Those crazy MacHeisters are at it again, and this time the deal is even harder to resist.
The first ever MacHeist Nano won’t cost you a penny. You can download, without charge, fully licensed copies of ShoveBox, WriteRoom, Twitterific, TinyGrab, and Hordes of Orcs. If 500,000 people take part (which I think is a pretty safe [...]
A couple of weeks back, I wrote Temporarily Get More iPhone Home Screens Via Cunning Bug Exploit, but had heard staying away from the iTunes Applications tab within my iPhone was probably a Very Good Idea. Reader Larry Pressnell noted that since the most recent iTunes update, his extra screens have been accessible in iTunes.
Since [...]
I really like Stacks on my Mac. Stacks makes it fast and easy to find files, folders and apps right from the Dock. It makes managing a Mac pretty slick with all sorts of little UI tricks. That’s why I recently gave MobileStack a go on my jailbroken iPhone.
I must say that it lives up to the [...]
Is this Steve Jobs driving a tank in a classic Apple TV spot from the late 1990s? That was the rumor at the time: Jobs was making cameos in Apple commercials.
Ken Segall, the TBWA ad man responsible for naming the iMac and Think Different, reveals the truth after the jump. He also shares some rare [...]
3:52 pm, November 6th, 2009
Serious craft from Japan’s Mobile Art Lab in transforming the iPhone into an amazing interactive image in a children’s story book from the future. I love it. All kids should get one for Christmas.
You can read what it’s all about in this Google Translation of their page.
Via dsonz
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, Hardware Hacks | 10 Comments »
2:38 am, November 3rd, 2009
So, you know those off-the-mark iDon’t commercials Verizon’s using to hype the launch of the Motorola Droid? No removable battery, no physical keyboard, and a list of features only a developer could care about? Well, according to InfoWorld, that campaign could be turned against the Droid with the far more damning “DroiDon’t include free corporate e-mail access with a standard data plan.”
That’s right, in addition to the mandatory $30 data plan, equivalent to the iPhone’s, Verizon is charging Droid customers $15 per month extra to check their work e-mail — as they do all smartphone customers. It takes a lot to make AT&T look like the superior network, but Verizon has managed it.
And no, there’s no possible justification for this other than greed and foolhardiness.
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Hardware, iPhone | 17 Comments »
2:19 am, November 3rd, 2009
Kara Johnson, a material scientist at design and engineering firm IDEO, has just posted up a fun behind-the-scenes look at how some of her colleagues created the above shot of a 12″ PowerBook for dinner as part of her book I Miss My Pencil.
It’s actually surprisingly hard to wreak such meticulous havoc, and it’s fun to see the process of great engineers up close — especially since IDEO and its predecessor David Kelley Design engineered a huge number of Apple products from the late ’70s into the mid-’90s.
Hit the link to see the full process, if you’re not traumatized by the sight of violence against a Mac.
“Taking a Bite Out of Apple” [IDEO Labs]
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, Hardware Hacks | No Comments »
1:59 am, November 2nd, 2009
There’s a dirty little secret lurking within the hearts of iPhone and the iPod touch: neither of them is a particularly great music player. A lot of iPhone owners actually keep a separate iPod nano or classic with them to listen to their music libraries. I’m not one of them, but I’m thinking about it.
Don’t get me wrong. Syncing media to modern Apple handheld is the best such experience money can buy, and the actual playback and browsing experiences are in the top tier of media phones and Internet tablets. That doesn’t mean they’re great, though. For the most part, the iPod app found on the iPhone and touch is a fairly literal translation of the original iPod interface ported over to a much higher-end device, plus an overly complex Cover Flow mode — which doesn’t even work well with Playlists. And that’s kind of pathetic, given Apple’s ordinarily high standards.
This is not the usual case where Apple is so far ahead of the competition that it’s not even clear how a media player app should change as it migrates to a modern multitouch platform. The video linked above is the proposed Rachael UI for the media player app in Sony Ericsson’s Android-based phones. It’s not amazing, but it does a few things really, really well. Notably, it provides a lot of rich information on artist pages that brings back some of the feel of listening to a physical album, and it also makes it easy to find your favorites, recently added albums, and tracks, and your most recently played music — all on one screen. That alone, in my opinion, annihilates the best of the current iPhone music experience. And I think we’d all agree it’s a refreshing departure from either a long list of artists listed in alphabetical order as a home screen.
