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Talkcast tonight, 10pm ET: Mac App Store & more, open phones for developers
There was something for everyone at Wednesday's 'Back to the Mac' event: new hardware, new software, new OS preview and new paradigm for Mac software sales. If you've got an opinion on any of these topics -- and we know you do -- then be sure to join us tonight on the TUAW Talkcast. We're going to be joined by a special guest this week: Talkcast frequent flyer Ged Maheux from the Iconfactory (the company's latest iPhone app, music auto-resume utility Take Five, is on the App Store now). Ged will bring his perspective on the Mac App Store, so we'd also like to extend a special invitation to any and all Mac developers: come on down! We want to hear your take. To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the Web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm on Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantage of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac or your PC, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients or by using the TalkShoe client's ShoePhone tool; basic instructions are here. We'll kick things off at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT. See you there!
Pause your music intelligently with Take Five
The latest application from The Iconfactory, Take Five, is meant to eliminate one pesky problem: the realization that you've been wearing headphones that aren't pumping out any music. I'm glad to say that it succeeds. Consider this scenario. You're working at your desk while listening to music on your iPhone or iPod touch. An interruption arises, like a phone call or the need for quiet concentration, so you hit the pause button. Once the interruption is over, you're too involved in the resulting task to realize that you've been wearing headphones and listening to nothing for goodness knows how long. I've done it, and it's a bit embarrassing. Check out the gallery of screenshots below and then click the link to read our review of Take Five. %Gallery-104969%
Twitterrific 3 for the iPad: change, tough love, and better
Here's a good sign that you've made some pretty significant changes to your application: three different people from the company write three different posts about the new design. That's what the folks from Iconfactory did about Twitterrific 3. David Lanham wrote about Redesigning Twitterrific, not just the timeline, but also the settings, contacts, filtering, and more to "optimize the user experience." Gedeon Maheux wrote about Twitterrific's Tough Love, and realizing that Twitterrific had gotten out of hand, along with the steps they took to make it better rather than just pile more on top of it. Craig Hockenberry wrote about not designing for early adopters, whose expectations may limit making something better by expecting you to simply build on what you had before. I was an early adopter of Twitterrific on the Mac, and still compare all other applications to Twitterrific when I am using them. When I first heard about the changes in Twitterrific 3, I was sure I was going to hate them. After having used it for awhile, I still think Twitterrific is my favorite iPad app. I've been using it since I bought my iPad back in mid-June, and although I've tried some of the others, I keep coming back to Twitterrific. Many others have just started using Twitterrific 3 for the iPhone or iPad because Twitter turned off "basic authorization" logins. All Twitter applications now must use Twitter's (severely, thoroughly flawed) OAuth system for logging in. Read on for my thoughts on the app, as well as what TUAW heard directly from Iconfactory about the future of the app.
Sitting for a portrait with FaceTime on iPhone 4
So, you're tired of your Twitter avatar, the photo of your face that you took in Photo Booth. Maybe a nice portrait would be in order... David Lanham, who is probably best known for his work with Iconfactory (he designed Ollie, the Twitteriffic bluebird), is an accomplished artist whose body of work using electronic media and traditional art media is whimsical, thought-provoking, and beautiful. I've used one of his vector drawings (Game Hunter) as my desktop wallpaper on my iMac, and it never ceases to make me smile when I look at it. Lanham recently broke his foot, which forced him to hang around his house. A friend of his volunteered for a portrait, with the traditional "sitting" being done over a FaceTime call. He decided to make a few bucks while immobile, so he's been picking up FaceTime portrait work at $50 a pop. Once the portrait is complete, you can use it as your online avatar, and perhaps even order a giclée print for your study. According to a developer who is currently working with Lanham, the artist's inbox is now jam-packed with requests for these cool drawings, so don't expect him to respond immediately if you're in the market for a FaceTime portrait. Thanks to Jack (second from the right) for the tip!
TUAW's Daily App: Twitterrific (and others!)
