2012
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2012: The year of the MMO Kickstarter
Kickstarter is perhaps the biggest story in the world of gaming since the birth of the home video console or the integration of online components into consumer entertainment. No new product, innovation, or invention has carried with it such immense potential for shifting the way the industry plans, builds, and delivers its products. And with projects covering everything from hardware to companion apps, it's almost impossible now to imagine a gaming world without Kickstarter, even though it was our reality just a few short months ago. The legacy of Kickstarter is one that we're witnessing in real-time. Most of the major successful projects are slated for late 2013/early 2014 releases, giving us plenty of time to speculate on what may or may not go wrong with the crowd-funding model and the products it bears. Over the next year, games will either make it to market or they won't. Developers will squander their budgets or release on time. It's all up in the air. With that in mind, we thought now would be a good time to look back on some of the biggest MMO Kickstarter projects of 2012. The fate of some of these titles is inexorably tied to the fate of Kickstarter as a viable game-creating platform -- and maybe even crowd-sourcing as a whole.
The Road to Mordor: Looking back and looking forward
As long-time readers of this column know, this is about the time when I reflect on my personal wish list that I made for the previous year while making a new list for the upcoming one. After all, you can't go on an adventure without a long list or two organizing everything! On the whole, 2012 was a pretty great year for Lord of the Rings Online. The expansion into Rohan, mounted combat, and the addition of a great new soundtrack added so much to the game, giving us a spectacular high-level zone that's full of lore and amazing setpieces. The devs have been smoothing out the middle of the game with a Moria revamp, open tapping, and remote looting, which should make leveling that much better. Players had four sizable updates to consume. Even Mac users had something to cheer as Turbine created a client for the platform. Of course, it wasn't all peaches and cream. The expansion faced a delay, the pricing and features of Riders of Rohan stoked controversy, and we're still waiting for the second half of the promised instance cluster to arrive. The store kept stepping on people's toes, from the barter wallet to the infamous hobby horse. And the new festival, the Farmer's Faire, was kind of a dud. So let's see whether LotRO fulfilled any of my wishes from last year, and then I'll share my desires for 2013!
TUAW Year in Review: December 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Some new iMacs "Assembled in USA"? Lost in yesterday's iFixit writeup of the 21.5-inch iMac was this small line in the description: "Interestingly, this iMac claims to have been assembled in the USA." Sure enough, a look at the... Watch the Tim Cook interview with Rock Center's Brian Williams (Updated) Tim Cook sat down and talked with Rock Center's Brian Williams in an interview that aired Thursday night on NBC. Though the official version is not yet published, a few YouTube users recorded the... Steam's Big Picture mode makes playing Mac games on TV more console-like Is that 27" iMac screen just not cutting it for your gaming needs? Introduced today, the new Big Picture mode available in the Steam client for Mac offers a front-end for your games that's... Loren Brichter and the future of iOS apps GigaOM had a wonderful post about Loren Brichter yesterday. In case you're scratching your head and saying "Who is Loren Brichter?", you may have seen some of his work without even knowing... Is iTunes Plus gone? iTunes 11 offers DRM-free audio re-downloads I am not now, nor have I ever been an iTunes Match customer. But last night, I was able to download DRM-free copies of music I purchased from iTunes in the days before iTunes Plus via iTunes 11. I... Also: Adobe turns 30 this week Apple hiring former Texas Instruments chip designers for Israeli R&D center Find My iPhone updated with driving directions Twitter for iPhone to offer photo filters iTunes Music Store finally coming to Russia tomorrow? Former Apple VP: Apple television won't happen Fortune: Apple's American-made computer will be 2013 Mac Pro Square now offers Passbook integration and gift cards See the Apple Store's global expansion in time-lapse map form iTunes 11 for the change-averse: Where did all that stuff go? Judge urges Apple, Samsung lawyers to seek 'global peace' Reality Absorption Field: The one-two punch (minus the two) Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator CS6 get Retina display support Australian town relocated into desolate parkland, per iOS 6 Maps (Update: fixed) TUAW Origin Stories: Developer Matt Drance Foxconn seeks to expand North American manufacturing operations Tim Cook discusses manufacturing, Maps in Bloomberg interview Tim Cook announces plans to manufacture Mac computers in USA Google Maps for iOS gets more than 10 million downloads right away Google launches YouTube Capture video sharing app for iPhone Dropbox for iOS updated to version 2.0 with all-new design The Daily staff offers a musical goodbye Reality Absorption Field: Apple's wireless way Apple announces the Mac App Store's Best of 2012 You can finally gift apps from the App Store on iOS again iTunes 11.0.1 fixes AirPlay, brings back duplicate detection Review: Google Maps for iOS Google Maps now available on App Store 1Password 4 for iOS offers new interface, favorites, more Kickoff for Mac adds planning to group chat Fake installer malware makes its way to Mac Google CEO discusses relationship with Apple Your trusty TUAW blogger tries Windows 8 Woz predicts that in 2013, iOS devices are headed to work Zynga shuts down 11 apps, including PetVille and Mafia Wars 2 Mom gives son iPhone with 18-point contract Just in time for New Year's, RunKeeper upgraded to 3.0 Preparing high-res icon files with Automator Production lines running through Chinese New Year to meet iPad mini demand Attempts to ban Apple devices could see Samsung fined $15 billion Bloomberg blames iOS device thefts for NYC crime rise "Sesame Street" app developers share experience, tips iPhone 5 launches in Africa, Caribbean and Southeast Asia A look at Apple's security efforts in 2012 Apple wins patent rights to new curved glass process Will Ferrell Apple Switch ads are a holiday-themed blast from the past Five apps that put the Merry in Merry Christmas Karateka compared on the Apple II and the iPhone Cycloramic spins your iPhone 5 by itself
