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World of Warcraft: The Magazine still coming later this year
A few readers have sent us notes asking what happened to their World of Warcraft: The Magazine subscription, and so here's a quick followup to the magazine you might not have heard about since BlizzCon. As far as we know, it's still on track for release in "late 2009" -- the website went live a while back, and they're updating on Twitter. The first issue should almost be done, and it's supposed to have a feature on the WoW TCG, something about Inscription, and memories of the game for the 5th anniversary, as well as lots of other stuff, we're sure. Additionally, even if you haven't ordered a subscription yet (I haven't, actually, but I meant to), there will be previews of the issue online at some point. Or, on the other hand, if you're tired of waiting, you can contact them with support help and questions via email as well. But as far as we've heard, it's still coming before the end of the year, so keep an eye on your mailbox. It'll be a little different from some of the news you've seen online (it's completely official, which means everything in there is approved by Blizzard before it goes out, not to mention that they'll have some nice access in terms of news about upcoming content), but it definitely seems like it'll be an interesting read.
Pasting with style in Apple's iWork suite
In Apple's iWork suite, the "Paste and Match Style" or "Paste Style" options, as implied in their names, allow you to paste the style from one element onto another; or to paste an element into a document and to match the style of the document that it's getting pasted to. In many ways, they're the iWork equivalent of "format painter" found in Microsoft Office. And, in many ways, they're much better.
iWork secret life as ZIP file revealed, includes PDF preview
Former TUAW colleague David Chartier over at Finer Things in Mac has noted something interesting about the innocuous iWork '09 file format. What he found may surprise you. An iWork '09 file created from Pages, Numbers, or Keynote actually lives a secret life as a ZIP archive. This trick isn't a new one; the most common example of archive trickery by Apple is probably the iPod/iPhone software bundle which uses ZIP as a container format. Previous iWork versions actually created folder-like bundle files by default, which made them tricky to upload to cloud storage or email to collaborators. In the case of the new iWork files, changing the file extension to .zip and expanding the archive reveals the as-expected XML document and plist files (for the document and its formatting) as well as a little PDF surprise -- a preview version of the file. What this means for you is that you can send an iWork file to a friend or co-worker and regardless of their operating system choice or installed software base, they can "view" your document by unzipping it and opening the PDF. On Windows, you would simply change the extension to .zip and open with your favorite un-archiving utility. Given the kludgy-ness of this process, it doesn't surprise me that Apple isn't promoting it. However, it would be interesting to see the folks in Cupertino release an iWork viewer for the Windows users in our lives (other than the extant iwork.com sharing service). [Via Download Squad]
iWork '09 Update 3 is ready and waiting
Fresh off Software Update, it's iWork 09 Update 3 which addresses a ton of issues in Keynote, Numbers, and Pages as well as the iWork.com beta. It's recommended for all iWork 09 users. General fixes include: General compatibility issues Updating help Adding a link to online resources in the help menu Improving image handling when reducing size with Instant Alpha applied Improving file size management when inserting movies. The full list of improvements to Keynote, Pages and Numbers, and the iWork.com beta can be found in Apple Support article HT3681 Thanks to all who sent this in.
Using iWork as an image editor
I recently noted the image-editing functionality of Preview.app, which can act as a "good enough" image editor for many that don't have access to Photoshop. While it's difficult to argue with the free price tag, Preview is not without its limitations. Fortunately, many of these limitations are unlocked if you happen to own Apple's iWork suite, which in its own right can serve as an image editor for the budget-minded.Read on to see how to use iWork in this unconventional way.
