vacation. Here are three* iPhone stories they posted today:

Apple patent applications offer glimpses of haptic screens, RFID readers, fingerprint ID
Oh man, haptics on the iPhone would be so sweet, and finally give us a little more than annoying clicks when typing. RFID and fingerprints? Well, that I'm not so keen on.

Apple patching nasty iPhone SMS vulnerability
Good ol' security maven Charlie Miller poked into the soft underbelly of the iPhone and discovered a pretty gnarly SMS hack that could potentially have your phone activating GPS, the phone's mic, and other nastiness. Perfect setup for a Tom Clancy novel or totally scary vulnerability? Read the HotHardware piece and see for yourself.

iPhone facing potential trademark issues in China?
Yeah, who'd have thunk there would be a trademark dispute over the name iPhone in China, right? Funny thing is, Apple has a trademark on iPhone in China... just not on mobile phones. Oops.

[Thanks to the tipsters who sent these in a while ago, there's fresh beer in the fridge in the garage!]

*OK, four stories. MG Siegler over at TechCrunch has a linkalicious report on Facebook's upcoming new iPhone app featuring... video uploads! (gasp, applause, nausea, use as directed)

TUAWBecause you can never have enough iPhone news... three more stories originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iphonenewsroundupThu, 02 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[iPhone is humongous for AT&T]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/iphone-is-humongous-for-atandt/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/iphone-is-humongous-for-atandt/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/iphone-is-humongous-for-atandt/#commentsFiled under: ,

Mac Daily News and other sources are reporting today on a leaked AT&T memo that states that the company retail stores had their best day ever with the launch of the iPhone 3GS.

"iLaunch day 2009 was one for the record books, as AT&T customers scrambled to get their hands on the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet.

Here's a look at some of the milestones we achieved:

* Best-ever sales day in our retail stores
* Second-largest traffic day in our retail stores
* Most transactions processed via our IT systems in a single day
* Most upgrade eligibility checks in a single day
* Largest order day in att.com history
* Largest features sales day in att.com history

On this year's launch day, iPhone sales exceeded sales recorded on 2008's iPhone launch day, Black Friday 2008 and Dec. 26, 2008 - all heavy-volume sales days. In fact, this year we surpassed 2008's launch day sales at about noon Central time, and sustained our previous peak hour record, also set in 2008, for 11 straight hours."

If the numbers are accurate, the iPhone blew by most analyst predictions that the iPhone would not sell as well as the 3G iPhone released last summer.

Even better news, numbers like these should give Apple some leverage to force the wireless giant to improve what for many is a mediocre experience using the AT&T network. The iPhone exclusive is up next year, and rumors persist that Apple is talking to other carriers, most notably Verizon.

via Mac Daily News and TechCrunch

TUAWiPhone is humongous for AT&T originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ATTATT retail storesiPhoneiphone 3gsIphone3gsleaked memosales recordsThu, 02 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WWDC Demo: Zombies, a modern update of Daleks (preview)]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/wwdc-demo-zombies-a-modern-update-of-daleks-preview/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/wwdc-demo-zombies-a-modern-update-of-daleks-preview/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/wwdc-demo-zombies-a-modern-update-of-daleks-preview/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I can't count the number of hours I spent at the UT Music Library on a Performa or Quadra or Centris (I had a Centris 610 at the time) playing Daleks. Strangely addicting but incredibly simple, the game mechanic has been repeated often in the casual game universe, and Daleks was essentially a rip of Robots on UNIX. You try to get away from something, one step at a time, as those somethings inch ever closer, one step at a time. It's turn-based "tag." There's a terribly unsatisfying and buggy version called SuperDaleks for OS X here.

Zombies is a bit of an update for the venerable classic, although there's also a classic game called Zombies using the very same mechanic -- nothing new under the sun, eh? But intead of dusting off that old IIsi, you can play Zombies on your iPhone or iPod touch. The developer added spells, allowing you to do something out of the norm each round. So, for example, you could teleport (sometimes seen in variations of this game). You can also destroy zombies with a spell, handy when you're in a no-win position.

The preview you see here is the unfinished version, but it's shaping up to be a pleasant reimagining of a classic. We'll post on Twitter when it's available.

TUAWWWDC Demo: Zombies, a modern update of Daleks (preview) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeAppStoredaleksgameiphoneipod touchIpodTouchpreviewrobotsvideowwdcwwdc09zombiesThu, 02 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[App Store Rejections: Apple rejects iKaraoke app, patent <strike>filed</strike> published for a karaoke player]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/app-store-rejections-apple-rejects-ikaraoke-app-then-files-a-p/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/app-store-rejections-apple-rejects-ikaraoke-app-then-files-a-p/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/app-store-rejections-apple-rejects-ikaraoke-app-then-files-a-p/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As if the waters surrounding the App Store approval process weren't murky enough, one developer has just hit an unprecedented wall. Apple rejected his app, iKaraoke, citing that it duplicated functionality of the iPod application. Of course, the "duplicate functionality" reason is nothing new, but Apple's next step is: just a few weeks after rejecting the application, they have filed a patent for including karaoke functionality into the iPod app.

A brief look at the demo iKaraoke's website will quickly tell you that, while the app does bear a light resemblance to some of the menus found in the iPod application, the actual interface that the user interacts with to select and download a song is far from duplicating the iPod's polished interface. Another key point is that the file format used by iKaraoke is known as the .kar format -- an unofficial extension of the MIDI specification that enables lyrics to appear in time with music. The lyrics are then displayed on the screen, and highlighted as the song is played. Does any of this sound like functionality found in the iPod app? We didn't think so.

