Cult of Mac

Vonage Looks To Challenge Skype With New App For Android And iOS

Cult of Android — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:29:59 +0000

It’s been quite some time since I heard anyone mention the name Vonage but it appears they are still alive and kicking. They’re looking to steal some of Skype’s mobile business by offering a new VOIP app for both Android and iOS that claims to offer international calling at 30% less the cost of Skype. Of course the biggest draw is the free app-to-app calling and texting as well as free calls to any Vonage number. Full features of the Vonage Mobile app include:

Make FREE high-def calls and send FREE texts to anyone who has the app.
Save on international calling to anyone who has not yet downloaded the app with per-minute rates on average 70 percent less than major mobile carriers and 30 percent less than Skype™².
Use your existing address book; no need to leave the app.
Never miss a call or text, even when the app is closed.
Easily invite multiple people right from your address book.
Works on Wi-Fi and 3G/4G worldwide.
Uses your mobile number as your caller ID.
Easy in-app purchasing through your iTunes or Android Market account.
Plus FREE calling to any Vonage home phone customer.

You do not have to be a Vonage phone service customer to use the app and it’s available now in both the Android Market and App Store. To try out the Vonage Mobile app simply download it from the appropriate link below.

Android Market Link

App Store Link

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iPad 3 Back Panel Hints At Bigger Battery, Updated Camera, New Display [Rumor]

Alex Heath — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:31:40 +0000

RepairLabs has gotten its hands on what is reportedly a back panel for the upcoming iPad 3. While the new housing remains largely identical to its predecessor, this leaked rear panel does suggest several changes to Apple’s third-generation tablet.

The iPad 3 will reportedly feature a bigger battery, updated camera, and hi-res, Retina-like display. Rumors have suggested that Apple is set to introduce a Retina display, super-powered iPad as early as next month.

The purported rear panel features different logic board mounts, meaning that the shape of the board will be different to support different internals.

The width of where the logic board sits on the iPad 2 appears much larger than that of the iPad 3. We have long heard that the iPad 3 was going to provide longer battery life, and this back housing seems to support that.

The camera is different. It is hard to make a judgment just by looking at the casing, but what we can expect is a different camera on the iPad 3 than what we had on the 2.

LCD will be different than what we have had before. Whether or not it will be the super screen we have seen reported will have to wait. But the different mounting does mean that the LCD has been redesigned at the very least.

This rear panel part seems to corroborate our own report that the iPad 3 will be even thinner than the iPad 2. RepairLabs noted that the “housing itself did not seem thicker on the iPad 3 than it does on the 2.” There is still, however, plenty of room for speculation.

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Creating An App Store For Your Company Just Got Easier… And Free

Ryan Faas — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:27:09 +0000

Apple’s concept of the App Store works well for consumers. Search for whatever apps you want or need and buy or download them with one-click shopping in iTunes of the App Store app on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. That system starts to break down when it comes to iOS devices in the workplace, particularly for companies that create internal apps that need to be rolled out to a large number of users. It can become even more complicated when dealing with employee-owned devices because IT may never see the iPhone or iPads that are being used and therefore need a specific set of apps.

The best option for addressing this need is the concept of an enterprise app store – an app that users can install from a central location on their corporate network that will allow them to peruse a selection of apps developed by their company’s IT department as well as business apps from Apple’s App Store.

The enterprise app store concept has been included in many mobile device manage (MDM) consoles that support iOS. These consoles plug into the management capabilities that Apple has offered since iOS 4 and can provision devices with security credentials as well as configure settings and restrict features for various security reasons.

MDM options are a great solution, but their licensing costs can be prohibitive to some small compnies and may include feature sets beyond what an organization needs. For companies that fall into this category, including those using the basic MDM capabilities of the Profile Manager feature in Lion Server, App47 can be a solution.

App47 isn’t an MDM provider. The company’s focus is providing mobile app management – getting apps onto the iPhones and iPads of users. Put another way, the company’s focus is on creating enterprise app stores. App47 also helps compile usage data for the apps that it helps distribute.

App47 allows companies to include their internal apps as well as curate a selection of apps from Apple’s App Store – a useful feature for organizations that use specific business tools.

App47 this week announced that it will be offering a free cloud-based service known as its Developer Edition. The Developer Edition is focused on getting apps onto user devices and determining information about their use and looks like an excellent companion to Lion Server’s Profile Manager for smaller organizations.

For organizations interested in App47 that need more management options, the company offers and Enterprise Edition. This edition of App47 can be hosted inside a corporate network, can manage which apps are available to specific users and groups, includes monitoring and activity analysis features, and can push out updates on the fly. It also offers 24/7 tech support.

At a time when vendors seem to be putting everything but the kitchen sink into their enterprise solutions (managing iOS devices and other mobile platforms, managing Macs, deploying software to desktop and mobile devices, and other backend IT functions like asset management), App47′s single function focus is unique and allows it to pair with other solutions or be a stand alone product if advanced device managed isn’t needed or desired.

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Path Apologizes, Issues Update Making Accessing Your Address Book Opt-In

John Brownlee — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:34:35 +0000

Caught up in a maelstrom of controversy over revelations that Path has been uploading iOS users’ address books to their own servers, Path CEO David Morin has spoken out about what’s going to happen now.

It’s all good news. Not only is Path taking full responsibility, and apologizing whole-heartedly for the violation, they’ve also pushed live a new update to the Path app that makes uploading your address book opt-in. But will other developers follow Path’s lead?

Over on the official Path blog, in a post umambiguously titled “We are sorry,” David Morin wrote the following:

We made a mistake. Over the last couple of days users brought to light an issue concerning how we handle your personal information on Path, specifically the transmission and storage of your phone contacts.

As our mission is to build the world’s first personal network, a trusted place for you to journal and share life with close friends and family, we take the storage and transmission of your personal information very, very seriously.

Through the feedback we’ve received from all of you, we now understand that the way we had designed our ‘Add Friends’ feature was wrong. We are deeply sorry if you were uncomfortable with how our application used your phone contacts.

In the interest of complete transparency we want to clarify that the use of this information is limited to improving the quality of friend suggestions when you use the ‘Add Friends’ feature and to notify you when one of your contacts joins Path––nothing else. We always transmit this and any other information you share on Path to our servers over an encrypted connection. It is also stored securely on our servers using industry standard firewall technology.

We believe you should have control when it comes to sharing your personal information. We also believe that actions speak louder than words. So, as a clear signal of our commitment to your privacy, we’ve deleted the entire collection of user uploaded contact information from our servers. Your trust matters to us and we want you to feel completely in control of your information on Path.

