Chris Ward
Articles by Chris Ward
RockMelt adds iPhone app for social browsing
RockMelt is launching an iOS version of its browser with built-in social networking functions, offering automatic syncing between desktop and portable versions. This automation, company founder Eric Vishria says, is what differentiates their browser from other offerings. "We're not going for the power users, the ones who already know how to customize a browser," he says. Instead they're aiming at the vast majority of users who just want to get on reading what interests them instead of tweaking settings. Following the termination of Flock, RockMelt looks to be going from strength to strength, and the new mobile version can only help its progress, especially with the automatic syncing of bookmarks, contacts and settings. The app hasn't been approved by Apple yet, but it's expected that it will be available by the end of this week.
Prompt from Panic does SSH on iPad and iPhone
Prompt from Panic is probably not an app you'll download just to muck around with and then forget. An SSH client is one of those things you either need and use a fair bit, or not at all. Described by developer Panic as "a clean, crisp, and cheerful SSH client: it helps you when you need it, and stays out of your way when you don't," early reviewers seem to like it a lot. Panic says the app is "for system administrators, web developers, movie-style hackers ('Let me just TCP/IP into the UNIX port!'), or any person who needs to connect remotely and type some magic." It seems reasonably priced at US$4.99. Let us know if you've tried it. [Via Macgasm]
Mozy releases iOS client
There are any number of online file storage and backup options these days -- Amazon's new Cloud Drive, perennial favorite Dropbox and Mozy, which I've been using for simple backups. So it's good to hear that Mozy has now released an iOS client that will allow you to view your files stored on its servers. The app has some limitations, unfortunately. Most notably that it's restricted to the US and Canada, although a worldwide version has been promised. Also, it only works with MozyHome accounts (a version for MozyPro is on the way), and can't decrypt any backups you've encrypted with your own private key. If you use Mozy in North America, give the free iPhone or iPad app a try and let us know how you get on with it in comments.
Postagram creates postcards from Instagram photos
We've been fans of Instagram for a while, so we were keen to see what would happen when its developers opened Instagram's API to others. While there have been a few toe-in-the-water experiments, the first really interesting idea we've seen is Postagram. The service allows you to turn any Instagram image into a 300 dpi postcard for just US$0.99, posted to anywhere in the world. It'll be delivered within 2-5 days in the USA and will take a bit longer to get elsewhere. Sounds like a bargain. Download the app now and give it a try if you already have Instagram installed. Postagram has a special launch offer that gives you your first postcard for free. Perfect for sending real postcards to your parents and anyone who isn't quite up there with you on the cutting edge of e-postcard delivery this summer.
Verizon rumored to sell a 16 GB Motorola Xoom 4G LTE
There are a number of possible reasons why Verizon may be about to sell a 16 GB version of the Motorola Xoom 4G LTE Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). Perhaps they sold so many of the earlier Wi-Fi only and 32 GB models that they couldn't resist; perhaps consumer demand was so strong they simply had to give in; or perhaps they sold both of the earlier samples they had in stock, and now there's a space on the shelf they have to fill with something (I joke, I joke). Electronista has speculation that it'll cost around US$700 or less, which seems a little on the "hmm, I'll think about it" side of affordable -- but then it is a 4G tablet. Rather, it will be as soon as the part necessary to make it work on the 4G network becomes available. Will this be the iPad-beater for which Motorola, presumably, is hoping? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below. [Via Electronista]
Two years after Fred Wilson dumped AAPL...
