Iphone Updates

Griffin has announced its Navigate device which allows an iPhone or iPod to be controlled remotely, therefore keeping it out of sight and more secure. It features a built-in FM radio receiver, full controls for operating the iPhone or iPod, and an information screen to display what’s playing, power level and volume…

AOL has announced its SHOUTcast Radio application is now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. SHOUTcast Radio lets users access over 26,000 professional and community programmed radio stations across over 30 genres of music, news, talk, public, community, and world…

Yesterday’s big Macworld keynote announcement, for music lovers at least, was that of iTunes going DRM free over the next few months. From today, some eight million music tracks on iTunes will be DRM free and of higher download quality,…

Gizmodo has named the “reactive music” application RjDj one of the best iPhone applications of 2008. Developed by a number of the team behind last.fm, it incorporates sounds and movements from the outside world into music, allowing users to sample and beatbox with whatever sounds are available around them…

Filed under: iLife, Software, Freeware

While most people are probably satisfied to send their photos from iPhoto through their Gmail accounts using Mail, some people would rather have a more direct option. For example, sending large files through Mail seems to be no problem for me, yet from the same network with exactly the same settings, my wife’s Mail chokes and spits and frequently fails when she tries to send a bunch (or even a few) pictures from iPhoto.

Tired of playing with her SMTP settings and getting everything working for one message, just to have it fail on the next one, I finally went in search of a more direct approach. My wife and I are both “switchers,” and back in Windows we were used to Picasa, which has the ability to send photos via a Gmail account built-in. Makes sense, since Google owns Picasa, but that’s exactly what I was looking hoping to get iPhoto to do.

In my searches I came across an iPhoto plugin called iPhoto2Gmail. When I tried it last week, it hung my iPhoto instance every time I tried it and I had to force quit iPhoto. I gave up on iPhoto2Gmail, but couldn’t find anything else. In desperation, I went back to have another look at iPhoto2Gmail and discovered that it had been updated to version 1.0. Crossing my fingers, I gave it a try, and… it works great!

Though I don’t need it on my machine, I really like the direct simplicity of sending my photos from right inside iPhoto, and I think I’ll continue to use iPhoto2Gmail. If you’ve been struggling with sending photos through a Gmail account, this might be a useful option for you.

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Filed under: Airport, Software Update

Now you see it, now you don’t — and now it’s back. The very brief tenure of AirPort Extreme Update 2008-003 (it was available on Tuesday for a while, but then withdrawn) has given way to the shining reign of update 004. The update is a 2.2 MB patch recommended for all Intel machines on 10.5.5, resolving “some issues with Airport connections when roaming in large WiFi networks.”

Some of the commenters who installed the earlier build didn’t experience any obvious ill effects; others reported installation hangs, lockups on reboot or problems connecting to wireless LANs, so your mileage may vary — with any luck the new build has a steadier grip on stability.

You can download the new update via Software Update or (shortly) from the Apple support downloads page.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in

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My Little Tank

Astraware continues to find high-quality games for the iPhone with the launch of Binoteq’s “My Little Tank” arcade game. The concept is simple — destroy enemy tanks and bases, and protect your own. There are 80 levels to try and get through over a range of detailed terrain. Power-ups enable your tank to get stronger and there are various missions to complete. The game sits on the border between casual and arcade game. The tank can be controlled either by tapping the screen, using the accelerometer by tilting the iPhone, or selecting the virtual on-screen D-Pad. Here’s a video demo of the game. Available for $4.99 from the iTunes Store…

Every so often someone decides to file a lawsuit against Apple because — well, because it’s Apple, it seems. While normal people buying products from other manufacturers — heck, even normal people buying Apple gear — would simply check out a piece of kit before buying it, or at least return it for a replacement if damaged, it seems this isn’t good enough for one New York resident. We’ll leave aside the “defective 3G” and “not twice as fast” parts of this lawsuit (yes, it comes in multiple parts, folks) because we’ve already been there and got the T-shirt. Instead, let’s look at the accusation that Apple knowingly and wantonly shipped defective iPhones with hairline cracks in the casing…