Wikia turns a profit, thanks in part to WoWWiki
Wikia has been doing a little bit of press lately -- they're the for-profit company that has spun off of the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation that runs the huge Wikipedia website. Wikia has announced, as reported in the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere, that they've hit profit early. While they didn't expect to actually make any money running ads next to user-generated content until next year, they've actually made some money this year already. They credit the growth of all of their miniwiki sites, which has expanded greatly over the last year.So why are we reporting all of this here? You may have already guessed: one of their largest sites, if not the largest, is the World of Warcraft-related wiki, WoWWiki (which we definitely read and use here at WoW.com all the time). WoWWiki is mentioned in a few reports as having 70,000 pages (almost 1/3 more than the next-biggest site in the network, a cooking wiki). In fact, at least one reports credits WoWWiki, along with the Twilight-related wiki, for the growth entirely. We're not sure how much of a part they actually played in the new reported profits, but they are definitely growing, and are a terrific resource for those of us in the WoW community.
View .cbr comics on your iPhone
Of course there's an app for this, but I'd never even considered it. While I do occasionally read .cbr (Comic Book Archive files) on my desktop, the iPhone didn't really occur to me as a portable comic book reading device. But sure enough, there are apps for that. iComic is probably the cheapest, but I hear it's a little tough to get set up. ComicZeal is extremely popular, and just a little bit cheaper from the somewhat similar myComics. Pull Lists uses a desktop client to sync up comics for you, which is a little more than I need, but it seems like some people like it. There are actually lots of choices, it turns out -- I would have thought that the iPhone's screen was pretty small for reading comic book pages, but I'll have to give those apps a try.Or, if you're too cheap to pay a buck or two for a full app, you can even do it yourself. .cbr files are really just .jpg archives, so as this tip from a while back on the iPhone Comic Book Reader says, you can actually extract out the jpegs, and then just sync them up to your iPhone via iPhoto if you want. Three dollars really isn't that much, and any of those apps listed above will give you a little more functionality (easy flipping between pages, bookmarking, and many other features per app), but if you really want to DIY, there you go.Now it would be nice to be able to officially buy .cbr archives over the web from some of the major companies -- the closest they've come that I know of is a subscription service, but of course you've got to use their own client for that (and there's no iPhone app that I can find, though Uclick has a few apps in there for certain books). As long as reading pirated .cbr files is outlawed, only outlaws will end up reading them.
No more serial numbers in iWork retail boxes
Customers who buy iWork '09 retail boxes may be surprised by what they don't find inside. Namely, a registration code. Apple has stopped shipping iWork with a registration code starting with version '09. "Install iWork '09 from the enclosed disc and you're ready to go," says Apple.Of course, those using the downloaded trial version will have to enter a serial number if they want to activate their trial version. While iWork has traditionally required users to enter a registration code, iLife has not. Some have implied that this is a tacit invitation to piracy -- install our software on random machines, get hooked then pay for an upgrade, but we're unconvinced. Also, we have no indication (as of this writing, at least) that the iWork apps don't phone home to verify that they're validly installed.[Via Ars]
As expected, Apple releases iWork '09 at Macworld Expo
During today's Macworld Keynote Phil Schiller announced the immediate release of iWork '09. We previously reported this was fairly likely given the slip-up over at Apple.com. The updated version of iWork is definitely more evolutionary than revolutionary.KeynoteThe first new feature of Keynote are the "Magic Move" transitions. Essentially, you set up your slides and Keynote automatically animates your objects and moves them from slide-to-slide. Additional text and object transitions have been added as well. For example, the text from one slide can morph into the text on the following slide.The Theme Chooser has been updated as well. It now allows you to easily and quickly view and apply a theme as well. The Theme Chooser also makes it easy to quickly apply a particular slide size. The 3D charts and graphs have been updated as well to include additional textures and new animations. The killer new feature in Keynote is the introduction of the Keynote Remote application for the iPhone or iPod touch. Using Wi-Fi you can view your slide as well as notes on the slide wirelessly from your iPhone or iPod touch. If you rotate your device into a landscape orientation you can view the current slide as well as the next slide. In true touchscreen form you can swipe your finger across the screen to advance to the next slide.Click the read link for more information about iWork '09.For full Macworld Expo coverage, bookmark the TUAW Macworld Expo 2009 landing page. If you missed our liveblog coverage, you can review it here.