So what exactly was duplicated then? According to apple, iKaraoke "duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application, iPod, without providing sufficient differentiation or added functionality." But they didn't just stop there. The reviewer went on to say that the application "downloads media files that are not managed by the iTunes application, which also manages media files, we believe this would be confusing to the user." Now, hold on a minute here... it's fine for several other apps to stream and download media files that are supported by the iPod without being managed by iTunes, but it's not OK for an app to download media that isn't natively supported, and provide functionality that isn't natively provided by the iPod?

This wouldn't be much different from your typical app rejection if the story stopped there, but it doesn't. This morning, Apple filed a patent [application here] which details built-in Karaoke functionality being added as part of the iPod application, with some additional bells and whistles such as monitoring the pitch of the user's voice. So it seems the functionality that was duplicated is functionality that Apple has not yet released, and possibly not yet even begun to develop. Maybe the $99 iPhone Developer Program fee should include a crystal ball for testing apps before submitting them.

As with the many other patents Apple has filed, this feature may never see the light of day. But is it really acceptable to reject an application, based solely on what appears to be a duplication of a feature that may or may not even be released in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Update: As a few of you have pointed out in the comments, although the patent application was published today, it actually was originally filed back in April of 2008. While this does indicate that the patent was indeed filed long before the SDK was even released, questions still remain about whether or not Apple may choose to reject applications based on functionality found in unreleased features.

Similar rejections have occurred with apps that offered podcast downloads prior to the inclusion of podcasting functionality in iTunes, for example. Essentially, what needs to happen is that Apple needs to clear the air on what exactly is considered a duplication of functionality, and to be clear with the developer on exactly what aspects of their application are in violation of this requirement, rather than sending a vague form letter and ignoring inquiries for additional information from the developer.

TUAWApp Store Rejections: Apple rejects iKaraoke app, patent filed published for a karaoke player originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeapp store approvalapp store reviewAppStoreAppStoreApprovalAppStoreReviewiKaraokeiPhoneiPod touchIpodTouchkaraokepatentpatent applicationPatentApplicationpatentsrejectedrejectionrejection lettersRejectionLettersThu, 02 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[iLaugh, therefore I exist]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/ilaugh-therefore-i-exist/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/ilaugh-therefore-i-exist/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/ilaugh-therefore-i-exist/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Jokes are relative. What's hysterically funny for one person may not even crack a smile on another person's face. iLaugh [App Store], a database of over 50,000 jokes for the iPhone and iPod touch from developer Azure Talon, uses sheer volume of bon mots to ensure that you'll be able to find a funny story for just about every taste.

You can pick from a variety of genres from Animals to Yo Mama!, and turn on/off sex or rude jokes as well as important categories such as Chuck Norris Facts. Each joke or story can receive a thumbs up or down from you and other iLaugh users, and the app allows you to filter out jokes that don't meet a certain minimum score.

Want to share a laugh with friends? iLaugh has Facebook and Twitter buttons that send the joke on to the rest of the world, and you can also use cut & paste on iPhone OS 3.0 devices to email the offending lines to your friends.

All of the chuckles are available for US$0.99, and iLaugh would be a smart purchase to make before those 4th of July picnics.

TUAWiLaugh, therefore I exist originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app reviewapp storeAppReviewAppStorehumoriphoneipod touchIpodTouchjokesThu, 02 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The 88 song recorded on iPhone and released in iTunes Store]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/the-88-song-recorded-on-iphone-and-released-in-itunes-store/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/the-88-song-recorded-on-iphone-and-released-in-itunes-store/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/the-88-song-recorded-on-iphone-and-released-in-itunes-store/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Remember that time you were on tour with The B-52's and had a great idea for a song, but there was no recording equipment to be found? Oh wait, that was The 88. Well anyway, The 88 recently recorded their latest single with nothing but an iPhone and the Sonoma Wire Works Four Track application, according to The Loop.

The 88 recorded the song, Love is the Thing, with a few tricks: to make sure the drums didn't overpower the iPhone speaker, they covered the drums with a sheet and uses brushes instead of drumsticks to deaden the sound. Four Track records at 16 bits and 44.1 kHz and can make unlimited-length tracks. The band recorded 14 separate tracks, including various guitars, vocals, and effects, and combined them on a Mac for the final mix.

The band documented the process in more detail on their website. The song sounds great quality-wise and is now available in the iTunes Store for $0.99, and Four Track is in the App Store for $9.99.

TUAWThe 88 song recorded on iPhone and released in iTunes Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeappstoreaudiobandiphoneitunes storeItunesStoremusicrecordrecordingthe 88The88Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple rumored not to renew contract with NVIDIA for graphics chips]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/appled-rumored-not-to-renew-contract-with-nvidia-for-graphics-ch/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/appled-rumored-not-to-renew-contract-with-nvidia-for-graphics-ch/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/appled-rumored-not-to-renew-contract-with-nvidia-for-graphics-ch/#commentsFiled under: ,


The relationship between Apple and NVIDIA, the manufacturer of the graphics chips in most Macs for quite some time now, appears to be souring at an exponential rate. Electronista reports that negotiations between the two companies to continue their business relationship are not going well, with Apple accusing NVIDIA of being arrogant. According to a source with access to NVIDIA, Apple is on track to cut NVIDIA off as a graphics chip provider for the next 3-4 years.

