Apple Inc
Latest
DevJuice: Apple begins unique identifier crackdown
The Verge writes that Apple has apparently begun to crack down on apps submitted using the now deprecated UDID (unique device identifier) APIs that allow developers to track individual devices. The programmer interface used to return an alphanumeric string unique to each deployed device. It was built out of a hash of the unit's serial number and other internal details. Apps that use the uniqueIdentifier API will automatically be rejected as this policy rolls out to its full complement of review teams. Instead, developers are directed to create unique identifiers specific to applications. Those identifiers can then be stored securely in the device keychain and retrieved regardless of application uninstalls/reinstalls. Although some developers have turned to using other approaches to track devices (for example, using the unit's MAC address), it's clear that Apple does not approve of any device-specific user tracking. For now, in-store apps that use UDIDs do not seem in danger of being yanked. The policy seems to apply to all new and updated apps, however. This may be the knell of doom for my Ad Hoc Helper app. Not sure where I'm going to go with that. If you have suggestions, drop a note or leave a comment.
The data dilemma: content, bandwidth, and metering
Just a week old, the new iPad is quickly exposing a problem with US data usage. As device access to bandwidth increases, content becomes more enticing and accessible. Think Hulu, Netflix and funny videos of monkeys riding pigs. At the same time, unfortunately, metered data isn't getting any cheaper. As the Wall Street Journal detailed today, some American consumers are finding they need to go on a data diet after receiving their 4G-enabled iPads. This problem is not unique to the iPad among Apple's products, and certainly not to Apple's product among mobile computing. But it's getting a fair bit of coverage due to the prominence of the iPad in recent news. Go to any carrier site. Somewhere you'll find an interactive data calculator that estimates how many web pages, how many emails, and how many minutes of video you can consume with a given allocation. Here are a few popular ones in the US: AT&T Verizon Sprint T-Mobile It's not hard to see that videos in particular quickly eat away at data buckets. For some US iPad users, holding tight to their grandfathered AT&T unlimited data plans has been a blessing, even with the 3GB throttling recently imposed. They can reasonably expect to keep on top of March Madness in the car without having to re-charge off their credit card every few hours. This isn't an option for the majority of iPad owners, especially the new ones. For them, we'll make a few rather obvious suggestions to help put yourself on a data diet from the start. Fill up at home. Although services like Netflix won't allow you to temporarily download movies, iTunes does. You can add multiple rentals to your iPad in advance (up to 30 days) and watch them when away from home. The 24-hour clock doesn't start ticking until you begin watching a title. Don't rely on Hotel Wi-Fi. Don't go on a trip expecting to offload your iPad's data needs onto your Hotel's wireless, which in the US often range between poor and awful. Make sure your consumption needs -- surfing, email, etc. -- can be met by your cellular data plan. Enjoy the view. As annoying as fellow travelers at the airport are, you can often find something to do that doesn't involve staring at a screen. A nice conversation can improve your life, your outlook, and your data consumption. Sure, we'd love to see better infrastructure with cheaper data costs for the carriers that are passed on to end-users, but we're not thinking that's going to happen any time soon. Got more suggestions on how this problem can be dealt with? Drop your thoughts into the comments and let us know.
Mountain Lion Preview 2 now available to devs
A new beta of Apple's pre-release Mountain Lion 10.8 OS is now available for developers. Build 12A154q is the second preview that Apple has released of this new operating system, expected to debut sometime this Summer. Release notes and update details are waiting for you behind the developer firewall. The preview is currently restricted to paid members of Apple's Mac developer program.
Grandma wants an iPad: the multigenerational buyer's guide
Are you getting an earful from parents or grandparents about which iPad they should buy? Read on for our guide to buying the right iPad for Mom, Dad, Grandma or Grandpa. Two bits of anecdotal evidence that there's a digital revolution in progress: In the past year, both my mother and my mother-in-law have purchased iPads. My mother uses a Windows PC at work, and has had a Windows-based laptop for the past few years. It was starting to get old and slow, however, and the battery doesn't hold a charge anymore. She was thinking about getting a new laptop or an e-reader, and asked me for guidance. My mother-in-law has had a Windows PC in her house, but never really felt comfortable using it. She had a Nook which she enjoyed, and saw my iPad and liked the fact that it was a "one thing at a time" device. Recently, my mother-in-law was visiting her father and stepmother, my wife's grandparents. She showed the iPad to them, and her stepmother became very interested in it. One stumbling block: she didn't know anything about which one to get, or how much it would cost. My mother-in-law (who, by the way, never sent an SMS text message in her life) immediately sent me an iMessage from her iPad, asking me to help figure out which iPad her stepmother should get. Given the publicity thunderclap of last week's iPad announcements, I know there are thousands of similar conversations playing out this week across the generations (Mike Rose tells me he had the exact same chat with his father-in-law this weekend). For those of you in the digital natives cadre -- the ones on the receiving end of these inquiries from friends and family -- if you've got questions of your own, I'd like to help. I hope this guide will be useful to you and to your family members, regardless of age. There may also be other technologically-inclined daughters and sons (or granddaughters and grandsons) who are being asked similar questions, so feel free to pass the guide along. "Which iPad should I get?" (Long Answer) This is a straightforward question, and fortunately Apple's straightforward product lineup makes it relatively easy to answer (as several guides, including Marco Arment's excellent rundown, have done over the past few days). I'll go into the details behind each iPad feature, so that when you're