From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s Featured deals...

Scosche Industries announced today its release of new retractable charge and sync cables, boltBOX and microBOX, for Lightning and Android devices. The cables are available in blue, green, pink, red, black and white, providing consumers with aesthetic choice much like one can select a case for their mobile device. Both boltBOX and microBOX feature a three-foot-long cable with a magnetic locking connector that easily extends and retracts by pulling on both ends simultaneously. The compact cable is held within an enclosure the size of a small matchbox, allowing for portability. The boltBOX and mi... ...

Great idea.

∞ Read this on The Loop

A handful of Xerox devices have been found to randomly substitute characters while performing a copy action, but not an optical character recognition (OCR) analysis. Confirmed by experiment, both the Xerox WorkCentre 7535 and 7556 perform the swap, with a possible eight other devices also by Xerox manifesting the issue. The researcher who found the problem discovered that "patches of the pixel data are randomly replaced in a very subtle and dangerous way: The scanned images look correct at first glance, even though numbers may actually be incorrect."... ...

SpiritClips from Hallmark has a star-filled history. It was founded in 2007 by filmmaker Rob Fried who produced the inspiring film Rudy and worked on the equally uplifting flick Hoosiers. Fried originally founded SpiritClips as way to showcase inspirational short films and e-video cards. In the past six years, he has grown SpiritClips into a full-fledged online movie streaming service with hundreds of family-friendly titles.

Unlike Netflix or Hulu, SpiritClips doesn't show R-rated films, movies with excessive violence, language or nudity and avoids shows with political agendas or divisive social issues. It includes Hallmark Hall of Fame movies,...

Following recent safety concerns, Apple is offering to take back third-party iPhone, iPad, and iPod USB power adapters, and will even replace them with official ones — for a small fee.

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Apple has always been known for putting the experience of using their products ahead of technology itself. Customers use Apple products because they want to get something done, not tinker around. That has resulted in aspersions: Apple's Macs are toys. But now we're in the the Post-PC era, and it's time for a change of direction. John Martellaro has an idea.

Alongside Tuesday's seed of Apple's iOS 7 beta, the company also pushed out the latest Xcode 5 Developer Preview, the fifth such release for the coding tool.   ...

Nerval's Lobster writes "In a new Gizmodo column, Andreas Goeldi calls it the 'frosted glass' effect: when a prominent tech company's latest upgrade to its flagship operating system features frosted-glass highlights as its primary innovation, you know that company is facing a period of severe stagnation. That's what happened to Microsoft around the time of Windows Vista, Goeldi wrote, and Apple's going down the same road with iOS 7. In light of what he views as Apple's sclerosis, it wasn't difficult for him to abandon his iPhone in favor of a Google Android ecosystem. But is Apple really becoming the next Microsoft? In short: no. Apple seems to recognize everything that seemed to elude Microsoft's corporate thinking six years ago: namely, that even the most successful companies need to keep breaking into new categories, and keep innovating, if they want to stay ahead of hungry rivals. Rumors have persisted for quite some time that Apple is prepping big pushes into wearable...

Twitter has updated the iOS app for its social network with several additions, most notably integrated two-step authentication. Rather than use a phone number, Twitter subscribers can now sign up for authentication via the combination of the app and push messaging. Backup codes are generated in case a device is lost, and whenever a login request is made, Twitter will supply details of the person's browser and rough location....  ...

Mac Elite "boy8cookie" is looking for some feedback on their new app for iOS called "eyebrowse" that makes it possible to create "spaces" on your iOS device that each function as a web browser, making it possible to visit multiple websites simultaneously. "ShortcutToMoncton" is trying to figure out the best way of storing photos on their Mac, while editing them on their iPad....   ...

Apple's online store currently has a varied selection of refurbished iMacs falling under $1,499. Priced at $979 is the 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.5GHz Intel quad-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. A $200 discount is offered on the refurbished 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.7GHz Intel quad-core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M....   ...

Still love it when the lights in your house flash a rainbow of colors every time you're mentioned in a tweet? According to The Verge, Philips has announced two new additions to the Hue line of Internet-controlled lighting; the US$89.95 LightStrips and the $79.95 Bloom.

LightStrips are flexible, sticky-backed two-meter lengths of small LEDs made for accent lighting and things like frames. The Bloom (seen below, from the German Philips website) is a portable lamp that can be used to highlight an entire wall with its 120 lumen LED bulb. Both lights require the Philips Hue wireless bridge, which is part of the $199.95 starter kit available at Apple Stores and other retail locations. That kit includes the bridge and three controllable LED bulbs.

All of the Hue lighting products are energy-efficient and can be controlled through...

iFixIt, the web site dedicating to "helping everyone fix everything," is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As part of the celebration, the site has a new look.

What's more, iFixIt is giving everyone 10% off everything in their store. You can use the coupon code 10YEARS for Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and game control parts and tools. For more info go to www.ifixit.com .

If you can’t understand this then your an idiot.

By now we hope you've watched the first two YouTube Geek Week videos from TUAW -- the Stupid WeMo Tricks. Now we're going to something equally geeky, but much more impressive. In these two videos, TUAW editor-in-chief Victor Agreda Jr. talks with Southern Stars Founder and CEO Tim DeBenedictis not only about the company's products -- astronomy and telescope control apps -- but a project that DeBenedictis is literally trying to get off the ground.

