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OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 in-depth preview
Apple OS X Lion (10.7) review Apple's OS X Lion USB sticks now available online for $69 Apple updates EFI firmware on 2010 Macs: offers Lion internet recovery, not much else You can bid farewell to the days of Apple's theatrical OS reveals -- at least until OS 11 rears its head, anyway. In the meantime, the outfit has seemingly been content to strip away more and more pomp and circumstance with every subsequent big cat release. Lately, the company has settled into an evolutionary release schedule, eschewing full-fledged makeovers in favor of packing in lots of smaller changes, many of them quite granular indeed. It's a trend that can be traced as far back as 2009's OS X Snow Leopard (10.6), a name designed to drive home the point that the upgrade wasn't so much a reinvention of the wheel as a fine tuning of its predecessor, Leopard. The arrival of Lion (10.7), though, marked a full upgrade. With features like Launchpad and Mission Control, it seemed like it might be the last version Cupertino dropped before finally pulling the trigger on operating system number 11, and perhaps transitioning to something with an even stronger iOS influence. Right now, at least, the company's not ready to close the book on chapter X, but it is giving the world a first peek at 10.8. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Mountain Lion.
Vimeo app lands for Windows Phone, lets you upload your next student film over 3G
Hello there Mango fans, is YouTube just a little too lowbrow for you? Well, fret not, Vimeo is here to stream all the HD student shorts your little Microsoft-loving heart desires. The official app doesn't just let you browse, search and view clips on the site, though -- it completely integrates with your account, allowing you to upload HD video, tweak the details of your uploads and even check stats. Basically, with this app in your pocket there's almost no reason to visit the desktop site ever again. Of course, the prerequisite sharing features are also included, because, what good is capturing and uploading all this lovely video if you can't tweet it out to all your friends. Check out the gallery below and hit up the source to download it for free from the Windows Phone Marketplace.
Vimeo updates iOS app to include iPad, releases Android and Windows Phone apps too
Vimeo is unleashing a handful of mobile apps here at CES. First, the company has announced mobile software is now available for Android (Gingerbread) and Windows Phone (Mango) sporting upload functionality and 'watch later' queue management. Absent from the PR below is the upcoming iOS overhaul what will welcome iPads to the party -- due out later this month. Enabling Full HD streaming on the Apple slate, the updated app includes an editor with access to the Vimeo Music Store, browse-while-watching capabilities and functions of the regular ol' apps. For a smattering of screens shots from the aforementioned devices, hit the gallery below.
Too lazy to grab your TV remote? Use Siri instead
Siri hasn't been caught cooking dinner yet, but hackers worldwide have boldly taken Apple's personal assistant to a whole new level by incorporating its functionality with a plethora of different devices. We've seen Siri use custom commands, change the temperature in your house, and even allow select car owners to utilize their automobile's Bluetooth integration. Nifty, no doubt, but this assistant's evolution towards greater heights isn't over yet. Vimeo user toddtreece has whipped up a slick demo of the iPhone 4S' right hand gal (or guy) taking command of his television set. From changing channels to turning off devices, with the help of a proxy and a few parts, you can get your own home setup running on voice activation. Feeling a bit guilty for your sudden interest in slothfulness? Fret not -- Siri's apparently quite good at calling you out. Have a look just after the break. [Thanks, Jesse]
Vimeo for iPhone doesn't disappoint
Vimeo released an official iPhone app yesterday, and it does not disappoint. As a 1.0 release, it's impressive. Consider it a one-stop shop for watching, recording, editing and delivering video to Vimeo. There are a few bumps in the road, but all-in-all Vimeo for iPhone is a solid offering. Here's my experience with the app. UI Vimeo for iPhone is a portrait orientation kind of app. Unless you're shooting or viewing video, it wants to be vertical. You're first presented with your video library, aptly named "My Video Library." Across the top of the screen are the Camera and New ("+") buttons, followed by a list of your previously-uploaded videos. These can be viewed in list or thumbnail layout, and sorted by date or number of views. A search function returns results as you type, which is nice. At the bottom of the screen you'll find buttons for My Videos, Recordings, My Stuff (which includes sub-tabs for Inbox, Watch Later and Likes,) Browse (by channel) and finally account information. %Gallery-120172% Browsing your videos in list view provides information on views, number of favorites and comments at a glance. Otherwise, tap a video to find those details and more, like tags, privacy setting, stats and licensing options.
