Iphone Updates

Filed under: Enterprise, Software

EMC announced today an update to its popular Retrospect network backup software; version 8.1 brings back support for PowerPC-based workstations and improves performance for Intel-based Macs.

Eric Ullman, director of project management for Retrospect, said that while older G4-based Macs will run significantly slower than their Intel-based counterparts, Retrospect 8.1 can at least back them up (a capability that was lost in the move from the legacy 6.1 version). G5s with multiple processors, however, can see performance gains of 10 to 15 percent compared to Retrospect 6.1.

Intel-based workstations will also see performance increases of 10 to 15 percent compared to 8.0, and 30 to 35 percent compared to Retrospect 6.1. Other improvements, including updates to the user interface based on feedback from early adopters, are also included in the update.

Ullman said that with Retrospect 8, EMC had “recommitted itself to the Mac market” and this update was the second part of a three-phase deployment of the completely-rebuilt Retrospect 8. Phase one was the initial release, supporting Intel processors; phase two now supports PowerPC processors. Phase three, according to Ullman, is slated for release “in the Snow Leopard timeframe,” and is expected to include support for importing Retrospect 6.1 sets and configurations, among other improvements to performance and the client software.

As Steve Sande mentioned, Retrospect’s update comes on the heels of BRU Server 2.0, which added a new user interface and performance improvements. Ullman noted that BRU Server and Retrospect are fundamentally different, with Retrospect scanning more closely to prevent file duplication and save time copying files. Retrospect is generally less expensive than BRU Server, though their pricing structures and trim levels are a little different.

The update is available now on the Retrospect website. It’s free for Retrospect 8 users and Retrospect 6.1 users who purchased the product after January 14, 2008. For new users, Retrospect 8 comes in a variety of flavors ranging in price from $129 to $1,669, depending on the size of the network.

TUAWRetrospect 8.1 brings back PowerPC support, improves performance originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I think this is a big hit for Apple. Why Mike Arrington quits? Simply because Apple doesn’t want Google Voice on the iPhone.

I think it will make some noice soon enough, and I think Apple will have to find solutions to work with Google on that subject, my bet is the problem sits with AT&T contract…

Tags:google voice iphone michael arrington techcrunchgoogle voice, iphone, michael arrington, techcrunch

Filed under: Cool tools, Productivity, Beta Beat

The BusyCal public beta is out! I got a preview of BusyCal while at WWDC this year, and have been anxiously awaiting the chance to put it into action. As the developers state on the homepage: “Think of it as iCal Pro.” The next step from the makers of BusySync, BusyCal offers a full calendaring system with Bonjour and Google Calendar sync, iPhone sync via iTunes or MobileMe, full read-write access for multi-user calendars, and a plethora of other features and goodies.

Dated to-dos are embedded in the calendar, optionally carrying forward if not completed on their due date. You can add recurring to-do items with the same carry-forward functionality. There are customizable views, including sortable list views, plus shared sticky notes, customizable graphics, live weather and forecasts (with sunrise/set times and moon phases), all in an easy-to-grasp, iCal-like interface.

If you’ve ever thought, “Gosh, I like iCal, I just wish it had about 20 more useful features and could sync across my LAN and the internet,” take the public beta of BusyCal for a spin. BusyCal will cost $40US per computer, or $10/computer for BusySync owners. Doing the math, BusySync is $25, plus the $10 upgrade is $35, so you could save yourself $5 taking the upgrade path, even with a new purchase of BusySync.

TUAWBeta Beat: BusyCal from BusyMac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: iTunes

Digital music purchases have been dominating the market for some time now as physical CD purchases continue to fall. For Apple, a significant lead over the rest of the music proprietor world is not enough: according to the Financial Times, the company is now working together with the four largest record labels in the business to add new features to accompany digital music purchases through its iTunes Store in hopes of stimulating full album purchases.

[The FT also reports, without hedging, that Apple's "media pad" tablet device will ship in time for the holiday shopping season. According to the paper, the long-rumored iPad is intended as a full-featured portable computer and video & music player, like an oversized iPod touch, including wireless data connectivity but no built-in phone functions.]

Apple has formed an alliance with EMI, Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music to bundle whole albums with perks like interactive booklets, digital sleeve notes, and video clips. By doing so, Apple hopes to increase sales of the albums over single track purchases, a sales model that has been immensely popular in the advent of digital music.

The project, codenamed “Cocktail,” is intended to recreate the former experience of album-purchasing, where you could browse the liner notes, follow lyrics, and look at the album artwork as the music played. Executives have said that users will even be able to play music straight from the proposed interactive booklets without having to use iTunes. Of course, the main motivation for increasing album sales is to increase profits, as albums have a higher margin than individual songs.

