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Coming up at 5 PM EDT: TUAW TV Live
It's hard to believe, but TUAW TV Live has been appearing on your screens just about every Wednesday for 10 months now. I want to thank all of you who have joined in every week for an hour of discovery and discussion; you've made it a pleasure to produce the show. This week, I'll be talking about a variety of topics: what would be good to see in iWork and iLife updates, iPad and iPhone apps (both good and bad), more iPad and iPhone cases, a demo of how to quickly make an e-book that will work in iBooks, and additional topics as well. And we'll even have some fun giveaways on today's show. To watch and participate in today's show, just come back to TUAW at about 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT), and I'll have full instructions on how to view the livestream and use the chat.
FaceTime headed for Mac OS X and Windows next?
It seems more than a little odd to us that Apple hasn't bothered to make FaceTime compatible with its own longstanding desktop video chat service, iChat, but we've at least supposed that it's an inevitability with whatever upcoming Mac OS X update or software bundle that Apple deems appropriate. Now Mac4Ever, who was spot on with a pile of rumors last year, but hasn't succeeded with its recent prediction of an iLife '11 launch in August, is saying that Apple is prepping FaceTime both for Mac and PC. We don't know if that means building a whole copy of iChat for Windows, or just making FaceTime compatible with some existing PC video chat service, but it would certainly improve the odds of us ever finding a legitimate use for FaceTime.
iWeb updated to 3.0.2
The iWeb component of iLife '09 has just been updated to version 3.0.2. Apple hasn't provided much information on what the new 186 MB update will do outside of saying it addresses assorted minor issues and more serious issues when using it to publish to MobileMe, but it's available now via Software Update. So go grab the new iWeb update and tell us what you find. Note after posting: The iWeb update also cleans up support for searching podcasts and blogs. It requires 10.5.6 or better to run and outside of Software Update, you can download it from Apple's Support Website. Thanks Macworld UK for the additional information
iLife '11 Family Pack shows up on Amazon
A while ago, we reported on an iLife 2010 for Dummies book that showed up on Amazon France, complete with production cover. A day after our post, the book was pulled from the site. That day, an iWork '10 book also showed up on Amazon Germany (and it's still there). Many readers rightly pointed out that there is very little likelihood that Apple would call the next version of iLife and iWork "10" since the year is almost over. Plus, only a week later, there were rumors circulating that iLife '11 was going to be released in time for back to school or at Apple's September media event. So far, it has yet to materialize. However, a sharp-eyed reader pointed out that an iLife '11 Family Pack listing has appeared on Amazon.com. A Macworld reader found it a few weeks ago, and it appears it has been listed on Amazon since July 27th. The family pack's price is US$99, and its shipping time is listed as "2 to 4 weeks." The TUAW reader who tipped us off on it said she attempted to purchase it without problems and "Did not finalize the order, but was able to get right up to the final confirmation without an error." While TUAW doesn't have reason to believe this is clear proof that an iLife '11 release is imminent, it's certainly another drop in the bucket signaling an upcoming iLife refresh. The only question is, "How soon?" UPDATE: Amazon has now pulled the iLife '11 Family Pack listing.
Rumor: iLife '10 coming with new application
If rumors are to be believed, Apple's iLife suite will receive a major upgrade in a month's time and feature a brand new application. Apple-centric site Mac 4 Ever claims (Google translation to English here) that the newest incarnation of the collection will be released on August 7th. Rumored features include 64-bit compatibility and a "nouvelle application (mystère !)." Also among Mac 4 Ever's list of features are improved Faces and Places in iPhoto, a totally revamped iWeb and most interestingly the absence of iDVD. Perhaps the new application will replace it, or maybe it will be a download. Or maybe these are baseless rumors and who knows what will happen. Last week, we noticed an "iLife '10 for Dummies" book on Amazon France, which has since been pulled. Keep an eye out for the next few weeks and we'll see what happens. [Via Macworld UK]
iLife 2010 coming in time for back-to-school?