discussing it with your friends and family you have all the background you need -- but if you just want to know what I think you should buy without all the how and why, skip on down to the end. There are three core choices to make when purchasing an iPad: 1) "Which color: white or black?" For iPads, the color choice refers to the border (also called the bezel) around the front of the iPad. You can see both models illustrated in the image above. Unlike the white and black iPhone models, this color effects only the front of the iPad; the back is always brushed aluminium. In my experience, people have an almost immediate preference when they see both the white and black models. Having used them both, I prefer the black border; I find that it is less noticeable, especially when using the iPad at night. What's important to know: This is only a cosmetic difference/personal preference; the models are technically identical. Choose whichever color you like. 2) "What size (capacity)?" The iPad currently ships with three different levels of storage: 16, 32, or 64 gigabytes (GB). The number of gigabytes tells you how much storage space is available for apps (programs that you can download), pictures, movies, and music. Video takes up the most storage space, followed by music; some applications such as games can also chew up quite a bit of storage, and the new iPad's Retina Display means that graphically intensive apps will take up more room. Very large collections of pictures can also take up a lot of space. How much space you need depends on how you plan to use your iPad. Unfortunately, you can't change this after the fact, so you have to decide before you buy. The 16 GB version starts at $499, the 32 GB is $599, and the 64 GB version is $699. Generally I think the 32 GB is the best balance of price versus space, but both my mother and mother-in-law chose the 16 GB version and have not run into any problems. Unless you plan to do a lot with video, music, or games, the 16 GB version will probably be enough. One exception to the storage equation: the iPad's camera, now vastly improved from the iPad 2's hardware, will shoot really lovely video at 1080p (the highest resolution for HD television and consumer video cameras). This really lovely video will really take up a lot of room, and if the iPad owner intends to edit or play with captured video on the device... well, take whatever storage level sounds reasonable and go up one notch. If you can live with the 16 GB size, you now also have a choice of buying the iPad 2 starting at $399. That is the cheapest iPad ever, and is a great deal. We'll tackle "iPad 2 vs. new iPad" in section 4, below. What's important to know: Unlike some other tablet computers, the iPad has no memory card slot and cannot be upgraded with additional storage (at least, not in the conventional sense). Get what you think you will need, not the bare minimum you can live with. 3) "Do I want Wi-Fi only, or Wi-Fi + 4G/3G?" For data connectivity, every iPad can use Wi-Fi, the wireless networking technology that laptop and other computers have used for years. There are also a lot of places which now offer free or inexpensive Wi-Fi connections: restaurants, libraries, offices, coffee shops, etc. Free or cheap Wi-Fi isn't guaranteed everywhere, however. If you want to be able to get online (almost) anywhere, you will need an iPad which is capable of using either 3G or 4G (also called "4G LTE") networking. That is the technology which allows digital cellphones to get online (almost) anywhere there is cell phone service. (If you live somewhere where there is no cell phone service, you will not be able to use 3G or 4G service either.) 4G LTE service is relatively new and only covers some big cities in the USA; it is the faster replacement for the much more common 3G service. If you have a new iPad capable of 4G it will fall back to 3G if 4G is not available. The iPad 2 only uses 3G for cellular networking; it cannot take advantage of the faster 4G service. Both devices will prefer Wi-Fi coverage over cellular 3G or 4G since it's presumptively faster and more stable; that may not always be the case, though, if you do get 4G coverage, as it can be faster than conventional DSL or cable modem connections. Unless you live in a big city or next to an airport, you are probably not in an area where you can get 4G yet, but (hopefully) both Verizon and AT&T will continue to improve their coverage. Verizon's 3G coverage is much more thorough in the USA, although there are some places where AT&T's coverage works better. Maps are available showing AT&T coverage and Verizon coverage, so you can compare the density in your area. If you know others who use AT&T or Verizon in your neighborhood, talk to them about their experience. You have to decide when you buy if you want an iPad with 4G/3G, and if you want service from AT&T or Verizon. You can't switch after the fact. Getting a 4G-capable new iPad will add about $130 to the price (so the 16 GB version with 4G will cost $629, the 32 GB version is $729 and the 64GB is $829). You have a to pay a fee to use the 3G/4G service. There's good news and bad news here. The bad news is that after you pay $129 to get 3G/4G on to your iPad, you have to pay a fee to use it. The good news is that there is no contract, unlike traditional cellphone service. iPad data is a month-to-month arrangement, similar to a pay-as-you-go cellphone plan. Having no contract means that (for example) if you need wireless data in April you can pay for it in April, but if you don't need it in May, you don't have to pay for it in May. This is a great arrangement for people who don't have consistent or predictable travel schedules, but who sometimes find themselves on the road for a chunk of time (or in the RV, or at the lake, or visiting the grandkids). Even better, you can start your month of service or cancel it right from your iPad. You don't have to call anyone and have them try to talk you out of canceling the plan. AT&T and Verizon each have different rate plans for their 3G/4G data. These rate plans are based on how much data you're allowed to download during each month, before additional charges kick in. AT&T Download Quota Cost Per Month 250 MB $15 3 GB $30 5 GB $50 Verizon Download Quota Cost Per Month 1 GB $20 2 GB $30 5 GB $50 At first glance, AT&T seems to "win" for having the cheapest price; however, 250 MB is only going to get you a limited amount of traffic -- low volumes of email, some web browsing, but not all that much more; certainly not enough to support playing music over iCloud, for instance. AT&T also gives you 3 GB of data for $30 whereas Verizon only gives you 2 GB