The Zune HD, though its UI is an overly stylized collection of wank, also does some interesting things with tagged favorites that show the untapped possibilities available in next-generation handheld music playback.
I’ve had my iPhone 3GS for about four months now, and I love everything about it — except that it doesn’t do a great job of helping me rediscover diamonds in the rough of my music collection. The iPod app is good enough, but it isn’t great yet. Here’s hoping that the old competitive spirit will push Apple to truly push the edges of what’s possible. Shouldn’t we be able to view iTunes LPs on the iPhone, at the very least?
Sony Ericsson’s “Rachael” Android UI: Android + Zune HD > iPhone [Gizmodo]
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, Software, iPhone, iPod | 15 Comments »
1:42 am, November 2nd, 2009
In spite of the fact that all iPhones are made in China, Apple’s super smartphone wasn’t officially available to Chinese consumers until this weekend. China Unicom, Apple’s network partner in the world’s largest mobile phone market, held a late-night kick-off event in Beijing on Friday to mark the momentous occasion, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the big to-do was mostly a to-don’t.
Hundreds of people braved cold and rain to attend a Friday night party thrown by China Unicom Ltd., the state-owned carrier selling the iPhone, at a Beijing shopping center. Still, the crowd seemed subdued compared with the thousands who turned up at stores when the iPhone was introduced in markets such as the U.S. and Japan, where it quickly sold out in many locations. As of Sunday night, stores around Beijing still had the iPhone in stock.
Why? Because imported iPhones are already widely available in major Chinese cities — and at dramatically lower prices. Official iPhones in China run $730 to $1,020, a premium of $200 to $300 over gray-market phones from Australia and other nearby markets. Worse, the official China Unicom iPhone has its WiFi disabled.
While it’s certainly too soon to call the Chinese iPhone launch a flop (that was the initial assessment for the Japanese market, and the 3GS went on to become the best-selling phone in Japan), these are significant hurdles that will be tough to overcome. Apple has taken nearly two and a half years to launch the iPhone in China, and offering over-priced crippleware after all that time is underwhelming in the extreme.
Only time will tell. Any Beijing readers with either a China Unicom model or gray-market iPhone care to chime in?
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, iPhone | 2 Comments »
12:13 am, October 28th, 2009
While Apple doesn’t hold any actual monopolies, Harrison Keely has create a board game remix that creates an idealized world where the goal is to own every Apple product ever. It’s not an actual game yet (someone would need to write some rules, design some playing pieces, and create draw cards for that), but it’s got some fun touches. Having to pay $100 extra when you land on Reality Distortion Field is a particularly excellent idea (I find it’s usually more in the neighborhood of $200 — ask 1st-gen iPhone owners). You can see the picture full size by clicking on it.
“An Affordable Way to Own Every Mac” — Teqnolog
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, Humor | 8 Comments »
1:05 am, October 23rd, 2009
That’s really, really hard to argue against. Well done, Chiat-Day.
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Advertising, Apple | 5 Comments »
12:03 pm, October 20th, 2009
Apple isn’t done yet. The company also quietly put up for sale a brand new Apple Remote, the first revision since Fall 2005. It’s longer and aluminum, and now features good control of docked iPods and iPhones.
Though it looks like it has a scroll wheel, it doesn’t appear to. Still, nice industrial design.
Thanks, Guido!
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, Hardware | No Comments »
11:35 am, October 20th, 2009
Though the Apple Store isn’t back up yet, Apple has officially confirmed the announcement of new iMacs, a plastic unibody MacBook and the Magic Mouse, a stunningly proportioned wireless multitouch mouse. The iMacs include an awesome-looking 27-inch widescreen model; the high-end machine comes with quad-core processors, which Apple says boosts performance 2x over the previous generation.
The unibody MacBook is a nice consumer take on the new design language first established by the MacBook Air and then refined in the unibody aluminum MacBook Pro.
