| Safari Tops 7% Of Browser Market Share, Mac OS X On The Rise |
| |
Apple's Safari web browser has crested 7% of worldwide browser market share according to online research firm Net Applications.
While Safari's accomplishment is significant the biggest winner is clearly Mozilla's Firefo...
|
| | 12/01/2008 9:42 PM (27m ago) |
| BestBuy's Mac Sale Over Prematurely? |
| |
With early hints at only modest sales at Apple stores, it comes as a surprise that Best Buy's Mac sale appears to be over. The retailer's site no longer shows the $100-$150 discounts on new Macs.
On Tuesday, we had heard unconfirmed ...
|
| | 11/27/2008 7:19 PM (4d 2h 50m ago) |
| Apple Releases iTunes 8.0.2 |
| |
Apple has released an update to iTunes to version 8.0.2. The update is available in your Mac OS X software update.iTunes 8.0.2 improves stability and performance and provides a number of important bug fixes, including:
...
|
| | 11/24/2008 6:01 PM (7d 4h 8m ago) |
| 2nd Generation iPod Touch Faster than iPhone |
| |
Mobile developer Handheld Games Corp reported to TouchArcade.com that performance of their 3D TouchSports Tennis game [App Store, $4.99] is noticeably different between models of iPhones and iPod touches. Their 3D tennis game (video) seems to parti...
|
| | 11/24/2008 6:00 PM (7d 4h 9m ago) |
| iPhone 2.2 Software Update Available |
| | This update contains many bug fixes and improvements, including the following:• Enhancements to Maps - Google Street View - public transit and walking directions - display address of dropped pins - share location via email• Enhancements to Mail - resolved isolated issues with scheduled fetching of email - improved formatting of wide HTML email• Improved stability and performance of Safari• Podcasts are now available for download in iTunes application (over Wi-Fi and cellular network)• Decrease in call set-up failures and call drops• Improved sound quality of visual voicemail messages• Pressing the Home button from any Home screen takes you to the first Home screen• Preference to turn on/off auto-correction in Keyboard Settings |
| | 11/21/2008 7:15 PM (10d 2h 54m ago) |
| J.D. Power and Associates: iPhone offers highest customer satisfaction (Exclusive to iPhoneWorld.ca) |
| | 11/18/2008 5:40 PM (13d 4h 29m ago) |
| Apple Releases Safari 3.2 with Improved Security, Anti-Phishing |
| |
Apple has released a new version of Safari 3.2 through the Mac OS X Software Update. The latest version of Safari provides improved security as well as protection from phishing websites:This update is recommended for all Safari user...
|
| | 11/17/2008 12:18 AM (14d 21h 50m ago) |
| Apple Focusing on MobileMe Improvements in Latest 10.5.6 Builds |
| |
Apple is still hard at work on the next version of Mac OS X 10.5.6 according to published reports on the hmbt.org.
The latest Mac OS X 10.5.6 (9G35) build appears to focus heavily on testing of MobileMe syncing features for notebook ...
|
| | 11/13/2008 5:15 PM (18d 4h 54m ago) |
| Apple Likely to Offer Black Friday Sales |
| |
Barclay's Ben Reitzes safely predicts that Apple will offer Black Friday sales this year, including $100 price reductions on "at least a few Mac models". Apple has regularly participated in sales on the day after Thanksgiving ("Black Friday") for a...
|
| | 11/13/2008 5:14 PM (18d 4h 55m ago) |
| Apple Positioning iPhone and iPod Touch as Mobile Gaming Devices |
| |
In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs acknowledged that the iPhone and iPod touch "may emerge as really viable devices in the mobile games market this holiday season."
The sentiment also echoes comments made by...
|
| | 11/13/2008 5:14 PM (18d 4h 55m ago) |
| Apple iPhone #1 Amongst U.S. Consumers in Q3 2008 |
| |
The NPD Group issued a press release today revealing that the Apple iPhone is now ranked #1 in consumer phone sales for the 3rd quarter of 2008. The iPhone surpassed Motorola's RAZR phone which had been ranked #1 for the previous 12 quarters. |
| | 11/11/2008 8:34 PM (20d 1h 35m ago) |
| An observatory in your pocket: Star Walk for iPhone and iPod touch |
| | Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
I've always had a fascination with astronomy. Even when I'm not lugging my telescope out to do deep sky work, I'm using my eyes and binoculars to see what's visible in the night sky. Now I can use my iPhone to help me figure out where some of the night objects are -- even when it's light outside. VITO Technology has just released Star Walk (click opens iTunes), a US$4.99 astronomy app that shows you what's in the sky above. It has an internal database of almost 9,000 objects including the planets, various stars and clusters, and more. While not for serious amateur astronomers, this is a great tool for anyone who is interested in knowing more about the universe they live in. There's a moon phase calculator, a time machine function to show you what the skies were like or will look like on any day. If you have an iPhone 3G, Star Walk uses GPS to automatically determine where you are on Earth to adjust the view. First-generation iPhone and iPod touch users can select their city from a list. Star Walk should be a great app for teaching youngsters or yourself more about astronomy.TUAWAn observatory in your pocket: Star Walk for iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 11/09/2008 5:10 PM (22d 4h 59m ago) |
| Review: Wide-format e-mail apps for iPhone |
| | One of the biggest complaints about the iPhone has been the lack of a landscape keyboard for applications other than Safari. Several third-party software makers have created apps that let you compose e-mails with a wide keyboard. Dan Frakes takes half-a-dozen out for a test drive.
