New on the store this week is Etsy for iOS, and it’s beautifully done. Taking cues from apps like Flipboard and sites like Pinterest, Etsy is an exceptionally neat way of browsing and buying from the site that’s full of interesting hand-made things.
We’ve been waiting a month to see Apple’s beautiful new iMacs in the wild, and while the 27-inch models won’t ship until late next month, the new 21.5-inch units are not available in stores. Along with a sleek new body, the iMacs also feature Intel’s new Ivy Bridge processors which should make them markedly faster than last year’s iMacs.
Geekbench scores have already been compiled for the new 21.5-inch iMacs. When compared to 2011’s high-end 27-inch iMacs, the new 21.5-inch iMacs stand their ground and outperform last year’s models by about 10%.
It’s been 40 years since Atari released the first Pong game, and to celebrate the milestone, the company just released the first official Pong game for iOS. Called Pong World, the title delivers a new way to play the classic arcade game, in addition to a colorful new look and a whole host of new features.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is making its way to Android and iOS on December 6, and I couldn’t be more excited; it’s my favorite title in the series, and I’m looking forward to playing through it again. To celebrate its release, Rockstar Games has just launched a new Vice City trailer. If you’re a fan of the game, you have to check it out.
Doubtless by now, you’ve seen a few notifications on your Mac when there are software updates to be applied. They’re easy to temporarily get rid of, either by clicking ont he Close button, swiping them to the right, or disabling notifications for the rest of the day. This allows you to update your software when you want to, on your own schedule, with a lot less nagging.
But what if you want to not be bugged at all about a specific software update? With the first solution above, the notification comes back in a little while. If you turn notifications off for the day, they’re back at nagging you tomorrow. If there’s a particular bit of software you’d like to not update, or just are tired of being bugged, here’s how to keep it from re-occuring.
Apple has issued a press release announcing that the iPhone 5, the iPad mini, and the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display will be arriving in China next month. Both iPads will be available on December 7, while the iPhone 5 will be available on December 14.
iTunes 11 might just be the best version yet, with a beautiful new user interface and a plethora of great new features that we love. But with everyone these days streaming all-you-can-eat music from excellent apps like Spotify and Rdio, we had to ask—is it too little too late? On our all-new CultCast, we’ll tell you which iTunes 11 features we love most, but which one feature it really needs to stay relevant in the world of music.
Then, we ponder a new gold-plated iPhone accessory so ridiculous, it might just be genius.
All that and a brand new Faves & Raves on our newest CultCast! Subscribe now on iTunes or easily stream new and previous episodes via Apple’s free Podcasts App.
Read on for the show notes and to learn how you could promote your product or service on one of our future episodes.
Apple loves to hide little surprises, or “easter eggs,” within its software — such as the memorable quotes inside its OS X icons, or the temporary date (Jan 24, 1984 — when the first Macintosh was unveiled) given to apps downloaded from the Mac App Store. A new one has been discovered that’s sure to please Lord of the Rings fans.
Typing a simple comment into Terminal reveals a Lord of the Rings timeline that Apple has hidden in OS X. Here’s how to access it.
Apple promised us its new 21.5-inch iMac would go on sale in November, and it has just about met that deadline. You can now order the Cupertino company’s sexy new all-in-one via its online store, with shipping in 1-3 business days. The 27-inch model is also available to order, but that one will take 2-3 weeks to ship.
Longtime Apple executive Bob Mansfield just had a big pay day, according to a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mansfield just cashed in 35,000 shares of Apple stock valued at $582.21 per share, earning him $20.37 million.
After announcing his retirement but then staying on at Apple to lead the company’s mysterious new “Technologies” group, Mansfield now reports directly to CEO Tim Cook. He’s just as instrumental to the company’s success as ever.
The iPhone 5 is now available for purchase unlocked at an unsubsidized price on Apple’s U.S. online store. Customers should also be able to pick up an unlocked iPhone 5 in U.S. Apple Retail stores as well. Pricing starts at $649 for the 16GB model.
It typically takes Apple a couple months before it starts selling a new iPhone model unlocked. Today a new option has appeared in the online store for selecting an unlocked model without a two-year carrier contract.
Apple has just reissued the OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 supplemental update for late-2012 Macs, including the 21.5-inch new iMac and Mac mini, as well as the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. There aren’t any reasons given for the original retraction of the update, and no noticeable changes in the list of fixes that are included in it.
The Boomerang is a new Kickstarter iPad accessory from the one-device-to-rule-them all crowd — it’s a combination universal mounting system and frame. The hinged, X-shaped frame snaps onto the back of your iPad, while a powerful, centrally located magnet of its back allows it to attach to a wide variety of stands and mounts that Uros Cadez, the project’s creator, has already designed. Even without any accessory mounts, the frame’s hinge can ratchet to prop the iPad up at three different angles. Another plus: The Boomerang’s corners were designed so it wouldn’t get in the way of a Smart Cover.
Is Apple running out of room in Cupertino proper? Perhaps, as new details have emerged that show Apple planning to occupy a new site that could contain 1,200 workers or more in Santa Clara, CA. Developer Peery Arrillaga has made a deal with the Cupertino-based tech company to custom tailor a two-building office campus, currently under construction at the north side of Stevens Creek Boulevard, just a few minutes from Cupertino city limits.
Redbox Instant by Verizon, the Netflix competitor by, well, Verizon, just became a bit more real today, as details released onto the web.
According to GigaOm, the streaming video service will charge customers as little as $6 per month, have apps for Android, iOS, and Xbox 360, and will go live as early as December 17.
Apple and Starbucks have parted with (RED) to help give a little back this holiday season. Buy a $15 iTunes + $15 Starbucks gift card combo online, and both companies will donate 5% of proceeds to help fund AIDS research.
(RED) has been a longtime partner with Apple. If you buy a red colored iPod from Apple, a small percentage of the sale also goes towards the fight to end AIDS. You can order a holiday gift card basket from Apple, Starbucks and (RED) now.
After being delayed a month, Apple finally launched iTunes 11 today, a complete rethinking of iTunes as we know it. Ditching much of the bloat that accompanied iTunes 9 and 10, iTunes 11 brings many iOS-inspired features over to the Mac. In this video, we’ll walk you through iTunes 11’s new interface.
So here it is: iTunes 11. A lot has changed, but not so much that you’ll feel lost. Here’s what we’ve found after our first poke around inside.
The fine folks at The Iconfactory have put up a teaser page for Twitterrific 5, the next major version of their popular Twitter client. Version 5.0 will run on the iPhone and iPad, which hints at development of Twitterrific for Mac winding down.
As Twitter continues to make it harder and harder for third-party devs to support traditional clients, only a few apps like Twitterrific remain. Considering that Twitterrific was the first real Twitter app, we hope to see it live on. The Iconfactory seems to be committed as ever (at least on the iOS side).
Twitterrific 5.0 for iOS drops next Thursday, December 6th. We’ll have a full review when it goes live in the App Store.
Source: The Iconfactory
Apple unleashed a slew of software updates this afternoon, including an iOS update for the second and third-gen Apple TV. Today’s 5.1.1 update brings full support for iTunes 11 and a number of stability improvements.
iTunes 11 has a music queuing feature called “Up Next,” and the Apple TV can now interface with Up Next to show what’s about to play. The new iOS Remote app also lets you manage your queue from an iPhone or iPad.
Sure, you could use the calculator, or any one of a dozen-odd apps that allow you to tap the screen and calculate the tip in a restaurant, but why even bother? iOS and Siri can meet your needs just by talking to your iPhone–or iPad, but won’t that get meatloaf gravy all over it?
Regardless, here’s how to ask Siri the right way to calculate the tip for the super-helpful server or bartender in your life.
Apple’s App Store has been the undisputed revenue king since its inception, however, its once enormous lead is now quickly shrinking. That leading edge over Android is an argument that’s becoming moot as the Play’s revenue continues to grow at a ravenous rate. According to App Annie, an industry leader in app store analytics and marketing, Google Play’s revenues have skyrocketed 311% in the last year, compared to the App Store’s more conservative 12.9%.
When the PadPivot arrived, I scoffed: It’s just another iPad stand after all, and a weird-looking one at that. But then I started using it, an interesting thing happened: It grew on me quicker than almost any other gadget I have.
A few weeks later and the PadPivot has not only ousted several other widgets from my gear-bag, but – if it was pried from my fingers right now, I’d immediately order myself up a new one.
iTunes 11 was finally released today and it’s actually pretty great. The user interface has been streamlined so that superfluous crap gets out of the way when you don’t need it, and there are some genuinely cool features and tricks in the update. It’s a step in the right direction and I’m pretty surprised that I want to start using iTune again thanks to this update.
Now that you’ve had a little bit of time to play with iTunes 11, what’s your favorite feature? Up Next is pretty awesome and I’m digging the album view even though I prefer browsing via artists instead. How about you? What’s surprised you about iTunes 11 so far? What do you love about it? What do you hate? Come over to the Cult of Mac Forums and give us your thoughts on the newest version of iTunes.
Click here to go to the Cult of Mac Forums and tell us what you think of iTunes 11
Alongside the release of iTunes 11, Apple has also updated the iOS Remote app that can be use on an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad to control iTunes.
Remote is simpler and easier with new ways to browse your library and see and edit upcoming songs with Up Next. A redesigned experience for the iPad shows all the songs in an album with the Expanded view and a more powerful search delivers results as you type.
Remote version 3.0 comes with a sleeker design that is similar to the experience offered in iTunes 11. You can download the new update for free right here.