The Magic Mouse is…interesting. Will have to use one to get a sense for how well it handles gestures. I’ll be back with more analysis once the store’s back and I have more time for reading, but it looks like a solid refresh a day ahead of Windows 7.
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, Hardware | 7 Comments »
9:02 am, October 20th, 2009
In spite of early morning reports to the contrary, you may still want to hold onto your seats for new Apple product. Why?
1. The Apple Store is down
2. It’s Tuesday
I think that’s an indisputable case.
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, Rumors | 4 Comments »
2:38 pm, October 19th, 2009
Internet genius/sockpuppet Fake Steve Jobs, aka Dan Lyons, has just posted to his blog the following teaser post:
We’re going to have news tomorrow
Can’t tell you what, obviously. But there’s something brewing. Gruber doesn’t know about it, but the people we care about are being briefed in advance. Stay close to your Mac or iPhone, and have your credit card ready.
Sounds like we have a date for those updated iMacs and white MacBooks, eh? And it would also be a logical step given Phil Schiller crowing that Apple has the opportunity to reap huge rewards during the Windows 7 launch, which kicks off Wednesday…
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Hardware, Rumors | 4 Comments »
9:58 pm, October 13th, 2009
Last week brought reports that Apple’s much-touted album format, iTunes LP, had serious challenges. Brian McKinney of Chocolate Lab Records claimed that he had been told that Apple was charging a $10,000 production fee for iTunes LP, but it didn’t matter anyway, because the product was only meant to extend to major record labels, anyway.
This set off quite a ruckus. I called iTunes LP a form of paid advertising instead of a legitimate offering, for one.
In a rare move, Apple has responded to the explosive rumor and denies all charges. Apple contacted UK blog Electric Pig, informing them it will be “releasing the open specs for iTunes LP soon, allowing both major and indie labels to create their own. There is no production fee charged by Apple.”
That’s very positive news, and if it means what it seems to, it’s well-worth celebrating. I should also note that Apple’s announcements need to be very carefully read. They typically mean just what they say and no more. Pledging to allow labels to “create their own” iTunes LPs does not mean that you will approve them, for example. Saying “There is no production fee charged by Apple” does not mean that some other intermediary won’t charge for production. Bear in mind, Apple still claims it hasn’t rejected the Google Voice app for iPhone, claiming it has yet to approve it months after submission and heated letters to the FCC later.
Honestly, this topic looks murkier all the time. Apple is a remarkably opaque organization. The truth is, we will never know if Apple previously intended to allow indie labels to participate in iTunes LP prior to this minor controversy, nor do we know if the rumored production fee once existed. Apple keeps its inner workings so locked down that we can only ever judge the company based on its external actions. If an iTunes LP SDK is released in the next month, that’s a positive sign. And if we see the selection of iTunes LPs grow from about 12 to 1,000 titles in the relatively near future (with abundant indie label participation at no extra charge), it will be clear that the format is a major push toward a true digital album.
I’m thrilled Apple is taking this seriously, and I hope iTunes LP lives up to its potential. Keep your eyes peeled.
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, Rumors, iTunes | 10 Comments »
12:43 am, October 13th, 2009
Photo by Stephanie Diani for the New York Times
Very interesting news from the New York Times: Disney is completely overhauling its retail stores, with Steve Jobs at the helm.
Theaters will allow children to watch film clips of their own selection, participate in karaoke contests or chat live with Disney Channel stars via satellite. Computer chips embedded in packaging will activate hidden features. Walk by a “magic mirror” while holding a Princess tiara, for instance, and Cinderella might appear and say something to you.
It’s your birthday? With the push of a button, eight 13-foot-tall Lucite trees will crackle with video-projected fireworks and sound. There will be a scent component; if a clip from Disney’s coming “A Christmas Carol” is playing in the theater, the whole store might suddenly be made to smell like a Christmas tree.
It’s a great article, well worth the read. Most notable is Jobs’s insistence that Disney build a full-scale prototype of the entire store in order to figure out how to get the experience just right. I can think of few events more telling in the transformation of Apple from niche computer-maker to taste-maker to the world than that of Disney asking Apple retail specialists for help in defining great experience design.