This change is one that should have taken place a long time ago- having to search for lyrics on shady, ad-ridden websites should already be a fading, shudder-inducing memory (though liner notes have been available on some albums, a change across the board has yet to take place). As items like liner notes and photos are possibly the last benefit that physical CDs can offer over digital purchases, this may turn out to be a very serious blow to the CD market. The iTunes Store album add-ons are set to roll out in September.

TUAWiTunes Store to add enhanced liner notes, extra media to album purchases originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thanks to the Virginia Department of Education and the Professor Garfield Foundation, you — and your kids, of course — can get an Introduction to Comics on iTunes U. The 15 video episodes encourage children to draw, sculpt, and carve. In fact, Jim Davis — who created Garfield — gets the course off to a great start, showing us all how he draws his famous lasagna-loving feline.

Meryl Streep is already receiving rave reviews for her performance as Julia Child in Julie & Julia. The film, which co-stars Amy Adams as Julie Powell, is based on Powell’s memoir, Julie & Julia, and Child’s My Life in France. Written and directed by Nora Ephron (You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle), Julie & Julia opens in theaters on Friday, August 7. Bon appétit.

Filed under: iPhone, App Store

It was only a couple of weeks ago that straphanger hopes for an augmented reality guide to the NYC subways were flying high… and now it looks like they may have to wait for Labor Day before they can amaze their friends and stun their enemies. The LA Times is reporting a conversation with Acrossair developers where they indicate that the full-screen video features of the app can’t ship before Apple releases iPhone OS 3.1 — which they expect to drop in early September, in case you’re marking your calendar.

According to the story, the live video/augmented reality approach depends on an unpublished camera API, hence the apps cannot be set free in the wild just yet. That may explain why several other inside-the-Matrix apps haven’t cleared the store… and why September may see a bit of a surge in admissions to hospital emergency rooms for people with bruised foreheads and sheepish expressions.

Update 7/25: While the LA Times story is (so far) not yet updated, we have gotten feedback from a developer who insists that the 3.1 update will not provide additional hooks for AR apps; specifically, that the live camera view APIs are going to remain private and will not be exposed for third-party development. This source suggests that Acrossair is confused about Apple’s position, and that the approval schedule aligning with 3.1 is a coincidence and not a technical restraint. We will try to reach Acrossair to confirm.

[via MacRumors]

TUAWAugmented reality apps on hold until 3.1? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you subscribe to MobileMe, you can now use your iPhone or iPod touch to view and share Pages documents, Keynote presentations, Microsoft Office documents, PDFs and more. To view documents, simply select them. To share them with others, just tap the share icon and choose your recipients. iDisk will send them an email with a download link. Get the free MobileMe iDisk app from the App Store.

Salesforce Mobile, RoamBi Visualizer, the eBay Profit Calculator, Invoice Makers, Day Tracker, Bid Estimates — they’re but a few of the growing number of apps now available for small business owners on the iPhone App Store, according to Riva Richmond (online.wsj.com). Says iphonebootcampnyc.com dveloper Jonathan Sarno, “For the road warrior, the iPhone is perfect.

Ready for a sequel that outplays the original? Rolando 2 breaks new ground, taking you underwater and up in the sky, offering new vehicles and weapons, and featuring a new 3D look and 45 levels of play. Like the original, it encourages you to touch, tilt, and slide your Rolandos to new levels of achievement. You can let friends know about your high scores, or challenge them via Facebook or email. Will you be able to discover the Golden Orchid?

Filed under: Software, Features, iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

[Update] Ken Case comments below, addressing some of the concerns listed here. It looks like a future version of OmniFocus on the Mac will be able to directly update the OmniFocus reminders on the server, removing at least one of my complaints.

Ken Case from The Omni Group has been twittering for awhile about the impending inclusion of alarm reminders for OmniFocus. The task management app’s iPhone users have been pestering The Omni Group to implement reminders as push notifications, but OmniFocus refuses to do so. They say that reminders that rely on connectivity are not good enough, and they have instead chosen to implement reminders by exporting due dates and times into iCal. Once the time comes for a reminder, it pops up like a normal iCal appointment reminder.

Well, OmniFocus 1.5.2 for iPhone was released, and now we get to see how this alternative reminder system works. If I had to choose a word to describe this implementation, that word would be “awful.” Here’s why:

• The Omni Group has taken great pains to point out that you do not need to be using the desktop version of OmniFocus to get use out of the iPhone version. But for users that only have the iPhone version and are not synchronizing it to either MobileMe (which has a yearly fee) or a WebDAV server (complicated for non-techies), they can’t use this implementation of reminders. That’s right; the way it works is that OmniFocus on the iPhone exports your reminders to your synchronization server, then points iCal on the iPhone to the server to import your reminders. That means that if you enter new due dates in OmniFocus for iPhone but don’t happen to have connectivity, you won’t get reminders. Wait, I thought it was implemented this way in the first place to guard against a lack of connectivity?

