Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for November 3, 2009:

Macintosh

• Apparent Software today is proud to announce Cashculator 1.0, a new kind of personal finance application for Mac OS X. Cashculator is a Mac way to track a cashflow. It is a different kind of personal finance application - instead of focusing on the past and logging previous transactions, it focuses on future by forecasting your financial situation. It allows making better decisions regarding your personal finance or small business. Version 1.0 is first release of the application.
• Macware has announced DiskTools Pro 3.5.1, a free update of its popular Mac utility suite for OS X. Version 3.5.1 supports Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later, including Apple’s new Snow Leopard. DiskTools Pro is a total system utility for the Mac, and the only one that allows you to schedule when to perform important tasks such as file defragmentation, backup and bad sector repair in a single, easy-to-use interface.
• Yazsoft has announced Playback 1.2, an important update to their zero configuration media server for Mac OS X. With a focus on ease-of-use, Playback allows anyone to share their media with any Playstation 3, Xbox 360, or other supported UPnP compatible device. Playback can also share media stored in folders or even make entire disks available to a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. By default, Playback will share almost any content on the users system. Version 1.2 includes many new improvements.
• SuperMegaUltraGroovy and toastycode have announced the immediate availability of TapeDeck 1.3, an update to their popular audio recorder for Mac OS X. Answering the requests of many professional and hobbyist users, version 1.3 adds the ability to record full-quality audio using lossless compression. Recordings from TapeDeck will preserve their full fidelity when dragged into Garage Band, Logic Pro, or any professional audio application that supports ALAC audio.
• Malkinware has announced Reference Tracker 1.5, an update to their academic reference manager and research tool for Mac OS X. Reference Tracker documents store all the citations and references in an essay, research project, or book and creates reference lists in a variety of formats when needed. Version 1.5 adds support for the newly updated APA 6th edition and MLA 7th edition referencing styles.
• XChange UK has announced a new exclusive PitStop Pro 09 Competitive Upgrade from FlightCheck Pro or FlightCheck Designer. This competitive upgrade gives existing users of FlightCheck Professional or FlightCheck Designer the opportunity to upgrade to the power of PitStop Pro 09 and save. PDF has become the standard for delivering press-ready files and PitStop Professional allows users to make minor edits to a PDF job at any stage.
• Karelia Software has released Karelia iMedia Browser 1.2.1, a free utility that adds the familiar “media browser” experience to just about any Mac application. The new 1.2.1 version provides full compatibility for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, adds Brazilian Portuguese and Russian Localizations, and fixes several other issues. A stand-alone utility, the Karelia iMedia Browser lets users quickly and easily browse and drag photos, music, movies, and bookmarks into most applications.
• newPCgadgets.com has introduces The Rail, a new cable management product for the iMac. The Rail is a stylish cable organizer designed to match the look of your iMac. Designed from polished steel, The Rail attaches directly below the center slot on the iMac pedestal. The Rail holds up to 8 small cables in the stainless steel wire clips. Larger cables like the power cord are held in the center section. Easily stores cables for future use and fast access on the sides. Excess wires can be wrapped around the posts. The Rail is available for $24.95.
• Emmy Award-winning Toon Boom Animation Inc. today announced the release of Flip Boom All-Star, an easy-to-use animation software for teens and up. Flip Boom All-Star offers exciting features that will engage users and allow them to use animation to communicate with their friends.

iPhone/iPod

• To help promote the ringtone creation software PocketMac RingtoneStudio 2 for iPhone, PocketMac is giving away a legally, factory-unlocked iPhone 3G. In addition, second and third prize winners will win a $50 and $15 iTunes gift card, respectively. The contest is structured so existing fans of PocketMac RingtoneStudio will help talk it up and recommend it to their friends. That is, the more copies of PocketMac RingtoneStudio sold during the month of November, the cooler the prizes get.
• mLab emantras has launched their first paid iphone app called Lucky Me lite. It’s a game which rates your luck and gives a score as well as a Lucky quote which can be shared on Facebook.
• IvySkin has announced the SmartCase, a new iPhone 3G/3GS accessory that brings a premium power and protection experience to iPhone owners. It offers IvySkin’s newest Glass Touch-Thru case called Quattro-T4 bundled with the new Quattro battery. This advanced power distribution system enables the iPhone to receive an additional 200% battery life. The SmartCase includes the SmartPac, Quattro-T4, USB cable and full manufacturer’s warranty.
• RemObjects Software, LLC has introduced Data Abstract for OS X, their new framework for Mac and iPhone developers. Data Abstract allows developers to concentrate on data presentation and business logic without having to worry about the intricate details of dealing with the underlying database. As a fully native OS X framework, Data Abstract was designed from the ground up to fit in with the tools that Mac and iPhone developers use, such as Xcode, Cocoa and Objective-C.
• TimeStream Software has turned the iPod Classic, iPod nano and iPod Video into eReaders with its popular Notescast titles. Installing to the “Notes” feature found on nearly every iPod in use world-wide today, Notescasts are interactive books on the iPod, each containing up to hundreds of pages of digital copy linked to related photos and additional text.
• Independent software developer Eknath Kadam has introduced Grammar Express: Tenses 1.0, his new grammar and course testing application for iPhone and iPod Touch. Designed specifically to leverage the iPhone’s unique capabilities, Grammar Express: Tenses is a complete course in mastering English grammatical tenses. This guide contains over a 100 pages of lessons with several examples, and serves to help improve the understanding of tenses and make use of correct form of verb.
• Extropia Games has released Bar Defender exclusively for the iPhone and the iPod touch. Bar Defender boosts castle defense games to an entire new scene. It’s going to be easy for gamers to identify with the bar fly who is threatened by the system and is struggling to hold on to the only place he feels safe: his favorite bar. Each level achieved, Bar Defender rewards gamers with more powerful weaponry and an even more audacious enemy, inciting them to polish the screen clean and shiny every time the game is afoot.
• MultiEducator has announced the release of Electrical Pro 1.0, their new information calculation tool for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Building on the success of Electrical Formulator, the Electrical Pro program adds 35 essential charts to the 100 electrical formulas in the standard Electrical Formulator. It also includes parts of the National Electric Code. The application has been designed from the ground up to leverage the iPhone’s unique abilities and interface.
• Orb Games has released Kamikaze Race 1.0, an exciting racing/action game for iPhone and iPod touch. The game puts players into a seat of an extremely fast car, amidst the busy road, with jammed accelerator pedal and brakes that refuse to work. Players have to survive as long as possible, challenged to earn achievements and to compete against other players in online leaderboards.
• Halloween has come and gone, but there are still zombies lurking in the dark, ready to eat your brains! Welcome to Zombie Dash, a top-down dungeon crawler where players can defeat the undead using the handy trackball control mechanism, as well as magic spells which can be cast with skill and dexterity via intense multitouch control. Trapped in a tomb infested with ghoulish pursuers, players must search for treasure and most importantly a key to the next level.
• VFSoftware LLC has announced Beat the Swine ‘09, the first iPhone app to raise monetary donations for H1N1 relief. VFSoftware LLC will donate to the CDC Foundation’s H1N1 relief fund for all downloads, increasing donations as a player’s score goes up. Similar to the classic Asteroids, Beat the Swine ‘09 has a medically inspired theme and updated pandemic information, making it the first to target gamers to help combat the spread of Swine Flu.

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Macintosh and iPhone/iPod updates and announcements for June 23, 2009:

Macintosh

• Altec Lansing, a division of Plantronics Inc. and a market leader in digital audio, has announced the latest member of its acclaimed Expressionist PC speaker family, the Expressionist PLUS (FX3021). This boldly imagined, compact system brings large-as-life sound to any desktop for only $99.95 MSRP.
• Blue Room Software announces that BurnToDisc and ImageArchiver export plug-ins for Aperture and iPhoto will be available at a 50% savings for a one day birrthday celebration on July 7, 2009. BurnToDisc provides a simple way to deliver your final images to a client, share your pictures with friends and family, or make an extra copy of your files for safekeeping. To take advantage of this sale, simply use the coupon code HAPPYBIRTHDAY at checkout.
• iPresentee has released Keynote Themes 5.0 and free Keynote theme for Apple’s presentation software. Keynote Themes 5.0 includes ten brand new terrific themes: Azure, Greenery, Blue Wave, Frozen Nature, Greenish, Ochre, Gradient Green, Orange Tree, Tones of Gray and Wood Planks. This collection offers a variety of presentation styles with coordinated fonts, colors, great backgrounds, unique bullets and picture frames. This release extends iPresentee’s Keynote themes collection up to 87 themes.
• Jumsoft has expanded their Goodies bundle, a collection of applications and designs available from company’s Web site free of charge. The company added ten Keynote Backgrounds to their vastly popular set, allowing Mac users to present their ideas in new impressive ways. Jumsoft Keynote motion backgrounds were created to infuse presentations with spirit and energize them without distracting the audience.
• Dare to be Creative has announced the release of Slices 1.0, a utility to split large files on Mac OS X. With Slices users can email large documents by breaking them down into smaller files before attaching them to emails. Slices also allows users to backup large files onto multiple CDs, USB memory sticks and other writable media. It is the latest addition to Dare to be Creative’s system utilities suite, and will be available at an introductory price for the next few weeks.
• nova media has announced the GlobeTrotter Express 441, a sleek modem which supports quad-band HSPA connections with up to 7.2 Mbit/s download speeds and up to 5.76 Mbit/s upload speeds. The GlobeTrotter Express 441 allows Macintosh users for the first time to establish 3G connections with an ExpressCard on all continents. The necessary software is delivered on the modem’s flash memory ready to install and does not need a separate CD or download.