TUAW Year in Review: November 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Apple shows "father of iOS 6 Maps" the door A tweet from Bloomberg News a few minutes ago says Apple has fired its "Maps manager" in the aftermath of the iOS 6 Maps controversy. Gizmodo points to executive Richard Williamson as the unlucky... IBM: iPad owned 88% of Black Friday online shopping from tablets At the iPhone 5 launch event in September 2012, Apple CEO Tim Cook pointed out an interesting statistic about the tablet market: the iPad owns a disproportionate share of web browsing traffic from... iTunes 11 now available in Software Update It's finally happened! iTunes 11 just dropped into Software Update, so if you want to grab it open up the Mac App Store and click that Updates tab. The 198 MB file brings a totally redesigned... NY Times: App gold rush leaves many struggling developers The New York Times appears to have finally caught on to the big secret that many independent developers have known for a while -- the days of grabbing a pot of gold by writing an iOS app are over.... President Obama meets with Tim Cook, others President Barack Obama spoke with prominent business leaders over the weekend to discuss his plan to avert the financial crisis that is looming early next year. According to Reuters, the list of... Also: Snow Leopard still used on more than a quarter of all Macs Why Lightning is extra awesome Charge your iPhone while you cook with the BioLite CampStove Apple sells three million iPad minis, 4th generation iPads in three days Amtrak for iPhone adds Passbook support iPad mini launch day roundup AT&T announces cloud-based storage, 5 GB free for iOS users Apple's Bob Mansfield: influenced to stay by Scott Forstall's departure? Mansfield may lead Apple away from Intel chips in Macs Time Magazine cover image shot with iPhone: interview with Ben Lowy Pixar names building after Steve Jobs To migrate or not to migrate: that is the upgrade question Reality Absorption Field: Sizing up the iPad mini TechCrunch looks at Apple's fight against the grey market in China Apple named "most innovative" company three years running A week with the iPad mini Apple and HTC settle patent disputes, sign 10-year cross-licensing deal Algoriddim's vjay for iPhone puts video mixing in the palm of your hand Origin Stories: Tekserve WSJ: Google nearly ready to submit Maps app to the App Store Thieves steal 3,600 iPad minis from JFK airport Apple Maps finally gets turn-by-turn navigation in Australia Apple.com 'start page' lives Dropbox hits 100 million users, looking for great Dropbox stories Why no Retina on the iPad mini? Money and power Text messaging declines for first time thanks in part to iMessage Apple to allow employees time off to work on special projects Black Friday sales net some good deals on iPads Apple now asking potential Genius Bar customers to reboot iPhone before making an appointment TUAW Smackdown: Google Chromebook vs. Apple iPad, MacBook Air Want a 14-megapixel iPhone? Will.i.am claims he can make it happen Barclays orders 8,500 iPads for massive corporate rollout Appsterdam's Mike Lee returns with Lemurs Chemistry: Water game for iOS iTunes 11 imminent according to German music distributor Skitch co-founder talks 2.0 changes, asks user sufferance 5 apps to help make your turkey tasty this Thanksgiving Apple's 'spaceship' campus might be delayed until 2016 Nielsen reports that iPad is most wanted this holiday season A year with iTunes Match: How would you fix it? How a kid-friendly app leaks mature content via YouTube New iMacs not delayed after all Blast from the past: Jony Ive stars in 1997 Apple video sans white backdrop JFK worker who helped steal 3600 iPad minis nabbed by FBI Multi-iPad table moves from concept to reality Securing Your Mac: A Guide for Reasonable People, Version 1.0 Tim Cook to give first TV interview on Rock Center Dec. 6 App downloads saw a surge after iPhone 5 release iPhone 5 in stock for the holidays, Nexus 4 is nowhere to be found iTunes 11 for old fogies: goin' back to the way it was Report: Eddy Cue tasked with setting Maps right Reality Absorption Field: Navigating the return of Google Maps Watch every Apple TV ad in a single YouTube playlist The Simpsons skewer iPad obsession with A Tree Grows In Springfield Apple needs to learn how the Internet works before iCloud evaporates
TUAW Year in Review: October 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Apple announces the long-rumored iPad mini (updated) Just two weeks after Apple sold its 100 millionth iPad, the company has announced the iPad mini. As Phil Schiller said, it is not a shrunken-down iPad but a unique design with an aluminium... Apple announces fourth generation iPad Consumers and competitors alike apparently can't get too comfortable with the pace of iPad updates, because just six months after the "new iPad" came out, Apple has announced the fourth-generation... Apple introduces new line of iMacs Apple has introduced a new line of iMacs, its eighth generation of what it's now calling its "flagship desktop line." Although broadly similar in design to its predecessor, the big departure is... Apple announces a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display As expected, Apple announced a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display this morning. "We're taking our best product and introducing something so much better," Phil Schiller said. It's 0.75 inches... Mapping Scott Forstall's departure from Apple When Apple announced earlier today that -- along with several executive leadership changes -- Senior Vice President of iOS Software Scott Forstall would be leaving the company in 2013, theories... Also: Consumer Reports: iPhone 5 is "best iPhone yet" Apple acknowledges anniversary of Jobs's death with video tribute Google Street View is back on the iPhone, but it's not pretty How to report problems with Apple Maps Here's a look at the whole universe of Angry Birds games (so far) Apple retail employees encouraged to report Maps issues The New York Times