TUAWApple Black Friday deals hit the Australian store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dan Frommer's post this morning over at Silicon Alley Insider suggests that one of the missing pieces from the competitive pie, as far as Google and Palm's mobile OS offerings are concerned, is a 3G-free & contractless device. Something, perhaps, like the iPod touch. Absent a way for consumers and developers to buy into the platform without the burden of a monthly cellphone contract, he argues, the two players are unlikely to build the critical mass of apps and app purchasers that would grant vitality and staying power in the face of the Apple/App Store ecosystem.

It's easy to see that the touch provides a great boost to the App Store juggernaut; about one-third of the 50 million-plus iPhone OS devices are estimated to be iPod touch units, and all those owners are potential app and music customers. Certainly there's an audience for Android (if not WebOS, which is more telephony-centric to my mind) on a disconnected gadget?

Unfortunately, Frommer's analysis is missing two key pieces of market data. Number one, as was adroitly pointed out by Joachim on Sunday's talkcast, there already is a contract-free developer handheld for Android, available for $399 from the Android Market... exactly what he proposes in the last paragraph of his story. There's also the new Archos 5 Internet Tablet, a consumer-grade, contract-free and phoneless Android tablet, ready for the eager Android personal media player buyers to snap up. (The equivalent contract-free Pre is a stark $899, and there is no 3G-less WebOS device that I can find.) Update: A commenter notes the Creative Zii Egg, another impending Android PMP that looks astonishingly like an Apple product.

That's where we come to the second market truth that Frommer missed, and it's a harsh one: Nobody knows, and nobody cares. Even a guy writing about this precise topic had no idea -- and apparently couldn't quickly discover from a casual search -- that these devices were already out in the field, despite frequent coverage of the Archos device on Engadget and elsewhere over the past few months. If there's any starker evidence that the market for non-phone Android and WebOS devices simply doesn't exist yet, I can't imagine what it would be.

Part of the reason for the iPod touch's success is that it clearly combined two already-successful products: the iPhone and the iPod. The 'elevator pitch' for the device ("It's an iPhone but with Wi-Fi instead of the phone") is simple and straightforward. Unfortunately for Android, there really isn't a dynamic personal media player market anymore that supports a phoneless entrant... it got eaten by the iPod.

I do think it would be healthy for the iPhone and for the portable OS market in general if developers and customers had more contract-free options on the other platforms. Still, the retroactive wish-fulfillment of Frommer's post doesn't bode well. "Oh, they already have that? Gosh."

TUAWDo Android & WebOS need iPod touch clones? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWTalkcast tonight: Holiday gift suggestions originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWCisco adds Security Intelligence Ops to iPhone portfolio originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

At the risk of invoking a round of reader rage, I'll admit that I've never really been that hyped on the idea of MMS on the iPhone (and, by the way, get off my lawn). If I want to send someone a picture, I've got their email address; I'll just send them a picture. No big whoop.

I do have some friends and colleagues who 'came up' on mainline camera phones and they gleefully pop pics back and forth via MMS. I also appreciate the ability to decode the snapshots my wife sends from her Motorola RAZR, but overall I wouldn't rate it among the top iPhone features I was eager to get from AT&T (not like the ongoing lack of tethering, which is making me grind my teeth in my sleep).

That prejudicial attitude may have made me a little skeptical when I met with FunMobility's CEO Adam Lavine this week to get a preview of his company's new free app FunMail [iTunes link], which promises to leverage the Semantic Media Project and add appropriate imagery to your MMS messages, short emails, Facebook wall posts, et cetera. It's available in the US App Store as of last night.

Sure, the app is simple enough to use (once you register and accept the company's TOS, which may subject you to occasional text messages from them if you don't opt out) -- type in your message, and the system gives you the text (up to 140 characters) atop your choice of image from a list of five, sourced from FunMobility's licensed libraries along with Creative Commons remixable content from Flickr and other repositories. If you want to include a hidden search term, putting it at the end of the message with a double-hash (##) will tell FunMail to search those words without including them in the sent message. You can send it to any mobile phone number in your address book, to email recipients, or to your Facebook friends or wall via Facebook Connect. The result is a little bit inspirational office poster, a little bit LOLcat, and in some ways strangely intriguing... but not really, you know, useful.

Continue reading FunMail adds instant images to Facebook status & MMS

TUAWFunMail adds instant images to Facebook status & MMS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWTalkcast tonight: Inside the Psystar summary judgement originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Security is improved. This update fixes vulnerabilities in Office 2008 that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code. For more information, see the security bulletin that is listed earlier in this document.
• Stability is improved. This update fixes an issue that causes Office 2008 applications to close unexpectedly when you open or use Office 2008 applications.
• Windows Office documents to which metafiles are attached now contain the correct text spacing when they are opened in Office 2008 for Mac. This update fixes text spacing issues that occur when you use Office 2008 for Mac to open a Windows Office document to which an OLE object or a metafile is attached.