If the two companies cannot reach an agreement, NVIDIA would continue to provide chips for models that currently use NVIDIA, but Apple would be likely to drop NVIDIA chipsets in updates to their product line, particularly in iMacs and MacBooks currently based on Intel's Nehalem architecture.

A significant factor in the disagreement is the way NVIDIA handled the graphics failures of MacBook Pros carrying the GeForce 8600M video chipset, which had a tendency to overheat and eventually stop working. Apple had to extend the warranty on MBP models graphics chips sold from June 2007 to October 2008 to three years (the Apple support page on this issue can be found here).

The relationship between Intel and NVIDIA hasn't exactly helped, either. Both businesses filed opposing lawsuits over NVIDIA's license to make mainboard chipsets with their own internal memory controllers. If Intel wins, NVIDIA could not make another chipset like its GeForce 9400M model that supports Core i7 processors, and would oust NVIDIA from Macs by exclusion.

Neither Apple nor NVIDIA have publicly spoken on the matter so far. Apple does have a history of severing relationships almost without warning, as they dropped ATI (now AMD) from Power Mac G4s after the company revealed Apple's plans ahead of a Macworld keynote address. However, if Apple does indeed drop NVIDIA, they may have to return to AMD in order to maintain their current graphics standard.

TUAWApple rumored not to renew contract with NVIDIA for graphics chips originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaplamdapplechipchipsetgraphicsgraphicscardintelnvidiaThu, 02 Jul 2009 11:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Dunkin' Run lets you live in the future, Dunkin' Donuts style]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/dunkin-run-lets-you-live-in-the-future-dunkin-donuts-style/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/dunkin-run-lets-you-live-in-the-future-dunkin-donuts-style/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/02/dunkin-run-lets-you-live-in-the-future-dunkin-donuts-style/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Ever wanted to order a bunch of coffee and doughnuts along with your friends online, and then go and pick them up in the store? There is, in fact, an app for that. Dunkin' Donuts has released Dunkin' Run (iTunes link), an app that not only connects you and your friends together (through a strange love of pastries and java), but will allow you to set up an order and then go straight to the store and pick it up.

Sound unnecessary and lame? Maybe -- though it is free, even if it's adware as adware can possibly get. And apparently the app is really badly designed, not to mention that we do feel a little dirty telling you about it: you should probably eat something a little healthier, like a banana or even an (wait for it) apple.

But let's not forget where we started out here -- back in the day, we dreamed of ordering coffee on our iPhone, and now that day has basically come. Unfortunately, the best parts of the dream haven't yet materialized -- Dunkin' Runs only lets you tally up orders among your friends, not actually deliver them to the store. For that, you've still got to show the cashier your iPhone screen, and/or read them off the order. But it is a step closer to the dream. If companies are going to make apps that are actually useful for us, they have to start with apps like this, no? And if nothing else, it's an app that will tell you where Dunkin' Donuts is -- that's all I use my Bank of America app for anyway.

TUAWDunkin' Run lets you live in the future, Dunkin' Donuts style originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appapp-storebank-of-americacoffeedesigndunkin-donutsdunkin-runfreewareiphoneorderpastriessocial-mediasocial-networkingThu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask TUAW: iTunes libraries, Mac data recovery, Snow Leopard on older Macs and more]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/ask-tuaw-itunes-libraries-mac-data-recovery-snow-leopard-on-o/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/ask-tuaw-itunes-libraries-mac-data-recovery-snow-leopard-on-o/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/ask-tuaw-itunes-libraries-mac-data-recovery-snow-leopard-on-o/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

We're back with another edition of Ask TUAW. This time around we've answering questions about iTunes libraries, Mac data recovery, Snow Leopard on older Macs and more.

As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X (we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions.

Daneel asks:

I'm running OS X 10.5.7 and Windows Vista (via Bootcamp) on my iMac 24". I was wondering if there was any way in which I could make the iTunes apps in both Windows and Mac use the same iTunes library. File access is not a problem as I've got the ntfs-3g driver on the mac side and mac drive on the PC side.

I have my iTunes library on an external hard drive. To make iTunes use this particular folder, I create an alias of the folder on the external drive and replace my iTunes folder located in Users> "User Name" > Music with the alias. iTunes has no problem with this setup.

You should be able to do the same thing in both the Mac and Windows versions of iTunes. Just set an alias of the iTunes folder you want to use in Windows pointing to your Mac iTunes library and you should be good to go.


Continue reading Ask TUAW: iTunes libraries, Mac data recovery, Snow Leopard on older Macs and more

TUAWAsk TUAW: iTunes libraries, Mac data recovery, Snow Leopard on older Macs and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask tuawAskTuawdata recoveryDataRecoverygamingiPhone3gsiTunesmonitormouseWed, 01 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Psystar emerges from Chapter 11, and still making applesauce]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/pystar-emerges-from-chapter-11-and-still-making-applesauce/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/pystar-emerges-from-chapter-11-and-still-making-applesauce/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/pystar-emerges-from-chapter-11-and-still-making-applesauce/#commentsFiled under: ,

The infamous Mac-clone maker Psystar is apparently set to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and it seems that they are planning on getting right back into their previous routine with a new hardware offering to boot.

In an e-mail newsletter that went out to subscribers today, the company states that the Chapter 11 protection was "critical" to their daily operations, and that they are now ready to "emerge and again battle Goliath." More information is expected to be available "in the coming days" when they are formally discharged by the Bankruptcy court.

