Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Use your iPhone headset as a camera cable release

Use your iPhone headset as a camera cable release -

Professional photographers know that to take the best photos with the least amount of camera shake, they need to use a tripod mount and a cable release. That combination takes the movement of your body out of the equation when you're shooting photos. Now Cycomachead over at the Macworld Mac OS X Hints forum has figured out that every iPhone running iOS 5 comes with a cable release -- the headset.

You know how Apple added the ability in iOS 5 to use the volume up button (that plus sign you see in the photo above) on your iPhone as a shutter button for the Camera app? It works with the headset as well -- just plug in the headset, bring up the Camera app (or third-party Camera+ app), and when you squeeze the volume up button on the headset, you'll take a photo.

Cycomachead also notes that he can take bursts of photos more easily with the "cable release," and that some Bluetooth headsets can also be paired and used as wireless remotes for taking photos.

For iPhoneographers, using something like a Glif to hold the iPhone steady on a tripod and then using the headset as a cable release can result in some very steady shots. If TUAW readers are able to get their Bluetooth headsets to work for wireless shooting, please let us know what model headset you're using in the comments.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

Hands on with Path 2.0: What Facebook should be

Hands on with Path 2.0: What Facebook should be -

The original Path, an iPhone-exclusive social network designed around exclusive, photo-centric sharing to a very limited audience, proved a tad underwhelming in my opinion. But version 2.0, available Wednesday, is more than just lipstick on a pig. It’s a complete overhaul, and one that looks, feels and behaves like a much better, more useful piece of software.

(Via TheAppleBlog.)

Digital Holdout Ray Bradbury Brings <cite>Fahrenheit 451</cite> To E-Readers

Digital Holdout Ray Bradbury Brings Fahrenheit 451 To E-Readers - Very few new e-book editions warrant their own press releases. But only one novel about the end of printed books has sold ten million copies in print alone.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

Refurbish an iPod Touch

Refurbish an iPod Touch - When a new iPod Touch is released and you're jonesing to plunk down your hard earned cash at the local Apple Store, what do you do with your current model? The iPod Touch is the perfect hand-me-down gadget. But before you pass it on, here are a few things you can do to spiff it up.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

NetSpot helps you optimize your Wi-Fi networks

NetSpot helps you optimize your Wi-Fi networks - NetSpot helps you optimize your Wi-Fi networks NetSpot is a remarkable aid in laying out even a small-home Wi-Fi network, using a Mac laptop as your wireless-survey tool.

(Via Macworld.)

Opinion: Kindle Fire versus iPad 2

Opinion: Kindle Fire versus iPad 2 - Opinion: Kindle Fire versus iPad 2 The Kindle Fire is a terrific Kindle, but a weak tablet. Why would Amazon invite a comparison to the iPad?

(Via Macworld.)

Camino updated to 2.1, adds offline mode

Camino updated to 2.1, adds offline mode - The volunteer Camino Project has released a final version of Camino 2.1, a free, open-source web browser that has been without a major update for almost exactly two years. Released just two months after the last minor update, the new version updates the Gecko rendering engine to v1.9.2 (as used by the Firefox 3.6 browser) and adds further support for web standards, a new auto-complete feature, better plug-in compatibility and more ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Apple pulls iTether from App Store, cites carrier burden

Apple pulls iTether from App Store, cites carrier burden - As expected, Apple has pulled iTether from the App Store. The removal has been confirmed by the app's developer, Tether, which has issued a statement revealing some behind-the-scenes details. "Around 12PM EST, Apple called our head office to let us know they were going to go ahead and pull our app iTether from the App Store. They stated it was because the app itself burdens the carrier network, however they offered us no way to remedy the solution," the page reads ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

iTether App Pulled From App Store

iTether App Pulled From App Store -
Just hours after becoming the top-grossing app on the App Store, tethering app iTether has been removed by Apple. The $14.99 app, which went live on the App Store last night, allowed users to share their iPhone's internet connection with their Mac or PC computer over USB. With iTether, users could bypass a $20/month service offered by cellular providers for tethering services.

In 2008, Apple briefly approved another tethering app called Netshare but, as with iTether, quickly pulled it from the App Store. The approval of iTether appears to have been an oversight by Apple. As in the case of Netshare, it should continue to work for those who bought it before it was pulled.

(Via MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors.)

iCloud Documents sync for Snow Leopard, using DropBox

iCloud Documents sync for Snow Leopard, using DropBox - For various reasons, I will not switch to Lion on my work MacBook Pro for a while. Still, I am interested to share some of my documents over iCloud between my iPad/iPhone/MBP (running Snow Leopard), and I also have an iMac at home running Lion.

What I did on my iMac running Lion is to link (with ln -s) the iCloud 'Mobile Documents' folder (in ~/Library) to my Dropbox folder with something like (substitute the actual user's short name for 'username' in the command):

ln -s /Users/username/Library/Mobile Documents /Users/username/Dropbox/iCloud

Then, on the MacBook Pro, the shared documents are available in the ~/DropBox/iCloud folder.

For example GoodReader on the iPad has iCloud support, so I can directly put PDFs from my MacBook Pro in this directory, and they appear directly in GoodReader. As soon as other iOS programs support Documents on iCloud, this will be extended to them as well.

You can also ...

(Via MacOSXHints.com.)

Amazon says Kindle Fire is its best-selling product, but won't reveal numbers

Amazon says Kindle Fire is its best-selling product, but won't reveal numbers - Amazon on Monday touted the success of its newly launched Kindle Fire, revealing it is the retailer's best-selling product, though it still won't disclose any actual sales figures.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

AT&T Temporarily Withdraws FCC Application for T-Mobile Merger

AT&T Temporarily Withdraws FCC Application for T-Mobile Merger - AT&T has temporarily withdrawn its application with the FCC to acquire T-Mobile, and will instead focus on getting approval from the Justice Department for the merger. This comes just days after FCC chairman Julius Genachowski sent out a draft proposing an additional administrative hearing on the proposed AT&T buyout of T-Mobile.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

'Letters to Steve' collects emails from Apple co-founder

'Letters to Steve' collects emails from Apple co-founder - 'Letters to Steve' collects emails from Apple co-founder Throughout his career, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs sent a myriad of email messages to fans, developers, and Mac users. CNN writer Mark Milian has collected over 100 of these email responses into a short ebook, appropriately titled Letters to Steve: Inside the E-mail Inbox of Apple's Steve Jobs.

(Via Macworld.)

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

LunaTik Lynk review: The zenith of iPod nano watchbands?

LunaTik Lynk review: The zenith of iPod nano watchbands? -

There are now plenty of iPod nano wristband accessories out there to choose from. But a new one from Kickstarter record-breaker Scott Wilson’s Mnml design studio does a remarkable job of standing out from the crowd, thanks to attention to detail you won’t find in the competition.

The LunaTik Lynk is a new take on Wilson’s excellent LunaTik, which along with the TikTok, were funded via Kickstarter last year and began being sold via the Apple Store earlier in 2011. The Lynk uses the same semi-permanent watch conversion approach as the LunaTik (hence its first name), but introduces a bracelet consisting of aluminum links for that full-metal experience.

The Lynk comes in either anodized aluminum for a matte silver finish, or, like my review unit, in a PVD-plated all-black version that’s coated down to the screws, and even the interior of the clasp, which for sure won’t be seen by anyone but you. That’s the kind of attention to detail I’m talking about, as is the silicone coating on the underside of the band’s links, which make the band comfortable on the wrist and also ensures it won’t go slip-sliding around too much even if you wear it a little loose.

(Via TheAppleBlog.)

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Mac 101: Create a guest account

Mac 101: Create a guest account -

"Can I use your computer real quick?"

Depending on who asks you this question over the next week, reactions may range from nothing to frantic flailing toward your machine to see if you can make it do something that looks like it is unusable, getting you out of having to relinquish it to a family member with a checkered techno-past. Since you've already done the basics to protect your Mac, like set a screensaver password, what else can you do to family-proof your machine?

Luckily, a small bit of prep work can make this question easy to answer. All you have to do is whip up a guest account on your system. Guest accounts are perfect because logging in as a guest user limits the amount of damage that can be inflicted on your system to virtually nothing. Guest users can't change other user accounts or system settings and have no remote access. If you really want to ratchet things down, you can also use Parental Controls to limit the apps a guest account can use, or filter internet content.

While all of that is nice, one of the most important differences between a guest account and a regular account is files: Any files created or downloaded by a guest account are deleted on logout, so every time you log in as a guest user it always looks like nobody has ever logged in before.

If this sounds like the way to go for you, and you're running 10.5 or higher, here's how to create a guest account:

  • Go to System Preferences and select Users and Groups (10.7) or Accounts (10.5 or 10.6).
  • In that panel, click on the Guest User, and check "Allow guests to log in to this computer."

That's it! No really! All you have to do is determine whether you want to turn on Parental Controls or allow the guest account to connect to shared folders, and you're done. Now your Mac is ready for whatever your visitors can throw at it.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

How to Turn iCloud Into a Dropbox-like Syncing Service

How to Turn iCloud Into a Dropbox-like Syncing Service -

While iCloud brought many long-awaiting features to iOS and OS X, many users were still holding out for Dropbox-like syncing service. Though Apple didn’t go this direction with the official release, there is actually a way to trick iCloud into syncing files and folders between Macs, just like Dropbox. Read on and we’ll show you exactly how to use this hidden functionality of iCloud.

(Via Mac|Life all.)

Satellite tech, app connect your iPhone anywhere in the world

Satellite tech, app connect your iPhone anywhere in the world - Iridium technology now lets iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch owners connect to the Web on 90 percent of the planet, where wireless networks aren't available.

(Via CNET News.com.)

Mars rover: The next generation

Mars rover: The next generation - roundup Make way for Curiosity, a car-size Mars rover that will pick up where Spirit and Opportunity left off. It launches this month, and will arrive on Red Planet next summer.

(Via CNET News.com.)

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Amazon's new Kindle Fire tablet: an in depth review

Amazon's new Kindle Fire tablet: an in depth review - Amazon's new Kindle Fire represents the company's first device to move beyond black and white ebook readers and into the realm of apps, music, videos and magazines, delivered using a color touchscreen.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Saturday, November 19, 2011

The New York Times goes one-on-one with Walter Isaacson

The New York Times goes one-on-one with Walter Isaacson -

It's turn-the-table time, and the man who spent the last several years interviewing people for his Steve Jobs biography is now being interviewed by the New York Times.

As expected, the interview focuses on Isaacson's book and the time he spent with Steve Jobs. In his conversation with New York Times reporter Nick Bilton, Isaacson said that in his latter years Jobs was interested in transforming television, textbooks and photography. Isaacson said he didn't include these details in the book because it wasn't fair to Apple.

Besides information about Apple and book writing, Isaacson talks about how Jobs was both a hippie misfit and a shrewd businessman. Contrary to popular belief, Isaacson also explains that Steve Jobs was not a jerk. The interview gives us some additional insight into Isaacson's biography and is a worthwhile read, so grab a cup of coffee and head over to the New York Times website.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

Hands-On with Amazon's Kindle Fire

Hands-On with Amazon's Kindle Fire -

MacLife.com on Kindle Fire

Amazon’s $199 Kindle Fire arrived in the hands of early adopters this week, and we were among those who preordered following the announcement seven weeks ago. Now that it’s safely arrived in our hands, we’ve started poking, prodding and yes, tapping the Kindle Fire to give MacLife.com readers a quick look at this new budget-conscious, seven-inch Android-based tablet.

The tech press has been whipped up into a frenzy over the Kindle Fire, which many bill as Amazon’s “iPad killer.” After months of rumors about its very existence, CEO Jeff Bezos finally took to the stage in late September to confirm the Kindle Fire was indeed real. This week, the tablet finally arrived in the hands of eager early adopters, on its way to even more consumers this holiday season thanks to the bargain-basement price of only $199.

(Via Mac|Life all.)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Square adds customer loyalty, printable receipts

Square adds customer loyalty, printable receipts -

Mobile credit card transaction company Square updated its iOS app this week to include several new features for merchants and customers. Perhaps the biggest update to Square 2.2 is the ability for merchants to reward their regular customers with customized loyalty programs. The app now allows a merchant to define what a "regular" customer is (ie: five visits a week, twelve visits a month, etc) and assign an automatic discount to their tab when they check out.

Another big feature of the latest update is the ability to print physical receipts. Now the app can communicate with receipt printers so the customer can walk away with printed proof of their purchase instead of having to rely on an email or text message. Plus, the app has added the ability to wirelessly open the merchants cash register when the merchant taps "tender" on the app -- a small but nice feature at, say, cafés where a person might pay by card but want quarters in exchange for a dollar bill to get a paper. The feature also makes it easier for the cashier to store paper coupons in their cash drawer as some cash registers will not open a drawer unless the transaction is tendered in-register. Additionally the 2.2 update also allows merchants to create a "tips" field on the checkout screen.

Square recently surpassed US$2 billion in payments per year an usage by both customers and merchants is sure to increase as more people become comfortable making transactions on their mobile devices. Square is a free download from the App Store.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

First Impressions of the Kindle Fire

First Impressions of the Kindle Fire -

Amazon's hot, new tablet, the Kindle Fire, has been touted as a potential competitor to the iPad. Now that the tablet has launched and landed in the hands of several of our writers, it's time to take a closer look at Amazon's offering. You can read our opinions below and find out if the Fire lives up to its pre-launch hype.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

How to photograph star trails

How to photograph star trails - How to photograph star trails Capture beautiful images of stars spinning around in the sky at night.

(Via Macworld.)

Pink Floyd, Sting release non-album 'appumentaries'

Pink Floyd, Sting release non-album 'appumentaries' - Two titans of late 20th-century music have released new apps for iOS devices that showcase not the latest music from the performers, but rather analysis and information, interviews, song lyrics and other tidbits from across their respective long careers. Pink Floyd, who first emerged in the psychedelic late 60s, offer a trivia-laden app called This Day in Pink Floyd, while Police frontman Sting celebrates 25 years as a solo artist ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Help! Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet?

Help! Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet? - In this edition of Ask Maggie, a reader needs advice on choosing between two of the most prominent and least expensive tablets just entering the market.

(Via CNET News.com.)

Removing your Wi-Fi network from Google's map

Removing your Wi-Fi network from Google's map - Google tells privacy-conscious Wi-Fi hotspot owners how to opt out of its crowdsourced database, which is used to speed up location fixes.

(Via CNET News.com.)

Teardown of Amazon's Kindle Fire reveals Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 chip

Teardown of Amazon's Kindle Fire reveals Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 chip - A teardown of Amazon's new Kindle Fire showed that the online retailer went with the 1GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 processor for its entry into the media tablet market.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Amazon's Kindle Fire upends the tablet landscape

Amazon's Kindle Fire upends the tablet landscape - The 7-inch $199 tablet is here to entertain us. It could also help redefine a market that's long been the playground of Apple's iPad.

(Via CNET News.com.)

How to get Apple to replace your first-generation iPod nano

How to get Apple to replace your first-generation iPod nano -

Apple over the weekend sent out a notice to registered first-generation iPod nano owners detailing a recall for the product, and providing instructions about how to take advantage of the program to get a replacement device. Here’s a detailed guide for getting your replacement, and why you’d want to.

Apple helpfully sent out an email with detailed instructions, but if you haven’t registered your device, you picked it up second-hand or you’ve since changed your Apple ID, you won’t have the instructions. So, in any of those cases, you will want to find out if your device is eligible by checking the model first.

The iPod nano (1st gen) came out in September 2005 and was sold through December 2006. It has a flat, white or black plastic front, and a shiny metal back case, and it is tall and thin with a small rectangular LCD at the top of the device and a click-wheel control interface. You can see exactly what it looks like in the pictures attached to this article.

Once you’ve determined that yours is indeed the right kind of iPod, you’ll need to check the serial number on the back of your device, because Apple will ask you for that information when you’re going through the replacement unit ordering process. It’s located at the bottom rear of your device, on the metal back casing. See exactly where in the picture below.

With that information, you have everything you need to go through the replacement ordering process on Apple’s website. Apple says that a replacement unit will be sent out about six weeks after you send in your old nano. Apple sends you a box after your eligibility is determined, which you then use to ship your recalled device to them free of charge.

The unit that replaces your current nano will be a 1st gen model as well, according to statements made by an Apple spokesperson to Mashable. But having them replaced is a good idea even if you no longer use your nano and it’s just lying in a closet somewhere, since at the very least, you’ll get a fresh battery that should mean you’ll have another usable iPod sitting around as back-up for at least five years hence.

Apple says that personalized nanos (those with messages engraved on the back) will be replaced with clean, generic casings, so you’ll also at least be getting a brand new outer shell, too. It’s rare to see one of those shiny metal backs in pristine shape, so that’s also a good reason to get a replacement. Plus, the battery won’t overheat and burn you if you do use it, something which actually happened in around 60 incidents in Japan and prompted an earlier recall there.

(Via TheAppleBlog.)

First reviews of Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview appear

First reviews of Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview appear -


Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview is a TV interview turned feature film that will be shown this week in Landmark Theatres across the US. The interview was originally recorded in 1995 when Jobs had left Apple and contains a lively conversation between Robert Cringely and Jobs. Ten minutes of the interview were shown in "Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires," a PBS series about the founding of the PC industry. The remaining footage was believed to have been lost until a VHS copy was recently found in the garage of Paul Sen, the original producer of the PBS series.

The folks at Mac Edition Radio have watched some of this never-been-seen before interview and say it is fantastic. They claim it shows a vibrant Steve Jobs who enthusiastically talks about his high jinks with Steve Wozniak, his early years with Apple and his business insight which created the Apple we know today. The interview is reportedly a must-see for any diehard Apple fan or technology history buff.

The movie will be shown at selected Landmark Theaters around the country on Wednesday, November 16 and Thursday, November 17. A full list of showtimes can be found at the movie's website.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

How to Physically Back Up Your iOS Device

How to Physically Back Up Your iOS Device -

iCloud’s not the only destination for your backups

Thanks to iOS 5, iOS devices now have the option to back up wirelessly to iCloud once a night. That’s a great way to ensure that even casual users safeguard their data, but it’s not so convenient if you’re away from Wi-Fi when your iPad requires a full restore. For more control over when backups occur—and where they’re stored—make sure you connect your iOS device to your Mac via USB at least once a day (you can also initiate backups by Option-clicking your device in the iTunes sidebar and choosing Back Up). Either way, you’ll force iTunes to create an archive you can use to restore data and settings to your device, and even to port your backup to another Mac to restore device settings in a pinch.

(Via Mac|Life all.)

Amazon Kindle Fire ships early, gets mixed reviews vs. iPad

Amazon Kindle Fire ships early, gets mixed reviews vs. iPad - Amazon on Monday started shipping the Kindle Fire a day early. Its Android 2.3 tablet reader could now reach its earliest buyers the same November 15 date it was supposed to ship. The device comes in one 8GB version for $199 ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Kobo Touch drops price, adds ads

Kobo Touch drops price, adds ads - Google negotiates with music labels, Ultrabooks could add tap-to-pay, and Kobo copies Amazon by putting ads in its cheaper Touch e-reader.

(Via CNET News.com.)

Review roundup: Amazon Kindle Fire a bargain, but no threat to Apple's iPad

Review roundup: Amazon Kindle Fire a bargain, but no threat to Apple's iPad - Priced at just $199, Amazon's new Kindle Fire meets expectations as a low-cost touchscreen tablet that works relatively well despite some quirks, though it can't compete directly with Apple's iPad.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Ihnatko: Cracking the idea of an Apple TV set

Ihnatko: Cracking the idea of an Apple TV set - Ihnatko: Cracking the idea of an Apple TV set Andy Ihnatko tries to figure out the pros and cons of an Apple HDTV.

(Via Macworld.)

Russians prep Soyuz for launch to International Space Station

Russians prep Soyuz for launch to International Space Station - Two-and-a-half months after a dramatic launch failure, Russian engineers ready a closely inspected Soyuz spacecraft for launch to the space station, the program's first manned flight in the post-shuttle era.

(Via CNET News.com.)

Will Kindle Fire kill the $500 tablet?

Will Kindle Fire kill the $500 tablet? - Will the market impact of the $199 Kindle Fire be strong enough to reset the entire pricing structure of the tablet market? Even affecting Apple's seemingly impervious iPad?

(Via CNET News.com.)

Thursday, November 10, 2011

How to Back Up Your iOS Device with iCloud

How to Back Up Your iOS Device with iCloud -

What's that? You don't know what to do with all of those gigabytes that Apple gives you? Sure, it's only 5GB of free space (Although who are we kidding? We go nuts over 2GB!) But the iCloud back up service makes it so that you don’t have to connect your device to iTunes in order to keep things synced. We’ll show you how easy it can be to live cord-free with iOS 5.

(Via Mac|Life all.)

Social media disaster recovery: A first responder's guide

Social media disaster recovery: A first responder's guide - Social media disaster recovery: A first responder's guide With social media, it's now become possible to turn what was once a verbal gaffe behind closed doors into a public peccadillo -- and you're going to have to clean it up, fast. How you do that, and how you guard more vigilantly against future mistakes, is a process that should be made part and parcel of the way you and your company handle social media.

(Via Macworld.)

Apple settles MagSafe lawsuit, offers replacements

Apple settles MagSafe lawsuit, offers replacements - Apple settles MagSafe lawsuit, offers replacements A preliminary settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit regarding cable fraying and strain in Apple's T-shaped MagSafe adapters; the company has also begun an Adapter Replacement Program for eligible devices.

(Via Macworld.)

Analysts: Fire, Nook don't threaten iPad

Analysts: Fire, Nook don't threaten iPad - Analysts: Fire, Nook don't threaten iPad Monday's introduction of another low-priced rival to the iPad won't keep anyone at Apple up at nights, analysts say.

(Via Macworld.)

Add a Mickey Mouse clock to your Dashboard

Add a Mickey Mouse clock to your Dashboard - Add a Mickey Mouse clock to your Dashboard Because Apple hosts a fully-functional version of its iPod nano Mickey Mouse clock face on its website, you can put a working copy of it in Dashboard.

(Via Macworld.)

Jobs' 'Lost Interview' trailer surfaces on YouTube

Jobs' 'Lost Interview' trailer surfaces on YouTube - An hour-long interview with author Bob Cringely interviewing Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1995 is at the heart of the new film Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview, which will be playing starting November 19th. A trailer for the film has appeared on YouTube, showing excerpts of the 1995 interview, when Jobs was still with NeXT Computer but shortly before he would sell the company to Apple and eventually return as CEO ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

VooMote Zapper remote for iPhones goes up for pre-order

VooMote Zapper remote for iPhones goes up for pre-order - Berlin-based Zero1.tv has confirmed that its VooMote Zapper is available for pre-order. The Zapper is a small dongle that plugs into iOS 5 iPhones and turns them into remote controllers (free, App Store). With it, a user can control TVs, home theater components or almost any device that has an IR sensor for remote control ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Sir Richard Branson invests in mobile-payment startup Square

Sir Richard Branson invests in mobile-payment startup Square - San Francisco-based Square has a new investor who is anything but.

(Via CNET News.com.)

Amazon ramps up Kindle Fire production to 5 million units in 2011

Amazon ramps up Kindle Fire production to 5 million units in 2011 - Faced with greater than expected demand, Amazon has increased orders for its Kindle Fire tablet to a total of five million by the end of the year, according to a new report out of the Far East.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Monday, November 7, 2011

Wired.com Goes Creative Commons: 50 Great Images That Are Now Yours

Wired.com Goes Creative Commons: 50 Great Images That Are Now Yours - Beginning today, we?re releasing all Wired.com staff-produced photos under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC) license and making them available in high-res format on a newly launched public Flickr stream. To mark our new licensing policy, we?ve compiled this gallery of 50 great pictures from our past stories. Take them, share them, remix them -- they're yours.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

iCloud vs. Wi-Fi Sync: Which does what?

iCloud vs. Wi-Fi Sync: Which does what? - iCloud vs. Wi-Fi Sync: Which does what? Thanks to iTunes 10.5, iOS 5, and iCloud you can wirelessly sync data with your iOS device in two ways: iCloud lets you send specific information to and from Apple’s iCloud servers over an Internet connection, and Wi-Fi Sync syncs your device with iTunes on your Mac via your local wireless network. But there are notable differences between what gets synced using each method, and the two aren't mutually exclusive, so it's not surprising that many people are confused about the differences and similarities between the two. We've summarized the types of data handled by each.

