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Apple updates Pages, Keynote and Numbers iOS apps, brings increased compatibility with iWork and Office
Still toying with that new Gmail for iOS update? Sure you are. Meanwhile, Apple's updated a trio of its own apps -- Pages, Keynote and Numbers all headed to v1.7 today, which the company says will make "working with others and sharing documents easier through increased compatibility with iWork for Mac and Microsoft Office." Other new features include enhanced support for slide sizes, themes, and action builds in Keynote; change tracking in Pages; and hide and unhide rows and columns in Numbers. We've reached out for specifics regarding that "compatibility" bit, but for now, you can hit the source links to ogle those changelogs.
Updated iWork, iLife, iTunes missing in action
Missing today from Apple's exciting Mac announcements was any mention of updates to the in-house apps that power those devices. In particular, many Apple fans had hoped for a long-awaited update to iTunes -- not just an update, but more of a total rewrite to reflect the fact that the app is for more than just music now. iTunes is also horribly slow on most Macs, making any media-oriented use case an exercise in frustration. iLife was ignored outright as well. Sure, Apple has updated iPhoto and iMovie for the Retina displays, but basically the software remains unchanged from years past. With the boom in digital photography, iPhoto really needs to be able to handle more images with higher resolution at a much faster pace. Aperture is not the answer for every digital photographer. But the biggest omission today to me seemed to be iWork, which hasn't seen a major upgrade since 2009. Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned that there were 125 million Documents in the Cloud, which is actually a mere pittance when you consider the number of people who use Pages, Keynote and Numbers. What's missing from these apps is the ability to really do any collaborative work, something that's essential for iWork to be taken seriously in business. AppleInsider reported a rumor yesterday that Apple and VMWare are teaming for a cloud-based business version of iWork. The post says that the "iWork in the Cloud" concept is aimed at iOS users, but it could theoretically work cross-platform on OS X and Windows as well. The cloud solution could be available prior to Microsoft's rumored release of MS Office for iOS in March 2013. So, TUAW readers, how about you? Would you like to have heard Tim Cook or another Apple executive announce new Mac apps today? Let us know in the comments.
Apple announces iPhone 5-compatible updates for iPhoto, iMovie, Keynote and more
At its press event today, Apple announced the new iPhone 5 with a 4-inch, Retina display. For customers, the larger screen means there's extra room for apps to display their content. The most noticeable difference will be the homescreen, which will now display five rows of icons. This extra screen real estate allows built-in apps like the calendar to display the full five-day work week. Other apps like iPhoto, iMovie, Keynote, GarageBand, Pages and Numbers will also be updated to support the new screen.
Invalid Keynote document? Calm down and try this fix
Let's set the scene: It's Monday morning, and you've been working tirelessly all weekend, tweaking and putting finishing touches on a big Keynote presentation that you'll be using at today's board meeting. Now that it's finished, you decide to run through it one last time, just to be safe. So you fire up Keynote, and your heart sinks as you stare unbelieving at the message above. "WHAT?! I just opened it this morning! What do you mean it's not valid?" You're practically screaming at your computer now, and repeatedly trying to open the file to no avail. After taking a few moments to calm down and avoid tossing your Mac out the window, you suddenly remember the Versions feature in Lion & Mountain Lion that automatically saves versions of your file as you work. You jump into Finder, restore an older version, and... it doesn't work either. Keynote still tells you that the file is invalid. So you try another version, and another, but Keynote remains adamant that your attempts are futile, and now you begin to panic as the realization sets in that your presentation starts in 15 minutes and your work is gone. But before you give in to despair, here is something you can try that just might work. It's no secret that many "files" in OS X are, underneath the surface, actually folders or other archives that themselves contain many more files. You can easily see this in action by right-clicking (control-click or two-finger-click) on an application or an archive in Finder and choosing the Show Package Contents... option. A Keynote presentation file is really no different, and if you're working with a Keynote '08 file, you can easily see the contents of the package using that option. But starting with Keynote '09, the packages are zipped into archives to make them easier to share and upload to websites. This makes getting to their contents a little bit trickier, as Finder doesn't see the file as an archive, so it keeps trying to open the file with Keynote, rather than unzipping it for you. So, how do you get at these files, you might ask? It's actually deceptively simple -- but before we begin, I can not stress