While details are sketchy, Japan’s telecoms company NTT DoCoMo has announced that it is to develop and launch a mobile phone based on the Google-developed open source Android mobile operating system next year. The two companies already work in partnership to put Google’s services on NTT’s “i-mode” Internet service…

Apple has finally released firmware version 2.2 for the iPhone, ready to download via iTunes. As usual, it’s a fairly hefty download, so beef up your broadband connection for the 246MB ride. Once done, you’ll get some nifty new features. How useful they are depends on how you use the iPhone, of course. Google Maps has finally been updated to include Street View, public transport, and walking directions (let’s hear it for non-drivers – hmm, just me then?), displaying the address of dropped pins, and sharing location via email…

Yesterday’s big Macworld keynote announcement, for music lovers at least, was that of iTunes going DRM free over the next few months. From today, some eight million music tracks on iTunes will be DRM free and of higher download quality,…

Gizmodo has named the “reactive music” application RjDj one of the best iPhone applications of 2008. Developed by a number of the team behind last.fm, it incorporates sounds and movements from the outside world into music, allowing users to sample and beatbox with whatever sounds are available around them…

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, iPhone, iPod touch

One of the first applications I used and enjoyed on my iPhone, Sketches, has updated to version 1.5. New in this version is the ability to change the alpha settings for colors (so you can change the opacity of the drawings you make on photos you take), and an edit mode for the corkboard view, to rearrange your drawings with. Additionally, they’ve moved uploaded photos off of a third-party server and onto their own page, so (for right now, anyway) no ads to get in the way. Not new in this app: a quality, fun, and surprisingly robust photo and image editor designed for the iPhone.

We’ve heard from the devs that there is a version 2 on the way as well, and both this version and that one are free to anyone who’s purchased the app. But if you haven’t picked it up yet, it is available for $4.99 over on the App Store, well worth it if you often take and share pictures with your iPhone.

TUAWSketches updated to 1.5 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Many intense hurricanes in the last five years have caused tremendous damage to the the Gulf Coast and eastern US, so interest in keeping a constant eye on tropical storms has definitely increased. Last August, TUAW covered AccuWeather’s tropical storm tracker for iPhone. While this information is part of the overall weather coverage available from AccuWeather, there’s a recently updated iPhone app that is focused solely at hurricane watchers.

The aptly-titled Hurricane (click opens iTunes) from Kitty Code, LLC is chock-full of hurricane data. Not only do you get up-to-the minute info on tropical storms gone bad, but you can also look at historical information and storm tracks for just about every storm that has been recorded since 1851.

Hurricane first appeared in the App Store in October of 2008, and a recent update has added many more features that will be useful when the 2009 National Weather Service Hurricane Season officially kicks off on June 1st. Click the Read More link to see the details.

Continue reading First Look: Hurricane iPhone is heading your way

TUAWFirst Look: Hurricane iPhone is heading your way originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A leather case so thin and so well fitted to your device, you may never notice that it is there.

Trism pulls in $250k

There’s definitely money to be made from iPhone applications, if you develop something that is approved and promoted by Apple and becomes popular. Steve Demeter has reportedly made $250k over the space of two months from his casual game Trism. “Apple has made it so easy to put [game publishing] in the palms of developers,” Steve said to CNN. “You just make it and then you submit it to Apple. If you have a relevant, fun game or application, I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be approved.” (Via G4TV

Another solution to the limited Bluetooth functionality of the iPhone is RXS’s Bluetooth adaptor for the iPhone and iPod. Supporting A2DP and AVRCP profiles, music can be streamed from the iPhone to any Bluetooth accessory. The BTM-3303 adaptor features a remote control for playing, pausing and skipping tracks, and has an operating range of up to 10 metres. It operates from the connected device’s power…

You can hear Composer’s Datebook, the daily, two-minute broadcast from American Public Media, on radio stations from Anchorage, Alaska, to Superior, Wisconsin. Or you can subsribe to the iTunes U podcast and enjoy Composer’s Datebook whenever you’d like. The entertaining and informative series offers timely information about composers past and present. Got a couple of minutes?

