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ICANN has .xxx domain names? Yes!
The controversial step to approve .xxx domain names has today been taken by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, paving the way for a whole slew of new addresses suffixed by the famous triplicate x. Funnily enough, before the decision was made today, opposition to it was proffered by both conservative groups opposed to pornography and adult entertainment companies fearing they'd be more easily compartmentalized and potentially blocked by overzealous governments. Moreover, every popular adult website at present will pretty much be forced to buy its .xxx version, which, for an industry famous for its frugality, will be an understandably tough pill to swallow. We are surprised not to see the people of Amsterdam consulted, however -- their city's emblem features three Xs too, shouldn't they have a say in this? A further meeting is scheduled by ICANN for June 20th to discuss opening up all possible domain name suffixes to registration, pending the validation of a set of guidelines for approval. That's looking quite likely to be passed too, as the AFP sagely notes that there's a celebratory party scheduled for two days after the event. URLs are about to get a lot more varied, it seems; they're certainly going to feature a lot more of the (English) alphabet's 24th letter, whatever the case.
FCC grants LightSquared terrestrial-only waiver, puts an end to LTE drama
If you've been following the drama over LightSquared's application to build a wholesale integrated broadband / satellite network, it's time to put away the tissue box and toss out the bonbons. That's right, the FCC finally approved the company's conditional waiver for an ancillary terrestrial component integrated service rule. In other words, the entity gave LightSquared the green light to offer terrestrial-only phones, in addition to satellite service, as long as interference problems are addressed before the company starts building its network. Just two weeks ago, it looked like the FCC might strike down the proposal on a recommendation from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which warned of potential interference on the SMS network with the likes of Department of Defense Communications. LightSquared remained silent during deliberation, but following the FCC's decision, both parties gave a thumbs up to the outcome. Honestly, we could have done with a more heated back and forth, but we'll leave that to the professionals. What time is Bridalplasty on again?
Notion Ink Adam clears FCC, begins shipping 'around Wednesday'
We don't see it in the FCC database yet but Notion Ink's charming Rohan Shravan just penned a post on the company's blog with news that Adam has official clearance from the US government. That's right, after several delays the tiny startup will finally condense its occasionally vapory molecules into a solid slab of shipping tablet starting "around Wednesday" after the hardware receives its FCC tattoo. Remember, Adam was that tablet good enough to earn a Best of CES 2011 honorable mention at an event absolutely flooded with tablets from a who's who of consumer electronics companies. While our first impressions of the production unit were positive, we're holding off on making a final judgement until we've had the chance to perform a full review. Having said that, Adam's final NI3421A01 product code is so nerdy -- the "3421" continues Rohan's tradition of numbering product iterations along the Fibonacci number sequence -- that we're almost tempted to place an order ourselves. Almost. [Thanks, John]
Skyfire disappears from iTunes App Store due to technical difficulties (update: 'sold out')
Trying to get a copy of the Skyfire browser for your iOS device? You may not have much luck, as the pseudo-Flash-capable browser has just disappeared from iTunes App Stores around the globe, mere hours after its splashy debut. When we try to download it for ourselves in the United States we get the message immediately above, and RazorianFly readers are chiming in with reports that the app is no longer available in Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, Spain and the UK. We just pinged Skyfire for comment and they say it's not Apple's fault; demand for a Flash video workaround is apparently so high that the company's having server issues and decided to pull the app rather than introduce new users to a sub-par experience. Skyfire assures us that it's adding servers as quickly as it can, but didn't provide an ETA on when we might see the app once more. Update: While we're not sure how an digital app can be "sold out," that's exactly what the company says happened to its $2.99 browser today -- after quickly becoming the top grossing app in the iTunes App Store, Skyfire is "temporarily not accepting new purchases" and says it will issue Facebook and Twitter status updates when the next batch of licenses is available. In other words, Skyfire's throttling the flow of purchases from now on. PR after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Would-be iTunes competitor pending App Store approval
