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The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for March 3, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some 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 player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Apple using Tumblr to promote iPhone 5c, and other news for March 3, 2014
A few days ago a new Tumblr page called "isee5c" appeared which features Apple's first dedicated Tumblr ad campaign. Called "Every color has a story," the campaign shows five 15-second videos with color themes corresponding to the iPhone 5c and its colorful cases. The videos feature animated dots, which represent the dots of the iPhone 5c cases, moving to regional or period music. For example, one video features Portuguese music while another features French music. When the Tumblr page first appeared, it seemed it might have been created by just an Apple fan. However, 9to5Mac did some digging into the matter and found that the complicated trail of who lies behind the Tumblr page leads back to Apple's ad agency: While there is no absolute proof that Apple is behind these iPhone 5c videos, there is evidence that points to Apple likely being behind the new advertising campaign. First, some Tumblr users are reporting that the iPhone 5c colors Tumblr page is showing up as a Sponsored Post in their Dashboards. This means that the page's creator is paying Tumblr/Yahoo for the iPhone 5c page to show up as an advertisement. It is unlikely that a casual user would create such a paid campaign in the Apple style. Connecting even more strongly to Apple is additional information from the webpage's source code. While the videos are completely hidden from being embedded by others, the source code informs us that the advertisements are actually being hosted on video-sharing network Vimeo. These videos are hosted on a paid/pro account by the name of "MAL." The completely hidden MAL Vimeo account was created 5 days ago, and it lacks any additional information. The videos from the Tumblr do not even show up publicly on the channel page. MAL is the name of Apple's advertising agency based in Los Angeles, California which works with Apple on most of its print, online, and television advertising strategies. The Acronym MAL is short for Media Arts Lab, and the group is a division of advertising behemoth TBWA. In other news: In a major legal victory, Apple has won the dismissal of a German patent troll lawsuit. The OpenNI SDK that allowed developers to access 3D sensing hardware such as the Kinect has been shuttered after Apple bought Prime Sense. Last week Tim Cook revealed "several billion" iMessages are sent each day along with 15 to 20 million FaceTime video calls.
Tumblr adds @ mentions, further establishes internet jargon
Silly Tumblr, what with its ability to type full, actual names instead of @-based messages. Quaint, even! Well it turns out that Yahoo's favorite microblogging service is adding Twitter-esque @ messages as of today -- the company's even celebrating the news with a custom GIF just for you (seen above). Wondering how to do it? Just...uh, well, the GIF above should let you know.
Comedian bakes iPhone cookies to fool cops, but you probably shouldn't
Chatting on your iPhone while behind the wheel can get you into some serious trouble (not to mention an accident, so DON'T DO IT), but comedian Randy Liedtke thinks he's found a way to have some fun with the laws against such practices. Posting on his Tumblr account, Liedtke shows off a batch of new "iPhone cookies" he prepared for the express purpose of fooling cops into thinking he's talking on his smartphone while driving. "Baked some iPhone cookies to trick cops into pulling me over," he writes, adding "then I just take a bite and ask if cookies are against the law." We'll chalk this one up to a comedian doing what he does best, which is making people laugh, but actually trying such a trick could still land you in hot water. There may be no laws against eating cookies, but eating while driving (which can be considered "distracted driving," depending on your state and the mood of the cop that pulls you over) could still land you with a ticket. Unless you share the cookies with the officer... I mean, who doesn't love cookies? Update: Well... it worked. Sort of.
Tumblr for iOS is redesigned, new features
Tumblr, now owned by Yahoo, has just released the latest version of its iOS app, giving the app a complete visual makeover and adding a number of new features. The app's dashboard, which allows users to both view Tumblr blogs they love and edit and post to their own Tumblr blogs, has now has that iOS 7 flat UI we all know and love. But the real treats in the latest release are the new features. The new post composer screen offers a better layout and fewer taps to get your content up. The post chooser has also gotten similar improvements. And for those who are avid taggers, you'll be happy to know the app now features autocompleting tagging terms. A full list of updates can be found in the release notes below: What's New in Version 3.5 We've completely redesigned Tumblr for iPhone and iPad! It's faster and has a beautiful new look and feel, just like iOS 7. • Total Dashboard makeover • New post compose screen • New post chooser • New fast reblog • Tag autocomplete! Tumblr for iOS is a free download.
Tumblr gets refreshed for iOS 7, lets you reblog that cat GIF that much faster
Tumblr has just updated its iOS app with a completely redesigned interface that more closely matches the aesthetic of Apple's latest mobile operating system. The most significant change is that the activity view is now in its own tab so it's that much easier to keep up with who reblogged, liked or commented on your posts. Additionally, posting a new entry is much more streamlined with a fast reblog button, larger post type icons, new animations, tag auto-completion, a drop-down schedule calendar and an all-new image uploader that presents your photos and videos in a friendlier grid view instead of just popping you over to the camera roll. So if you just can't get enough of those Ryan Gosling memes or that funny cat GIF, head on over to the source link to update the app right now.
Tumblr Android app adds auto-playing GIFs, photosets and landscape viewing
Tumblr and animated GIFs are practically inseparable at this point, so we're happy to report that the microblogging platform's latest Android app update enhances that marriage. The next time you hit the mobile dashboard you'll see that GIFs start playing automatically. What's more, you can now scroll through the app in landscape mode and make photosets within it too. However brief the change log may be, it's even more evidence that the Tumblr overlords have a preference for Google's mobile OS -- the company's post doesn't mention when these features might arrive on iOS.
Tumblr search update makes it easier to find the perfect GIF
With over 154 million blogs on Tumblr, finding just what you're looking for can be a chore. Luckily, the company has made it easier by announcing a beefed up search function. The Yahoo-owned site can now process search requests with multiple hashtagged words or phrases, such as "#engadget #expand." Leaving the pound sign out produces more robust search results -- returning both officially tagged entries and ones that simply contain the query text. To make its explicit content filter more visible and less confusing, Tumblr moved it to the redesigned results page, which now also boasts a Filter menu that segregates posts by type. Finally, a scrollbar that displays relevant blogs joins these two features, which should make it easier to find new friends if yours left for greener pastures.
Facebook Home update brings Instagram, Tumblr and more to all Android lock screens
It's been available to Facebook's Android beta testers for a few weeks now, but as of today all Android users can get their hands on the latest update to the company's OS-overhauling app, Home. As you may recall, the big addition with this update is a number of new options that can now be integrated into your lock screen -- namely, Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr, and Pinterest. Once those are added and authenticated, you can start browsing posts from the respective services without actually opening the dedicated app. And... that's about it. You can get a quick look at how the new features work in the video after the break.
Facebook Home adds Flickr, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest to lock screen (video)
Starting today, Facebook Home is finally including non-Facebook content on the lock screen, though only a few users will be able to take advantage of the option at first. Facebook for Android Beta testers can now access content from Flickr, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram as well as standard Facebook fare by following a few easy steps. All you have to do is select which apps you want to sync up in Home's settings menu and punch in your account information. After all is said and done, you'll be able to browse and like posts right from Home with the option to view the content on the original site with a conveniently provided link. There's no word yet on when a wider audience will be able to access the feature, but we'll keep you posted as we learn more. To see the new Home in action, check out the video after the break.
Tumblr adds push notifications to Android app, iOS version to follow suit
A barrage of apps might've just gotten an iOS 7 refresh, but there's one for Android that's left its iOS counterpart in the dust: Tumblr. The microblogging site's Android app now boasts push notifications, adding blog follow and comment pings to the mishmash of Facebook and Twitter replies you get. Of course, if you like suspense and would rather see interactions when you're on the Yahoo-owned site, you can alway turn notifications off via Settings. Despite this notable feature, the new version's changelog is quite short -- the only other item is the activity screen redesign that you can see in the image above. Have fun lording these changes over your iOS-using friends while you can, though -- Tumblr says an update for iPhones and iPads is "coming very soon."
Website building portal Jimdo creates websites using just an iPhone/iPad
Building a personal website used to be a long ordeal. Prior to the advent of highly customizable blogging platforms like Tumblr and WordPress, building a site required learning code or hiring someone to do all the heavy lifting for you. These days you can build a basic site in minutes at your home computer ... and now you can do it from your iOS device. Jimdo, an online website-creation company, has launched a new iOS app that allows users to create websites from the palms of their hands without messing with coding. Starting with a basic template, the app then allows users to drag and drop site elements to customize the look of the site. There are three tiers of pricing available, each offering expanded levels of support. Beyond the basic free sites, there is a US$90-a-year premium plan that offers expanded design and control options, and a $240-a-year business plan. The business plan provides an online store, an optimized mobile version of your site, improved security and more. Jimdo is available in the App Store right now.
Take a nostalgia trip with minimalist renders of old Macs
You remember your first Mac desktop, but if you don't, Aakash Doshi's wonderfully nostalgic minimalist renders of each all-in-one Mac starting with the beloved 128K will surely jog your memory. The appropriately titled "History of Mac" project is still ongoing, but for the moment Doshi has drawn a total of 14 computers and posted his work on his Tumblr page. The art is certainly lovely as a desktop background, but if you just can't live without a print of a Lisa or an iMac G3 on your wall, you're in luck: Doshi notes he is working on making History of Mac prints available for purchase.
Tumblr releases emergency update to fix password-sniffing bug
Tumblr has released an emergency update for its iOS app to fix a bug that allowed people to sniff out passwords. Tumblr was notified of the security vulnerability today. The company says that if you have been using its iOS apps, you should also update your Tumblr password and your password on any sites where you use the same password. From the company's blog: Important security update for iPhone/iPad users We have just released a very important security update for our iPhone and iPad apps addressing an issue that allowed passwords to be compromised in certain circumstances¹. Please download the update now. If you've been using these apps, you should also update your password on Tumblr and anywhere else you may have been using the same password. It's also good practice to use different passwords across different services by using an app like 1Password or LastPass. Please know that we take your security very seriously and are tremendously sorry for this lapse and inconvenience. ¹ "Sniffed" in transit on certain versions of the app Tumblr can be downloaded from the App Store here. By downloading the latest version you will have closed the password security hole.
Tumblr for iOS receives critical security update, users urged to change passwords
A fresh version of Tumblr just hit iOS devices less than a week ago, but now the Yahoo-owned service is pushing out a newer release with "a very important security update." Not only is the outfit recommending that users download the tweaked app immediately, but it's also asking folks to change their password on Tumblr and on any other service they use the same passphrase. There's no mention of a breach or exactly what the new code patches up, but we'll keep you in the proverbial loop as we learn more. Update: We've gotten word from Tumblr that it was notified of a security vulnerability and immediately dispatched the update to remedy the issue. Hit the break to read the outfit's entire statement.
Tumblr updates app to add trending topics and improved tags
Tumblr has released the first major update to its iOS app since being purchased by Yahoo this past May. The update brings a few important new features to the mobile version of the blogging platform, including increased interaction with tags. Users can now see trending tags and blogs on Tumblr to see what topics are popular at any given moment. In addition, tag searching on the app has been changed so when you search a particular topic, you will be shown a list of related recommended blogs, and then the feed of tagged posts. If you're looking to find new Tumblr pages to follow, these new features could be very helpful. If not, they don't take up too much space when you're searching. You can find the update in the App Store.
Tumblr on iOS expands search, Android version does the same (updated)
Tumblr's iOS and Android apps were both updated today, with the former getting a "new discovery experience" and the latter getting a variety of updates (most notably a UI redesign). The iOS app's update adds the ability to "search tags and blogs" directly through Tumblr iOS' "discovery" section (previously you could only search by tag), making it all the easier to find that entry on Public Shaming you wanted to show mom. The Android app, meanwhile has "fancy new post animations," and apparently it makes "images pop!" There are also a couple of bug fixes and some functionality updates -- full notes for both versions are just below, and you can snag Tumblr for iOS and Android at the links in the source. Now if you'll excuse us, we've gotta get back to reading Dear Trolls. Update: Several of the features outlined above have been available in earlier Android updates. The search functionality, however, is completely new.
Yahoo's acquisition of Tumblr is now closed, Marissa Mayer rejoices
That whole Yahoo buying Tumblr thing? That's a done deal. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer took to Yahoo's Tumblr account -- meta! -- to announce her excitement at the deal's close. "Today is an incredibly exciting day for Yahoo! and Tumblr," Mayer said. She reconfirmed Yahoo's commitment to running Tumblr as a separate entity, and announced a whole mess of new Tumblrs dedicated to various capacities of Yahoo (Search, Messenger, Mail, Sports, Answers and Flickr). There's even a GIF containing the fairly amazing image seen above. Head below for the full letter of celebration from Mayer herself.
Nintendo 3DS image sharing comes to the US through Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Now that Animal Crossing: New Leaf has launched in the US, so too has a Nintendo 3DS feature: public image sharing. American gamers who want to prove their mayoral skills can now snap a screenshot and visit a special website to post their images to Tumblr, Twitter or both. The picture sharing has limited usefulness when New Leaf is the only supporting title in the country, but it still marks a welcome (if tentative) step for Nintendo into a more social world. Sean Buckley contributed to this report.
Tumblr brings sponsored posts to your Dashboard on the web
Less than two weeks after Yahoo announced its acquisition of Tumblr, the micro-blogging platform is unveiling a new feature for its desktop site. Starting today, users will see sponsored content mixed in alongside posts from the blogs they follow. Previously, sponsored content from brands was only featured in Tumblr Radar, located less prominently to the right of the Dashboard. Though the goal is clearly for paid content to blend in with regular posts -- see that dollar sign above? -- we're sure Tumblr users will sniff out the difference instantly.