We all make predictions that don't turn out as planned. For example, this morning I said I'd have a few beers, enjoy a barbeque in the sun with friends and perhaps go to the cinema tonight. Turns out I have two daughters under the age of 3, so there went my day. But at least I'm not kicking myself like Fred Wilson must be. Wilson is the venture capitalist managing partner of Union Square Ventures who, two years ago, famously announced that he was selling all his shares in Apple because he didn't believe the company was "being straight with investors" over Steve Jobs's health. "My average price on my entire position in Apple is US$96, so I'll take a small loss on this and a small gain on the stock I bought during the meltdown last fall." He sold at $91.36 -- and at close yesterday, Apple shares were at $338.08, up $246.72 or 270 percent. He sold Google at the same time but announced a short time later he was buying back into the search giant. See the chart above for how that one worked out for him. Maybe he only had one share in Apple (although $246.72 would go nearly halfway towards a new iPad 2). Maybe he's happy with that 50 percent-plus gain in Google's value. Or maybe he's still kicking himself now. Me, I think we'll have that barbeque tomorrow. [Via Daring Fireball]
Plex 1.1 for iOS adds functionality, interface changes
Put simply, Plex version 1.1 is everything that FrontRow should be. For a start, it streams to your iDevice, presents plenty of online media ... you get the idea. The only advantage FrontRow has is price, and at US$4.99 Plex probably won't break the bank. The latest version includes many new and updated features, like improved subtitle and audio stream selection support, Direct Streaming and Direct Play support. One interesting addition is TV out and AirPlay support, though the latter is still "experimental," which suggests less-than-optimal performance. Plex 1.1 also offers much improved live encoding. For example, Plex 1.1 will note what your Apple TV 2 can manage and only convert what needs to be converted, leaving other streams intact. Plex 1.1 is available from the App Store now for $4.99. Also, grab Plex for Mac to enjoy video, music, pictures and more. Have fun, media buffs! [Via MacStories and 9to5 Mac]
Oscium's iMSO-104 turns your iPad into a mixed signal oscilloscope
Inventive people continue to demonstrate how versatile iPads are. The latest example we've found turns the device into an oscilloscope. Oscium developed the iMSO-104 mixed-signal oscilloscope for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch "quickly and easily," the company says, thanks to Apple's iOS and MFi (Made for iPod, Made for iPhone and Made for iPad) developer programs. "It boasts a 5 MHz bandwidth and up to 12 MSPS (megasamples per second) sample rate, while simultaneously analyzing up to one analog and four digital signals," says Oscium. The sensors use Cypress Semiconductor's PSoC® 3 programmable system-on-a-chip to manage two-way communication between the sensors and your device The app is in the App Store now for free, while the full hardware rig will run you US$279.99. That's not a bad price for an oscilloscope. [Via Engadget]
Clik Clok iPad 2 accessory: Be like Flava Flav
To wear what we feel comfortable calling the "Worst. Accessory. Ever," you need three things. First, more money than sense. Second, a desire to resemble a high-tech version of Flava Flav. And third, a firm belief that the magnets along one side of your iPad 2 are strong enough to hold on to this Clik Clok chain no matter how hard you rap. "Tired of having to carry your iPad in a bag?" wonders designer Pensa. "Or worse yet...in your hand? Looking for a convenient way to have your iPad with you at all times whether you are at work, out with friends, or working out? Have you ever looked down at your stylish giant clock necklace and wondered, 'HEY! Why can't this thing browse the internet, play music, and let me video chat with my friends?' " If you recognize yourself in this description or in the picture (nice hat!), then you need Pensa's gold, red or silver chain necklace that attaches to the magnetic points on your new iPad 2. Will it hold? Remember how worried you were it wouldn't stick to the fridge, and that worked out fine, right? And as soon as it's attached, the Clock app fires up automatically. Cool! The Clik Clok isn't in production yet, and there's no price set either, but Pensa describes the Clik Clok concept as "Ready for Kickstarter..." Luckily it also adds, "Hint...we are kidding." Still, ask nicely and I'm sure Pensa would make you one to go with your hat. [Via Likecool]
Atomix is the iPad's first video game magazine
There are more and more magazines appearing on the iPad now, some good and some bad. Atomix is definitely at the good end of the spectrum, not least because it's being produced by Area 5, former creators of the 1UP Show at 1UP.com. "The iPad app is intended as a global product," says Atomix founder Oscar Noriega, "and we knew we needed to release simultaneously to Spanish and English-language markets." That and a desire for a heavy video content led to Area 5. "We loved the idea from the start," says Area 5 co-founder Ryan O'Donnell. "We're huge fans of the possibilities inherent in touch-screen devices and we knew even from early versions of the app that Atomix 'got' it." Atomix sells for US$0.99 per issue at the moment, although subscription options will be available eventually. The magazine will be covering games from all over, not just on the iOS platform; L.A. Noire is on the cover, and among other games, Atomix also covers Killzone 3, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and Journey.