TUAWMicrosoft Office 2008 & 2004 updated originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWApple previews Broadway store for press originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It would have been nice for the App Store's public relations team if the biggest news in the past few days was the introduction of a more transparent progress report for applications under review, giving developers some of the feedback they need to see where their apps are in the pathway towards approval and release. Unfortunately, that minor but tangible step toward a more open approval process is overshadowed by a story of frustration and disaffection from one of the platform's rising stars: Joe Hewitt, the man behind Facebook's popular iPhone app, is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore.

Hewitt's frustration with the app review process isn't new, but in the same August blog post where he called for the elimination of review, he promised "I will not stop developing for Apple's platforms or using Apple's products as long as they continue to produce the best stuff on the market." A few months later, he's announced that he's handing off the Facebook app to another developer, and he's reached the point where his frustration has overcome his willingness to continue working on the iPhone. [Commenter 'Gak' points out that Hewitt's open-sourced Three20 library for iPhone devs has been flagged for use of private frameworks, which may have been one of the final straws.]

Hewitt spoke to TechCrunch earlier today, and his attitude is clear:

"My decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple's policies. I respect their right to manage their platform however they want, however I am philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process. I am very concerned that they are setting a horrible precedent for other software platforms, and soon gatekeepers will start infesting the lives of every software developer."

Continue reading Facebook app developer is through with the iPhone, blames App Store approval process

TUAWFacebook app developer is through with the iPhone, blames App Store approval process originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWMobileMe mail offline for 'some users'... again originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWCongressional caricatures on the App Store: The nays have it originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWShacking up: iPhone sales plan at RadioShack sparks rally originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWHeads Up: Update your Apple TV to 3.0.1 ASAP, says Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWDevelopers report a moment of upside-down app rankings, now returning to normal originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When we first heard about the Kanex HDMI + digital audio converter a few weeks ago, I was eager to give it a trial run and see if it managed to deliver on the promise of integrated audio with HDMI video. I've been playing with the $70 unit for a few days now, and the answer is a qualified yes: it does the job, but depending on your home theater setup you may be able to get by with a less expensive option.

The digital-audio Kanex unit ships without a manual and is largely self-explanatory (although the company has now posted a basic user guide and FAQ) -- a female HDMI port on one side of the roughly iPod-sized unit, and three male cables coming out the other side. The cables connect to the mini DisplayPort, optical audio out, and USB port of your Mac; while Kanex does sell a $60 unit that handles audio over USB, this version only uses that connection to power the adapter and does not provide a USB audio interface. If you're running short of open powered USB ports you might opt to plug it into a USB power adapter instead.

In operation, there's not much to worry about: I plugged in all three ports to a unibody MacBook Pro and connected an HDMI display, then went to the normal Mac OS X Displays preference pane, where I found a full assortment of resolutions for my enjoyment. The top few 'television' options may vary with your connected gear; on my test set (a Vizio 42" 720p display) I was able to choose 720p and, oddly enough, 1080i and 1080p. Below that you have resolutions ranging from 640x480 up into the 1600x1000 range.

Continue reading TUAW Review: Kanex HDMI + audio adapter works fine but costs extra

TUAWTUAW Review: Kanex HDMI + audio adapter works fine but costs extra originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWTalkcast tonight: Apple TV 3 reactions and Halloween candy hangovers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWReports coming in of DST-related Snow Leopard issues originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWBeta version of Firefox 3.6 for Mac now available originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Did an NYT editor let the 'Slate' slip?

TUAWDid an NYT editor let the 'Slate' slip? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWTalkcast reminder: Macs that go bump in the night! 10 pm ET originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWFound Footage: iPhone costumes are either genius or deeply misguided originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWThree new "Get a Mac" ads premiere, aimed at Win 7 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Macworld

• New unibody low-end MacBook models with the polycarbonate shell -- still $999
• Entirely revamped iMac line, including a 27" quad-core powerhouse and optional HDMIDisplayPort inputs to allow using the screens as HDTVs (inputs on the 27" models only)
• Revs to the Mac mini line, including a $999 unit with Mac OS X Server preinstalled
• The 'Magic Mouse,' a multiouch wireless mouse that's supposed to run for months on 2 batteries (see above)

TUAWStore still down, but new gear embargo is lifted originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWTalkcast reminder: it's Mac Help night, live at 10 pm ET originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Oh, so tempting. Engadget and Slashgear link to this video from our friend Steven Troughton-Smith: Exposé-style app management running on a jailbroken iPhone. No, you can't download it anywhere yet; no, we don't know when it will be ready for prime time and available on the Cydia repo; no, we don't expect Apple to have anything similar in the pipeline for vanilla iPhone use.

But wouldn't it be nice?

TUAWFound Footage: Expose-esque UI for iPhone app management originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWGartner and IDC agree: 3rd quarter Mac sales are up originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Recording support for the talkcast is provided by Call Recorder from ecamm networks.

TUAWTalkcast reminder: live 10pm ET / 7pm PT Sunday night originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When we published our "Ultimate Mac mini Home Theater" guide in August, I drooled along with everyone else at the idea of supercharging my HDTV with a mini for movie and music playback. Something nagged at me, though, as I looked over the options for going from the mini's video-out ports (the current model sports both DVI and Display Port) to the HDMI standard connector that most TVs expect nowadays... how to get that digital audio signal onto the HDMI link, and avoid a second set of cables to handle sound? It seemed less than graceful.

If you want to skip over a clunky external converter box like this one, current minis and other Macs featuring the Mini Display Port connector now have a new option for HDMI; Kanex's two audio-included connectors can put the sound onto the HDMI link where it belongs.

Kanex is selling two models of the connector (both are on extremely limited availability right now, the company says). The $60 Digital Audio version includes a TOSLINK optical connector for premium quality sound, and the USB Audio version delivers analog audio for $50 [as of 10/20, the price has gone up on this unit to $60 as well]. Both let you put all your eggs in the HDMI basket and clear your cable clutter, while simplifying your TV remote input dance as you try to get the audio and video sorted.

We're hoping to get our hands on one of these units soon and we'll let you know how it performs.

Thanks to Michael W. for the tip.

TUAWKanex brings digital audio into a Display Port to HDMI adapter originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWIf 30% is good enough for Apple in the App Store, it should be good enough for dropped calls on AT&T, right? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWYellow sticky in the sky, are those new iMacs that I spy? Apple Store down 8:30p ET originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The company's teaser page still says "coming soon," but eagle-eyed reader Jason spotted the free Zipcar app [iTunes link] in the store today. We've been waiting for this app for quite a while, and it's exciting to see it in action.

The app provides Zipcar members with a location-based search for nearby Zipcar locations, allowing them to drill down to the individual garages via a map view. Reserving a car is as easy as clicking one big green button, and the app allows you to sort available cars by time, type and model to make it easier to find the one you want. You can see your upcoming reservations and cancel a car if you don't need it after all.

Once you get to your car, you can use the virtual keyfob to help find it in the garage by honking the horn (nice touch); while you still need to use your RFID-equipped Zipcard to activate the car's remote unlock and ignition system, once you do that at the beginning of your reservation you can put it back in your wallet and use the iPhone to lock and unlock the car. You can also extend your reservation from the iPhone app, as long as there's open time after your slot ends.

One somewhat quirky thing about the app is that there's no way to adjust your reservation time window except at the 'top' of the car search process; often as not, with the Zipcar website, you may find yourself tweaking the hours of your booking to improve your chances of finding the car you need. The lack of flexibility is noted on the app's iTunes page under "Coming Soon," so a future release will probably improve matters here. The Zipcar app requires iPhone OS 3.0 and works on the iPod touch as well, although most features will require a network connection.

Zipcar members are almost as enthusiastic about the service as iPhone owners are about their devices, so this combination is sure to strike sparks. Once you've got the Zipcar app downloaded, let us know your road trip experiences via the comments below.

Gallery: Zipcar for iPhone

TUAWFirst Look: Zipcar app for iPhone hits the road originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWIs Apple behind the development of Intel's Light Peak? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Resolves issues browsing the iTunes Store.
• Addresses a performance issue where iTunes may become unresponsive.
• Fixes a problem where iTunes may unexpectedly quit.
• Fixes a problem syncing Podcasts in playlists to iPod or iPhone.
• Fixes a problem sorting albums with multiple discs.
• Addresses an issue with the Zoom button not switching to Mini Player.
• Improves application syncing for iPod touch and iPhone.
• Genius is now automatically updated to show Genius Mixes.

TUAWiTunes 9.0.1 now in Software Update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're an Apple retail employee, you might want to keep an eye out for coy glances across the Genius Bar or little notes emailed to your iPhone -- someone may be trying to offer you a job. Word comes via The Loop, citing anonymous sources, that Microsoft's ramp-up process to launching its new line of retail stores has resulted in the harvest & hiring of some Apple Store managers, who in turn are making offers to their hand-picked lists of colleagues with the promise of higher wages in Microsoft's mall outposts. Some managers have been offered relocation assistance to go along with their salary boosts.

You can't blame Microsoft for going after the best in the effort to build out a retail presence (and apparently this kind of bodysnatching goes on all the time in the retail sector), but one does wonder how well the Apple team members will make the transition over to working for Microsoft -- it's a bit more of an adjustment than going from Victoria's Secret to Lady Foot Locker.

It might not just be the lure of more money that draws the iCrew over to the new shops; some may be profoundly dissatisfied with their current working environment, according to an ifoAppleStore report noted by AppleInsider. Frustrations between employees and management at the Alderwood Mall store in Washington have led to the threat of a walkout scheduled for October 3rd, which would be the first such demonstration of labor power by Apple retail employees, according to the post.

If you're an Apple Store employee and you've been approached by Microsoft directly or by colleagues who are jumping ship, drop us a line at tuaw.com/tips and let us know what's going down.

Illustration via the Iconfactory, in belated honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

TUAWMicrosoft's new retail hiring policy: shop at Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWRevised AIM app for iPhone hooks into new Lifestream service originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWOh, Canada: App Store north of the border goes all Skype-y originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Why doesn't the iPod nano take still pictures? Jobs says that the tiny teensy CMOS sensor in the nano isn't up to the quality standards needed for stills; it's too thin. "The sensors for doing a still camera... they are just way too thick to ever fit inside the Nano."
• What about a camera for the iPod touch? The product path for the touch, apparently, is that it's a great gaming device and it's the lowest investment option for getting access to the App Store; given that, the push was to get it down to a price point everyone could afford instead of adding new features like a camera. "So what we were focused on is just reducing the price to $199. We don't need to add new stuff - we need to get the price down where everyone can afford it." Not to say it won't ever happen.

TUAWNY Times asks, Steve answers: Why no camera on the iPod touch and no stills on the nano? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWApple's 9/9 event: the TUAW Liveblog originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Even if it's not explicitly stated with every post about an app or discussion of a peripheral, there's one basic criterion for reviews that I try to stick to as much as I can: "Would I spend my own money on this thing?" Sometimes an otherwise-excellent product gets priced out of the value equation, or there are competitors and free offerings that deliver most of the functionality for a fraction of the cost. When you can get the same chore done with the built-in capabilities of your Mac, the decision about spending additional money on a gadget to do the same thing "but better" can get even harder.

When the IPEVO TR-10i speakerphone for iChat first shipped last year, I was eager to give it a try, and it didn't disappoint. Having a USB microphone sensitive enough to pick up voice chatter from a roomful of people is a definite advantage -- the MacBook Pro's built-in mic doesn't usually work well with more than one or two. Likewise, a built-in speaker with volume, recording and call answer controls proved to be a big plus, especially for those times where I didn't remember I needed to start recording until after the start of the call.

The unit works perfectly with iChat (including support for all the on-device controls), but also delivers good results with Skype and other softphone apps like EyeBeam and Zoiper; the microphone and speaker work with any Mac app, in fact, so you could use it as a voice mic for GarageBand if you wanted to. Call quality was very good, once I got the input volume settings sorted out via the IPEVO device FAQ. Like any good speakerphone, it's got a hardware mute button to take a brief break from your call.

Still, I think the killer feature of the TR-10i (as long as you don't mind looking a little ridiculous) is that you can easily switch it from speakerphone to handset mode and use it like you would a conventional phone. For private conversations before or after a conference call, it's very handy, and to tell the truth it doesn't look any goofier than a USB or Bluetooth headset.

With all this in mind, I would have loved to write a glowing review of the TR-10i a while ago. The only problem was the price: for quite a bit less than the $79.90US cost of the TR-10i, you could get a pretty nice USB mic and just use your Mac's speakers for conference calling. I couldn't fault the product, but I couldn't stomach the price... so I stalled and stalled on reviewing it, trying to figure out if I truly would lay down the better part of a C-note for this particular gadget.

Fortunately, I think someone at IPEVO had the same sense about the TR-10i that I did: even though Mac users don't mind paying extra for quality, they still can tell when a product's features and its price don't match up. The TR-10i is now available direct from IPEVO for a more reasonable $49.99, and at that price point I can say without reservation that I would buy one myself. The company also has a free shipping deal in force through this Wednesday (9/9), so the timing is right. The difference between the original price and the new price may be only one Snow Leopard's worth, but it makes the TR-10i much more attractive.

TUAWIPEVO TR-10i gives iChat and Skype a speakerphone boost, now for less originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWLabor Day holiday means no Talkcast this week originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.