Mac 101: Shorten text using the Summarize Service
Have you ever been reading a long article and wished you could somehow magically make it shorter? With a Mac OS X service called "Summarize," you can do with a few simple clicks. In many applications such as Safari, Pages, and TextEdit, you can select a block of text and click the application name in the menu bar > Services > Summarize. Once you're in the summarize service, you can quickly and easily shorten the selected text by moving the slider between 1% and 100%. As you move it, the text will magically get shorter, while at the same time keeping the basic meaning of the text that you originally selected. The service is so accurate that it's sometimes scary.When you're done, you can save your summarized text by closing out the window -- you will be asked to save or discard. The result is a .rtf file.Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 section today!
Sate your need for Wrath info at our Wrath of the Lich King page
Poking around on our front page for the latest and greatest in Wrath news not enough for you? Want an IV of all the news coming out the Wrath beta poked directly into your news-reading veins? Then look no further than our newly resdigned Wrath of the Lich King news page, found at wow.com/wrath-of-the-lich-king. From now until launch, that's your number one stop for anything and everything Wrath related, including guides on what's going down in the beta, news about upcoming talent changes and updates for all classes, and what the Lich King himself has planned for us when we step across the threshold in Northrend. Read it, link to it on your own blogs, and, above all, enjoy it. Just like the horrendous undead/demonic melding of Nerz'hul and Arthas Menethil, it's waiting for you.And if Ask a Beta Tester is more your style, our hardworking linkbunnies (actually, there's just one, and she's really nice) have hammered together this Ask a Beta Tester page as well, with a clear overview of everything our Beta Testers have been asked and answered so far. Want to know what races the NPCs of Dalaran are, or whether Stratholme has showed up in the expansion yet? Our Beta Testers have your answers, and you can see them all over there.
TUAW Tip: How to disable automatic hyperlinks in Pages '08
Do you find it annoying when you go to type in an e-mail address or hyperlink into Pages and it automatically thinks you want the text turned into a hyperlink? Well, you can easily change this setting in the preferences. Just open Page's Preferences (Pages > Preferences, or use command + , (comma) to open preferences). Once there, select the "Auto-Correction" tab and un-check the box labeled "Automatically detect email and web addresses." Now when you start typing a link or e-mail address inside of Pages it will appear as text. [via New Mac User]
LotRO fans find an official home on Facebook
We've been hearing a lot lately about how Facebook is becoming a big gaming platform. But social networking has its roots in marketing and promotion, not game-playing. It's a great place to promote products of all kinds. MMO juggernaut Turbine knows this, of course.Over at the The Lord of the Rings Online forums, Turbine community manager Patience plugged the official LotRO Facebook page. If you're a member of Facebook, you can "Become a Fan" to communicate with other fans, get regular updates, or just let everyone know you like the game. It's currently sitting just shy of 2,000 fans, but we're sure it'll hit the mark promptly.While it may be Turbine that's promoting its fan page right now, we want to make sure we're all about equal opportunity here. So be sure and check out the World of Warcraft and EVE Online pages too, or search for another game; lots of them have pages. We already reported on NCsoft's Facebook invasion.
Apple posts iWork updates
If you're an iWork 08 user, then you may want to run a software update, as Apple has just pushed out updates for all three applications. As ever, there's hugely informative release notes: for Pages 3.0.2 and Numbers 1.0.2 "[t]his update addresses compatibility with Mac OS X" while the Keynote 4.0.2 update "primarily addresses performance issues while playing or exporting presentations."On the TUAW Intel testbed here in the UK, the updates weigh in at 32.4MB, 29.3MB and 27.4MB for Keynote, Pages and Numbers respectively.Keynote 4.0.2 at Apple.comPages 3.0.2 at Apple.comNumbers 1.0.2 at Apple.comThanks to all those who sent this in!
Keynote, Pages and Numbers updates available
Apple keeps the updates coming with new versions of Keynote (version 4.0.1), Pages (version 3.0.1) and Numbers (1.0.1). The description of each is typically cryptic. According to Apple... The Keynote update primarily addresses issues with builds and performance. The Pages update primarily addresses issues with change tracking and performance. The Numbers update primarily addresses issues with tables and performance. Sound good? If you've purchased iWork '08, launch software update.