enough to you to make a backup copy of your file. Sure, it might be "invalid" and already broken, but you still should make sure you have an untouched copy somewhere should you need it. Once you've got a copy, continue on with the instructions below. Step 1: Rename the file to a .zip file. Now that you've made a copy, you need to locate your file in Finder, highlight it, and then press the Enter key to rename the file. If the file name ends with .key, change it to .zip. Otherwise, just add .zip to the end of the filename, and press Enter again. When Finder asks, tell it to Use .zip. Step 2. Open the zip archive. Your file should now be named something like Presentation.zip. Go ahead and double click on it, and Finder should decompress the .zip archive into a folder of the same name. If you open the folder, you should see a bunch of files there, including any images you've added to your presentation, similar to the screenshot below: Step 3. Rename the folder back to a .key file At this point, if everything has gone well, you should be feeling somewhat relieved, as you can at least see that your work is not completely lost, just hidden. So, how do you get this back into Keynote, you might ask? No, you won't have to redo everything. Simply highlight the name of the folder, press Enter to rename it again, and add the .key extension to the end: Step 4. Cross your fingers and open the file with Keynote Here's where you have to cross your fingers and hope for the best. If all went well, you should be able to just double click on the file and Keynote should fire up with your presentation, in all of its glory. If it doesn't work, go back and double check that you didn't miss anything above. If you've checked and it's still not working, then sadly, there's a good chance that something really is wrong with the presentation. If this is the case, hopefully you still might be able to salvage some of your work out of the file by digging through the folder you get in step 2 and extracting the graphic assets. If it did work, congratulations! Now you can relax... after you go give your presentation, of course. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Apple updates Apple Store app with software pre-install options
Apple's Apple Store app for the iPhone was recently updated with a new feature that'll let customers order a new Mac with the iWork applications pre-installed. New Macs usually ship with the iLife suite of apps installed for free, but now customers using their iPhone to make a purchase can choose to add iWork apps like Pages, Numbers and Keynote to their Mac for US$20 each. Just like iLife, the iWork apps will be installed on the customer's machine when they pick it up at the store. It's a small change, but one that suggests Apple is working to improve its retail shopping experience, right down to the smallest details. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Reminder: iWork.com beta shuts down today
iWork.com is dead. Long live iWork.com! Today is the last day that you'll be able to sign into the iWork.com beta. Apple's first attempt at creating a document sharing environment for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents never did make it to prime time. Tomorrow, iWork.com goes the way of the dodo and MobileMe. Apple has built in the capability of sharing your documents between your own devices via iCloud, with a recent update to the OS X version of iWork adding the ability to save to and read from iCloud. Any documents you have stored on iWork.com should have been moved to your iCloud account, provided that you used the same Apple ID to sign into both iWork.com and iCloud. If your documents somehow failed to make the transition to iCloud or if you just want to move them back to your Mac, Apple has full instructions here on how to download those precious files. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
PSA: Apple to shut down iWork.com beta today, iCloud patiently awaits you
In the months leading up to this very moment, we've seen Apple introduce a full set of new MacBook Airs and an extremely high-res Pro of its own -- but today the company's taking a slightly different route, shutting down its doc-sharing iWork.com for good. Not all is lost, however, as this is a natural move from the Cupertino outfit to make an expected transition to a more iCloud-heavy ecosystem -- a place where you'll essentially be able to accomplish similar things. The good news is you still have the rest of the day to clean out your invisible locker and save your must-have documents, and in case you need help with that, Apple's support page (linked below) will fill you in on all those step-by-steps.
Apple updates iWork suite with support for Mountain Lion, Retina MacBook Pro
Looking for something else to download once you're finished with all 4.34GB of Mountain Lion? Then you'll be glad to know that Apple has now also updated its full iWork suite of applications for the occasion. That includes Pages, Keynote and Numbers, all of which have not only be updated with support for new Mountain Lion features like dictation and iCloud syncing, but support for the new Retina display-equipped MacBook Pro as well. No major changes beyond that, from the looks of things, and all three are of course free updates in the Mac App Store for those that have already purchased them (they run $20 apiece for everyone else).
