Microsoft is trying to lure iOS developers into creating applications for the Windows Phone 7 operating system by offering an API mapping tool which helps them port their applications over from the iPhone. Jean-Christophe Cimetiere, Microsoft’s Senior Technical Evangelist for Interoperability, unveiled the tool on the Windows Team blog:

With this tool, iPhone developers can grab their apps, pick out the iOS API calls, and quickly look up the equivalent classes, methods and notification events in WP7. A developer can search a given iOS API call and find the equivalent WP7 along with C# sample codes and API documentations for both platforms.

Included in the package along with the API mapping tool is a 90+ page guide entitled “Windows Phone 7 Guide for iPhone Application Developers;” a series of “developer stories” from devs who have already ported their iPhone apps over to Windows Phone 7; and a compilation of the key resources needed to get started.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYWAmKJOesU&feature=player_embedded

Physwitch is a new tweak for jailbroken iPhones that enhances the way in which we multitask within iOS by allowing us to switch between our applications using our device’s volume buttons.

Once activated Physwitch is a great way of multitasking on the iPhone, and looks much more sophisticated than the traditional iOS method of switching between applications. Instead of swiping through a collection of icons in the multitasking tray, you can cycle through each application with a real-time preview of what’s happening in each app.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ1JZgaDOq0&feature=player_embedded

ColorWare is famous for taking gorgeous new gadgets and giving them a nice lick of paint. The company is now painting iPad 2s for those that don’t like the original look, but as usual you’ll pay a high price for a customized device.

Prices start at $900 for a 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad, which increases to $1,100 for the 64GB model. If you want a 3G capable device, prices start at $1,030 and rise to $1,230 for the 16GB and 64GB models respectively. Alternatively you can send in your own iPad and have it painted for $400.

It’s certainly not a cheap service, but ColorWare does a fantastic job of customizing your device. You can have the body, antenna, logo and home button painted in a variety of weird and wonderful colors; using either solid, metallic or pearl paint. You can also have your whole device coated in a soft touch finish for an additional $55.

Well, what are you waiting for?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um4gLMZDXkA&feature=player_embedded

Apple has released a new commercial for its iPad 2 that follows the same theme as its previous ‘We Believe‘ commercial launched in early April. Entitled ‘If You Asked’, the new ad focuses on the iPad’s user experience and how people perceive the device rather than its technical specifications.

The smooth guy in the voiceover reads:

If you ask a parent, they might call it intuitive. If you ask a musician, they might call it inspiring. To a doctor, it’s groundbreaking. To a CEO, it’s powerful. To a teacher, it’s the future. If you ask a child, she might call it magic. And if you asked us, we’d say it’s just getting started.

Apple’s commercials for the second-generation iPad thus far have been a little more personal than the company’s other ad campaigns; highlighting what users can achieve with the device, rather that what the device itself is technically capable of.

It really is amazing that the iPad is being used in so many amazing ways by everyone from toddlers to CEOs.

Apple has officially informed AT&T that there will be no new iPhone this June or July, according to a customer care representative for the carrier. One AT&T customer noticed his eligibility date for a subsidized upgrade had been pushed back by over five months; when he contacted the carrier for an explanation, a rep gave him the following statement:

Apple has informed us that they do not plan to release the iPhone in the June to July timeframe, though there will be a newer version in the future. Unfortunately, we have not been given a release time for the new phone. We will release this information on our website when it is available to us.

It’s unusual that this kind of information would be passed down to employees ahead of an official Apple announcement, however, you can’t help but feel this particular AT&T rep is right. As June gets closer, the number of reports that suggests a later-than-usual iPhone release are increasing, and any hope of a new iPhone before September is quickly being quashed.

Apple is now expected to announce a new iPhone at its yearly iPod event traditionally held every September.

[via MacRumors]

While the beautiful hardware that Apple creates gets a lot of the attention, many people forget that the appeal of Apple’s devices is within the software more than anything else. Asymco.com recently published an article elaborating how the profit from Apple’s two operating systems (OSX and iOS) outpace the profits that Microsoft makes with Windows 3.5x over.

On the Mac side of operations the site says:

“While a lot of the credit for Apple’s success is rightfully assigned to the iOS franchises, the OS X business has more than quadrupled in five years. This has happened without drastic price fluctuations. Neither holds for the overall PC industry which has seen both volume and sales decline while prices have eroded along with profitability. On top of that, growth has nearly evaporated.”

Don’t trust your kids with open access to your credit card? I can’t blame you. In order to let your kids have an iTunes account though, you need to enter your credit card information, giving them free reign over your purchases, right? Wrong. While it may appear this way, there is a way to set up an iTunes account that involves absolutely no credit cards at all. This video will show you what to do.

Look what just arrived at CultofMac towers here in San Francisco. Yes, it’s one of Apple’s awesome new Core i5 iMacs.