7digital, a UK-based online music store that offered the first DRM-free tracks from the four major music labels, has submitted an iPhone music store app to Apple, which is currently pending approval by Apple. The app, already available on Android and BlackBerry phones (it's the number one music app on the BlackBerry app store with 500,000 installs), offers an iPod and iTunes music service replacement. If approved, the 7digital app will compete directly with iTunes on iOS devices. Offering users the ability to browse, download and play music from the 7digital music store on their iOS device (over 3G or Wi-Fi), the 7digital app will sync users' downloaded music wirelessly to their computers, too - something iTunes does not currently offer. The tracks are offered in 328kbps high quality format and 7digital also plans to introduce a streaming service in the future, though, obviously this would require a further approval from Apple. According to 7digital's blog, they now offer "the most comprehensive mobile [music] offering on the market." That's a bold statement to make. Having just released their Android app as well as their recently announced, mobile-optimized, web-based, HTML5 forward compatible online music store (accessible on most smartphones as well as scaling for tablet computers, too), 7digital appears to have a certain Apple iTunes Music Store in their crosshairs (if not all digital music stores). To top it all off, 7digita has announced that there API is powering the music service on Toshiba's Folio 100 tablet as well as Samsung's Galaxy Tab music hub, which 7digital believes will be a "real contender" against the iPad. Although, if the Galaxy Tab's 7-inch screen is anything to go by, Steve Jobs doesn't seem to think it will be very successful. With Steve Jobs recently saying the iOS model isn't closed, but rather "integrated," will Apple approve an app that is in direct competition with its own iTunes Music Store? It's a tough one to call. Apple has allowed streaming apps like Pandora into the App Store, but to approve an app that would directly purchase and download music on an iOS device that's not from iTunes, that's the big question. We'll keep you posted on any further developments. [via theAppleBlog]
Dan Stahl talks about Star Trek Online's user-generated content
With its first doses of weekly content a success, Star Trek Online is in a fairly comfortable spot at the moment. But there are still places to expand, including the often-mentioned tools for user-generated content. Although the tool isn't yet in the game, executive producer Dan Stahl has been discussing it for some time, and he goes into a bit more depth in a recent interview. He also discusses some of the upcoming changes scheduled for the game's later major updates, including interior interaction and bridge officer voices. Among the more interesting issues discussed is the impact of user-generated content on the game's licensing. Everything currently in the game required approval from CBS first, which Stahl states has led to some discussion about how the user toolsets will interact with the canonical fiction. He also discusses several improvements planned for season 4, and the possibility of more interaction with ship interiors starting in season 4 or 5. Star Trek Online players are encouraged to take a look at the newest interview for a clearer picture of the game's future.
Google Voice apps returning to iPhone app store (update: they're here!)
(function() { var s = document.createElement('SCRIPT'), s1 = document.getElementsByTagName('SCRIPT')[0]; s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = true; s.src = 'http://widgets.digg.com/buttons.js'; s1.parentNode.insertBefore(s, s1); })(); Digg It's been a long time coming -- now native Google Voice apps have finally returned to the iTunes App Store. This, after a fourteen month hiatus in which we saw an FCC investigation into the matter that culminated in a loosening of App Store restrictions. So far, we're only seeing the $3 GV Connect app in the store with GV Mobile + coming sometime Saturday morning according to its developer, Sean Kovacs. No word on when the official Google Voice iPhone app will make its appearance, but surely it can't be long -- Phil must have had a chance to study the app he personally rejected didn't approve by now, right? Update: We'd been checking our iPhones all day long to no avail, but it's finally here. As of 1:30AM ET, GV Mobile + has been formally approved and is now available for $2.99 on the iTunes App Store.