|
| | 11/05/2008 9:58 PM (26d 11m ago) |
| Tony Fadell ("Father of iPod") Leaves Apple [Updated] |
| |
The Wall Street Journal reports that Tony Fadell, the senior vice president of the iPod Division at Apple, is leaving the company for personal reasons.
Fadell has been credited as the "father" of the iPod and also was part of the team ...
|
| | 11/04/2008 8:50 PM (27d 1h 19m ago) |
| Apple: No New Products Before Holidays |
| |
Apple has issued a statement to Macworld clarifying that there are no plans for any new products before the holiday season."Our holiday line-up is set," Apple spokesman Bill Evans told Macworld.This announcement squashes circulat...
|
| | 11/04/2008 8:49 PM (27d 1h 20m ago) |
| Apple to Benefit Further from Dropping Flash Memory Pricing |
| |
Forbes reports on Apple's "secret weapon" that has helped keep its earnings well above expectations: falling NAND-flash memory prices. And according to Forbes, there are no signs that this trend will abate anytime soon.Tech tracker ...
|
| | 11/04/2008 8:46 PM (27d 1h 23m ago) |
| Classics brings real book reading experience to iPhone |
| | Classics allows users to read books on their iPhone with animated page turns and visual bookmarking.
|
| | 10/31/2008 3:40 PM (31d 6h 29m ago) |
| Apple Details Ongoing MobileMe Upgrades |
| |
Arstechnica points to a new support document which details many changes that Apple has implemented into the MobileMe site in late September. Apple points out that since MobileMe is a server-side service, updates occur transparently to all users of t...
|
| | 10/30/2008 3:51 PM (32d 6h 18m ago) |
| Google Earth comes to the iPhone |
| | “Google Earth on the iPhone is a clear winner,” exclaims Frederic Lardinois (nytimes.com). Now available on the App Store, Google Earth “is a gorgeous application and thanks to the multi-touch interface, it’s extremely easy to use.” “Just like the desktop application,” Lardinois notes, “it is also a great application to just play with when you have a few extra minutes to spare.”
|
| | 10/29/2008 5:49 PM (33d 4h 20m ago) |
| LivingSocial comes to iPhone |
| | (Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)
With the holidays just around the corner, it's probably time you tried to figure out what to get your friends and family. How about you show them your wish list and they show you theirs?
That's the idea behind LivingSocial, a social Web ... |
| | 10/27/2008 7:48 PM (35d 2h 21m ago) |
| iPhone Firmware 2.2 Beta 2 Enables Street View |
| |
Apple has seeded iPhone 2.2 Firmware Beta 2 and has fully enabled Google Street View. We had previously reported that Beta 1 of iPhone 2.2 had hidden APIs related to the Street View for Google Maps, but was not enabled.
Apple seeded i...
|
| | 10/27/2008 7:46 PM (35d 2h 23m ago) |
| Google Releases Google Earth for iPhone and iPod Touch |
| |
Google announced the release of an iPhone native version of their Google Earth application. With just a swipe of your finger you can fly from Peoria to Paris to Papua New Guinea, or anywhere in between. It may be small, but it brings...
|
| | 10/27/2008 7:46 PM (35d 2h 23m ago) |
| Apple introduces new MacBook family |
| | The new MacBook family redefines notebook design while dramatically lowering the entry price for advanced notebook features, including all-metal enclosures, pro-performance notebook graphics, brilliant instant-on LED-backlit displays, and new large, glass Multi-Touch trackpads. The industry’s greenest notebooks, the entire MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0, EPEAT Gold, and RoHS environmental standards. Starting at $1,200, the new MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro are shipping now.
|
| | 10/14/2008 8:32 PM (48d 1h 37m ago) |
| Apple schedules laptop event for Oct. 14; leaked photos abound |
| | Filed under: Rumors, Other Events, Macbook Pro, MacBook
Our sister site Engadget received an invitation for a town-hall event in San Francisco about new Apple notebooks, featuring an image of what could be hinting at possible new aluminum enclosures for 13-inch MacBooks.
tw.apple.pro purports to have images of new aluminum cases for the MacBooks. Judging from the height of the ports (and if the photos are authentic) the new MacBooks could be significantly thinner than their predecessors.