Next Friday, February 6, PUSH opens in theaters, and we have a special treat for you: an exclusive clip that you can download to your iPhone or watch on your Mac or PC in HD. An action-thriller directed by Paul McGuigan, PUSH stars Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning as a pair whose paranormal abilities make them targets for a secret government agency bent on enlisting or destroying them.

My Little Tank

Astraware continues to find high-quality games for the iPhone with the launch of Binoteq’s “My Little Tank” arcade game. The concept is simple — destroy enemy tanks and bases, and protect your own. There are 80 levels to try and get through over a range of detailed terrain. Power-ups enable your tank to get stronger and there are various missions to complete. The game sits on the border between casual and arcade game. The tank can be controlled either by tapping the screen, using the accelerometer by tilting the iPhone, or selecting the virtual on-screen D-Pad. Here’s a video demo of the game. Available for $4.99 from the iTunes Store…

Every so often someone decides to file a lawsuit against Apple because — well, because it’s Apple, it seems. While normal people buying products from other manufacturers — heck, even normal people buying Apple gear — would simply check out a piece of kit before buying it, or at least return it for a replacement if damaged, it seems this isn’t good enough for one New York resident. We’ll leave aside the “defective 3G” and “not twice as fast” parts of this lawsuit (yes, it comes in multiple parts, folks) because we’ve already been there and got the T-shirt. Instead, let’s look at the accusation that Apple knowingly and wantonly shipped defective iPhones with hairline cracks in the casing…

While details are sketchy, Japan’s telecoms company NTT DoCoMo has announced that it is to develop and launch a mobile phone based on the Google-developed open source Android mobile operating system next year. The two companies already work in partnership to put Google’s services on NTT’s “i-mode” Internet service…

Apple has finally released firmware version 2.2 for the iPhone, ready to download via iTunes. As usual, it’s a fairly hefty download, so beef up your broadband connection for the 246MB ride. Once done, you’ll get some nifty new features. How useful they are depends on how you use the iPhone, of course. Google Maps has finally been updated to include Street View, public transport, and walking directions (let’s hear it for non-drivers – hmm, just me then?), displaying the address of dropped pins, and sharing location via email…

Gizmodo has named the “reactive music” application RjDj one of the best iPhone applications of 2008. Developed by a number of the team behind last.fm, it incorporates sounds and movements from the outside world into music, allowing users to sample and beatbox with whatever sounds are available around them…

O’Reilly has announced that David Pogue’s iPhone: The Missing Manual book is now available as a downloadable application for the iPhone…

Filed under: Features, How-tos

Sometimes when working with Automator, you might want a workflow to loop (or go back to the first step and continue to run through the workflow). Automator includes an easy-to-use “Loop” action, and in this Mac Automation post, I’m going to show you how to use it.

Let’s take a previous workflow that I wrote about: iCal to-dos. In this how-to, we got iCal to-dos sent to your mobile device via a simple workflow and e-mail. The method that I wrote about required you to send an email (and rely on mail rules) in order to retrieve your to-dos. However, with the looping action in Automator, you can easily automate this process.

Let’s first build out the workflow by placing the following actions together (in the same order):

• Find Calendars In iCal
• New Mail Message
• Send Outgoing Messages
• Pause

Continue reading to learn more about the loop action.