iPhone/iPod

• The Pragmatic Studio has announced two upcoming training courses for developers interested in learning how to create iPhone applications using the latest iPhone SDK 3.0. These 4-day, hands-on courses taught by two experienced iPhone developers will be held August 4-7, 2009 in Reston, VA and August 25-28, 2009 in Denver, CO. You’ll come away from this course ready to start creating your own iPhone applications.
• Energize Software has released Gratitude Rock 1.0, a positive thoughts journal or diary for the iPhone and iPod Touch. You can record your positive thoughts of gratitude for each day while experiencing the relaxing sounds and images of the ocean. Add pictures to express your day’s thoughts and feelings and read an inspirational quote of the day. Keeping a Gratitude Rock with you is a unique way to remind yourself to be thankful for all the good things in your life.
• RingtoneFeeder today released a pack of 25 unique iPhone Alarm Tones which are all written and produced by Geoff Smith. These tones are delivered in one batch immediately and available in other formats to support other mobile phones. The tones are ideal for meeting alerts, waking up or any kind of reminders that use a tone to get your attention. Download all 25 tones in 3 different formats and drag them to the mobile phone directly from their PC/Mac, or install using applications such a iTunes.
• Video creation platform Animoto today gave its iPhone and iPod touch users even more flexibility and freedom to create and view professional-quality music videos on the go. Animoto’s iPhone application, which has quickly become a Top Free App within the Photography category, creates beautifully orchestrated videos from a user’s iPhone photos with the click of a button. Since launching in December 2008, 300,000 people have installed the Animoto Videos application and over 500,000 videos have been created through the application.
• iLuv has announced the iMM153 Desktop Dual Alarm Clock with Bed Shaker for iPod. This shake you awake alarm clock features seven ways to wake up to your favorite music. The unique Bed Shaker accessory will wake even the deepest of sleepers and is available in four colors, Black, Blue, White and Pink for the MSRP of $59.99 starting in July 2009.
• START MOBILE, the mobile art company, today announced the launch of sixteen mobile art galleries for the iPhone, featuring curated art wallpapers from some of the world’s premier emerging and underground artists. START MOBILE wallpaper galleries for the iPhone are now available via the Apple App Store, and featured artists include Justin Bua, Ricky Powell, Shepard Fairey, Sugarluxe, Drew Brophy, Mark Wasyl, Kelly Towles, Tricia Choi, Felix LaFlamme, and Luke Feldman.
• Frank Wahrman has announced iAssociate, a word association game in which the player’s role is to guess which words, or phrases, are derived from the other words that are shown in the puzzle. The game features multiple levels, and every level starts off with just one word (or phrase) visible. For instance, you might start off a level with the word Apple and a number of associations from that. Your goal is then to guess what these associations are.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

The excitement continues to build for tomorrow’s WWDC keynote and the developer announcements that are sure to follow. Yesterday, we took a look at what to expect from iPhone OS 3.0, as well as at Apple’s strategy for rolling out updates and why they include (or, more importantly, don’t include) certain features in each iteration. Today, we’ll examine Snow Leopard, the next big update to Apple’s Macintosh operating system.

Mac OS X v10.6

The code name for this latest release of Mac OS X is Snow Leopard. The name is important not just because it’s another big cat ( like the other names they have used: Tiger, Panther, Jaguar, etc…) but that it is very similar to the code name for the current release of Mac OS X v10.5: Leopard. Snow Leopard will seem a lot like Leopard to most end users. Expect a few cosmetic changes and maybe some subtle differences, but the Snow Leopard release will be all about what’s under the hood.

When OS X was first released, it was a revolution for Macs and, in many ways, for the PC industry as a whole. It was a modern operating system that had been built on top of a proven Kernel, but was still very accessible to the average user. Once again, we see the themes of stability and security coming in to play, as most consumer operating systems were buggy, unreliable and virus-ridden. Apple released a sleek, fast, stable and secure OS that was easy to use and very powerful in what it could do. It appealed to consumers and power users alike. It was, and still is, the minority platform, but it quickly became the one to watch.

Now, with Snow Leopard, we have the 7th generation of this operating system (We started with 10.0, and not 10.1). It has come a long way since March of 2001, and has matured well over the years. However, every release has been packed full of new features to keep people buying the new OS. With Snow Leopard, Apple is taking a much needed break from new features and has spent the last year-and-a-half streamlining the OS and the apps they provide with it. This is a bold step because without a lot of new features, a large majority of their user base will not be motivated to upgrade until they buy new hardware. Certainly Apple recognizes this loss of revenue opportunites, but they’re staying true to their vision of security and stability in streamlining the OS. For this, Apple deserves our applause.

The reason this streamlining is necessary is because Apple pulled off an amazing transition a few years ago when they moved us from the PowerPC processors to today’s Intel processors. This was not an easy task, but they pulled it off very smoothly and with very few problems. To accomplish this, the OS had to make some compromises. Now that the transition is complete and far enough behind us, they can focus on building an OS that really takes advantage of this new architecture. This release will see better use of multi-core processors, more efficient memory access, and even the ability for developers to use the latent power of the graphics processors for non-graphic purposes. In short, it will be a more stable, secure and reliable OS that is easy to use and does not intimidate those who are attempting to use it.

Evolution of a revolution

Both the iPhone OS and Mac OS X were revolutionary operating systems when they first came out. They allowed us to do things that we weren’t able to do before. These two operating systems are the real jewels in Apple’s crown and the keys to their success. Millions of people have purchased, used and discussed these systems and the devices they power. They have changed the way we think about computers and mobile devices. The anticipated releases of the new systems are far more evolutionary than revolutionary, but every revolution needs to eventually mature and evolve into its full potential. We will see some new features for consumers, but I have a feeling that both platforms’ developers are very excited about this year’s WWDC because of the evolutionary changes to the revolution they first signed up for.

Welcome to the evolution.

Also see WWDC: Evolution of a revolution part 1 - iPhone OS 3.0.

Full Story » | Written by Ed McKell for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) kicks off on Monday, and expectations are very high. Now that Apple has announced they will no longer be attending the Macworld expo, this is likely to become their premiere event to a non-press audience. Swirling around the web are lots of WWDC rumors guessing what Apple will do and anticipating with excitement the possible hardware announcement, but I want to spend a little time discussing what WWDC is really all about: Operating Systems.

It’s all about the OS

WWDC’s keynote has become in the last 10 years a platform for Apple to make announcements for all sorts of things, and it is likely to contain some surprises this year as well. However, it’s just the tip of the iceberg for WWDC, and it’s what you can’t see underneath that is some of the best stuff at the event. Keep in mind that this is a developer’s conference, and attendance is limited. Therefore, the entire conference is geared towards the people who make the applications for your Apple device that you love so much, and for the second year in a row, it’s a sellout. This means, unlike Macworld, this is not a product showcase, but a chance for some of the greatest minds of these platforms to get together and get a look under the hood of what is coming.

If you take a quick peak at WWDC’s conference schedule, you will quickly realize that almost all of the sessions are completely focused on the operating systems, only talking about the hardware when it interacts with the software that runs it. This year, like last year, there are two different but related operating systems to highlight. For the iPhone, we have the much anticipated release of iPhone OS 3.0 and for the Mac we have the much more quietly expected Mac OS X v10.6 (Snow Leopard). Both of these will be important releases that will likely occur soon after WWDC, if not at the conference itself. At the very least, we expect to find out more about when to expect these releases. Now, let’s look more critically into these releases and why they are important.

iPhone OS 3.0

iPhone OS 3.0, despite its name, will be the new OS for both the iPhone and the iPod touch, and will be available sometime this summer. This release brings some much anticipated features to the iPhone, including copy and paste, stereo Bluetooth, multimedia messaging (MMS), peer to peer (P2P) communication with nearby iPhone users and universal search. All of these features will be available to the current generation of iPhones, while features like MMS and stereo bluetooth are not expected to work with the first generation iPhone.

This is an important release for the iPhone OS not just for the features it will bring, but also for the maturity of the platform. Many see this release of the OS as the one that will finally fulfill the expectations for the original iPhone. Think of it as if iPhone OS 1.0 was the infant, 2.0 was the gangly teenage years, and 3.0 will finally be a mature, sophisticated adult. There will be a little flash on the surface, but the real substance will be underneath, as developers will now have more access to the resources the iPhone possesses.