• Your OmniFocus reminders unnecessarily pollute your iPhone calendar with reminders. This is a visual problem when you need to glance at your calendars and see what actual appointments are coming up. On the iPhone you can either look at one specific calendar, or all calendars, so if like me you need to regularly stay on top of more than one calendar, you’re forced to look at your OmniFocus reminders as well. Oh, and even when you complete them in OmniFocus and resync, they don’t go away in your calendar. [Update] Stephen points out in the comments that this works as expected, and upon further testing I have to agree. Maybe I was being a bit too impatient.

• Since your OmniFocus reminders are actually just fake appointments, there is no way to audibly differentiate them from appointment reminders. They sound and look exactly the same. Remember the Milk, for example, uses push notifications on its iPhone app, and you can set the notification sound to a number of different options. That way you know that you’re being reminded of a task rather than an appointment.

• Reminders are set based on Due time, rather than Available time, and in terms of flexibility you can set the reminder to be 5 to 60 minutes before the task is due. By the time a task is actually due, isn’t it too late to be reminded about it?

• Finally, if you’re a user of OmniFocus for the Mac, your reminders are not created on your iPhone until you think to launch OmniFocus on the iPhone and synchronize it. That means that if you work all day in OmniFocus on your Mac (like I do), then drive home and start doing other stuff and don’t happen to open OmniFocus on your iPhone, you won’t receive any reminders for tasks that you might have set for that night, or until you actually open and sync OmniFocus on your iPhone.

So, what would I rather see? Push notifications, like the many other OmniFocus for iPhone users out there that have been providing their feedback to The Omni Group.

As mentioned, Remember the Milk has implemented push notifications, and the ability to change the notification sound isn’t the only trick it has up its sleeve. The Remember the Milk icon on my iPhone’s screen shows how many due tasks I have that day, and the number changes almost instantly when I make changes on the web version. To see how many currently available and due tasks I have in OmniFocus, I again have to launch the app and wait for it to synchronize.

While I love OmniFocus and I think The Omni Group does amazing work, this implementation of reminders for the iPhone version of OmniFocus is just full of an amazing amount of fail. It’s a hacky workaround that still doesn’t ensure that a lack of connectivity won’t adversely affect the user’s ability to receive reminder notifications. Omni folks, this is just meant to be tough love — I wouldn’t be saying all of this if I didn’t truly care about OmniFocus.

TUAWOmniFocus for iPhone finally has reminders, but implementation is awful originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software, iTunes

Palm released webOS 1.1.0 for its Palm Pre devices today. Normally, this would elicit a collective “that’s nice” from TUAW, but what makes this interesting is that according to the release notes, the update “resolves an issue preventing media sync from working with latest version of iTunes (8.2.1).”

The “issue,” of course, is none other than last week’s borking by Apple of the Palm Pre’s ability to sync with iTunes. As you may recall, in order to get around Apple’s restrictions and sync with iTunes — which nowadays is meant exclusively for use with Apple products, although in the past there was an API for third-party MP3 players to sync with it — the Palm was programmed, in effect, to impersonate an iPod.

Apple was not amused. Enter iTunes 8.2.1, which “fixed” the problem. Palm was not amused. Out came webOS 1.1.0 which claimed to have “re-fixed” the problem while Palm exhibited no small measure of evil glee. In fact, on their very own blog, Palm describes the return of iTunes sync as “one more thing.” Oh, Palm. Don’t you know that “one more thing” fails to impress unless you’re hiding a new MacBook Pro or iPhone behind your back?

Say what you want about Apple’s notoriously closed, exclusive systems, but I have to admit I feel a little less than sympathetic for Palm right about now. After all, it’s not like Palm doesn’t have the resources to design a robust, easy-to-use media syncing system and music player that would work with the Pre. It just doesn’t want to. It would rather poach the development Apple put into its own software product, and then market iTunes compatibility as a feature of the Pre, as if it had licensed that function from Apple. Can it do that? Sure. But Apple can continue to close any loopholes Palm finds. In other words, Palm hinges any marketing of the Palm Pre device on its iTunes compatibility at its peril. I don’t think it’s doing its customers any favors by promising a feature it’s not certain it can deliver going forward.

If I’m reading the tea leaves correctly, look for a nice iTunes “update” in the next couple of days. You know. To “fix” any issues with “verification of Apple devices.”

No matter what, it’s shaping up to be a very entertaining game of cat-and-mouse. Popcorn, anybody?

[via Engadget]

TUAWPalm updates Palm Pre webOS software, “fixes” iTunes bork originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For Sunbelt Rentals, the iPhone is as indispensable as hard hats. Sunbelt rents scissor lifts, cranes, backhoes and other heavy machinery to construction companies in 34 states. And its 1200-strong sales team depends on iPhone for real-time customer, business, and inventory information. The company even created its own iPhone app — Mobile SalesPro — to deliver that information to every member of its sales force.