In Path 2.0.6, released to the App Store today, you are prompted to opt in or out of sharing your phone’s contacts with our servers in order to find your friends and family on Path. If you accept and later decide you would like to revoke this access, please send an email to (sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address) and we will promptly see to it that your contact information is removed.

We care deeply about your privacy and about creating a trusted place for you to share life with your close friends and family. As we continue to expand and grow we will make some mistakes along the way. We commit to you that we will continue to be transparent and always serve you, our users, first.

We hope this update clears up any confusion. You can find Path 2.0.6 in the App Store here.

Short of that line about “clearing up any confusion,” this reads like an earnest apology to me, and is probably the best way Path could have possibly gone about remedying this thing: a public apology and a quick patch.

What about you? Will you still use Path?

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Tweetbot For iPad Now Available In The App Store, Get Downloading!

Alex Heath — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:27:39 +0000

Following the Tweetbot for iPhone 2.0 update earlier today, Tapbots has released Tweetbot for iPad in the App Store. The new app costs $2.99 and is available now.

All the features Tweetbot for iPhone users have come to appreciate are present in the new iPad app, and Tapbots has created a very compelling experience that takes advantage of smart gestures, intuitive design elements, and robust third-party service integration.

Tweetbot is a full-featured iPad Twitter client with a lot of personality. Whether it’s the meticulously-crafted interface, sounds & animation, or features like multiple timelines & smart gestures, there’s a lot to love about Tweetbot.

Tweetbot for the iPad is everything you love about the iPhone app and more!

Brief Highlights:

Multiple Timelines. Quickly switch between your lists as your main timeline.

Smart Gestures. Use Twitter more efficiently with time-saving and configurable gestures.

Native Push Notifications.

Customizable Navigation. Hide the navigation tabs that you never use.

Support for multiple services like Read it Later, Instapaper, Cloudapp URL Shortening.

Save drafts, add locations and POI’s, attach photos/videos, manage your lists, and much more.

You really have to play with Tweetbot for iPad to understand its appeal. This app definitely isn’t for everyone, but many will be pleased to know that there is a new client for the iPad that rivals Twitter’s own app. Get Tapbots’s latest creation now in the App Store.

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iOS 5.1 To Drop On March 9th [Rumor]

Alex Heath — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:07:45 +0000

We’ve all been wondering when Apple will release the next update for iOS 5, with many speculating we won’t see 5.1 until the next-generation iPad is unveiled. According to a new discovery in the iPhone’s carrier operator profiles, Apple could be set to drop iOS 5.1 on Friday, March 9th.

The discovery was made by YourDailyMac:

We today discovered that Apple published eleven new profiles for various iPhone-operators. These files are compatible with iOS 5.1 and are set for release on March 9. This could indicate that iOS 5.1 will be released around that date, is will be available for the following devices; iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 3G/4G, iPad, and iPad 2.

The profiles are intended for operators in Japan, France, Greece, Finland, and Sweden. Apple has to update the iPhone’s operator profile with each new build of iOS so that the network connection will work properly.

The iPad 3 is expected to come out in March, so there’s a possibility this March 9th date could hold a simultaneous launch of the next-gen iPad and iOS 5.1. Apple could announce the iPad 3 earlier in the week and make it available with the release of 5.1 that Friday.

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Use The Skyfire Browser To Watch Flash Videos On Your iOS Devices [iOS Tip]

Killian Bell — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:51 +0000

Apple’s decision to shun Flash Player for its iOS devices has been well documented over the years. But with the iPhone nearly five years old now, it’s no surprise third-party developers are offering up their own solutions for accessing Flash on our iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads.

One of those developers is Skyfire Labs, which is behind Skyfire for iOS — a web browser that allows you to watch Flash videos without unauthorized jailbreak tweaks. Here’s how to get started with Skyfire.

Before we go any further, let’s just clarify a few things: Skyfire Web Browser is for watching Flash videos. It does not (unfortunately) support Flash animations, apps, or games. Many users buy Skyfire for this purpose, and then leave bad reviews on iTunes because it doesn’t do what they want.

Furthermore, Skyfire currently supports around 200,000 sites, so you may find some that aren’t supported. For example, some video players are not supported, and sites like ESPN3 do not allow third-party browsing. Be sure to bear this in mind before purchasing.

Now let’s get started. First, download Skyfire from the App Store. It’s $2.99 for your iPhone, or $4.99 for your iPad.

Once installed, open it up and tap on the settings cog just under the address bar. Change the ‘Load page as’ setting to ‘Desktop.’ This will ensure when you visit a website, you do not get the mobile version with all of the Flash videos cut out.

Now navigate to the webpage that holds the Flash video you’d like to watch on your iOS device. Once you’re on that page, you will find Skyfire automatically finds all the Flash videos that are present, and will display a handy popup to let you know. It will also allow you to find videos related to that subject.

Simply tap on the clip to begin playing. It may take a little while for Skyfire to optimize your clip, and the delay will all depend how long it is. But once the app has done its work, your video will begin playing.

If Skyfire doesn’t find your clip, ensure you’re on the page that includes the video you want to watch. Skyfire will only find videos on the page you’re looking at.

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Side By Side: Samsung’s 5.3-Inch Galaxy Note Megaphone & The iPhone 4S [Humor]

John Brownlee — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:25:40 +0000

Over at The Loop, Jim Dalrymple posted a picture of what Samsung’s new 5.3-inch smartphone, the Galaxy Note, looks like next to the iPhone 4S.

While we were over there, guffawing with the rest of you, we happened to note this comment from Joel Glovier, who claims:

Everybody knows this is trick photography, right? The hand on the right is a bit closer to the camera than the hand on the left, as evidenced by the larger shadow of the right hand, and it’s distance away from the hand.

We thought we could put this defense to rest, because at CES, we here at Cult of Mac did a side-by-side comparison shot of the Galaxy Note compared to the iPhone 4S, and — nope — this isn’t trick photography. It really is that big. In fact, we quipped it was an Apple Newton rip-off!

Or as Han Solo might say, “That’s no moon…” But it’s the size of one!

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Tweetbot 2 For iPhone Now Available, A Great Twitter Client Just Got Better

Alex Heath — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:25:18 +0000

Tapbots released Tweetbot 2.0 for iPhone in the App Store today. The update brings  several significant improvements, including one-tap links, image preview thumbnails,  faster performance, and a UI facelift.

Tweetbot was already one of the best third-party Twitter clients in the App Store, and it  just got even better with version 2.0.