for the same price, but I suspect that most people who use more than 1 GB will use less than 2 GB. What you need to know: You should probably get an iPad with 3G/4G, and you should probably choose Verizon. Individual circumstances will vary, but I believe that most people will find that Verizon's network works better, and they are more likely to live in an area where Verizon has data coverage. Unless you are certain that you (or your parent/grandparent) are only going to use the iPad where you know Wi-Fi is available, having the option for 3G/4G is worth the extra cost. The price difference between $15 for 250 MB on AT&T and $20 for 1GB on Verizon is fairly minimal, but the practical difference between 250 MB and 1 GB is significant. Note: You can use the iPad without a network connection for reading books, playing games, and more. However you cannot use the Internet, email, etc. without a network connection (either Wi-Fi or 3G/4G). That takes care of the three most important concerns when you're figuring out what you want. Now, let's discuss some of the additional options. 4) "Do I want an iPad 2 or the new iPad?" The 3rd generation iPad (referred to by Apple as "the iPad" or "the new iPad") will be available starting on March 16; if you haven't ordered one already, and you're not interested in waiting on a long line on Friday, you probably will be waiting a few weeks before you can get one. Budget shoppers who aren't hung up on having the newest, shiniest and fastest device now have a great option: the 2nd generation iPad (more commonly referred to as the "iPad 2") will still be available, but only in the 16 GB capacity. You can get the iPad 2 with 3G from either AT&T or Verizon. It does not support 4G but as I mentioned above, for many people, 4G may not even be available. What's "new" about the new iPad versus the iPad 2? The new iPad has a faster processor, a much better camera, 4G support, voice dictation and the heavily touted Retina display (which means that words and images on the screen will look much sharper and clearer). The iPad 2 is still an excellent choice, but the price difference between the 16GB iPad 2 and the 16 GB new iPad is "only" $100. I say only because if you take the price of the iPad and average it out over the next 2–3 years, that extra $100 comes out to only a few dollars per month. What you need to know: For day to day use, the iPad 2 is still a great device with a lot of life left in it. Most parents or grandparents would be perfectly happy with the iPad 2, and it will be readily available during the rest of March when the new iPad is likely to be very scarce. If the iPad's camera is going to be used to any degree, however, don't bother with the iPad 2; just get the new iPad -- the improvement is pretty dramatic. Also, if the $100 price difference doesn't cause any hardship, get the new one. 5) "How do I get the lowest price on an iPad? Should I wait for it to go on sale?" The iPad does not go on sale. If you want to save money, I suggest looking at the iPad 2, or consider a refurbished iPad. These are used iPads which have been returned to Apple for repair, then they're fixed and put up for resale. Each comes with a a 1-year warranty, a brand new battery and outer shell. For all practical purposes, they are "as good as new." Refurbished iPads also can be had for a significant savings. For example, a refurbished 16 GB iPad 2 with Verizon 3G can be purchased for $480 instead of $530 new. If you are looking for the lowest price on an iPad, this is definitely the way to go. What you need to know: Offers for discounted iPads that sound too good to be true almost certainly are exactly that. Beware of online scams or dirt-cheap sales that require you to participate in a panel of offers or invite you to meet the seller in a dark deserted alley -- just get your iPad from a reputable reseller like Target, Radio Shack or Best Buy. Also, mentioning the iPad on Twitter or other social services may invoke a wave of spam replies with "get cheap iPad here" links that are usually virus-infected; don't click them, and report the Twitterers for abusive behavior. 6) "What happens if I drop my iPad or it stops working?" All iPads come with 90 days of telephone support and a 1-year warranty, but it does not cover accidental damage (drops, liquid spills, pet attacks). Apple does offer AppleCare+ for iPad which costs $100 and extends the warranty an additional year (for a total of 2 years of coverage). During those two years you will also get telephone support for your iPad from Apple. Most importantly, AppleCare+ does cover accidental damage, so if your iPad gets wet or dropped and stops working, they will repair/replace it for $49. Apple will cover up to two incidents of accidental damage, for $49 each. In the "learn from my experience" department: I dropped my iPad 2 and found out that Apple charges over $300 to repair a broken iPad screen. I highly recommend getting AppleCare+. What you need to know: You can purchase AppleCare+ anytime within 30 days of purchasing your iPad, but I recommend buying it at the same time as your iPad so you don't forget. 7) "I saw a tablet in an ad in the Sunday paper that was cheaper, should I buy that instead?" No. No! No, no no no. Really, no. There are plenty of other companies which are making tablet computers, but the iPad has many more applications available, and is much better than the other options that are out there. Even the Kindle Fire from Amazon is nowhere near as good as an iPad. (I bought one and sent it back.) What you need to know: If you ignore everything else I say here, please trust me on this. if you are going to spend money on a tablet, get an iPad. 8) "Should I buy a Kindle or a Nook or some other 'ereader'?" If all you want to do is read ebooks, then a Kindle or a Nook is just fine. The models with e-ink screens are easier to read in direct sunlight, but how often are you going to sit in direct sunlight and read? The e-ink based devices also don't have a "backlight," which means that when you are inside, you will need another light to read by, just like a regular book. The Kindle Fire and the color/tablet Nook models do have backlights, but their screens have the same characteristics as the iPad screen in terms of bright-light readability. Many people do find that e-ink screens are easier to read for a long period of time, but you have to weigh that against the fact that the classic Kindle and Nook are really only suited for reading books or magazines/blogs, whereas the iPad can do many, many more things. In fact, if you already own a Kindle or Nook, you can read your ebook collection on your iPad using apps from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. What you need to know: The Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook tablet both can run Android-based apps from their own app stores, but the selection of apps is a tiny fraction of what's available for the iPad. You might consider them "tablets with training wheels," but now that the iPad 2 is at the $399 price point there's little reason to consider them as general-use tablets. 