(Via Macworld.)

iClipboard 4 adds Paste Blaster, search functions

iClipboard 4 adds Paste Blaster, search functions - Chronos has released iClipboard 4, an upgrade of the company's clipboard manager. The software saves a history of everything a person copies to the OS X clipboard, allowing users to pick from many different items instead of just one at a time. The v4 upgrade is said to include over 20 changes, such as the Paste Blaster, a task switcher-style window from which people can quickly select an item to paste into another app ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Comma

Comma -

Apple, in a legal response to HTC:

Apple denies that its correct name is Apple, Inc. The correct name of Respondent is Apple Inc.

(Via Daring Fireball.)

How to extend your camera's battery life

How to extend your camera's battery life - How to extend your camera's battery life Ever missed a crucial shot because your camera's battery died unexpectedly? Here are some tips that are guaranteed to extend a camera’s battery life.

(Via Macworld.)

Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet official with dual-core, Hulu

Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet official with dual-core, Hulu - Barnes & Noble at its special event confirmed the rumored launch of the Nook Tablet. The seven-inch sequel to the Nook Color is now much more of a media tablet with a dual-core processor and a doubled 1GB of RAM. The speed upgrade lets the Android device handle 1080p video along with new Hulu Plus and Netflix apps and newer games ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Found: Apple sneaks in a very cool Apple TV 2 screensaver

Found: Apple sneaks in a very cool Apple TV 2 screensaver -

Apple is sometimes known for adding little features and not giving them much notice. A case in point is the recent 4.4 update for the Apple TV 2. Noodling around the other night, I noticed a new screensaver called Photo Wall. I selected it, and the Apple TV put my photos in a variety of frames, some with mattes, that slid slowly across the screen from left to right. It was sort of like walking in an art museum.

This wasn't the only surprise. At a certain point, the Apple TV did a cool little 3D move that looked like I was going around a corner and more photos appeared. It's a nice way to display your favorite photos, and had I not stumbled on it, I would never know it was there.

Apple also added 2 more screensavers, one called Flip-up, the other is called Shifting Tiles. I think Photo Wall is the best of the new ones, but you may have your own thoughts.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

Friday, November 4, 2011

Jawbone’s $99 Up is ready to boost your health

Jawbone’s $99 Up is ready to boost your health -

The latest health monitor hitting the market comes from Jawbone, a company that has made its name by designing wireless headsets for phones. Called the Jawbone Up, the wrist-worn device launches on Nov. 6 for $99. Similar to the company’s prior products, the Up looks sleek and fashionable while being functional: Up measures activity, sleep and nutrition.

We first heard about Up earlier this year, not long after Jawbone raised $70 million in funding, and it’s the first non-audio Jawbone product. The device is meant to be worn on the wrist every hour of the day and night, so it’s good that the internal battery lasts for 10 days. One way to offer such battery life is to eliminate power-hungry wireless functions, which is exactly what Jawbone did. Up uses a standard 3.5 millimeter headphone jack to transfer data to a complementary iPhone application.

(Via TheAppleBlog.)

Kodak warns it may close shop without patent deals

Kodak warns it may close shop without patent deals - Kodak has quietly warned that it may have difficulty continuing operations if it cannot fetch additional funding. In its quarterly 10-Q filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company reported a 10 percent drop in cash holdings, down from $957 million to $862 million, and slashed its cash balance forecast for the end of the year by $300 million ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Google alters algorithm to make results more fresh

Google alters algorithm to make results more fresh - The Web giant makes changes to bring the most recent Web content to its search results, a move that affects about 35 percent of all searches.

(Via CNET News.com.)