The first thing you’ll notice about the new Tweetbot is the revamped Timeline view.  Links are now able to be opened with a single tap. There’s a new tweet marker that floats at the  top of your Timeline showing you how many unread tweets you have left. (Don’t worry,  you can turn this feature off in the app’s settings.) The DM interface was also redesigned to look more like Apple’s iMessage app.

When you see a retweet in Tweetbot 2.0, the name of the account that performed the retweet is  integrated into the actual tweet. You can tap on the name of the person that retweeted  and view their profile quickly. There are plenty of other subtle improvements, like the  bolding of @usernames, color adjustments, larger (it’s actually huge) font size, and  more.

The developers at Tapbots added Readability mobilizer support for viewing articles  in-app. This feature can be triggered with a handy toggle in the app’s built-in web browser. Your Timeline will automatically refresh every 5 minutes as long as the app is  open. Scrolling is responsive and I’ve always loved having the ability to load hours of missed tweets right there on my iPhone with Tweetbot’s little “+” Timeline icon.

You can download Tweetbot 2.0 for iPhone in the App Store now. It costs $2.99.

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Like Path, Hipster Also Uploads Your Address Book To Its Servers Without Telling Users

John Brownlee — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:43:37 +0000

Social networking app Path hit the headlines yesterday after it turned out the company was taking users’ entire address books and uploading them to their servers.

It’s a big privacy violation, but Path’s hardly the only one doing this. In fact, computer engineering professor Mark Chang has just discovered that Hipster, the popular photo-filter postcards app, does the exact same thing as Path: sucks up your contacts and squirts them into their servers.

Chang writes on his blog:

The Hipster app, in an unsecured HTTP GET request, sends a big chunk of your iPhone address book in the form of an email param that includes a comma-separated list of email addresses…

…[t]his is offensive for a few reasons:

1. Hipster never asked me for permission to send my address book emails to them.
2. Hipster does not say anything (AFAIK) about if they are storing those emails or what.
3. The Hipster app allows you to deselect the “Contacts” button when looking for new friends, but it is enabled by default. Therefore, there is no way to avoid sending address book emails to Hipster, as far as I can tell.

This is ridiculous. When an app needs to access a contacts on Android, the system warns the user. Surely, Apple can program the same functionality into iOS, similarly to the way Location-Based services can work.

Anyone want to make any bets on how many other apps we find have been doing this over the next few days? In the meantime, you can protect yourself from having your contacts downloaded by app developers by downloading this Cydia tweak.

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Siri Competitor Iris Turns Out To Be My Fourth Grade Sunday School Teacher

Cult of Android — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:27:54 +0000

We often wonder about what the “woman behind the curtain” would look like when we use voice action apps such as Siri but for the Android alternative Iris, we now have a pretty good idea. Iris was an app created for Android by developers Dexetra and started as a tongue-in-cheek reply to iPhone’s Siri. It became immensely popular and currently has over 1 million installs. Things seemed to be going good for this Android Siri competitor until Gizmodo recently revealed the “woman behind the curtain.” It turns out ChaCha, the search engine behind the app, is a bigoted, religious zealot that may have some disturbing answers to some of your questions.

Gizmodo decided to ask Iris a few questions about religion, racism, rape and abortion — and the answers will appall you. First they asked Iris “is abortion wrong?” and this was the answer Iris gave:

Yes, abortion is wrong. The Lord has said, “You shall not murder,” (Exodus 20:13). The life that is growing within the mother is a child, a baby. The Bible looks at the life in the womb as a child. Thanks!

They didn’t stop with abortion, check out a few of the other questions they asked Iris:

When they decided to test out racism, they asked “are whites superior to blacks?” and this is what Iris had to say:

Whites are NOT superior to blacks. Just different. Like Dr Verwoerd and the original, genuine policy of apartheid always said.

The problem seems to be coming from ChaCha as the Gizmodo crew decided to ask the same questions on ChaCha’s website and were amazed to see the same answers given.

These discoveries are more than alarming considering ChaCha has a long list of prominent venture capitalists and partners. We wonder how Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos will feel about these answers, given that his personal investment fund helps fund ChaCha.

Apparently ChaCha has been frantically changing the answers in direct response to Gizmodo’s article, but unfortunately for them, they can’t undo the numerous screenshots and video Gizmodo has produced, so it will be interesting to see what they have to say when pressured to finally respond.

Are you a current user of ChaCha or Iris? I’m betting your aren’t anymore.

Source: Gizmodo

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Plan, Launch And Market Your Killer iPhone App Like A Pro [Deals.CultofMac]

Mike Vardy — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:15:39 +0000

It seems as if everyone and their uncle are building iPhone apps these days. As a result, the competition is getting fiercer and fiercer by the day, and it’s becoming tougher to stand out amongst the crowd.

That said, there are a ton of apps that just don’t “cut the mustard” and the user experience suffers because of that lack of care and quality. David Sparks, the man behind the popular MacSparky blog, said the following about what he calls “speculative developers”:

If you want to develop apps, take your time and make something awesome. Make it fast. Make it beautiful. Make something you’re proud of. Don’t make 60 crappy apps: Make one really good one.

I couldn’t agree more, but when you’re faced with the haze of substandard apps that claim to be able to deliver the goods, how can a developer get their app noticed — and adopted — over the long-term?

The latest Cult of Mac Deal may have the solution to that problem.

Cult of Mac is offering a comprehensive iPhone game plan as assembled by Jeremy Olson (founder of Tapity) that will give budding (and seasoned) app developers an opportunity to map out, launch and market that “really good one” at a fraction of the regular price. Normally, this “road map to success” sells for $249 — but for a very limited time, it will only cost you $63! That kind of pricing doesn’t just serve to help you achieve iPhone app success, but it keeps your overhead costs lower while doing so.

Jeremy Olson has a wealth of experience in the iPhone app realm, having founded Tapity, a tech publishing website that focuses extensively on design and marketing in the iOS world. Tapity brought Grades 2 to market in 2011; the app garnered over 250,000 downloads and was covered by Fox News 8, USA Today, The Huffington Post, and numerous other high-profile news sources. It ranked as the #1 FREE education app for over a week during its initial launch and also won the much-coveted Apple Design Award in the process.

So Jeremy knows his stuff.

Here’s what you’ll get with this latest Cult of Mac deal:

You’ll learn how to frame your application
You’ll discover how to network with important people in the iOS community
You’ll receive templates for a media kit
You’ll learn how to build an identity for your application and how to pitch your app to reporters
You’ll find out how to leverage social media
You’ll better understand when to launch your application
…and many more tasks and tips to help your app reach that sought after stardom.