Continue reading Mac Automation: Looping Workflows

TUAWMac Automation: Looping Workflows originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Chop Sushi is a brand new game from our friends at THQ in the App Store that combines a love of the Japanese raw fish dish with an interesting twist on the kind of gem-matching battle gameplay that Puzzle Quest made famous (and addictive) a few years ago. It’s still a matching game, except you’re matching wasabi and rolls instead of gems and skulls, and instead of choosing one gem to switch another, you choose a piece and then swipe it to the end of a row or column, making a match anywhere on the board (as the rest of the pieces fill in for the one you moved). It’s hard to explain, but easy to pick up, and tough to master — the different movements make this one worth a look even if you’ve played Puzzle Quest or any of its spiritual successors ’till exhaustion.

TUAWTHQ Wireless releases Chop Sushi to the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is your iPhone 3G battery dying out again? Give your battery a quick boost with the Seidio Innocell External Battery Pack!

If you’d like to win a chance to shoot with a pro photographer, learn Aperture, and take a free photo workshop in Yellowstone National Park, you’ll want to participate in the Aperture Nature Photography Workshop contest. To do so, simply submit one of your best photographs. If selected, you’ll learn how to use Aperture 2.1 to process, perfect, and publish the great photographs you take in Yellowstone.

Trism pulls in $250k

There’s definitely money to be made from iPhone applications, if you develop something that is approved and promoted by Apple and becomes popular. Steve Demeter has reportedly made $250k over the space of two months from his casual game Trism. “Apple has made it so easy to put [game publishing] in the palms of developers,” Steve said to CNN. “You just make it and then you submit it to Apple. If you have a relevant, fun game or application, I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be approved.” (Via G4TV

Another solution to the limited Bluetooth functionality of the iPhone is RXS’s Bluetooth adaptor for the iPhone and iPod. Supporting A2DP and AVRCP profiles, music can be streamed from the iPhone to any Bluetooth accessory. The BTM-3303 adaptor features a remote control for playing, pausing and skipping tracks, and has an operating range of up to 10 metres. It operates from the connected device’s power…

My Little Tank

Astraware continues to find high-quality games for the iPhone with the launch of Binoteq’s “My Little Tank” arcade game. The concept is simple — destroy enemy tanks and bases, and protect your own. There are 80 levels to try and get through over a range of detailed terrain. Power-ups enable your tank to get stronger and there are various missions to complete. The game sits on the border between casual and arcade game. The tank can be controlled either by tapping the screen, using the accelerometer by tilting the iPhone, or selecting the virtual on-screen D-Pad. Here’s a video demo of the game. Available for $4.99 from the iTunes Store…

Every so often someone decides to file a lawsuit against Apple because — well, because it’s Apple, it seems. While normal people buying products from other manufacturers — heck, even normal people buying Apple gear — would simply check out a piece of kit before buying it, or at least return it for a replacement if damaged, it seems this isn’t good enough for one New York resident. We’ll leave aside the “defective 3G” and “not twice as fast” parts of this lawsuit (yes, it comes in multiple parts, folks) because we’ve already been there and got the T-shirt. Instead, let’s look at the accusation that Apple knowingly and wantonly shipped defective iPhones with hairline cracks in the casing…

While details are sketchy, Japan’s telecoms company NTT DoCoMo has announced that it is to develop and launch a mobile phone based on the Google-developed open source Android mobile operating system next year. The two companies already work in partnership to put Google’s services on NTT’s “i-mode” Internet service…

Apple has finally released firmware version 2.2 for the iPhone, ready to download via iTunes. As usual, it’s a fairly hefty download, so beef up your broadband connection for the 246MB ride. Once done, you’ll get some nifty new features. How useful they are depends on how you use the iPhone, of course. Google Maps has finally been updated to include Street View, public transport, and walking directions (let’s hear it for non-drivers – hmm, just me then?), displaying the address of dropped pins, and sharing location via email…

Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone

In traditional photography, the time elapsed between the shutter snap and the careful, loupe & light table examination of the captured images for some unexpected surprise or Cartier-Bresson’s “decisive moment” might be days or weeks. With photographer David Bergman’s massive panorama of Tuesday’s presidential inauguration, the challenge wasn’t in waiting for the darkroom process to complete (although the Gigapan software did crank away on his MacBook Pro for over six hours to generate the 1,474 megapixel, 2 gigabyte master file); it was combing through the enormous image to discover those moments Bergman didn’t even know he had photographed. Several commenters on Bergman’s blog have already found themselves or family members in the crowd.