Ok, so we're kind of cheating with this one; you probably already know about Twitterrific, if you don't actually have it installed on your iPhone. But we're using our daily app spotlight today to point out that the folks at Iconfactory have released version 3.0 of the popular Twitter client. Along with making the app universal (which means it now works on both iPhone and iPad), they've updated the interface and code for iOS 4. That means that it's not only purdier, but it's faster and works with in-app switching as well. Twitterrific is a free app, with a US$4.99 in-app purchase to remove the ads and manage more Twitter accounts. That's not enough? Alright, we'll throw in a few more upgrades. Smule's popular I Am T-Pain app has also upgraded for iOS 4, making it not only ready for the Retina Display but also adding the ability to share auto-tuned videos on a few popular social networks. That one's on sale for only 99 cents right now, too. Finally, ngmoco has released Eliminate: GunRange, an iOS 4-specific app that makes use of both the gyroscope and the premium Retina Display in the new iPhone. It's just 99 cents, too. While it's just a shooting gallery, it'll be a nice demonstration of the new hardware's capabilities if you're into the firearm range thing. So, there you go -- three brand new apps to fire up on your new iPhone 4.
Talkcast Tonight, 10pm EDT: iPhone OS 4 and more!
For those of you (like me) who don't have an iPad, tonight's lead topic on the Talkcast will be a nice change: The future! We'll chat about iPhone OS 4 and with the addition of a couple of special guests, we will see where the conversation takes us. Remember, your call really IS important to us, otherwise we're talking to ourselves. So give it a shot, participation is pretty easy. Take your pick: you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; However, for maximum fun, you should call in! For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (yay for free cellphone weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our Talkcast ID, 45077. During the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac (iPhone headphones do a good job here), you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk with you then!
Check-in from an Apple Store on Gowalla, get entered to win an Ollie
Iconfactory have a long history of lovely Mac things, including the spectacular Twitterrific iPhone app. When they created Twitterrific, they gave it an adorable icon of a little blue birdie. His name is Ollie. His popularity is always increasing. Of course, he is super cute, which helps. So super cute in fact, that the fellows at the Iconfactory have created a vinyl figure of Ollie. Gowalla is a location-based service; you use it to check in at places and you can collect badges and see if your friends are in the same place too. Sometimes they do promotions where you can pick up a physical version of an item, not just a badge, when you check in someplace. Do you see where I'm going with this? From now until April 6th, when you check in at an Apple Store on Gowalla, you will be able to pick up a digital Ollie as part of your Gowalla booty. As an added bonus, a hundred exceptionally lucky folks will also receive an actual Ollie figure. If it turns out I am not among the winners, they will also receive the bonus of a bit of my jealousy. No, I don't know what prizes or surprises are in store for people who check in from the line outside the store, but I'm guessing if you aren't in line already, you won't be the person who gets bonus points for adding the venue. On the upside, this contest is open to anyone using Gowalla, so even if you aren't in the market for new hardware this weekend there's still a chance for you to win, provided you are wiling to brave the hordes who are in the market for new hardware this weekend...
Holiday giveaways: Ollie the Twitterrific bird
Yes, it's that time of year when we empty out the TUAW swag vaults and pass the savings on. Our candidate today: He's avian, he's blue, and he might be coming to you.... Yes, it's the icon come to life who chirps his way into your heart, Ollie the Twitterrific bird. The Iconfactory's chatty quasi-mascot has been rendered into toy form (both in regular and limited-edition flocked versions) by designer David Latham and Strangekiss Art Toys, and we've got four of the wee blue birdies to give away to our lucky readers. Leave a comment below telling us about your favorite childhood toy, and you'll be entered into the giveaway. One entry per person please! We'll ship out the birds after the first of the year, so they won't make it under the tree, but they'll keep you company for all of 2010. (Bonus geek cred to anyone who rigs their Ollie up with a USB speaker and Growl to announce incoming tweets.) The rules: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment describing your favorite childhood toy. The comment must be left before Wednesday, December 23, 11:59PM ET. You may enter only once. Four winners will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: One of four Ollie dolls (regular or flocked). Doll type selected at random. ARV of prize: $19.95 regular, $26.95 flocked. Click Here For Official Rules.