App Store approval limbo boxes in Briefs
There are plenty of hurdles between a good idea and App Store success; even after your killer app hits the virtual shelves, the challenges of discoverability and competitors sandbagging your app with Astroturfed bad reviews add up to plenty of headaches. Still, once past the biggest stumbling block -- Apple giving a thumbs up or thumbs down -- things should get easier, right? Unfortunately, some intriguing apps end up in approval limbo, the stranded state between all-clear and no-thanks that's reserved for some of the most innovative and paradigm-busting apps; the apps that make Apple go "Hmm..." and force the app approval team to exercise the pocket veto. Without a clear rejection (telling the dev what can be fixed), there's nothing to do but wait. The most high-profile limbo case is Google Voice, which as far as we know is still being reviewed by Apple's team more than a year after it was submitted. The latest is Briefs, a well-regarded app prototyping tool which may be running afoul of the no-interpreted-code ban in section 3.3.2 of Apple's developer agreement, despite the assertion that Briefs doesn't work in a way that's forbidden by Apple's rules. Even though developer Rob Rhyne made a cogent case to Apple's team on the merits, and even with some high-level support from contacts made at WWDC, Briefs remains unapproved and unrejected. Rather than wait indefinitely with his 1.0 growing stale, Rhyne has decided to offer the existing version as open source, which iPhone developers can compile and install on their testing devices. Rob's colleague Jeff Lamarche at Martian Craft voices his frustration here. In many ways, this could be an App Store success story: developer dedication and innovation, open lines of communication between indies and Apple, an open source tool that can improve app development for scores of coders. The only problem is that darned silent treatment, and the missing timeline for escalation. If an app can't make it on the store, it seems the least Apple ought to do is say so and say why.
Apple's Magic Trackpad approved by FCC
We've seen the Magic Trackpad name before, and we've even gotten a glimpse of what the device might be -- a larger, Bluetooth-enabled multitouch surface designed to bring all of the gestural and multitouch capability found on the iDevices and MacBooks to the desktop itself. Now, Engadget notes that it appears the FCC has approved testing of such a device for Apple -- a "Bluetooth trackpad" that's reportedly set for production. The testing was actually done in October of last year, but FCC filings have risen into public view, which means that Apple could finally unveil the device as soon as later this week. Not much is known about the actual device (with the model number A1339), but presumably it would be used as a larger touch surface for Bluetooth-enabled computers. Does that mean Apps on the Mac, or, at the very least, actual multitouch testing for iPhone development? We'll have to wait and see.
Shocker! Apple approves apps for using LED on iPhone 4 as flashlight
Nah, your sarcasm detector isn't busted -- we genuinely are surprised that Apple has lifted the iron fist and allowed a piece of hardware on its handset to be used for something other than Jobs himself intended. It may seem trivial to those who haven't witnessed Apple block the most sensible of programs in the past, but allowing applications that enable end-user control of the LED camera flash is a pretty big deal. It's one of those "sad, but true" moments, you know? As of now, the affordable (£0.59) Flashlight - For iPhone 4 and even more affordable (zilch) LED Light for iPhone 4 can be downloaded directly from the App Store and used to activate the LED whenever you darn well please, and for reasons that we needn't mention, we'd suggest you go ahead and grab one... pronto. Update: Another free option -- Power Light -- just splashed down into the App Store. Update 2: Lookie there, another free option with LED-Flashlight! Woo! Update 3: Apple even let an iPhone 4 LED Strobe application through (video after the break). Be still our hearts! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Is Apple giving Opera for iPhone the Google Voice treatment?
When Opera Software submitted their browser to the App Store, there was a flurry of blog posts and speculation as to whether it would be approved or rejected. Fifteen days have passed since then, with neither approval nor rejection being announced. Granted, Apple has been extremely busy with the launch of the iPad. However, we have heard of developers getting applications approved in a matter of hours. If Apple has amped up enough reviewers to make sure that iPad and other applications are moving through the approval process swiftly, why has Opera languished? I don't have any insider knowledge on how applications get reviewed, but I keep imagining a huge building full of cubicles with reviewers hunched over computers. Each time "Opera" pops up on the review screen, the reviewer presses "Return To Queue" because none of them want to be the one who either rejects it or approves it. Perhaps Opera has been stuck in the same holding pattern that Google Voice has been in for the past 7 and a half months. If Apple has actually rejected the Google Voice app, then Google has kept quiet about it. That's entirely possible, although I'm not sure why they would. They had no problem making it clear that Apple required them to rewrite Google Latitude as a Web app. Perhaps they don't want to do anything to strain their working relationship with Apple, which is reportedly very tense in some areas.