You don’t have to go out and do this all on your own, either. The plan allows you to add members of your team to your Game Plan for collaboration purposes, assign tasks, add files, set due dates, take notes, make comments and totally customize it to your liking. With all this in your iOS toolbox, you’ll have all the steps you need to deliver and market a successful iPhone app to market in 90 days or less.

And if you don’t find that you’re getting value out of the game plan within 30 days, we’ll simply give you a refund.

With every passing moment, a new app is being approved by Apple and is making its way into the App Store. Why shouldn’t it be yours? And better yet, why shouldn’t yours be one of those that makes waves when it does?

Take advantage of our latest Cult of Mac Deal today — save 74% of the regular price in the process — and start down the path to iPhone app success — and good luck with that “really good one”.

Photo credit: Yutaka Tsutano (CC BY 2.0)

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How To Keep Apps Like Path From Accessing Your Contacts Data [Jailbreak]

Alex Heath — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:51:56 +0000

We told you yesterday that Path was secretly uploading your iPhone’s entire address book to its servers. Users of the inclusive social network voiced concern, and many decided to remove the app entirely until Path addresses the issue in an upcoming update.

It’s common practice for third-party apps to access and even store your contacts elsewhere. The problem with Path is that there was no indication that this activity was taking place. Path’s CEO stated that the app would make the activity opt-in when the next update is pushed out.

Thanks to a brand new jailbreak tweak, you’ll never have to worry about an app silently stealing your personal contacts data again.

Developed by Ryan Petrich, ContactPrivacy is a new tweak in Cydia that lets you know whenever an app wants to access your iOS device’s contact database. Every time a third-party app tries to access and send such data in the background without your permission, ContactPrivacy will send you a notification asking you to allow or deny the activity.

Many popular App Store apps rely on your iPhone’s contacts database to perform certain functions. Instagram, for example, must have access to your contacts when you request to find friends “From my contact list.” There are other apps, like Path, that behave this way silently.

Be warned that revoking an app’s access to anything, like a contact list, may cause the app to not function properly or even crash.

To install ContactPrivacy for free in Cydia, you’ll need to add the following repo: rpetri.ch/repo. There will be no Springboard icon or Settings window to configure. The tweak will simply do its job whenever an app tries to access your address book.

Update: Path has updated its iPhone app and stopped storing your contact information. Learn more.

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Mobile Revenue Doubled Over The Last Five Years… But Only Apple Got The Profits

Ryan Faas — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:36:32 +0000

It’s pretty much impossible to argue that Apple didn’t revolutionize and reshape the mobile intdustry in the U.S. and around the world. The iPhone changed the concept of what a smartphone could be in 2007. The App Store reimagined smartphone apps and how they could be sold in 2008. And the iPad revolutionized the face of tablet computing in 2010. Those are pretty significant accomplishments technically and culturally.

Now, we also know how Apple reshaped and grew mobile industry financially… and how all of that growth is pocketed in the process.

According to All Things D, Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt charted the industry’s revenue performance, specifically looking at smartphones and tablets. The results show that industry revenues have essentially doubled since the iPhone was introduced in 2007 from $37.9 billion to $71.4 billion.

What’s startling is that all the new revenue growth in mobile since then has belonged to Apple.

Fourth quarter 2007 revenue from the entire mobile industry was $37.93 billion. For the same quarter in 2011, revenue for the entire industry except Apple was $37.97 billion. Apple’s revenues in that quarter comes in at $33.5 billion – approximately 47% of the industry total.

That’s an astonishing acheivement on Apple’s part. As McCourt notes, Apple has abbout 11% of shipment volume in this segment of the mobile industry but accounts for 47% of its overall revenue and 80% of its profits.

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These Retro iPhone Cases Replicate The Original Macintosh And iPod

Alex Heath — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:21:23 +0000

There’s something magical about the days of the original Macintosh and the first iPod. We were on the cusp of a new age in personal computing, and Apple was solidifying itself as a staple brand in the consumer technology market.

Some retro iPhone cases from a company called Schreer Delights replicate the original Macintosh, iMac and iPod with charming detail.

The Retro Macintosh case disguises Apple’s modern logo with the rainbow look of old. Schreer Delights says that the design is printed “deep into the case’s surface,” so it won’t fade. The case itself protects the back and sides of your iPhone while also allowing access to all of the handset’s physical buttons.

For those who missed out on the very first iPhone back in 1989, here’s your chance to rock a retro look on your new iPhone! This case simulates the original’s trademark vent grooves, SCSI port, ADB printer and modem ports as well as a stereo mini plug for speakers.

You can also get the Retro iMac case in 5 original colors.

If your new iPhone is too high tech looking, try a case that transforms it into a reproduction of the 2001 iPhone that complemented the brightly colored iMacs. This case simulates the iMac speaker, stereo headphone plugs and power button over a translucent body shell.

The iPod case brings the original design that we all love to the back of your iPhone. You can’t play tunes, but you can bask in your iPhone’s hipster coolness!

If you use your iPhone like an iPod, why not make it look like one? This case simulates the classic iPod control wheel and a modified display showing the converted iPhone home screen.

There’s also a case that replicates the original Graphite G4 tower. All of these cases sell for about $50 and are compatible with the iPhone 4 and 4S. You can order your own from the Schreer Delights website.

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Increase Your Galactic Readiness With Mass Effect 3′s iOS Companion App

Killian Bell — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:53:27 +0000

EA’s next major console title, Mass Effect 3, is set to grace game stores in the U.S. on March 6, and will be accompanied by an iOS app called Mass Effect Infiltrator that promises to “increase a player’s Galactic Readiness rating.”

The release is said to be an action-based third-person shooter, which will directly affect one of the main game’s elements. And yes, this release is expected to be considerably better than EA’s last Mass Effect title for iOS, which was a huge disappointment to Mass Effect fans.

The company’s press release explains:

Take the all-out galactic war in Mass Effect 3 on-the-go with Infiltrator, a fully-featured iOS third-person shooter showcasing stunning graphics and authentic weapons and powers from the Mass Effect series.

Inspired by the deep and immersive Mass Effect 3 universe, in Infiltrator players will help to free prisoners from a hostile Cerberus base and will receive rewards for collecting evidence of Cerberus’ crimes along the way. Every completed rescue and intelligence discovery in Infiltrator will increase a player’s Galactic Readiness rating directly through the Galaxy at War system in Mass Effect 3.

Furthermore, Shacknews reports the iOS game will unlock “exclusive weaponry” you can enjoy in the main game.

The title will be available for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad “soon,” EA promises.

[via Razorian Fly]

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What Phones Looked Like Before And After The iPhone Transformed The Industry [Image]

John Brownlee — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:20:13 +0000

Ask a lot of people who don’t use iPhones like to dismiss Apple’s impact on the smartphone industry. Hey, we had PDA-like smartphones with touchscreens before the iPhone, so what’s the big deal?