Live chat tomorrow: Application Development for the (mythical) Apple Tablet
From a developer's point of view, what do these rumors mean? Is it enough to assume that App Store products will "just work" out of the box on a new device class? Will adherence to Apple's resolution independence design principles allow well-built iPhone applications to adapt to new window sizes? Or are there greater concerns of memory, processor, and the overall user experience that need to be taken into account? On Friday, TUAW will chat with Craig Hockenberry and Daniel Jalkut. Hockenberry is the senior software engineer for the Iconfactory, a software and design house that ships both Macintosh and iPhone products. Jalkut, formerly of Apple, is the founder of Red Sweater Software (aka the "MarsEdit" people). Both Hockenberry and Jalkut bring multi-platform Apple development expertise to the table for our discussion of possible hardware directions and how developers can proactively prepare their place in a new market. Please join us at 10AM Pacific/1PM Eastern for this live chat. There's a reminder widget in the continuation of this post. Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/takomabibelot/ / CC BY 2.0
Ramp Champ adds to ramps, challenges
Red paper tickets are the currency of childhood. On the shore of Oneida Lake, New York is Sylvan Beach, a small-town resort and amusement complex not unlike thousands of others that dot the country. To a parent, it's a fun day out. Just put the kids in the car and after a short drive set them loose on the beach, rides and sugary snacks. To a kid, It's Xanadu. My sisters and I were lucky enough to spend two weeks every summer in Oneida, and Sylvan Beach was the pinnacle of fun. Our grandparents fought toddler-induced exhaustion and a tight budget to host us for fourteen days, and by the time we hit Sylvan, they must have been dragging. Still, they never flinched as we requested money for rides. And sno-cones. And most importantly, for Skee Ball, so we could get tickets. Oh, the tickets. Nothing was more satisfying than the tick-tick-tick-clack! of the Skee Ball machine dispensing those heavy, cardboard tickets. The more you got the better you did, and we'd measure them against the length of our arms, our legs and each other. Of course, the best part was handing them to the shady carnie sitting behind a glass display case of cheap crap in trade. It was like shopping without money in a world of brightly-colored plastic. Nothing could be better. Thirty years later I haven't hefted a wooden ball in a long time, but Ramp Champ for the iPhone and iPod touch offers a killer virtual version. If your unfamiliar, it's a carnival Skee-Ball type game that's wonderfully fun. In fact, the guys at The Iconfactory went all out, treating every detail with TLC: It's visually stunning, the sounds are immersive and dead-on (wear headphones) and game play is challenging, just like real Skee Ball. For more details, check out our first look and full review. %Gallery-74659%
Twitterrific 2.0: It's real, and it's SPECTACULAR.
I'll be honest, I adore Twitter. I don't mean "Oh it's so cute and Oprah's on it," I mean in a way that is likely unhealthy. It was just another technology I had an account for but only sort of used until I found out that the Iconfactory created an application for my desktop called Twitterrific that allowed me to have a little corner of my desktop devoted to microblogging. So then I used it a little more.Then I got my iPhone 3G and the Iconfactory made a version of Twitterrific for that, too. Today, here I sit more than sixteen thousand updates later. Twitterrific was among the first desktop and mobile Twitter apps and terribly exciting. Then some other folks came on the scene, having re-imagined what an iPhone Twitter app could look like. We got Twitterfon and Tweetie, and I found myself very disappointed to have bumped Twitterrific from my home screen.All of that has changed. Twitterrific 2.0 is out and once again I have an Iconfactory app on my home screen. There are loads of changes, but the standout feature is the option to turn some of these off and on as you desire.Multiple account support was the revolutionary feature of other clients, and it has now been added to Twitterrific. Adding more is a piece of cake, and the nice thing about it is that your account(s) live on a "Sources" page with the public timeline, saved searches and a list of the current trending topics. I really like this view and it makes things very convenient, especially if you want to check the trending topics on the go.You'll notice you get three views of your timeline: A "mini" view with just a name and a tweet, the "standard" Twitterrific view of an avatar and bold name with a tweet, and an additional "mega" view, with a larger picture and the text a bit bigger as well (including the client). So far I am loving the mini view, since I can scan easily.In case a black background with lighter text isn't your thing, you also have the option of three different color schemes, Raven (the classic black), Snowy (lighter, with some 3D elements for selected tweets), and Basic (a black and white option). Right now Snowy is the one that's working for me. I really like the way selected tweets stand out.Now you can also pick your reply method which is one of the most impressive features. If you have a tweet selected when the entry window comes up, you get your pick of whether or not to tweet, tweet a public @ reply, or DM the author of that tweet based on which tab you choose at the bottom of the window. You can also hide the keyboard to peek back at the timeline in case you want another look at the tweet. This is a really elegant method for entry since a lot of times I want to reply via DM to someone who sent me something publicly, or inadvertently have a tweet selected but I don't want to reply to it. Every time I use this interface I am happier with it in a new way.To keep from using a lot of screen for the buttons for different views (one each for your timeline, replies, and DMs) there's a little funnel you tap that pops up a bar with those view options in it. As a fan of the mini view this helps me pack even more information on the screen and I like how it's implemented. Next to this icon is a little snowflake/asterisk icon you can tap to get buttons for a link to a selected tweet, retweet, reply to the author, the author's info page, see the conversation thread, email it, or favorite it. You also get a button to mark a tweet. Marking a tweet is like a favorite, but currently those marks are only saved on your phone (it has been mentioned that this will sync with the desktop version eventually).Other features I really like: the left-handed option made it forward from the previous version, configurable options for tapping an avatar (1, 2, or 3 taps can be set to different actions like show the author or the conversation, add it as a favorite), and there is a notes field on authors so if you are out and about and add someone you can take note of where you met them or how you know them or whatever else you can sometimes want to keep track of.I love the new version, and I like to think it came about because others came along and innovated which made the Iconfactory step up THEIR game, so now there are a variety of easy to use and nice looking Twitter clients for the iPhone. Now, on to the desktop!