A reader sent us a link to an iLife '10 for Dummies book on Amazon France. The book is set for release on September 23rd, suggesting an updated iLife software release on or around that date. A Google translation of the book's description doesn't mention any new apps or features and the book's cover clearly lists the five current iLife apps. For now we are posting this for interest's sake only. While For Dummies is one of the largest how-to publishers in the world, it's not clear if Apple would give them access to pre-release versions of iLife software in order to release a book around the same time the software is released. iLife was last updated over 17 months ago in January 2009. For years a new iLife release was something you could count on at the beginning of the year, but with Apple abandoning Macworld future release dates seem to be up in the air. One thing that does make sense if the iLife '10 for Dummies book is real, is that Apple would start targeting an iLife update in time for back-to-school sales to give added value to those students buying a new Mac. Thanks to reader DA360 for the find. UPDATE: The cover and title has been pulled from Amazon France.
iPhoto update, Bonjour Print Services available for Windows users
Along with the iTunes update, iPhoto '09 users will also see an upgrade to 8.1.2 sitting in their Software Update right now -- namely to fix import and syncing issues with the iPhone, iPod and Apple TV. Canon printer and scanner users will also have the latest software for their products installed. You can pick up the 12.9mb update right now in the Software Update app. Windows users can also download Bonjour Print Services to discover and configure Bonjour-enabled printers using the Bonjour Printer Wizard. Thanks to those who tipped us off!
Apple offers 2 software updates for iLife '09 and Camera RAW
Well, it's Tuesday, and that's Apple's favorite day to update software. Today we get an iLife '09 update, and a bunch of camera RAW updates. Here's what Apple has to say about the iLife update: Provides system software resources that are shared by iLife and other applications. This update improves overall stability for the Media Browser and iPhoto slideshows. It also provides compatibility between Aperture 3 and the Media Browser. The update is recommended for all users of iLife '09, iWork '09, and Aperture. And the camera updates: This update extends RAW image compatibility for Aperture 3 and iPhoto '09 for the following cameras and formats: Canon PowerShot S90 Canon sRAW Canon mRAW Leica D-LUX 4 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 It's not earthshaking, but will be welcome for heavy iLife '09 users. You can get these from the software update option under the Apple menu. [Thanks Michael for the tip]
Is this the Apple tablet? (update: new images)
Okay, we obviously can't confirm this, but we just got two very interesting images of what certainly looks like a prototype Apple tablet, or what could be the tablet bolted down to a table. It's big -- really big -- and it's running what clearly looks like an iPhone app, although we've never seen an iPhone app with that interface or at that resolution before. We also see a WiFi icon and a cell service indicator, although tragically there's no carrier listed. As far as fakes go, this is as convincing as it gets, so either this is the real deal or someone deserves a hearty congratulations. On a totally separate note, we also received a tip claiming to have some specs -- we can't verify any of this either, but we're told that the device will have a 10-inch screen and look like a larger iPhone with a MacBook-like aluminum back, and that pricing will run $800 on contract with Verizon and $1000 without when it arrives in March. We're also told that the official name remains a secret and that Apple employees are still calling it by the codename of "K48" -- a name we last heard in May from the same source that pegged the iPhone 3GS exactly. This source also tells us that the iPhone will be coming to Verizon as well and that we'll see iLife '10 tomorrow, but there won't be any MacBook updates. A relatively safe set of predictions -- which is why we sort of believe them. Just 13 hours to go -- we'll find out if any of this is the real deal soon enough. Update: Based on some rough measurements, that screen does appear to be between 9- and 10-inches diagonal. Additionally, it looks as though there could be a front-facing camera on the opposite side of the home button (up top in these photos) due to that cutout section, though the images are really too grainy to know for certain. Update 2: Our source has shared another photograph, this time showing an iPhone resting on the tablet for comparison. Check it out after the break (bigger image for inspection available in the gallery). Update 3: Gizmodo managed to snag some images of what appears to be the back of the tablet from Chinese forum WeiPhone before they were mysteriously yanked. WeiPhone is the same forum that leaked the K48 name way back when, so who knows -- the image shows what could be RF testing, but one of them feels kind of render-y to us. Check 'em all in the gallery! %Gallery-83977%
New iLife, iPhone OS 4.0, and tablet next week?
