Having problems with your Mac or iPod? Apple has just rolled out a new Express Lane for its existing online customer support system that aims to make getting to the root of your troubleshooting woes faster than before.
Express Lane basically streamlines online tech support from Apple. You can easily search through the database to find tech support solutions to existing Apple products, lookup cases that you’ve submitted previously, or register your Apple products by their serial numbers to track their warranty status and be directed to the proper support channels when things do go wrong.
“Steve did visit Japan this summer for a vacation in Kyoto, but the incidents described at the airport are pure fiction,” Apple told All Things Digital. “Steve had a great time and hopes to visit Japan again soon.”
Ever been singing along to a new song and wondered just what the heck the lyrics really are? Searching for the lyrics on the internet isn’t the fastest of solutions to avoid lyric confusion. Here we’re going to show you how to utilize scripts and a widget to search out the lyrics for all of the songs in your iTunes library and automatically save them to song’s meta data, so that next time you can correct your friend when they sing “where’s my Asian friend,” when the lyrics really are, “what’s my age again.”
Apple is once again friends with Google, at least as far as mobile ads go.
Google says its wholeheartedly approves of Apple’s relaxation of its mobile advertising policy. The old policy effectively locked out Google’s AdMob platform from in-app advertising on the iPhone and iPad.
Apple’s new terms will open up in-app advertising to competitors and enable advertising systems that work across a range of platforms (IE. iPhone and Android), Google says.
“This is great news for everyone in the mobile community, as we believe that a competitive environment is the best way to drive innovation and growth in mobile advertising. Mobile advertising has already helped to fund tens of thousands of mobile apps across many different platforms and devices, and it will help do the same for many more in the years ahead.”
Most of the restrictions in Apple’s new App Store guidelines make perfect sense. Who wants apps that drain the battery? There are commonsense bans on hate speech, objectionable material and gambling.
But there are two restrictions that might cause problems: rejecting apps in categories that are already crowded (fart apps), and pornography.
What do you think? Should Apple approve fart apps and porn and let us make our own choices?
Did Steve Jobs personally write Apple’s new App Store Review Guidelines, the long-awaited rules of what is and isn’t allowed in the App Store?
It certainly sounds like it. The language of the document is remarkably casual. It reads as though Jobs dictated it himself off the top of his head. For example:
We will reject Apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, “I’ll know it when I see it”. And we think that you will also know it when you cross it.
It’s actually a pretty fun read, for a developer doc.
Most of the restrictions make sense. There are commonsense bans on hate speech, objectionable material and gambling. The most contentious area is pornography. Some adults think they should be allowed to make their own choices, and not have Apple act as a nanny.
“This thing is thin!” says iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens, who just performed a teardown of the 4G iPod touch. “So thin that there is literally no room for the 5 MP camera in the iPhone 4.”
Just as Apple has released the iOS 4.1 update, iPhone hackers have found a new way to jailbreak the latest iOS that will be hard for Apple to patch.
The Dev-Team’s Musclenerd says his fellow hacker pod2g has found a boot ROM exploit in the iOS 4.1 as it goes live. Musclenerd advises iPhone users to stay away from the 4.1 update until work on the latest jailbreak is completed.
”Crazy timing that @pod2g got latest exploit just as 4.1 went public (lots of work left…keep away from 4.1 for now!)” Musclenerd tweeted.
A low-level bootrom exploit will be hard for Apple to fight. Boot ROM exploits cannot be patched with a firmware update the way that Apple closed the PDF security hole that the iOS 4.0 JailbreakMe exploit relied on.
Apple would have to make changes to the hardware of its iOS devices to fix the exploit. Previously, pod2g discovered the 24kpwn exploit, which allows older iOS devices to be jailbroken via PwnageTool, but has been patched by Apple in its latests devices.
For complete instructions on jailbreaking and advice on the best software to install, see our Jailbreak Superguide.
The update for iPhone and iPod touch includes lots of bug fixes, as well as new features like HDR photos, HD video upload, TV show rentals and Game Center.
The update is compatible with iPhone 4; iPhone 3G and GS; and iPod touch 2G. Not all features work on all devices however.
In November, Apple will release iOS 4.2, which will include iPad support.
Ever feel like Steve Jobs is messing with you just for fun? That’s what I thought when I opened up iTunes 10 and saw the minimize, maximize, & close buttons on the left hand side of the window, instead of aligned at the top.
Moving the buttons over there goes against everything OS X design is about. It’s an uncharacteristic move by Apple, unless they plan to move the buttons to the side for all of their applications, which doesn’t seem likely. Don’t worry though, there’s a super simple fix for this weird quirk if you want to bring uniformity back to OS X.
Why does Apple dominate all aspects of the digital music market — hardware, software and content deals? For example, more than two-thirds of every media player sold in the world is an Apple product.
That’s amazing when you consider the company’s reputation as one that doesn’t listen to customers. Come to think of it, Google Search, Facebook and Twitter are all dominant products created without customer input.
Is ignoring customers Apple’s secret to success in consumer technology?
All across Europe, iPhone exclusivity deals have already toppled, but here in Germany, T-Mobile still remains standing as the sole carrier of the iPhone 4. The foundations are wobbly, though, as numerous other carriers in the country have begun selling the iPhone 3GS, marking the first time more than one company has offered the iPhone… even if one of those iPhone’s is markedly superior.
It now looks like T-Mobile’s exclusivity deal is finally about to collapse entirely though. According to the Wall Street Journal, Deutsche Telekom is preparing for the loss of the iPhone 4 exclusive in time for the holiday shopping season… while Vodafone and O2 are similarly preparing to carry it.
It’s in Apple’s best interest to sell the iPhone 4 on as many networks as possible, and every country that has seen an exclusivity deal end has seen iPhone sales and profits meteorically rise.
Note the timing here as well: T-Mobile is losing the iPhone 4 exclusive by the end of the year. Meanwhile, here in the States, it is heavily rumored that Verizon will get a special CDMA version of the iPhone 4 in January.
It looks like Apple is just letting all of its existing contracts lapse. Now that T-Mobile looks set to lose its exclusivity contract for the German market, can AT&T be far behind?
Wow — that was quite a show from Steve Jobs. A brand new line up of iPods (except the Classic); a hot new AppleTV that costs just $99; and a potential Myspace killer in Ping, iTune’s social network for music.
But which announcement was the big one long term?
Will a FaceTime-enabled iPod allow Apple to route around AT&T and other wireless carriers? Or will the new, inexpensive AppleTV be the product that finally takes settop boxes mainstream, and Apple’s next big hit? Or is the new multitouch nano a glimpse at the future of multitouch personal electronics (think nifty iWatches)?
Apple is live streaming Wednesday’s iPod event as a test of its massive new data center, we’ve been informed by a source.
Apple’s first live video broadcast in years is a test of the server farm’s ability to stream a future version of iTunes for iOS devices, our tipster says.
“The goal is to monitor traffic load and quality,” says our tipster, who asked to remain anonymous to preserve their connections at Apple.
There’ll be a new $99 AppleTV tomorrow with Netflix movie streaming, Bloomberg reports.
Apple Inc., preparing to announce a new set-top box that delivers TV to consumers, will include movies from Netflix Inc., according to three people with knowledge of the plans.
The streaming service would be available on the revamped version of Apple TV, due to be introduced tomorrow in San Francisco, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans havent been made public. Users would pay a subscription fee to Netflix for the service, the people said.
The new AppleTV will cost $99 — $130 less than the current model, Bloomberg says. Apple will also update iTunes and offer a new iPod touch with a higher-resolution screen (likely a Retina display to match the iPhone 4’s).
The new Apple TV is rumored to be renamed iTV and run a version of iOS, possibly making is capable of running apps and games from the App Store. There’s no word on whether Netflix’s service will be an app or integrated into the device, as it is with some DVD players.
Netflix already offers a subscription movie streaming service through a wide variety of devices, from Blu-Ray players to TiVo and game consoles. There are also Netflix apps for the iPhone and iPad that stream movies and TV shows to subscribers.
The Oxford English Dictionary will not be printed again thanks in part to the iPad, Alastair Jamieson reports for The Telegraph:
Simon Winchester, author of ‘The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary’, said the switch towards online formats was “prescient”. He said: “Until six months ago I was clinging to the idea that printed books would likely last for ever. Since the arrival of the iPad I am now wholly convinced otherwise.”
Starting in October, Mac owners will again get to design their minds-eye mansions and skyscrapers without ever dropping to Boot Camp, while taking advantage of native Mac features like multitouch gestures. Of course, professional software like this isn’t cheap, and Mac-friendly architects can expect to drop $4000 for the trouble… but might be a small price to pay to migrate your architecture firm back to the Mac.
AutoDesk isn’t stopping there: they’re also reportedly working on an IOS version of AutoCAD called AutoCAD WS, a free download that will allow you to view (but not make major changes) on your iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone. Possibly a death blow to the profitable architecture paper roll and blue ink industry!
Take this with a pinch of salt, but we’ve been tipped that Apple’s rumored $1 TV subscription service, due to be unveiled next week, is technically correct but missing an important detail.
Apple has today released version 9.0.4 of its iWork productivity suite. With it comes several bug fixes for Keynote, Pages and Numbers, and a new feature which allows for the exporting of Pages documents in the ePub format for use on their own iBooks iOS application.
The full list of changes, as detailed in the support document includes:
Keynote 5.0.4
Addresses an issue when printing handouts with rule lines.
Fixes an issue with the slide switcher.
Resolves an issue when automatically resizing some images while changing slide size.
Fixes an issue with tables.
Pages 4.0.4
Fixes an issue with tables.
Includes compatibility with the standard ePub file format (for use with iBooks) when exporting.
Numbers 2.0.4
Fixes an issue with tables.
This update is for users with iWork 9.0, 9.0.1, 9.0.2, and 9.0.3. You can download the update through Software Update on your Mac, or directly from the Apple website here.
The iPhone Dev-Team will not release a jailbreak for iOS 4.0.2/3.2.2.
“With FW 4.1 still in its beta stages, it makes no sense to escalate the ‘cat & mouse’ with Apple for FW updates that only fix the jailbreak holes,” the Dev Team says on its blog. “To quote WOPR, ‘the only winning move is not to play.'”
Buhler's prototype Liquidmetal casting machine is called the most advanced in the world. This is a similar die-casting machine made by the same company.
Apple’s recent deal with Liquidmetal Technologies will give it access to the most advanced manufacturing machinery on the planet, one insider says.
“This is the most advanced injection-molding machine ever made,” Merkel says. “It is state-of-the-art.”
Apple recently licensed Liquidmetal Technology’s IP for use in consumer electronics. Liquidmetal Technologies is one of the leading companies trying to commercialize space-age metal alloys that are extremely hard and lightweight but can be processed as easily as plastics. NASA has said Liquidmetal is “poised to redefine materials science as we know it in the 21st century.”
This aerospace part is a one-piece casting from Liquidmetal, which if made traditionally would have required several manufacturing steps. Image courtesy of Drew Merkel.
Blogger Brian Sweet of Gumball Tech claims to have beaten the world text-messaging record using the onscreen keyboard of his iPhone 4.
The record was recently set by a U.K. woman using a Samsung Galaxy S running the SWYPE keyboard. Melissa Thompson, 27, managed to swipe out the phrase: “the razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human,” in just under 26 seconds. (Her feat is still being verified by Guinness).
Sweet claims to have thumbed out the same phrase in less than 22 seconds, besting the record by 4 seconds. “It’s not official,” says Sweet, “but it’s definitely better than what that woman recently achieved.”
If genuine, Sweet’s feat disproves the notion that the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard is slow. Typing on the iPhone has typically been characterized as slow compared to a physical keyboards, such as those on Blackberry devices.
See for yourself. Here’s a YouTube video of Sweet typing out the phrase. Watch those thumbs fly!