9) "Do I need to worry about spyware or anti-virus software on the iPad?" No. While the iPad isn't absolutely, completely, 100% immune to any security problems for all time, in practical, real-world terms, you don't need to worry about anything like that. In fact, one of the best parts of the iPad is that when you install new apps/software, each program is segregated into its own part of the iPad so that one program cannot interfere with another program. You may have learned to be very cautious about installing software on your Windows computer for fear that it might cause some sort of problem. With the iPad you can install any software you want from the App Store and not worry about "Program A" causing problems for "Program B." And if you decide you don't want to use some program, you can remove it simply: hold down your finger on the app's icon until it wiggles, then tap the "X" and it will be completely uninstalled. What you need to know: Your iPad may be largely resistant to malicious software, but that doesn't make you 100% safe. Use common sense regarding emails asking for personal/financial information (ignore them, or check with the business directly); don't share your passwords; set a device passcode to protect your data; turn on Find my iPad so you can track your device if it's lost or stolen. 10) "Can I read or edit Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint files on my iPad?" Yes! The iPad should be able to read any Microsoft Office file; if you get one in email, just tap the icon to preview it. If you need to edit or create Office files on the iPad, you can do that too using three applications from Apple: Pages for editing Microsoft Word documents Numbers for editing Microsoft Excel documents Keynote for editing Microsoft PowerPoint documents Those applications only cost $10 each. And, remember, you only need to buy those if you need to edit those documents. If you just need to read them, you can do that for free. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote may not be 100% identical to the applications from Microsoft, but they should work for most people in most circumstances. You may even find that you like them more than Microsoft Office! Many people consider them easier to use. There are other options for editing Office files, including QuickOffice, Documents To Go and Office2HD. If your new iPad buyer works with a company or volunteer organization that's expecting them to edit files, check with their IT folks to see if there's a recommended/supported solution. What you need to know: As capable as it is, the iPad isn't necessarily the right computing environment for dealing with long/structured documents or desktop publishing files. Be sure to manage expectations about what will and won't work smoothly by finding out a bit about your new iPad owner's work habits and regular tasks. "Which iPad should I get?" (Short Answer) Was that confusing and/or overwhelming? Want me to tell you which iPad to buy, leaving out all the extraneous details? Here are my suggestions: iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G LTE for Verizon 32GB - Black (3rd generation) for $729 plus AppleCare+ for $99. You can save $100 by going to 16 GB instead of 32. [This is a good alternative if you want to save $100.] You can save $129 by getting a Wi-Fi only iPad, if you plan to use use the iPad largely where Wi-Fi is available. [Not recommended] If you want the cheapest alternative, see if Apple has the Refurbished iPad 2 with Wi-Fi+3G 16GB - Black - Verizon (second generation) available for $479.00. [A very good alternative at a great price.] You can still choose whatever color you like, as long as it's white or black. Michael Rose contributed to this buyer's guide.
Dear Aunt TUAW: The quick hit edition
Dear Aunt TUAW, How can I move books purchased at the Apple store from my library in my iPad to my drop box so I can share them with my friends? Your loving niece, Jacqueline Dear Jacqueline, You can't. Apple books use FairPlay DRM. Although this protection has been cracked by the Brahms Requiem app in recent days, those books are only for you to use, not for you to share with your friends. Hugs, Auntie T. Dear Aunt TUAW, How long after launch does it take for Apple to sell refurbished products, do you think?? Is it worth waiting for the refurb of the iPad 3 after it launches or will it take too long? Your loving nephew, Konstantinos Dear Konstantinos, It usually takes several months for the refurb channels to fill and units to start appearing on Apple's store. Auntie's guessing you should see refurbished next-gen iPads (whether or not they are called "iPad 3") for sale around September, in the run-up to this year's Christmas shopping season. Hugs, Auntie T. Dear Aunt TUAW, If the iPad 3 includes 4G, what is the possibility that us AT&T unlimited 3G data users will be grandfathered to unlimited 4G? Your loving nephew, Kevin D. Dear Kevin, Auntie's thinking "no freaking way" as her best guess. AT&T is grasping for ways to pay for buildout of that 4G network and Auntie doubts that grandfathering in iPhone holdouts will happen. Hugs, Auntie T. Dear Aunt TUAW, Do you have any idea when Mountain Lion may be released? I wouldn't mind buying a new iMac in a year -- do you think it might be out by then? Your loving nephew, Adam Dear Adam, Auntie's thinking around WWDC-ish time. Say June or July this year. As for next year, they'll probably be shipping the next generation OS X LOLcat on new iMacs by next summer. Hugs, Auntie T. Dear Aunt TUAW, Many of my friends and I spent the last few days looking through the capabilities of Messages Beta.... love what we see... and love what all you've posted about it. The thing i think i'm missing from your posts is how to sync all devices... We finally got it all working seamlessly... all devices under one AppleID seeing all conversations, past & present...just like it was supposed to be from the beginning...but it wasn't as easy as Apple made it look in their iOS 5 commercials. Maybe others are having the same problems we did and you guys could post some tips making it easy. I'm happy to share my experience if needed. Your loving nephew, Chad Dear Chad, Here's a handy guide. Hugs, Auntie T.