Along with the announcement, the newsletter also introduces Psystar's newest hardware offering, the Open(7), which "brings together OS X and Intel Nehalem Xeon technology" in what they are calling their "fastest and most quiet computing configuration." In addition, they are stating that all new systems will feature a new bootloader, called the Darwin Universal Boot Loader (DUBL), and mentioned plans of an open source release in the near future.

The e-mail was wrapped up with a simple anecdote: When life gives you apples, make applesauce. So this begs the question, are they referring to the fruit, or the company?


Thanks to Sean Wightman for the tip!

TUAWPsystar emerges from Chapter 11, and still making applesauce originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applebreaking newsBreakingNewsclonehackint0shpsystarWed, 01 Jul 2009 16:20:00 EST<![CDATA[User friendliness, new features highlight Nike+ site redesign]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/user-friendliness-new-features-highlight-nike-site-redesign/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/user-friendliness-new-features-highlight-nike-site-redesign/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/user-friendliness-new-features-highlight-nike-site-redesign/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Since its introduction in May 2006, the look, feel and features of the Nike+ website have undergone relatively minor changes. Which makes the redesign (still in beta) of the site all the more noteworthy. By putting familiar faces in different places, as well as adding some new faces, Nike has added some polish on an already great and revolutionary fitness motivational tool.

Continue reading User friendliness, new features highlight Nike+ site redesign

TUAWUser friendliness, new features highlight Nike+ site redesign originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>exercisefitnessiphoneIphone3gSipod nanoipod touchIpodNanoIpodTouchnikenike plusNikePlusrunningsite redesignSiteRedesignWed, 01 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[A (slightly) new look for MobileMe]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/a-slightly-new-look-for-mobileme/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/a-slightly-new-look-for-mobileme/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/a-slightly-new-look-for-mobileme/#commentsFiled under:

When I logged into MobileMe this morning, I noticed that my iDisk icon looked a bit different ... it now resembles the one representing the forthcoming iDisk app for the iPhone. It's not the only visual tweak to MobileMe. The Settings icon has received a refresh, and Mail has been changed to look more like its desktop counterpart, showing the count of unread items next to their respective folders.

A look at the status history for MobileMe shows that maintenance was performed late last night on the web apps, resulting in the new look throughout the site. Other changes to MobileMe include:

  • The Help menu is now accessible from the toolbar.
  • Mail forwarding and replies now retain original formatting.
  • All messages on MobileMe can now be searched from the iPhone or iPod Touch.
  • Automatic album creation from the iPhone or iPod Touch with version 3.0 software.
  • iPhone 3GS users can publish video to MobileMe.
  • iPhone contacts maintain ringtone associations after syncing with MobileMe.
  • Option to merge contacts and calendars on first sync.
  • Turning off sync will enable users to still keep a copy of their data on their device rather than wiping it.

TUAWA (slightly) new look for MobileMe originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>idiskmobilemeupdateWed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Have you registered for WWNC 2009 yet?]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/have-you-registered-for-wwnc-2009-yet/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/have-you-registered-for-wwnc-2009-yet/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/have-you-registered-for-wwnc-2009-yet/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If you haven't registered yet, you'd better get moving since WWNC 2009 starts on July 31st!

What? You don't know what WWNC 2009 is? It's the WorldWide Newton Conference, and it's planned for July 31st through August 2nd in Vancouver, B.C. Lest you think that the Newton platform is a Dead Parrot, you should be aware that there is still a vital community of Newton enthusiasts.

Some of the expected topics at the conference are:
  • Uses for Newton in today's world: for personal and business use (e.g. connecting to company database)
  • Improving Newtsync: discussion on improving OS X's Newton sync application
  • Ebooks and Newton: development of PDF viewer applications for Newton
  • Discussion around Einstein and new hardware platforms
  • Newton programming 101 for beginners
  • How to GPS with the Newton, from A-Z
  • How to Network the Newton: NPDS, wifi, etc.
Compared to WWDC, the WorldWide Newton Conference is a bargain at just $55 (accommodations, meals, and transportation not included) for the three days. If you still feel the love for your MessagePad, you should plan on attending this conference (I'd go, but I don't think Weblogs, Inc. will pay my airfare...). Sign up now!

TUAWHave you registered for WWNC 2009 yet? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conferencenewtonWed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Pine Tree State orders 64,000 MacBooks, with more to come]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/the-pine-tree-state-orders-64-000-macbooks-with-more-to-come/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/the-pine-tree-state-orders-64-000-macbooks-with-more-to-come/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/the-pine-tree-state-orders-64-000-macbooks-with-more-to-come/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Associated Press released an article today noting that the Maine Department of Education has placed an order for more than 64,000 MacBooks. The MacBooks are being purchased from Apple as a part of Maine's Learning Technology Initiative, which has provided MacBooks to all middle school students in Maine since 2002.

The new order expands the program to high school students who did not receive a MacBook in middle school, and also provides the laptops to faculty for grades 7 through 12.

Maine is expected to place an additional order for about 7,000 more laptops within a few weeks. The laptops can also be used as an economic development tool for parents as well, providing software that links the computers to the Maine Department of Labor resources, including career centers.

Does your state, country, or school district provide laptops to every student? If they do, and they're providing Macs, let us know.