Apps today live in a bubble. They can interact with things outside their bubble, but only in very limited ways. The bubble isn’t bursting, but it is getting a lot bigger. With 3.0, developers will be able to work more with Google Maps and the iPod multimedia library, and directly interface with hardware attached in the dock port (and possibly over bluetooth, as well). This means you could finally have an alarm on your iPhone that can use your iPod music as an alarm, not just the ringtones you have created. Or, an app that helps you find a local restaurant could have the map in the app instead of forcing you to switch out to the Maps app to see where it is. You may also get the chance to see all sorts of great (and probably not so great) hardware accessories that interact with your iPhone in some very cool ways. Suddenly, your iPhone can become the central hub for even more activity.

The question that needs to be asked here is, “Why?” Why has it taken so long for Apple to allow this kind of interaction? Isn’t this the sort of thing that computers and even mobile devices have always done? I can’t answer those questions authoritatively, but I can speculate on why I think it has taken so long. Apple’s answer to similar questions has always been that they limit things either because of stability, security or both. While this answer may be frustrating to the consumer, limiting for the sake of security and/or stability are core to Apple’s success with the iPhone as they evaluate where the iPhone is going and what it is doing. Ultimately, it is in the best interest of the consumer for Apple to be very intentional in their choices (albeit slow).

Coming soon, another piece will detail the smartphone’s evolution and its future, but for now, let’s just say that many smartphones that came before the iPhone were useful, but troublesome. If you wanted your smartphone to work like it did out of the box, you needed to leave it with the software that came with it out of the box. Sometimes, even then, it would still take a lot of time to make it do what you wanted it to do. Similarly, when Apple released the iPhone, that’s the way it worked. But they intended all along for Apps to be written and downloaded, starting first with only Apple approved Apps be on the device. With the release of “teen OS” 2.0, they allowed Apps to be written but highly restricted them to prevent third party apps from destabilizing the phone. For a mobile platform like the iPhone to succeed, it needed and needs to be as bulletproof and user-friendly as it can be. Smartphones had rarely appealed to the average consumer in the past because they were not easy to use. A consumer device needs to be—first and foremost—a stable, secure and reliable device that is easy to use and does not intimidate those who are attempting to use it.

So, iPhone OS 3.0 will usher in new features for the developer as well as the consumer, and it will finally unleash even more potential from the phone. This helps the platform to be more stable, secure and reliable. It also helps everyone—including consumers, press and developers—understand how Apple expects the platform to be used in the future. So, instead of throwing it at us all at once, we receive it in small, un-intimidating doses that are much easier to swallow. At the same time, Apple gets the chance to refine these systems even more to make sure they work correctly. In the end, with each step, Apple refines and reveals another piece of the puzzle, building the base to test things they ultimately want to do with the iPhone. Now they have the base and they will leverage that base to take the platform to even higher heights.

Check back with us tomorrow as we take a look at the importance of Mac OS X v10.6 (“Snow Leopard”).

Full Story » | Written by Ed McKell for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone software updates and announcements for March 13, 2009:

Macintosh

• Universal Electronic Accessories (Uniea) has announced that it plans to develop new cases based around the design concept of the Omniverse, one of the company’s newest and most innovative universal laptop cases. Due to debut in mid March, Omniverse cases offered in both Nylon and Silk Fiber materials for 2.5-inch hard disk devices and digital cameras will be added to the product line, which currently includes tote and sleeve styles in both Nylon and Silk Fiber for 10- and 13-inch laptops.
• This weekend—March 12th and 13th—get FileChute on macZOT for 50% off. FileChute makes sending files easy. Just drag a file and drop it on FileChute. FileChute puts the file on your MobileMe account and generates a web link for retrieving the file all in one step. Next, drag the generated link into your email and you’re set to go. And since what you’re sending is just a link, your recipients can retrieve the file from a Mac, a PC or any other platform.
• This Monday and Tuesday—March 16th and 17th—you can pick up BusySync on macZOT for 40% off. With BusySync you can share iCal calendars with family or coworkers on your LAN without the need for a dedicated server. Shared calendars can be viewed and edited by multiple users, and changes are instantly published and synchronized with all users on the network. You can make changes to shared calendars while offline and your changes will sync when you reconnect to the network.
• Zykloid Software has announced Posterino 1.5, an update to their popular life poster and postcard creator for Mac OS X. With a focus on ease-of-use, Posterino creates life posters, photo collages, frames, postcards, greeting cards and contact sheets from digital images. Posterino supports auto-placement of photos, export of posters or postcards, custom template creation, and various image manipulation routines such as cropping and rotation. Version 1.5 offers various improvements.
• Mac Games Arcade today received a significant update, bringing it to version 1.0.5. Among the new features are the ability to add your own games to Mac Games Arcade and enhanced downloading. Now, users can go to “My Games” and simply drag and drop their own games into the My Games window and it’ll magicially show up.

iPhone/iPod

• Aspyr has announced that all of their iPhone apps are now onsale in the iTunes App Store for 99 cents each. Voodude lets you create your own personal, portable Voodoo doll within your iPhone or iPod Touch. FriendZoo livens up your address book by turning each of your contacts in an animal in a zoo exhibit. Buggled is a multi-touch game of finger twister for your iPhone. See how far you can go, and challenge your friends.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Macintosh and iPhone software updates and announcements for March 6, 2009:

Macintosh

• Eye-Fi Inc. has announced the release of two new wireless SD memory cards that will upload videos directly from a digital camera to a computer and the Web. Videos are growing in popularity, and more than 144 million videos were viewed online in 2008, according to comScore. In addition to automatic photo uploads, the next generation Eye-Fi cards effortlessly deliver their video clips to YouTube or Flickr.
• This weekend—March 7th and 8th—you can pick up Algoriddim’s djay on macZOT for 40% off. djay is an award-winning piece of DJ and music playing software. Created exclusively for the Mac, djay perfectly integrates with your iTunes library and lets you start mixing your music right away. Unprecedented ease-of-use combined with powerful and innovative mixing capabilities make it the perfect tool for beginners and seasoned pros alike.
• ZappTek is proud to announce iPresent It 2.4, their easy to use slideshow-to-iPod utility for Mac OS X. iPresent It allows anyone to easily convert PowerPoint, PDF or Keynote presentations into slideshows that are synced with their iPod. This makes iPresent It particularly suited for doing presentations on the go: never carry a laptop into a presentation again. Version 2.4 adds support for Keynote ‘09.
• Gogii Games, in partnership with Macgamestore.com and Mac Games Arcade, have announced the release of Nanny Mania 2, the sequel to the hit nanny game. Nanny Mania is back with a brand new adventure. The sequel to the number one hit puts you in the middle of a celebrity family in need of a super nanny. In Hollywood, being a stay at home mom is a lot of work. Have you got the skills to take care of the house, the kids, and the egos all while keeping the paparazzi at bay?

iPhone/iPod

• Eye-Fi has released a new iPhone application that allows Eye-Fi users to store and share all their photos, from both iPhone and a digital camera, into the same organized computer folder and to one of 25 online photo sharing Web sites. iPhone users who own an Eye-Fi card can download the free application from Apple’s App Store.
• In regards to the French justice department ruling in favor of opening the iPhone market in France, Mobya has launched a call to all iPhone developers (Apple). $10,000 will be awarded to the selected developer(s). For the past few month now, there have been several initiatives to promote the development of new mobile applications in the United States. Mobya kicks it off from Europe by allowing developers from all over the world to submit their own mobile applications. Mobya will select applications that create a new usage and are linked to a sustainable business model.
• Vanilla Breeze has announced the release of its new application, now available from Apple iTunes AppStore. i-Gun, makes a clever use of touch interface and motion sensor to simulate a realistic handgun experience. There are other competing products at AppStore that feature various weapons, but most are mere sound machines, and the rest with poor graphics and animations. i-Gun is, by far, the most realistic handgun simulation app in AppStore, and will for sure give users hours of fun chasing after one another. The developer is planning on adding more weapons and effects in the near future.
• Damabia, in association with RnSK Softronics, has announced Bang! Bang! Original Gangsta for iPhone and iPod Touch. The first power weapon for the iPhone and iPod Touch, is now available in a new version. With the features you know and love in Damabia’s Bang! Bang!, the Original Gangsta version takes you even further, giving you genuine “Gansta-style” side-hand firing. Natural Motion-Controlled Firing and Reload Action.
• Wake!Gently is an alarm and bedside clock that will wake you as you are supposed to be woken…slowly and gently as nature intended. As the alarm rings, the chosen alarm sound starts to play, quietly at first and rises to full volume over one minute…thus allowing you to wake slowly and gently. Wake!Gently provides 6 professionally recorded, licensed, non looped “ambient” sounds to wake up to.
• You won’t need to rely on the luck of the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day when you have the protection of OtterBox. As innovators of protective solutions for mobile handheld technology, OtterBox offers superior quality cases for the top selling tech devices without having to spend a pot of gold.
• Software Ops has announced the release of My Eyes Only 1.5 for iPhone and iPod Touch. My Eyes Only has been heralded as the best selling iPhone application that protects your personal information. MEO uses secure RSA encryption to protect sensitive information from loss or theft, and protects access to all MEO personal information with user chosen passwords. Version 1.5 provides additional features adding two new categories: “Rewards card” and “Passport identity.”