App-ocalypse soon: Apple extends sandboxing deadlines, but restrictions loom
Image: Shutterstock Apple issued a three month extension on application sandboxing today, giving devs a little more breathing room before new rules take over. June 1 2012 is now the enforcement date. We've been having many discussions about Mac development in the TUAW backchannel over the last week. The introduction of GateKeeper and the notion of signed apps, sandboxing, and developer IDs have us talking about where Apple is taking the Mac, and will be moving Mac development in general. Overall, we think things are moving towards a win for consumers and better opportunities for devs. Read on to learn more about these technologies, and how they affect developers and App Store. GateKeeper is Apple's new approach to making your Mac safer by giving you control over which applications may download and run on your computer. With GateKeeper, developers sign apps to authenticate them with the OS -- both apps that you purchase from the Mac App Store and, at the developer's option, also apps you purchase elsewhere. With Mountain Lion, you choose which apps are allowed to run. You'll be able to disable GateKeeper and run apps from anywhere if you like, although this is not the default setting. The thing is this: Apple continues moving towards a more controlled, less open, more appliance-like concept of what a Mac means. That redefinition is causing ripples, affecting app development more and more. Applications can do fewer things, access fewer system resources, and control other apps less than they did in the past. Developers who choose to enroll in the Mac development program pay a $99/year fee just as those who enroll in the iOS development program do. Once enrolled, they can sign their apps as identified developers -- as well as gain access to early beta versions of unreleased operating systems. When the iPhone SDK first debuted, many people including yours truly complained about what couldn't be done with the APIs: what files could be accessed, what routines could be called, and so forth. Coming from a general computing background, one learns to expect to build whatever one can imagine. If the building blocks are there, then why not build whatever tools you need? That all ties into a background of fully open computing. Apple's policy split the dev community into the jailbreak world and the App Store world, with many people crossing over depending on what they were building. Under jailbreak, developers gain full access to the entire iOS file system and run apps in a fully privileged mode. This gives devs a much broader development vocabulary to work with. The jailbreak world became known for its innovation, with Apple mining those forward-looking ideas and free R&D and bringing them into successive iterations of their operating system. At the same time, developers had to change. If they wanted to market through App Store, they had to relinquish product ideas that wouldn't work within the more closed-off system that App Store submission required and look instead for opportunities of development that were allowed. No one can look at App Store today, with its countless apps, and say that Apple denied developers opportunity. It's just a somewhat different opportunity than many developers expected. It's an opportunity that restricted certain kinds of applications, most typically OS enhancements and utilities (which have flourished on other mobile platforms with less oversight of developer access). Overall, Apple has provided better tools, better marketing, and better sales avenues than had existed before. The end result has been apps that are significantly better than previous generations. And now, Apple is doing the same thing for the Mac. This is emotionally hard for some long-term devs like me. We want Linux-y freedom for whatever we want to build and distribute. Now, with sandboxing (a technique that restricts application access to full system files; all apps that are not sandboxed will be removed from the Mac App Store starting June 1st [Update: Older apps will still be on the store and allowed bug fixes- Ed.]) and GateKeeper (limiting apps to those that are signed and authenticated), Apple is setting a new default: software consumers will expect to be protected, and will expect that any item being delivered to them will comply with Apple policies. We developers have two choices: either opt in to Apple's signing (developer IS) and/or distribution system (App Store), or limit ourselves to only those customers savvy enough to opt out to the "all's fair" system. It's essentially a Mac jailbreak--just without all the pain of waiting for the next untethered release. (Speaking of which, yes, it would be lovely if this idea goes exactly back to the iPhone, so we don't have to wait on those exploits and releases.) Apple's brave new world for the Mac gets that there are "power" users and "consumers." And it also gets that the latter category vastly outnumbers the former. As it builds new and better operating systems that retain desktop functionality, it is shaping computing to match consumer needs and wants, not developers. Not everything is roses. Some devs are complaining--with good reason--that Apple's approach to proprietary technologies will prevent them from selling off the App Store for iCloud features, for example. If you want to tie into those APIs, you won't