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Merry Christmas to our readers from The Unofficial Apple Weblog
Photo credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images It's hard to believe that yet another Christmas Eve is here. We send our most sincere wishes to all TUAW readers to enjoy this holiday season with family and friends. If your personal plans include travel, please remember to be safe, as we wouldn't be here without you. Our schedule over the next week will be a bit different: today will most likely be quite light on the news and posts, and Christmas Day and December 26 (Boxing Day in other parts of the world) are official company holidays at our parent company AOL so things will be very quiet... unless there's a big Apple-related announcement. We will be back on our usual schedule starting on Caturday Saturday, December 27, although you should expect a lighter-than-usual volume of articles through January 2. From our TUAW family to yours, happy holidays!
Daily Update for December 23, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some of the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Changes to our App Newsletter
We've had the App Newsletter around for a couple of years and a percentage of our users really love it. Still, as the App Store continues to grow, so does our coverage. It seems we're posting more reviews than ever, and a lot of them are missed in the current newsletter. Originally meant as a vehicle for our Daily iPhone Apps (some of which weren't that good), the current newsletter today goes out around 11AM ET on Fridays. Starting Monday, October 21, 2013 we'll switch it to a daily email that goes out around 5 PM ET. Each newsletter will have three stories about apps. Most will be reviews, but we'd be remiss to not alert you to important items like major updates and upcoming hot apps. Here's hoping you enjoy the new format and considering sharing with friends. To subscribe, just enter your email address in the field shown in the pic on this post (it's on the right side of the page). Look for more newsletters coming soon as well!
Dear Aunt TUAW: Is the new TUAW app age-appropriate?
Dear Aunt TUAW, Why does the new version of the TUAW iPhone app have a mature rating warning? I thought this was a family friendly site! Your loving nephew, Hugo Dear Hugo, In case you're worrying that the TUAW team is tippling on the liniment, playing pool, and buttoning their knickerbockers below the knees, fear not. TUAW remains the same upright and steadfast fount of proprietary dignity it was before the recent 2.1 application upgrade. From what Auntie can tell, the AOL development team submitted the latest version using the most cautious approach possible. The TUAW app provides unfiltered access to webpages via a built-in Webkit browser. Because of that, a user could potentially navigate to websites that are not child-appropriate. While the app itself has no direct objectionable content, it retains a 17+ rating. This is in-line with Firefox Home's and Opera's app ratings, just for context Auntie reminds you to get your flu shots, and take plenty of vitamin C and D this cold season. Hugs, Auntie T.
Happy Thanksgiving from TUAW
We may forget it from time to time, but today it's clear: all of us at TUAW are exceedingly thankful that we get to write about what we love and share it with you. We wish you and yours the happiest of holidays. The pace of posts may be somewhat slower over the next four days as our US team celebrates with family and friends, but we'll still be keeping an eye on the news and the sales through the weekend. [Also, our apologies for the duplicate comments problem -- our confirmation pages aren't loading as they should. We're working on a fix.]
Catch TUAW's Mike Rose on FBN, Gadgets & Games
It's a busy media afternoon for Mike Rose; he'll be talking iPad live on Fox Business News at about 2:20pm Eastern today... along with a real, glass-and-unicorn-tears iPad. FBN is broadcast in HD on a cable or satellite system near you. Fox News's online-only feed The Strategy Room will also be hosting an iPad special edition of Gadgets and Games with Clayton Morris this afternoon from 3-4 pm. Scheduled guests include the Chicago Sun's Andy Ihnatko, cnet TV's Natali Del Conte, NPD's Ross Rubin, Daring Fireball's John Gruber, Macworld's Jason Snell, and Mike. It looks like an exciting round table, and there's an accompanying audience chat via CoverItLive, so click on in. Update: Check out Mike's appearances on Fox Business & Strategy Room after the break (QuickTime link for iPhone/iPad).
Post-keynote TUAW prediction scorecard: How did we do?
Yesterday we pooled our predictions together to try and predict what would happen at the iPad presentation today. How did we all do? Sang Tang: Sang was the closest in terms of the iPad's screen size -- 9.6" prediction vs. 9.7" actual size. However, the iPad has neither wireless HDMI nor a front-facing camera (or, indeed, a camera of any kind). Score: 1/3. Erica Sadun: Erica was off on screen size, but was correct in predicting that the iPad would look and function much like an iPod touch. However, by all appearances the iPad doesn't add any new revolutionary gestures, and without a camera of any kind, any augmented reality applications are going to be very limited in scope. She was correct in saying there'd be no "mind-blowing new tech onboard" and optional nationwide wireless with a monthly fee. Score: 3/5. David Winograd: David was also off on screen size (though just barely), cameras, and new gestures. He was correct in predicting a keyboard dock and an optional data plan, but wrong about iPhone tethering and iPhone OS 4.0. Score: 2/7. More scores and the TUAW total after the break!