Filed under: iLife, Software, Odds and ends, Blogging

Back in June, TUAW reported on iPhoto2Twitter, an iPhoto plugin that provides an easy way to send photos from your iPhoto library to Twitter via TwitPic. Now the developer, Blue Crowbar Software, is back with an update that adds support for sending photos and movies from your iPhone or digital camera to Mobypicture.com.

Mobypicture is an online service that lets you upload a photo or movie once, then distribute the media to a number of different social sites and blogging tools. At this time, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Blogger, Vimeo, WordPress, LiveJournal, Tumblr, Vimeo, Jaiku, Hyves, and BrightKite are all supported.

As before, iPhoto2Twitter is available for €4.95 (approximately US$7.03) directly from the developer’s website. Blue Crowbar’s Aperture2Twitter has also been updated to add various social media and blogging sites through Mobypicture, and it’s now available for €5.95 (about US$8.47).

TUAWiPhoto2Twitter 1.5 adds movie and Mobypicture support originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

The much beloved Public Radio Tuner has been updated, and now sports a new name. Public Radio Player [App Store] is your easy way to get to most of the NPR stations in the country.

This new version, which remains free, also allows you to find archived shows, like Car Talk, Speaking of Pets, Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me, Fresh Air, and many others. This allows on-demand service of your favorite Public Radio programs.

You also can get a station’s current schedule when you start to stream. Some stations don’t support it, but if the metadata is there you’ll see it in the app.

A couple of things to note at this point: Since the app has been renamed it may not appear when you check for updates at the App Store. However, when you run the older Public Radio Tuner, it will advise you of the new app and download it, leaving your older app in place. The new app won’t have your favorites, so those will have to be added in manually.

There is a search function so you can find what you want by station name, call letters, frequency, city, region or category.

I find the new version a bit sluggish, and this is reflected by many other users comments. It’s a bit slow to respond on either Wi-Fi or the 3G network.

Some of the stations appear in the list without their location, so it looks like the database should be cleaned up a bit. The app also has to my eye a rather sickly green color. Not a favorite of mine, and I think many people won’t be wild about it. Note: The App Store page shows different, better colors (my view) but you can’t get them on the release version.

Finally, I had some problems installing this app. On first run it said ‘loading’ and spun a gear for more than 10 minutes. I bailed out, re-booted my iPhone and it came up fine. If you see something similar, try re-starting your device and see if it solves it.

I love the new features in this app, but it has some rough edges. Luckily it doesn’t write over the original version, so you can retain your favorites. I’d like to see a quick update and bug fix for this app, but as it is, it improves on the original feature set and should make Public Radio fans happy.

Here are some screen shots:

TUAWPublic Radio app updated and renamed originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags:advert AT&T funny iphone tvadvert, AT&T, funny, iphone, tv

Filed under: Apple Financial

Apple’s earnings report came out just a few minutes ago, and the conference call is coming right up! Join us for the liveblog below as we follow along through the conference call.

<a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=b9c0a1d11e” >Apple FY09 Q3 Earnings Call</a>

TUAWTUAW Liveblog: Apple FY09 Q3 earnings report originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Apple Financial

For the quarter just completed, Apple reported 8.34 billion dollars in revenue, and earnings of $1.35 per share (versus the $1.17 consensus estimate). 2.6 million Macs sold, 10.2M iPods, 5.2M iPhones, 36.3% margins. Guidance for the next quarter is $1.18 to $1.23 per share (all via CNBC). “Best non-holiday quarter ever,” says the company.

Full press release below. See you all back here at 2pm PT/5pm ET for our liveblog of the analyst conference call. Note that we will be listening to the call and cannot ask questions (much as we might like to!).

Continue reading Apple reports 2009 Q3 earnings: $8.34B in revenues, profit of $1.35 per share

TUAWApple reports 2009 Q3 earnings: $8.34B in revenues, profit of $1.35 per share originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cool tools, iPhone, App Review

Just the other day we reviewed one ringtone maker for the iPhone, and now another worthy app has crossed my desk.

Ringer, from Pixel Research Labs, is another very easy to use app for the creation of iPhone ringtones. You can use any non-protected media file, including videos, and select it from the list built into the program, or simply drag and drop a file onto the Ringer palette.

The editing is very easy, with a nice large display of the waveform. Ringer balances the dynamic range of the audio, so you can hear the soft parts and not distort the loud parts. It also allows you to change the gap between rings, from nothing to 5 seconds, which is a thoughtful feature.

I like the ability to browse your collection of files, except it renders the titles in your playlist in alphabetical order (note the screen shot above), rather than the order you actually have the tracks in. Some people might like that, others won’t. It should be a software switch.

When we review ringtone apps, we often hear from readers about how you can do this for free with GarageBand or other apps, and I agree. However, some may not want the extra steps those methods require, and would rather have something that is really easy.