In this first video, you'll see Southern Stars' incredible SkySafari 3 Pro app (US$39.99) in action, not only giving you a view of what it would be like to be in orbit around Saturn, but also controlling a telescope using the company's SkyFi...

The sequel to the excellent Mayan Puzzle, Mind Crew’s just-released Aztec Puzzle ($2) is all about redirecting flowing elements — water, fire, earth, and air, represented by moving lines passing through directional arrows — from one place to another using a limited amount of moves. The game has 72…

I spent a few hours today beginning to mix drums on a new project. I’ve always loved the Teletronix LA-2A, so today I used it in a number of situations, including the Mixbus. It sounded incredible. Universal Audio has the best emulations of the original hardware units because they make the hardware units. What it does is so subtle, but very pleasing.

∞ Read this on The Loop

With the proliferation of smartphones, nearly everyone these days is a de-facto photographer, ready to take a snapshot at a moment's notice. Indeed, one of Apple's best commercials in recent memory highlights the popularity of the iPhone as a means to take and share photos with friends and loved ones.

The "everyone is a photographer" age is relatively new, but what if that weren't the case? Tackling this hypothetical, the nuttycombe tumblr blog put up some photos depicting a really cool concept -- what would historic photos look like if they were taken by iPhones?

Pictured above and to the right is the historic shot of Harry Truman holding up the famous "Dewey defeats Truman" newspaper headline, as seen through the hypothetical lens of an iPhone, with a filter of course.

Check out some more photos from a...

Recently, you may have received an Amber Alert on your phone -- and it was very loud, and very different from any other alerts that you may have experienced the past. These new types of alerts are called "Wireless Emergency Alerts". These WEAs, according to FEMA, "are emergency messages sent by authorized government alerting authorities through your mobile carrier.

They include:

- Extreme weather, and other threatening emergencies in your area
- AMBER Alerts
- Presidential Alerts during a national emergency

read more

Absolute Technology, known for its Wi-Fi-boosting accessories, today unveiled the LinkBook for the iPad mini. It's a signal enhancing, folio-style case that promises to provide up to two times the Wi-Fi signal to the tablet, dramatically improving users’ experience during work, play and travel, says Alan Teng, general manager, Absolute Technology.

LinkBook offers three different viewing and typing angles and features an elastic band for secure closure. Other design elements include easy access to the Lightning port and speaker outlets, as well as a magnetic wake/sleep button.
 

read more

The Twelve South labs in Charleston, SC are always brimming over with new ideas, and today one of those ideas came to light in the form of the HiRise (US$34.99), a metal pedestal stand for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini.

When you're not running about with your iPhone 5 in your pocket, the HiRise is a place where it can perch. The stand charges your device using your Lightning charging cable, and positions the iPhone -- or iPad mini -- at a raised height so you can easily engage in FaceTime or Skype conversations hands-free.

Twelve South notes that the HiRise can be used with many iPhone 5 cases installed, including the OtterBox Defender, Speck CandyShell, and their own BookBook for iPhone. The rear support is adjustable forward and back to compensate for the different thicknesses of cases and shells, and since the devices are raised off the desk or table surface, sound is completely unimpeded.

The HiRise...

Apple released iOS 7 beta 5 today to developers, hopefully bringing some new features and bug fixes to the next version of Apple's mobile OS. This is a quick turn around between versions as Apple just released beta 4 a little over a week ago. You can download the latest version over-the-air via Settings > General > Software Update on devices running the current iOS 7 beta.

Besides iOS 7 beta 5, Apple also released a new beta version of Apple TV 5.4 to developers. Developers can download iOS 7 or the Apple TV software manually from Apple's developer website.

Apple releases iOS 7 beta 5 and new Apple TV beta to developers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:...

Twitter has updated its iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch application with the ability to serve as a conduit for Twitter’s recently launched two-step verification service. Additionally, the app has received new ways to view photos in galleries, and list improvements. More details below:

Here’s what’s new:

• No phone number required: By using push messaging and in-application approvals, you no longer need to provide your phone number to use login verification. If you manage multiple Twitter accounts, but only have one phone number, you can now opt all of them into login verification.
• Broader international support: Now, all you need is an Internet connection and one of our supported apps to enroll in...

IKEA has released the 2014 version of its catalog app with a cool new feature. It lets users virtually furnish their rooms using augmented reality.

Shoppers gets started by scanning one of the 90 AR-enabled product pages in the IKEA print catalog with the digital IKEA Catalog app. They then place the catalog on the floor of the room in which they want the virtual representation of furniture to appear. A 3D model of the chosen product will then appear in that room on the iPhone or iPad's screen.

What's really clever is the app actually uses the relative size of the catalog in your room to determine the size of the 3D model it should display on your screen. It's gimmicky, sure, but visualizing new furniture in your room is often the hardest part. IKEA just made it easier.

IKEA Catalog is a free download.

...

Apple today released the fifth beta of iOS 7, which brings a number of improvements, changes, and bug fixes to the operating system, including newly redesigned Settings icons and a Control Center option that allows the feature to be disabled within apps.

iOS 7 beta 5 also offers a slew of minor interface tweaks and improvements that continue to make iOS 7 feel both faster and more polished. Our forum members have noted multiple enhancements that have been bundled into the release:

Settings - The icons in the Settings menu have seen a complete design, going from standard blue icons to a variety of square icons in various colors.

Control Center - Control Center’s settings now allow the function to be turned off while in apps, preventing Control Center from being accessed from the bottom of the screen while playing games or otherwise...

Mozilla has released Firefox 23, an update of its web browser for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. The desktop apps have gained several important features, most notably a Share button, which ties into Mozilla's new Social API. The button lets people share virtually any content on the web without having to use buttons built into a website....  ...

Apple will initiate a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program on August 16, 2013 in response to recent safety issues with some counterfeit USB power adapters for iOS devices.

To qualify for a new specially-priced US$10 Apple USB power adapter, you must bring your third-party adapter and your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. The retailers will validate the serial numbers and you can buy one adapter for each iOS device you bring in until October 18, 2013. Not all Apple Authorized Service Providers may be participating in the buyback program, so check Apple's site for potential locations.

Customer safety is a top priority at Apple. That's why all our products - including USB power adapters for iPhone and iPad - undergo rigorous testing for safety and reliability and are designed to meet...

Apple has just released the fifth beta version of iOS 7 to developers for testing purposes. The update is available as an over-the-air update to existing beta testers and it can also be downloaded via Apple's Developer Center.

The new beta arrives as build 11A4449a, and comes just over a week after the previous beta 4. Apple has also released a new version of its Apple TV beta, version 4, which can be downloaded here by registered members of Apple's paid developer program:

- Apple TV Software beta (3rd generation Rev A)
- Apple TV Software beta (3rd generation)
-...

A little over a week after iOS 7 beta 4, Apple has seeded iOS 7 beta 5 to developers. It is available over-the-air via Software Update. The previous beta brought several minor interface and performance tweaks to the operating system and beta 5 will likely continue doing that.

A new Apple TV seed is also available:

You can now use an iOS 7 device to set up an Apple TV after restoring or resetting all settings. (iPhone 4 and iPad 2 are not supported.)

A new Xcode 5 preview has also been issued to developers.

We will continuously update this post with discovered changes. If you find anything new, you can let us know at tips@9to5mac.com.

- All Settings icons redesigned (...

Accessory maker TwelveSouth has launched a new HiRise stand, this time for smaller Lightning-equipped devices. The unit operates like a dock, propping up a device for easy viewing and control while it continues to charge. Owners must, however, have their own Lightning cable ready to make the stand work as intended....  ...

Firefox for Mac offers a fast, safe Web browsing experience.

Browse quickly, securely, and effortlessly. With its industry-leading features, Firefox is the choice of Web development professionals and casual users alike.

The Web, as it's meant to be experienced

• Faster than Safari. Firefox stays speedy when other browsers become sluggish.
• More private than Chrome. Firefox respects your privacy by minimizing suggestive pop-ups.
• Bursting with features. Tabbed browsing, developer tools, extensions -- Firefox has it all, giving you the power to explore, customize, and create like never before.

Version 23.0:

• Mixed content blocking enabled to protects users from man-in-the-middle attacks and eavesdroppers on HTTPS pages (learn more)
• Options panel created for Web Developer Toolbox
• "Enable JavaScript"...

YouTube fans rejoice! It's Geek Week, which means that you can get your geeky groove on by checking out all of the best nerd-produced videos on the Web. TUAW has provided four videos for your Geek Week enjoyment on Brainiac Tuesday -- that's today -- and we've got 'em on the YouTube TUAWVideo channel.

My contribution was a pair of videos showing some "Stupid WeMo Tricks." As longtime TUAW readers may remember, WeMo is a line of home automation products made by accessory manufacturer Belkin that can be controlled via a free app and/or iFTTT. In these two videos,...

An amazing story.

∞ Read this on The Loop

Peter Cohen:

An anniversary of sorts quietly passed us this weekend: Saturday, August 3rd, marked the 20th year since Apple began selling the Newton MessagePad, its then-groundbreaking tablet device with handwriting recognition. While the device was never hugely commercially successful, its development, creation and sale inevitably, inexorably lead us to where we are today, a “Post PC world” dominated by touch-sensitive smartphones and cellphones. The Newton’s influence can even be felt in Apple’s Mac line, with products like the MacBook Air.

I still remember the first time I saw one of these.

∞ Read this on The Loop

Adobe Lightroom software helps you bring out the best in your photographs, whether you're perfecting one image, searching for ten, processing hundreds, or organizing thousands.

Create incredible images that move your audience. Experiment fearlessly with state-of-the-art nondestructive editing tools. Easily manage all your images. And showcase your work in elegant print layouts, slide shows, and Web galleries, as well as on popular photo-sharing sites. All from within one fast, intuitive application.

Version 5.2 RC:

New features:

• A Smoothness adjustment slider has been added to the Detail Panel under Color Noise Reduction. This helps to reduce low-frequency color mottling artifacts
• Refinements to the Spot Healing Tool:
• New Feather control
• Auto find source method now works better for images with textured areas like rocks, bark, and foliage
• Auto find source method...

I must say, that was very good.

∞ Read this on The Loop

The pay TV business used to be a slow-to-no-growth business.

No more: Now it’s shrinking.

Here, via analyst Craig Moffett, are the most recent numbers for the big pay TV providers, who just finished submitting their Q2 reports to investors. They’re down 360,000 subscribers over the last year, or a decline of 0.3 percent.

That’s not a huge decrease, and Q2 is usually a bad quarter for the pay TV guys. But, as you can see, the industry has now been in decline for three consecutive quarters:

Cord-cutting skeptics used to argue that the...

Apple and Samsung continue to tower over all other smartphone manufacturers, according to a new study, but a number of Chinese vendors are making some headway as they have home-field advantage in the world's most populous nation.  ...

Learn how to upgrade or migrate to OS X Server on Mountain Lion from Lion Server or Mac OS X Server v10.6 Snow Leopard.

A newly-leaked front panel -- said to be for the iPhone 5S -- appears to show few meaningful changes in the device versus the iPhone 5. The screen for example is the same size on the new panel, which may dispel rumors that the 5S is upgrading to a 4.3-inch display. The part does have a longer ribbon cable, relocated screws, and some other slight changes....  ...

You know you have to be good to win a National Geographic photo contest.

[Via Jim Coudal]

∞ Read this on The Loop

Twelve South just launched its new HiRise stand for Lightning connector iPhones and iPad minis, as well as the fifth generation iPod touch and seventh gen iPod nano. The aluminum stand holds your iPhone, iPad mini or iPod touch upright at an angle that's good for FaceTime chats and frees up some desk space, and you can leave most cases on, too. You can fit a fourth generation iPad on the HiRise, but it isn't stable with the larger form factor, so stick with Apple's smaller devices instead. The Lightning-compatible HiRise is priced at US$34.99.

A very important element in design.

∞ Read this on The Loop

You should probably stick with the real McCoy.

Per 9to5Mac and Mac|Life, following incidents such as the apparent electrocution of a Chinese woman by a faulty knockoff iPhone charger, Apple is ramping up a program in which customers can bring in their old USB power adapters and receive new, Apple-designed ones for a lower price...

Update: Open Road Films just sent over another brand new clip from the upcoming JOBS film (below).

In case you missed that YouTube hangout last week with the stars of the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, Ashton Kutcher and co-star Josh Gad debuted the latest trailer that includes several previously unreleased clips from the film. The movie will officially hit theatres later this month on August 16th, but on Thursday Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad will be hosting a Reddit Ask Me Anything to answer questions about playing Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the movie.

The Reddit AMA will be taking place on Thursday, August 8th from 9:30am-10:30am PST/ 12:30pm- 1:30pm EST, and we’ll update with a link here when available.

For more...

Apple has sent a letter to Internet radio stations requesting they provide cover art for iTunes Radio, reports MacRumors. From the email:

Dear Internet Radio Provider,

Cover Art

The iTunes Store now requires cover art for Internet Radio stations. The cover art files must be 1400 x 1400 pixels in JPG or PNG format using RGB color space. The image URL must end in ".jpg", ".jpeg" or ".png". To add cover art to your station, send an email to itunesradio@apple.com including your contact name, station name and cover art file.

Cover art should avoid pixelation. Any text should be legible at reduced image sizes on small devices. Note that Internet Radio cover art is not currently displayed.

Questions about iTunes Radio?

Check out iTunes Radio here....

Twelve South today launched a $34.99 accessory that can prop up certain Lightning Apple devices (iPhone 5, iPad mini, 5th-gen iPod touch, 7th-gen iPod nano) for simultaneous charging and usage. Use of the accessory with the 4th-generation iPad is not recommended because of the device’s size.

The HiRise is compatible with iPhones and other Apple devices even if they remain in carrying cases. Twelve South uses examples such as using FaceTime with the HiRise and other apps. We previously reviewed the HiRise for both the MacBook and iMac. We will have a review of the...

Apple has started airing a new TV spot for the iPhone (below), "FaceTime Every Day." The commercial continues the tone of its "Designed by Apple" and "Music Every Day" ads, trying to forge an emotional connection instead of concentrating on feature details or prices. The clip meshes together a series of vignettes of people using FaceTime in emotional circumstances, such as touring a new home or coping with the aftermath of a fight. At the end of the ad, Apple claims that more people do video calls on the iPhone than on any other phone....  ...

Apple has announced a new USB Power Adapter Takeback Program following two reported user-shocking incidents in China that were blamed on third-party adapters, one of which allegedly caused a woman’s death, and another allegedly placing a man in a coma. The new program lets customers drop off…

This week, a small, round, metal device will go on sale in the Apple Store. It has little lights on it. You snap it into a wristband or necklace, or on your shoe or belt. When you tap it, some of the lights will glow, relaying information to you.

In a previous generation of tech, this token-like gadget, called the Shine, might go unnoticed on store shelves. It might be brushed off as jewelry, which, actually, is what it’s supposed to look like.

But in the age of the “quantified self,” we wear our tech and crunch our own, personalized versions of big data. Instead of just using technology for productivity, or for communication, we are gazing ever more deeply at our our own navels, and we are analyzing the heck out of how active we’ve been today.

The Misfit Shine joins at least three other wearable products on Apple Store shelves, including the Jawbone Up, the Nike+ FuelBand...