Apple iPad -- model A1337 -- phreaks the FCC
A pair of iPads was just revealed in the FCC's system in perfect synchrony with that little pre-order sitch with which you may or may not already be familiar. Apple, of course, has a track record of timing its FCC filings perfectly so that virtually nothing is revealed before Cupertino wants it to be, and frankly, you're not going to get much here that you didn't already know -- the photographs (both external and internal) and the user manual are all still under confidentiality. Both units were tested for WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth, while one -- model number A1337 -- adds in GSM 850 / 1900 and UMTS 850 / 1900, so it appears that Apple has bundled all of its 3G and non-3G models into just two filings regardless of storage capacity. We caught A1337 flipping through an old issue of 2600, so for all we know, it socially engineered its way to FCC approval -- whatever it takes to make that late-April launch window, right?
iPad still pending FCC approval, not a problem
A few of our readers have pointed out this interesting little blurb currently found down at the bottom of the iPad's specs page: This device has not yet been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained. Did Apple just announce a "magical and revolutionary product" that they can't yet sell? Yes and no. Yes, given that the 3G iPads will connect to the cell phone network, the FCC will have to approve them. But will that be a problem? Probably not. As our own Mike Rose would say, Apple prefers to announce their products themselves, and they'd rather not have them leaked by a government filing (since any applications filed with the FCC would find their way out to, well, this very Unofficial Apple Weblog). So it's no surprise Apple has waited until after their announcement to secure FCC approval, and it's very likely that they'll get that approval long before the 90 days until the 3G iPad's release are up. That notice on the page is a formality, and even if the FCC has an issue with the iPad, Apple has plenty of time to fix it.
Swedish developers vie for Steve Jobs's attention
The App Store approval process has been criticized, in part, for being too slow with approval decisions. Apple's senior vice-president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller recently defended the process, saying, "You and your family and friends can download applications from the store, and for the most part they do what you'd expect, and they get onto your phone, and you get billed appropriately, and it all just works." That's all well and good, but most developers just want to get their app out. To that end, a group in Sweden is trying something unique. Dearstevejobs.com was built to win Steve's attention and ultimately approval for an app called SVT Play. SVT is a public television broadcaster, and SVT Play is their shows' home on the web (think Hulu). The iPhone app works as you'd imagine: With a few clicks, users can watch popular shows right on their iPhones. The promotional site is cute with live streaming video of eager developers, Facebook and Twitter integration plus an opportunity for Steve to use his Mac's built-in iSight to record a quick video of himself saying, "Ja!" Good luck, SVT! Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
World of Warcraft: The Magazine needs a new Editor-in-chief
A few of our readers (thanks, guys!) spotted this posting popping up on the various job boards recently -- Future US, the company publishing the World of Warcraft magazine that's due out any day now, is apparently seeking a new Editor-in-Chief. Say what? They haven't even released the first issue yet, and they're already seeking a new head honcho? We did a little poking around, and it's true -- Dan Amrich, the man who originally held the position, has moved off already to another gig with Activision (though it seems coincidental that he's going to work for Blizzard's parent company), and Future is stuck seeking a new EIC even before issue one releases. Does this mean the magazine is in trouble? True, it can't be good for the captain of a ship to move on just as it's heading out to port, but we've heard everything is still on course -- the first issue of the subscription (that quite a few people have already bought) is under Blizzard's scrutiny right now, and the second issue is well underway. Everything we hear still says they're aiming to release it sometime this month, but obviously if we hear anything else, we'll let you know. In the meantime, if you're in San Francisco, have a few years' publishing experience, and know a whole lot about World of Warcraft, we have this job you might want...
Apple lets devs bite their nails in real time as iPhone apps navigate approval process
Apple's App Store approval process is one of the great black boxes in the mobile industry, a bizarre place ruled by emotion, erratic logic, and an uneven application of censorship that has driven some developers to the very brink of insanity since the day of iPhone OS 2.0's release. Well, folks, here's the bone just thrown your way from Cupertino: a new dashboard where you can watch closely as your pride and joy makes its way through the bureaucratic assembly line. Before, all you could do was submit, pray, and wait indefinitely for your app to get accepted or rejected, so consider this an almost imperceptible step in the right direction. Next on our list: emulators. You know you want to, Apple.