Ringer accomplishes just that, with a fluid interface and no need to look up any instructions or scan the help files. I can create a GarageBand ringtone with the best of them, but I love the ability to get it done in a couple of seconds while this app filters my collection of tunes quickly and efficiently. Ringer is US$15.00, and as I said about the similarly-priced Pocket Mac Ringtone Studio, these apps are a bit pricey, but if you want it quick and easy they are really great.

Ringer requires Leopard 10.5 or greater.

TUAWMore easy ringtones with Ringer originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software, Graphic Design

It’s been a while since Freeverse’s vector application, Lineform, got an update. Lineform 1.5 came out in January 2008, but the Apple Design Award winner has remained unchanged since then. That’s not a bad thing; as we’ve mentioned in the past, Lineform is great vector program. But it’s always nice to get new features.

Freeverse has just released Lineform 1.5.1, fixing some bugs and adding some new treats for users.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Improved gradient behavior — you now have more control over your gradients.
• Improved performance with multiple objects on a canvas
• Undo now includes the function name, so you can see what you are undoing
• New Lineform Clips available in the Media Browser.

That last item is actually pretty great. Lineform now comes with a bunch of vector clips in various shapes and symbols that you can drag into your documents to use as they are, or edit. You can also add additional vector clips to save and use later.

When Robert did a faceoff amongst low-cost vector apps, he commented that having more shapes would be a good addition to Lineform. Lineform now has pre-built polygons and star shapes that can be simply dragged into your project.

Plus, Lineform continues to support SVG, PDF and EPS formats and it’s easy to apply non-destructive filters to your projects.

The guys at Freeverse were also nice enough to extend a $30-off coupon code to TUAW readers! Enter tuawlineform151 when ordering at Freeverse’s site and you can score Lineform 1.5.1 for just $49.95.

$50 for a vector app that is as powerful and easy to use as Lineform is really, really hard to beat. If you want to give it a trial before buying, you can download it free and use it for 30 days. Lineform now requires OS X 10.5 (previous versions did run on Tiger) and it is a Universal Binary. Existing users can install this free update either by using the built-in update check or downloading the DMG from Freeverse.

TUAWLineform 1.5.1 is out: TUAW readers can save $30 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Astronomer RIchard Massey maps “dark matter,” little understood material that holds our universe together but is otherwise invisible. The presence of dark matter can be inferred, however, by its effect on galaxies we can see. So Massey takes high-resolution photos of distant galaxies using the Hubble Space Telescope. And to analyze the huge, multi-terabyte images he captures, Massey depends on his Mac.

“Once you get a new employee an iPhone, they are in,” says Aedas Sport’s Michael Sedlacek. “They’re connected.” And that connection has spiked productivity — by as much as 400%, the architectural firm estimates. “We couldn’t imagine letting people work without one,” adds managing director Dan Meis. “Because that would mean they weren’t connected to us. And ultimately, that would cost the business money, far more than the cost of a phone.”

“I prefer Final Cut,” explains Alan Bell, who edited the new film, (500) Days of Summer, “because it offers me an open and easy way to move media and elements in and out of the system, while handling multiple file types and sizes in the same timeline. So it just works better and faster than any other editing solution out there.” Read the full interview with Bell and the film’s director, Marc Webb, on the new Final Cut Studio site.

Believe it or not, we’ve been watching television commercials for nearly 70 years. Some have made us laugh. Some have made us cry. A few have even encouraged us to go out and buy something. And many TV ads have entered popular culture, influencing us in ways unexpected by advertisers. Though you won’t see many of these ads on TV anytime soon, you can see them on iTunes U thanks to Duke University and its AdViews.

Written, directed, and co-produced by Judd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up), Funny People stars Adam Sandler as George Simmons, a comedian who learns he has less than a year to live, and Seth Rogen as Ira Wright, a struggling stand-up comic that Simmons befriends. The film, which opens in theaters on July 31, also stars Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, and Jonah Hill. Enjoy.

Filed under: Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

Regular readers will know I’m hooked on astronomy programs, and we’ve reviewed quite a few in this International Year of Astronomy.

Today only, Carina Software, one of the premier publishers in the field, is giving away Mac, PC, and iPhone versions of their software for next to nothing. It’s in honor of today’s 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. On the iPhone, they are free, for the PC and Mac version, US$00.01. Note: Due to server overload the Mac and PC versions have been pulled for now. Here is the latest from the Carina website:

“First, our iPhone apps SkyVoyager and SkyGazer will continue to be free downloads from the iTunes app store all day long. No changes there!

After continued discussion with our web-hosting provider, it is unlikely that we will be able to continue providing our desktop software as one-cent downloads for the remainder of the day.”

I’ll focus on the iPhone offerings, in particular the more advanced SkyVoyager [App Store link]. Carina is also offering SkyGazer for free, which is slightly less advanced and has fewer features. I’d go for SkyVoyager at these prices.