launches HTML5 web app for iPad Steve Jobs' former friends, colleagues share memories Samsung sues Apple over iPhone 5 Fare thee well, Ping: 2010-2012 Merging Apple IDs still not possible. Now what? Apple to open third Beijing Apple Store on iconic Wangfujing Street Using an iPhone to detect ear infections Apple agrees to licensing terms over Swiss clock design How Apple's mobile devices are re-defining medicine iPhone 5 selling out in Hong Kong iOS's Notification Center cares more about my contacts' birthdays than I do Brøderbund's Living Books return for iPad via Wanderful Hard drive recall emails going out to owners of 1TB iMacs J.K. Rowling says the MacBook Air 'changed my life' Newsweek goes all-digital, will cease print publishing at end of 2012 Tweetbot for Mac arrives on the OS X App Store ... at a hefty price Apple receives patent for original iPad design Uber cancels NYC taxi program, due to high demand How Apple's iPhone 5 website works The challenges of jailbreaking iOS 6 More car companies link iPhone nav apps to dashboard displays SNL skewers iPhone 5 complaints iPhone jailbreaking legal, iPad not White iPad mini sells out in 20 minutes Q4 Earnings call turns to iPad philosophy The iPad 3rd-gen's "miraculous transformation" from magical device to object of shame atebits releases Letterpress for iPhone The emerging reality of Apple's leaked products Java plugin users on Mountain Lion nudged firmly toward Oracle Apple publishes iPhone 5 launch day video Five apps that are wicked fun for Halloween Apple retail exec John Browett's departure not surprising
TUAW Year in Review: September 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Apple announces the iPhone 5 Apple has announced the iPhone 5. If you've been following the rumors over the past month or so, the device's appearance won't be surprising -- it looks exactly like the leaks, made of a mix of... Apple unveils Lightning, its new, smaller dock connector for the iPhone (Updated) As foretold by our own Richard Gaywood, Apple unveiled a new dock connector for the iPhone 5. Called Lightning, the new connector is 80 percent smaller than the current 30-pin version. Besides... Tim Cook apologizes to iOS 6 Maps users The "letter from the CEO" tradition at Apple has continued into the Tim Cook era, as Apple's chief executive has released a letter to customers regarding the ongoing iOS 6 Maps issues. While the... Apple EarPods a big improvement over original Earbuds Apple's Earbuds were introduced with the original iPod in 2001. After 11 years, Apple has replaced the iconic white earpieces with the EarPods (US$29). I bought a pair right away, as they're only... No new Apple TV this year? How about never? I've harped on this before, but it bears repeating: Apple is in for the fight of its life when it comes to making the TV experience better. A new report in Bloomberg, citing a number of sources,... Also: Five iOS apps to help you say goodbye to summer, hello to fall iPhone revenue greater than all of Microsoft's Airline support of iOS 6 Passbook reportedly ready for takeoff Fox News: New iMacs are imminent Microsoft Office for Mac now has Retina support iOS 6 available for download starting at 1pm ET Fox 5 New York gets suckered by iPhone 5 concept video New Samsung Galaxy ad attacks the iPhone 5 Tim Cook's apology shows that Apple cares, but still needs to fix problem Nightline uses Find My iPad to sting sticky-fingered TSA officer Don't like your Lightning cable? Double Helix will mod it for you Users reporting a big bag of hurt with iTunes Match and iOS 6 Apple reportedly meeting with Swiss Federal Railway over iOS 6 clock The iOS 6 Maps app is why my next phone may be a Samsung, not an iPhone 5 One not-so-secret reason Apple built its own Maps for iOS 6 FBI and Apple separately deny being source of leaked iPhone UDIDs Making money in a crowded App Store: it's dog eat dog and Spy vs Spy Apple announces media event for Sept. 12 TNW issues cautionary tale about using the iPhone as your only camera Who owns your iTunes? Bruce Willis probably doesn't care (Updated) What can you say to Siri in iOS 6? Developer's 10-year journey to the iPhone launch stage Lightning 30-pin adapter works with analog audio, "iPod Out" doesn't mean what you think it means (Updated) The iPhone 5's confusing international LTE support Ping to bow out on September 30 Apple posts video of iPhone 5 event No, Virginia, you can't have a universal LTE iPhone 5 iPhone 5 camera has improved specs, better low-light performance iOS 6: Talking to Siri and having fun People worldwide wait in line for the iPhone 5 Apple says Maps "will get better" Safari exploit used to gain control of iPhone at Pwn2Own iOS 6: Accessibility gets a boost Maps for iOS 6: A great start but some big gaps
TUAW Year in Review: August 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Jury finds Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple's patents, awards Apple $1.05 billion in damages (updated) A California jury has found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple's patents, resulting in damages totaling more than $1.05 billion to be awarded to Apple. The verdict is broken down as... Apple's original software construction kit: HyperCard turns twenty-five years old today Twenty-five years ago today, HyperCard was released at Macworld Expo Boston. Apple's software construction kit for the rest of us began shipping on every new Mac as of August 11, 1987; you could... Breakdown of the decisions in Apple versus Samsung verdict The jury handed down its decision today in the case between Apple and Samsung in the US. It was a big win for Apple and a sweeping loss for Samsung, which will have to pay nearly $1.05 billion in... ATD: Samsung could have licensed Apple patents in 2010 Sitting through a patent trial day after day is a tough assignment for AllThingsD's Ina Fried, as today's technical testimony led the judge to inquire of the jury if anyone needed caffeine. But... Macs abound at NASA/JPL Mars Curiosity mission control For those of us who stayed up late last night to watch the streaming coverage of the Curiosity rover's landing on Mars, it was a treat to see the huge numbers of MacBooks, iPads, and even iPhones... Also: Apple Stores matching iPhone discounts from retailers and carriers Top gaming platform of all time? It might be iOS Google to challenge Siri with its updated