NYT: GAPP and Ministry of Culture clashing over Chinese WoW regulation
The New York Times has brought its journalistic bear to the story earlier this week about China deciding not to approve WoW's release over there under new service provider Netease, and it seems what we thought was confusion between two agencies has turned into a war. On one side, you have the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), who earlier this week said that Netease (WoW's local provider of Blizzard's game in China) could not legally be collecting subscriptions on a game that GAPP hadn't yet approved. But on the other side is the Ministry of Culture, who did approve WoW's content when it was run by The9, and are now saying that GAPP "overstepped its authority" by thinking it could "penalize online gaming" at all. Which means that the silly game of World of Warcraft has fallen smack dab in between two government agencies lobbying for power. In the past, says the NYT, GAPP has approved games pre-release, and the Ministry of Culture has overseen games once they've started running online. But WoW is a weird exception (it has been online for a few years already, and only went offline when Blizzard switched providers), and it looks like both agencies are grabbing for power and the sizable fees that come along with regulation. If they continue to clash, it'll be up to the State Council, China's cabinet, to determine who's in charge. And the NYT says if that happens, the Ministry of Culture has the edge, with lots of friends in the cabinet already. Meanwhile, Netease hasn't taken the game offline yet, apparently -- they still haven't been given official notice to do so. There's no word on how long this will take to shake out, but even China's players are tired of the fighting; they just want to get back into Azeroth and play. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Wrath expected in China in mid-November
Because of all the chaos (from switched providers to government approval) on China's version of World of Warcraft, they haven't actually had a chance to release the Wrath expansion over there yet. They were planning to bring it out ASAP, but that obviously never worked out. But we hear now, finally, that the wait is almost over. They are still going through content checks, and Netease (WoW's new provider over there) says it has some more work to do, but at this point they're aiming for a mid-November release. This doesn't mean much for us in the rest of the world -- and before you commenters mention goldsellers, know that most "Chinese goldfarmers" actually play on NA/EU servers anyway, and have been doing so even with the outage overseas. It does, however, mean that China's guilds and playerbase at large will finally have access to all of the content we've enjoyed for almost a year (the expansion was released in North America and Europe last November 13th -- remember that?), including death knights, the new Naxxramas, and all of the other Northrend content. The release should be a nice bonus for Netease as well -- they've been working hard to try and get the game up to date, and releasing the current expansion should help bring in a nice group of new customers.
One step closer, iPhone gets approval in South Korea
It looks like the iPhone is one step closer to being sold in South Korea. Apple has been trying to increase sales of the iPhone in the Asian market and has met some degree of difficulty along the way. After initially showing interest back in December, the South Korean telecommunications regulation board has finally granted Apple permission to sell the iPhone in the South Korean market. The device was approved at a meeting of the board yesterday (September 22, 2009), but while the iPhone can now legally be sold there, Apple has not yet made any official decision as to their plans in the region. Both KT Corp. and SK Telecom, two big players in South Korean cell phone service, have both said they have spoken with Apple and claim they will have the iPhone soon. [via iLounge]
Is China's WoW delay politically motivated?
I don't presume to know much about trade policy or international relations, so I'll just pass you this link to a story over on VentureBeat and let you decide for yourself. You probably have already heard that Blizzard has had plenty of trouble trying to bring World of Warcraft back online in China -- they've been waiting on approval from the Chinese government's General Administration of Press and Publication, which has already mandated a few changes to the game. Dean Takahashi at VB suggests that rather than being a technical issue, the delay may actually be political and/or economically motivated: the US and China have been bumping gently lately over exports and imports, and Takahashi suggests that Blizzard's game may have gotten caught in the middle. The GAPP, he says, may be holding the game back, concerned that such a popular foreign game might be released again on their soil.Fortunately, even Takahashi says it's unsubstantiated -- WoW is likely to go back online in China in a matter of days, and the delays could just as easily have been administrative errors. But I do agree with Takahashi that it's worth watching -- China is cautious about allowing foreign manufacturers to sell to their citizens, and video games are no exception.