One moment that Bergman did discover quickly: a prominent attendee of the inauguration, ‘bow-syncing’ cellist Yo-Yo Ma, was caught in the panorama making an image of his own, using a familiar-looking smartphone. See the video zoom below for the context of Ma’s snapshot in the larger image.

As digital imaging has replaced film photography for newsgathering and journalism, there have been counterexamples of newsworthy images that would have long been deleted except for the fact that they were shot on film instead of on memory cards. In this case, the image of Yo-Yo Ma and his phone wouldn’t have been preserved, except that it was captured by chance and ‘mined’ out of the massive, frozen decisive moment.

Image & zoom video used with permission of the photographer; all rights reserved.

TUAWOne iPhone in a very large crowd originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Bad Apple, iPod nano

The first generation of iPod nano models may have been small and sleek, but they also apparently had an image problem — mainly, that it rapidly grew difficult to see the screen after the nicks and scratches began to accumulate on the face of the player. As far back as 2005, users expressed their displeasure over the nano’s likelihood for damage, including cracks in the screen in some cases.

Thanks to a now-settled class action lawsuit, nano owners who experienced the scratchies can apply for a refund of $15 (if the iPod shipped with a slip case, as later ones did) or $25 (for no-case shipments). You can get all the details from the settlement website. Refunds may take up to a year (!) to arrive.

[via AppleInsider]

TUAWOriginal iPod nano owners benefit from scratch settlement originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Bad Apple, iPod nano

The first generation of iPod nano models may have been small and sleek, but they also apparently had an image problem — mainly, that it rapidly grew difficult to see the screen after the nicks and scratches began to accumulate on the face of the player. As far back as 2005, users expressed their displeasure over the nano’s likelihood for damage, including cracks in the screen in some cases.

Thanks to a now-settled class action lawsuit, nano owners who experienced the scratchies can apply for a refund of $15 (if the iPod shipped with a slip case, as later ones did) or $25 (for no-case shipments). You can get all the details from the settlement website. Refunds may take up to a year (!) to arrive.

[via AppleInsider]

TUAWOriginal iPod nano owners benefit from scratch settlement originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, iPod touch

We actually heard this last year, straight from Apple, but here’s confirmation: PopCap Games has told our sister site Joystiq that Peggle, the distractingly cute-looking yet extremely addictive puzzle shooter, is coming to the iPhone in March of this year. If you’ve played Peggle (or any of PopCap’s games, really) you’ll know why this is so exciting, and if you haven’t yet played it, you’ll be in for a treat.

Word of the game apparently sneaked out via Popcap’s official Twitter account, and while it was originally deleted (someone decided they didn’t want to talk about it yet), the company later confirmed the game and the month of release. Of course, the game is currently available on the classic iPod, but it’ll be that much better with touch-screen goodness added in. Extreme Fever!

TUAWPeggle coming to the iPhone in March originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qype launched a web-based iPhone application back in May 2008, but now the company has created its first native iPhone application: Qype Radar. Qype Radar offers users over half-a-million location-aware reviews of interesting places and venues including restaurants, bars, shops, hotels and nightlife, in over 15,000 cities ad towns worldwide…

My Little Tank

Astraware continues to find high-quality games for the iPhone with the launch of Binoteq’s “My Little Tank” arcade game. The concept is simple — destroy enemy tanks and bases, and protect your own. There are 80 levels to try and get through over a range of detailed terrain. Power-ups enable your tank to get stronger and there are various missions to complete. The game sits on the border between casual and arcade game. The tank can be controlled either by tapping the screen, using the accelerometer by tilting the iPhone, or selecting the virtual on-screen D-Pad. Here’s a video demo of the game. Available for $4.99 from the iTunes Store…