Google search app Apple rolls out new "All on iPad" ad The New Yorker now available on iPhone Mat Honan details the Amazon and Apple security flaws that let hackers wipe his MacBook Rumor: Apple to add smaller Dock connector to all iOS devices this fall Twitter's API plans cause trouble for iOS devs, but they're sticking with it OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion gripe list Steve Jobs' stolen iPad used by street performer TIME: How your phone is changing the world Apple retail chiefs refute layoffs, address employees Apple's toughest nut yet: Cable operators Microsoft has no plans for Retina display Office apps (updated) Are we getting a clearer picture of the iPad mini? Are Retina MacBooks displaying screen issues? Palo Alto home of late Steve Jobs burglarized Google, PayPal, VeriFone and US carriers form Mobile Payments Committee without Apple, Square Report: Freeverse co-founders leave the company One year of Tim Cook as CEO of Apple OnLive sells company, lays off about 50% of staff Would you check your iPhone at the door of a restaurant for a discount? How apps are helping small business save money Apple adds form to report intellectual property infringement on the App Store Grandma plus iPad equals artistic expression A home office that looks like a mini Apple Store Mac 101: Use Image Capture to clear off old iPhone pictures How to be an Apple Genius: A look inside the manual US Federal Aviation Administration to re-examine in-flight electronics use Google reacts to Apple vs. Samsung decision Thunderbolt to FireWire adapter now definitely available Verizon Wireless sales staff allegedly dissing the iPhone David Pogue's iPhone lost, searched for, found, world safe for kittens Opening statements delivered in Apple vs. Samsung trial
TUAW Year in Review: July 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. How the iPhone surprise was almost given away by Steve Jobs Apple's curtain of secrecy surrounding new products is almost legendary, but a former Apple employee passed along a story to Business Insider's Seth Fiegerman about how the secret of the iPhone... OS X Mountain Lion: The TUAW review It's here! Following a surprise announcement in February, OS X Mountain Lion has arrived (to use its full and formal title, sans the 10.8 version number). Barely a year after the release of... Apple removes negative reviews from apps affected by DRM bug (updated) Update: Marco Arment says that it appears that Apple did a reupdate of the affected apps. By doing this, he says Apple ensured that customers would not lose data by being forced to delete apps off... Five apps (and more) for the summer road trip The Independence Day holiday week is upon us, and millions of American families are heading out on the open road. Where past generations depended on paper maps and Mad Libs, the march of... Trojan targets Mac-using activists in China There's a new backdoor trojan exploit out there for Mac users that appears to originate in China, specifically targeted at political activists in the Uighur movement against that country. The... Also: Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview ready for rent from iTunes iOS claims 65% of mobile web marketshare The iPhone doesn't have the power to ruin (or rescue) everything Russian hacker circumvents iOS in-app purchases Apple reverses course on EPEAT environmental standard, eligible products once again included How Apple's North Carolina data center got built Andreas Illiger announces Tiny Wings 2, coming next week Apple wins sixth solar power patent Is The Daily on thin ice? Malware affecting Macs running older versions of OS X Airbus creates electronic flight bag apps for pilots with iPads No Comment: Android tablet not actually endorsed by Steve Jobs RealMyst now on the App Store Apple cracks down on site selling iOS 6 betas DNSchanger standby servers will go dark Monday 7/9 Legendarily horrible film "MANOS" gets its own iOS game Apple rolls out iTunes movies in the Cloud to UK, Australia, Canada, more How the iPad changed the NFL UK judge to make Apple acknowledge Samsung didn't copy Apple Woz's backpack brings new meaning to "overpacking" WSJ: iPhone future includes thinner screen, other details cloudy Apple Store artist's first-person story of his visit from the Secret Service iPad "mini" drumbeat continues as NYT supports rumor of smaller tablet Apple's new Mac ads feature a helpful Genius Mountain Lion 101: Safari Building an OS X Mountain Lion installer thumb drive Farewell, Lion, you've served us well; Apple removes 10.7 from App Store A look at 18 notable Apple Alumni Rock Band games to be removed from iOS App Store this month Siri celebrity ad series continues with Martin Scorsese Mountain Lion's AirPlay Mirroring + Reflection = infinite regress fun The Daily to cut 50 staff members, switches to vertical-only layout Reminder: iWork.com beta shuts down today Apple adds Hulu Plus to Apple TV Rumor: Apple holding an iPhone event on September 12 Subway iPad theft leaves reporter with broken jaw
TUAW Year in Review: June 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Apple announces next-gen MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple has just announced a brand new MacBook Pro model at the WWDC Keynote in San Francisco. The new notebook is still extremely small, though it's not quite as tiny as a MacBook Air -- about two... Apple announces iOS 6, beta available to developers today (updated) Apple has announced iOS 6 with more than 200 new features, including significant changes to programs such as Siri. Other new icons spotted include Maps. We'll update with further details as the... Apple announces Mountain Lion will be available in July for $19.99 Apple announced that Mountain Lion will be available in July for US$19.99. Upgrades to Macs purchased as of today will be free. Any system going back to Snow Leopard can update at this... Messages in Mountain Lion brings conversations to your Mac Messages has been in beta for a bit, but today Apple showed off what's coming in Mountain Lion, and I think it finally fixes a huge problem with our devices: conversation fragmentation. You may... Siri gets a number of changes, will be coming to third-generation iPad In the upcoming release of iOS 6, Siri will be undergoing a number of changes. One of the most significant is the integration of third party apps such as Yelp