OK, what can you do with this software? Well, just about anything to help you under the stars or to plan a night of observing. The software picks up your location from the GPS, and of course the date and time. It will display more than 300,000 stars and 30,000 deep sky objects (clusters, nebula, galaxies). You can see the night sky from any location on earth, and on any date you choose, even going back or forward centuries.

The software also contains NASA images, and work from other astrophotographers. Amazingly, if you have a computer controlled telescope, like a Meade, Celestron, and some other less well known brands, SkyVoyager will soon be able to wirelessly connect to it and steer to objects you select on the iPhone. You can get a complete list of supported scopes here. Note: To make the connection to your scope you’ll need a piece of hardware, the Sky-Fi connector, not available until late September. Go to this page for more info.

There are a lot of iPhone/iPod touch astronomy apps out there. SkyVoyager is full featured, and has very deep and complete data bases, especially considering it is running on a phone or iPod touch. It updates comet positions, along with asteroid and satellite orbital data. It requires a WiFi network for these downloads.

The only thing I’d like to see is the ability to use the iPhone tilt/tip sensors and compass to match your sky chart to where it is pointing in the sky. That works really well on Pocket Universe, which I reviewed recently.

SkyVoyager normally sells for $14.95, so free is pretty compelling. Remember, it’s today only. My fellow amateur astronomer colleague Steve Sande is reviewing the desktop versions of this powerful software today as well, so be sure to check out his thoughts. They are selling for only a penny, so it’s truly an ‘astronomical’ saving.

Check these screen shots to see SkyVoyager in action:

TUAWiPhone astronomy app, SkyVoyager, free today originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re headed back to school soon, don’t forget to pack a copy of Shakespeare. On your iPhone. The free app brings you the full text of all forty plays, as well as the Bard’s poems and sonnets. Customize your reading experience by picking the font color and font size. Opt to scroll or tap your way down the page. You can even rotate iPhone or iPod touch and read Shakespeare in landscape mode.

Apple today announced a significant update to Final Cut Studio, offering more than 100 new features and new versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color, and Compressor. Final Cut Pro 7 expands Apple’s ProRes codec family to support virtually any workflow and includes Easy Export for one step output to a variety of formats. At $999, the new Final Cut Studio is $300 less than the previous release and is also available as an upgrade for just $299.

The new version of Logic Studio introduced today offers major upgrades to Logic Pro and Mainstage and more than 200 new features that simplify tasks. “The new Logic Studio is ideal for professional musicians, live performers and GarageBand enthusiasts who want to take their music to the next level,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. Available today, Logic Studio sells for $499. Current Logic Studio and Logic Pro users can upgrade for $199.

Filed under: Switchers, TUAW Business

I’ll bet you’re just dying to know exactly who this “Kevin Harter” fella is that has tarnished the pages of your favorite blog lately. And just what in the heck does he know about Macs, anyway?! Well, let me fill you in.

Hailing from Fort Madison, a town of about 10,000 in rural Southeast Iowa, I’m the father of two, the husband of one, and the owner of Backslash Technologies, a local computer sales and service center. The funny thing is, we don’t do much with Macs at all; it’s almost entirely Windows-based.

My love affair with all things Apple began with some flirting about 14 years ago. I was hired to develop the Windows side of a primarily-Mac store. I performed my duty and PC sales grew, but I was soon was sucked in by the relatively slick interface of System 7. So my first Apple purchase, ever, was a PowerMac 7300/180 that I used as a second computer.

When I left that job over 11½ years ago to start my own business, I used the Mac to develop our first logo, first web site, and a series of forms and flyers to run and promote the business. Soon after opening the doors, the Mac found its home on a shelf in the back of the store, where it still sits to this day. I concentrated on solving my customers’ Windows problems. And there were lots of them.

Years went by and I read a bit about Macs here and there, always with a lot of curiosity but never with enough guts to buy another. I was the guy that said “because it’s a Mac, dummy” when asked why something didn’t work on an Apple computer. I made fun of Mac owners as being snobby and slow. I couldn’t believe people would spend so much money on a computer that could run so little software.

I had firmly closed my mind.

Continue reading Kevin Harter, Switcher

TUAWKevin Harter, Switcher originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Peripherals, Software, Odds and ends

On Wednesday, our very own Christina “C-Mac” Warren told you about how the iTunes 8.2.1 update prevents the Palm Pre from syncing with your favorite music library. Never fear! There are a couple of ways that you can bring back that lovin’ feeling between your Pre and iTunes, but they may cost you a few bucks.

The first is from venerable Mac software vendor Mark/Space. The company made an announcement almost immediately after iTunes 8.2.1 hit Software Update, mentioning that The Missing Sync for Palm Pre still allows syncing between Palm’s new touchscreen smartphone and iTunes. The US$39.95 application (announced last week on TUAW) is currently Mac-only, but a Windows version is in the works.