TUAWThe Pine Tree State orders 64,000 MacBooks, with more to come originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>educationmacbookmaineWed, 01 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WWDC Demo: Pix Remix for iPhone, iPod touch (preview)]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/wwdc-demo-pix-remix-for-iphone-ipod-touch-preview/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/wwdc-demo-pix-remix-for-iphone-ipod-touch-preview/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/wwdc-demo-pix-remix-for-iphone-ipod-touch-preview/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Pix Remix isn't yet on the App Store, but I'm hoping it lands soon. If you've ever tried the Ken Burns effect in iPhoto to move photos around during a slideshow, you know how frustrating it is when the effect chops off the faces or other important parts of your photo while moving. Pix Remix does this better, plus more, all on your iPhone with your photos.

With Pix Remix you choose the photos you want (on your iPhone or iPod touch), put them in order, then create a slideshow using a path for the camera. You control the zoom as well, so instead of cutting off faces you can zoom into them instead. As you can see in the video, it's quite simple. This is the "pan and zoom" type of slideshow.

Pix Remix features a collage mode that reminds me of Microsoft's Surface technology -- a set of photos sit on a virtual table, and you can zoom, move and rotate them with your fingers. It looks like someone placing photos on a flat surface, except you can animate them.

Those are a couple of the slideshow options, and there's the option to add captions as well, or you can create a simple slideshow with nothing but transitions and captions. The final piece of the puzzle: export. You can send your slideshows to Twitter or Facebook or via email. I noticed the other day there were inactive links for a "reader" app, presumably to watch Remix slideshows on another iPhone without the full app, but that has been removed.

We'll keep an eye out for when Pix Remix hits the store, so check our Twitter feed for the latest updates.

TUAWWWDC Demo: Pix Remix for iPhone, iPod touch (preview) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeAppStoreiphoneipod touchIpodTouchphotophotographypicturespix remixPixRemixslideshowvideoWed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Is this what's in the next iPhone update?]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/is-this-whats-in-the-next-iphone-update/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/is-this-whats-in-the-next-iphone-update/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/is-this-whats-in-the-next-iphone-update/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The iPhone Blog is reporting what's purported to be in the next, and hopefully imminent iPhone update to version 3.1. As we've reported, developers were seeded with the beta Tuesday.

Here's the list:

  • Voice Control now works over Bluetooth
  • Updated AT&T profile to 4.2 (MMS is now enabled)
  • Improvements to OpenGL and Quartz.
  • iPhone vibrates when moving icons
  • Non-destructive video editing means trimming a clip no longer saves over the original video but gives you the option to "Save as copy..."
  • APIs to allow third party apps to access videos and edit them.
  • Updated modem firmware to 5.08.01

If true, it will put smiles on a lot of iPhone owners' faces. The omission of Bluetooth voice control seemed downright silly. Losing your original video after an edit seemed pretty counter-intuitive as well. It also appears MMS will appear in the update, but that only matters if AT&T turns it on.

No firm dates for the update of course, but if the above is accurate it will be a good one.

Thanks Brad for the tip

TUAWIs this what's in the next iPhone update? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewsiPhoneiphone os 3.1Iphone3.1iphoneosIphoneOs3.1MMSupdatevideo editingvoice controlWed, 01 Jul 2009 07:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Staying Safe: securing your wireless connection]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/staying-safe-securing-your-wireless-connection/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/staying-safe-securing-your-wireless-connection/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/01/staying-safe-securing-your-wireless-connection/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Recently, we reported on AT&T's push to make it easier for iPhone & iPod touch users to connect to their Wi-Fi Hot Spots. One of our readers, Jamie Phelps, pointed out on his blog that AT&T's Wi-Fi service is not actually a "secure connection," as is advertised in various places on their website; we had overlooked this, and mistakenly reinforced the company's shaky claim in our post.

This brings to light an important point about wireless networks and security, however. It's really easy (and sadly all too common) to hop on to an available wireless signal in your office, at the hotel, or your favorite coffee spot and not even think twice about logging in to your e-mail or checking your bank balance.

What many users don't realize is even though the server you are connecting to (i.e. your bank's website) may employ several layers of security, the connection between your computer and the wireless access point is very likely to be unsecured. Anyone who is within range of your computer can trivially monitor the traffic being sent between your computer and the access point, allowing them to see what websites you may be visiting or capture details about other services that you may be connected to. This isn't because of some gaping vulnerability or software bug, it's just an inherent part of how wireless networks work.

So, what can you do to protect yourself? Read on for a list of simple steps you can take to ensure that your wireless connection is safe and secure.

Continue reading Staying Safe: securing your wireless connection

TUAWStaying Safe: securing your wireless connection originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aebsairportairport extremeAirportExtremeattencryptionhot spotsHotSpotshow toHowTonetworkingsecuritysecurity 101Security101wifiwirelessWed, 01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WWDC Demo: Master Jumperton and Battle of Pirate Bay (preview)]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/wwdc-demo-master-jumperton-and-battle-of-pirate-bay-preview/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/wwdc-demo-master-jumperton-and-battle-of-pirate-bay-preview/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/wwdc-demo-master-jumperton-and-battle-of-pirate-bay-preview/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Master Jumperton is a simple game where you swipe to create platforms for Master Jumperton to continually jump higher and higher. There are some similar games on the store, but Jumperton is well-crafted and features a high scores board and basic options. Master Jumperton isn't yet available on the store.

The Battle of Pirate Bay will be available July 1, we are told, and it's a more involved game. That isn't to say it is complicated, as anyone familiar with Flight Control or Harbor Master's game mechanic will understand what to do. Battle goes one step beyond time and path management to add the element of battle with waves of enemies. You have to balance ammo and the health of your base in the bay plus the routing of faster or slower ships with different capabilities all while moving your finger around to direct traffic, as it were. Very fast-paced, and it looks like a lot of fun. We'll tweet when it lands in the store this week.