and OpenTable. Features include... Also: New MacBook Pros announced with Ivy Bridge processors, up to 2.7GHz quad-core i7s. New MacBook Air announced with Ivy Bridge CPUs, USB 3.0 How 'Marklar' OS X on Intel owes its start to a one-year-old boy WWDC keynote now available online The WWDC 2012 prediction post: Community edition iOS 6 "officially announced" by new WWDC banners NYC may let iPhones hail taxis Foursquare 5.0 gets a major overhaul The iPad's main competition is the old iPad Google promises 3D map imagery for iOS You're the Pundit: What hardware upgrades will WWDC give us? WSJ: Apple's ouster of Google Maps from iOS is coming iPads help airline shed two tons of in-flight entertainment gear A hands-on reconsideration of the Newton Standalone podcast app from Apple coming to iOS 6 Microsoft planning to launch its own tablet... again Side-by-side browsers on MacBook Pro with Retina display Comparing Google maps and Apple's maps on iOS 6 Time, Inc. will sell its magazines on Apple's Newsstand Attention world: the MacBook Pro with Retina display does have optical audio out Engadget reviews MacBook Pro with Retina display Tim Cook suggests new pro Macs in 2013 The contentious case against the MacBook Pro with Retina display Taking a close look at the MacBook Pro's Retina display WWDC 2012 by the numbers Apple introduces Smart Case for iPad Apple launches all-new AirPort Express Apple unveils new Maps app in iOS 6 Five apps for Father's Day Apple/Motorola reciprocal patent lawsuits dismissed in Chicago Tumblr 3.0 for iPhone completely rebuilt Sandboxing keeps TextExpander 4 out of the Mac App Store iFixit examines the MacBook Pro Retina display No Comment: iOS 6 Maps icon not to be taken as literal routing advice Old reel-to-reel tape played back with Square reader on iPod touch iBook Lessons: The absolute beginner iPhone 5th Anniversary: A video retrospective iPhone 5th anniversary: How I accidentally became an iPhone user iPhone 5th anniversary flashback: Welcome to 2006 and the height of Apple Phone predictions Apple's Senior VP of Hardware Engineering, Bob Mansfield, is retiring Facebook to launch "faster" iPhone app in July Getting Ready for Mountain Lion: Messages iPhone estimated to have generated $150 billion in revenue globally The whys and wherefores of a shrunken Dock connector (Updated) Orbitz profiles Mac users with pricier hotels, here's how to block Rare video of Woz from 1984 talking about computing, joining Apple and the Mac
TUAW Year in Review: May 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. "Nanny Computing" and the future of OS X Note to readers: I failed to add a "do not pub yet" note onto this post the night before last. It was inadvertently published during our overnight before it finished research and editorial review.... Apple VP of iOS Scott Forstall cashes in $38.7 million of Apple shares Tim Cook's salary came up in the news last month when he was awarded a million shares of Apple stock, and cashed out a few, in addition to his many other forms of compensation. And here's another... Steve Jobs plays FDR in this old Mac sales video It's not often you see Steve Jobs impersonating a former president, but leave it to the creatives who made Apple sales videos to make it happen. Yes, in this never-before-seen footage (well, never... New Maps for iOS? It's not exactly a surprise The latest rumor to get everyone talking is that Apple will drop Google Maps for their own proprietary software. Sources told 9to5 Mac that a new Maps app will debut with iOS 6 with an... Apple and Samsung earn 99 percent of mobile phone vendor profits While the two big smartphone vendors, Apple and Samsung, are battling it out in the courtrooms, they're still in total control of operating profits. Horace Dediu of Asymco has just published his... Also: Smoking iPhone emphasizes importance of authorized repair work Introducing a better mobile web experience for TUAW Videos of the new iPad's international launches New York restaurant adopts iPads, saves money OS X Lion updated: 10.7.4 fixes FileVault vulnerability DevJuice: Promotion from the Trenches iCloud to debut notifications? TUAW confirms mystery iCloud feature iPhone video lands actor on Star Trek Financial Times to discontinue iPad, iPhone apps, move to HTML5 Amtrak conductors to "punch your ticket" using iPhones Doing the Math: WWDC capacity MacStories looks at four years of the App Store Woz hired as technical advisor on Jobs biopic Beepocalypse: How Apple could improve multi-device reminders iPhone could have a four-inch screen, says Wall Street Journal Aaron Sorkin to pen Jobs' biopic, Variety reports Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover: The best iPad keyboard case yet (Updated) Bloomberg: Apple will debut new laptop lineup at WWDC 5 apps for Moms on Mother's Day Catch a glimpse of an iPhone assembly line Pitch Perfect is the perfect marketing primer for the indie developer Apple pulls Airfoil Speakers Touch from the App Store (Updated) Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I post a website on Dropbox? Some developers undeterred by a larger iPhone screen ITC rules against Kodak, in favor of RIM and Apple The Ultimate iPad Case Review Roundup and Giveaway The story of Apple's upside down logo Ars looks at 25 years of HyperCard Tim Cook meets with US congressional leaders How ESPN reporter covers NASCAR with an iPad
TUAW Year in Review: April 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Five apps to help you file your taxes (updated) With only a few weeks before taxes are due -- the federal deadline is on April 17, and many states have followed suit -- plenty of Americans are scrambling to file before the clock ticks away.... Developing my first iPhone game: the inside story Editor's Note: From time to time, TUAW does cover commercial apps developed by our staffers, although it is relatively rare for individuals to write about their own projects (with some notable... Happy 35th birthday, Apple II Harry McCracken has a nice write up on the debut, evolution and legacy of the Apple II (or, ][ as I like to call it). The Apple II was unveiled 35 years ago, and it ushered in the home computing... Can ThinkGeek's April product introductions get any geekier? Where do they get those wonderful toys? Yes, the mad geniuses at ThinkGeek once again are offering a slate of new products scheduled to go