In related news, AppleInsider claims to have confirmed that a widely-circulated spy-shot is indeed one from Apple's next generation of MacBook Pro, but is not fabricated from a single "brick" of aluminum, as 9-to-5Mac said.
The top case, however, appears now to include the ports, rather than having them integrated into the bottom case. (This could make case disassembly easier.) The port arrangement appears to include many more ports on the left side of the bottom case, much like the current MacBook.
Combined with earlier images of the back of the LCD and bottom case, the design retains much of the same look that MacBook Pros (and PowerBook G4s before them) have had since January 2001.
Apple's notebook event is scheduled for next Tuesday at 10 a.m. Pacific time (1 p.m. Eastern). Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 10/12/2008 6:38 PM (50d 3h 31m ago) |
| Apple.com, a retrospective |
| | Filed under: Internet, Apple History
TUAW reader Tyler noticed that Google is celebrating its 10th anniversary by digging up its searchable archives from 2001. He took a peek at some Apple history and shared the find with us. The archives dip into the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, which I decided to use to dig up a series of archived Apple.com sites. You can surf all the way back to 1996 ... a land where Apple was still Apple Computers, the rainbow apple was still in effect, and web pages were all stuck to the left side of the screen.
According to Wikipedia, the Apple.com domain was registered in 1987 (and hacked in '97, as a marginally NSFW prank). Unfortunately, the Internet Archives only go back to '96, so that's what we're working with (if you, for whatever reason, have an image of the Apple website in the late '80s, please do make my day and send it in). Also according to Wikipedia, the 1987 registration made Apple.com the 64th oldest .com domain. These wiki-facts may or may not appear on this semester's final exam.
In addition to being a fun trip through web design history, it's a good refresher on the Apple timeline. Revel in the release of the iPod, iTunes 3, and the blazing-fast 700 Mhz iBook. In the process, you'll gain a full appreciation for the current refresh of the Apple site. If you want to save some surfing time, check out the gallery of some gems from my dig. Of course, intrepid Apple explorers can venture into the cave and see for themselves.
Thanks, Tyler!
Gallery: Apple.com retrospectivePermalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 10/09/2008 4:13 PM (53d 5h 56m ago) |
| PDF version of iPhone developer's cookbook available |
| | Filed under: Developer, iPhoneIt's a good day to become an iPhone developer: in addition to the screencast we mentioned, someone near and dear to us at TUAW finally got her book out into the wild ... at least the PDF version. Erica Sadun's* "The iPhone Developer's Cookbook" is available as an electronic download from informIT. If you want to dig in and start developing native iPhone applications with the SDK, this is a great way to start. The paper version is set for release on October 15th, if that's what you're into, but having the code samples in a cut-and-paste-friendly format is far preferable to me. Coupling that with a complete lack of patience, I bought the PDF this morning and am avidly poring over it for new information. I'm planning a combination tip calculator/grocery list application with several language translation apps and an ebook reader built in ... although I may consider doing a Pinocchio app that lets people know when I'm joking instead. So, up-and-coming iPhone developers, head on over to informIT for some SDK development goodness. Editor's Note: Since Erica has moved on from TUAW to her new home at Ars Technica, we no longer have conflict-of-interest concerns about reviewing her books -- but we still love her & wish her all the best.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 10/09/2008 4:12 PM (53d 5h 57m ago) |
| iPhone 2.2 Hidden Features: Google Street View, Emoji, Auto-Correction Off |
| |
It seems that Apple is taking further care in hiding new iPhone features in their beta releases. The most recent firmware beta seeded to developers listed "compatibility testing" in its release notes as the only change.
We've since he...
|
| | 10/09/2008 4:12 PM (53d 5h 57m ago) |
| "Official" geocaching app coming soon |
| | Filed under: Software, iPhone, App StoreLong-time TUAW readers know that I'm a fan of geocaching, and that I wrote a post about using the iPhone 3G for geocaching back in July. At the time, there were no true geocaching apps available for the iPhone 3G, so I talked about how to use the software that comes on the phone to find hidden caches.Since July, a number of apps have appeared (Geopher Lite and iGeocacher to name a couple), but I've been holding out for one from Groundspeak, the folks who first started up Geocaching.com back in 2000. While listening to my favorite podcast, Podcacher, this morning, I heard co-host Sonny talking about the upcoming release of the "official" geocaching iPhone app. When I returned home from a walk I was tracking with TrailGuru, I visited Geocaching.com and read the details in their online forums.The app has been submitted to the App Store, will cost US$9.99, and will initially allow iPhone owners to find caches near them, look up trackable items like travel bugs, save cache information for use when outside of phone network range, and limit results to save bandwidth. The next version will provide the capability to log found caches while in the field.Be sure to check out the Geocaching.com forums for more screenshots.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 10/01/2008 3:40 PM (61d 6h 29m ago) |
| Report: Adobe talks Flash for the iPhone |
| | Our friend Jens Chr Brynildsen, a Flash expert who maintains a number of resources for the standard including Flash Magazine, has reportedly confirmed with Adobe Systems' senior director of engineering, Paul Betlem, that Flash is coming to the iPhone. However, Betlem says that "Apple calls the shots as to when ... |
| | 10/01/2008 3:37 PM (61d 6h 32m ago) |
| Search for home with your iPhone |
| |
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)
Coldwell Banker Real Estate, a full-service real estate provider, announced Tuesday the new version of its website customized specifically for iPhone users.
The new version shares the same domain as the company's traditional site but automatically recognizes the iPhone end users to serve up ... |
| | 10/01/2008 3:36 PM (61d 6h 33m ago) |
| iPhone users say the 2.1 software update delivered |
| | The latest software update appears to have improved the iPhone 3G.(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)
Recently, I asked iPhone 3G owners to tell me if the 2.1 software update had fixed the widespread issues with dropped calls, short battery life, and faulty 3G connectivity. Now, just over a week later, I've wrapped up your comments.
At the time of this writing, we received 56 comments (I had to discount a few because they weren't on topic). While this is an entirely unscientific survey, almost half (48 percent) reported significant improvements in all areas, 20 percent reported no positive changes, and 32 percent said that it fixed only a few issues while leaving other problems unchanged. I've included a sampling of comments after the break.
As for me, I have to fall in the neutral camp. On the upside, backups on our iPhone 3G review model are quicker, contacts load faster and application crashes are nonexistent. I never had many dropped calls, so I didn't see a change there, but the keyboard lag has improved as well.
On the downside, however, I haven't seen much a battery life improvement at all. Still I can only get a day's worth of battery, even if I leave it resting on my desk for a few hours. Though one satisfied reader said he was happy that his iPhone 3G now lasted a full day rather than a few hours, I still think that's unsatisfactory.
What's more, I'm still wondering exactly how the update changed the 3G feature. In its release notes Apple promised that 2.1 would bring "improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display." So what exactly does that mean? Like my colleague Dong Ngo, I've seen a few more bars on my display but the 3G reception seems to be about the same.
Finally, some readers said that after the 2.1 update their iPhone started fetching e-mail far less frequently. I've haven't seen a change in that area so please tell me if you have.
... |
| | 9/27/2008 6:23 PM (65d 3h 46m ago) |
| iPhone in 29 new countries; unlocked in Hong Kong |
| | Filed under: iPhone
Our sister site Engadget reports that Apple is now offering unlocked iPhones in Hong Kong via its online store. HK$5,500 (≈ US$700) will buy you an 8GB model, HK$6,200 (≈ US$800) gets you 16GB.
The Apple Store's terms and conditions limit sales to individuals in Hong Kong only, but who knows what the gray market will bring.
Three Russian carriers will also begin selling unlocked iPhones on October 3, with the 8GB model selling for over US$900.
In related news, 29 new countries will begin selling the iPhone, some today: Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Niger, Panama, Qatar, Senegal, South Africa, Turkey and Venezuela.
[Via IGM.]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 9/27/2008 6:21 PM (65d 3h 48m ago) |
| Smile for the camera: iFace recognition for iPhone |
| | Filed under: Security, iPhoneIf you have to be subjected to surveillance, identification and security profiling, might as well have a shiny iPhone in the mix to make the erosion of your privacy rights that much easier to stomach. That's the scenario now that Animetrics' iPhone facial recognition product, iFace, is in limited release (per the Manchester Union Leader). Paired with the company's FIMS facial characteristics database, the iPhone app will allow law enforcement or military personnel to do field analysis of facial snapshots and possibly identify persons of interest.
While there are already portable devices that can be used to measure other biometric identifiers (iris imaging, fingerprints and the like), iFace is the first handheld product that will do facial feature recognition. Most of the testing for iFace has been done under controlled imaging conditions, so it's not clear yet how well the tool will perform in the real world.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 9/27/2008 6:20 PM (65d 3h 49m ago) |
| App Store Trends: Prices race to the bottom |
| | Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, App StoreLast spring, TUAW asked how much you would pay for iPhone software. Well, it looks like $0.99 and $1.99 are the new $39.99 and $49.99 as far as mobile distribution goes. The App Store bucked the trend of high-priced phone software and now is ratcheting those prices down even further.
Developers are responding to high application supply and dwindling demand by lowering their prices across the board. As the App Store novelty wears off and consumers forget about once-"hot" items, the typical price tag continues dropping. Games that cost $9.99 at launch are almost universally $4.99 and less.
Apps like Koi Pond proved that $0.99 can generate a lot of sales. Short term sales are quickly being eclipsed by long term price drops. We typically get our tips about upcoming price changes directly from developers; 148Apps has introduced a automated price drop detector.
As the App Store continues to evolve from "get rich quick" to make money slowly, devs are working to find that sweet spot -- charging enough to earn a living but not so much that they aren't out-competed.
Based on these downward pricing trends, I expect ad-supported apps to really start taking off soon, the way they are doing in the jailbreak world. If developers can't build their revenue stream from charging higher prices, they may turn to alternative monetizing models instead.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 9/27/2008 6:20 PM (65d 3h 49m ago) |
| iPhone 2.1 Reactions and Additional Features |
| |
Apple released the long awaited iPhone 2.1 firmware upgrade on Friday. The release has been met primarily with praise from MacRumors commenters. Many existing issues have been addressed including the highly publicized security issue, stability issu...
|
| | 9/16/2008 4:29 AM (76d 17h 40m ago) |
| PwnageTool and QuickPwn for 2.1 iPhone's released |
| | Filed under: iPhone, App StoreFor iPhone owners who want the benefit of the 2.1 firmware, but also want to run their jail-broken applications, the iPhone Dev Team has just released PwnageTool and QuickPwn for 2.1 devices. Please note: this does NOT work with the new iPod Touch 2g and is for iPhones or first generation Touch devices only. The Dev Team managed to work around iTunes 8 without having to patch the program, so pwners can try the new tool without worrying about altering a core OS X program.Let us know in the comments how well Pwnage and/or Quick/Pwn is working with your device. As always, pwning is unauthorized, do it at your own risk and make sure you back-up any important information before using the tool.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 9/14/2008 11:40 PM (77d 22h 29m ago) |
| Apple's App Store Rejection Policies Raise Concerns |
| |
When the App Store was first introduced, Apple specified that apps would have to be approved before being allowed into the App Store. The reasoning for this approval process was to weed out applications that were against Apple's terms of service. ...
|
| | 9/14/2008 11:39 PM (77d 22h 30m ago) |
| 2nd Generation iPod Touch Does Work With Microphone |
| |
Forum user pismodude2 was able to confirm that the 2nd generation iPod Touch will allow microphone input and work with existing microphone-enabled applications. He was able to use a 3rd party microphone headset to input audio into his new iPod Touch...
|
| | 9/14/2008 11:39 PM (77d 22h 30m ago) |
| Opera was supposed to be default iPhone internet browser |
| | 9/14/2008 11:37 PM (77d 22h 32m ago) |
| Macworld San Francisco 2009 Registration Opens |
| |
IDG World Expo has announced that registration for Macworld San Francisco 2009 (MWSF) has opened for attendees.
Macworld San Francisco is an annual Apple-focused expo taking place between January 5th-9th, 2009 and at the Moscone Center...
|
| | 9/12/2008 3:56 PM (80d 6h 13m ago) |
| Now Available: iPhone 2.1 Software Update |
| | Simple to install — just connect your iPhone to your computer using iTunes 8 and click Check for Update — the iPhone 2.1 Software Update reduces the number of dropped calls, provides significantly better battery life for most iPhone owners, improves email reliability, lets you create Genius playlists on the go, and delivers many other benefits. Learn more and install the iPhone 2.1 Software Update today.
|
| | 9/12/2008 3:50 PM (80d 6h 19m ago) |
| iPhone 2.1 |
| | iPhone 2.1 software has arrived. Also available for the iPod Touch. Available on iTunes 8.0. |
| | 9/12/2008 3:48 PM (80d 6h 21m ago) |
| Apple intros 2nd gen iPod Touch |
| | 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB units available. |
| | 9/09/2008 9:10 PM (83d 59m ago) |