Twitterrific 2 for iPhone and iPod touch available
The Iconfactory's Twitterrific was one of the first Twitter applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. Since its introduction, The Twitter App Wars have begun in earnest. If Twitter is the Belle of the Ball, there's a long line of suitors who want to be her beau.The new Twitterrific makes a serious play for her affection. Long-absent features like multiple account support, search and "tweet actions" like re-tweeting are all included, plus new goodies like a gorgeous, color-coded tabbed UI and the Filter Bar. Quickly find your mentions via "@ replies," direct messages, starred favorites or tweets you've "marked," which are like private favorites.There's so much more to this app and we'll have a full review for you soon. Until then, you can get familiar with Twitterrific 2 on the new "Tweetorials" page. Twitterrific 2 Premium is available now from the App Store [link] for $3.99US. An ad-supported free version is also available [link].
Twitterrific 3.2 squashes bugs, adds small features
Twitterrific, from our friends at the Iconfactory, has been updated to version 3.2: the first update for the desktop version of the small-footprint Twitter client in nearly a year. This new version accurately marks old tweets as read when the software starts, and adds "in reply to" IDs to @ messages so conversations can be more easily tracked. Also, Twitterrific now uses the more secure HTTPS protocol to communicate with the Twitter servers. Using a proxy server is now more reliable, along with other changes to the network and communication foundation. A complete list of the changes is available on the Iconfactory website. Twitterrific comes in two flavors: one is free, but supported by ads from The Deck, and the second removes the ads, but is $15. Twitterrific requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later, and a Twitter account (obviously). The Iconfactory also recently started tweeting themselves, and you can find them at @iconfactory. In related news, remember that you can also follow @TUAW for updates above and beyond what you read on our site, along with tweets from all our contributors, too.
Slide to Play plays games at Macworld, because I didn't
Felt a little bit of acid in my posts lately? Getting an icy vibe off of my writing for the past week? There's no hard feelings to Rose, Christina, or any of the other TUAWers at Macworld (they did an awesome job covering everything), but yes, I was a little bummed that I didn't get to go. This was probably the best show for iPhone games ever, and (like many of you, I suppose) as I watched all of the meetup and demo tweets go by, yes, I steamed a little bit.But it's OK, because Slide to Play ended up doing exactly what I would have done at Macworld: meet game developers and challenge random people to iPhone games, and they've put it all in video format so I and you other gamers can live vicariously through them. On the way, their host gets beaten by a little kid (which never would have happened if it was me), and they do get in good chats with the guys from Freeverse and Iconfactory about their current (and future) gaming plans.It's fine. I didn't need to go to Macworld anyway. I had a perfectly fun time sitting here in Chicago, getting buried in snow and playing Samurai Puzzle Battle Arcade all by my lonely self. Who needs Macworld, right? Sigh.Video in the continuation of the post. Thanks Steve!