on sale today. If you're an iPad owner, there are some... Macworld's Jason Snell says what we're all thinking about iTunes Those of you who remember iTunes when it was new, when it was merely a revamped version of SoundJam MP, will sympathize the most here. iTunes used to be a great tool for playing music and ripping... Also: How America benefits from Apple Use the MacBook Air SuperDrive with (almost) any Mac Apple poised to become world's first trillion dollar company by 2014 Walter Isaacson on the leadership of Steve Jobs Apple reportedly receives certification to sell Brazilian-assembled iPad On "mystery meat" gestures and iPhoto's learning curve AT&T to begin unlocking off-contract iPhones April 8 AT&T appears to be unlocking iPhones for deployed active duty military personnel Apple responds to Flashback trojan, promises removal tool Flashback malware removal tools released by security firms Apple introduces VIP discounts for iBooks publishers An in-depth look at the iPad as a gaming device Apple hires United Continental CFO as VP of Sales (after airline replaces paper manuals with iPads) Tim Cook among Time's most influential people Andy Ihnatko on the iPad as his main mobile computer No Comment: MacBook perfume project smells like new unboxing The iPad as an IT professional's tool What we want to WWD-see for WWDC Apple announces record quarter sales, 94% year over year net profit increases WWDC 2012 is sold out Sprint confirms unlimited data for next-generation iPhone Replacing iDisk with online storage of your own Broadway star Josh Gad to play Woz in Jobs biopic Tony Fadell: First iPhone almost had a clickwheel The road to OS Xi: Where iOS and OS X suffer a teleporter accident and merge
TUAW Year in Review: March 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Apple announces third generation iPad starting at $499 (updated) After months of anticipation, Apple has announced the third generation of the iPad. Prices are (all USD) $499/$599/$699 for Wi-Fi-only models in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. Models with LTE 4G cost... This is not our review of the new iPad There are lots of reviews of the new iPad. Lots and lots. My review? In deeply abbreviated form, here it is: The screen is amazing. You must see it before you make up your mind. It's pretty... Retina display Macs, iPads, and HiDPI: Doing the Math (updated) Love Apple gear? Like math? TUAW's Doing the Math series examines the numbers and the science behind the hardware and software. The rumourmill has been busy lately with claims that we might get... Windows 8 tablet versus the iPad, side by side comparison Yesterday, Microsoft held a press event at Mobile World Congress which showcased Windows 8. It's Microsoft's next generation operating system that'll run on both desktop machines and tablets. If... Apple announces new Apple TV with 1080p support, still just $�99 After weeks of seeing the Apple TV slowly disappear from retail shelves, Apple announced the third generation of its "hobby" device today during the live press event. The new Apple TV is... Also: Apple is Fortune's Most Admired Company for fifth year in a row Family, tech and the joy of Apple's iPad 25 billionth app downloaded from the App Store (Update) iPad embraced by small businesses; use quadruples in one year iPad 2 remains in lineup with $399 price point iOS 5.1 available, you can finally delete photos in Photo Stream Steve Jobs memorial: A Dawn Redwood in Tompkins Square Park iWork.com to be discontinued, Apple suggests iCloud as a replacement Conan O'Brien pokes fun at iPad Retina display Grandma wants an iPad: the multigenerational buyer's guide Apple: Treating celebs like regular folks since 1976 Apple stock soars, market value close to entire retail sector Whoopsie Daisey: This American Life episode on Foxconn's iPad factories 'partially fabricated,' retracted On buying iPads for your kids Apple: Three million new iPads sold since Friday's launch New iPad already five percent of iPad web traffic circleof6 app aims to prevent sexual violence NYT: New iPad screen could be too good for the web The rumors have begun: next iPhone to get a bigger screen? Finding the 'Magic hour' with your iPhone for the best photos 25 billionth app downloader flown to Beijing by Apple Removing walls: how the iPad inspires new content creation Macworld says the new iPad's screen is underrated
TUAW Year in Review: February 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. iPhone bug opens up stranger's life to the world Gizmodo has raised awareness a serious problem regarding an iMessage bug that, under the wrong circumstances, might result in your messages being seen by others, or you seeing someone else's... Tim Cook focuses on charity during Town Hall meeting Apple held an all-employee Town Hall meeting a little while ago after the earnings call, and The Verge is reporting that Apple CEO Tim Cook took quite a bit of time during the meeting to point out... Apple rollin' in the dough: 75% of cell phone profits The news just keeps getting better for Apple in the mobile phone business. Just yesterday, IDC reported that the company is in third place in terms of worldwide mobile phone sales. Today, Asymco... Five apps for Super Bowl Sunday The Super Bowl is just around the corner which means it's time to get ready for the big game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Rather than our usual five apps, I couldn't... Does Gatekeeper point the way to an App Store-only OS X? Apple's announcement of Mountain Lion included many promised new features, including a stronger focus on the Mac App Store than ever before. Two significant new features, iCloud document syncing... Also of interest: Google reportedly hires Apple executive to work on secret project Mike Daisey's "The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" is funny, forceful agitprop (Update) Stephen Wolfram on Siri Apps have created 466,000 U.S. jobs in four years White MacBook reaches end of life, education sales to cease iPad assists South African President Zuma with State of the Nation address Rumor: MacBook Pro line getting revamped with MacBook Air style designs Siri's upcoming Japanese language abilities leaked - by Siri Dear Aunt TUAW: Should I buy AppleCare+? Apple previews Mountain Lion, next version of Mac OS X Mountain Lion's Gatekeeper adds additional security options to OS X Apple's Mountain Lion vs. a real mountain lion MacRumors all but confirms iPad 3 will have Retina Display iPhone stops a bullet, saves the life of a Rotterdam contractor App-ocalypse soon: Apple extends sandboxing deadlines, but restrictions loom Protect yourself from being tracked by Google, Facebook, and others The case for ditching the Dock connector Winclone tool for Boot Camp imaging comes back as paid app Our top ten wishes for the next-generation iPad Reflection app goes live, brings iOS screen mirroring to your Mac