Vimeo's gratis iOS video editing app punks iMovie in its own house, available now
Still waffling over that bank-shattering $4.99 iMovie purchase? We get it. Thankfully, you've held out long enough for the free market to come and rescue you (again) -- Vimeo has just launched a legitimate alternative into the App Store today with a far, far more luscious price tag: $0.00. The official iOS app checks in at 20.1MB, and offers the ability to upload, manage, edit and watch your videos (as well as those conjured up by others, naturally). It'll handle edits and uploads for both SD and HD footage, and there's even support for pausing / resuming uploads, sharing via your favorite social networking website, and a view to statistics -- if you're into that type of narcissistic thing. The app's up for grabs down in the source link below, and while we're hearing that some folks are hitting upload snags every so often, we're sure the v1.0 build will be refreshed in short order. Oh, and for the iPad and Android contingent? Your copy is en route, but a helping of patience is requested.
Vimeo for iPhone now available, features video editor
Vimeo expanded its video hosting service to include an iPhone application today. The new mobile application is integrated tightly into the Vimeo service and lets you easily edit and manage your existing video content as well as add new content recorded on your iOS device. The Vimeo application is feature rich and lets you upload new content and download existing clips to your camera roll. The account management feature lets you edit the details of your video clips and organize them into groups, channels and albums. You can also retrieve stats, such as daily views, likes and comments. The obligatory social networking features let you share your videos using Twitter, Tumblr, WordPress, email or SMS. To sweeten the pot, the Vimeo application also includes a built-in video capture tool and editor that lets you spruce up videos recorded by your phone before you share them with the world. Editor features are basic and include transitions, titling and trim effects. You can also add a personalized audio track and adjust the volume level of recorded clips. Lastly, Vimeo has covered all the bases with this application by allowing users to browse Vimeo's extensive catalog of video clips from their mobile phone. Similar to its web client, the mobile application lets you watch videos stored in your Inbox and your Watch Later queue as well as those clips you have liked. You can also use the iOS application to "like" videos and add them to your Watch Later queue. Best of all, Vimeo is open to suggestions for improvement and is committed to providing regular updates, which will include new music, effects and feature requests submitted by users. The application is available for free from the App Store and is compatible with iOS devices running version 4.0.1 including the iPhone, iPod touch (fourth generation) and the iPad 2.
Free for All: Your guide to a freemium Ryzom
While some details are still a little foggy, we recently learned that the unusual sci-fantasy MMO Ryzom will be going freemium on March 9th, pretty much the time that this article will go live. To say that this was exciting news is quite the understatement, especially since I have been a fan of the game for several years. I even hosted a podcast dedicated to the game and have always tried to play it when I get the chance. Of course, a $10.95-a-month subscription kept me from dedicating too much time to it, as did the fact that I keep myself busy with every other game under the sun, so getting the chance to take as much time as I want in the game is thrilling. Also, this means that new players can try the game out without fear of running into the end of a 21-day trial, although since free players are capped at a level limit of 125 out of 250, they'll eventually be asked to pony up for the rest of the game. Let me tell you why this is exciting and give you some basic information to get you started on the wonderful world of Atys. Later in this article, I've even embedded a two-year-old video I made about live events in Ryzom. It's funny, I have my work clothes on, and I talk really fast. I felt it was still relevant because live events still happen in Ryzom, and I wanted to show off some of the games graphics while I was at it. Click past the cut and let's discuss!
Vimeo launches Couch Mode, full screen browsing for the TV
If you're the type who likes to regale your guests with silly viral video clips on the big screen in the living room -- and who doesn't? -- this next item is for you. Vimeo has just launched its "couch mode" full-screen viewing mode. Like YouTube's Leanback mode, it features a simplified UI with just the options you'd want while couch-surfing: in this case a More Info screen toggle and a Watch Later queue. Less clutter means more time to watch eight year old rappers and bad local comedians. Sounds like a winner to us! Currently only available to Chrome and Safari users, with support for other browsers on its way. Get a closer look at the info screen after the break.
Apple announces iLife '11, $49 upgrade or free with every new Mac, available today
There you have it. Shockingly enough, iMovie, iPhoto, and GarageBand have all been modernized sufficiently to merit having their names appended with '11. iPhoto '11 is taking the early demo lead in the live event, with hot new slideshow themes. Gee, Steve, you're building it up nice and slow, huh? There are added Facebook and email sharing enhancements and new full screen modes that make it look a lot like ... an iPad app. %Gallery-105511% iMovie '11 will freshen up the audio editing options (finally!) and add "one step effects," a People Finder that identifies individuals in movie clips, and an apparently effortless movie trailer maker. Intriguing. The audio tweaks include per-segment sound levels adjustments as well as easy fade sliders, there are also additional new audio effects for people to play around with. 24fps video editing and output is now supported, allowing you to export more film-like trailers using the templates thrown into this new software. Good news on the upload front too, as direct sharing to Facebook and Vimeo has also been added.%Gallery-105516% Apple is adding FlexTime, Groove Matching, more guitar and amp effects, new piano and guitar lessons, and finally a "How Did I Play" feature to GarageBand '11. Groove Matching can be summarized with a quote from the Cupertino crew's Xander Soren: "it's like an automatic spellchecker for bad rhythm." As to "How Did I Play," that's a mixture of post-play analysis and a Rock Band-like live note monitor, which highlights in green the notes you strike correctly or in red the ones you miss. It works with both the guitar and piano.%Gallery-105523% iLife '11 is available today, as a free extra on new Macs or as a $49 upgrade on differently new Apple machines. Full press release is now embedded after the break.
TUAW first look and giveaway: Courier simplifies Mac media sharing
Sharing your files, photos, movies, and images with others through online services can sometimes be a hassle for Mac users. For some of us, it's possible to get all of the various interconnections between services set up in such a way that one tweet sends a photo to Facebook, Flickr, and a variety of other services. But for a surprising number of Mac users, it just isn't that easy. Realmac Software is in the business of making things easy. They're the folks who make website design easy with RapidWeaver, and they've just come out with a tool to make media sharing as easy as putting a stamp on an envelope. Courier (US$19.95 introductory price) is designed so that anyone, even your Mom, can easily upload photos, movies, and the like to a pile of services. A download of Courier is available for a limited trial, and you can make an in-app purchase of the app if you like it. We're going to be giving away five copies of Courier to TUAW readers, so read up on how the app works and then enter the giveaway. Check out the gallery below for a few screenshots, and then read on for a look at this Mac application. %Gallery-101620%
Royalty-free H.264 is a big win for HTML5, big loss for Flash
Update: Mozilla responds, saying that by 2014 (when the original fee-free license for H.264 would have expired) chances are the codec won't be relevant anymore. So far, one of the main arguments against widespread implementation of HTML5 video has been the uncertain licensing future of the H.264 standard. Proponents of Flash video and organizations committed to license-free software, like the Mozilla foundation, said that while H.264 was currently royalty-free (and would remain so until 2015), there was no guarantee that MPEG LA wouldn't start charging licensing fees later on. In that event, if HTML5 had supplanted Flash as the de facto standard for video on the web, it would have meant that organizations and possibly even end users would have found themselves saddled with onerous fees after 2015. That theoretical stumbling block has disappeared. MPEG LA has announced that H.264 will be royalty-free forever so long as video encoded with the standard is free to end users. This means sites like YouTube and vimeo will never be charged licensing fees to serve video on the web; presumably, it also means that Apple will continue to pay licensing fees to sell videos in the iTunes Store. Mozilla's Firefox browser doesn't currently support HTML5 video (via H.264, that is -Ed); the uncertainty of H.264's licensing future meant Mozilla wanted to stick with Ogg Theora, a video codec Mozilla believed would be unencumbered by patenting issues. With MPEG LA's announcement that H.264 will be royalty-free in perpetuity, it's likely only a matter of time before Firefox joins browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Internet Explorer 9 in fully supporting HTML5. This is good news for almost everyone except Adobe. Adobe's main argument against moving away from the current Flash-dominated web video landscape to one with a truly open standard like HTML5 is now invalid. While Flash may continue to hold onto its grip on interactive web content, MPEG LA's announcement likely points to an end to Flash's dominance in video. This is also the last nail in the coffin for any possibility of Flash running in iOS -- with possibly the biggest obstacle to widespread implementation of HTML5 video now gone, there's zero incentive for Apple to hitch its wagon to Flash. [Via Macworld]
Vimeo embeds now working on iPad, iPhone
[Note: While most videos on Vimeo.com would play back on iDevices prior to this update if watched on the Vimeo site, the new 'Universal Player' embed code should allow publishers and website developers to include compatible embeds on their sites. Vimeo does not provide mobile versions of every video on the site, limiting some features to Plus (paid) users. Details on making videos mobile-friendly are in the Vimeo FAQ and the new features announcement. –Ed.] Popular video site Vimeo (think a more artsy YouTube) has changed its embed code to be completely HTML5 compatible, which means you can now browse the site completely embed videos that play back on the iPhone or the iPad. I just pulled the site up on my iPhone, and I have to say, I think it's a smoother browsing experience than the browser itself -- you just get a list of videos, and clicking on whichever one you want (like, for example, the great Dennis Liu music video above) opens it right up in Quicktime. Good deal. Vimeo's been flirting with HTML5 for the better part of this year, but this switchover means everything (including embeds when seen from an iPhone or iPad) is available in HTML5 from the start -- bye bye Flash. [Flash will still be served to desktop browsers. –Ed.] The new update also adds a "Watch Later" feature to accounts on the site, so you can save videos and pull them back up on the device of your choice, even if you're not using something that works well. Eventually, the Watch Later feature will be added in to the Vimeo API, and there's also a new Vimeo channel available on Roku set-top boxes if you've got one of those. But the HTML5 change is the biggest one -- one more site leaves the Flash-only fold and becomes extremely accessible to Apple's platform.
The iPad makes a pretty good skateboard, too
We've seen an iPad blended and microwaved, so why not turn it into a skateboard, right? That's exactly what Fuel.tv did, and you can watch the results above. Does it stand up to the skater scrutiny? Yes and no ... okay, mostly no. The screen surprisingly breaks right away, and the form factor seems a little too small to support the skater's balance. However, after a little reinforcement (including a drilled hole through the middle that results in ... smoke? Is that the "magical" part?), they can actually get it to roll a little ways. That's not too shabby! Before you start complaining that they've, yet again, wasted an iPad, don't forget that 500 bucks has nabbed them over 100k views of their video online. So, for them, it's not a complete throwaway. [via Mashable]
Try out Clipstart, win an iPhone
Clipstart, a handy little Mac app for cataloging your small video clips and sending them to Flickr and Vimeo, has been out for a little while now. If you own an iPhone, Flip video camera or any device which has left you with an accumulation of video clips, it's worth a look. It's something like iTunes or iPhoto, but for video clips. Clipstart can import your videos, tag and search them, and trim, convert and upload them to your preferred video service(s). Currently, Clipstart works with Flickr and Vimeo, but more services are planned, and the author, Manton Reece of Wii Transfer fame, is looking for feedback on which services are in highest demand. If Clipstart would be useful to you if only it worked with [insert video service], be sure to drop him a line. While you're trying out Clipstart, take a look under the help menu. You'll find an option to enter the "iPhone Contest," which is exactly what it sounds like: enter to win an iPhone (in the form of a $199US Apple iPhone Gift Card, which can also be used for other things), as well as 1-year Flickr Pro and Vimeo Plus accounts. The contest ends on August 15th and all you need to do is enter an email address. So give Clipstart a shot (free demo available), and you might come out with a great new app and a new iPhone. Clipstart is $29US for a single user, but no purchase is necessary to win the contest.
