This morning we wrote about the possible impact game controller support may have on iOS 7. But what else will iOS 7 have to offer for game developers? After all we're going to need something to play on those mFi controllers.

Retro gamers should take note of SpriteKit, a new Apple framework for developing simple 2D games with access to powerful game physics. An example of what the Apple exclusive tool is capable of can be viewed below and shows the mix of simplicity and power it has to offer. Given how strong a platform the iPhone has proven itself to be for creative physics games I personally can't wait to see what games developers make out of these new tools.

Developers have also seen new additions added via the re-designed Game Center. The game center now includes support for turn-based games and improved...

iTunes U is a rich resource of knowledge available to you right through your iPhone or iPad. Recently, users of the app may have noticed that some iTunes U courses now offer closed captioning. In order to view the closed captions in the app, however, you need to enable them. Many users assume that the closed caption settings are under iOS's general Accessibility settings, but they're actually found in the settings of the iTunes U app itself.

As iMore points out, users with disabilities simply need to navigate to iOS's Settings app, then select iTunes U, and then toggle Closed Captioning to "On." Closed captioning isn't just helpful for those with disabilities, either. I have a friend who hates wearing headphones, but likes to view iTunes U materials on his train ride home. He simply enables closed captioning, and he...

The UK's ITV has announced that is is offering an ad-free ITV Player Premium subscription for iOS users for £3.99 a month. The current ITV Player app allows users to catch up on on-demand TV shows for up to thirty days after that air, but these shows have ads. Now ITV is hoping to profit from people who like their TV shows sans-ads. From the press release announcing the new subscription service:

The new ITV Player app for Apple devices introduces a premium upgrade, which allows viewers to watch the last thirty days of ITV's catch up content across ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV without advertising, as well as live simulcast of ITV3 and ITV4 via wifi and 3G. The upgrade costs £3.99 per month.

ITV's catch up content with ads and live simulcast of ITV's flagship channel and ITV2 remain part of the ITV Player app for free. When users update the application on their iPhone, iPad or iTouch, they will...

John Maeda took issue with Jony Ive's recently unveiled design scheme for iOS 7 in a Wired post this morning, and it's apparent that the writer -- a well-known academic in the design world -- isn't happy with the new, flatter iOS or the direction in which Apple seems to be pointing the world of user interface design.

As Maeda points out up front, much of the buzz around the design changes in iOS 7 has been positive, noting that "skeuomorphism teaches by analogy" and that "it's time to remove the 'training wheels'" since most people now understand how a smartphone is supposed to work. Maeda, however, thinks that "design should boldly go where no user or interface has gone before," and that in the world of "infinitely available and infinitely malleable" pixels,...

While much has been said on the reaction by iOS users on the new look that will be found throughout the updated iOS 7 when it is released later this year, one element that doesn't get enough attention is that the icons and designs shown at WWDC are not, according to unnamed sources familiar with the ongoing project, set in stone. However, the redesign has already won a vote of approval from legendary original Mac OS icon designer Susan Kare, who told Network World that the new icons are "generally a good direction."... ...

Remember my last keyboard case review where I told you it was going to be the last one for awhile? Well, that was before yet another manufacturer knocked on my virtual door and handed me a keyboard case. But this, my friends, is a keyboard case with a difference -- it also has a huge built-in battery pack that you can use to extend the working life of your iPad or charge your other hungry electronic devices. The name of this unit is the Props Power and Keyboard Case for iPad (US$109.95) from Digital Treasures, and I'll take you through a quick look at this case before giving it away.

Design

The first thing I noticed when I pulled the Props Power and Keyboard Case out of its box was how light it is. That's not expected, since this is not just a keyboard, but also has an 8000 mAh battery pack hidden inside. How heavy is it? 1.36 lbs (.62 kg). Compare that to the...

Apple has made a 10-minute promotional film that was released today on its YouTube channel highlighting a number of real-world uses for its iOS technologies and apps that are making a difference in the lives of people around the globe. The video itself is titled Making a difference. One app at a time and shows iPad and iPhone users and developers showing and talking about the way an app has changed their life. The video reflects remarks from CEO Tim Cook that the company's marketing efforts would focus more on the effect of its work rather than touting products.... ...

Apple on Wednesday afternoon posted a new and uncharacteristically lengthy video to its YouTube channel.

The video is rather powerful and highlights how iOS apps are having a substantive impact in a myriad of ways. In one particularly fascinating snippet, a paralympic medalist in rowing describes how she's able to precisely control her prosthetics with the iOS app Galileo, enabling her to more comfortably and properly align the angle of her foot while using exercise equipment and when wearing varying types of footwear.

The video description reads:

Each iOS app offers remarkable - and often delightful - possibilities. But the most powerful iOS apps ever are ones that change people's lives in ways they never imagined.

It's a great video, and I'm actually surprised Apple didn't show this during the WWDC keynote.

Apple posts new video, "Making a...

Apple has launched iAd Workbench, a new service that allows developers of all sizes to build ad campaigns to reach their target demographics. iAd started as a massively expensive service that was priced out of the reach of many developers, with the minimum for an advertising contract being set at $500,000 in 2011. The minimum then shrank to $300,000 in July of 2011, and then again to $100,000 in February of 2012. Now with iAd Workbench the minimum to spend on campaigns starts at $50. Apple is obviously rethinking the scope of which developers it wants advertising.

iAd Workbench provides template ads to make ad creation quick and easy for developers. More customization is available for people who want it, but the system is designed for quick generation. Once...

An email from late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs is being used by the U.S. Department of Justice to suggest the company was leaning on book publishers to push Amazon to the agency model, a main contention of the government in its e-book antitrust suit.  ...

Jobs, the independent biopic covering a key period in the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, is now officially set to open in theaters across the US on August 16 -- four months after the originally-scheduled debut, according to distributor Open Road Films. The movie, which has seen mixed reviews overall though generally garnered praise for the effort put in by lead Ashton Kutcher as Jobs, covers his life from approximately 1971 to 2001 and also stars Broadway actor Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak.... ...

Dave's at WWDC, but the bandwidth gods blessed he and John for a cross-country Mac Geek Gab. They talked through some of the geekier aspects of the WWDC announcement, answered a few questions, and shared the answer to a long-standing question: Should 2.4GHz and 5GHz have different SSIDs? Listen now and ... enjoy!

Many of the new icons in Apple’s recently revealed iOS 7 were “primarily designed by members of Apple’s marketing and communications department,” according to a report. Apple Senior VP of Industrial Design Jony Ive reportedly used the print and web marketing design team to “set the look and color palette…

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 12, 2013 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:45:00 EST. Please see our...

Much has been said, both positive and negative, about the look of Apple's iOS 7, though new information reveals the design showed off at WWDC on Monday was merely a work in progress, meaning those initial impressions are likely to change in the months ahead.  ...

In a first of its kind purge for the search engine, Yahoo is freeing up old IDs that have been inactive for at least 12 months. In mid-July, users can stake a claim on what Yahoo IDs they want to claim that have been in use. Yahoo will award the credentials in mid-August....   ...

There was no shortage of news coming out of Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference this week, including a glimpse at the next generation of iOS. On the hardware front, meanwhile, the company revealed it will launch a new desktop computer and a refreshed MacBook Air line. Then, of course, there was iRadio, its new streaming radio application. WWDC isn't usually the place where Apple reveals its groundbreaking products, but investors still seemed to want more out of Apple this week.

Continuing a trend that has seen it focusing more on the impact its devices have on customers, Apple on Wednesday released a new video to its YouTube channel touting the ability of iOS apps to actually change and enrich their users' lives.  ...

I asked, "Siri: Is it safe to be driving and talking to you?" Siri conducted a web search and probably won't be pleased with the results. In a recent AAA study, researchers found that letting drivers text and send email with voice commands is actually more distracting just simply talking on a cellphone.

"Compared to other activities studied, we found that interacting with the speech-to-text system was the most cognitively distracting," wrote the researchers. "This clearly suggests that the adoption of voice-based systems in the vehicle may have unintended consequences that adversely affect traffic safety."

The research is sure to have criticism. A...

It’s not a huge update, but it might be helpful.

Microsoft on Wednesday released version 14.3.5 of its Microsoft Office 2011 suite for the Mac. The update, a 113 megabyte download, features the following change:

- Fixes an issue that affects IMAP-based email accounts in which the flagged or starred state of a message was not set correctly.

The update can also be locared and installed via the Microsoft AutoUpdate feature.

Microsoft Office 2011 14.3.5 requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later to install and run.

If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback to offer...

Apple has released an update to its AirPort Utility app for the Mac, bringing it up to version 6.3. It adds the ability to extend a guest Wi-Fi network across multiple AirPort base stations, support for WPS-capable printers, and improved international support. It's a free download, as always.

The 6.3 update requires an Intel-based Mac running 10.7.5 or later. You can grab it right now through Software Update, or head on over to Apple's update site.

Apple releases AirPort Utility 6.3 for Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | ...

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

• StackSocial: [Mac Software] The Name Your Own Price Double Down Mac Bundle for Mac downloads for $4
• Other World Computing: [Computer Accessories] OWC 2012 Featured Move 'em Out Sale: RAM, accessories, HDDs, more
• Other World Computing: [Digital Video Capture...

After being one of the first car companies to offer iPod integration, BMW is surprisingly not on the list of carmakers that announced their support for Apple's new "iOS in the Car" functionality this week.  ...

While watching Apple's keynote earlier this week, I was particularly struck by Craig Federighi's presentation. He was affable, felt comfortable on stage, was informative, interacted with the audience, and even had a few zingers to boot.

That said, it's likely no coincidence that Federighi received the most stage time on Monday, handling presentation duties both for OS X Mavericks and iOS 7.

The Wall Street Journal today has an interesting profile on Federighi, an important member of Apple's executive team that many people may not know much about.

The lanky, 44-year-old engineer has a long Apple pedigree. He worked at Next, the other computer company founded by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and joined Apple when it acquired the company in 1997.

But despite earning the respect of colleagues for his focus and affability, he has remained behind the scenes for years....

Adds hyperlink support and enables language to be set within a style. ($39 new, free update, 105 MB)

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.

One of the biggest application overhauls in iOS 7 is the Photos app, which has been redesigned to automate picture organization and take full advantage of Retina displays.   ...

Vampire Weekend will perform for WWDC attendees this year.

Weeks after Modern Vampires of the City was featured on iTunes as a free stream ahead of its release date, Vampire Weekend has been officially announced to perform tomorrow night at WWDC Bash for conference attendees.

Here’s one great reason to give your Mac the night off. Vampire Weekend will perform at Thursday night’s WWDC Bash. The party starts at 6:00 p.m. at Yerba Buena Gardens.

Vampire Weekend has been tapped by Apple...

Following most new hardware announcements, self-repair site iFixIt quickly brings us a glimpse of what the new hardware is all about, on the inside.

ITV is introducing a new subscription fee into its iOS app that will allow users to watch the last 30 days of ITV content without advertising. Priced at £4 per month, the new subscription covers content across ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV, and will also provide simulcasts of ITV3 and 4 over 3G and WiFi. All of the previously existing free content will remain available at no cost, but supported by ads....  ...

Apple has made in-app advertising more accessible to developers with the introduction of iAd Workbench. The service allows for ad campaign budgets starting at US$50, making it easier for developers to promote their apps directly to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners.

The new MacBook Air went on sale this week, and customers want to know how this year's Haswell models compare to last year's Ivy Bridge units. Yesterday, Engadget benchmarked the new MacBook Air looking primarily at the SSD drive performance and now AnandTech has published its own report that includes CPU performance.

The 2013 MacBook Air has a Core i5 CPU with a lower base clock speed than the comparable 2012 MacBook Air, but it has the same max turbo speed of 2.6GHz. Though the Haswell architecture improves the battery life in the 2013 MacBook Air, the CPU performance is...

Update: Apple updated its warranty policy in France and Germany too. (Thanks @settebit)

Belgian consumer groups have been following the move of Italian regulators in recent months to push Apple for changes to its warranty programs in order to clarify rules regarding a statutory warranty enforced by EU law that requires companies to make sure products are free from defects for two years. It isn’t the only other nation pushing for changes to warranties, consumers groups in at least Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and Portugal had also filed lawsuits against Apple over its...

Try to contain your excitement -- Ashton Kutcher's new movie Jobs, which previewed to somewhat tepid reviews towards the beginning of 2013 -- will be hitting theaters nationwide on Friday, August 16th.

Open Road Films was originally aiming for an April 19th release date, but decided to delay the release somewhat due to the fact they weren't able to generate a lot of "buzz" about the movie. Now the production company has two months to turn on the hype machine, get a media campaign up and running and try to get you to reach for a wallet (virtual or not) and buy a ticket.

Jobs is the first real biopic based on the life and times of the former Apple CEO. Funny or Die's ...

Yesterday, FierceWireless published an interview with former Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein. Palm released its webOS operating system in 2009 to much fanfare, however, the sales were abysmal and led to the eventual HP acquisition.

Rubinstein still remains very proud of the innovation behind webOS and believes the technology is slowly being “adopted” by other companies. With the introduction of iOS 7, many have said that features like multitasking cards resemble webOS, but Rubinstein believes the webOS influence extends even further into other operating systems like OS X and those of other companies:

FierceWireless: It seems like iOS 7 is taking lots of multitasking cues from webOS. How do you think that platform, webOS, influenced other mobile platforms?

Rubinstein: It’s not just mobile platforms. If you look at the notifications on Mac OS X, it looks just like webOS, too. We did a lot of things that were...

Long story short, sign in with a US iTunes account and iTunes Radio will show up in iTunes upon re-launch. We’re not sure if this easy ‘hack’ will make it to Gold Master but Radio might be in your country by then anyway.

//

iFixit gets busy whenever Apple announces new hardware. Not only did the repair company tear down the new 2013 MacBook Air, it also cracked open the new Airport Extreme.

According to iFIxit, the tall, rectangular device is a series of "vertical circuit boards surrounding a big empty space." This space is big enough to hold a 3.5" hard drive, but iFIxit needs to look at the new Time Capsule to determine whether a DIYer could save some cash by purchasing an AirPort Extreme and installing their own hard drive into the device.

Good news on the repair front as the AirPort Extreme A1521 is relatively easy to crack open and repair. The unit was given a Repairability Score of 8 out of 10 with a few points lost because you have to disassemble most of the device to clean the fan. Some of the connectors are...

If you’re interested in Steve Jobs-based biopic goodness, the film hits this August.

Per 9to5Mac, the Ashton Kutcher led JOBS biopic will debut on August 17th according to a press release:

“Open Road Films will release JOBS – the highly anticipated film chronicling the story of Steve Jobs’ ascension from college dropout to one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century – nationwide on August 16, 2013. JOBS details the major moments and defining characters that influenced Steve Jobs on a daily basis from 1971 through 2001. The film plunges into the depths of his character, creating an intense dialogue-driven story that...

Skycure

Security researchers say they've uncovered a weakness in some iPhones that makes it easier to force nearby users to connect to Wi-Fi networks that steal passwords or perform other nefarious deeds.

The weakness is contained in configuration settings installed by AT&T, Vodafone, and more than a dozen other carriers that give the phones voice and Internet services, according to a blog post published Wednesday. Settings for AT&T iPhones, for instance, frequently instruct the devices to automatically connect to a Wi-Fi network called attwifi when the signal becomes available. Carriers make the Wi-Fi signals available in public places as a service to help subscribers get Internet connections that are fast and reliable. Attackers can take advantage of this behavior by setting up their own rogue Wi-Fi networks with the same names and then collecting sensitive data as it passes through their...

Following WWDC this week Apple’s redesign of iOS 7 and Mavericks have been getting the majority of attention, and rightfully so, but there are a few new big features coming in iOS 7 that haven’t been discussed. This morning we told you about the new MFi Game Controller framework that will make using hardware game controllers a lot smoother in iOS 7, but another important new feature in the update is inter-app audio.

The basic idea is simple: Inter-app audio will allow developers to make their app act as an output and or input for sending and receiving audio to and from other apps. In fact, we already somewhat have that functionality through...

It had to happen sometime.

But at least it’s under interesting circumstances.

Per The Mac Observer, Google has put an end to the rumors that it has been negotiating to buy Waze with the announcement that it has, in fact, signed a deal with the crowdsourced mapping and navigation company. Google Vice President of Geo Brian McClendon said Waze will remain an independent company for now, and its development team won’t be leaving Israel.

Mr. McClendon stated the following:

“The Waze product development team will remain in...

Apple is now offering developers instructions for creating officially sanctioned game controllers. Two game controllers are illustrated — both with a d-pad, four front buttons, and shoulder buttons. One of the controllers slightly resembles a Wii U Gamepad, as an iOS device could be placed within the controller’s center. The…

The Haswell-based MacBook Air is out, and in their usual fine style, the ubergeeks at iFixit have completed a full teardown of the notebook. Per AppleInsider, the updated notebook features minor changes seen in battery size, the SSD module and integrated graphics, among others.

Most notable among the hardware revisions is an enlarged battery, which moves from a 7.3V 6700mAh pack to a 7.6V 7150mAh unit. The cells still dominate the Air’s innards.

...

An update’s an update.

On Wednesday, Adobe released Flash Player 11.7.700.225 for Mac OS X, an 18 megabyte download via MacUpdate. The new version adds the following fixes and changes:
- Camera is not working for stageVideo(iOS)(3558247).

- No option to disable hardware acceleration(3560209).

- No option to fallback to WAV audio(3553459).

- Addresses vulnerabilities that could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.

Adobe Flash Player 11.7.700.225 requires an Intel-based Mac...

Apple has added a new section to its iTunes Connect developer portal, iAd Workbench. The tool lets app developers promoting their titles via iAd to exercise more control over ads and campaign budgets. The minimum spend for such campaigns is now just $50, and developers can ask to pay on a cost-per-acquisition (CPA) or cost-per-click (CPC) basis. Apple provides estimates for the reach of a given campaign, including statistics for impressions, taps, and downloads....  ...

Just when Apple seemed to be getting the upper hand in the ebooks trial, the DOJ produced a second email from Steve Jobs which casts doubt on Apple’s claims that it was “indifferent” to the pricing models adopted by competitors such as Amazon, reports Fortune.

The DOJ case against Apple is predicated on the claim that Apple put pressure on publishers to sell to Amazon on the same terms as Apple, the so-called ‘agency model’ in which publishers set the price of each book and retailers take a percentage, instead of the wholesale model, where retailers buy in bulk and set their own prices....

We didn’t get any updates to Apple TV at WWDC this week like some were hoping for, but yesterday Comcast–one of the cable companies that has been rumored to be in discussions with Apple over a new and improved Apple TV service– unveiled its next-generation cable box arriving this fall. On top of a brand new UI and platform dubbed “X2″, the company also gave us a look at its revamped iOS apps & a new controller with voice control features that will let you search by actor, show type, series, etc.

While showing off a new slick UI with recommendations and brand new, customizable guide views, the company also showed off integration with apps such as Pandora, Rotten Tomatoes, and zeebox for ratings. Within the new apps section (shown at 16:40), we see integration with Facebook, Pandora, Instagram, Xfinity Home...

"Jobs," the biopic based on the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and starring Ashton Kutcher, is now set for an August 16 release in the United States. The movie was originally scheduled to launch in April, but Open Road Films decided to delay after its premier at the Sundance Film Festival to make more time for marketing.

With the latest changes to iTunes Connect, Apple has clearly changed its approach to mobile advertising. For the last three years, Apple has targeted large brands with minimum buy-ins ranging in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, uptake of iAd does not seem to have been at the level Apple expected, which has had a negative impact on developers, who have commonly observed low fill rates for their ads.

In mid 2010, Apple allowed app developers to participate in the advertising side of iAd program, by showing banner ads that link directly to their apps. With newly announced changes to iAd, which have been discussed in-depth at WWDC, Apple has furthered this push.

//

iTunes Connect has added “iAd Workbench”, which allows finer-grained control and customisation of advertisements and more flexibility over...

The Ashton Kutcher led JOBS biopic will debut on August 17th according to a press release.

Open Road Films will release JOBS – the highly anticipated film chronicling the story of Steve Jobs’ ascension from college dropout to one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century – nationwide on August 16, 2013. JOBS details the major moments and defining characters that influenced Steve Jobs on a daily basis from 1971 through 2001. The film plunges into the depths of his character, creating an intense dialogue-driven story that is as much a sweeping epic as it is an immensely personal portrait of Steve Jobs’ life. Directed by Joshua Michael Stern, written by Matthew Whiteley, JOBS was shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter and produced by Mark Hulme. JOBS stars Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas...