wwdc 2008
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WWDC 08 session videos available
In case you missed WWDC 08 because of a project deadline, the impending birth of your first child, or you just couldn't make it, Apple Developer Connection now has the conference sessions available on video.The videos aren't cheap -- each track (iPhone, Mac, or IT) costs $499, or you can get all of the sessions for the entire conference for "just" $999. The latter collection of geek video features 146 presentations from the conference, perfect for those mid-winter coding marathons.Apple is getting rid of physical media, so you purchase the videos, activate them, and then log into ADC through iTunes to download the videos and presentation slides. You need to be either a free ADC member or registered iPhone developer to activate the videos.If you did attend WWDC 08, you are entitled to access the videos for free and should have received an email from Apple with instructions. If you've lost that email or never received it, contact ADC for details.
WWDC '08: Boinx + TheCodingMonkeys = BoinxTV
We heard from TheCodingMonkeys last week, and there was mention of a joint project with Boinx Software. Being a big fan of Boinx software (iStopMotion, Mousepose, Fotomagico), I couldn't wait to see what they had up their sleeves. The project is called BoinxTV, and it's going to be an invaluable tool for a wide range of video production applications. It allows for on-the-fly camera switching, transitions, lower thirds, graphics, logos, crawlers, graphs, title, you name it. And when you finish a run, you've got a QuickTime movie that requires no post production (unless you really want to). Oliver and Dominik share more about its audience and development in the video after the jump. If you're interested in hearing more about the beta and staying up-to-date on the current status, check out http://www.boinx.com/boinxtv. I've been asked to emphasize that BoinxTV is pre-release. Many aspects of it, including the UI pictured above, are constantly changing and improving. [Viddler link|QuickTime format]
ScreenSteps 2.1 released, interview with Blue Mango
Screensteps, the software documentation generator we've come to love, has reached an official 2.1 status and has been released into the wild. Well, as wild as software documentation gets, anyway. This gem is a TUAW favorite and I'm personally very psyched about the new upload-to-blog feature, which has come a long way since we first announced it in the beta. The other 74 enhancements, changes and fixes can be found in the release notes. You'd expect software in this genre to be well documented ... you won't be disappointed. In addition to the extensive, ScreenSteps-generated online manual, there are new screencasts available on the updated website. You can also grab a 30-day trial of ScreenSteps Pro on the download page. The Standard version is priced at $39.95 and the Pro version comes in at $59.95 (feature comparison). I happened to have a chance to sit down with Trevor and Greg, creators of ScreenSteps, at WWDC. It's quite by coincidence that I managed to finish editing and uploading the video right before they let me know about the 2.1 release. Our chat is after the jump. [Viddler Link|QuickTime version]
WWDC '08: Justin Williams and Today 1.2
Second Gear's Justin Williams released Today 1.2, um ... today. Justin (also known for PocketTweets) says he's shooting for a release every month -- just to keep things lively -- but he's managed to pack some big upgrades in despite the tight timeframe. You'll find a few nice UI tweaks and some massive date selection improvements, along with further incorporation of Leopard's own Mail and iCal. I interviewed Justin at WWDC, and he demonstrated the current-at-the-time incarnation of Today for me, but before I got the video uploaded he'd already added new features and asked if he could send me some updated footage. I took him up on it, and edited together a screencast of the latest update with a conversation from last week. That's right, let's do the time warp (again). Speaking of time warps, I'll have to ask Justin how he got June confused with November ... that'll make more sense after the jump. [Viddler Link|QuickTime Version]
WWDC '08: Jeff Mancuso (Magnetk)
ExpanDrive made a pretty good stir when it was released. If you haven't seen it, it's an application that allows remote SFTP servers to be mounted (using MacFUSE) and used seamlessly as part of the filesystem. We've been following it as it develops and I wanted a chance to talk to its developers about what's up next. I caught up with Jeff Mancuso of Magnetk last week and did just that. I found out where Amazon S3 plans are at, and what ExpanDrive has to offer Flickr, Facebook and other web applications. The video (after the jump) is very nicely lit, too, just for you. Update: Magnetk was kind enough to hand us a coupon code for $5 off of an ExpanDrive license, good for the first 50 TUAW readers who use it. Enter SHFVRDEFO1SGA3QI at checkout. [Viddler Link|QuickTime Version]
(Post) WWDC '08: Vara Software
I missed my chance to meet up with Vara Software at WWDC, which I was lamenting even before they went and won two Apple Design Awards, including Best Mac OS X Leopard Application. I called Paul Carnine, Vara's founder and one of its developers, to talk about the achievement, Vara Software in general, and their increasingly impressive software lineup. The software winning all of the acclaim right now is ScreenFlow, which we excitedly covered when it was initially released. With the last several releases it's become increasingly polished and continues to be one of the best screencasting applications on the Mac market. It's possibly the only application in it's category to rightfully bill itself as a complete "studio." Apparently Apple appreciates this one as much as I do.
WWDC '08: Agile Web Solutions (1Password)
Dave and Roustem from Agile Web Solutions, authors of the form-filling powerhouse known as 1Password, were happy to talk about WWDC, Mac development and the future of 1Password and its upcoming iPhone counterpart. We've taken quite a few notes as 1Password has developed, and while I love the iPhone bookmarklet, I'm excited to see work being done on a native app! There were laughs, tears and some pronounced (and lovable) Canadian colloquialisms. And that's just in the 10 minutes that survived the editing. Video after the jump. [Viddler Link | QuickTime Version]
WWDC '08: Mike Lee (Tapulous)
Mike Lee (yes, the self-proclaimed world's toughest programmer) has a new project called Tapulous. Last time we spoke with Mike, he was part of Delicious Monster but has since moved his focus to the iPhone. Tapulous includes several prominent names from the jailbreak community (including Polar Bear Farm) and is working on a family of "social iPhone applications." We talk about that ... and Lemurs, of course, but that was at my insistence.
WWDC '08: Polar Bear Farm
I had a quick chat with Guy Horrocks from Polar Bear Farm on his way out of the Keynote. The video quality is well below our prestigious TUAW standards, and for that I apologize. Regardless, it's a pleasure to talk to a member of a team which has been delivering functionality deemed by many to be missing from the iPhone, such as the contact search that they previewed for us last time we ran into them. They're certainly not complaining that the announcements at the Keynote will nullify that particular application, they've got plenty more to work on. I got Guy's perspective on moving from the jailbreak scene to "legitimate" iPhone application development, as well as some thoughts on the apps presented in the Keynote. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to demo -- or even talk about -- what they're currently working on. I assume that was out of fear of the World's Toughest Programmer lurking nearby, with whom they're currently in cahoots. Of course, it could have been the NDA.
WWDC '08: 280 North
The guys who comprise 280 North aren't actually working on any Mac applications. I tracked them down because what they are doing -- bringing the quality and usability of the Mac experience to the web -- is remarkable. Their web application, 280 Slides, turns making beautiful, web-based presentations into quick work. It's built on a platform called Cappuccino, using what they've dubbed Objective-J (named for its similarities to Objective-C) -- a library they created which provides a highly useful layer of functionality to standard javascript. According to 280 North, Objective-J provides a web development platform that is more Cocoa-like by removing a lot of the lower-level variables that are the bane of most web developers. Easy cross-browser compatibility, anyone? 2 of the three members of 280 North are former Apple employees, working on the iPhone and iTunes, respectively. They state that 280 Slides isn't so much "Apple-inspired" as it is "good-inspired," but the Keynote resemblance is hard to deny, especially in comparison to other, less-polished web-based presentation apps. 280 Slides is still a work-in-progress, but these guys are coding hard and fast to build what is going to be an excellent application. Check out the video (after the jump) and then take a peek at 280 Slides.
WWDC '08: Gravity Applications
We gave Niclas and Martin from Gravity Applications a chance to talk about their latest (finished) project: Searchlight. It's an exciting application that provides a web interface to your system-wide Spotlight database, allowing any web browser on any platform (including your iPhone) to search, preview and download files from your computer. The chat was fun, but it got even more interesting after the camera stopped rolling and Niclas showed me their next project. I can't reveal it yet, but I can tell you that I've been excited about it ever since and -- because that's a terrible teaser -- I'll tell you that it's quite likely to be a huge step forward in solving some of my most perplexing organization conundrums. I promise to cover it thoroughly when it's released. In the meantime, here's the Gravity team elaborating on Searchlight and their first time at WWDC. Video after the jump.
WWDC '08: TheCodingMonkeys
Amongst my WWDC fumbles was the decision to conduct an interview in Yerba Buena park, adjacent to a main drag. At the time, it seemed like the best available option. Really. Martin and Dominik from TheCodingMonkeys (mentioned here on occasion) are the casualties of that blunder, but I managed to compress and EQ the sound enough to make the video work. It would have been a shame to miss out on these guys. TheCodingMonkeys, seen here perched upon large rocks, have recently joined forces with Boinx to work on a joint project that is going to be very, very cool. More about that after the Boinx interview goes live. It seems that TheCodingMonkeys have a lot to keep mum about, but we get some hints about their upcoming iPhone projects and -- among other things -- assurance that SubEthaEdit will continue to develop. Video after the jump.
WWDC '08: VMWare Fusion
Pat Lee from VMWare sat down with me to share the latest news on the VMWare Fusion 2.0 beta. Among the big new features: the ability to run 10.5 Server as a virtual machine. Check out the interview after the jump, and check out the VMWare blog for some 10-screen virtualization fun. There's a feature demo available on YouTube, and if -- after you've taken all of that in -- you're dying to get in on the beta, head to the public beta release page for more information.
WWDC '08: Interview with Todd Ditchendorf
Kicking off our WWDC 2008 interview series is a chat with Todd Ditchendorf, developer of Fluid. We caught up with Todd shortly after the Keynote and offered him a penny for his thoughts. We covered thoughts on the iPhone, Mobile Me, the future of Fluid and more. The interview took place before our last post on Fluid was written, so there's no mention of the Safari 4.0 seed that was distributed shortly after. Video after the jump.