Such logic is patently absurd, but as it often does, a picture says a thousand words about how a thousand shitty devices did things before the iPhone came around, and how the makers of these crappy phones do things now that the iPhone is the gold standard of smartphone design.

Think that’s pathetic? Check out how tablets changed after the iPad too. Unreal!

[image by Josh Heifferich, via AppAdvice]

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Should Business Embrace Apps Or Settle For The Mobile Web?

Ryan Faas — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Often the first and biggest question that confronts any company developing a new mobile presence (or revamping an existing one) is whether to focus on developing a native app or a mobile web site. While each approach has its pros and cons, one way to decide may be to look at how users are accessing content on their mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad.

Unfortunately, the latest news from comScore is that users are evenly split between using a dedicated native app or using a mobile web browser to access content – making that criteria alone useless when it comes to developing a mobile strategy.

comScore’s data, recorded during a three month window last fall, shows 47.6% of users choose to use dedicated apps while the use of Safari and other mobile browsers ranked so closely at 47.5% as to be a statistically the same.

So where does this leave companies when it comes to initial mobile strategy? Obviously, the answer to that will be very company and industry-specific.

A content provider like newspaper may be able to offer everything easily in a well designed mobile site. The key phrase being well designed. As many newspapers need to learn, a stripped down version of the main site won’t cut it. Use HTML5 to trigger on-device services like multitouch gestures and iOS location services, and the ability to pin your site as an icon on the iPhone or iPad’s homescreen. If your audience uses multiple platforms consider making device and platform-specific versions – iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone and so forth.

Even for other companies that aren’t content providers but whose goal is to simply communicate company information or to interact with company data can get away with a well designed mobile site.

For companies that sell goods and services, a mobile site can be good if you’re just providing information but the capabilities in a native app offer tons more features that you can implement to retain customer interest. A big feature that native apps can excel at is mobile sales, which are a big focus in business today (and will only get bigger). If you go the native app route, also be sure to think about what you can do with available systems like push notifications. Add as much interactive functionality (reservations if you’re a restaurant as a simple example) as possible to as this will make your app something that users will want to keep using on a regular basis.

Also keep in mind your target market or audience. If they’re likely to be split between two or three mobile platforms like iOS, Android, and BlackBerry, you may find developing native apps for all those platforms a big challenge. A mobile site may be worth considering as a stopgap or as a solution for platforms you expect to be used less frequently – create a native iOS app first then possibly an Android app later but leaving BlackBerry and Windows Phone users with a mobile site due to smaller marketshare.

In all honesty, biggest goal is get started – in 2012 businesses that don’t address mobile customers in some fashion are likely to miss out on signifcant opportunities. Like any other strategy, however, it’s important regularly revisit and evaluate the effectiveness of your mobile efforts.

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Enter Cult Of Mac’s Twitter Celebration Giveaway To Win Some Awesome HP Prizes [Giveaway]

Buster Heine — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:25:28 +0000

To celebrate our 200,000 Twitter followers, we’re partnering with HP to do a week-long giveaway. Every day this week from Monday till Friday we will be giving away some sweet prizes provided by HP. What kind of prizes, you ask? How about three gorgeous HP ZR2740w 27-inch LED Monitors that retail for $729 each and two HP ENVY110 e-All-in-One Printer with the power to print documents straight from your iPhone?

Today we’re giving away another HP ZR2740w 27-inch LED Monitor. This beastly display is gorgeous and vibrant and it goes great with a Mac Mini or as a secondary monitor for a 27″ iMac. Entering today’s contest is pretty easy.

Here’s How To Enter:

Step 1: Subscribe to our newsletter (Make sure to click on the link in the verification email sent to this email address so we can notify you. This is required to enter and win.)
Step 2: Like Cult of Mac on Facebook
Step 3: Like your favorite Cult of Mac story from today

That’s it. This round of the giveaway will be open till 8AM PST on February 9th 2012. We’ll announce this round’s winner, along with the rules for the next giveaway, on Wednesday morning. Best of luck.

What You’ll Win Today:

One HP ZR2740w 27-inch LED Backlit IPS Monitor. With a 2560 x 1440 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, and 3.7 million pixels pumping out a billion colors in a sleek ultra-modern design, this monster is the best display HP currently produces and it is already being adopted by Mac users. It’s perfect for use with a Mac Mini or as a second monitor for an iMac. They’re on sale now for $729, but we’re giving you three chances this week to win one for free.
This Week’s Winners:

Monday: Brian Cichon won a free HP ZR2740w 27-inch LED Monitors

Tuesday: Mark Jaros won a free HP ENVY¹¹⁰ e-All-in-One Printer

Wednesday: ????

Thursday: ????

Friday: ????

Prizes and promotional support provided by HP.

Click here to review official contest rules.

[teaser-top]Prizes: 3 HP ZR2740w 27-inch LED Backlit IPS Monitor And 2 HP ENVY110 e-All-in-One Printers! Enter now![/teaser-top]

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Olympus Revives The Classic OM Design With The New OM-D EM-5

Killian Bell — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:20:56 +0000

Olympus has revived its classic OM SLR film camera series this week, with the brand new Olympus OM-D EM-5, the first in a series of OM Digital Micro Four Thirds cameras, and the world’s first camera to offer 5-axis image stabilization.

Aimed at advanced photographers, the EM-5 boasts a built-in electronic viewfinder and a rugged dust- and splash-proof body. Olympus promises you’ll also get superior image quality and blazing fast speeds.

The EM-5 attempts to restore the wonderful design of the original OM Series — which was introduced 40 years ago — and bring to the modern age, with modern specifications and breakthrough innovations. It combines the features found in an Olympus E-System DSLR with those in the PEN series to provide a camera for professional photographers who require the best performance in a portable shooter.

It’s the first interchangeable-lens camera from Olympus that offers a high-definition electronic viewfinder with a 120-fps refresh rate. The built-in eye sensor seamlessly switches your view between the 3-inch touchscreen OLED display and the electronic viewfinder.

The EM-5 uses a new 16.1 megapixel high-speed live MOS sensor to provide superior image quality and speed. Combined with Olympus’ TruePic VI image-processing engine, it also improves image quality dramatically in low-light settings.