Almost everybody who a) cares about Apple and b) is breathing knows already that Apple has an event scheduled for next Wednesday, January 27th. Many people assume that the big surprise could be the announcement of the soon-to-be-non-mythical slate / tablet, but we all know that Apple seldom makes one announcement. There's often "one more thing." Clayton Morris at Fox News reported yesterday on information he received just before his invitation arrived for the event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. A "source at Apple" told him that the event was going to focus on three things: a new release of iLife, iPhone OS 4.0, and the tablet. He goes on to say that while iPhone OS 4.0 will be demoed, no new iPhone device is going to be announced. The new version of iLife -- let's call it iLife '10 for the heck of it -- sounds reasonable. Early versions of iLife were announced and shipped on an annual basis for quite a few years, with iLife '08 spoiling the rhythm of releases. iLife '09 hit the stores last January, so it's not at all unlikely that iLife '10 and all of its components could be in our hands before Macworld Expo 2010. iPhone OS 4.0? Equally likely. The event could feature a quick demo of new features to get everyone drooling, with the new OS version and possibly a new iPhone shipping simultaneously in the summer. The tablet? There's the best possible "one more thing." I can see Steve Jobs now, smoothly demoing iLife '10's feature set for a while and talking about the new e-commerce widgets in iWeb '10, and then segueing into news about iPhone OS 4.0. Just about the time that all of the industry pundits are about to commit seppuku from fear that they're being misled, Stevie J. will reach under a MacBook Air and pluck out the device. And the crowd goes wild!!! Just keep repeating to yourself -- "January 27th will be here before I know it."
Next week's Apple event to be iLife / iPhone OS 4.0 / tablet trifecta?
We're realistically no closer to knowing the outcome of next week's Apple event than we were a week, a year, or a decade ago, but rumors are obviously congealing around the mythical tablet that users, fans, and media have all but willed into existence recently -- and our buddy Clayton Morris says that's indeed a part of the story. Morris reports having spoken with a source at Apple this morning -- prior to the company's invites going out, interestingly -- who said that the event would focus on a new version of iLife, iPhone OS 4.0, and naturally, the tablet. Loosely speaking, you can see how these would all tie together pretty nicely: the seemingly "creative" theme of Apple's invite rolls into a new version of iLife, and the announcement of a tablet could have implications for how a suite of artsy tools gets used. Rumblings that the tablet is underpinned by a new version of iPhone OS have gone back months, so that would give Apple impetus to tease it at the same time the tablet's shown off -- sans new iPhone hardware, possibly, which the company has done before. It's also possible that Apple will open source its entire catalog of software and shut down, buy an island nation, or do nothing at all -- but in fairness, there's an awful lot of logic to what Clayton's saying here. We'll know soon enough.
Apple planning to add iTunes LP creation to iDVD?
With the recent introduction of documentation to create iTunes LP and iTunes Extras and the ability to submit the the iTunes Store, Apple might be thinking about bringing development of iTunes LP a bit further. Boy Genius Report is reporting they've heard that Apple might be wanting to bring iTunes LP creation to the next version of iDVD, which is part of iLife. This could further broaden the creation of iTunes LP for independent artists, as they could be created right along with other things in iLife. iDVD hasn't received a major update in a few years, so it could be likely iDVD will receive some sort of update.