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Authors: Sal Soghoian and Bill Cheeseman
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Edition: First (January 9, 2009)
ISBN 10: 0321149319
ISBN 13: 978-0321149312
Pages: 896
Price: $44.99

It’s been called the “Chinese Democracy” of the Apple community by Andy Ihnatko. The book that we all knew Sal Soghoian, Apple’s product manager for AppleScript, would someday write, though we waited and waited. Well, that day has come, and thankfully it doesn’t share a whole lot more in common with Chinese Democracy. For instance, you won’t regret buying it. It also won’t get you a free Dr. Pepper. So are you ready to automate away repetitive tasks?

Funny that Andy Ihnatko should make reference to how long it took for this book to come out.  Sal Soghoian has actually been waiting for a decent (indecent?) amount of time to publish these 880 pages of pure gold. Too bad you can’t automate publishing…or can you? (Clearly not, otherwise Sal would have beaten us all to it).  In any event, the book is out now; published by Peach Pit press in the Apple Training series.  Plus, it’s Apple Certified so you know it’s good to the core.

It only takes one chapter of this book to realize that AppleScript can be as simple or complicated as you make it; or indeed, as weak or as powerful as you desire.  Within one chapter you’ll be writing simple AppleScripts.  But don’t worry, Sal doesn’t throw you into the deep end of the scripting pool. Rather, he taps you just enough to fall into the shallow end.  The first chapter teaches you all about scripting simple things about the Finder, an application that we all use everyday.  While this might not be extremely useful, the ideas apply to all scriptable applications.

Sal will hold your hand as much as you need throughout AppleScript 1-2-3.  You don’t need to have any previous experience with anything other than possibly a Mac.  You don’t have to be a programmer, because everything is clearly explained from the basics.  He provides a ton of sample code to get you started, and you’ll find yourself exploring along the way.  That’s the sign of a good book, in my opinion—whether it can get you thinking.  I know I was experimenting the whole way through, and I discovered some fun things as a result.  If you are more familiar with such things, you can speed through certain portions of the book, which is fine too.

I should take a quick break and address those of you who don’t know what Applescript is.  Shame on you.  Actually, you’re far more likely to have heard a bit about its automating powers already.  You might have even told yourself you wanted to learn it, if you only had the time.  I know I’ve used that excuse enough times. It’s okay, really.

AppleScript is a scripting language that allows you, through English-like sentences, to tell your computer to do various things.  For instance, you can move a window, change its size, open an application, delete a file, etc. What may surprise you is how much like the English language AppleScript actually is. There are nouns and verbs, and tell blocks.  Okay, that last part is a bit different, but hey, it’s a scripting language.

AppleScript Utility is the application you’ll use to write AppleScripts, and it comes with your Mac.  Sal gives you a full tour and some information that you might not have found anywhere else.  In chapter two of this book you’ll find out all about the Dictionary.  No, not the book that I always argued was readable to my elementary school teachers, but it’s similar.  This Dictionary will help you find the commands you want to use inside in your AppleScripts.  If you want to tell your program to do something, this is where you look.  Unfortunately, Dictionary support varies by application, as it is provided by the developers who wish to have their apps be scriptable.

If you’ve ever used my favorite excuse for not learning something (I just don’t have the time), and you’re now ready to change, this is the book for you.  AppleScript is a powerful tool, and AppleScript 1-2-3 is the next best thing to being best buds with Sal.  AppleScript is not as hard or intimidating as you might think, and this book will make you realize that for yourself.  And let’s be honest, who would you rather have teach you AppleScript than Sal Soghoian?  I don’t know of a better person for the job.  So take the next few weekends and learn something useful already!

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

In Chapter One of my Developing for the iPhone series, I shared some thoughts on the genesis of every project; the big bang for the entrepreneur, the idea that supports everything else. I also stated what I feel to be a truthful fact about the significance of the idea, and its role on the whole project.

What should I do now that I have that good idea? What do I need to make it happen? Is there any way to insure success?

The questions are many, and the answers are numerous; to me, none of them have a single answer, and most of them can be addressed with “it depends.”  Even though there’s no formula for success, nor a right way to go, I like to think there are a few items to consider when creating a project, which could serve as solid bases to build an idea on. I like to put them together, create activities around those items, and call them my strategy.

No matter what you’re thinking, no matter the nature of your idea or the concept of your project; the strategy is simple, universal and easy to apply. There’s no groundbreaking knowledge in it, there’s no rocket science involved, there are just a few checkpoints to review and variations to take within every checkpoint.

First, let’s summarize what the strategy includes, then I’ll be elaborating a little more about some of those items in this chapter, leaving the rest to the next article of the series.  What do I consider essential at the beginning of any project? What items does my strategy include? I could list them as follows:

• A good idea (stated before and understanding “good” as good for me right now)
• Time and funding
• Motivation
• Skills
• Info and docs
• Knowledge

If you’ve decided to go and develop for Apple’s phone, you’ll need to examine yourself in each and every one of these items.  You can cut some of them, you could add a few more, but you definitely won’t be able to go forward if you don’t set them at the beginning and respect them along the way.

When you want to start a project, one of the most important things you need to have is time. Time, over everything else (commitment is also important), is the only thing that will separate a serious project from an attempt-to-do-something kind of project.

This is a tricky stage of the journey, as sometimes you’ll have to drop something else you’re doing, and sometimes you’ll convince yourself that you don’t have to drop anything, and that you can handle the load. Most of the time, you’ll realize that taking and idea to reality takes more of you than you thought, so invest you hours and do your math wisely; your decisions here will affect everything else to come.

You’ll have to decide here how do you want to approach your project. The time you’ll invest in it will vary whether you’re planning to be doing the planning, distribution of tasks, designing, programming, debugging, controlling and distributing the application, or if you’ll be functioning as a leader of the project. Both roles are time demanding, but in different ways, for sure. Here, it’s important to make up your mind, this decision will change everything to come. 

Once you’ve decided how many hours a day/week you’ll be dedicating to this project, it’s time to think about funding. Money is important (mostly when you don’t have it), so, here you have to stop again and think the main purpose of your project, how many resources you’ll need, and how you plan to get them.

Since money management is not my area of expertise, I’ll be passing over this section. I respect what I don’t know, at least enough not to waste your time. What I can actually say here is that the more you depend on people to give life to your idea, the more money you’ll have to invest. If you happen to be one of those programmers who also has designer skills, you’ll save a few necessary bucks.

When it comes to motivation, every one of us has a story to tell. It’s so common to start a project (of any kind) with tons of enthusiasm, and then see it fade as the days go by. Why does this happen? Is there any way to avoid it?

I’ve tried to find a formula to solve this; not for every one, just for me. I think it would be easier for me to advise people on the subject if I’ve been able to solve my own case of fading motivation. To date, there’s no absolute answer I can give you. Have I won my own battle so far? I don’t think that’s a question with a definitive answer. As with some addictions, you can be winning many battles through the year, but it doesn’t mean you’ve won the war. That’s one of the life-lasting issues we have to deal with.

But I do actually have something to give here. If you happen to have fading motivations, I have something I appreciate a lot and want to share with you. It’s an article from A List Apart that I’ve made my own. Kevin Cornell has written it, and it’s called: Staying Motivated (shocking right?).

He has some good news for all of us, revealing his tips on how to move forward and keep your creative frenzy. His strategy is based on two phases: starting out and maintenance. With this knowledge, you’ll be near achieving what the experts call long-term motivation. 

In the next article, I’ll be describing the rest of the items (in which I build my strategy), and two main characters of the story: the tools (iPhone SDK, editing, control version system) and launch platform (AppStore, web, press).

See Developing for the iPhone - Chapter One: The Big Bang.

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When it comes to developing for the iPhone, there’s no dramatic change in comparison to any other software development project. Aside from the technical aspects of programming for a mobile device, general guidelines have to be followed in order to achieve the highest chance of success.

This is the first of a short (I guess it’d be three of them) series of articles in which I will share some thoughts, explain some ideas, and lay out some strategies to deploy iPhone applications. I’ll be going through everything we need to start programming (ideas, time, skills, docs, tools, motivation, etc), and some of the best techniques to attack a problem and organize a team of professionals (developers, graphics designers, and more).

Even though I’m not an expert on the subject of iPhone development, I’ve been involved directly in the software engineering discipline for a few years now; I’ve had my share of consulting and project planning, and, of course, I’ve written a lot of source code lines by now. 

As an Apple fan, I’ve now been tempted by the idea of writing iPhone applications, I guess I’m not alone here, so I wanted to contribute with my grain of sand (that’s a translation from a Spanish idiom, I’m not even sure it means something for everyone) on this topic everyone is talking about these days. I hope I can count on your feedback here if you have something to add or if you know for a fact that something is missing or incorrect. Your experience and opinions will be highly appreciated. I’m sure we can make this a very interesting column, all together.

Well, let’s get down to business now. After that (questionably interesting) introduction, I’d like to tell you about the genesis of any project, the source of inspiration and emotions every entrepreneur has felt at least once in his/her life: the idea.

Every project, no matter if it has failed or succeeded, has begun with an idea. Some ideas have come from commercial or corporate studies, some other from mistakes, and some of them (my personal favorites) have come to light from a necessity. Maybe the necessity of one person, which ends up also being needed by thousand or million more, making that idea the “why didn’t I think of that?” of the moment.

The idea behind the adventure is one of the key factors of success. The project can’t exist without it, but just having it—even when it’s a great one—doesn’t mean you have anything granted yet.  So many good ideas have been lost in time, on the hands of the wrong people, or in the wrong moment in history, that it’d be impossible to track them all.  We should just have this fact in mind and try not to feed all these statistics of shame. Let’s admit it, it’d be painful to see my neighbor (or some kid from across the pacific) successfully implementing my idea five years after I told him (I could’ve mentioned it to the kid; not likely, but possible), just because when I tried that it wasn’t the right time, or I missed an important feature, even when it was in front of my eyes.

Having a good idea is half the way in the starting days of any project; it would guide you and give you a path to follow. If somehow you find yourself lost with the many aspects of a big project, looking back to the bases, thinking and focusing on the main idea of everything, could represent salvation for your project, and calm for your being.

In the next article we’ll be reviewing what we should do after we got that good idea. There are many options, and I’ll be mentioning a couple of them for those who like to be involved in the programming and/or designing activities (kind of Steve Wozniak), and some other strategy for those of you who have an idea and want to lead the group of professionals to the top of their abilities without getting your hands into the mud directly (kind of Steve Jobs).

Full Story » | Written by Juan Gonzalez for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

In a previous post, I wrote a little bit about the activities involved in the management of collaborative work using Subversion. That post was completely server-side oriented. 

Now, I’d like to address the other side of the coin, the client side of Subversion. I’ll be describing the most common activities related to SVN Clients for the Mac and the best way to use them, and will provide a few more useful tips from the perspective of, let’s say, a programmer.

Read on for info and tips.

Once the server is set up with Subversion (to efficiently control versions of files), the website of the Trac (to monitor task progress), and the initial import of the repository (the main structure of files and folders), all we need to do to get started with the fun part of the job is to get a Subversion client.

A while ago, the availability of applications to handle this task was a little bit poor; nowadays, this is a different reality. First of all, I’d like to clear the general concept of the client. Then, we’ll be listing a few of them from which you can choose.

The SVN Client is the application that will let you manage the repository and your working copies from you local computer. It’d be correct to say it’s the interface between you and the Subversion server.

There are a lot of clients out there, and the first one you’ll encounter is the client embedded in the Subversion itself. This is not my choice at all, not because it doesn’t cover every need, but instead because it’s command line oriented. This makes everything more complicated for the beginner, and it’s a bit less friendly in general terms.

That’s possibly the main reason for the existence of third party clients. There’s a wide range of options for every operative system on the market. We could find them in three main categories:

• Stand-alone
• Desktop integration
• IDE plug-ins

A complete list of flavors can be found at the Subversion official site. Also, a very useful comparative matrix can be found at Wikipedia.

If you are a Windows user, let me save you valuable time on your decision making process. The desktop integration client called TortoiseSVN, is by far the best one out there.

When it comes to the Mac, we have some interesting options. Here are the most remarkable ones, and some of their features:

• SVNX is an open source GUI for most features of the svn client binary. It handles the main features of any client—such as browsing your working copies, spotting changes and operating on them—but it also allows you to browse logs and revisions of your repositories. Right now, its current version is 0.9.13, and its website still says it requires Mac OS X 10.4. I’ve installed it on Leopard (10.5.4), and it works fine. What I like the most about this client is the OS integration of the interface, and the way it organizes every item on different adjacent sections.
• SyncroSVN makes easier the document and code sharing between content authors or developers. This multiplatform (it was developed in java) Subversion front-end allows you to browse repositories, check for changes, commit changes, update your working copy and examine the revision history. Its current version is 3, and it costs $59. It’s a really good client, but there are so many free and open options that I wouldn’t recommend anyone pay for a SVN Client.
• SmartSVN is a powerful and easy-to-use, graphical client. It is project centric, it runs on all major operating systems, and it’s targeted at professional developers to make their daily work visual, efficient and comfortable. Actually, this one is the client I use on daily basis. I won’t say it’s the best, but it’s definitely my favorite. Its interface is clean, simple to configure and use, and it’s always being updated. It’s not an open source project, but it has a free version, the one I use. Its current version is 4.
• Versions is one of the new kids on the block. Even though it’s still on a beta stage, it seems to be one of the big contenders as the future preferred client for the Mac. As they state on their website, “Whether you’re a designer, developer, editor or project manager, chances are you already have plenty on your mind. Versions saves you the hassle and makes working with Subversion easy for your entire team.” That’s a really good way to summarize the job of any good Subversion client.

The steps to configure the clients are basically the same for all of them. You should introduce the URL of your repository, your user account data, and the local folder to download and modify your working copy.

Then you should just worry about working on you local copy of the repository, updating the code in order to have your image always updated, and commit your changes every time you can. I’d recommend doing it frequently and always writing a brief comment about the changes being uploaded. That would be the beginning for any nice citizen in any Subversion neighborhood.

• See also Managing the server side of collaborative work with Subversion

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Nowadays, every experienced company or group of people dedicated to software development knows there are a lot of variables to handle when you work on a project from a collaborative point of view. The project leader has to handle every detail regarding time, costs, human resources, deadlines and quality of the delivered product. If you add to this picture a contractor, then your are adding more things to control, and, most of the time, more potential headaches.

There are many possible solutions for this scenario, but the one I’d like to address now is based on three main components: Subversion, Trac and a Mac. This proposal needs to be separated in two parts: on one hand we’ll have the server side, and on the other hand we’ll have the client side. We’ll now be focusing on the server side of the solution.

First, let’s describe briefly the two most unknown components of the trio. Subversion is a version control system, which aims to manage current and historical versions of almost any kind of file. It’s frequently used to manage source code, digital documents, web pages, etc. One of the remarkable strengths of this software is that it manages to handle multiple concurrent modifications to the files involved in the project, from different locations. By itself, it’s a very powerful tool for collaborative work and project control.

Trac on the other hand, is a web-based tool presented by its creators as an enhanced wiki, which aims to control (in a very simplified way) software development projects. It also serves as an issue tracking system, and was born to work seamlessly on top of Subversion. Trac brings to the version control of source code and documents the power and flexibility of the Web.

When they work together, Trac+SVN provides any company a strong set of tools designed to help control and monitor every single participant of any project, without even worrying about geographic location or work habits.

So, now that you’re interested in the potential of these simple but powerful tools, and you’d like to implement them (at least as a test) in your work environment, let’s review a few directives you need to know in order to set your Subversion server.

For this job you’ll need:

• A web server (it could be a Linux PC if you don’t have a Mac available for this task): Here, you’ll have to install both Subversion and Trac. Mac OS X already includes Subversion in most installations, so you’ll want to check if your server already has it.
• Subversion: This is an open source project, and you can get it and install it in so many ways that we’d need a single article to describe the task. The best source of information is at the Subversion Official Site.
• Trac: This is also an open source project. Its installation is a little bit more complicated than the Subversion one, but plenty of information about that process can be found at the Trac Official Site.

Once you have your server going, you’ll just have to set up a few accounts for the Trac and the repositories users. This could be done with the same tools that Apache uses to create regular user accounts (assuming that Apache is the installed web server).

The basic steps to follow for every new project, once your server is working, would include the following tasks:

• Create the repository for the project with the subversion commands.
• Import the initial source code (or set of documents) to the path of the repository.
• Initialize the Trac environment for your project with the Trac commands.
• Assign read/write permission for the repositories.

Following these general steps, you can set your Trac+SVN server in a day or less, and then began to work in a very effective way with as many programmers and analysts as you need. For this configuration you’ll just need you computer and two open source, industry leading, tools that, for no cost at all, will serve the purpose of your company for many years to come.

• See also Managing the client side of collaborative work with Subversion

Products [Subversion and Trac]

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IconFactory makes a great universal tool for designers called xScope — for people who constantly use this kind of tool, it’s a worthwhile investment. But, a new app now gives you similar functionality — for free. Rulers provides a subset of xScopes useful features in an easy-to-read format. Photoshop-style rulers appear at the side and top of your screen for accurate positioning, and the HUD gives precise cursor coordinates with a magnifying glass option.

Rulers also has the capability to take screenshots and auto-measure — similar to the “Dimensions” mode on xScope. You can quickly determine the size of anything on-screen by using this. When Rulers is the active application, holding Command+A will bring up the cross-hairs and measurement for the area surrounding the cursor.

This useful app, that delivers almost all the features and functionality of xScope is completely free. An excellent tool for those wanting to get into web design on a low budget. You can download it from Omnidea.

Via [TUAW] Product [ Rulers ]

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Although very few details about Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard have been released, Roughly Drafted has supposedly uncovered some more tidbits and features. 

As many of you may already know, one of the main features of the latest big cat is Grand Central. Grand Central is a thread management tool used to help developers when writing apps. The following is from the aforementioned Roughly Drafted article:

Snow Leopard’s Grand Central Dispatch does the same thing [as modern networking] for processes, packetizing tasks into Blocks and routing them to available processing cores as efficiently as possible. It can also manage the big picture for the whole system, adjusting how it balances its tasks as the performance load increases. This would be close to impossible for Individual developers to do themselves.

Also in the article were details about OpenCL. OpenCL will also help with multi-threaded architecture, along with GPU outsourcing in order to help realize the full potential of today’s high speed processors. OpenCL code will be kept as bytecode to enable JIT Compilation allowing graphics optimization. 

Snow Leopard can be expected “within a year.”

Via [MacRumors]

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Do you hate having to wait for your PHP scripts and files to upload to your server to make sure they work? If so, you would get along great with the people over at MAMP, or Macintosh, Apache, Mysql and PHP. MAMP simply installs a local server environment in its own folder on your hard drive and doesn’t affect your main operating system at all. You can then run and test PHP scripts and other database tasks without having to upload the files to your server. MAMP is completely free and is licensed under a GNU General Public License.

Currently on release 1.7, this application comes with a simple to use widget to start and stop the localhost servers. It works just as you would expect, and I’ve had no problems with it on my machine. There is a MAMP Pro that costs money, but many of you will find that MAMP does what you need just fine.

If you are a developer who is sick of waiting for files to upload so you can test them, check out MAMP, and be ready to start saving a ton of time.

Product [MAMP]

Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Ergonis Software has just launched an application for Mac OS X called Typinator that will make designing websites a whole lot easier. With over 100 built-in abbreviations, web designers won’t have to type as much code, and therefore they won’t have to worry about making as many spelling mistakes. As Christoph Reichenberger, founder and CEO of Ergonis puts it, “Regardless what tool they are using, most web designers are typing plain HTML code all the time, sometimes at least assisted by their HTML editor. With the new HTML snippets set for Typinator, you can insert over 100 HTML elements without having to click through a list of templates. Just type a double less-than sign followed by the name of the desired HTML element and Typinator will insert the corresponding HTML code and place the insertion point appropriately.”

You can watch a demo at their site, download a trial, and buy the app for around $38.89 for a single license. Typinator could really help web designers cut some of the time it takes to make a website by speeding up the process of typing all those repetitious tags. It works with Mac OS X 10.4 or higher, and can import your TextExpander shortcuts to make switching even easier. Check it out and let us know what it’s like.

Via [Macsimum News]

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Former Apple Senior Software Engineer Scott Kovatch, now Adobe’s Senior Computer Scientist, announced Tuesday at WWDC that he will be heading up a project within Adobe to help port Java SWT from Carbon to a Cocoa interface. Although work on the project has already started, Kovatch sated he will not join the group full time until mid-august. 

The Standard Widget Toolkit is a tool used to give Java applications native GUI for each supported platform. The Mac OS X version was written back when Carbon had a slight performance advantage over Cocoa, but that has changed, and support for 64-bit Carbon has been dropped entirely. In addition, according to this Mac OS X report, after 10.6 or 7, Mac OS will be entirely written in Cocoa Touch.

The Cocoa port of Java SWT is anticipated to be ready for the release of Eclipse 3.5 sometime in 2009, but nothing is official as of yet.

Via [Infinite Loop]

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Momail, a Stockholm based company, is the first company to announce support for the “next big thing” smart phones. Those next big things are the 3G iPhone and the Samsung Omnia.  The following is from a WebitPR press release:

”These devices will sell large volumes and their specifications makes them very suitable for consumer mobile email and Momail. Our server based solution gives us the possibility to add support for new devices very fast and today we support over 80 percent of devices shipped. So, with Momail, iPhone and Omnia users will soon be able to enjoy the world’s smallest, smartest and most cost-effective mobile email, says Roger Grönberg, CEO of Momail.

The Momail service provides the user with a single mailbox for all of their e-mail addresses, in an “easy to use, fast, efficient, no spam environment.” Momail uses a Mobile Message Optimization & Protection Engine (MMOPE) to provide its users with speed and reliability, along with an IronPort to stop mobile spam and viruses. 

Momail already provides services for a range of other “super mobiles” soon to be released, including the HTC Touch Diamond, LG Secret, Nokia N96 and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1.

Via [WebitPR Press Release]

Full Story » | Written by Mark Rowland for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

The Keynote may be the main attraction at WWDC, but there is always much more to come even after Steve leaves the stage. In today’s WWDC happenings, the Apple team detailed the server version of Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard. The following comes from a MacNN report.

“As with [Consumer Version of Mac OS 10.6], Server will focus on making all aspects of the OS mutlicore-ready through Grand Central, with the option of tapping into GPU power via OpenCL. Because Server will operate on a 64-bit kernel, it should in theory support up to 16TB of RAM.”

iCal, Mail and Address Book will all be receiving upgrades, increasing their speed and stability. Other highlights include the addition of Podcast Producer 2, along with native programs and templates for creating blogs, wikis, mailing lists, and RSS Feeds.

Via [MacNN]

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Amidst all the Mac OS X 10.6 Hype, Apple has officially seeded Safari 4 to developers. This new version focuses on performance and stability. Using the Squirrelfish program with WebKit, Apple says Safari 4 will be “the fastest implementation of JavaScript ever, increasing performance by 53 percent, making Web 2.0 applications feel more responsive.”  Since speed, quality, and stability are the main focus of 10.6, it seems Apple is getting a jump on those upgrades. Another example of lightning quick web applications is the newly announced MobileMe, the replacement for .Mac. 

With upcoming system upgrades and subsequent release of 10.6, Apple is really focusing now on speed and stability, especially in web apps.

Via [MacRumors

] 

Full Story » | Written by Mark Rowland for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Good news for those working with the iPhone SDK. Yesterday, during all the WWDC hoopla, Apple quietly posted the seventh edition of the iPhone software development kit. The newest edition of the SDK is build 9M2199, and weighs in at a download size of 1.19GB. Registered users of the SDK can go to the Apple Dev Center to download the new build as an update, or you can go to the same site to register for the program and download the build.

Via [World of Apple]

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This post is part two of a seven part series covering the iPhone applications and games announced at the WWDC Keynote on Monday, June 9th.

Push, a new feature from Apple could save a lot of battery and processing power. According to Steve and Scott Forstall, SVP of iPhone Software, background processes were one of the biggest detriments to battery life in iPhone 1.0, but now there is a solution. By maintaining a constant IP connection, 3rd party and Apple apps can notify an iPhone user of things like new mail messages, and the like. The program will be available for users in September, with developer seeds headed out next month. As long as you have cell phone service, the system will work, as it is enabled to run using either Wi-Fi or cellular. 

For more on the new iPhone apps revealed at WWDC, follow the links below.

  • Auctions
  • Push Notification Service
  • Typepad
  • Mobile News
  • Band
  • Modality and MIMVista
  • At Bat

Full Story » | Written by Mark Rowland for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

This post is part one of a seven part series covering the iPhone applications and games announced at the WWDC Keynote on Monday, June 9th.

The first group to demo an app was iPhone App Lab. Their app was aptly named Auctions. It is certified by both Apple and eBay, and is available for free in the App store in iPhone 2.0.

The eBay application provides iPhone users with an easy way to buy and sell in the world’s largest online auction base, and Safari is no longer needed. From your iPhone, you can bid on items, check your watch list, check bid status and view item details, including photos of the listing. I think this is a decent app, but not really worth paying for, so it’s a good thing it will be free.

For more on the new iPhone apps revealed at WWDC, follow the links below.

  • Auctions
  • Push Notification Service
  • Typepad
  • Mobile News
  • Band
  • Modality and MIMVista
  • At Bat

Full Story » | Written by Mark Rowland for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Okay, its official. 3G iPhone rumors have become a little too much. Asking “Will a 3G iPhone be released at WWDC?” is up there with the likes of “Does a bear use the restroom in the woods?” and “Is the Pope Catholic?”  In other words, yes. It will be there. I am willing to bet my first-born son on that (though you may be waiting a good 10 to 15 years for a payout should I be mistaken, but, as you may see above, I’m pretty darn sure I’m not). 

Now that I have stated how certain I am of 3G at WWDC, let’s start a new discussion. Other than the look and feel of the new iPhone, what will be changed in iPhone OS 2.0? Read on to hear my take on the subject.

1. iChat - This is one of the most disappointing app lacks from iPhone 1.0. Currently, you cannot enable any kind of AIM client without first Jailbreaking your iPhone—an act that voids your warranty and makes Steve mad. As you may know, it can get you banned for life from Apple stores. There will be some serious booage from the WWDC crowd should Apple not bring this one home.
2. Video Conferencing - A less anticipated feature than iChat, but important nonetheless. Many 3G iPhone rumors have speculated that there will be a a camera not only on the backside, but on the front, as well. This could add an interesting aspect to an already loved product. It’s hard to tell whether this possible feature would appeal more to the intrepid on-the-go business man or the kid-at-heart (or just the kid) who wants to share LOLCats pictures with their friends.
3. Blogging App - Another possible great app for the iPhone. I think this app would be good if there was a partnership between Apple and one of the major blog hosts, such as Blogsmith or Blogger.
4. Digital Video Capabilities - Another missed feature in iPhone 1.0. I think an app like this would be well received. Almost all cameraphones, and not just the smartphones, have this capability. Come on, Steve. You guys are supposed to outperform destroy the competition.

Just imagine collective “Huh?” at WWDC if Steve made the special point of saying no 3G iPhone. Now that would be a disappointment of Vista proportions.

Any thing I missed here? Anything you want to see in iPhone 2.0? Let your voice be heard in the comments below!

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WebKit,  the engine behind Safari and all of Mac’s other HTML needs, seems to be looking fairly far into the future.  It looks as if they’re anticipating the imminent release of Mac OS X v10.6 (or whatever it may be called, details on that in a bit).  Flickr user factoryjoe, famous for his screenshots, has a picture showing files deep in the heart of the most recent WebKit Nightly Build.  In the picture, a folder is shown labled “10.6,” linking as an alias to “10.5” above that.  Above that is the 10.4 folder. 

When it all gets boiled down, I think there are two explanations possible for the situation.  The first is the possibility of a preemptive strike of sorts when it comes time to start writing for 10.6.  This method is not unheard of for developers.  The second, and much more likely situation, is that the developers of WebKit have gotten wind of the new OS and have actually starting to develop WebKit for 10.6.  This may be due to Apple’s possible need of an open source foundation for their 10.6 browsing needs.  Although there is no date even rumored yet for a release, it should be here relatively soon.  Let’s just hope there are no Leopard-esque delays with the next version. 

As for the name, read on.  Back in 2004, when Apple trademarked the names Tiger and Leopard, they also trademarked the names Cougar and Lynx.  Thus, we have the two most likely names for then next iteration of the Mac Operating system, and heck, maybe the unused name will be saved for 10.7.

Via [The Unofficial Apple Weblog]

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I’m a big fan of the Call of Duty series, and I was excited when I heard it was coming to the Mac. However, it looks like COD4 fans will have to wait a little longer. It’s been delayed.

On Tuesday, June 2, 2008 Aspyr announced that Call of Duty 4 will be delayed. It was originally supposed to be released in May. The fact that May passed without us getting this title was a great indication that the deadline wasn’t going to be met, right?

“Aspyr Studios has chosen to continue to spend more time in development with the title in order to ensure a high-quality gaming experience for Mac gamers,” reads a statement offered by Aspyr.

Call of Duty 4 is a first person shooter developed by Infinity Ward. It’s the fourth game in this extremely popular series. Currently, you can purchase it for PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360 (I have the Xbox version). Unlike the previous games which were set during World War II, Call of Duty 4 is set in modern times, and you are visiting various hotspots around the globe. There are lots of weapons from which you can choose for the game, and playing in multi-player mode allows you to unlock additional weapons, weapon attachments, and camouflage schemes as you progress.

Although I’m disappointed by this temporary setback, I’ll happily purchase it for my MacBook Pro once it is available.

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For those who focus development on the iPhone, and missed there chance to go to WWDC ‘08, you may just be in luck.  iPhoneDevCamp 2 is a three day series of workshops and conferences, all dealing with development on the iPhone and iPod Touch. This follow up to iPhoneDevCamp 1 is a non-profit, and is sponsored by the likes of Adobe Systems, Belkin, iLounge and ANSCA Mobile, among others. 

Should you attend, you will be immersed in the development world, learning tidbits from professional coders, designers and developers, and work with other attendees to make your own programs and migrate existing Mac programs to the iPhone.  “If you’re a Cocoa Touch developer, web developer, UI designer, or tester, this is the place to be the first weekend of August,” says TUAW writer Steven Sande, and for the people mentioned above, it certainly will be the place to be. 

No registration info has been released, but make sure you check the iPhoneDevCamp 2 website periodically for more info.

[iPhoneDevCamp 2] via The Unofficial Apple Weblog]
 

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Funnily enough, I was just waiting for Apple to release this. Since I just installed Woopra, a new statistics tracking software, on my website - and it requires Java SE6 on the Mac. Unfortunately, the latest Java SDK doesn’t run on 32-bit Macs - which means my Core Duo MacBook won’t be able to run it. However, all of Apple’s newest products are Core 2 Duo, and are 64-bit (if running Leopard). The update is available for download from Apple’s website or Software Update if you have a compatible Mac.

This latest update adds support for Java SE 6 version 1.6.0_05. This update does not replace your current install of Java on your Mac, it just adds support for SE 6. It requires a 64-bit Intel Mac with Mac OS X 10.5.2

Via [TUAW]

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For those of you who use Aperture, a new version of the SDK for the popular photo management app has arrived. If you can’t remember straight, Aperture 2.1 added a greater ability to write and create plugins, extras, and even editing tools. A month later, the SDK has arrived, allowing the general public to stop looking at and finally create these add ons. Hopefully with the SDK out, Aperture’s functionality will be greatly improved (sorry, I’m a Lightroom fan.) The SDK is available for download from ADC, so go, check it out, and start coding!

[ADC] via [TUAW]

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”Apple might as well put out a press release”, says Forbes’ writer Brian Caulfield. 

With the iPhones sales only at 1.7 million so far, and Apple standing fast with their 10 million iPhones sold by 2009, that can only mean one thing.  There will be a fairly major overhaul of the iPhone, and soon.  The sales announcement was included in a conference call hosted by Steve Jobs, talking about Q2 profits, which, by the way, increase 37% from the previous year.  One thing that was also noted in the call were the soaring Mac sales and the slumping iPhone and iPod sales.  Another interesting little tidbit about the call was the responses from Apple COO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer when asked about details of the possibility of a new iPhone.  Cross Research’s analyst Sharon Cross was the most bold in prodding the two men for information, asking if “Apple will still sell the current-model iPhone once it rolls out an iPhone able to work on high-speed so-called “3G” networks.”  Nice try, Sharon.  When shot down by Cook, she replied “We’ve got to try sometimes”. 

It seems pretty apparent that a new iPhone is in the works, and it is only a matter of time.  Leave a message in the comments about whether or not you think the iPhone will get a redesign in the next few months.

Via [Forbes]

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The problem that has plagued me personally, and seemingly evaporated, has finally been acknowledged by Apple. Graphical “tearing” when scrolling webpages and flickering when watching video seems to be rather common place on new MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Apple has said that they know about it and are looking into it.

The issue does not render the computer unusable, just annoying for watching videos. Scrolling through webpages or emails in Apple Mail gets you distorted pages as seen above. YouTube video especially shows large white bands that flash up for less than a second, then flash again, making for an annoying experience.

One user got back a reply: “Apple has received reports similar to the behavior you are describing and we are investigating those reports. Further information will come in the form of a Knowledge Base article, Software Update, or Software Release.” The fix may come in Mac OS X 10.5.3, seemingly coming soon.

Via [Ars Technica]

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Gizmodo has done some looking around iPhone Firmware 2.0, and has found a great feature in the 2.0 Safari. Tapping and holding on an image, as you can currently do with links to see the URL they point to, provides the option of saving the image to your iPhone. Once saved, you can do with it what you like, just as a regular photo. Send it via Mail, set it as a wallpaper, or use it as a contact picture.

This is a great feature and is yet another thing I eagerly await in iPhone firmware 2.0. Now where’s that copy and paste implementation?

Speaking of which, what is wrong with using a simple tap twice, holding on the second tap approach? it seems natural enough. Double tap as if to zoom in, but hold on the second tap, and after a second, you can begin to drag to select text.

How do you think that would work? Have an idea of your own? Sound off below.

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Safari has recently made the news quite a bit, but not for reasons Apple should be proud of.  First, back in February, Safari was caught red handed using undocumented API’s that were not yet available to third party developers.  These frameworks were said to give Safari a speed edge over other browsers and sparked a minor controversy stating that Safari was “crippling” other browsers.  Then, in March, iTunes users on PC’s received a nice little surprise in the Apple Software Updater.  What was this?  Apparently, Safari 3.1 was included with the iTunes update, causing Windows users and the Mozilla’s CEO to accuse Apple of “forcing” the download on their customers.  Not to shortly after, also in March, a MacBook Air was the first to fall in this year’s Pwn2Own hack contest.  How did this happen?  The hacker, Charlie Miller, achieved access of the system through a Safari security bug that involved opening a port the hacker could telnet through.  Soon after this, in April, some Firefox users ran tests with the new Firefox 3.0 beta 5 and found it to be faster than Safari 3.1, just shortly after Apple claimed Safari was the “fastest browser.”  That’s three bad months in a row.  Get it together, Apple.  If you claim Safari is, “[T]he world’s best browser,” on your site, make sure it is.  Right now people are really upset with it and that’s no way to get its market share up.