Both games are from veteran mobile developers Muteki, who developed Maze Finger and Topple 2 for ngmoco. Topple 2 won an Apple design award at this year's WWDC.

Gallery: Battle of Pirate Bay screenshots



Update: The Battle of Pirate Bay (iTunes link) is now available in the store.

TUAWWWDC Demo: Master Jumperton and Battle of Pirate Bay (preview) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle of pirate bayBattleOfPirateBayiphoneiphone gameIphoneGameipod touchIpodTouchmaster jumpertonMasterJumpertonvideowwdcwwdc09Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple releases 3.1 beta for iPhone SDK]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/apple-releases-3-1-beta-for-iphone-sdk/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/apple-releases-3-1-beta-for-iphone-sdk/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/apple-releases-3-1-beta-for-iphone-sdk/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Apple has released a 3.1 beta for the iPhone SDK. Both the SDK beta and firmware are available for testing and development to paid members of the iPhone developer program. As pre-release software, any details about this new release remain under NDA.

A pre-installation advisory and beta release notes are available as per Apple's usual release strategy. As before, you cannot use the 3.1 SDK to create applications for submitting to the App Store, so if you plan to download it be prepared to create a separate installation directory.

The new release comes just on the heels of the public 3.0 firmware. Its full-dot-number indicates that it contains more than just minor bug fixes (a relatively minor revision would probably be listed as 3.0.1).

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

TUAWApple releases 3.1 beta for iPhone SDK originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3.1iphoneSDKTue, 30 Jun 2009 19:25:00 EST<![CDATA[iPhoto update to 8.0.4 released]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/iphoto-update-to-8-04-released/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/iphoto-update-to-8-04-released/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/iphoto-update-to-8-04-released/#commentsFiled under: ,



Constant reader Joachim Bean alerted us that the an update to iPhoto '09. Version 8.0.4 is ready and available via Software Update.

Apple states that 'this update addresses a rarely encountered issue involving photos imported into a previous version that could affect overall stability, and corrects references to a few points of interest and location names that were labelled incorrectly. It's recommended for all users of iPhoto '09.'

The update also fixes the installation bug in 8.0.3 that we covered a few weeks back. The update screen contains a link to an Apple article explaining the fix of this problem.

TUAWiPhoto update to 8.0.4 released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ilife 09Ilife09iphoto 09Iphoto09software updateSoftwareUpdateTue, 30 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple blows past other hardware web sites in May]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/apple-blows-past-other-hardware-web-sites-in-may/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/apple-blows-past-other-hardware-web-sites-in-may/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/apple-blows-past-other-hardware-web-sites-in-may/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Wow. It isn't even close. Apple blew by HP, Dell and even MagicJack (!) with the most visits to a website in May. According to the people who compile such statistics at Nielsen, Apple drew 55.7 million unique viewers, more than double what next ranked HP did. Much of that may have been driven by anticipation of the new iPhone. Here's the chart.



Also interesting is that Nielsen computes the average visitor stayed on the Apple site an average of 1 hour and 14 minutes. That's a lot of reading and watching demo videos.

Nielsen also took a look at blog mentions of the iPhone in early June, and the numbers are pretty striking there too. You can see the peak as the release date approached, with another peak on release day June 19.



They say if people are talking about you it's a good thing. By that measure things are really great at Apple.

TUAWApple blows past other hardware web sites in May originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Apple web siteblog postsiPhone 3GSIphone3gsNielsen surveystatisticstrafficTue, 30 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jason Rohrer on going from indie to the App Store]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/jason-rohrer-on-going-from-indie-to-the-app-store/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/jason-rohrer-on-going-from-indie-to-the-app-store/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/jason-rohrer-on-going-from-indie-to-the-app-store/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

We covered Jason Rohrer's Primrose when it first came out -- the creator of Passage, a critically-acclaimed indie game, had taken his first steps onto the iPhone with an abstract puzzle game, and in this latest interview with Edge, Rohrer says he's on the iPhone to stay. He says that when he first moved from strictly art/indie games to more commercial development on the iPhone, he worried that he was selling out: he wasn't a fan of cell phones at all or any Chinese-made gadgets sold by American companies, and yet the iPhone's platform seemed most "palatable" to him in terms of making games and a little money from them.

And yet he says the iPhone still has pros and cons -- even in an "open source, free software" world, Apple's system offers a choice: you can buy a packaged-up version of the software and throw a little money back to the developer (not a ton -- he says you've still got a better chance at making a living from Vegas than you do from the App Store), or you can still try building and installing your own version on your iPhone. As an open-source developer selling apps on the App Store, he says, "you're charging for the service and convenience, not the content."

Still, he echoes the sentiments of lots of other developers: "There is no quality filter, except for the whims of the masses." Apple's App Store offers up an intriguing system for many indie developers like Rohrer, who want to earn a little money for their games without setting up all of the complexity and burdens of a more traditional publishing channel, but it's still tough to keep from getting lost in the mix.

TUAWJason Rohrer on going from indie to the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app-storecell-phonesdevelopersedgegamesindieinterviewiphonejason-rohrermaking-moneymoneypalatablequality-filterTue, 30 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Found Footage: Inexpensive do-it-yourself tripod mount for iPhone]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/found-footage-inexpensive-do-it-yourself-tripod-mount-for-iphon/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/found-footage-inexpensive-do-it-yourself-tripod-mount-for-iphon/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/found-footage-inexpensive-do-it-yourself-tripod-mount-for-iphon/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


iPhone Savior featured this short video clip this morning by Scott Patrick showing how to use an inexpensive Contour iPhone case and some common hardware to make an iPhone tripod mount.