Our sister site Download Squad reported Thursday that another Mac software stalwart, Salling Software, announced an update to their Salling Media Sync for Mac application. Salling Media Sync, which is available for free in a slower-syncing edition or for US$22 for a version with “intelligent syncing” to speed up the process. Salling not only syncs iTunes and iPhoto with the Palm Pre, but a gaggle of Nokia,Sony, HTC, and BlackBerry devices as well.

The pre-emptive strike by Apple to exclude the Pre from the good graces of iTunes seems to have been extremely short-lived. Windows users of iTunes, however, are still out in the cold for a little while longer unless they stick with 8.2.

TUAWTwo ways to sync iTunes to your Pre, but not for free originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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“We’re extremely pleased to report record non-holiday quarter revenue and earnings and quarterly cash flow from operations of $2.3 billion,” said Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer. For its third fiscal quarter, Apple posted revenue of $8.34 billion and a net quarterly profit of $1.23 billion, or $1.35 per diluted share. Apple sold 2.6 million Macintosh computers, 10.2 million iPods, and 5.2 million iPhones during the quarter.

Filed under: Software, iTunes, Open Source

SweetFM, a totally awesome Mac client for the Last.fm streaming music & recommendations service, is now an open source project. This means that anyone can download it for free and you no longer have to pay $29.00 for a license key to use the application. Our own Christina Warren reviewed SweetFM last month, and she was pleased with its slick design and many great features, including Apple Remote and Apple Keyboard media key compatibility, extensive integration with iTunes, and deep support for your Last.fm stations.

Since her review, SweetFM has also been updated, adding an equalizer for Last.fm streams and bug fixes.

If you’re interested in SweetFM, check out the Chocomoko website, visit the project page on Google Code, or read Christina’s earlier review. SweetFM is a Universal Binary (compatible with Intel and PowerPC Macs) and requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later.

TUAWSweetFM now an open source project originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software, Reviews

As a technical writer, blogger, and wannabe novelist, the tool that I use to capture my thoughts is almost as important as the words that I choose to describe those thoughts. I love to try out new writing tools, particularly those that say that they’re going to let me write creatively without getting in the way. Unfortunately, many of them end up becoming the proverbial albatross because of steep learning curves, impossible-to-remember keyboard shortcuts, or complex user interfaces. In my thinking, any writing application that keeps me from writing deserves to go into the Trash Can quickly.

When I heard about the recent release of Ulysses 2.0 from The Soulmen (formerly the Blue Technologies Group), my first thought was to dismiss it as Yet Another Writing Tool. After having a chance to work with Ulysses 2.0 for awhile, I’m now beginning to think that I may have finally found the perfect Mac writing tool for my purposes. Of course, every writer has his or her different idea of the ultimate word-crafting application, so your mileage may vary drastically.

Follow along on a short tour of what makes Ulysses 2.0 so special.

Continue reading TUAW Review: The Soulmen send Ulysses 2.0 on a writing journey

TUAWTUAW Review: The Soulmen send Ulysses 2.0 on a writing journey originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you use an application all the time, there’s no need to navigate to the Applications folder whenever you want to use it. Mac OS X Leopard lets you keep frequently used applications in the Dock, where you can launch them with a mouse click. And in today’s Quick Tip, you’ll find out how easy it is to add aliases of your favorite applications to the Dock. Take a look.

Filed under: Features, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAW

Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly Mac troubleshooting Q&A column! This time we’ve got questions on using a case sensitive file system in OS X, applications focused on writing, controlling a Mac with a universal remote control, push email, using a MacBook with an external display, and more.

As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you’re running and which version of Mac OS X (we’ll assume you’re running Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don’t specify). And now, on to the questions.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Case-sensitive file system, writing apps, universal remotes, and more

TUAWAsk TUAW: Case-sensitive file system, writing apps, universal remotes, and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Accessories, Cult of Mac, Macbook Pro, MacBook, Graphic Design

If you’d like to see your design on a laptop and earn a little extra money to boot, head over to Infectious and check out their Cut to the Core design contest. They are accepting entries for a new run of MacBook and MacBook Pro laptop skins from now until August 4. Each skin is designed around a cut out that’ll expose the glowing Apple logo on laptops. Be sure to read the rules carefully (you can’t, for example, use the Apple logo in your design) and remember that the contest is voted on by the Infectious community.

TUAWInfectious sponsors “Cut to the Core” design contest for new laptop skins originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: iTunes

Apple today added new “D45s” to the Music section in the iTunes Store [iTunes link]. This package includes two songs, just like many of the old 45 RPM records back in the day. Their prices range from $1.49 – $1.99, with over 20 different artists to choose from. There are some old favorites, along with recently released content. Many of the D45s include some uncommon songs not previously released on the iTunes Store. This follows in the tradition of some B-side music, where tracks were thrown on the back of the 45 for “added value.” Check it out, there should be something for everyone to enjoy.