It’s a $1,999 27-inch i5 model (It’s stock — no build-to-order options. Couldn’t wait a month).

As you can see, it can handily power another 27-inch iMac as an external monitor. (It’s hooked to a 2010 iMac, reviewed here last year). This is going to replace an aging Mac Pro I use for work. It just radiates awesomeness.

I’ll get started on the review as soon as  deal with a major plumbing emergency here at home.

A pair of Italian Apple fans visiting The Mothership had the good luck to spot Steve Jobs as he arrived for work recently.

They were snapping pictures out front of Apple’s Cupertino HQ when a big black luxury car pulled up. Out steps Dear Leader himself. The gobsmacked Italians asked for autographs and a commemorative picture, but Jobs shooed them away saying he was late to a meeting. He strode right by them into the building. This was a week ago: April 25th.

Good to see the miserable bastard is still hard at work.

Esclusiva iPhoneItalia: Steve Jobs fotografato al campus di Cupertino!

Via iClarified.

Have an old iPod Nano? Want to spruce up its interface and software a bit? You’re in luck! This post is going to tell you how to really Pimp Your Pod! It’s rather straightfoward, and shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes to complete from start to finish. Please be aware that the iPodWizard portion is using software that’s Windows only, so you should get that virtual machine or Boot Camp install cookin’ for a little while. Read the rest of the post for more information.

We convene this session of Daily Deals on the heels of Apple announcing refreshed iMacs. To keep readers up-to-date, we have a deal on the new units, including a Core i5 Quad 2.5GHz machine with 22-inch screen for $1,199. If yesterday’s iMacs are fine, there is a deal on a Core i3 desktop running at 3.06GHz for $929. Finally, to ensure you don’t sleep through Apple’s next hardware reboot, we have an FM alarm clock radio for your iPod or iPhone.

Along the way, we also check out a battery charger for your iPhone or iPod, a case for your iPhone 4 and software for your Mac to keep the clones at bay. As always, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Apple’s new family of iMacs launched today, featuring Intel’s latest Core i5 and i7 processors, 4GB of RAM, and 3x faster graphics; all the ingredients needed to bake a super speedy all-in-one. However, there’s one thing missing from Apple’s lineup of four ‘ready-made’ iMacs, and that’s a solid-state drive. Without one your shiny new iMac might not be as fast as you expected it to be.

Chalk up another victory for cord cutters: two TV-centric apps won best entertainment apps for the tablet category in this year’s Webby awards.

The free app for network PBS was named the 2011 Webby Award Winner in the entertainment category and science TV program Mythbusters was awarded the People’s Voice Winner.

When the iPad 2 debuted back in March, half of all the people waiting in line outside of the 5th Avenue Store were Asian scalpers looking to ship the iPad 2 overseas to China and Hong Kong.

Hysterically, the same thing is happening again now that the white iPhone 4is here… but it’s happening in China, where as many as 95% of all people camped outside of the Beijing Apple Store are scalpers.. And they are brazenly reselling the white iPhone 4 to real prospective buyers right outside of the store… at a 200-500 yuan (or between $33 and $77) markup per device.

The end result is that scalpers are controlling almost 100% of the white iPhone 4 supply in China, and selling them for a profit accordingly. Not all the profit is generated merely by reselling the iPhone either: another way money is made is by opening up the iPhone 4, replacing the battery with an inferior one, and then selling the real iPhone battery to knock-off manufacturers. Tricky!

The new iMacs are here, and they are fantastic, but one thing that’s worth making a note of is that the new 27-inch iMacs have dual Thunderbolt ports… which means that you can now attach two external displays to your top-end desktop.

Buy a pair of Apple’s official 27-inch LED Cinematic Displays and you’ve got 81 inches of desktop to play with. That’s a huge perk, given that the previous solution to driving multiple displays on your Mac either resulted in lag (though wireless solutions) or didn’t support 3D (through USB adapters).

The iMac line just got a heck of a lot more appealing not just to video professionals, but to gamers. And here I am rocking a 27-inch iMac with only one Mini DisplayPort like some sort of sucker.

Two aging tech powerhouses came together Tuesday in Orlando, Fla. Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer, speaking at Research in Motion’s BlackBerry World conference, announced his company will “invest uniquely” in RIM. In addition, Microsoft announced its Bing search engine and mapping will be integrated into BlackBerry phones at the OS level.

“Bing on BlackBerry tastes more like Windows Phone 7 than BlackBerry” tweeted NPD analyst Ross Rubin. The announcement comes just days after analysts blasted RIM for retreating on its quarterly financial forecast

App Store ratings are a valuable commodity, with each additional star worth a substantial amount in sales. No surprise, then, that less scrupulous developers like to try to game the system, but because of the way Apple links reviews to individual iTunes accounts, there’s not a lot of ways to really cheat the system easily… especially if the app is a paid app.