There are two impressive points about this mount; first, by using the Contour case, you know that the iPhone is going to be held securely (my wife used one for over a year and never had it inadvertently open up), and second, Scott made it so it will work with any standard tripod camera mount head.

With the tripod Scott is using, it would be simple to flip the camera 90° to put it into a landscape configuration. This should work well for both still photography with any iPhone or video work with the iPhone 3GS.

[Thanks to TUAW reader Michael for pointing us to this video]

TUAWFound Footage: Inexpensive do-it-yourself tripod mount for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diyiphonephotographytripodvideoyoutubeTue, 30 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[National Geographic Adventure's Top 20 iPhone Travel Apps]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/national-geographic-adventures-top-20-iphone-travel-apps/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/national-geographic-adventures-top-20-iphone-travel-apps/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/national-geographic-adventures-top-20-iphone-travel-apps/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When it comes to adventure and travel, who could possibly know more than National Geographic Adventure magazine?

The magazine's website has regular features about techie toys and tools, so it was no surprise that blogger Steve Casimiro would write a post featuring his choices for the top twenty travel apps for iPhone. Some of his choices, such as HearPlanet, FlightTrack Pro, the Lonely Planet Phrasebooks, and World Customs [clicks open iTunes] aren't surprising, while others (Packing, Room) are interesting apps I wouldn't have even thought to try.

Of course, all of us have our own favorite travel apps. I couldn't imagine going on a trip anywhere in the world without Geocaching, and I like the free TripIt app better than the one that comes with FlightTrack Pro. I now have Brushes with me everywhere I go to capture quick sketches, and what's travel photography without being able to take panorama shots with Pano or 3D pictures with 3D Camera?

What are some of the apps that you can't live without when you're traveling? Leave your comment below.

TUAWNational Geographic Adventure's Top 20 iPhone Travel Apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeAppStoreiphonenational geographicNationalGeographictravelTue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Batch tagging your iTunes videos the easy way]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/batch-tagging-your-itunes-videos-the-easy-way/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/batch-tagging-your-itunes-videos-the-easy-way/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/batch-tagging-your-itunes-videos-the-easy-way/#commentsFiled under: , ,

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

If we applied Shakespeare's logic to today's digital age, then it would also mean that watching mis-tagged or untagged videos on your Apple device (be it a Mac, iPhone, iPod or Apple TV) would be just as enjoyable. Okay, you got me, they'd probably be just as good. But this doesn't mean you're excused from tagging your videos appropriately.

First, a bit of background. The vast majority of videos purchased from the iTunes store, as well as "digital copy" (iPod/iPhone pre-formatted videos that are sometimes included on DVDs and Blu-Ray discs), will come pre-tagged. So, the situation for those in this camp (myself included) is peachy, especially when using an Apple TV. Your videos show up on the screen screen with proper titles, season and episode numbers, actors, and descriptions. Just the way Steve likes 'em.

But what if you already own the DVD and want a version for your iTunes library? For those of you with the time and patience to rip an MPEG-4 version (and believe me, this takes some patience, especially if you use H.264 encoding) of your favorite videos, a HandBrake-MetaX martini make tagging your videos a bit more of a pleasurable experience - as if it wasn't fun enough already.

Continue reading Batch tagging your iTunes videos the easy way

TUAWBatch tagging your iTunes videos the easy way originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apple tvAppleTvdvdhandbrakeiphoneitunesmacmetaxmoviesquicktimetagtaggingtv showsTvShowsvideovideosTue, 30 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Doom Resurrection on the iPhone now, lots more id games to come]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/doom-resurrection-on-the-iphone-now-lots-more-id-games-to-come/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/doom-resurrection-on-the-iphone-now-lots-more-id-games-to-come/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/doom-resurrection-on-the-iphone-now-lots-more-id-games-to-come/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Fellow shooter fans rejoice -- id software's John Carmack has begun delivering on his love of the iPhone with a brand new game made just for the platform called Doom Resurrection, available right now on the App Store for the price of $9.99. There's nothing small about this game at all -- it offers up 76 mb of original id shooter, including eight levels total, six on Mars, and two more (spoiler?) in Hell, all set in a graphics and control engine designed just for Apple's handhelds (you control aiming with the accelerometer while the game runs you around on rails, and hit the various on-screen buttons to shoot or jump into cover). Unfortunately, there's no lite version to test out (though we can probably expect one eventually, considering Wolfenstein Classic got one), but early reviews say that if you like Doom, you'll enjoy the game.

And that's not all -- besides this original version of Doom, Carmack and id continue to have big plans for the iPhone: Quake and Quake 2 are headed there for sure, and Quake 3 probably isn't far behind, as well as a RAGE-related title. And that doesn't even include the rest of the mobile stuff they have planned: apparently Wolfenstein RPG is ready to go, and Carmack hints that they've got even more original titles like Doom Resurrection here up their sleeve. Good to see a major, established developer like id is really committing to delivering new games for the iPhone.