WWDC 2008 coverage roundup: the iPhone 3G has landed
Holy crap, that's a lot of iPhone news. We've collected every meaningful detail below, and now we're pretty stoked to have our site back. Game on!iPhone 3G iPhone 3G is finally official, starts at $199, available July 11th iPhone 3G hands-on The Lucky 22: countries receiving iPhone 3G on July 11th Steve Jobs keynote live from WWDC 2008 iPhone service stuff and AT&T iPhone push notification service for devs announced Apple's lucrative iPhone revenue sharing goes away, replaced with "traditional" model iPhone 3G purchase and activation will be in-store only More after the break!
WWDC 2008 keynote video now online
As usual, Apple's capped off the day's news by posting the video of the keynote. Just in case you missed the action in today's liveblog (or you want to relive the moment where Steve says "3G" and the audience spontaneously combusts), hit the link below. Us? We'll be taking a breather.For those on Apple overload: don't worry, a little more will be trickling out but it's almost over.
TomTom already has iPhone navigation software ready to roll
That sound you hear is the not-yet-released nüvifone trembling in fear, as TomTom has just announced that an iPhone-ready version of its famed navigation software is practically ready to rock 'n roll. More specifically, a TomTom spokesman was quoted as saying that its "navigation system runs on the iPhone already," and he made the statement hot on the heels of the iPhone 3G announcement. Sadly, he wouldn't disclose an estimated release date for the software, but it's safe to say that the TomTom touch could make Apple's darling a formidable nüvifone opponent.[Via GPSReview]
Where can I buy an iPhone 3G?
View Larger Map During this afternoon's WWDC madness, international Apple fans were treated to some great news on the iPhone front: the iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries.While 22 countries will see the phone launch on July 11, 2008, the phone will be hitting other parts of the world as well. Apple wasn't kidding about making the international presence of the iPhone known, from Madagascar to Mali, Chile to Croatia, the iPhone 3G is coming.You can see the complete list of countries here, but I went ahead and put together a little Google map representing as many of the countries as I could find/fit.
iPhone 3G from AT&T: unlimited data for $30
We still don't have a clear answer from AT&T on whether messaging is included, but if not, the data pricing of $30 per month for unlimited 3G when tied to the iPhone 3G represents a $10 bump from what folks were paying for the 2.5G model. Business owners -- presumably expected to consume considerably more bits over the course of a month -- will be paying $45. Meanwhile, voice plan pricing will start from $39.95, and we're told more details will be available on exactly how it all breaks down when the device actually goes on sale.
iPhone 3G hands-on
Sorry, we don't have pictures but Apple took us into a dramatically lit back-room to check out the new iPhone 3G. Here's what you need to know: We did a quick data test -- at our location we went from 104Kbps on the EDGE iPhone to 215Kbps on the 3G model. 2x ain't bad, yo. The enable/disable 3G setting is real, and buried a few menus deep. There is no automatic switching, Apple just assumes you'll leave 3G on, and that the iPhone has the juice to support that usage. It's tri-band 3G, as we reported the other day. This same phone will ship worldwide. WiFi is still 802.11b/g, no support for n yet. Yes, that GPS is A-GPS, just as we mentioned. Geotagging photos is a thumbs-up. We were deep indoors though, so native GPS wasn't working and we couldn't get a clear idea of satellite acquisition time. The screen looks exactly the same -- maybe a tiny bit brighter, but the unit was new, so it'd be negligible. The camera is identical to the first -- 2 megapixels. No front-facing camera (of course). It's certainly thicker feeling, but they rocked it Treo-style and really tapered those edges, so it just doesn't feel that different. But because of that curved back, it'll dance around on your table a little more than your completely-flat original iPhone. The plastic back didn't feel too cheap. In fact, it felt pretty solid. It's very glossy, so it'll pick up fingerprints just as well as the glass up front (yay). It comes with a ridiculously, absurdly small power adapter. It basically looks like a tiny square with a USB port on one side, and power prongs on the other. It will power any other iDevice (iPod touch, 1st gen iPhone, etc.), and sell separately for those that want a smaller adapter. The dock (now sold separately) and adapter (if you want an extra) will both go for something like $29, although that price is not yet confirmed. No mention was made of copy/paste, MMS, etc. It doesn't look like this thing is going to fit in your old dock. The new dock does look smaller and more sculpted to the new iPhone's curves. The headphone jack is flush, as mentioned. It's still 3.5mm, so if you don't like the out of box phones (which won't stay in our ears), bring your own, no problem -- and no adapter needed! Yes, original iPhones are totally gone, you won't be seeing those made anymore. Long live the aluminum back! It looks like they took an amazing device and made it significantly better. If the battery life is as good as they claim, we think this will steamroll the competition in the enterprise space. And even if it doesn't, at $199 it's going to be extremely hard for people to resist. Update: Laptop managed to sneak a couple photos of the white one -- yep, that's what it looks like.