TUAW Year In Review: January 2012
Welcome to TUAW's Year in Review. Month by month, we're running down the top stories of 2012, all day long on New Year's Day. Apps to kickstart your New Year's resolutions With the first day of the new year falling on a Sunday, it's a great day to organize whatever resolutions you've made. Here are a few apps to get started with. Get more organized I'm spending... In which Steve once again predicts the future: the Newton and the iPhone AllThingsD has an interesting story on their site about the Newton and a few specifics on the end of its short life. At the 1997 Worldwide Developer Conference (held the year Steve returned to... Take a tour of the Macworld | iWorld 2012 show floor Just as soon as the show floor opened at this year's Macworld | iWorld 2012 in San Francisco, we grabbed a camera and did a run through the exhibitions on display. You can see all of the various... January 9, 2007: iPhone introduced at Macworld Expo, five years ago As we bid goodbye to this January 9, amidst the CES chaos, we pause to remember. It was five years ago today that Steve Jobs announced the very first iPhone, at the annual Macworld keynote, and... Apple confirms purchase of flash memory firm Anobit Apple spokesperson Steve Dowling spoke to Bloomberg's Business Week and confirmed the company purchased Anobit, an Israeli-based flash memory firm. Israeli newspaper Calcalist broke the story in... Also of interest: "Ask Different" welcomes your Apple questions Target confirms it'll open Apple shops in 25 locations Apple publishes Supplier Responsibility Progress Report The MacBook Air turns four years old today Apple to bring interactive textbooks to the iPad with iBooks 2 (Updated) iBooks Author makes its debut today for creating ebooks (Updated) Three new apps support console games from iOS Apple Store almost worth as much as the White House iPod line experiences major decline year-over-year Macworld | iWorld attendance steady in 2012; many newbies in the crowd New Flaming Lips song features Siri on vocals Siri guest stars on CBS's Big Bang Theory Siri VC Morgenthaler weighs in on iPhone 4S bandwidth badmouthing (Updated) Steve Jobs kept letter from Bill Gates on his nightstand
Engadget's top posts for 2012
So, are sugar plum fairies dancing in your head yet? Us neither, so how about those always-popular year-end lists? It's time to re-raise a toast to that tradition here at Engadget with a look at the top articles over the last 12 months as voted on by you, dear readers. If you're drawing a blank about any such ballot-casting, you did it with each duly noted click -- meaning that, Kumbaya-style, our list is also your list. Overall, 2012 was a red-letter year at Engadget as we unveiled a snappy fresh look (literally and visually), changed to a new commenting system, added the poshly accented Eurocast and generally kicked butt with more features, liveblogs and scoops than ever -- all of which is reflected in (woot!) our largest all-time yearly readership. After a couple of years off, we're re-booting the top yearly post tradition, so without further ado, here's a list of the articles that brought the biggest page-view ruckus in 2012. Top 20 most trafficked posts of 2012, in order: 1. Apple's next-generation iPad liveblog 2. Apple's next-generation iPhone liveblog 3. Apple's 2012 WWDC liveblog 4. Apple's iPad mini liveblog 5. Live from Amazon's Santa Monica press conference 6. Live from Apple's education event 7. Samsung's Mobile Unpacked liveblog 8. Microsoft's major announcement liveblog 9. Live from Microsoft's Windows 8 press event at Mobile World Congress 2012 10. Google's I/O keynote 2012 liveblog 11. Live from Microsoft's 'sneak peek' at Windows Phone 12. Engadget Live: 'Ask me anything' Q&A with Nokia CEO Stephen Elop 13. Live from Microsoft's E3 2012 keynote 14. The Windows Phone 8 event liveblog 15. Live from the HTC press conference at MWC 2012 16. Live from Blackberry Jam Americas 2012 17. Live from Samsung Unpacked at IFA 2012 18. Live from the Nokia press conference at MWC 2012 19. Nexus 7 review: the best $200 tablet you can buy 20. iPhone 5 review 15,514 - total number of posts for 2012 1,039 - number of hands-on posts 246 - number of Engadget reviews 48 - number of liveblogs 10 - number of Engadget shows
2012 Year in tech: A timeline
By Billy Steele, Sarah Silbert and Christopher Trout Illustration By ILoveDust While planet Earth has yet to meet its demise, the end of 2012 is nigh. It was a year of lengthy legal battles and shifting power dynamics in the tech industry. It brought with it great advancements and great failures -- and, for some, the promise of the end of days. We've combed our archives to bring you just a few of the stories that made the biggest impact on our reporting this year. Herewith, an abridged look back at the year that was.
Flurry: Santa crammed more tablets than smartphones into Christmas stockings
Assuming you were a non-naughty-lister who didn't get the proverbial coal lump, it looks like that gift under the tree was more likely a tablet than a phone this Noël, according to Flurry. The analytics outfit said that just over half of December 25th activations were slates, and we can't imagine too many gift-getters letting their new devices simlessly fester in a box over the big day. Overall activations more than doubled from last Christmas, and were up 332 percent on that single day from the first 20 days of December, combined. As might be expected, Apple came up big with iPad sales, but Flurry said that Amazon was also a winner with its 7-inch Kindle Fire HD tab, showing a "several thousand percent" increase over baseline activations. None of this likely comes as a huge shock to our readers, who rather overwhelmingly said that they'd rather have a Nexus 7 tablet than a pricier RAZR M as a gift if they toiled at Google.
TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Michael Grothaus, and the year that wasn't
In my opinion, 2012 was a lackluster year for the Apple ecosystem and the tech sector as a whole. Smartphones are now ubiquitous and this is the year the tablet hit mainstream adoption. While those are both good things, the whole touch computing world is now five years old and innovation and excitement seems to be taking a back seat to more of the same old-same old. 2012 brought us more Instagram clones, more Angry Birds knock-offs, and an endless array of people asking me to review their Kickstarter projects. I remember a world pre-2012 when developers and accessory makers would ask me to review real, finished products. Even the self-righteous outrage in the tech media about Twitter's third-party client TOS changes that brought about the (horribly named) App.net attracted only the geekiest of the tech world. After all, how is a Twitter knockoff that charges annual subscription fees going to gain mass adoption among users in the non-techie world? Before I depress people more about the state of tech in 2012, let's talk about a few bright spots. Yes, most of these were because I need to pick something that says "this was good" -- that's why my category choices are a bit generic. Hopefully 2013 will be a more exciting year for tech. Best iOS device: iPhone 5 This year we saw the iPad 3, the iPad 4, the iPad mini, and the new iPod touch in addition to the iPhone 5. That's a lot of new iOS devices in one year. And while the iPad mini deserves praise for its design and lightness, the best iOS device of the year is the iPhone 5. Its thin profile, look and feel, and that extra bit of screen space turned an aging design into something sleek and sexy again. I never thought adding just a half-inch (diagonally) of space to the screen would change the user experience that much, but it did. Matter of fact, that half-inch is just enough that I do most of my web browsing on my iPhone now instead of my iPad. Best Mac: MacBook Pro with Retina display Apple had two major Mac product launches this year: MacBook Pros with Retina displays and the new optical drive-less iMacs. While the new iMacs are sleek and beautiful, the best Mac award goes to the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. Why the 15-inch and not the 13-inch? Because the 15-inch is actually a little thinner than the 13-inch. Also, as my office is mobile, I prefer to carry the largest screen around with me that I can. For me, working in Word or Pages on a 15-inch screen is leaps and bounds better than working on a 13-inch screen. And, as with the iPhone and iPad before it, once you use a Retina display, it's hard to work on anything non-Retina. Best iOS game: The Walking Dead This is the one thing on my list that is truly a bright and shining example of a standout product in 2012. Yeah, there were tens of thousands of new iOS games this year, so why pick The Walking Dead? Because it brought back my faith that video games could be used to convey emotional, gripping stories. And that's where this game succeeds wildly. The entire team at Telltale Games deserves props for game play, art direction, and everything else that goes into making a game. However, it's the writers that deserve a standing ovation. The best video games on any platform (almost like a good book) are the ones that can get the reader emotionally attached to the characters. More than that, the best games (again, like the best books) are the ones that let us peek into the human condition and tell us something about the world around us -- and ourselves. And yes, the game is set in a world where zombies walk the earth, but that in no way implies that the story is not compelling or relevant. The world of iOS gaming is primarily dominated by "casual" games. They're games like Doodle Jump and Angry Birds (both fun games, mind you) that we play when we have five minutes to kill while on the train or waiting for an appointment. Games with complex, gripping stories are a rarity outside of the console world. That's why The Walking Dead is such an outstanding game. If you haven't played it, grab it this week while the first episode is free. The game is normally $4.99 for the first episode and $4.99 for each additional episode (or $14.99 if you buy the remaining episodes at once). There are five episodes in total and, once completed, they form a compelling story. Also keep in mind that The Walking Dead game is based on the comic book universe and not the TV series; however, players can enjoy the game without familiarity with either series. Best iOS app: Google Maps Enough has been said about Apple Maps this year. It was a huge mess that led to the firing of at least two senior executives at Apple and was a rare major failing on the company's part. Sure, Apple will keep building on its maps, and sometime in the future the company's back-end database may be adequate for most users. In the meantime, users are flocking to Google Maps via the new dedicated iOS app. In less than 48 hours there were over 10 million downloads of the app; while it wasn't out in time to be included in Apple's "Most downloaded apps" lists this year, something tells me that in its three short weeks of 2012 downloads, it may end up as the most downloaded app of the year. Besides being a wonderfully designed app with vector maps and turn-by-turn directions -- and an incredible POI database and search features -- I love the Google Maps app so much because it let me come back to the iPhone. I was finally able to buy that iPhone 5 I wanted so much, rather than bailing out to a Samsung phone. Best reader: The paperback I read a lot. My pace is about one book a week. This year I gave iBooks a real shot, having bought ten books through the iBookstore. And while the iPad's Retina display made ebooks much more pleasurable to read, the iPad is still too heavy and distracting to use as a dedicated e-reader. I also gave the new Kindle a shot. Again, nice, but for me it doesn't compare to a printed book. The only e-reader I found that I liked (primarily due to its size) was the Txtr Beagle, which I reviewed for The Guardian. However, that e-reader won't be out anywhere until next year, and in the US even later than in Europe, so I can't recommend it yet (not to mention I played with a prototype). 2012 saw e-readers move in the right direction, but for now the old-fashioned paperback book still rules. I wish picking the winners of tech in 2012 had been more work, with a larger pool of contenders to sort through. There just weren't. While I feel my choices (particularly The Walking Dead) are all bright spots, here's hoping 2013 brings much more than 2012 did.
Steam sale continues with great deals on FTL, XCOM, and more
There are only four days left in 2012 after today, which means you're running out of chances to save money on games this year. Steam understands this, and today's iteration of sale prices is designed to help you pick up some of the best games of 2012 for super cheap.FTL, the great indie space roguelike, is down to $4.99, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown is at $33.49.Elsewhere, award winner The Walking Dead is only $12.49, the ambitious Spec Ops: The Line is available for $10.19, and retro dungeon RPG Legend of Grimrock is $3.74, which is less than that carton of eggnog you polished off last weekend.
Insert Coin: 2012's top 10 crowd-funded projects
This trip around the sun has been a monumental one for crowdfunding, marked by big projects and astronomical numbers. Take Kickstarter wunderkind OUYA, for example, which raised more than $8.5 million in funding from 63,416 backers. Kickstarter itself has even grown and matured, expanding to the UK and putting its foot down when it comes to pitching hardware by requiring working prototypes and assessments of risks and challenges. Out of the 60 crowdfunding efforts that crossed our desks as Insert Coins in 2012, 47 were successfully funded, four still have time to rake in funds and nine fell short of their goals or were otherwise stymied. We've handpicked and placed the top 10 projects that won our hearts and, on occasion, our hard-earned scratch after the break.