Introductory Post: New Blogger Kelly Guimont
Howdy! (That's a traditional greeting from Out West.) I'm a new blogger here on TUAW. I made an appearance here from Macworld 2008 when I demonstrated software on the show floor. I've been a Macintosh user in some form or another since very early on (I drew with a turtle and don't understand versions of Oregon Trail that are anything but green), and I'm currently Leopard Certified. I live in Portland, Oregon, which is a great place to be a Mac Geek since we have three Apple retail stores and loads of Mac places besides. My current setup is a Unibody MacBook and an iPhone 3G, but I still get some mileage out of my 80gb iPod and I still have a PowerBook G4 and a blueberry iMac DV around in case I need them -- you never know! My house has a lot of gadgetry (right now the network has about a dozen IP addresses assigned) and general geekery: Star Wars, Disney, and Lord Of The Rings tidbits are all over the place. As writing goes, I've written all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons/groups/publications such as Mac|Life and local computer magazines, blogged here and there, and written short stories and other pieces just for fun. In my copious amounts of free time, I help organize events within the Portland Tech community including Open Source Bridge and Beer and Blog, and I am the head of the Portland WordPress User Group, spreading the blogging love wherever I can. I am very excited to be part of TUAW and as I'm sure anyone who knows me will tell you, I can't wait for you to hear what I have to say! :)
Scott McNulty, signing off
I'm not used to writing about myself here on TUAW. I'm usually not the story, but just this once we thought it would be appropriate to break with tradition.After 3.5 years here at TUAW (here's my first post), and serving as lead blogger for a good portion of that time, I will be moving on to other things (perhaps bigger, if I'm lucky, but it is hard to think that they will be better. If they are just as good I'll count myself as a lucky fellow indeed).TUAW's destiny is now in the very capable hands of Dave Caolo and Mike Rose. TUAW will continue to grow by leaps and bounds under their leadership, and it will bring you all the great tips, tricks, and Mac news you have come to expect.Read on for more of this treacly goodbye post.
You're gonna have to face it ...
Hello everyone! My name is Robert Palmer, and I'd like to first thank you in advance for letting me blog for you here at TUAW. I've been using a Mac since 1992, and have owned five Macs since. By day, I'm a web developer, specializing in clean, honest, standards-compliant XHTML and CSS. By night, I am asleep. Here's me a dozen years ago, photographed with my high school girlfriend.*Up until I started working for myself last November, I was the de-facto IT guy for a 15-workstation Mac network in a graphic design studio environment. I plan to cover plenty of ground for you at the crossroads of the design and Mac worlds. Cheers to everyone, and be so kind as to leave your best "Addicted to Love," "Simply Irresistible," or "Looking for Clues" jokes in comments. That's right, get it all out of your system now. *First commenter to correctly name the model pictured wins at the Internets. Hint: It was photographed in a classroom.
BONG! Welcome to Macintosh
Am I the only person who still whispers, "Welcome to Macintosh" upon hearing the Mac start-up sound, even though that message stopped appearing on our screens years ago? It's Pavlovian, I swear. Hello, TUAW readers, I'm Christina Warren and I'm a new member of the TUAW (and also the Download Squad) team. My excitement over Leopard's impending release is only tempered by my genuine geek glee at the opportunity to blog about it, and other Apple products, here at TUAW.I'm a reformed hardcore PC/Windows/Linux advocate turned Mac fan girl and though my status as a full-time switcher is still pretty new, I have been using the Mac since 1995. I'll admit, I was tentative about the transition at first; I told myself I would never be one of those people who espouses about Apple and the Mac like it is a religion. Cut to 48-hours after I bought my MacBook: I'm on the phone with my mom, plaintively telling her that her next laptop will be a Mac, no ifs ands or buts. I've even had to start biting my tongue, lest the dreaded "well if you had a Mac, it would just work" roll out, when I get a frantic phone call from some friend or relative (ahem, DAD) who somehow broke their networking protocol - and cut off the rest of their house from Wi-Fi, leaving the other computers, printer, and TiVo in a state of confusion.And my specs, for people that are interested:Black MacBook 2.16 C2D, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB HD, two external drives, including one set as a Boot Camp/Fusion/Paralells partition that I look forward to reconfiguring on Friday, or as it is known in iCal - "Leopard Day!"
Well hello there!
Greetings, TUAW readers. England calling! It's great to be here, writing alongside a great team of Apple-loving bloggers. Eagle-eyed readers may notice that I'm joining from Download Squad just like fellow newcomer Lisa Hoover, and boy am I excited. Us Europeans, whilst lacking the iPhone, iTunes Video Store and the (relative) inexpense of Apple products, love our Apple kit just as much as the rest of the world, so you can imagine my reaction at being offered the chance of writing for the motley crew fine folks here at TUAW.I look forward to seeing where the next year takes us - and playing a part in bringing you all the greatest things to do with your Apple gear!Disclosure: I am a free-lance contractor with a company whose product has been covered on TUAW in the past. Readers should also be aware that there are impartiality clauses we agree to adhere to as part of our contracts on ANY Weblogs Inc property.
Why, hello there.
I had my own personal unboxing of the new 24" iMac (yes, it's every wonderful thing you've heard, and more) and sat down to migrate all the info from my old Mac. Just as I was thinking life couldn't get any better, I got an invitation to join the TUAW team. I fainted, but of course made sure to fall sideways so I didn't mar the Mac's beautiful, glossy screen. Now that I have regained consciousness and finished installing all the important apps (the triumvirate -- Firefox, Adium, and Skitch), I'm all set to start blogging. If you get around the Weblogs, Inc. network at all, you may know me from Download Squad and DIY Life. I'm sure I'll have just as much fun here as I do there and, hey, maybe now I can justify getting that iPhone. All in the name of research, right?
TUAW wants you: today is the deadline
Today at midnight (EST) is the deadline to get your application in to become a member of team TUAW. Blogging your little heart out has never been more fun! The guidelines haven't changed (and we are sticklers for this kind of thing): A brief bio 3 samples of posts written in TUAW's style. One should be a review of something, another an opinion piece, and the third can be whatever strikes your fancy (existing blog posts cannot be used, this has to be new material) Your current Mac setup Email all of those things (yes, all of those things. And no, you can't just link to a bio) to apps-at-tuaw-com in plain text (no attachments, please). If you have ever thought, 'I can write better than that doofus McNulty,' now is your chance to prove it (though the doofus is reading all the applications).