TUAWDoom Resurrection on the iPhone now, lots more id games to come originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doomdoom-resurrectiongamehellid-softwareiphonejohn-carmacklevelsmarson-railsquakequake-3rageshooterwolfensteinTue, 30 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fluent Mobile releases the first news aggregator iPhone app]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/fluent-mobile-releases-the-first-news-aggregator-iphone-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/fluent-mobile-releases-the-first-news-aggregator-iphone-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/fluent-mobile-releases-the-first-news-aggregator-iphone-app/#commentsFluent Mobile has released an innovative news oriented iPhone app that may be a game changer. The Fluent Mobile app aggregates mobile ready content from multiple content providers. According to M:Metrics in January of this year, mobile news sites were visited over 63 million times and the number is growing. This is a huge market.

Currently 1.5% of all web content is Google optimized and nicely formatted for mobile devices and the number is increasing. Fluent Mobile takes advantage of this content and aggregates it, creating a news portal with content from Bloomberg for business, ESPN for sports, The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News and USA Today, among others, for news. Upon launch, content will be provided by 32 separate sources and more will be added as relevant sites become mobile enhanced. For the first time an app provides one-stop shopping for news.

The information is organized well, allowing you to choose from a number of categories including U.S. News, Entertainment, Sports, Business, and Travel.

Continue reading Fluent Mobile releases the first news aggregator iPhone app

TUAWFluent Mobile releases the first news aggregator iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aggregatoraggregatorsapp reviewAppReviewbreaking newsbreakingnewsfluentiphonemobilenewsnews readerNewsReaderreleasereleasesTue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SMS texting and voicemail support come with latest Skype update]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/sms-texting-and-voicemail-support-come-with-latest-skype-update/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/sms-texting-and-voicemail-support-come-with-latest-skype-update/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/30/sms-texting-and-voicemail-support-come-with-latest-skype-update/#commentsFiled under: ,

Skype (iTunes link) has been updated to 1.1, which brings it some new features making it more closely resemble its desktop sibling. So, what's new? Well, there's now support for Skype voicemail (subscription needed) and SMS text messaging.

However, SMS texting is not bidirectional. Which means that you can send SMS texts, but not receive them. And while a dialog box states that sent SMS texts will show up as sent from the sender's Skype screen name, in my case it displayed the "999-99" caller ID that typically accompanies calls from a Skype-based client. Perhaps that's because I don't have a SkypeIn number?

The 1.1 update also provides additional language support as well as more help when dialing phones.

TUAWSMS texting and voicemail support come with latest Skype update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iphoneskypesmsupdatevoicemailTue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[iPhone making a splash in the arts]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/29/iphone-making-a-splash-in-the-arts/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/29/iphone-making-a-splash-in-the-arts/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/29/iphone-making-a-splash-in-the-arts/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Not too long ago we told you about an artist creating a cover for the New Yorker magazine using a paint program on the iPhone. Now an Australian photographer has won an award for a photo he took on his iPhone.

Steve Turner created a rather striking collection of images he put together, and manipulated to create a print that caught the eye of the judges at the Photo Marketing Association show in Sydney.

I tried to contact the photographer, and we had a brief email back and forth. He's traveling so I don't have too many details and the time difference between us has made communications spotty. His messages, of course, are all coming via iPhone. Steve says he has about $200,000 worth of camera equipment but loves shooting on the iPhone. He used CameraBag for the effects, and scaled the photos up on his Mac at his studio. If you go to Steve's web site you'll see the photo pop up. It's the photo with 9 small images and a larger image of a car. His non- iPhone work is pretty impressive as well. My guess is the image was taken with the older 2MP camera, allowing for time to submit his photo for consideration, but it is impressive.

There's just no predicting how creative people can be even if the equipment is not top notch. As I remember learning some years ago from an instructor in a photography course when I was complaining about my little camera, 'If Ansel Adams uses my camera, he gets great pictures. If I get his camera, not so much.' Great lesson for us all, and congrats Steve.

Thanks to photographer Gavin Blue for the tip

TUAWiPhone making a splash in the arts originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardcameraiPhonephotographyMon, 29 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Found Footage: More new Stack features for jailbreak iPhones]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/29/found-footage-more-new-stack-features-for-jailbreak-iphones/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/29/found-footage-more-new-stack-features-for-jailbreak-iphones/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/29/found-footage-more-new-stack-features-for-jailbreak-iphones/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Looks like Stack for Jailbreak has some new improvements. For those of you unfamiliar with the application, Stack adds a quick-launch menu directly to your iPhone dock, letting you expand your dock space to hold all your favorite apps. With it you can add 16 items (using grid view) or 5 items (in fan view) for easy access in each stack. And stacks are not just limited to the dock. You can add stacks anywhere in the home screen as well.

As this video shows, you can now rename your stacks as well as use drag and drop editing. So you can create a 'Games' stack, an 'Internet' stack, and so forth. Removing items from a stack is just as easy as adding them. Just drag them out from the stack for an Apple-standard "puff of smoke" animation.

Stack, which is developed by iPhone expert Steven Troughton-Smith is donor-ware. Although not ready for public release, he has regularly been seeding early alpha builds to people who have donated to the project. But as you can see, it's making great progress.

Stack is a jailbreak-only product as Apple does not permit this kind of OS-based enhancement in App Store. That's a pity, because the relative difficulty and fear of jailbreaking keeps this kind of groundbreaking software away from the general public. It's an enhancement that Apple really should have built into the iPhone -- and hopefully someday will.

TUAWFound Footage: More new Stack features for jailbreak iPhones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dockiphoneipod touchIpodTouchjailbreakmodStackSteven Troughton-SmithStevenTroughton-smithMon, 29 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST