Accessory maker onandoff announced on Tuesday that the Leather Skin line for MacBook Pro with Retina Display and MacBook Air is shipping. This is a synthetic leather cover for your Mac portable that is 0.6 mm thick, or thin, as the case may be. See what I did there? Anyway, each kit comes with a  palm guard, bottom skin,and  top skin with a cut-out so the Apple logo is still available. You can see how they're attached in the video. the 11-inch MacBook Air skins are priced at $49.95, while the 13-inch and 15-inch skins are $59.95. They're available now.

Alongside the releases of fresh iOS 7 and Apple TV betas, Apple has also issued a fifth Developer Preview of Xcode 5 -- which offers some improvements and changes as well as the usual fixes and performance enhancements. The new build (5A11365y) continues to polish the Simulator and Instruments, makes slight tweaks to the user interface and overall experience, adds iOS 7 support to Interface Builder and brings a new Auto Vectorizer tool to Compiler among other changes. Though bugs remain, there are also some further changes in the new build.... ...

FinancesOnline have published a very interesting infographic that breaks down Apple's iPhone global supply chain by region, showing us how much of what is made where by whom. This includes information about the rare earth minerals used in the production of Apple's iPhones, how many people work on Apple-related, a reminder of comments Steve Jobs made about how important speed is in production lines, and 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 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,...

If you need to save a filled-out PDF form so the content is no longer editable, you can do so with Preview in OS X.

The free Audiophile Music Player app for the iPad is an attractive and great sounding way to improve iPad audio if you are connected to external speakers or headphones. Speakers can be the plug-in type, or connected via Bluetooth or AirPlay.

Like some of the other audio apps I've reviewed, most recently one for the iPhone for use with headphones, Audiophile processes music digitally and significantly enhances the sound, especially for smaller speakers and headphones.

The app sees your iTunes content, and allows you to play tracks, albums, or create playlists. You can also use iTunes file sharing for music not on your iPad. The app supports ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3 and AAC/M4A formats.

Gallery: ...

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...

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...

Apple has begun seeding a fifth beta of iOS 7 to developers, along with a matching Apple TV preview. The update comes just a little over a week since the last one, but makes a few significant changes. Users can now pull down a notification banner, for instance, or disable Control Center when an app is running. With the latter option on, Control Center still works from the homescreen....  ...

A difficult task: a developer is bringing Mac apps to Linux. Jon Brodkin

Linux users who want to run Windows applications without switching operating systems have been able to do so for years with Wine, software that lets apps designed for Windows run on Unix-like systems.

There has been no robust equivalent allowing Mac applications to run on Linux, perhaps no surprise given that Windows is far and away the world's most widely used desktop operating system. A developer from Prague named Luboš Doležel is trying to change that with "Darling," an emulation layer for OS X.

"The aim is to achieve binary compatible support for Darwin/OS X applications on Linux, plus provide useful tools that will aid especially in application installation," Doležel's project page states. Darwin is Apple's open source operating system, which provides some of the back-end technology in OS X and iOS. The name "Darling" combines...

I agree with Joe, I’d love to see the Post get back to that old style journalism. Clearly they need to still compete with the newer, quicker news items, but mixing it with some investigative journalism would be welcomed by everyone.

∞ Read this on The Loop

A startup company co-founded by former Apple CEO John Sculley has formed a partnership with his former company, as Apple's stores will now carry Misfit's Shine wearable activity measuring device.  ...

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.

...

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...

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....  ...

An amazing story.

∞ Read this on The Loop

Comcast is said to be working on its own alternative to the Copyright Alert System (CAS) anti-piracy system, also known as "six strikes," operated by the Center for Copyright Infromation (CCI). The rumored system would see Comcast providing users identified as downloading infringing content links to buy or rent the content legally....  ...

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.  ...

I certainly didn't start my career with plans to become a blogger and editor at one of the world's most active Apple websites. When I was a child dreaming about a future career path, computer science barely registered on the "What I want to do when I grow up" list since only corporations owned room-sized mainframes at that time and there was no such thing as a home computer.

The first time I had any physical contact with a computer was in 8th grade in Aurora, Colorado in the Apollo moon landing year of 1969. The Aurora Public Schools had purchased a Data General Nova (see console photo of a similar model at top of this post) in that year for accounting and scheduling purposes, and some brilliant person came up with the idea of buying some Teletypes that could be used as dialup terminals to allow personnel at the...

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

[Via Jim Coudal]

∞ Read this on The Loop

Every day, more people connect face to face on the iPhone than any other phone.

It's time to save some of that hard-earned cash with our Daily Deals, featuring exclusive TUAW Deals, a handy list from Dealnews and our own hand-picked iOS and OS X selections.

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Save 88% off the Adobe(R) Authorized Creative Cloud Training Bundle at TUAW Deals.

Deals from Dealnews

• ...

Apple's online and retail stores will become the exclusive home of Philips' latest iPhone-connected Hue lights this week: the Bloom portable LED bulb and stick-able LightStrips, both of which do not require a standard light socket.  ...

It's easy to give apps access to your Twitter account, and depending on what it is you're doing -- like sharing Instagram photos with your followers -- it makes sense. Over time, however, it's easy to build up a long list of apps that can get at your Twitter account without you even realizing it. It's a good idea to check that list periodically and clear out the apps that don't need Twitter access any more.

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...

Apple has aired its latest television ad titled, 'FaceTime Every Day.' As you would expect from the title, the ad shows people in every day life connecting via FaceTime on the iPhone. The ad follows in the footsteps of previous spots that spotlighted Camera and Music app use. The 'FaceTime Every Day' ad ends with the line, "Every day more people connect face-to-face on the iPhone than any other phone." Check it out below:

Apple airs new 'FaceTime Every Day' ad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | ...

Apple released a new iPhone commercial that focuses on FaceTime video chats, and completely skips over hardware and software specifications, just like the other ads showing off iPhone features. Unlike companies that rattle off camera and processor specs along with screen size, Apple's ads go for an emotional pull.

The Washington Post Co. agreed Monday to sell its flagship newspaper to Amazon.com founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos, ending the Graham family’s stewardship of one of America’s leading news organizations after four generations.

Bezos, whose entrepreneurship has made him one of the world’s richest men, will pay $250 million in cash for The Post and affiliated publications to The Washington Post Co., which owns the newspaper and other businesses.

There is no doubt Bezos is a smart man, but I’ll admit, this move took me by surprise.

∞ Read this on The Loop

As Samsung looks to lessen its reliance on Google's Android platform, the company views its own custom Tizen operating system as a viable alternative that could power the company's future flagship smartphones.  ...

Following the death of a woman in China who was electrocuted by a knockoff iPhone charger Apple is launching a voluntary takeback program for third-party chargers. From August 16 through October 18 Apple retail stores and authorized service providers will take and dispose of any third party iPhone charger customers are concerned about.

The Mac Observer Spin:
The iPhone charger that killed a woman in China wasn't approved through Apple's hardware certification program, and no doubt the company will use this as an example why customers should stick with Apple-branded, or Apple-certified, accessories. Apple didn't have to launch a voluntary takeback program, but it's a really smart move.

A new side-by-side comparison of iPhone 5 parts with components allegedly built for Apple's next-generation "iPhone 5S" show minor internal changes, the most significant of which is a longer ribbon cable attached to the front display.  ...

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."... ...