The EM-5′s other features include:

A built-in 120-fps (frames-per-second) refresh rate, high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF) with outstanding image quality, eye detect and intuitive functionality that enables real-time viewing of shooting conditions

A 16.1-megapixel Live MOS Sensor and TruePic™ VI image-processing engine for superior image quality and high sensitivity

The world’s first*1 5-axis image stabilizer to compensate for multi-directional camera shake during both still photography and HD moviemaking

The world’s fastest*2 autofocusing system (FAST AF) plus new 3D AF tracking for improved performance following moving subjects at up to 9 frames-per-second

A lightweight magnesium alloy body that is enhanced with the same dustproof and splashproof durability of the Olympus E-5 DSLR

A tilting 3.0-inch touch screen OLED and new Movie Effects: One Shot Echo, for a semi-transparent frame at your whim and Multi Echo, for a multi-motion trail effect.

The Olympus EM-5 will be available in April in the U.S. with an estimated retail price (body only) of $999.99.

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Sprint Sold 1.8 Million iPhones Last Quarter But Took A Huge Loss To Do It

Ryan Faas — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:55:47 +0000

This fall, Sprint became the third U.S. carrier to offer the smartphone. Sprint is the third large largest carrier in the country and the only one to coninute to offer unlimited data plans to new customers – a point that Sprint makes in most of its advertising.

Sprint talked about the iPhone’s impact as part of its quarterly earnings Tuesday. Although Sprint reported large overall net loss of income, the company maintains that the launch of the iPhone was a success. It’s important to note that the iPhone, while helping Sprting add customers, was a factor than the larger than typical net loss, whichthe company expects to recoup in future quarters. Spint sold a total of 1.8 million iPhones during the holiday quarter – 40% of which were to new customers. An influx of new customers is common for many carriers when they initially launch the iPhone. Although the sales are notable for Sprint, they are lower than iPhone sales for both AT&T and Verizon. Those carriers saw sales of 7.6 million and 4.3 million iPhones respectively.

The iPhone’s impact on Sprint’s short-term bottom line was pretty hefty with the carrier laying out $20 billion this fall to land an agreement with Apple to sell the device. Sprint admitted to Reuters this fall that pays a 40% heavier subsidy for each iPhone it sells than it does for other smartphones and that it doesn’t expect to see beneifts outweighing the cost it pays for the iPhone until 2015.

Sprint continues to offer new iPhone customers unlimited data despite a recent flap in which its CEO implied that the company was throttling heavy users. That issue was later calrified as being related to data roaming. Whether Spring can ultimately sustain unlimited data for the iPhone and other smartphones is an open question, particularly since it has moved to tiered data for non-handset devices.

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Use Your iPhone As An Augmented Reality HUD In Your Next Game Of Lazer Tag

John Brownlee — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:29:17 +0000

My parents never let me play with them as a kid because they were afraid I’d get shot by a trigger-happy cop, which is perhaps why, to this day, I get a little giddy when I hear or read the words “LAZER TAG,” and feel myself ethereally tugged away — John Carter like — to a distant world where I am a member of the Lazer Team, policing the galaxy for perps who can be non-violently terminated by aiming my ray gun at the conveniently placed sensors strapped to their back, head and torso.

So when I saw that Hasbro has just announced the next update of their Lazer Tag guns — and that these sets actually use an iPhone or iPod touch as an augmented reality display and HUD — I immediately got excited, then disappointed as I remembered my parents wouldn’t let me have one. But wait! I’m an adult now, and as an adult, I can wave around as many plastic toy guns as I want! Hooray!

To use the Lazer Tag guns with your iPhone, you need to download a free app from the App Store, which allows you to keep track of your power levels and your gear in both virtual matches and real ones, as well as set-up multiplayer games with up to 23 other players. According to the press release:

Using either single or multi-player mode, players can engage in a LAZER TAG match featuring either real life worlds or virtual opponents. Each LAZER TAG blaster equipped with a device has a virtual firing range of over 250 feet and contains a ‘Heads Up Display’, or HUD, which allows players to keep track of their gear and remaining power, while also providing a view of the augmented reality targets and enemies in the area. A virtual leaderboard keeps track of each player’s profile and, with every successful mission, players will gain in-game access to upgradeable attacks, missions and gear.

Sounds pretty rad to me, but unfortunately, these bad boys are a long way off: the guns won’t be available until August of this year, and each gun will cost $39.99.

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Why You’ll Probably Never Own A Mac With An ARM Processor [Feature]

John Brownlee — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:17:46 +0000

Ever since Apple launched the new MacBook Air, analysts and Mac fans alike have gone wild speculating that Cupertino might dump Intel and use custom-made, ARM-based chips in their laptop line instead. Yesterday, more fuel was thrown on the fire when it was revealed that an Apple intern worked on porting OS X to ARM devices back in 2010. Even Intel has said it would be “remiss” of them to dismiss the possibility that ARM might steal their Apple business. On the surface of things, it looks like ARM might make its way to our MacBooks soon.

Is ARM really a threat to Intel? Yes, absolutely, and especially as we transition into Apple’s Post-PC world. But there is next to no chance Apple will replace Intel chips for ARM-based ones any time in the next five years. In fact, there’s a good chance the exact opposite could be true, and Intel chips will be powering our iPhones and iPads by then. Here’s why.

Where ARM’s Power Efficiency Comes From

For most people, it’s not immediately clear what makes the chip inside your iPhone (an ARM-based chip made by Apple) different from the processor inside your MacBook Air (an Intel chip). So here’s a remedial layman’s primer.

All other things being equal — and as we’ll see later, all things are not equal – the main advantage ARM chips have over Intel ones is power management. But why are ARM chips so much more power-efficient than Intel’s that they can be used in the iPhone?

It’s because of a fundamental difference in the chips’ architectures. ARM’s RISC-based architecture has a distinct edge in power-efficiency over Intel’s x86, which was designed in the late 1970s. While computer architecture is a complicated thing, for the most part, RISC is more power efficient than x86 because it has to spend less energy figuring out where one instruction ends and the next begins.

With x86, an instruction to the chip can be any number of bytes. That means in any 64-byte chunk of memory, you can have any number of instructions… and as a result, a computer chip has to spend energy separating instructions before it can process them. With RISC, though, every instruction is 4 bytes: the chip knows that every 4 bytes, it can expect to see a new instruction. It doesn’t have to work as hard figuring out the grammar. Physically, this manifests itself in an ARM chip by allowing you to make your CPU cores smaller than their x86 counterparts, and for these CPU cores to draw less power.

Think of it like this. Which of the following sentences is easier for you to read?

Intelsx86architectureissuperraddude.

The cat sat and ate his hat.

The second sentence is clearly easier to read than the first, because in the first sentence, there are many different types and lengths of words all crammed together. In the second sentence, all the words are spaced apart, and each word has exactly the same number of letters. A child can read the second sentence easily, while the first sentence would challenge many adults.

Again, we’re making this a lot less complex than it actually is in the interests of accessibility, but for the most part, the difference between the way RISC and x86 pass along instructions is like this example. An instruction passed along in RISC takes less energy to compute, and can be understood by a smaller, less advanced chip.

Those are all big advantages… but unfortunately, they have diminishing returns.

ARM vs. Intel

As we’ve seen, ARM is better than Intel chips at decoding instructions. But there are two other things every chip needs to do: execute those instructions, and put them into memory. And Intel has the advantage there, says David Kanter, principal analyst and Editor-In-Chief at Real World Technologies, a technology analysis firm specializing in x86 and RISC microprocessors.

“If you look at any modern, high-performance chip, what you’ll find inside is maybe 25% to 35% CPU cores, 35% to 45% cache memory, and the rest is other stuff like memory control, I/O and so on,” Kanter told Cult of Mac in an interview last year. “So while ARM can make their CPU cores about 20% smaller and more power-efficient than Intel can because of RISC, all things being equal, that’s only a really tiny advantage overall. Maybe 4%.”

And that 4% advantage disappears the second you put Intel’s massive manufacturing muscle into the equation.

Intel is the Apple of the microchip world: everyone is at least a year behind Intel when it comes to competing with their cutting-edge technology and design in the x86 space. Because of Intel’s manufacturing strengths, they can make the entirety of their chips smaller (and therefore more power-efficient) than anyone else around, not just their CPU cores.

The result? Intel’s CPU cores may need to be slightly bigger and less efficient than ARM’s, but the overall chip is smaller and less power hungry at the same speeds.

So why is Intel so behind ARM in the mobile space? Simple: Intel screwed up. Over the last decade, Intel spent years focusing on performance over power management, desktop over mobile. They were so focussed on winning the x86 Gigahertz war against the likes of AMD that they didn’t see the rise of ARM and Apple’s Post-PC world coming.

But Intel’s now seen the light. They have almost infinite resources to throw at the problem of catching up. And they’re going to do so quickly.

“By 2014, Intel will have gotten their power management ahead of everyone else and be using their manufacturing muscle as a major advantage in the mobile landscape,” predicts Kanter.

And when that happens, most of ARM’s advantages over Intel will go away, save one: Apple can design and tweak its own ARM chips to its heart’s content, adding all sorts of custom low-power graphics solutions and oddball sensors to the chip. That’s harder to make happen with Intel.

Chip mod-ability is a compelling reason why Apple will likely stick with making their own ARM-based, A-series chips for mobile devices. But when it comes to a laptop or desktop Mac form factor, getting these things baked into the chip itself isn’t as important, when you can add other hardware or software to manage the same tasks.

There Is No Threat To Intel From ARM In The Mac Space

“The fact is that there is no ARM processor today, nor any that will be coming in the next five years, that are suitable for Apple’s existing models of laptops and desktops,” says Kanter. “On a deep and profound level, there is no technical advantage right now for Apple to switch to ARM across its laptops and desktops.”

Why? ARM processors are still relatively slow, and unsuitable for the vast array of tasks we take for granted in a desktop or laptop. Compared to the Core i7 in your MacBook Air, the core of Apple’s A5 CPU is similar to that of a 1995-era Pentium Pro. A full-featured port of OS X simply can’t run on an ARM series chip right now, which is what gave us all iOS — a massively stripped down version of OS X — to begin with.

“Apple won’t use ARM in the MacBook Air or any other Mac laptops anytime soon, because by the time you’re done making compromises, you’d end up with an iPad,” says Kanter. And even if ARM chips could be quickly ramped up to match the power of Intel’s current chips, it’s not clear that they would be any more power efficient than Intel’s offerings.

But ARM doesn’t need to replace Intels in Macs to beat Intel. While Mac sales are booming, iPhone and iPad sales are exploding. So although Apple’s Mac business is very healthy, it’s becoming a smaller part of the overall pie. Last quarter alone, Apple sold 37 million iPhones and 15 million iPads compared to a mere 5.2 million Macs. If iPads and iPhones continue to overshadow PC sales, ARM doesn’t need to come to Macs to be a very real and very scary threat to Intel.

All the more reason for Intel to get serious about power management now and figure out how to more closely work with companies like Apple to offer an easier, more streamlined way to insert their own custom technology into Intel’s x86-based chips. But Intel knows they’re behind and are taking the lessons they’ve learned from ARM over the last few years seriously. More importantly, Intel has the resources and expertise not just to catch up, but to blow the competition out of the water in the next few years.

So Why Was Apple Working On An ARM Port Of OS X?

If ARM isn’t really suitable for running OS X, and if the power advantages of ARM mostly disappear when you make the chips as fast as Intel’s offerings, then why was an engineer working on porting OS X to ARM back in 2010?

We can only speculate, but there’s any number of reasons that an intern might be tasked by Apple to explore this route that don’t end in a commercial product. We already know that Apple puts new engineers on fake products until they can be trusted. It’s also possible that Apple would want a bare-bones version of OS X that they could show Intel to help at the negotiating table. Finally, Apple may have simply been doing preliminary groundwork in case of the eventuality that ARM does catch up to Intel in five-plus years or so.

(Update: Seth Weintraub from 9to5Mac wrote to inform us that the real reason Apple had an intern working on porting Darwin to ARM was to update Airport platform, which has devices running Marvell ARM-based chips. In other words, as we’ve said, moving the Mac to ARM had nothing to do with it.)

Apple’s not serious about ditching Intel for the Mac, but even so, the next few years will be very interesting as ARM and Intel trade body blows. If Intel plays its cards right, come 2015, we could all be talking very seriously indeed about whether or not Apple will be putting Intel’s new mobile chips in the iPhone 8 and iPad 6.

[teaser-top]But could someday have an iPhone with Intel inside.[/teaser-top]
[teaser-featured]But could someday have an iPhone with Intel inside.[/teaser-featured]

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Apple Issues Firmware Updates To Bring Lion Internet Recovery To More 2010 Macs

Killian Bell — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:31:17 +0000

Apple has issued a set of firmware updates for more of its Macs that were introduced during 2010. These updates bring Lion Internet recovery to the early 2010 MacBook Pro, the mid 2010 iMac, and the late 2010 MacBook Air.

You can download and install the updates now via Software Update on your Mac. Here are the release notes for each one:

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6 (3.18 MB):

This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Pro (Early 2010) models.

iMac EFI Update 1.8 (3.02 MB):

This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on iMac (Mid 2010) models.

MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3 (2.98 MB):

This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Air (Late 2010) models and addresses an issue where the system could restart if the power button is pressed immediately after waking from deep sleep.

Apple has been slowly introducing Lion Internet Recovery to older Macs following the new operating system’s debut last July. Back in October, the company issued a firmware update that added the feature to early 2011 iMacs, and just last month, it added support for the mid 2010 13-inch MacBook Pro.

[via MacStories]

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Battlefield 3: Aftershock Provides A Free Taste Of Online Multiplayer, But It’s A Bitter One

Killian Bell — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:53:10 +0000

EA has launched Battlefield 3: Aftershock in the U.S. App Store today, providing first-person shooter players with the opportunity to enjoy online multiplayer gaming for free on their iOS devices. However, it’s not quite the Battlefield 3 release we were expecting.

There’s just one map to enjoy and only five weapons to choose from — one of which you must unlock. The title seems to be a promotional release for Act of Valor, rather than a complete title, and it provides only a very brief taste of online gaming.

There aren’t really any nasty catches here, either; it’s not a freemium title that attempts to bleed your wallet with in-app purchases. But part of me wishes it was. For Battlefield fans, this really isn’t the mobile follow-up to Battlefield 3 we were waiting for.

When we first heard about Battlefield 3: Aftershock last year, we were expecting single- and multiplayer gameplay, with a nice campaign and multiple game modes as a sequel to EA’s Battlefield 2 for iOS. Sure, there are some rather impressive visuals on display and a good control system, but the rest of the experience is somewhat lackluster at this point.

Right now, there are a number of reasons why this title will frustrate you more than it excites you.

It takes a while to find a game and when you finally do, you’ll usually get kicked out of it either just before or just after you begin playing. If you do manage to stay in a game, you’ll become so frustrated with the lag that you probably won’t finish it anyway.

However, it’s likely that many of these problems are simply because the title is so new, and they could be ironed out over the next few days. Let’s hope that’s the case because there’s a lot of potential here. EA seems to have nailed the control system and that’s one of the most important things for a first-person shooter.

All it needs now is bug fixes and (lots) more content.

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Repeat Timer Pro Is A Great Thing For Timing Things [Review]

Giles Turnbull — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:28:03 +0000

This is the timer-tastic Repeat Timer Pro, a two-dollar multitimer for iOS.

Inside it you’ll find three configurable timers. All the timers can run simultaneously, and of course there are plenty of alarm sounds to choose from. If you need timers to repeat themselves 99 times, you can do that too. You can even run an interval timer to time the times between your timers.

For those of you who constantly find yourselves cooking pasta, working out, and, erm, timing some other thing, Repeat Timer Pro might be a lifesaver. Cooking and exercise are the two daily activities that immediately spring to mind, but you don’t need to bend your mind far to think of others. Lab technicians might find uses for this. Or office workers doing Pomodoro. Want to know how it was made? The developer has put together an interesting look behind the scenes.

If timing things is your thing, this app should be your timing things thing. Two bucks. Here.

Rating: ★★★★½

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Apple Will Stream Paul McCartney Concert Live To iTunes & Apple TV On February 9

Killian Bell — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:08:31 +0000

Apple has announced that it will support Paul McCartney’s new album, Kisses on the Bottom, by live streaming a special concert to fans on Thursday, February 9. You can tune in using iTunes on your Mac or PC, or on your television via your Apple TV set-top box.

Apple announced the event with a new page on within its music section of the iTunes Store earlier today:

To celebrate the release of Paul McCartney’s latest album — available now — we’re streaming his exclusive performance at Capitol Studios on February 9 at 7 p.m. (PST). Watch the concert on iTunes on your computer, or stream it on your TV using your Apple TV — just choose iTunes Live from the Internet menu.

This isn’t the first time Apple has live-streamed special events via iTunes. For a number of years now, the company has streamed the week-long iTunes Festival from London, featuring artists such as Adele, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Snow Patrol, and more.

This is the first time, however, that the company will live-stream an event directly to its Apple TV.

McCartney’s new album is available to download now from iTunes for $9.99, following its release yesterday.

[via MacRumors]

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Your Kids Will Probably Enjoy This Cute iOS Platformer [Review]

Giles Turnbull — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:48:28 +0000

Meet Niko, star of a cute-character platformer for iOS that involves the usual amount of bouncing, running, hopping and collecting things.

The flick-to-jump UI is quite entertaining and not difficult to get to grips with. The pace is slowed down slightly, giving you time to take aim carefully between one leap and the next. If that kind of thing is your bag then it does have some appeal, particularly for younger gamers. I lost interest fairly quickly, but my 9yo son was thoroughly engrossed until he’d finished the six free levels.

That’s right – the first six levels are free, but if you want to continue playing after that, you have to pay two dollars to get the rest of the game.

Here’s the official trailer:

It’s closely tied in to Habbo Hotel, again aimed at a younger audience. So if you have a child who’s already interested in the world of Habbo, they might appreciate your splashing out on the full game.

Rating: ★★½☆☆

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How To Change The Color Of Your iOS 5 Notification Center Banners [Jailbreak]

Alex Heath — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:22:18 +0000

Are you itching to change the color of the push notification banners on your jailbroken iOS device? Is Apple’s look not quite cutting it?

A simple Cydia tweak allows you to easily customize the color of your iOS 5 Notification Center banners.

ColorBanner lets you choose from 10 backgrounds and 5 font colors for customizing your notifications. The tweak costs $1.99, which may be enough to turn away most potential users. I found most of ColorBanner’s themes to be pretty lame, but there are a couple combinations that work decently. The nice thing is that the developer has included documentation for creating your own theme from scratch. The process looks relatively straightforward, but designers will undoubtedly have an advantage. A transparent banner theme is coming, so stay tuned for that.

With some better backgrounds and the ability to adjust colors manually, ColorBanner will be a really compelling tweak. For now, it’s not worth $2, unless you really want to change the look of your notification banners.

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House of Marley Ships the Dopest Dock To Rock an iPod

Eli Milchman — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:48:27 +0000

Everyone was jamming in the little corner where House of Marley was stashed during the official press event at CES, and a big part of that was due to their Bag of Rhythm dock — the Marley PR people carried it around slung on their shoulders, and it just rocked, man.

Appropriately, the BoR’s 1″ tweeters and twin 4.5″ woofers and amp are housed in sustainably sourced birch, and the whole thing lives in a cotton bag. There’s an AUX port to augment the 30-pin connection. Oddly, it also runs on D-cell batteries — when was the last time a dock did that.

The dock sells for $350, five percent of which, House of Marley says, will go to 1Love.org, a charitable organization begun by the Marley family “focused on youth, planet and peace.” Bob would be proud.

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