Stream iPhoto and iTunes to a FiOS DVR
Just last week, Verizon released Media Manager for the Mac. While many customers are saying it's less powerful than its Windows-based counterpart, it received significant changes this week. Namely, users can now stream content from their iPhoto and iTunes libraries to a FiOS DVR (something TiVo did three years ago, but let's not nit-pick). With the desktop app running (configured as a simple preference), you can browse iTunes playlists as well as your entire library. From iPhoto, browse your library, events and slideshows. Keeping events intact is nice for when you want to show Aunt Shirley pictures from your trip to Scranton. Note that this requires a FiOS TV DVR Set-Top Box, Mac OS X 10.4 or greater, iTunes 7 or greater, iPhoto 6 or greater and QuickTime version 7 or greater. For an unnecessarily enthusiastic demonstration of the software, check out the video after the break. (Screenshot courtesy of Dave Zatz / Zatz Not Funny) [Via Engadget]
Mac 101: Publish iWeb '09 sites to FTP
More Mac 101, our series of tips and tricks for novice Mac users. Now that the winter holidays are almost upon us, we're thinking about sharing stories, photos, and movies with far-flung relatives and friends. There's a slew of ways to get this done, and this post focuses on creating a simple site in iWeb '09 and publishing it not to Mobile Me, but to your own host via FTP. If you're unfamiliar with iWeb '09, I'll say this: It does what it does well. If your goal is to share photos, movies and stories with minimal fuss and zero coding, iWeb will work. When I travel, I typically create an iWeb gallery and movie page. Yes, there are many other options, but this one works for me. If you'd rather not publish your iWeb site to MobileMe and have access to FTP, you're in luck. The setup is simple. First, create your site. Next, click the title of your site in the iWeb '09 sidebar (this doesn't work with previous versions of iWeb) to reveal the publishing options. In the first drop-down menu, select "FTP Server." Give your site a name and enter a contact email. Below that, enter your FTP settings. You'll need your server address, username, and password. Next, enter the path to the directory (http://mysite.com/paris, for example). Just make sure the directory already exists on your server or you'll get an error. It won't hurt to test the connection at this point by clicking the button that's available for just that purpose. Finally, enter your site's URL and then click Publish. Off it goes! If you set it up correctly, your iWeb-powered site will be uploaded to the proper place on your site. Subsequent updates require re-publication, so just hit that Publish button again when you're done making changes That's it! Have fun sharing your holiday experiences with iWeb '09.
Think different? You bet I do!
It's a common theory that Apple is a "hardware company" not a "software company." What does that mean? Doesn't it actually sell both? The idea is that Apple uses software to push more hardware sales. If Apple was a software company, you wouldn't see the fantastic and very useful iLife bundle of applications included for free on every new Mac, including the el-cheapo Mini. Instead, they might decide to charge $99 for it, or worse, break it up into pieces and distribute it as separate packages, each with its own price. Snow Leopard's price also seems to support this theory, especially when contrasted to Microsoft's pricing model. Any "dot-oh" operating system upgrade priced at $29 is simply amazing. And given the fact that you can upgrade a whole home or small office full of Macs for less than the price of an Xbox 360 game...well, that's just a special kind of awesome. The main OS competitor, however, has graciously offered its upgrade, similar in "just fixing stuff and making it run better" nature to Apple's update, at the low, low price of $129. Ouch! At least you can save a substantial amount by buying Microsoft's family pack at a tick under 150 bucks, but that discount will only get you three copies instead of Apple's five. And it's still three times the price of Snow Leopard's bundle! But I realized something interesting about the whole "hardware company vs. software company" argument. As a Mac convert, I've noticed that I think quite a bit less about the hardware than I do the software. In the PC world I still live in, we talk about processor benchmarks, motherboard options, frontside bus speeds, and other Ambien replacements. However, when I talk Mac, I'm often concerned much more with the software it's running, what OS version is installed, and where I can find a free app to do what I need.
GarageBand updated to 5.1
On what seemed like a somewhat slow Monday, Apple has updated GarageBand '09 to version 5.1. This update adds a few new features, improves compatibility and stability, and also fixes a security issue. The changes include: GarageBand track effects and Audio Units can now be added to a guitar track. Improved support for Apogee audio interfaces. Faster switching to full screen in Magic GarageBand. Improved access to audio monitoring settings. This update weighs in 139.29MB, and is available to download in Software Update or from Apple's support download page. If this updates improves or fixes any problems you might have in GarageBand, feel free to leave a comment below.
2GB Eye-Fi Geo exclusive to Apple retail
The Eye-Fi Memory Card sends photos wirelessly from your camera to the destination of your choice, like a computer or the web. Back in January of '08, the product gained Mac and iPhoto support, and support for MobileMe was added in September '08. This week, Eye-Fi announced the Eye-Fi 2GB Geo, which is currently exclusive to Apple retail, both online and brick-and-mortar stores. As you've probably guessed, the Geo adds geotagging to the mix. Once snapped and tagged, photos will be sent to a folder on your Mac or directly to iPhoto, all tagged and ready to go. This makes great use of iPhoto '09's Places feature.It's $60 for a 2GB card, which is cheaper that most of the geotagging add-on hardware we listed a couple months back. If you pick one of these up, let us know how it goes.Additionally, there's a Eye-Fi app for the iPhone [App Store link] that lets you send photos to your Mac or certain online services direct from your phone.[via MacDailyNews]
iPhoto2Twitter 1.5 adds movie and Mobypicture support
Back in June, TUAW reported on iPhoto2Twitter, an iPhoto plugin that provides an easy way to send photos from your iPhoto library to Twitter via TwitPic. Now the developer, Blue Crowbar Software, is back with an update that adds support for sending photos and movies from your iPhone or digital camera to Mobypicture.com. Mobypicture is an online service that lets you upload a photo or movie once, then distribute the media to a number of different social sites and blogging tools. At this time, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Blogger, Vimeo, WordPress, LiveJournal, Tumblr, Vimeo, Jaiku, Hyves, and BrightKite are all supported.As before, iPhoto2Twitter is available for €4.95 (approximately US$7.03) directly from the developer's website. Blue Crowbar's Aperture2Twitter has also been updated to add various social media and blogging sites through Mobypicture, and it's now available for €5.95 (about US$8.47).
Apple posts iMovie 8.0.4 update
Apple has just released an update for iMovie '09. The new version, 8.0.4, improves overall stability and fixes a number of other minor issues. According to Apple, these issues include: • Fixing a problem with incorrect rotation when working with video created by iPhone 3GS. • Resolving instability when adding multiple beat markers in some languages. • Correcting an issue where iMovie could become unresponsive after using fine-tuning controls beyond the stabilized portions of a clip. To download this update, open Software Update (Apple Menu > Software Update) or visit the download page on the Apple support website.
iDVD - black sheep of the iLife suite
For me, iDVD has always been the redheaded stepchild of the iLife suite. While I've used Garageband to make songs, iPhoto to manage photos (until I got Aperture), iWeb to make websites, and iMovie to make movies, until recently I'd never once tried to use iDVD to put together a DVD project. I've spent the past week trying to put together a DVD of our first year in New Zealand to share with our family back in the States, and while the movie's turned out great, getting there has definitely not been half the fun.Creating the movie itself was somewhat of a chore. Because I haven't yet upgraded to iLife '09, I'm stuck with the much-maligned tinker-toy interface introduced in iMovie '08. I couldn't use iMovie HD instead, because it's not compatible with my hard disk-based camcorder. After several days of wrestling with iMovie '08 to get it to do what I wanted it to do, I finally had a 95-minute project ready.At "professional quality" in iDVD, that 95-minute project left me with almost a third of the DVD unused, so I decided to add more content, including a slideshow with 300+ pictures and two more short movies in an "extras" menu.This turned out to be my downfall. Suddenly, iDVD no longer wanted to co-operate with me.
