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Genius to show off Ring Mouse sequel, Windows 8 and gaming peripherals at CES
Good news for those hoping to try on a new ring during their visit to Las Vegas next month: Genius will be showing of the followup to its Ring Mouse peripheral at CES. Not a ton of information on what makes the device different from its predecessor, but the company's promising some hands-on time with it as well as the new GX Gila Gaming Mouse, which offers up a DPI range of 200 to 8,200 and an "Angle Snapping" feature for better cursor precision. The previously announced Touch Mouse 6000 for Windows 8 will also be getting some time to shine at the show.
iTunes 11 for the change-averse: Where did all that stuff go?
Is the new iTunes 11 interface making you a little hot under the collar? Reader response was so strong and so warm to our first iTunes 11 "where did it go?" post, we decided to follow it up with a handful of additional tips. Here are five things you might be looking for and struggling to find in the new iTunes 11 interface. 1. Where did those downloads go? Like Safari, iTunes 11 has adopted the philosophy of "we won't show you the downloads window unless you're actually downloading something." You'll find the downloads activity indicator at the top-right of your window, to the right of the search field. A pulsing bar tells you iTunes is in the middle of downloading items. Click the indicator to open the downloads window. Here, you'll discover the items currently downloading or waiting to start downloading. 2. Mini Player volume control Frustrated with the mini player and its apparent lack of volume control? Don't be. You can use Command-up arrow and Command-down arrow to adjust the volume, or you can click the AirPlay button and adjust the master volume slider. 3. Genius iTunes 11 now offers Genius playlist building from several places. Most easily, you can build a Genius playlist from the current-playing item by right-clicking the title bar at the top of the window. Choose "Start Genius." Sadly, iTunes 11 doesn't provide any coherent feedback after you do so, but if you check the Up Next list (it looks like a three-item bullet list at the right side of the current-playing box), it tells you "Up Next: From Genius", so you know it "took." Another way to begin a Genius playlist is from the track listings. Right-click any track, and again, choose Start Genius to begin. 4. Loop and randomize In iTunes 11, loop and randomize have hopped up to the top current-playing box. Looping can be found to the left of the track scrubber, with randomize (that "x"-shaped thing) to its right. They work just like they used to in iTunes 10. They do not, however, appear when playing Genius mixes. So if they disappear? Clear the Genius list from the Up Next pop-up. 5. Restoring "missing" movies, TV shows, music Apple, bless its oddly thoughtful little heart, now offers media streaming from the cloud. A little cloud icon indicates items stored off your computer at Apple's data centers. What you might not realize is that iTunes 11 allows you to hide these items. So if you're looking for something in your library and it doesn't seem to be there, you may want to check the View menu. Choose Show XXX in the Cloud -- whether movies, music, TV shows, etc, and restore their listings to your iTunes 11 categories. Note: Original headline changed.
Ask Engadget: Should I replace my mouse with a graphics tablet?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Whee!, which we guess probably isn't their real name, who is looking for a way to ditch their mouse. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm a web developer, and my typical day involves a lot of moving and clicking when testing stuff in the browser. I've been thinking about ditching my mouse, because when using it for long hours it gets very uncomfortable. As such, I'm eyeing up a Wacom tablet and using the pen input to mouse around -- but do you think it's a good idea? Thanks in advance!" Our questioner wants to solve their wrist-pain woes, and it certainly seems like a reasonable enough idea to us. Plenty of tablets come with a mouse mode, so it's just down to the limits of your budget. If you're just dipping your toes into the water, you can pick up a Genius device for around $60. Wacom's Bamboo tablets occupy the mid-range, setting you back $80 for a 5.8-inch model, all the way up to $200 for the 8.5-incher. If you're serious about making the change, then Wacom's Intuos5 hardware is a top-range option, with the 6.2-inch version starting at $200, running all the way to $800 for the 18-inch unit, or even spending big on one of the company's Cintiq units. We've also been wondering if a touchscreen Ultrabook might be a better idea, letting your fingers do the walking to spare your aching forearms. That said, perhaps the wider Engadget community has an even better tip, so if you've already made that leap, why not share your knowledge in the comments below?
Apple Store remodel to introduce two-row Genius Bar
The Apple Store of the future could feature not one, but two Genius bars for technical service support, says a report in ifoAppleStore. The Garden State Plaza store in Paramus, NJ is moving to a significantly bigger location and redesigned the store to include the company's first double-row Genius bar. The bar will sit parallel to the rear wall, and customers will be able to walk around the islands. According to ifoAppleStore, this floating Genius bar arrangement was tested last July in the Los Gatos, Calif., store.
Apple switches on Genius recommendations in iOS 6
In a sign that iOS 6 is inching ever closer to general release, Apple flipped the switch on Genius recommendations in the App Store on Friday. The feature had been, according to developers familiar with the new OS, responding with a comment that it was unavailable. Now asking for Genius recommendations displays a "swipe to flip" list of apps you might be interested in, along with the familiar "Not Interested" button at the bottom of the screen. Sources say that not all of the Genius features are currently working properly; the Categories button in the upper left corner of the display apparently shows only a single category -- All -- right now instead of a list of subcategories. Each Genius "card" shows a recommended app with rating and price, a screenshot, a note telling you what app the recommendation was based on and the Not Interested button that's used to refine your future recommendations. The availability date for iOS 6 is expected to be announced on September 12, 2012 at an Apple event.
Apple brings Specialists online in four countries, lets us ask questions before we buy
Apple's latest tweak to its online store has now included a real-life genius Specialist that you can chat to if you're undecided about buying your next iPhone or iPad. If you're based in the UK, Germany, Spain or Brazil, you can surf to either product page, and an "Ask Now" button in the top right corner will offer you a choice of a phone-chat, instant messaging or a guided tour. The staffers can even help set up your newest handset once you've purchased it -- or just let you chat to someone if you're feeling lonely. If we have a worry, it's that this might be one of John Browett's schemes to cut costs, but let's hope he isn't dreaming of a future where Cupertino's personal touch is entirely replaced with an IM chat to someone in a call center. Update: A reader took the time to point out that Geniuses are technical support reps, while Apple staffers in sales roles are more properly called Specialists. We've corrected the post to reflect that.
How to be an Apple Genius: A look inside the manual
Gizmodo has gotten its hands on an Apple internal training manual for its retail Geniuses, and it's just as Apple-like as you'd expect it to be, complete with very structured, high level how-tos for creating and pushing the always unique Apple brand. It all makes sense, really: Apple is now the most valuable brand in the world, and Apple's Geniuses are the (lowest-paid) ambassadors of that brand, so this manual is an attempt to codify just what it is that's so special about this company. To that end, Apple's made use of strategies like empathizing with customers almost to a fault, and even using special acronyms (Approach, Probe, Present, Listen, End for "Apple," or the three Fs: Feel, Felt, Found, for how a customer's feelings should be adjusted while chatting about discovering new tech options in the store) to smooth out the whole experience. Apple's Geniuses are asked never to use words like "crash" or "hot" -- instead, computers may "stop responding" or iOS devices may be "warm" at best. Perhaps most interesting, Apple Geniuses are encouraged to "surprise" customers instead of correct them. Using the phrase "turns out" (as in, "it turns out the iPad has up to 64 GB of memory") is specifically mentioned as a way to surprise customers with Apple quality. The manual sounds like a fascinating read. At times, it can get a little robotic, especially when Apple talks about Geniuses giving feedback to each other. But it's interesting to see Apple try and codify all of the "secret sauce" it's put into its very popular brand over the years.
Apple reportedly to stop running "Genius" TV ads
You know those "Genius" Apple ads that started running the night of the Olympic Games opening ceremony? They feature a friendly Apple genius in his trademarked blue T-shirt and with his ID hanging around his neck, helping airline passengers and the husband of a woman who was going into labor, as well as consoling a guy who had purchased a skinny "just like a Mac" ultrabook. Well, those ads haven't been seen much during the Games, and now the word on the street is that they have been pulled. Mashable talked to a rep for Apple's ad agency -- TBWA/Media/Arts Lab -- who said that the ads were only intended for a run during the first weekend of the Games. The ads didn't seem to thrill audiences the way that most Apple advertising does. Mashable noted that the latest Siri ad featuring film director Martin Scorsese had about 6,000 "likes" on YouTube and about 700 "dislikes." For the "Basically" ad (see screenshot above), the ratio was almost even -- around 4,000 "likes" and "dislikes." Does this mean that Apple pulled the ad because of a lukewarm response? Possibly not. Companies have been known to create short-run ads for specific high-viewership shows. It remains to be seen if Apple will restart the ads in the future. [via AppleInsider]
Apple's new Mac ads feature a helpful Genius