Apple to offer filmmaker workshops for Tribeca Film Festival
Filmmakers in New York will want to be sure to stop by the West 14th Street and Soho Apple stores beginning April 20th through April 28th. The company is offering a series of filmmaking talks and workshops at the two locations in honor of the Tribeca Film Festival. The Apple Store, West 14th Street, and the Apple Store, SoHo, are proud to take part in the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. To celebrate the spirit of independent film making, we're hosting free events and workshops from April 20 through April 28. And everyone's invited to attend. Grab a seat for an exclusive Meet the Filmmakers session - presented by Apple and Indiewire - and hear the film industry's leading actors, writers, directors, and producers discuss their latest projects. The "Meet the Filmmakers" events will feature Q&A's with writers, directors, producers, and actors including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brad Hall, Emily Blunt, Morgan Spurlock, Chris Colfer, Jenna Fischer, Julie Delpy, Freida Pinto, and more. There will also be several "What's New in Filmmaking" workshops that delve into Final Cut Pro X, iLife and iWork for filmmakers, social media in film making, location scouting, lighting, effective story telling, and more. A full list of workshop schedules can be found here. Interested readers can also download the free Tribeca Film Festival app.
Daily Update for April 16, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple pulls iWork, Aperture trials from site
Apple pulled the trial versions of Aperture 3 and productivity suite iWork '09 from its website, according to a report from MacStories. The links that previously contained download instructions now redirect users to the Mac App Store. An Apple support forum post suggests the Aperture trial was pulled a while ago. The iWork suite of apps, which includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, are available in the Mac App Store for US$19.99 each. Aperture is available for $79.99.
Apple shuttering iWork.com document sharing, hopes you'll embrace the iCloud
Cupertino would like to formally thank you for your interest in iWork.com, but before the summer's through, it's hoping you'll be stuck with your head firmly in the iCloud. Apple sent an email notice out this week, letting iWork.com users know that, as of July 31st, it'll no longer let users publish or share documents through the service. Moving ahead, the company's focused on making iCloud the document sharing iService of choice. For more information on how to tie up those iWork.com loose ends as the deadline draws near, click on the source link below.
iWork.com to be discontinued, Apple suggests iCloud as a replacement
Apple has sent an email notice to all users of the iWork.com public beta indicating that the service will be shut down July 31, 2012. "With a new way to share iWork documents between your devices using iCloud, the iWork.com public beta service will no longer be available," Apple states. "As of July 31, 2012, you will no longer be able to access your documents on the iWork.com site or view them on the web." iWork.com went live more than three years ago alongside the release of iWork '09. Since then, the service has never shed its "public beta" label, and iWork '09 remains the most current version of the suite for the Mac. Despite the iOS versions of iWork's apps receiving continual updates, including support for iCloud syncing, the Mac versions are starting to look neglected by comparison. Reaction on Twitter and within the TUAW newsroom suggests that few people will be surprised by iWork.com being shut down; the general consensus so far has been, "Wasn't it shut down already?" That having been said, Apple's suggestion that iCloud will serve as a suitable replacement isn't quite on the money. While iCloud does provide easy syncing of documents between iOS devices, the lack of easy syncing with Mac versions of iWork remains a glaring omission, though that's an omission that will be addressed when OS X Mountain Lion is released in summer 2012. Anyone who relied on iWork.com's collaborative editing features (some of you did, right?) is going to be hit much harder by the service's discontinuation, because at present iCloud doesn't offer the same ease of document sharing. If you have documents on iWork.com, Apple recommends that you retrieve them from the site before the service is shuttered permanently.
Apple's March 7th event roundup: the new iPad, Apple TV refresh and everything else
Weren't able to keep up with all the news from the unveiling of Apple's new iPad today? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Whether you're looking for more info about its Retina Display and LTE-connectivity, the refreshed Apple TV or related bits, we've listed links to our coverage of everything "new and noteworthy" after the break. Happy perusing! Oh, and be sure to check back to our the archive of our liveblog and pre- and post-event broadcasts for a few extra doses of "amazing."
Apple announces updates to iWork, GarageBand, iMovie apps for iPad
Apple has updated the iWork apps, GarageBand and iMovie for iOS to go along with today's announcement of the new iPad. GarageBand now has a Smart Strings feature, a note editor and the ability to push songs through iCloud. The iMovie update has added storyboards and new editing tools, going along with the higher-quality video capture of the new iPad. The updates will be available from the App Store today, but do not appear to be available yet. For those who are buying for the first time, the iWork apps are $9.99 each while GarageBand and iMovie are each $4.99.