The Guild hosts a Worst Guild Candidate Ever video contest
The Guild (which, as we were told by Michele Boyd last week, just started putting together their third season last weekend) is having a video contest, with a little twist. They want you to make a one minute video of a potential guildie for The Guild that would obviously get rejected -- in other words, a worst guild candidate ever video contest. So maybe you could clearly be a loot hog, or not know anything about your character (but claim to know everything). Or whatever else you come up with -- it sounds like they want the entries to be as embarrassingly bad as possible. To enter, you'll just have to create a video, upload it to a sharing site like YouTube or Vimeo (make sure you save a high-quality original of it just in case), and then drop them an email with a link to the video.Sounds like fun. If you win, you'll get featured on their website, and/or have a chance to get your video on their season 3 DVD release. They've also got legal rules over on their site (unfortunately, it's US-only, like so many other contests on the Internet), and have discussions about the contest going on their forums as well. Good luck to all who enter -- we can't wait to see the results!
WoW Moviewatch: Paul Revere
Any machinima that uses The Beastie Boys wins a few extra points in my book right off the bat, but it certainly helps that this video in particular is well choreographed. The video fit the music very well, and I think my only real complaint is that it started to drag on a little. To be truthful, I can't tell if that's the fault of the machinima or the fault of my fascinating inability to sit still for more than a few minutes if there are no explosions in my direct vicinity.I do like the fact that there was a story being played out using the lyrics of the song, rather than just a bunch of unrelated scenes cobbled together as we see so often. It's nice when someone sticks to a theme rather than flashing back and forth between random characters and scenes, only focusing on words that stick out in a song rather than the entire song. The jarring scene switches have their place, but this isn't it. It's good to see the author recognize that.The creator, CSid, mentioned that this was a test project and they'll be working on their own WoW web series. I haven't seen enough from CSid to make a prediction on its quality, but I can say that I plan on giving it a shot. The animation quality is there, and the ability to tell a story through WoW models is there. We'll see about the writing, I suppose. If you can't see Youtube at home for some reason, here's an alternate Vimeo link.Previously on Moviewatch ..
HD quality comparison of online video sharing sites
Sure, you could just surf around the intarwebz and utilize the tried-and-true "eye test" to see which online video sharing site boasts the best HD quality, but there's always a good feeling associated with having some cold, hard facts to back things up. TechVideoBlog has done the hard work for you, spelling out the resolution, codec, audio quality, etc. associated with each. The assembler of the data personally prefers Facebook and YouTube, but we'll let you digest the data in the read link before asking you to share your own choice in comments below.
WoW Moviewatch: Homesick: The Making of a Supervillain
Gnomechewer remains one of my favorite machinimators by far, and his most recent work doesn't dull those feelings at all. Homesick: The Making of a Supervillain (which you can also see on Vimeo) continues Gnomechewer's history of blending game footage (not just WoW, you see a bit of Garry's Mod as well) with music that absolutely fits the tone. It helps that my musical tastes are pretty similar to his, admittedly. Not everyone will see his choices the same way I do, for sure.For some reason, I also find myself fascinated with the way Gnomechewer blends the pulp medieval setting of Warcraft with modern day technology and communications. Warcraft has always had some element of technology which I've adored, but that level of modern technology isn't something I would enjoy in WoW itself. In this format, though, it's very intriguing. Another good example of this is his machinima Back In Your Head, which displays the effects of media and social networking on Jaina Proudmoore and Kael'thas Sunstrider's hypothetical celebrity relationship.The end of this particular video is a bit grim and a bit abrupt, which Gnomechewer said was a result of running out of HD space, but I still found the ending neat. Abrupt, but neat. It felt like enough of a twist that it wasn't too bad, but I find myself wishing hePreviously on Moviewatch...
WoW Moviewatch: The Little White Poney Inn
More Hallow's End spirit to end your week, in the form of a little horror flick called The Little White Poney Inn from Olibith. It's a silent horror film that was originally made in French for Le Grand Prix MMO Machinima in 2007, which won the grand prize. (Anyone surprised? This guy eats awards for breakfast.) This version contains English subtitles over the French dialog cards (subtitles for the subtitles?) and a dialed-down "old film effect" compared to the version he entered into the contest. For this year's version of the same contest, Olibith won a finalist spot for The Noob Song.) If you like to be spooked, you'll have fun with this film and I have to admit that the ending made me laugh. Oh, and someone please go give the guy a chair so he can get back to work! We want more movies, dangit![Via Vimeo]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