My first thought, when I saw Apple's trio of new Mac ads that premiered during NBC's Olympics coverage last night: "Was it a deliberate casting choice to go with a guy who would remind us of Ferris Bueller?" This Genius Bar stalwart -- who does wear his blue shirt and badge everywhere he goes, including to bed -- is called upon to help the hapless, helpless guys he encounters on a plane, on the street and at his front door at four in the morning. (Fans of the Upright Citizens Brigade will recognize improv star Matt Besser as the freaked-out father to be in the Labor Day spot.) Early reaction to the ads is mixed, but I enjoyed them. True, they might push the hokey/jokey needle a bit too far in the direction of broad humor (and they do portray Mac owners as fairly clueless dudes who don't cope well when their spouses have birthdays or babies). But the Genius's role as the facilitator of creative work with iPhoto and iMovie helps to remind the audience that when they buy a Mac, they buy into an ecosystem of support and a community of users that can help them get things done -- and also a nearby Apple store staffed with friendly Matthew Broderick clones. All three ads are embedded below, or you can watch them on Apple's YouTube channel. If you have a favorite, let us know in the poll. %Poll-76745%
Star Wars Arcade gets fan-made mini-me, weeps tears of joy (video)
Arcade fan (and genius) Le Chuck got up one morning and thought "Why not build a perfect replica of Atari's Star Wars Arcade, at 1:6 scale?" The result is this amazing 12-inch cabinet with a fully working Atari-yoke, handmade from aluminum and a pair of potentiometers. Tucked inside the box is a modded Caanoo running MAME4all, which has been tweaked to boot straight into the game when activated. The whole project took him over 80 hours to put together, but we think it was time very well spent. If you want to see the thing in action (and sing along to the 8-bit version of the theme) then head on past the break.
Genius Ring Air Mouse scrolls through the FCC, added buttons in tow
If the Ring Mouse caught your attention a while back, you're in luck. The Genius Ring Air Mouse has tiptoed through the FCC with a dapper new façade and sporting both air cursor and scroll modes. In addition to the left and right clickers we've seen before, this model adds a drag control for moving objects with ease and a back button for web surfing. As you might expect, the device is charged via USB connection and a LED indicator will keep you up to speed on the battery's status. We can't recommend you offer this as a gift to your significant other, though, at least not for any special occasion.
"Bartending" chronicles life as a former Apple Genius
Former Apple Genius Stephen Hackett recounted his years working at an Apple Store in his recent book, Bartending: Memoirs of an Apple Genius. The short book is just under 50 pages and details the customers and problems Hackett saw while working as a Genius. It's a lighthearted, personal read that you can finish in about an hour. The book is available for US$8.99 from Hackett's website in an iBooks-friendly ePub format and from Amazon (that's Steven's referral link, so he'll make an extra few cents) in Kindle format.
Apple TV gets into video discovery, adds movie and TV show Genius Recommendations
Apple added a new wrinkle to its hobby overnight, as AppleInsider reports the Genius recommendation feature added in iTunes 8 now offers up suggestions for movies and TV shows. The new Apple TV feature appears to have been switched on from the back end servers with no firmware update, displaying the new Genius option under Movies and TV Netflix-style as shown above. We're not sure you really needed anyone else telling you it's definitely time to check out The Wire or Breaking Bad, but with competitors like Google already taking aim at improving content discovery and recommendations it's a logical next step for whatever Apple's living room ambitions ultimately become.
Apple TV now offers Genius recommendations for movies, TV shows
A silent update to the backend has introduced Genius recommendations for movies and TV shows to the Apple TV. No user action is required to access the new feature, as it's not part of a device firmware update. Instead, Apple has updated its own servers to send this information to the Apple TV from its iTunes Store equivalent. Based on AppleInsider's screenshots of the updated Apple TV UI, this feature appears essentially identical to the Genius recommendation features already present in iTunes on the Mac and iOS devices. With access to your library and purchase history, the Apple TV can now recommend TV or movie content based on what you've watched before.
Apple TV 101: Create a genius playlist on Apple TV
Of late, the Apple TV hasn't received all that much attention here at TUAW. We can only assume that's because it simply does what it says on the tin -- it just works! But the other day, I found myself trying to do something quite simple on my Apple TV, and it wasn't "just working!" Using AirPlay to stream music from my Mac to my Apple TV (2nd generation) downstairs, I wanted to create a genius playlist on the Apple TV without going upstairs to my Mac or using the Remote app. Using the Apple remote, I started scrolling through all the various menu options to try and find any way to create a genius playlist from a particular artist's song, but I couldn't find anything anywhere. Out of sheer frustration -- guests were knocking at the door -- I squeezed the Apple remote and accidentally pushed down and held the center select button. All of a sudden, a menu appeared out of nowhere with a "start genius" option. Crisis averted! So there you go. To create a genius playlist on an Apple TV (2nd generation), go to the artist's song you want to start the playlist with, hold down the center select button on the Apple Remote and click on "Start Genius."
Ring Mouse available for $70, just in time for your nerd wedding proposal
Sure, Ring Mouse sounds like something you might catch from an out-of-control rodent population while on vacation in a foreign country. And yes, we'll admit that that the whole concept sounds a bit awkward to those who have spent their entire computing lives using more input devices, but we've heard some compelling feedback from those who've actually tried Genius's wearable wireless peripheral, and it turns out the thing is actually usable. Now you can get in on that action, seeing as how the company just announced North American availability for the wireless peripheral. For $70, you can get your hands on -- or, rather, in -- one of these things, if you're a Windows user. Of course, you could use it for an engagement ring; just plan on being single for a very long time.
iTunes 101: Making the most of contextual menus
I love contextual menus. In Mac OS X, you find them when you right-click, two-finger-click (on a trackpad) or when you hold down the Control key and click. They're handy in scores of applications and in the Finder; if you're looking to supercharge your iTunes usage in particular, Macworld's Kirk McElhearn has published 10 ways to use contextual menus with iTunes. One particularly useful option is to "Start Genius" from any track. When selected, iTunes will instantly create a genius playlist from that track. The "Add to playlist" option is also useful. When selected, you get a hierarchical menu all available playlists (smart playlists are excluded). Simply click the one you're after and the track is added. Contextual menus also work on multiple tracks at once. Make your selections by either Command- or Shift-clicking, then right-click one of the highlighted songs to see the contextual menu. From there you can add that group to a playlist, adjust ratings, convert tracks to Apple Lossless format, and so on. There's an important iTunes contextual menu that didn't make Macworld's list. If you connect your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to your computer, you can right-click the device's icon in the iTunes sidebar to see a specific contextual menu for that iOS gadget. You can quickly eject, restore or back up your device; also, if you're about to update your version of iOS but iTunes is warning you that you need to transfer purchased items from your device back to iTunes pre-update... well, here's where you do it, via the Transfer Purchases command. For all ten Macworld tips, read Kirk's article. In the meantime, please share any favorites with us below.
Apple patent application for 'Dynamically Generated Ring Tones' could make magical videos of your friends
Ever wish life was like a movie, that theme songs went to highlight your every dramatic action? This patent application from Cupertino isn't quite like that, but it's close, basically creating dynamic music videos for your friends when they call. It describes a means of stitching together video and audio sequences of the caller and dynamically composting them to create a beautiful little ditty celebrating your BFF -- or your mother in law, as it were. Such sequences are to be generated by so-called "seed" songs or videos, content that can either be stored directly on the recipient's phone or pulled from Genius data stored in the ether. There's potential here for great stuff, but we already dread a future where data comes from browsing habits and instead of cool tunes and video sequences we're served jingles and McDonald's commercials.
Mobile version of iTunes Store gets Genius recommendations
The desktop version of the iTunes Store has had Genius recommendations for quite some time, but the feature has been missing from the iPhone/iPod touch version of the Store -- until now. Tapping on the "More" tab at the bottom of the iTunes Store app will reveal the usual options, with a new option for Genius recommendations. Just like on the desktop version, you'll be able to view recommendations for music, movies and TV shows based on your purchase history. You can preview recommendations and rate them "thumbs up" or "thumbs down." Results for music recommendations can be filtered to show songs or albums, and you can also filter results by genre. Just like the recent introduction of search filtering in the iPad's App Store app, you don't need to download anything to start using the new Genius features. All the necessary changes have already been made on Apple's servers, so you can start tapping away and previewing Genius recommendations on your iOS device whenever you're ready.
iPad 2 will have rear and front-facing cameras, say multiple sources
Hey, it's December, what else are you going to do but monger rumors of the next iPad? Reuters has rounded up no less than four sources from within Apple's component suppliers, all expressing their belief that the hallowed tablet will be refreshed some time in early 2011. A pair of the tipsters could only go so far as to say that production at places like Wintek and Simplo is expected to ramp up in the first quarter, while the other two were more decisive in identifying the cause for the extra activity as Apple's next tablet iteration. As to the future iPad's camera or cameras, one source says it'll feature both a back-mounted and a front-facing module, with Largan and Genius identified as having received new orders from Cupertino for churning out imagers. Notably, the latter is currently also supplying the iPhone 4's photon collector and there's no confirmation that whatever they produce will inevitably land in an iPad 2, but the tea leaves seem to be in agreement: parts are targeted for a February shipment in preparation for an April iPad refresh. Whether the new slate arrives at that time, however, will be another matter altogether.