One way app devs can sometimes game the system, though, is by distributing promo codes, allowing their employees to download the app and rate it. No longer though: Apple has just eliminate the ability for anyone to review an app if they downloaded it through a promotional code.

It’s actually a bit ironic. Ostensibly, promotional codes are to encourage jokers like me to review apps. I can understand Apple’s reasoning here, but it does seem a bit rich that app reviewers issued promotional codes can review an app on their own websites, but not on iTunes.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWPFfb4mF6k&feature=player_embedded

For a while Cydia has been the one and only source for jailbroken applications and tweaks, and it hasn’t really had a lot of competition. That’s about to change, as a new web-based installer called Lima is on its way to give Cydia something of a challenge.

Developed by the Infini Dev Team, Lima runs in the Safari browser and doesn’t require any additional applications – you just navigate to its webpage to access all of its packages. Downloading and installing packages is just as simple as it currently is with Cydia.

Judging from the video at the top, Lima looks like a nice, snappy way of accessing jailbroken apps and tweaks, without the downsides of the often slow Cydia. However, I’m not sure whether you’ll we’ll still be able to add our own repositories like we can with Cydia, or whether we’re stuck with whatever Lima has to offer.

As much as I love Cydia, sometimes its slow reload times and all too frequent errors prove to be a huge frustration, and I’m looking forward to giving Lima a try. What do you think; will Lima give Cydia a run for its money, or is it facing an uphill battle? Let us know in the comments!

[via iPhone Download Blog]

Apple’s online store is back up following some downtime this morning and just as we all expected, it now features a nice new family of iMacs.

These new all-in-ones boast Intel’s next-generation quad-core i5 and i7 processors, the company’s high-speed Thunderbolt technology, 3x faster graphics, and a FaceTime HD camera.

There are four new iMacs to choose from starting at $1,199 – two 21.5-inch models and two 27-inch models – all four come with 4GB of RAM and a FaceTime HD camera capable of shooting video in 720p.

Here are your options:

With less than 5 percent of the overall handset market share, Apple has managed to claim 50 percent of the industry profit, one analyst writes Tuesday. Additionally, the Cupertino, Calif. company did it with a handset less than five years old, stealing market share from two cell phone veterans – Nokia and RIM.

“We anticipate Apple will continue to gain share from Nokia and RIM during their smartphone transitions,” Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley told investors. He believes RIM will lose market share for the “next several years”, while Nokia likely will shed handset share “over the next several quarters.”

For some time, Apple’s iPad has been the foil of the Amazon Kindle e-reader. First, the pokes at reading in bright sunlight, then the geeks versus average person ad. Most recently, however, the Seattle-based online retailer has created an App Store – but for Android. All that was missing was an actual tablet. Now it appears the two companies will compete head-to-head amid a report Amazon is building a tablet PC.

Amazon has placed orders with Taiwan-based notebook manufacturer Quanta Computer, which now makes tablets for RIM and Sony, to supply around 700,000 to 800,000 tablets per month as soon as the second half of this year, according to a Tuesday report. Taking a page from Apple, Amazon also plans to buy a touch screen manufacturer’s full capacity.

The SuperTooth Disco is a portable speaker that will wirelessly stream 28 watts of sound for your next parties dance floor. Here’s a hands-on review.

It won’t take the place of a dedicated sound system like the one you might have in your living room with only 28 watts of power, but for a portable Bluetooth device it is pretty impressive.

This is one trend you will either love or hate. It seems that dancing at the Apple Store (and posting the performance to YouTube) continues to grow in popularity. Why let iPod-toting dancing silhouettes have all the fun when you can do it yourself at a mall near you? Especially when every MacBook has an iCam.

One frequent dancer many have seen is iJustine, who’s been dancing at Apple Store locations around the country for several years. Last week the mythical White iPhone 4 finally shipped, so Justine celebrated the occasion down in Orlando. And several shoppers joined in!

A new malware threat called ‘MACDefender’ is targeting Mac OS X users browsing the web using Apple’s Safari browser. The software automatically downloads a file through JavaScript, but users must first agree to install the software, making the potential threat a low risk to careful users.

The malicious software was highlighted on Monday by Intego – the company behind the VirusBarrier X6 antivirus software for Mac – after Apple Support Community users started reporting the threat. Intego say the software prompts users to download a compressed ZIP archive after clicking on a dodgy link in their search engines. The file is then decompressed and begins installing MACDefender on the system.

Here’s the scenario: you’re a hip web geek working from your hip home, or from some hip coffee shop somewhere in the hip part of town, and you’re always, always sharing links with your colleagues.

Trouble is, you don’t want to share them on Faceter or Twitbook. They might be work-related. Top secret. Or just plain weird.

So you want to share them, and discuss them, privately. How can you do that? Perhaps Frenzy can help.