be able to go to third party merchandising storefronts to sell your software. App Store-exclusive features will tie developers further into Mac App Store and to Apple's 30% cut. Those Apple-specific technologies will continue to grow over time. What's more, developers must continue putting pressure on Apple to extend entitlements, allowing apps to grow the kinds of resource access they are allowed under Apple's sandbox system. The current set of entitlement restrictions seems unnaturally limited. Just as iOS's App Store has responded to developer requests, the Mac environment will have to soften restrictive rough edges over time. A passionate and involved developer community will help those changes happen. Community-sourced advocacy such as Tim Burks' Open Radar project allow developers to cooperatively brainstorm and strategize about which access issues are the most important to them. In the end, this is going to be an amazing end-point for consumers. You can talk about "what has existed for a generation," but that means things like Microsoft Word. There is no way anyone can argue that MS Word was an amazing end-point for general consumers. It's a wake-up call for devs who have stuck with Apple through the dark years. Apple is changing up the game. Devs have to change it up too. And if Apple's success with iOS App Store is any indication there will be more opportunity and better chances at creating a living than ever before. Thanks, Remy "Psy" Demerest, Kyle Kinkade, |Agent
Apple previews Mountain Lion, next version of Mac OS X
Apple on Thursday released an early preview of Mountain Lion, its next version of Mac OS X, to developers and select publications. The reviews are now hitting the Internet. The general consensus about Mountain Lion is that it will bring some of the best features of iOS (like Notification Center, AirPlay mirroring, GameCenter and Messages) into OS X. These features are not going to be tacked-on mobile versions, but fully integrated in a way that works on a desktop operating system. You can check out some of the early reviews at The Loop, Macworld, Engadget, The Verge, Laptop Magazine, CNET, and PC Magazine. Apple's preview page for Mountain Lion is also live. The next version of OS X is expected to ship this summer and will be available from the Mac App Store. Pricing is not available, but, based on Apple's history, it should be reasonably priced.
AirParrot mirrors your Mac display to Apple TV in real time
A short while ago, I wrote about David Stanfill (of Napkin Studio) and his work on creating an AirPlay Mirroring receiver for OS X. Work continues on that project. At the same time, he's also building a tool that creates live mirroring from your Mac display to Apple TV. Called AirParrot, the new app allows you to select a Mac display and an AirPlay destination (typically an Apple TV). It then uses H.264 encoding to build a live video stream from your selected display. This allows you to work directly on your laptop or desktop system and mirror it to an HDTV display, just as you would using iOS's built-in AirPlay mirroring features. AirParrot is still in its early days. As yet, there is no subsampling (i.e. you cannot just pick a portion of your screen to mirror) and no audio mirroring. Stability can be a bit iffy as well and the developer is still working on a way to keep the Apple TV from going to sleep while mirroring. Built-in options allow you to control underscan (fewer pixels overall, so more encasing black space but better responsiveness) and compression quality (choose from low to high). The app is super useful for anyone who works in groups or in front of audiences. If you can live with the early adopter drawbacks, it will well be worth your money. You can produce live slideshows through Keynote and Powerpoint, demonstrate apps, collaborate with an audience at a corporate meeting, and more. Here's a video showing it in action from the Apple TV side of things. The biggest drawback in its current form is the natural H.264 compression, especially when working with larger screens. So many of us are used to working with high quality presentation on our main computers, which doesn't translate well to Apple TV resolutions. To deal with this, I ended up reinstalling Avatron's AirDisplay back onto my Mac. Using my iPad as an extra display and mirroring from that smaller screen. I was hoping to use Avatron's new Kindle Fire build for testing, as I felt the screen size (which falls between iPhone and iPad) would be an ideal resolution but their app is unfortunately stuck in Amazon review. I was unable to get early access to try it out. You can, of course, also downgrade your primary monitor resolution but I believe most people will find that a big pain in their daily workflow. The following screen shot is from the Apple TV side, mirroring a Keynote presentation set to an iPad via AirDisplay. To finish off, here's one more video, this time of the app's primary menu. That's an EyeTV HD screen just below it that's presenting the output of my Apple TV. Since I mirror my main display in this video, you end up with a nice recursion produced by displaying the data that's being mirrored, which is in turn resampled. AirParrot ($9.99) requires OS X Snow Leopard or Lion. NVidia or Intel HD graphics chipset are recommended for best performance.
Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I silence my iPhone?