Macworld 2009 Day One: In Pictures
The Keynote might not have had everything we were expecting, but Macworld 2009 is still off to a super start.We're still busy hitting booths and rendering video, you can take a look at some of the fun we've been having.Highlights: The Delicious Monster booth looks just like Delicious Library 2 The Iconfactory team Obviously, the new MacBook Pro unibody. %Gallery-40751%
Hockenberry, Maheux respond in exclusive TUAW talkcast interview
On last night's talkcast, the Iconfactory's Gedeon Maheux and Craig Hockenberry joined us to discuss their concerns with the App Store, and they noted that Friday's layout changes are a step in the right direction. "It's another of many steps that Apple's making to make the iTunes infrastructure work better with applications for the iPhone," Hockenberry said. Even so, they explained there's still room for improvement. Hockenberry would like to see a popularity algorithm that takes into account the price of an app along with the number of times its been downloaded. "If you sell ... ten apps at $100 or a hundred apps at $10 or a thousand apps at $1, you're all equal." He also wanted to see a kind of demo system implemented, but knew that would involve more work for Apple. Maheux said he would prefer to see more data about where apps are being sold: on a category page versus a tile on the App Store home page, for example. He also pointed out that having an app displayed on the home page results in an astronomical increase in sales. "All those people who say that ... you can market your way to the top: I completely disagree with them. They don't know what they're talking about. ... Being on the [App Store] front page is all that matters." He said the Iconfactory applauds Apple for responding to developer feedback and improving the App Store. "Anything that starts a dialogue about this stuff is a good thing." The Iconfactory has released two iPhone apps: the popular twitter client Twitterrific, and strategy game Frenzic. You can listen to the interview at our Talkshoe page, or via iTunes. The interview starts at about the 25 minute mark. Don't skip the the first part of the talkcast, though, where Dave, Mel and I discuss Apple's netbook possibilities and the ideal kitchen computer.
App Store changes layout, threat of the fleshy palm still looms
TouchMeme notes that the App Store has changed layout to separate free and paid applications, perhaps in response to developer grumbling about competition in a crowded market. Free apps and paid apps now occupy sidebars to the right and left, respectively, of a major category index page. The center still allows you to sort the results by release date, name, or popularity (which doesn't appear to work yet: it only displays an alphabetical list). The separation of free and paid apps brings iTunes more closely in line with the mobile App Store experience. The changes affect every category except Games. The concerns, though, of the Iconfactory's Craig Hockenberry (who earlier this week published an open letter to Steve Jobs detailing his frustration with marketing iPhone apps) may not be entirely assuaged. He argues that the price appeal of 99-cent apps (which may not be supported by the data) stifles the development of larger, more expensive apps that earn less prominent placement in the App Store. The issues of price popularity and developer ROI aren't exactly solved by this furniture rearrangement, but perhaps it will let more high-quality apps bubble to the top of the Paid App charts. Otherwise, Apple might yet see the fleshy part of Hockenberry's palm. [Via AppleInsider.]
$1.7 million for Greensboro Apple Store
I'm not exactly sure why there's so much excitement centered around the upcoming Greensboro Apple Store (my guess is it's because our friend Ged of the Iconfactory can't wait for it to open), but the excitement is there, and Ed Cone has some insight into how the store's deal got put together. Apparently Greensboro won't see the story by December 25th, as there's apparently some argument with the property's owners over whether Apple is "just another computer store" or deserves a better place in the location. You know our answer on that one.An anonymous reader also tells Ed that the store's construction cost a pretty penny -- $1.7 million for 5,873 square feet, according to the building permit. Unfortunately, we're not sure if that's more expensive than usual or not: most retail places seem to cost a little less according to this, but then again, $1.6 million per store for Apple is about right, according to past numbers.Either way, hopefully the wrap will be taken off the store soon -- we don't think Ged can wait that much longer.
Iconfactory debuts Frenzic for iPhone
Iconfactory and ARTIS Software have released Frenzic for iPhone, a fast-paced puzzle game that matches the piece and color combination skills of Bejeweled with a series of pie-shaped game boards. The game is an ideal timewaster -- my favorite kind of game -- perfect for waiting in line or on the subway. Frenzic starts off easy enough: you're presented with a colored pie slice, and you must move it from the center of the game board to one of six other pies. Simply complete each pie with six pieces of any color, though matching colors wins extra points and bonuses. A video showing how the game is played is available here. As you progress, the time you have available to park the current pie slice decreases. Gameplay gets challenging when you are given a piece for a position you already have six of: then you lose a life.
Iconfactory releases Twitterrific 1.1 for iPhone
The Iconfactory and its chief typist, Craig Hockenberry, have been hard at work on Twitterrific 1.1, a substantial update to their mobile Twitter client for the iPhone and iPod touch. The update features much smoother scrolling, larger tweet capacity, the ability to save pictures to the camera roll before uploading them to TwitPic, and secure HTTPS server communication. It also squashes a large number of bugs. A full accounting of the changes is available on Twitterrific's app store page and on the Iconfactory's website. The app was included in both Mike's and Steve's list of favorite apps for their respective iPhones. Twitterrific is still available in two flavors. Twitterrific (the free version) periodically shows ads via The Deck, similar to its free counterpart for the desktop. Twitterrific Premium is $9.99, and omits the advertising.