Numbers ’09 “is a solid improvement over its predecessor” and offers “a compelling alternative” to Microsoft Excel for many spreadsheet users, reports Macworld’s Rob Griffiths. Praising its “new functions, Function Browser, Formula List feature, Table Categories, and charting options,” Griffiths notes that “at only $79 for the entire iWork bundle, Numbers ’09 is also an incredible value, delivering features well beyond its price.”

Looking for a “well-designed and easy-to-use productivity suite”? Jason Parker (cnet.com) thinks you’d be well served by iWork ’09. Giving it a “Very Good” editors’ rating, Parker calls iWork ’09 “the best office suite choice on the Mac,” saying that it “offers an extremely intuitive interface and has plenty of advanced time-saving features to make it a worthy replacement for the much more pricey Microsoft solution.”

Qype launched a web-based iPhone application back in May 2008, but now the company has created its first native iPhone application: Qype Radar. Qype Radar offers users over half-a-million location-aware reviews of interesting places and venues including restaurants, bars, shops, hotels and nightlife, in over 15,000 cities ad towns worldwide…

Trism pulls in $250k

There’s definitely money to be made from iPhone applications, if you develop something that is approved and promoted by Apple and becomes popular. Steve Demeter has reportedly made $250k over the space of two months from his casual game Trism. “Apple has made it so easy to put [game publishing] in the palms of developers,” Steve said to CNN. “You just make it and then you submit it to Apple. If you have a relevant, fun game or application, I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be approved.” (Via G4TV

Another solution to the limited Bluetooth functionality of the iPhone is RXS’s Bluetooth adaptor for the iPhone and iPod. Supporting A2DP and AVRCP profiles, music can be streamed from the iPhone to any Bluetooth accessory. The BTM-3303 adaptor features a remote control for playing, pausing and skipping tracks, and has an operating range of up to 10 metres. It operates from the connected device’s power…

Like to shed a pound or ten? Try Lose It! With the free App Store fitness app, you can set weight loss goals and track your progress meeting them. The app’s searchable database lets you easily enter meals, track nutrients, and account for workouts. You can even add custom foods and exercises. Will a half hour on the elliptical help you atone for that extra slice of chocolate cheesecake? Lose It! will let you know.

My Little Tank

Astraware continues to find high-quality games for the iPhone with the launch of Binoteq’s “My Little Tank” arcade game. The concept is simple — destroy enemy tanks and bases, and protect your own. There are 80 levels to try and get through over a range of detailed terrain. Power-ups enable your tank to get stronger and there are various missions to complete. The game sits on the border between casual and arcade game. The tank can be controlled either by tapping the screen, using the accelerometer by tilting the iPhone, or selecting the virtual on-screen D-Pad. Here’s a video demo of the game. Available for $4.99 from the iTunes Store…

Every so often someone decides to file a lawsuit against Apple because — well, because it’s Apple, it seems. While normal people buying products from other manufacturers — heck, even normal people buying Apple gear — would simply check out a piece of kit before buying it, or at least return it for a replacement if damaged, it seems this isn’t good enough for one New York resident. We’ll leave aside the “defective 3G” and “not twice as fast” parts of this lawsuit (yes, it comes in multiple parts, folks) because we’ve already been there and got the T-shirt. Instead, let’s look at the accusation that Apple knowingly and wantonly shipped defective iPhones with hairline cracks in the casing…

While details are sketchy, Japan’s telecoms company NTT DoCoMo has announced that it is to develop and launch a mobile phone based on the Google-developed open source Android mobile operating system next year. The two companies already work in partnership to put Google’s services on NTT’s “i-mode” Internet service…