Apple introduces iPhoto for iPad, updates Garage Band, iMovie and iWork
Apple's busy introducing a whole bunch of new apps to go along with its shiny new iPad, and iPhoto is near the top of the list. The "reinvention" of the iconic photo software will be available today for $4.99, and offers a plethora of features, such as bezel gestures, effects, multi-touch editing and direct beaming. You can also easily tweak white balance, exposure and saturation, and you can add geotags, notes and captions. Another highlight of the new iPhoto is the Journal, which allows you to pick and choose certain images to push to iCloud for web viewing. Interestingly, the announcement comes right on the heels of Adobe's competitive offering. To complete the circle of iLife at today's event, Apple announced significant updates to iWork, iMovie and Garage Band. iWork's refresh utilizes the new iPad's Retina display and offers 3D charts, and each individual app -- Keynote 1.6, Numbers 1.6 and Pages 1.6 -- will be ready for purchase today for $9.99 (or free, if you already have the apps). Next up is iMovie, available for $4.99, which now offers the ability to turn your HD movies into trailers and adds a few more advanced editing tools. Finally, Garage Band introduces a new feature called Jam Session, which lets you and three of your friends connect iOS devices together wirelessly and play together in real-time. Just as before, newbies can get the updated app for $4.99. For more coverage of Apple's iPad event, visit our hub!
March 2012 Apple Event Metaliveblog: Welcoming our new iPad overlords
Welcome to our March 2012 Apple Event Metaliveblog. Today, we'll be covering an event expected to introduce the next generation of iPad hardware. What else is on offer? Apple TV? iWork 12? We don't know. Join us as we discover along with you! Want to chat with other TUAW readers during the event? Join us in the #tuaw chatroom on irc.freenode.net. Kevin Avila (eddienull) will be moderating.
Switched On: Metro and the Mac
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. With the release of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, more consumers can more easily experience Metro, along with Metro-style apps. With this new approach, Microsoft is making the most radical shift in user interface it's ever attempted -- a change so drastic it will supplant the desktop as the default user experience.
Apple updates Keynote to address Lion issues
Apple has updated Keynote, its presentation application and iWork's analog to Microsoft PowerPoint, to version 5.1.1. According to Apple, "This update addresses issues when working with large Keynote presentations on OS X Lion. It also includes improvements in stability and accessibility for Keynote." Keynote 5.1.1 is available through Software Update, or you can update it through the Mac App Store if you purchased it there. The update is also available on Apple's site.
Mac 101: Getting iWork files on your Mac onto iCloud
Here's another Mac 101 tip for novice Mac users. When I first heard about iCloud syncing iWork documents between Apple devices I became quite excited. Like many, I create iWork documents on my Mac and then access them on my iPad or iPhone on the move. Up until now, I've been using Dropbox to sync my files between my Mac and my iDevices. And though this works really well, the whole seamless, behind-the-scenes ease of iCloud really appeals to me. Since iCloud debuted alongside iOS 5, I've been really pleased with how well this works. That is, between my iPad, iPhone and accessing my docs through a web browser. However, where I've struggled to see the seamless beauty of iCloud is when syncing my iWork docs created on my Mac to the cloud. I thought I hadn't flipped a preference switch in Pages or in my iCloud settings, but after having a complete read through of Apple's description of what iCloud does when syncing iWork docs between your devices, I realized there is no automatic syncing of iWork docs between a Mac and iCloud -- iWork docs need to be saved to iCloud manually. To do this is not all that complicated. And while there are a few different ways, the simplest is as follows. Have your iCloud account open in a web browser. Click on iWork and then Pages (if you want to upload a Pages document, for example). With all your Pages docs visible, simply drag the Pages document from your Mac onto your web browser, where all your documents are. You will be asked if you'd like to upload the document to iCloud. That's it. While this is convenient, it's not as convenient as saving a document on your iPad and seeing it automatically appear on your iPhone. It's likely this kind of implementation will come to the Mac in the future, but for now I'm sticking with Dropbox.