TUAWTwo song Digital 45s now available in iTunes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though you can already enjoy a significant number of Yale University lectures and interviews on iTunes U, now you can sign up for entire courses in Game Theory, Frontiers of Biomedical Engineering, Milton, and others by subscribing to the newly available Open Yale Courses. Yale offers free access to a variety of introductory courses in a variety of disciplines “to expand access to educational materials for all who wish to learn.”

Ready for some fun? Catch G-Force, a new Disney comedy — in Disney Digital 3-D — produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. In the film, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Penélope Cruz, Tracy Morgan, Jon Favreau, and Steve Buscemi play a team of secret agents out to protect the world against billionaire Leonard Saber (Bill Nighy). Of course, these secret agents just happen to be guinea pigs, moles, and hamsters. Enjoy.

“When it comes to recording, I don’t want to be a technical person,” says Alex Kapranos, lead singer/guitarist for Franz Ferdinand. “The studio should be a creative place. So I like a system that is really straightforward, visually appealing, and simple.” He found that system, writing most of the songs for Tonight: Franz Ferdinand on his MacBook Pro using GarageBand and Logic Pro. The result? A sound “different from everything we’ve ever done before.”

To train the next generation of professional journalists, Arizona State University built a state-of-the-art facility for its prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. There, student journalists write, shoot, edit, and broadcast their own stories on Mac computers using Final Cut Pro. “Among the most critical decisions we made,” says News Director Mark Lodato, “was choosing Final Cut Pro as our editing tool, and I don’t think we could be more pleased.”

Filed under: How-tos, iTunes, AppleScript

One neat little thing about the iPod and iPhone family of devices is their ability to display lyrics — supported by all iPod nanos as well as the iPhone/iPod touch, and iPod Classic 5th generation and higher. On the iPhone and iPod touch, lyrics show up when a song is loaded (and can be re-displayed by tapping on the screen while a song is playing); while on the iPod nano, pressing the center button several times while a song is playing will cycle you through to display lyrics.

But the real issue isn’t so much about displaying lyrics as much as it is obtaining them. PearLyrics was once my tried and true favorite way of getting lyrics, but it passed away some time ago.

Continue reading Lyric fetchin’ lovin’: how to batch fetch lyrics with GimmeSomeTune and Needle Drop

TUAWLyric fetchin’ lovin’: how to batch fetch lyrics with GimmeSomeTune and Needle Drop originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While writing his new book on iPhone 3GS, David Pogue (nytimes.com) discovered some features he couldn’t wait to talk about, one of which is part of the accessibility features built-in to iPhone. “You’d never suspect,” Pogue remarks, “that the iPhone 3GS, which has no physical keys at all, is one of the easiest smartphones in the world for a blind person to use. But now it’s true, thanks to VoiceOver.”

Use Microsoft Word on your Mac or PC? Now you can take your documents with you on iPhone. Documents to Go from DavaViz offers a mobile productivity suite. Using it, you can view, edit, and create Word documents on the road. Documents to Go also supports iPhone OS 3.0, allowing you to cut, copy, and paste among documents, email files, work full screen, and much more. And Excel support is coming soon, too.

For restauranteur Patrick Albrecht, the recipe for success includes an extra helping of iPhone. Using iPhone, his 15 managers “can instantly look up, enter, and revise information about menus, banquets, employee schedules, point-of-sale transactions, and daily reports — from anywhere.” iPhone even allows Albrecht to book reservations for customers he meets on the street. How else does iPhone help Albrecht offer unique customer service?

“One of the factors feeding the App Store’s growth,” explains Philip Elmer-DeWitt (fortune.com) “is the size of the installed base.” That would be the 40 million iPhone and iPod touch customers with a healthy appetite for games and other applications. “The other is the variety and sheer quantity of applications,” now more than 65,000 strong, more than 58,000 of those in the U.S. App Store alone.

In just one year, customers have downloaded more than 1.5 billion apps from the App Store, Apple today announced. The largest application store in the world, the App Store now contains more than 65,000 apps. It provides the 100,000 developers in the iPhone Developer program an easy way to reach iPhone and iPod touch customers in 77 countries around the world.

Do you use Safari, Mail, iTunes, or other Mac applications every day? Did you know that Mac OS X Leopard can automatically open your favorite applications for you when you start up your Mac? To find out how, watch the latest Mac OS X Tip in the Business Theater.

The sales executives at software startup ArtusLabs spend a lot of time traveling. And wherever they go, everyone of them carries an iPhone. “It’s one of the most useful pieces of technology we take” with us, says founder Robin Smith. He and his staff use iPhone to manage all their travel details: meetings, schedules, weather, rental cars, meals. keeping in touch, falling asleep, even books to read on the plane.