Dear Aunt TUAW, There is an article in the WSJ about how an iPhone disrupted a performance of the New York Philharmonic. I have experienced the same problem where it is impossible to turn the alarm off once it goes on. If you set up a calendar alert and change your reminder sounds with the Alarm sound, when the alarm goes off there is no way to silence it. If you turn the phone to silence mode, it still makes noise. If you close the event, it still makes noise. I believe the only way to shut off the sound is to completely turn off the device. This has been so annoying that I stopped using iPhone's calendar reminder alerts. This article reminded me of the problem. Can you explain how this all works? Your loving nephew, Brian Dear Brian, iPhone alarms aren't affected by any of the normal system volume settings. This ensures that you'll still be woken up in the morning, a major design touch point for iPhone users who'd prefer to get to work on time. In fact, the iPhone supports numerous independent volume controls. For example, the mute toggle on the side of the phone controls the ringer without affecting audio playback. The iPod functions built into the unit have independent speaker and headphone levels. Siri audio has its own volume levels as well -- plus lowering Siri speaker audio doesn't change the volume for when you pick up the phone to your ear. Apple designed these multiple controls to work in the most flexible yet reliable ways possible, ensuring that the phone responds as the user expects it to. A single system-wide volume setting wouldn't be able to handle these day-to-day nuances. If you mute your phone for the movie theater at night, you should still be able to wake up the next morning. If you lower the speaker volume for your music, it shouldn't keep you from using Siri to call hands-free. Please note that adding headphones does not re-route alarm audio. That means if you take your phone into a quiet event -- a meeting, concert, or other -- you should probably power off the device completely for the duration. Press the sleep/wake button for about 5 seconds, and then slide to power down. If this is not possible, you'll want to set the ringer to mute, set the system audio to zero, launch Siri and lower the volume to zero, disable all alarms, and review the Settings > Notifications items in the Notification Center to switch off audio. There's probably some items Auntie is missing here, but she trusts her nieces and nephews will refine this list in the comments. In the end, Auntie thinks Apple did a great job in designing the various iPhone audio systems. For those rare occasions where you really need to bypass these design choices, powering the iPhone down will keep it from embarrassing faux pas. Hugs, Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me read data from my nano
Dear Aunt TUAW, Greetings from overseas from the long-lost branch of Dutch family members and thanks for al. your helpful posts. My question is the following. I have an iPod nano (sixth generation) which I use quite often as a flash drive. The problem is that I can not use it on a Windows PC since I have set it up initially with my Mac. Is there any way to make this work since quite a lot of people around me (still) use Windows PCs? Your loving nephew, Ivo Dear Ivo, The Windows-OS X file system divide is one of long standing. Unfortunately, the last time Auntie dealt with this problem herself was a badjillion years ago, back when MacOpener was still relevant. So take that in mind as she dishes out advice from the age of the dinosaurs. Your nano is normally formatted using Apple's HFS+ file system. A utility like MediaFour's MacDrive or Paragon's HFS for Windows may solve the problem for you. According to their marketing text, they allow you to mount, read, and write OS X formats from Windows. Each costs US$20 but both utilities offer a free trial, so you can make sure your nano is readable on your Win PC before putting down your money. Hugs, Auntie T.
Innergie Magic cables wed USB and 30-pin connections, let you break 'em up on the fly
Apple's 30-pin connection got you feeling down in a world filled with USB? Wish your iDevice cable worked with more of your gizmos? Fret not, as Innergie recently introduced its effort to solve this dilemma with its Magic Cables. The idea is simple, one end is fitted with a standard connector and the opposite side terminates into a mini-USB plug that can be fitted with different tips. Twenty bucks will snag you the Duo variant with a 30-pin adapter and for $5 more you can pick up the Trio if you also need a micro-USB tip. All told, we're not sure that keeping track of minuscule adapters will prove much better than having a few cables, but if you're ready to consolidate your cords it may be worth a shot. Full press release just past the break.
iOS 5.1 beta ready for testing
The iOS 5.1 beta 1 SDK is now available for download by paid devs at the iOS developer site. Sign in with your developer credentials to gain access to the updated SDK. You will need to download and install firmware via iTunes and cannot use over-the-air updating for this initial release. Because it cannot be said too often, make sure you read any release notes on-site. For everyone intoxicated by new technologies that might allow you to update using other means, I cannot strongly encourage you enough to go to the site and read the release notes. This hint goes out especially to those of you who are not primarily developers but have purchased dev accounts to stay current on the technology. Installation alerts appear in a big yellow box on the main iOS dev page. The yellow box for 5.1 is larger than ever. Important update notices also appear on the developer forums. If you run into troubles installing updates, please check the dev site and forums first. If you don't have access to the dev site and forums, please don't e-mail us for technical support about the iOS 5.1 beta. You install the beta, of course, at your own risk. As a final note, don't forget to register your device at the developer portal and prepare it for development before installing the new beta. The beta is, as always, released under the terms of Apple's NDA. For that reason, enhancements, APIs and features are not listed within this post. Happy developing everyone! Thanks, everyone who tipped us.
Apple schedules Q4 conference call for Oct. 18
Use Siri to set a reminder for October 18. That afternoon, Apple will announce its fourth quarter 2011 earnings via a live earnings conference call to discuss the results. The call will start at 5:00 p.m. EDT (2:00 pm PDT) will be streamed live over the Internet so you can listen in. Most of the call is filled with financial information only an accountant will appreciate, but there are always tidbits of information about Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod sales that'll interest Apple fans. And we usually live-blog it which makes it a barrel of fun. Plan to come join us, won't you please? [Via MacObserver]
Sprint may not extend equipment protection plan to iPhone 4S
A leaked Sprint slide suggests the wireless carrier will not be offering its Total Equipment Protection plans for the iPhone 4S. Customers with an iPhone 4S who want to add a protection plan to their phone are encouraged to purchase an AppleCare+ plan. These new plans from Apple offer accidental damage on top of the traditional coverage for $99. You can also purchase a third party plan from a company like Square Trade or through your homeowners or renters insurance. The wording "not sold at launch" on the slide also leaves open the possibility that Sprint my change its mind and open up the TEP plans some time after launch.
Bono compares Steve Jobs to Elvis
U2 lead singer Bono paid tribute to Steve Jobs with kind comments for the man who turned the music industry upside down with the iPod and iTunes. Bono called Jobs "the hardware/software Elvis" and described him as a man who was "only interested in doing truly great things." Speaking of his influence on music and technology, Bono said, "Jobs changed music, he changed film, he changed the personal computer and turned telephony on its head while he was at it." Bono worked closely with Jobs and Apple in the mid-2000s on a U2 iPod with a signature black and red design. The U2 iPod has similar specs to its comparable non-U2 iPod models, but included a download voucher for premium U2 content and the autographs of band members engraved on the back. Apple also released a variety of iPods and an iPad 2 cover under product RED, an African AIDs charity founded in 2006 by U2 front man Bono and Bobby Shriver.
MacBook Air begins to sell in China
Hot on the heels of last Friday's predictions by analyst Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities, the MacBook Air has gone on sale in China this week. According to MacWorld, all four versions of the latest mid-2011 MacBook Air went on sale in China this week, though there are dispatch delays of between five and eleven working days, depending on which model is ordered. In a note to clients last week White said, "The new MacBook Air is poised to be a big hit in the Greater China region as more consumers can increasingly afford to own a PC, Apple fever is gaining momentum in the region and there is no laptop product on the market with the characteristics of the new MacBook Air." With Mac sales already booming in Asia, it's safe to say that the latest MacBook Air will most certainly be a hit in China.
The iPad dock disassembled by iLounge
Wondering what the guts of the new iPad 2 dock look like? iLounge dove into the nitty gritty, and it turns out that there were a few surprises, actually. While the docks may look like pieces of plastic (and indeed, at just around $30, they could be about that), iLounge figures that Apple puts the same amount of thought into its accessories as it does into what they're supporting. In each stand is a solid piece of metal that makes it weighty, not only holding it down on the bottom, but actually curved up to support the iPad as it stands. And iLounge says it was "harder to get these Docks apart than any of the first three or four iPods," which means Apple built these things sturdy and to last. In terms of actual computer hardware, as you might guess, there's not a lot -- just a few chips for functionality, like authentication and, of course, iPad synching. In fact, the iPad 2 dock, says iLounge, has more empty space than the first dock, even though the actual design is a little more compact than before. That likely means that Apple has been thinking about the dock not just as a computer add-on, but as an actual stand for the iPad -- a bigger dock base makes it sturdier while holding the iPad up. Very interesting stuff. Bonus: With that big metal block inside of it, the iPad 2 dock might come in handy if you ever need to face down a home intruder!
Apple files for old Apple Corps trademark
Apple Inc. (formerly known as Apple Computer) must be feeling pretty sure of itself after finally hammering out the Beatles deal for iTunes with Apple Corps. and its associated partners. The company that makes iPhones is now trying to re-secure the Apple logo trademark that Apple Corps. used for so long. The logo was originally lost to Apple Inc. in 2007 after a settlement gave much of Apple Corps.' trademarks to the computer company, but now Apple Inc. is actually filing for the legendary trademark, per Patently Apple, in order to nail down ownership once and for all. As I read it, Apple is simply trying to ensure that the Granny Smith logo stays where it legally belongs now: in Cupertino. Apple already had a hold on the trademarks, thanks to that 2007 settlement (which itself paved the way for the Beatles' iTunes release), but this filing was most likely pushed by the legal team and seeks to hammer out a total and complete hold on everything Apple Inc. can use Apple Corps.' trademarks for in the future. [via CrunchGear]
Apple on iPad competition: Windows is 'big and heavy,' next-gen Android tablets are still vapor
Apple's COO (and current Steve Jobs stand-in) Tim Cook thinks "there's not much" competition to the company's iPad tablet. When queried about Apple's view on what the rest of the market offers, Cook was brutally candid in describing Windows-driven machines as generally being big, heavy and expensive, while current generations of Android-based slates are in his opinion merely "scaled-up smartphones." While we agree that Windows 7 isn't a terribly touch-friendly affair, we don't know that Cook's comments on Android are quite so pertinent now that Google's tablet-savvy Honeycomb iteration has been unveiled. Then again, he has something to say about the next generation of Android tablets as well, noting that the ones announced at CES lack pricing and release schedules, leading him to conclude that "today they're vapor." Ouch. As a parting shot, Tim took a moment to reaffirm Apple's belief that its integrated approach will always trump the fragmented nature of Android and its plurality of app stores. Hear his comments in full after the break.
Phil Schiller's Twitter account gets verified
Apple's Phil Schiller has joined Scott Forstall (though not Steve Jobs) over on Twitter -- he now has a verified account to tweet from, and is following a few celebrity and official company accounts so far. The account's actually been around for a while (Schiller tweeted from France while there and mentioned 500 million app downloads when it was announced last January), but only recently got verified, which means there's one more official Apple voice on the networking service. It's strange that Apple still doesn't have a real official presence on Twitter -- Schiller follows an account called @AppleIncNews, but it appears to be a simple RSS feed of Apple website news, and it's not verified by Twitter as official at all. There are certainly plenty of fake Steve Jobs accounts, but none of those have been verified either. Especially since Steve seems so easygoing with his Stevemails, you think Twitter would be a perfect place for him to interface directly with the Apple community. But so far, all we've got is Forstall and Schiller, and neither of them seem very forthcoming about interacting with the community of Apple fans online. [via 9to5Mac]