Tap Tap Tap developer says 5% of Camera+ users make in-app purchases
So yes, says Tap Tap Tap boss John Casasanta, US$70,000 isn't to be sniffed at, but it still represents only 5 percent of Camera+'s 2 MILLION users using the in-app purchase facility to buy the $0.99 "I (heart) Analog" effects pack. Well, whether or not you sniff at 70 grand depends rather on how much you earn elsewhere; Casasanta, in fact, has sold 2 million copies of Camera+ (currently on sale at $0.99 instead of $1.99) so, yeah, they can consider it small change. However, the statistics he reveals on the company blog are interesting; half of all Camera+ users upgraded to the new version within six days, he says. And while the app was launched last summer (and then withdrawn because of the use of the iPhone's volume switch as a shutter release before coming back at the end of 2010), and its first million sales took, well, a while, the second million sales took only three months. "If we were to stay on the same weekly pace that we're currently on (~160k sales per week), we'll get to 3 million in only 1.5 months from now," says Casasanta. And 4 million in three weeks, 5 million in the next 10 days and then a million a day, muahaha... perhaps he should buy a white cat to stroke to go with that cackle. Seriously, Camera+ is a great app and the free 2.2 update adds many worthwhile features that we like here at TUAW. It's excellent to see them having such success. [Via AppleInsider]
From coffee table books to iPad apps: publisher ditching paper books
While many of those involved in the traditional dead-tree publishing business insist on using 15th century technology, at least one is leading the way into the 21st century. Nicholas Calloway, a successful publisher of glossy, expensive coffee-table books (including Madonna's Sex) is "betting the ranch" that apps are the future. He founded his company in 1980, but it was while watching Pixar's Toy Story in 1995 that he recognized a whole new form of storytelling that was "...going to change the world," he told Reuters. "We stopped thinking of books as the sole vehicle for our products and we thought more of core intellectual property that could be executed across many different media." Now his authors are partners in projects, not simply recipients of royalties. He's renamed his company Callaway Digital Arts, and all projects start with iPhone/iPad apps, including (amongst others) Martha Stewart Makes Cookies and The Monster at the End of This Book (for iPad). It would be great to see more publishers taking the same route but, as reader's of Joe Konrath's now famous Newbie's Guide to Publishing blog will know, most are still in love with the dead-tree business. [Via The Mac Observer]
iPhone 4 overheating continues to plague some users
Reports are coming in of iPhone 4s overheating and experiencing severe battery problems after updating to iOS 4.3.1. Some users started having problems with the iOS 4.3 update, and it hasn't been resolved with the 4.3.1 update. The problem has been resolved for a few users by removing stale sync threads in Mail or by tracking down other apps, including Ping, which are sending or receiving large quantities of data while the iPhone is in standby. Apple issued a warning about iPhones overheating due to external temperatures back in 2009, although this time no users report seeing the famous "iPhone needs to cool down..." image yet. Are you having overheating and/or battery problems with your iPhone? Have you managed to fix the issues? Let us know in comments.
Radio reporter uses iPhone 4 for all of his work
There's a very cool story over on the MediaShift pages of the PBS website about how a radio reporter has replaced almost all of his bulky radio equipment and with an iPhone 4. Neal Augenstein started working for WTOP in Washington 14 years ago, when just his mobile phone weighed as much as a bowling bag, he says. Since then, the size of equipment has shrunk, and now he does almost all of his reporting with nothing more than his iPhone and a few other pieces of kit -- some of them homemade. Augenstein says, "with the Apple iPhone 4 and several apps, I can produce intricate audio and video reports, broadcast live, take and edit photos, write web content and distribute it through social media from a single device." He uses the VC Audio Pro app to edit his audio and the same company's 1stVideo app to edit video captured on his iPhone. He often even uses the iPhone's built-in microphone after the Blue Mikey model he used with his old iPhone 3GS wasn't compatible with the new phone. Photos come courtesy of the built-in camera, which he edits by simply zooming and cropping in his Camera Roll then taking a screenshot to upload. He also carries an iPad to take notes in press conferences while his iPhone is on a press conference podium -- supported by a regular mike stand with a bit of foam padding. You can see Neal in action here doing an interview with his iPhone, and you can listen to some of his audio via the station's "As Heard on WTOP" pages here. It's impressive how he's reduced his equipment down to such basics, and it's also impressive that the iPhone 4 can produce broadcast-quality media. Good work, chap!
Photo Stream feature hints found in iOS 4.3
Possible confirmation of a Photo Stream service in iOS 5 has come after users spotted hidden references to the service inside the current version, iOS 4.3. We wrote about it a while ago here, but now a 9to5Mac reader has come across it while using a third-party app to browse his iPhone 4 photo albums. The expectation is that Photo Stream will work for your photos in Photos.app the same way Playlists work for music in iTunes, allowing you to send albums of photos to friends. Its background appearance in iOS 4.3 may indicate that it was pulled at the last moment and will instead be part of the major iOS 5 upgrade, which is rumored to be out this fall. Hopefully, Photo Stream will indeed make it into iOS 5. Sharing your photo albums via a revamped MobileMe with your friends and family, all in an easy-to-use Apple fashion, would be a great feature.