I mean, eight years ago, Apple didn’t even have stores. Disney created Disneyland. How’s that for turnabout?
Disney Plans Extensive Overhaul of Mall Stores New York Times
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Advertising, Apple | 1 Comment »
12:52 pm, October 10th, 2009
In the world of iPhone apps, there are generally three categories of quality:
With the release of Loren Brichter’s much-anticipated Tweetie 2 for iPhone, however, I think it’s time to establish a new category: “iPhone software better than anything Apple.” In fact, I’m willing to go so far as to claim it is the single-best app ever written for the platform. It’s incredibly useful, smooth as butter, innovative in design and features, and just works as you expect that it would. It’s as if it sprung, fully formed, from the skull of the iPhone, as if to say, “This is how it should work.” Not only has Tweetie 2 raised the bar for mobile Twitter clients, it’s raised the bar for mobile software.
I’ve been playing with it non-stop since its release yesterday, so there’s a lot of ground to cover. I’m going to break this review into three major categories: Interface, Features, and Magic. Hit the jump to see it all. There’s so much to talk about!
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Reviews, iPhone Apps | 32 Comments »
1:09 am, October 9th, 2009
So, a month ago, I wrote a post proclaiming iTunes LP to be the first digital album good enough to criticize. I would like to revise that assessment. It is, instead, the first major content misstep in the history of the iTunes Store.
At launch, Apple had six albums available in the format, which basically marries lyrics, album artwork, ad video content to your collection of AAC files. Scratch that, there were five albums and one musical comic book. It seemed like too little, but it was a launch — there were hardly any apps on the App Store when it came out, too. A month later, however, things have scarcely improved. We’ve gone from six offerings in iTunes LP to 13.
So what could be the problem? As it turns out, it’s the business model. According to Gizmodo, an indie record label owner asked Apple what it would take to get some of his albums available in the LP format. Apple’s reported answer? Be a major label. Seriously. Read on.
Posted by Pete Mortensen in Apple, News, Top stories, iTunes | 22 Comments »
Sure, I could write a whole How-To on rolling your own “Back To My Mac.” It involves port forwarding, obtaining a Dynamic DNS, blah blah blah.
Or you could use the iPhone app LogMeIn Ignition [iTunes Link] to remotely access to your Mac or PC in three steps.
This is a great idea, and bound to go down very well with your kids.
Balloons is simple: you launch a virtual balloon into the air from your phone. You add a photo and a text message to the label that dangles below the balloon, and send it off.
Anyone with the Balloons app can catch [...]
The San Francisco based company Waterfield presents the Muzetto laptop bag. This “urban man bag” will make the geekiest nerd feel hip. Don’t be surprised when your fashion-forward girlfriend tries to steal it.
Designed as a lightweight laptop tote, this bag is high quality; it’s made from distressed dark brown leather and [...]
Seems like a no-brainer: Take two different concepts that work great separately, Frankenstein them together and — viola! Instant more amazingness!
Except we all know how the Frankenstein story ended. The LiquidAUX story isn’t as ugly as that. But it isn’t pretty either.
Bash the jump for the full review.
Some readers might remember the fuss a few weeks ago, when Snow Leopard came out and people noticed that it did something screwy to the way files behave.
George Hotz a.k.a GeoHot has released blackra1n RC3, which is an update to a 1-click jailbreak that adds activation options and an add-on blacksn0w, which unlocks latest iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS baseband version 05.11.07. To use blacksn0w, make sure you have this new baseband (check under Settings –> General –> About –> Modem Firmware) [...]
As I noted a couple of weeks ago, I want a way to view all my iPhone apps on my iPhone, not just through iTunes. I review lots of iPhone apps and am a keen iPhone gamer. When apps vanish into the void, I forget they’re there (and so Spotlight isn’t much use), and it’s [...]
Our recent preview of Lightroom 3 – Beta has generated a lot of buzz about the future of digital processing. One of the questions that keeps coming up is: how do I migrate from Aperture to Lightroom?
Well, it’s not has hard as you think, as long as you’re willing to invest a bit of time [...]