This was posted last year, but given Apple’s decision yesterday to begin a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program, I thought it was worth a link.

∞ Read this on The Loop

If you liked this slideshow, check out last week's edition, Power possibilities.

MG Siegler did a great article on Jeff Bezos, but it still didn’t convince me that buying The Washington Post was a good deal.

∞ Read this on The Loop

New figures from analysts Canalys show that the iPhone fell from 5th to 7th place in its Chinese market share in the last quarter, being overtaken by local companies Huawei and Xiaomi. Apple now has 4.8 percent of the smartphone market in China … 

The news appears to underline the rationale behind Apple’s plastic iPhone. While Apple would never have the desire to compete at the budget end of the market - Xiaomi’s latest Hongmi handset is priced at just $130 – China’s emerging middle class offers a key target for what is expected to be a mid-market product.

The short version of this post: Vox is a music player with a beautiful interface and an elegant feature set. I love it.

Vox 1.0 was released today after being in public beta for a while. It's a free music player for Mac that was originally created as a developer's side project. While it became quite popular, it never reached its full potential. That changes today.

I've been using the beta for a couple of weeks now, and I'm loving it as an iTunes alternative for my local music. I'm a heavy Spotify user, so Simplify is still always open as well, but Vox has completely replaced iTunes for playing music from my local library.

Vox handles all popular lossless and lossy formats:

• FLAC...

Fingerprint sensors are starting to look like the new must-have smartphone feature as Korean firm Pantech launches its first, ahead of the long-rumored fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 5S.

There have also been conflicting rumors that the LG G2, due for launch tomorrow, will or won’t have a fingerprint sensor – we’ll soon find out.

A fingerprint sensor first...

Following recent reports of third-party iPhone power adapters that were malfunctioning, Apple has introduced a take-back program for the adapters, reports "Macworld" (http://tinyurl.com/mjw6jjj)

Here's Apple's info on the program: "

"Recent reports have suggested that some counterfeit and third party adapters may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues. While not all third party adapters have an issue, we are announcing a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program to enable customers to acquire properly designed adapters.

read more

eleMount, an aluminum mount that works with virtually all handheld mobile devices, has launched at Kickstarter. It provides both Apple and Android users with a stand that sticks to any flat surface to keep devices in view.

The CNC machined mount places your device on a pedestal designed to complements its design. Using proprietary elePads, the base of the mount sticks to any flat surface, and the top securely adheres to mobile devices regardless of their size or generation -- and even if they're in protective cases.

read more

Nokia has copied the Samsung and Microsoft's attack ad approach towards the success of Apple and its iPhone. In this instance, Nokia parodies the style and language of Apple's recent iPhone "Photos Every Day" ad that highlighted the popularity of the iPhone camera and ending with the statement, "every day, more photos are taken with the iPhone than any other camera." Nokia counters this in its latest Lumia ad claiming, "every day, better photos are taken on Nokia Lumias than any other mobile."... ...

This is a PHP module for the Apache Web server included in OS X. PHP is a server-side, cross-platform scripting language. PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML. MacUpdate is created using PHP language.

Version 5.5.1:

• Core:
• Fixed bug #65254 (Exception not catchable when exception thrown in autoload with a namespace).
• Fixed bug #65088 (Generated configure script is malformed on OpenBSD).
• Fixed bug #65108 (is_callable() triggers Fatal Error).
• Fixed bug #65035 (yield / exit segfault).
• Fixed bug #65161 (Generator + autoload + syntax error = segfault). hex2bin() raises E_WARNING for invalid hex string.
• Fixed bug #65226 (chroot() does not get enabled).
• OPcache
• Fixed bug #64827 (Segfault in zval_mark_grey (zend_gc.c)).
• OPcache must be compatible with LiteSpeed...

According to Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) the global facial recognition market will grow at a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 24.5% through 2016.

One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing high security requirement in government departments. The global facial recognition market has also been witnessing an increased number of mergers and acquisitions, says Research and Markets. However, facial recognition systems are not always accurate and this could pose a challenge to the growth of this market, according to the research group.

read more

Apple appears to be further preparing for the official launch of iTunes Radio, Apple’s Pandora-like streaming music service, by asking streaming radio stations to provide cover art. iTunes Radio is included in the Music app in iOS 7, as seen in our hands-on video.

Dear Internet Radio Provider,

Cover Art

The iTunes Store now requires cover art for Internet Radio stations. The cover art files must be 1400 x 1400 pixels in JPG or PNG format using RGB color space. The image URL must end in “.jpg”, “.jpeg” or “.png”. To add cover art to your station, send an email to itunesradio@apple.com including your contact name, station name...

The European Patent Office published a new patent application from Apple late last week that describes a fused glass process for device housings. We're all familiar with the iPhone 5 having both its face and back housings constructed with glass. Apple's latest European patent filing, which lists Jony Ive as one of the inventors, illustrates the double sided glass construction design possibly extending through to the iPod, iPad, and various displays (iMac, Cinema) including a television encased in glass using a fused glass process.

Apple has released a new iPhone ad called "FaceTime Every Day," the third in the popular people-oriented ad series the company launched earlier this year. The previous ads, "Music Every Day" and "Photos Every Day" focused on the iPhone’s Music and Camera apps.

As with the other ads in the series, FaceTime Every Day features a number of colorful shots depicting people of all ages using Apple’s FaceTime app in various locations across the world.

The advertisement ends with a familiar line: "Every day more people connect face to face on the iPhone than any other phone."

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Square Adds Tracking of Gift Card and Check...

Apple saw a dip in its smartphone market share in China as the company was overtaken by local rival Xiaomi, a seller of low-priced handsets that has been making waves in the country’s tech industry.

During the second quarter, Apple was ranked seventh among China’s smartphone vendors, with a market share of only 5 percent, according to research firm Canalys. This was down 3 percentage points from the previous quarter.

Xiaomi’s market share was also at 5 percent, but the company’s smartphone shipments narrowly surpassed those of Apple, said Nicole Peng, an analyst with the research firm.

“This is amazing for a company that only started to ship products two years ago,” she said. “It’s really big progress for a company that is so young.”

...

Originally planned for release in mid-June, the Mac version of Sim City will be released on August 29, Electronic Arts has announced, and will be free of charge for those who bought the PC version. The company originally delayed the Mac version by saying it wasn't "ready for prime time yet" and that the company wanted to "ensure the Mac [version of the game] is a great experience for our players." The Windows release was lambasted by early buyers for serious bugs, overloaded servers and poor administrative decisions that rendered the game all but unplayable for months.... ...

Apple is asking owners of Internet radio stations, such as those featured in the existing Radio gallery of iTunes, to submit "cover art" for their station -- following in the footsteps of an earlier art request for podcasts, and suggesting that third-party stations may be joining iTunes Radio and leaving the desktop iTunes application at some point. The artwork requirements call for a 1400x1400 JPEG or PNG file, which will be added to a station's iTunes Radio page. The current beta of iTunes Radio doesn't yet support third-party internet streams.... ...

Following recent reports of third-party iPhone power-adapters that were malfunctioning—”malfunctioning” in this case meaning “electrocuting their users”—Apple has introduced a take-back program for the things.

As reported on 9to5Mac, starting August 16, you’ll be able to bring any USB power adapter to an Apple Retail Store or authorized service provider, and the company will take that adapter and make sure it’s disposed of in an environmentally responsible fashion. If you want a new adapter, the company will—for a limited time—sell you a new, official Apple one for just $10. (...

Google has released an official AdSense app, so users can now conveniently check their ad-based earnings and other pertinent AdSense data. The app is somewhat limited to the extent that users can't make any fundamental changes to their account via the mobile app.

The app description reads:

The AdSense app provides an easy way to access key data from your AdSense account. Access reporting features anywhere, directly from your iPhone. The first version of the app gives you access to: the key earnings information, top custom and URL channels, ad units and sites reports, payment alerts.

While Google notes that the app is optimized for the iPhone 5, it will work on devices as old as the iPhone 3GS. Note, though, that the app requires iOS 6 or later. As one would expect from Google, the app is free.

Official...

Trade your third-party adapter in to Apple, get a first-party one for just over half price. Andrew Cunningham

Starting on August 16, Apple will offer users of third-party iPhone, iPad, and iPod power adapters the chance to trade their old chargers in and pick up a genuine model at a discount. The USB Power Adapter Takeback Program will allow you to bring your third-party adapter in to an Apple Store or Apple authorized service provider and get an Apple-branded adapter for $10 ("or the approximate equivalent in local currency"), just over half of the standard price of $19. The program is being offered in response to "safety issues" related to "counterfeit and third-party adapters."

"Customer safety is a top priority at Apple," the company said in its announcement. "That’s why all of our products—including USB power adapters for iPhone, iPad, and iPod—undergo rigorous testing for safety and reliability and...

Apple on Monday detailed a new program where owners of third-party iPhone, iPod and iPad adaptors can trade their products in for an Apple charger for $10–roughly half the typical price of a new Apple charger.

“Recent reports have suggested that some counterfeit and third party adapters may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues,” Apple said on a Web site announcing the program. ” While not all third party adapters have an issue, we are announcing a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program to enable customers to acquire properly designed adapters.”

Although Apple has in the past had replacement programs when there have been issues with its own products, this appears to be the first time it has offered such a program for products made by others.

The program is a global one, kicking off Aug. 9 in...

I've owned every version of the iPhone starting with the original, three of the four iterations of the iPad, and, oh yeah, I write about Apple products almost every day. Despite all that, I still manage to stumble across features on devices such as the iPhone and iPad that I either never learned about or forgot existed. Case in point: I found out today that the volume controls on Apple headphones or EarPods can be used to remotely control the camera shutter. I know. I was amazed, too.

So here's how it works: Just like you can use the volume + button the side of the iPhone to snap a photo, the same thing applies to the volume buttons on official Apple headphones and EarPods. Simply bring up the camera app (or certain apps such as Camera+), set your camera as you want, and press the volume + button to take the photo.

Setting your phone on a steady surface and then using the...

In a post to its support webpage on Monday, Apple announced a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program to give customers access to "properly designed adapters" after two people were electrocuted in China.  ...

Following the electrocution of a Chinese woman that may have been caused by a counterfeit iPhone charger, Apple has launched a new recycling program to dispose of any USB power adapter used with the iPhone and iPad.

The company is also offering official replacement chargers for $10 to anyone who turns in a suspect adapter..
Recent reports have suggested that some counterfeit and third party adapters may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues. While not all third party adapters have an issue, we are announcing a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program to enable customers to acquire properly designed adapters.

Customer safety is a top priority at Apple. That’s why all of our products — including USB power adapters for iPhone, iPad, and iPod — undergo rigorous testing for safety and reliability and are...

Image via Flickr

Following controversy in recent weeks regarding the safety of counterfeit and third-party USB charging adapters for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad, Apple has announced a new trade-in program for these...

SimCity fans with Macs rejoice! You're finally going to have a version of SimCity that will run natively on your favorite computer. Electronic Arts has announced that the classic sim game will finally make it to OS X on August 29, 2013.

The game was originally supposed to arrive on June 11, but EA pushed the release to August in early June. At the time, SimCity's senior producer Kip Katsarelis blogged that "we do not believe [the Mac version] is ready for prime time yet," and that "we want to ensure the Mac is a great experience for our players and that is why we are taking more."

The Mac version will be compatible with the Windows version, so you can build and grow your city from either platform. If you've purchased SimCity for Windows, you'll be able to download the Mac version through Origin, which is EA's digital distribution service.

The Obama administration has overturned a decision by the International Trade Commission to ban the import of certain older Apple products after it found that they infringed on certain Samsung patents. The administration made the announcement on Saturday, one day before the ban was set to take effect. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman supplied several reasons for vetoing the import ban, including "technical policy considerations" and their "effect on competitive conditions in the U.S. economy and the effect on U.S. consumers."

The tablet market has exploded in the last year, with nearly 60 percent growth since the same quarter in 2012. This is according to new information published by the market research firm IDC on Monday. At the top of the market is Apple, thanks to strong sales of the iPad. However while Apple is still number one on the charts their victory comes with a coda that makes it a little bittersweet.

Although Apple was the number one vendor with 14.6 million iPads shipped and a 32.4 percent market share they were the only company out of the top first vendors to have their market share drop since 2012. That year Apple enjoyed a staggering 60.3 percent market share. In 2013 that number had shrunk to a 32.4 percent market share, a -14.1 percent growth rate since the pervious year.

Meanwhile their competition saw growth ranging from 277 percent for Samsung to 313.9 percent for Lenovo and 247.9 percent for Acer....

After being pushed back over two months, "SimCity" will finally make its Mac debut at the end of August following a rocky PC launch fraught with network connectivity and overall quality issues.   ...

Audio-3D Player Headphones HD 7.1 (free today only) is a long name for an app that can make a big difference in the sound of headphones playing music on your iPhone.

The app is designed to make music sound like you are listening in a room, not through headphones. There are two modes to choose from: one for a 2.1 system (2 speakers plus subwoofer), and another for a 7.1 home cinema system. In the 7.1 mode, you can choose from normal, dynamic, and spectacle. Each succeeding mode enhances separation.

Gallery: Audio-3D Player 7.1

The app is tweaked for certain headphones, including...

Mobile payment service Square has updated the iOS edition of Square Register, its point-of-sale app for retail. The v3.2 release allows businesses to record any sort of payment type, including checks and gift cards. Previously the app was centered around credit card transactions, where Square makes its money....  ...

Buying pricey electronics from a private seller is never advised, but when a woman in Brisbane, Australia met with a seller at a local McDonalds to purchase a pair of "new" iPhones, she figured she was safe. As the Herald Sun reports, after buying what appeared to be two new iPhone boxes from the seller for a total of $1,500 AUD (approx. $1,300 USD), she returned home to find that the boxes contained actual apples in place of Apple smartphones.

The scam began on a UK classifieds site called Gumtree where users can post free ads for items, as well as ads stating they are willing to buy specific goods. The victim in this case posted an ad saying she was looking to buy two iPhones.

Of course, the thief's plan would have quickly unraveled if the buyer would have simply opened the boxes...

Recently, TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers about how Apple's newly announced technologies (specifically Mavericks and iOS 7) will help them and their customers. In the weeks following the event, we'll bring you those videos on TUAW, MacTech and MacNews.

read more

There was a time when your Mac's Finder and application windows all had visible scroll bars that made it easy to move up or down in long file lists, and also gave you a nice visual cue to let you know there was more to see than the current window was showing. That's missing now, but it's easy to reenable and we're happy to show you how in this Video Quick Tip.

Elpical Software released version 2.0 of Organic Imaging today. The professional quality, automatic image correction software now delivers RAW format support and an improved UI. Organic Imaging offers users 'natural corrections' of skies, seas, landscape, skin-tones et cetera, based on advanced analysis of each photograph. One can now download the application and process 250 images for free, with pricing based on a per-image basis there on afterwards. Organic Imaging is available on both Mac and Windows platforms....  ...

Blendamaze from Borderleap is a clever puzzle game that mixes marble mazes with color theory. The object of the game is to roll marbles through a maze and coat them with paint. You must pick your paint carefully as you need to mix the colors in the right way to match the color of the hole at the end of the maze.

The app starts off easily with the primary colors, allowing you to mix and match paint to create greens, oranges and purples. It gets harder when you jump to complimentary and analogous colors. As an additional challenge, the games teleports your marble to different parts of the maze after you coat it with a layer of paint. If you are not careful, you could end up at the other side of the screen far away from your target. It takes some concentration as well as trial and error, but you do eventually figure out the color combination and the correct maze path to complete a level.

My only...

The South Korean government has issued a statement expressing worries about the Obama administration veto of an ITC ban on some Apple products. The Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy says that the decision could harm Samsung's patent rights, and that it will be paying close attention on Friday, when the ITC is expected to rule on a possible ban of some of Samsung's Galaxy devices. "We hope to see a fair and reasonable decision on the matter," the ministry states.... ...

This past April, Apple agreed to the terms of a US$53 million class-action settlement stemming from Apple's warranty practices regarding water damage on older generation iPhones and iPod Touches.

The lawsuit alleged that Apple refused to honor the warranty on devices that were ostensibly damaged by water. Both the iPhone and iPod Touch contain Liquid Contact Indicators which change color when they come into contact with water. The crux of the issue, however, is that these Liquid Contact Indicators were also prone to change color in humid environments. Consequently, Apple denied warranty coverage to many consumers who may have otherwise been eligible.

Affected users are now receiving emails with information as to how file claims. Affected users must file a claim by October 21, 2013.

The website reads in part:

To qualify for a cash refund, you must: (a) be a United States resident; (b)...

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 (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

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Daily Update for August 5, 2013 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 05 Aug 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our...

A new advertisement from Nokia parodies Apple's "Every Day" advertisements to promote what the Finnish handset maker believes are the superior picture taking abilities of its own Lumia 925 smartphone.   ...

PureGear has announced its iPhone 5 compatible Smartphone Support System. It's a case system that lets you position your smartphone virtually any way you need to -- clip it, prop it, access it, view it, find it and protect it.


The Smartphone Support System includes a snap-on grip case, screen shield, clip-on holster and a 360 degree pivot kickstand that allows for horizontal and vertical viewing. Each element works together in a modular way, allowing you to easily position your device in a way that’s best suited to what you’re doing, says Christine Manlapeg, brand director, PureGear.

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The DefenderPad is designed for two purposes. It provides a large, stiff surface for anyone who wants to work with their laptop on their lap. It also provides protection against ELF, RF, and heat radiation.

Apple-owned FileMaker, Inc has sadly laid off 20 employees following the discontinuation of its Bento software last week, reports AppleInsider. The layoffs come after FileMaker released a statement noting that the company was discontinuing its Bento database software in favor of focusing on FileMaker. According to AppleInsider:

Sources say Thursday's rumored job cuts are closely related to Bento's demise, adding California-based external representatives, sales engineers, and technical support staff were let go. The layoffs may extend further, however, as at least one person responsible for sales of the flagship FileMaker software is said to no longer be with the company.

FileMaker has said that growth of its flagship FileMaker...

Motorola Atrix Fingerprint Sensor (via DigitalTrends)

As this fall approaches, both rumors and actual evidence have pointed to the next iPhone’s marquee feature being a fingerprint sensor for authentication purposes. We previously provided iOS 7-based evidence and information regarding Apple’s work on implementing a fingerprint sensor in future products.

While we reported that Apple is...

Remember the iPod classic? That chunky little slab of plastic in which you could store thousands of songs on an internal hard disk drive? Well, if you do, and if you still happen to have one laying around somewhere collecting dust, Chris Breen over at Macworld has the perfect job for it: using an iPod classic as a bootable emergency drive.

This isn't a new trick by any means. I still have my old 4th-generation iPod within arm's reach in case I need to boot a Firewire-equipped Mac, and I even wrote about this in my now-obsolete 2007 ebook "Take Control of Your iPod: Beyond the Music." But Breen and the crew at Macworld have updated the process for the USB-equipped iPod classic...

If you’ve been following along with Jeff Carlson’s advice in our streamed ebook, “Take Control of Your Digital Photos,” you’re shooting smarter, assigning metadata at import, and applying keywords and other metadata later on. Now it’s time to take advantage of that work, and learn how you can locate images nearly instantly. In this chapter, Jeff provides step-by-step instructions in the four photo-management apps on how to search for specific metadata — such as keywords and ratings, and even camera-generated data — to track down shots. Then he explains how to encapsulate such searches into smart albums whose contents change based on criteria you specify.

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-...

Over the weekend, the Obama administration vetoed the US International Trade Commission's import ban pertaining to older generation iPhones and iPads. The move marked the first time since the 80s that a U.S. President vetoed an ITC ruling.

While Apple is of course thrilled with the Obama administration stepping up to protect FRAND rights, the same can't be said for Samsung, or its investors. In the wake of the ITC veto, Samsung's market value dropped by over US$1 billion.

Also expressing concern regarding the veto was the South Korean government itself, which on Monday issued a statement exclaiming that the veto will have a negative impact on patent property rights.

Reuters reports:

"We express concerns about the negative impact that such a decision would have...

Apple has emailed an update on the continued restoration of its developer website, following an intrusion a few weeks ago. The update notes most of the developer services are back online, and most of the remaining services will be reinstated this week. As of this writing, four services…