HTC ThunderBolt vs. Verizon iPhone sales tales based on anecdotal evidence
There's an old joke that goes, "Why don't analysts look out of the window in the mornings? So they'll have something to do in the afternoon." Turns out, that's wrong -- they actually spend their mornings on the phone calling every Verizon store they can find (registration required). OK, full disclosure: some journalists think that they and analysts do remarkably similar jobs, except that analysts have the cojones to add a few zeros to their bill at the end of the day. But it has to be admitted, calling 150 Verizon stores to ask, "Say, how's that new HTC ThunderBolt selling compared to the iPhone?" takes, well, quite a bit of time. And writing up the conclusion, too, that must have taken a while. "61% of the stores that we contacted said they sold an equal amount of both phones, 11% said they sold more iPhones (principally in the Southeast) and 28% of stores had sold more ThunderBolts." The research was done by BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk, and he admits it's not a very scientific study -- the salespersons to whom he spoke "did not have access to actual sales figures and their response was based on their own experience." But, he adds, "they were not much hesitation in the response [sic]." So, a shiny new smartphone released two weeks ago is outselling one that's been available for a year on AT&T and nearly three months on Verizon? Could it be that those who crave speed picked up the latest, greatest smartphone, which runs on the faster network, in preference to the older model? Well, 28% of those asked in an unscientific survey did, anyway. Perhaps. [Via Business Insider]
Mac mini-powered car stereo hates phone books
There are many interesting, creative things you can do with a Mac mini, the over performing, underpraised hero of the Mac lineup. You can build it into your Millennium Falcon, good for shaving a parsec or two off the Kessel run; you can install Snow Leopard Server edition and use it to run your Facebook-beating social networking website; or, if you're really, really creative, you can install it in your 2001 Chevy Tahoe and use it to shred phone books. Of course, using it for phone book destruction requires that you use only certain values of the terms 'interesting' and 'creative,' values nearer the shallower end of the gene pool than when using it to control your Millennium Falcon. But still. I'm sure a Windows-based ICE system wouldn't have shredded that phone book nearly as well. Watch the video (sorry about the music) and let us know if you can think of an even better use for a Mac mini in the comments below.
Diamonds plus nano plus watch equals this $18k monstrosity
There is, it has to be admitted, a market for diamond-encrusted Apple products. Having the good taste to buy something magical and revolutionary doesn't necessarily mean you have good taste full stop. So, for those of you with more (way, way more) money than sense who live at the blingier end of the Apple marketplace, we present the ZShock Lunatik iPod nano watch case (the clue's in the name). Yes, for a mere US$18,000 and a three- to four-week wait, ZShock will "hand-set the diamonds into pave settings on the white gold watch case" of your iPod nano watch, Boy Genius (who seems to quite like this, strangely) tells us. Is it just me or does the nano in this picture look sort of embarrassed?
Suppliers ramp up to support iPad 2 demand
With queues still forming at 4 AM at some Apple stores, and whole countries selling out completely, demand for the iPad 2 is so high that Apple suppliers are ramping up production of its various components. AppleInsider reports that Samsung is hiring 300 new engineers for a semiconductor plant in Austin, Texas, and AU Optronics has an order to make flat panel screens (although this has not yet been confirmed). With earlier stories about other suppliers being taken on to make Apple's A5 processor and touch sensors, it does seem as if Apple is indeed ramping up production. Analyst Charlie Wolf with Needham & Company predicts Apple will make 30 million iPads this year and 40 million in 2012. Samsung alone will make something like US$7.8 billion worth of components for Apple next year, and others are looking for a share of Apple's business. With a new iPhone model expected later this year, this doesn't look like a process that's going to slow down any time soon.
SmithBucklin distributes iPad 2s to employees
There was a time when if you saw an Apple product in a corporate environment, you were either hanging out with the company's designers or actually at Apple HQ itself. So it's great to see companies not only using Apple gear but using it to incentivize and reward its staff like SmithBucklin, the world's largest association management and professional services company, is doing. It's giving its 600+ employees 32 GB Wi-Fi iPad 2s, plus $50 toward accessories "as a way to reward excellent staff performance, improve productivity and enhance the company's social media capabilities," according to the company. "Now that our company is entering a new growth phase, we wanted to do something special for our employees to thank them for staying the course as well as help them continue to embrace social networking," said SmithBucklin President and CEO Henry S. Givray. You can apply for a job with SmithBucklin here -- note that you'll be able to upgrade your iPad 2 to 64 GB and Verizon or AT&T 3G service "for a nominal fee." [Via BusinessWire]