You can now download Adobe Lightroom 5 from Adobe for $149.99/$79 upgrade as an individual license and via Adobe Creative Cloud. The upgrade to the professional photo organization and editing tool is significant:
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Don’t let dust spots, splotches, or...
| Read more »The fifth incarnation of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom arrives as both a preview and an adjunct to the company's new Creative Cloud cross-platform suite of apps targeted to photographers, graphic designers, Web developers, and cinematographers. While Lightroom 5, released Monday at midnight Eastern time, is nominally part of Adobe's new subscription-based Creative Cloud successor to Creative Suite, it differs in that it is not subscription-based, but rather available as a traditional software license in a box. Lightroom 5 was released as a public beta in April.
Lightroom is popularly considered as a competitor to...
| Read more »Adobe on Monday announced the availability of the latest version of its prosumer photo editing software, Lightroom 5, bringing improved workflow features and functionality highlighted by a new perspective-correcting "Upright" tool. ...
| Read more »Adds new snippets feature and integration with Automator workflows. ($35 new, free update, 5.3 MB)
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| Read more »Apple’s WWDC app was updated late last week for various video enhancements, and tonight, the eve of Apple’s developer conference, the app has been again updated with video playback improvements. However, this time, Apple isn’t so specific about what has been “enhanced.” Thanks, Daniel!
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| Read more »Ars sends its livebloggers out with the most high-end typewriters and hires an army of underage newsies who deliver each update, by hand, to the great mechanical liveblog machine at our HQ.
Tomorrow, June 10, will certainly be an historic day for Ars, in that for the first time we will be running no fewer than five liveblogs on the same day. A milieu of E3 pre-announcements and Apple's WWDC keynote have combined this year to create the blogger's perfect storm of tech-company news, and Ars Technica is going to be on the ground to bring all of it to you in real-time.
But how will you know when these announcements will happen, and what to look for? Never fear, we're here to help you map out your Monday. First, when a liveblog starts, we will, as always, display the post at the top of the left-hand column. Also, we put together the handy guide below so you can put...
| Read more »Not a bad PR move on AT&T’s part: While everyone is getting hyped for WWDC, Ma Bell throws the same curve ball that Verizon threw at us in April. You must now wait the full 24 months to be eligible for phone upgrades rather than getting in at 20 months as you could have previously.
Today, we’re announcing a 24-month upgrade policy across all of AT&T’s wireless products and services. This aligns device upgrade eligibility with our standard two-year wireless agreement and it applies to any customer whose agreement expires in March 2014 or later.
The move shouldn’t be a huge deal for iPhone customers who are used to two year cycles who can plan ahead to 2014.
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| Read more »It’s WWDC 2013 time. We’ve run down what we know about Apple’s announcements, what surprises we could see, and what we wish for the conference. Be sure to stay tuned at 10 AM Pacific/1PM Eastern time for the full keynote live blog.
Update: Since Apple will be live streaming the event on the Web, iOS and AppleTV, we will be doing real-time updates only on our Twitter account and posting stories as they become available. Also we’ll post the best pictures from Moscone below:...
| Read more »It would appear that AT&T iPhone users will have to wait a bit longer to upgrade to their next handsets, as the carrier announced on Sunday that it will be extending its hardware upgrade cycle to a length of two years. ...
| Read more »While speaking at the PTTOW! summit last May, legendary ad executive and TBWA Global Director and Chairman Lee Clow reminisced fondly about his 30-year journey "looking into the future" with Steve Jobs.
He was 25 years old, when I met Steve. And he was already this passionate, intense. He and Wozniak invented this thing called the personal computer. Wozniak was just kind of into it for the hobby kind deal. Steve looked at it and said, "This is going to change everything."
Clow touched on a number of topics, but his story regarding Jobs' love of branding is particularly interesting.
Clow said that Jobs loved brands, having grown up admiring both Sony and Polaroid not only for furnishing cool products, but also because they represented the type of branding he admired.
Clow explains that in calling the company "Apple", Jobs may have been influenced by Sony which in 1958 changed the company name from Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo to...
| Read more »AT&T is following in the footsteps of its chief rival by lengthening the period customers must remain on contract before they can upgrade their devices. An anonymous source tipped Engadget to the carrier's decision, which will limit customers to upgrading their devices only when they've reached the full duration of their contracts. Prior to the policy shift, the upgrade period was 20 months.... ...
| Read more »The iPad has had a big impact on aviation. iPads are holding charts and other vital information for professional pilots eliminating thousands of printed pages that used to be pushed into heavy black flight bags.
Now, a pilot has written an app called the Aviation Pilot Duty and Performance Calculator to assist pilots operating under Part 135 (commuter and on-demand flight operations) that does a lot of the calculations that are laborious and time consuming. The app helps pilots compute things like Departure Gradients, Climb Performance, Approach Planning, keeping track of flight time and more.
Pilots operating under FAA part 91 (general aviation) and Part 121 (commercial pilots) will also find many of the features built into the app helpful.
The Aviation Pilot...
| Read more »An interesting image of what is supposedly a new Mac Pro was sent to several Mac sites on Sunday, including The Mac Observer. There's no context, there's no additional information, and there's zero track record with the anonymous sender, but it's an interesting image.
The city of Cupertino California has released a new Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Apple Campus 2 project, outlining impacts related to traffic, noise and air quality and how the company plans to mitigate such issues. ...
| Read more »Tim Cook, one year ago, to Walt Mossberg: “We’re going to double down on secrecy on products.”
12 months later, here we are, on the cusp of WWDC 2013, and nobody outside Apple seems to have any idea what Apple is set to show tomorrow. Cook’s words to Mossberg were anything but empty. The most secretive company in the industry got more secretive. We know Jony Ive has been leading the software design of iOS and OS X. We can be pretty sure they’re going to show us what they’ve been up to. But no one seems to know just what that is.
Yours truly included — and I couldn’t be happier. I haven’t been this in the dark about what Apple was set to announce in a keynote since the original iPhone introduction in January 2007. I’ve seen some speculation over the past few days that Vesper’s UI was informed by advanced knowledge of iOS 7....
| Read more »All-new dial-in experience! See below -- do not call into Talkshoe, we won't be there.
Our experiment last week using Fuze Meeting for our call-in process worked well enough to merit a second shift. Just as before, the text chat will be in this very post when the show begins... which will be two hours earlier than usual, given a few timezone conundrums and a few hosts out celebrating various celebrations.
So, tonight at 8pm ET, 5 pm PT, join us for our final WWDC preview countdown. This week, we'll review some of the external expectations put on Apple, in the context of Rich's assessment of true innovation coming from Cupertino.
Just like...
| Read more »The WWDC 2013 Keynote is tomorrow, Monday, June 10th, starting at 1pm EDT (10am PDT) and TMO's Dave Hamilton is already on-site posting pictures and updates. During the keynote itself coverage will include live, play-by-play updates from within the Moscone. Tune in here for TMO's coverage to find out exactly what's happening so you don't miss a thing!
We’ve got a pretty good idea of what Apple intends to give us at WWDC. Even the things we’re not so sure about seem on the radar.
But what does Apple need to do long term to tighten up the ecosystem and bring some excitement back into its hardware, software and services? I’ve got a few things…
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1. iCloud – I’m not sure how Apple gets to iCloud Nirvana from where they are now, but iCloud needs to turn into a full OS in the sky. The idea behind iCloud is that you really don’t know it is there but it is backing up and syncing all of your files across all of your devices all the time.
The end game for Apple should be this:
Does your dad -- or do you -- have a fascination with the weather? Is he always checking his iPad for local weather conditions, sending precipitation reports to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, or obsessively watching storm chaser videos on the Weather Channel app? If that's the case, or if you'd just like to win something really cool for Father's Day, then we have the giveaway for you. TUAW and Netatmo are giving away a Netatmo Weather Station valued at $179.
As featured in our review from last year, the Netatmo Weather Station includes both outdoor and indoor air quality sensors and also tracks temperature, humidity, and noise levels, all of which is available with a glance at your...
| Read more »In case you missed anything, here’s a quick roundup of the news that powered AllThingsD this week:
Has Apple lost its magic? It's kind of remarkable that pundits and analysts of all stripes are suggesting as much at this point, but really not all that surprising because they've been saying that every spring right up to Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference for years. ...
| Read more »The tech industry had a lot to say this week amid reports of massive government surveillance of Internet and telephone activity.
The Internet giants accused of giving the government access turned to the Web to defend themselves, while others in the industry voiced strong criticism over the apparent government activity.
Meanwhile the federal government, including President Obama and Director of National Security James Clapper, defended their actions, while others in Washington said it was time to rein in some of the surveillance tactics.
Here are a smattering of opinions offered up this week.
Ray Ozzie, Lotus Notes founder, former...
| Read more »Waterfield Designs makes some of the nicest computer, tablet, and smartphone accessories out there, and by nice I mean customizable, good-looking, and durable. I've had a Waterfield Designs iPad Travel Express bag for about three years now, dragged it all over the world, and it still looks like it did when it was brand new. Well, that same durable design is now showing up in your pocket with the delightful Finn Wallet (US$29), which can be used either as a wallet (duh!) or to house a naked iPhone. Let's take a look!
Design
The Finn Wallet actually comes in two different sizes: Size 25, which is intended to be a "wallet wallet", and Size 27, to clothe your iPhone 5. As for the lovely leather exterior (no, it's not Corinthian Leather...
| Read more »Chinese environmental activist Ma Jun recently said that Apple has made major strides towards becoming more environmentally friendly and transparent with respect to the company's operations in China.
While speaking at the Fortune Global Forum in Chengdu, China, Ma explained that Apple has recently transfromed from a company that was completely closed off about its environmental practices in China to one of the more environmentally progressive tech companies in the country.
Adam Lashinsky of Fortune reports:
Ma is a well-known former journalist who has devoted considerable energy to water issues in China. His group collects pollution data on Chinese companies and shares it with Western companies to help them better understand the ramifications of their supply chain partners. He said Apple not only has begun cooperating with his organization, it has become a positive force on the...
| Read more »From Puk's human companion, Wanda Rijkenberg:
This is Puk. Ever since she moved in with us she loves to nap in our home studio. We like to think because she's love us and that's where we often sit, but it's probably also to do with the studio equipment heating up the room. As a kitten (below) she'd squeeze between the power amp and a small mixer lit by a warm light. Now, years later, Puk grew a bit and so did the studio, leaving no place for a slightly overweight cat to squeeze into.
But in winter the trees in front of the house can't stop the sun from entering the room. And every time it does Puk knows exactly when and where to find that one free spot to nap in those rare rays of winter sun: just before the afternoon, on the pen tablet in front of the computer.
If you've got a Caturday nominee to share, let us know via our...
| Read more »Google is the most-liked technology firm in America, according to a new poll. The search giant showed a sizable favorability margin over both the iPhone maker and the world's largest social network, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. More than eight in ten respondents indicated a favorable view of the search company.... ...
| Read more »An awful lot has been written recently about whether Apple is has lost its spark. "Does Apple have an innovation problem?" asks the Washington Post. Forbes claims to lay out "Apple's innovation problem", although that piece is so muddled and lacking in specific details I came away more confused than illuminated. "Apple hasn't created an innovative product in years", claims inc.com. "Has Apple's innovation engine stalled?" asks USA Today. Fox News tells us "Why Apple is ailing." The Telegraph reports that "...
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For Apple, the first half of this year has been unusually quiet. There have been no special events, no product announcements. Indeed, the company has been virtually silent since last fall, when it rolled out major redesigns of a number of key products: the iPhone 5, the iPad and iPad mini and the iPod line.
So Monday’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote address from Apple CEO Tim Cook will be regarded with great interest not only for annual updates to the company’s desktop and mobile operating systems — OSX and iOS, but also as a harbinger of devices to come.
iOS 7
The centerpiece news of the day will be the unveiling of iOS 7. This latest iteration of the operating system that runs Apple’s iPhones and iPads will be the first to version of the OS to be truly crafted under the design leadership of Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Industrial Design, who...
Fnord666 writes "When a company called FlatWorld Interactives LLC filed suit against Apple just over a year ago, it looked like a typical 'patent troll' lawsuit against a tech company, brought by someone who no longer had much of a business beyond lawsuits. Court documents unsealed this week reveal who's behind FlatWorld, and it's anything but typical. FlatWorld is partly owned by the named inventor on the patents, a Philadelphia design professor named Slavko Milekic. But 35 percent of the company has been quietly controlled by an attorney at one of Apple's own go-to law firms, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. E-mail logs show that the attorney, John McAleese, worked together with his wife and began planning a wide-ranging patent attack against Apple's touch-screen products in January 2007—just days after the iPhone was revealed to the world."
| Read more »In many ways, Apple's iCloud Photo Stream service makes every iPhone photographer's life simpler. A good understanding of Photo Stream's "ins-and-outs" is needed to derive the most benefit from the service. In this article, Sandro Cuccia attempts to demystify the workings of Photo Stream.
another random user writes "Apple has applied for a patent on a combined virtual currency and digital wallet technology that would allow you to store money in the cloud, make payments with your iPhone, and maybe communicate with point-of-sale terminals via NFC. The patent application, published [Thursday] by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Organization, details how iPhone users could walk into a store, pay for goods with their phone, and walk out with their merchandise. Though Apple is late to the virtual wallet game, that doesn't seem to stop them trying to patent the process. There does not appear to be anything in the patent application which describes something that can't already be done."
| Read more »Mark Zuckerberg strongly denies Facebook is part of the PRISM program.
| Read more »The PRISM project is hitting the news just now, with the Director of National Intelligence issuing statements, and people talking about what privacy means in a free society.
This morning, our backchannel discussion about PRISM drifted to the topic of user privacy in apps. Specifically, we've noticed a recent trend -- our apps are starting to contact us by email.
Here's an example of a real email generated by an iOS app:
Hello, Thank you for trying [redacted] out!
I noticed that you've used the app a couple of times over the past few weeks but are no longer using it. We trying to make the calendar a better experience and in doing so I'd really appreciate if you could take a moment and tell me why [redacted] isn't working for you.
If you have any other thoughts you'd like to share with the team, please feel free to send it our way!
... | Read more »If you enjoyed this week's roundup of iPad cases, check out last week's edition, Golden Slumbers.
| Read more »Nerval's Lobster writes "Apple's iOS 7, which is heavily rumored to make its debut at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco, will almost certainly feature a totally redesigned interface. According to recent rumors (including a few key postings on the Apple-centric blog 9 to 5 Mac), the OS will stand as a shining example of "flat" design, which eliminates "real world" elements such as texture and shading in favor of stripped-down, basic shapes. That means certain iOS environments such as Game Center (with its casino-like green felt) and Newsstand (with its wooden shelving) could soon look completely different. But what about iOS 7's actual features? What could Apple change that would improve the operating system's chances against the increasingly sophisticated Google Android, not to mention the new-and-improved BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone 8? What would you do to iOS with Apple's full resources at your disposal?"
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| Read more »Lee Clow, Chairman and Global Director of Apple's go-to ad agency TBWA/Media Arts, recently discussed the 30 years he spent working with Steve Jobs, as well as the history behind now iconic commercials like those from the "Think Different" campaign. ...
| Read more »At a recent entrepreneurial summit known as the PTTOW! conference, TBWA Global Director and Chairman Lee Clow -- an advertising legend in part due to his long history behind many of the iconic ads for Apple -- gave a short talk on his memories of Steve Jobs and the 30-year relationship that they shared. In a video of the talk (seen below), Clow describes meeting Jobs in his mid-twenties; shares Jobs' passion for "democratizing" computer technology to consumers; adds his belief on how Jobs arrived at the "Apple" brand name, and more.... ...
| Read more »Enter to win a Bracketron Mushroom GreenZero Travel Charger. Giveaway closes on June 14th, 2013.
| Read more »Additional testimony and questioning in the DOJ e-book price-fixing trial against Apple has turned the nature of the case -- which has already become more into a inquiry of Amazon's misdeeds than of Apple's -- so far away from where the DOJ wanted it to go that even Apple's own lawyers sat up and took notice when Judge Denice Cote asked a key question during Friday's hearing. Cote, who in various pre-trial statements had made it crystal clear she believes the DOJ's original claims against Apple, injected doubt into a key part of the prosecution's case.... ...
| Read more »With just days to go until the opening of the 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco on Monday, Apple has pushed an update to the companion WWDC iOS app (free). While the program is aimed at attendees and registered Apple developers, others can also use the app by tapping "cancel" when prompted to sign in. The new version now handles video properly (resuming after a phone call, ignoring audio ringer mute when playing a video), corrects blurry text in session details, allows Favorites in Events to go to 11PM, prevents duplicate section headers in the videos list from appearing an... ...
| Read more »Construction photos from the Stanford 2 Northern California Apple Store have leaked out. The store, previously only visualized by architectural rendering, uses a glass box design with all glass walls supporting a "floating" white roof. A similar approach has been taken with the Portland, Oregon store. The new store, when open, replaces a mini-store about 700 feet away that dates back to 2004.... ...
| Read more »Like to text? Vern Seward point out 3 iOS apps that just might enhance your texting experience in this week's Free On iTunes. MessagEase, Fleksy, and Glyph-O-Rama.
Bryan Chaffin has been thinking about Apple CEO Tim Cook and the company's design guru, Sir Jonathan Ive. It started when Sir Jony was put in charge of the look and feel of iOS 7. As more rumors about the iOS makeover began to come out, he became convinced: working with the software designers is one of many steps in Tim Cook training him to takeover Apple some day.
If there's one promise I hope I can make to TUAW readers, it's that this will be the last iPad keyboard case review you'll read for a while. We've had quite a few over the past few months, but the subject of this review - the CruxSKUNK (US$179 introductory pricing, $210 regular MSRP) -- has been touted as a contender for the top iPad keyboard case. Let's see how it does compared to the ClamCase Pro, the current recipient of the TUAW iPad keyboard case review crown.
Design
The CruxSKUNK was funded by a popular Kickstarter project; the project team was requesting $90,000 and the final backing was almost $250,000. What got the backers so excited about YAIKC (yet another iPad keyboard case)? Well, compared to most other cases, it's built like a tank - or more like a MacBook Air. Machined out of aluminum...
| Read more »BMW has announced that all of its 2014 models will be getting an update bringing the Siri "Eyes Free" mode to it ConnectedDrive internet service. The mode will allow users to talk to Siri via their iPhone without having to actually look at their phone.
With the latest update to BMW iDrive, both Apple Siri and Samsung SVoice can be accessed through the vehicle's voice command controls. With a paired device, pressing and holding the steering wheel voice command button will engage the device's voice access. Pressing the steering wheel voice button without holding it will continue to access the vehicle's voice command functions.
The BMW voice command system itself has been enhanced to now include visual voice command suggestions. Once activated a banner across the top of the display offers prompts for when to speak and provides suggestions for what to say. The suggestions are tailored to the...
| Read more »When it comes to music labels, Apple’s gotta catch ‘em all. Elsewhere, Google unwittingly gives the folks from Cupertino a helping hand, and you’ll never guess what might show up at this year’s WWDC. The remainders for Friday, June 7, 2013 are mint in box.
Apple Signs Sony Up for iRadio, Now Has All Three Major Music Labels on Board (AllThingsD)
Sony, the last of the big three record labels, has reportedly signed on to Apple’s music-streaming service. So, I guess we can rest easy knowing that we’ll all be able to stream those oh-so-difficult-to-find tunes.
Google helps DOJ make first big mistake in Apple ebook trial (The Verge)
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Sony Music has jumped on board Apple's forthcoming streaming music service, according to numerous reports on Friday, meaning that Apple has now secured essential support for its anticipated new offering from each of the big three music labels. Warner Bros. and Universal reportedly each reached agreements with Apple earlier in the week. An official announcement is expected to be made next week at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.
Apple on Friday released an update to its WWDC 2013 iOS app, bringing a number feature enhancements and bug fixes to the title ahead of the conference scheduled to kick off on Monday. ...
| Read more »Readers ask about the necessity of running permissions fixes regularly among other topics.
| Read more »We've mentioned Kingdom Rush Frontiers here a few times before, so odds are you might know a little something about it already. But the long-awaited sequel/expansion to one of the best tower defense games on the App Store has now gone live, for $2.99 on iPhone and $4.99 on iPad, and you can now download it and defend towers to your heart's content.
Kingdom Rush has been on the App Store for a while (it originally began life as a Flash game), and Frontiers takes the winning formula of unit-based tower defense, and adds a whole lot of new content and extras. In addition to a whole new map and story to play through, there's a new upgrade tree to unlock as you go, which will buff up your towers in various ways. And...
| Read more »If you're not a father -- or a future or recent graduate -- you've got a bit of a conundrum coming up: you're likely to soon need to buy a gift for a dad or grad. In the middle of graduation season, and with just over a week left before Father's Day, Electronista has got your back. Our Dads 'n' Grads Buyer's Guide is going to show you which gadgets to get, because tech gifts are immeasurably better than ties and copies of Oh, the Places You'll Go!... ...
| Read more »Ahead of Apple’s big keynote address to kick off its WWDC 2013 developer conference next week on Monday, Apple today updated its WWDC app for iPhone and iPad with a number of tweaks and fixes.
The most notable updates include videos that “now continue to play over AirPlay when the device locks or after interruptions” such as phone call, as well as a tweak so the audio ringer switch doesn’t mute audio in videos.
You can check out everything we expect to see at WWDC next week in our roundups here and...
| Read more »(Preparations for Apple’s 2013 WWDC developer conference / Image via Nick)
There’s a lot we already know about what we’ll be seeing next week at WWDC– we’ve already brought you exclusive details on iOS 7, OS X 10.9, a MacBook refresh, Apple’s new Radio service, and much more. What else might we see Apple show off next week? Below are a couple of our best predictions based on what we think Apple is most likely to show off as well as few things we’ve been hearing:
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iCloud | Notifications |
Over the last year Apple’s iCloud service has been plagued with what feel like almost monthly outages, and the service is less than reliable for something that’s supposed to ‘just work’ without the user paying attention. One big...
| Read more »It has been a busy few weeks in the App Store with a bunch of app updates landing on iOS and OS X. Grab a cup of joe and check out our list of notable updates from the past few weeks! You can also follow them on a rolling basis on our website.
Updated iOS Apps
Runtastic PRO GPS Running, Walking & Fitness Tracker [iPhone; Category: Health & Fitness; $4.99] Runtastic PRO uses GPS to map your sport and fitness activities, such as: running, jogging, or walking. Version 2.1.1 includes:
...
| Read more »We make iOS apps. We made [Spy vs. Spy] and Primeval DFX (Hollywood style CGI dinosaurs, inserted into your own videos) last year.
Everything we do starts by blending the sciences with the humanities — the robots with the pencils — the programmers with the designers.
We think of ourselves as a ‘goldilocks’ company — Just The Right Size. We’re big enough to handle multimillion dollar projects and small enough to maintain a commitment to being positively good at everything we do.
Hire us, and we can make an app for you.
| Read more »As construction continues at Apple's Stanford 2 retail location, new pictures reveal the store will boast a "glass box and floating roof" design, the first of three Apple Stores to receive the refreshed design aesthetic. ...
| Read more »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 roundup 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
Today’s Featured deals:
...
| Read more »There are varying perspectives on what the next Mac Pro should be like. But everyone seems to agree that it should look beautiful, be insanely fast, have stupendus graphics power, be customer upgradeable to ridiculous amounts of RAM, boot from an SSD and be cooled by liquid helium if necessary in order to run rings around any everyday iMac. A WWDC announcement would stun and stagger us.
BlueStacks' GamePop is an exciting concept that draws attention to just how much mobile gaming has changed the video game landscape in a few short years. GamePop is a console that plays mobile phone games like Jetpack Joyride on your home TV. When it was first announced, the system was limited to simply Android games, but today BlueStacks has announced that iOS-only games will also be available to play on console.
Using a new technology called "Looking Glass," the system is able to convert iOS games to play on non-iOS hardware. Subatomic Studios, makers of the Fieldrunners series, has signed up to have its games included in the system's catalog. According to CNET, BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma says their "Looking Glass" technology...
| Read more »President Obama has taken the national stage in defense of the leaked PRISM and telephone surveillance programs, calling the telephony effort "authorized by broad bipartisan majorities repeatedly since 2006" with elected officials "consistently informed on exactly what we're doing." He was circumspect with remarks about Prism, telling US citizens that the effort does not apply, and also calling it fully approved, and supervised by the FISA court.... ...
| Read more »Being eco-friendly isn't an attribute typically given to charging devices, but Bracketron aims to change that with the Mushroom GreenZero travel charger. Electronista has one to give away, so read on to learn more about how this energy-saving charger, and how to enter to win.... ...
| Read more »YoWindow (free, universal) is a cute and effective weather app for the iPhone and now, the iPad. When we reviewed the app a few weeks ago, it was only available for the iPhone. The most recent release, version 1.1, is universal and adds support for Apple's Retina display.
Other changes you'll find in this update is a new docking feature that keeps the display illuminated while the app is running. That's pretty useful. Dock your iPad for a instant weather station. Also, the iPad version really emphasizes the animations that make YoWindow so charming. There are several themes to choose from, and each reflects the live weather outside your window.
Those looking for extensive weather information will want to look elsewhere, but if you simply need an answer to, "What's the weather today?" in a cute package, YoWindow is for...
| Read more »First, we have not joined any program that would give the U.S. government—or any other government—direct access to our servers. Indeed, the U.S. government does not have direct access or a “back door” to the information stored in our data centers. We had not heard of a program called PRISM until yesterday.
Given the way Google lies, this could be seen as confirmation of PRISM.
| Read more »We’re just three days away from Apple’s big keynote at WWDC next week and it’s the only thing we can think about! Apple hung a few (stunning) banners today finishing what it started earlier this week, but that’s just the teaser.
Don’t miss our full rundown of what we anticipate out for San Francisco come Monday!
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| Read more »Here's how to ensure that OS X does not open prior documents when launching a program.
| Read more »Apple has cleared another big hurdle in advance of its iRadio launch by signing a deal with music publisher Sony/ATV. The deal comes shortly after Apple signed a deal with Sony’s recorded music arm, and in time for Apple’s WWDC event on Monday.
Sony/ATV CEO Marty Bandier said his company has signed “a two-year introductory deal,” which will give his company 10 percent of any ad revenue Apple generates from his music.
Bandier believes his deal is the highest paying of any digital music publishing pact. Billboard reported the agreement earlier today.
| Read more »The latest edition of iLounge Weekly, our weekly newsletter covering all things iLounge, will be arriving in subscribers’ inboxes early next week. iLounge Weekly is a summary of the week’s best news, reviews, and feature articles we’ve published, and it also features giveaways and accessory discount offers from various companies.…
| Read more »A wave-themed banner goes up at Moscone West. It joins the iOS 7 banner revealed earlier today. Beautiful? Or a horrifying glimpse of art over usability? You tell us.
As for us, we're all about the thin. Here's our new TUAW banner, chock full of Ivedesign.
(just kidding)
Weekend Poll: Thinsperational or Ugly? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds...
| Read more »In addition to using Spotlight's privacy list, a simple name extension can keep Spotlight from indexing specific files and folders.
| Read more »Universal Audio has started shipping the Apollo 16, a new audio interface for musicians. The gear supports throughput up to 24-bit/192kHz, and uses a 16x16 analog I/O arrangement. That includes support for for purely digital connection types however, such as FireWire and Thunderbolt. Two Apollo 16s can be cascaded via MADI, creating a unit with eight processors and 32x32 I/O.... ...
| Read more »Apple has added new banners for its Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco, with two large signs presenting simply "7" and "X," and massive new signage across the street on the Metreon shopping center. ...
| Read more »Dave Hamilton, TMO's resident Sonos addict, recently had the opportunity to put the new Sonos PLAYBAR through its paces. There's a lot of cool technology baked into this thing that Sonos has, again, made very easy to use. Read more to find out just what Dave thought about it.
Sony Music has finally signed on with Apple for the company's upcoming streaming music service the media has dubbed "iRadio." Sony joins Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group in licensing content to Apple for the service, but Apple still needs to ink deals with Sony/ATV, Sony's publishing arm.
Bechtel, a global engineering company based in San Francisco, is featured in a new video that highlights how it uses iPad in the field. In addition to built-in apps, Bechtel has created its own apps. One focuses on worker safety at hazardous work sites, and another lets engineers create, update, and share technical information from their device. “iPad removes what in the past has been a huge barrier for construction projects,” says Eli Walter, Bechtel’s engineering manager. “It allows innovation to get out of the office and into the field where it belongs.”
| Read more »ifoAppleStore published a number of photos today showing construction of the new Stanford 2 Apple Store in northern California. The store uses a new "glass box and floating roof design" that allows passersby to get a great view of the interior of the store.
This same design is allegedly being used for two other Apple Stores, one in downtown Portland, Oregon and the other in the city center of Aix En Provence, France. The Stanford 2 store is progressing well for an opening later this year, and demolition has begun at the sites for the other two stores.
As ifoAppleStore notes, this design is completely faced with glass that actually supports the floating roof structure. Behind the glass box is a "stone-faced box" that encloses the back-of-house operations and other retail space.
The images were provided by an ifoAppleStore "tipster" who took photos from inside the...
| Read more »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 June 7, 2013 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:45:00 EST. Please see our...
| Read more »As always happens throughout human history — though perhaps moreso today — our lives see us constantly exposed to new technological developments. Our perspective on them taints our gut reactions, and it's often easy to forget that all of it is simply part of the iterative design process we as humanity share. Nothing we have today, not cell phones, not cars, not even a can opener, was created in a vacuum. Everything builds on that which came before it, and this is an easy fact to forget — and an important one to remember.
BlueStacks, the developer of the GamePop game console, says its hardware will be able to run iOS apps without using Apple code. The console reportedly uses a virtualization scheme known as "LookingGlass," allowing iOS games to run with few if any changes. BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma says he's not sure how Apple will react; iOS is a closed operating system, and iOS titles normally have to be distributed through the App Store.... ...
| Read more »In the music industry, there are three major labels: Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music. According to Peter Kafka at All Things D, Apple has now signed agreements with all three labels, opening the way to a possible Apple announcement of the iRadio streaming service during the WWDC 2013 Keynote on Monday.
"iRadio" may not be the actual name of the service, but has caught on as speculation has grown about Apple's music streaming plans. Apple still has to sign up Sony/ATV, the music publishing part of Sony, but is apparently quite close in negotiations.
Kafka expects that Apple won't actually launch iRadio on Monday, but will tell developers -- and the rest of us -- about the service. The service is expected to be free and...
| Read more »While the Internet is absorbing rumors like a wet sponge about what Apple has in store for iOS at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC), the Ars Technicast is staying dry and packing its bags to cover the event next week. As we get ready, we thought we’d talk about what we can expect from Apple this time around.
In this episode of the Technicast, we discuss a few areas of iOS that we feel could use some much-needed attention, but we don't spend too much time rehashing the Internet rumors about what Apple will include in iOS 7. We also talk about some of the possible refreshes that Apple may announce for product lines such as MacBook Air and MacBook Pros. Join Social Editor Cesar Torres, Ars Associate Writer Casey Johnston, and Senior Products Specialist Andrew Cunningham in this episode as we...
| Read more »Comedy Central on Thursday released a brand new iOS app that's sure to leave you laughing. The app is called CC:Stand-up, and as the name implies, it enables users to watch a plethora of great stand-up comics.
The CC:Stand-Up app is finally here, giving you free access to Comedy Central's massive library of stand-up from your favorite comedians. Enjoy the best bits from the likes of Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., Gabriel Iglesias, Daniel Tosh, Amy Schumer, John Mulaney, Pete Holmes, Aziz Ansari and hundreds more. The best part? No cover charge, no two-drink minimum.
Those are some big name comedians there, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I was personally excited to see hilarious clips from Hannibal Burres, a Chicago-based comedian who formerly wrote for 30 Rock and now for SNL, and Neal Brennan who you might know as the co-creator of the classic Chappele Show.
Again, given that the app...
| Read more »(Updated with OS X banner) Apple is already displaying a banner for iOS 7 in Moscone West in San Francisco, the venue for next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, photos indicate. The banner features a thin "7" in the rainbow colors of the WWDC 2013 logo. Behind the number is an image of a white, perforated surface.... ...
| Read more »Yesterday in the MacNN forums, one concerned Fresh-Faced Recruit turned to the forums looking for help with an unusual problem with Mail that they are unable to get past. Also yesterday, Grizzled Veteran "gooser" started a thread looking for some assistance with using Ripit and Front Row on a MacBook Pro, a solution has yet to be found.... ...
| Read more »Apple's online store currently has a wide selection of refurbished Retina MacBook Pro models at reduced prices. The 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.5GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage has been reduced by $230 to $1,269. The 13.3-inch Retina MBP with a 2.6GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage has been cut by $260 to $1,439.... ...
| Read more »Currently at eCost.com, save 40 percent on the refurbished 17.3-inch HP Envy notebook computer in midnight black. It was $1,000, but has been reduced by $400 to $600 with free delivery. That discount makes it about $160 less than the lowest price we have seen anywhere else. This notebook features a 2.4GHz Intel quad-core i7 processor, 12GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. A 90-day warranty on parts and labor is included from HP.... ...
| Read more »BI notes that Clow, who has been making Apple ads since the 80s, shared some memories from his 30-year relationship with Jobs at a PTTOW! summit.
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| Read more »TV junkies should be rejoicing this morning -- Hulu Plus for iPad, the go-to app for streaming current TV shows, has been updated to version 3.0, bringing along a pile of new features.
The Hulu app page in the App Store says that there have been "hundreds of internal optimizations," but the entire app has also been redesigned from the ground up to ease discovery of new shows. Some of the improvements include:
It's time to save some of that hard-earned cash with our Daily Deals, featuring a handy list from Dealnews and our own hand-picked selections that include some sweet deals on iOS and OS X software (all prices are USD). Prices are subject to change.
Deals from Dealnews
A new TV game console dubbed GamePop will allegedly run iOS applications with virtualization, without using any of Apple's own code, potentially giving developers a new platform on which to offer their titles. ...
| Read more »The 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference is about to begin, and Apple's developer community is gearing up for a sneak peek at what's coming next in software on and off the desktop. Apple has once again said the focus will be on iOS and OS X, all but guaranteeing an early look at iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 during Monday's keynote.
We’re hoping to learn more about iOS 7’s new features and the purported “flat” design element that has been exciting the Apple community. Apple has also allegedly been ...
| Read more »Fun with Chess is an iOS app that is a nice match for kids wanting to learn how to play one of the world's greatest games. It is not a typical chess experience, because it adds in factors of luck which limits your piece's moves with a roll of the dice.
The game keeps score, so you can play another person and decide a winner at any time. You can play the computer, another person face-to-face or remotely. There is a built-in chess tutorial, and a linked video with more information.
To make Fun with Chess more appealing to beginners, games are limited to six pieces and six applicable rules. I suppose one could complain that this is a chess variant, rather than a standard game, but I think it is less intimidating to someone just starting out, and a good way to learn the rules.
Gallery: Fun with Chess
... | Read more »A Czech site claims it has obtained images of several parts for an upcoming iPhone 5S. Letem Světem Applem says these include a FaceTime camera, a Home button, and a vibration motor. Although the authenticity of the parts can't be verified, the site says they have country-specific serial numbers, which could mean that the Czech Republic will be included in the first major international wave of 5S launches, after an initial smaller wave concentrating on countries like the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany.... ...
| Read more »Nimble Quest takes the classic Snake game and gives it an RPG twist.
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