Pages '08 opens Word 2007 documents
We reported that Office 2008 for the Mac has been delayed until January 2008, which means you'll have to use the beta file converter before you can open Word 2007 for Windows documents on your Mac (Office 2007 introduced a new file format called Office Open XML which Office 2004 for the Mac doesn't support. The converter dumbs down the file so Office for the Mac can open it).Sure, you could do that, or you could use the first word processor for the Mac that supports that file format natively: Pages '08. That's right, Apple's little word processor that could can open Word 2007 documents (and earlier). It doesn't just open them either, Apple says that styles, tables, and other parts of the document are intact as well.That sound you just heard? The MacBU screaming in frustration.
iWork '08 30 day demo available
Are you chomping at the bit for iWork '08? Chomp no more (I mean, that can't be good for your teeth)! Apple has just made available a free 30 day trial for download. Take Pages, Keynote, and Numbers for a spin before you plunk down your hard earned cash for it. Now, if only Apple would do the same for iLife '08.Thanks, Robert.
Apple debuts iWork '08
According to good-old Steve Jobs, speaking at Apple's summer press conference, the company's productivity powerhouse iWork '08 is on the way, and it will feature a ton of enhancements for Keynote and Pages, plus it introduces a new app to the mix: Numbers. The new component will apparently be giving Excel a run for its money, with a slew of new data-handling functions and spreadsheet-ing capabilities. Jobs calls the new edition -- which imports / exports in Excel format -- a "spreadsheet for the rest of us," and touts all sorts of easy to access features like intelligent tables, readable formulas, the use of multiple formats on single page, and the ability to make what Jobsy calls "gorgeous looking spreadsheets very quickly." Additionally, Keynote and Pages have received some updating, with new text effects and transitions for Apple's Power Point competitor, as well as "Smart Builds," new themes, and easier to access animation tools. Pages gets re-upped with a contextual format bar, built-in change tracking, further compatibility with Word, and 140 Apple-designed templates for documents. The whole shebang is available right now from Apple for $79 (or $99 for the family pack).
Pages Templates 1.0
Despite its baby-app shortcomings, I'm finally beginning to warm up to Pages. It's a very Apple-esque word processor (surprise surprise) with all the power I need without having to deal with the behemoth that is Microsoft Word. That said, I've been finding Pages a bit short on templates lately, and the iWorkCommunity Template Exchange is coming up just isn't doing it for me. Thankfully, I just caught Jumsoft's Pages Templates 1.0, a collection of 20 snazzy lookin' new templates for books, brochures, business cards, invitations, resumes, sales posters, portfolios, catalogs, menus, and even business reports and invoices. Even better, nearly every template offers multiple pages with alternate layouts from the screenshots you see at Jumsoft's site. Since these are mere templates, it appears Jumsoft doesn't offer any kind of downloadable demo for obvious reasons (I should also note that these templates only work with iWork/Pages '06, not '05). Fortunately, they do include multiple screenshots on the templates that offer more than one layout, so you can at least get a good look at everything the $39 price will get you.[via MacMinute]
insideapple.apple.com?
The promotional email for the .Mac webmail refresh that went out over the weekend might have been a bit more revealing than we originally thought. Reader Harry noticed the address Apple used to send it was a bit different than the standard 'noreply@apple.com' (and honestly, I'm signed up for so much promo stuff these days I don't pay attention to who it's from with stuff like this anymore). The email was sent from an inside.apple.com domain, and following it redirects you to an apple.com/chatterbox 'we'll be back soon!' maintenance page - not the typical 'Looking for something at Apple?' page.Some googling revealed that others have seen this /chatterbox/ link used before, especially with images that are linked in newsletters, so this might be nothing more than some internal system for site and/or email and newsletter management. The 'we'll be back soon' bit simply makes it a little more interesting, as that sounds like it could actually be something public. In all likelihood it's nothing, and you can simply move along.