However, despite all this bad news, Safari is still a great, functional browser.  Getting a 100/100 on the most recent Acid 3 Test proves one of Safari’s strong points, web standards.  This is great for web developers and really eases the process of making a website.  Another area Safari is glowing is the mobile browsing marketplace as it is the most popular mobile browser in the US.  So come on Apple, you can do better.  I love Safari, so give me more reasons to stick with it.

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With the iPhone SDK and 2.0 software release right around the corner, there has been a lot of news about new features that will appear on the device.  You’ve probably heard some a million times, such as 3G capabilities, but some of the features that will appear on the new software are quite interesting and useful.  You can wait until WWDC in June for this information, but I suggest being ahead of the curve by reading this post.  Here’s a roundup of the April news so far for the new iPhone software.

iPhone 2.0 Software Features
According to developers with access to the new software, it will include the long awaited contact search feature for the Contacts application.  This feature was first seen in the original iPhone SDK demo with a magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of the screen.  However, it has now been replaced with a search bar (below).  Also, when you visit a site with a YouTube video, you will now be given a nice message that allows you to click through to view the video with the built in YouTube application.  On top of this, the Calendar application now includes an option to view a meeting invitation interface.  Finally, Apple has trademarked the image that will be used with the highly anticipated App Store.  Did I miss anything?

3G iPhone Rumors
It all start when Walt Mossberg mentioned a 3G iPhone within the next 60 days.  This, of course, turned out to be just an estimate, but not before the online world took it as the concrete truth.  On top of that, strings in the new iPhone 2.0 beta software mention “SGOLD3,” a chipset that is capable of running 3G mobile internet speeds.  Guys, I think it’s safe to say that the next iPhone model will be 3G capable, so we don’t need anymore proof, alright?

There you have it, all the information you could ever need for the upcoming iPhone announcements that will hopefully occur at WWDC in June.  What are your thoughts on this?

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As you know, Apple recently released a new build of the iPhone beta SDK to developers.  At first, this build may seem like just another update, but Zibri, creator of the popular iPhone hack tool, ZiPhone (which was recently updated), would beg to differ.  After looking through the code of this new release, he found evidence of support for a 3G chipset for the iPhone.  The code mentions “SGOLD3,” a chipset created by Infineon that supports 7.2Mbps HSDPA and a 5 mega-pixel camera.  This would be a nice step up from the iPhone’s current S-GOLD2 EDGE chipset and 2 mega-pixel camera.

Hopefully this evidence turns out to true because I don’t think iPhone owners can handle any more false rumors, such as Walt Mossberg’s 60 day 3G iPhone promise that turned out to be a misinterpretation.  However, unfortunately, there is also evidence in the code to prove that this may all just be a over reaction as well.  MacRumors has pointed out that the code also contains a reference to “SGOLD1,” a chipset that never appeared in the iPhone.  Only time will tell what’s in store for iPhone 2.0 and when it will be available, but let’s hope it’s soon!

What are your thoughts? Is this concrete evidence of a 3G iPhone, or just another over hyped news story?

Image via [Mac|Life]

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What did you do when you saw your beloved iPhone screen turn that ominous pink color? What you should’ve done is headed over to iPhone Dev Center and downloaded the hefty, just released 1.4GB iPhone beta SDK update.  This version, build 5A240d (but who’s counting?), will replace the original OS beta that was released to developers and stop those nasty “time out” errors, as well as those PSOD’s, allowing developers to continue creating their applications in tranquility. This update fixes numerous problems such as improving exchange support and searching for contacts in the global address list.

Of course, this beta is all leading up to the official SDK which is expected to be launched in June.  It will be free for iPhone owners, but, again, iPod Touch owners aren’t as lucky and will have to pay a fee.  Now, go download this release and help improve the iPhone in the future!  Note: You may have to wait because we’re sure Apple’s servers are taking a nice beating right now.

Photo via [TUAW]

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The mEgg Hunt, “brings seasonal fun” where Mac users will surf a Mac developer’s site and try to find an egg. Once they find an egg they’ll receive a code towards 20% off the purchase of the software. The Easter mEgg Hunt just revealed the list of participants, so once you see them, get hunting! (Then reading Apple news)

Apokalypse Software Corp. - Mori - Your notes, organized / Clockwork - On time, in style
Azure Talon Software - Exces - file encryption made easy
Black Cat Systems - Productivity Software for the Macintosh
Boinx Software Ltd. - Makers of iStopMotion FotoMagico and Mousepose
Chimp Software - Turn your Mac into a $2000 alarm clock with iRooster
Critical Matter, Inc. - Color Picker Pro: professional CSS and HTML color picker
www.x-tables.eu - Developer of Tables
DayTime Software - Makers of Differencia, The Data Comparison Tool
Dejal Systems - Simon, Time Out, Caboodle, Narrator, BlogAssist & Macfilink
Fluidmac - Creativity tools for Mac OS X
GroupSmarts, LLC. - MemoryMiner: Award-winning Digital Storytellin
Houdah Software - Makers of HoudahGeo & HoudahSpot
Indev Software - Revolutionary Enhancements for OS X Mail.app
Karelia Software - Sandvox - Easy, Elegant Website Creation
Lemke Software GmbH. - GraphicConverter & CADintosh
MildMannered Industries - Software for Superheroes
nova media MDS GmbH. - Worldwide mobile Internet access
Outer Level - LicenseKeeper - Keep your serial numbers safe outerlevel.com
Volitans Software - Makers of SMART Utility
Yellow Mug Software - Maker of
YourView - FileChute, EasyBatchPhoto, and more

Wow, that is quite a bit of software, and some good discounts Mac users can benefit from.

Via [macPRcaster]

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Given all the jailbreak attempts and subsequent successes in the iPhone 1.0 software, you might be expecting a thicker security layer in iPhone 2.0 software. Well, so much for that. iPhone 2.0 is already hacked.

iPhone 1.2 (which will be released to the public as 2.0 in June) was hacked by the iPhone Dev Team early Wednesday. Screenshots show applications running on the iPhone, which requires a developer certificate. None as of this time have been issued by Apple.

The hacked firmware only runs on non-AT&T carriers, but that should be available soon.

Read [ModmyiFone.com] Via [Engadget]

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Apple has finally decided to release an iPhone software development kit (SDK), allowing companies to create applications for the phone. The beta version of the SDK is already in developer’s hands and the full version is expected to be released June 2008.

After Apple made the SDK’s announcement at a press conference last week (March 6, 2008), Apple’s VP for iPhone Software, Scott Forstall, demonstrated a space game (Touch Fighter) developed in only two weeks (“and only 10,000 lines of code”), promising touch controls and tilt-sensitive steering.

Perhaps an effort to help the expensive hardware more attractive to a larger audience, game companies have already been…

Read [Gamertell]

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Sun Microsystems announced that they are developing a Java virtual machine for iPhone.

The virtual machine will be based on the Java Micro Edition (ME). Apple showed no interest in putting Java on the iPhone, and so Sun said that after the SDK announcement, they would do it themselves. VP of Java Marketing at Sun, Eric Klein, told InfoWorld that the JVM would be free on Apple’s App Store alongside all other developer apps.

“We’re going to make sure that the JVM offers the Java applications as much access to the native functionality of the iPhone as possible,” Klein told InfoWorld.

Read [InfoWorld]

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Today’s iPhone roadmap event was chock full of news. Here is the quick and dirty breakdown of what all was announced as part of the iPhone/iPod Touch 2.0 software.

iPhone Developer SDK
The SDK provides developers with the same APIs as Apple, so they can develop full fledged applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

MacRumors compiled this list of the contents of the SDK:

Cocoa Touch - Multi-touch events, Multi-touch controls, Acceleromter, View Hierarchy, Localization, Alerts, Web View, People Picker, Image Picker, Camera
Media - Core Audio, OpenAL, Audio Mixing, Audio Recording, Video Playback, JPG, PNG, TIFF, PDS Quartz, Core Animation, Embedded OpenGL
Core Services -
Collections, Address Book, Networking, File access, SQLite, Core Location, Net Services Threading, Preferences, URL utilities
Core OS - OS X Kernel, BSD TCP/IP, Sockets, Power Management, Keychain, Certificates, File System, Lib System, Security, Bonjour

Application Store
The user will purchase third party applications via the Application Store, a new app with the 2.0 software update. The developer sets the price, $0 included, and gets 70% of the revenue. Apps can be downloaded direct to iPhone, iPod Touch, as songs can be on the iTunes WiFi Store. Apps can also be purchased on iTunes and moved to your iPhone, and developers can push updates direct to the application.

Built in Exchange Support
Apple also announced that it has licensed Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft, and will build it into iPhone 2.0, so that it can connect to Exchange Servers 2003 and 2007. This provides secure push email, calendars, contacts, and more. This is big for companies holding out because of lack of Exchange support.

The iPhone SDK is available as a beta right now. IT departments can sign up for beta versions of iPhone Software 2.0 with Exchange Support at apple.com. iPhone Software 2.0 will be released as a free update in June of this year.

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