Iphone Updates

Tesla bucks industry standard with new charging system for Model S originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been a little over two weeks since Google unveiled Ice Cream Sandwich along with its first ambassador, the Galaxy Nexus. Since then, a few manufacturers have shared their intent to bring Android 4.0 to specific devices. HTC was initially rather vague about its upgrade plans — no doubt faced with the daunting task of keeping Sense relevant in light of ICS’ vast design improvements — but tonight the Taiwanese giant issued an official statement on Facebook outlining specifics on its Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades. Basically, it looks like most (if not all) of HTC’s high-end phones since the introduction of the Sensation will be getting a taste of Google’s latest tasty treat early next year, including the recently announced Rezound. Here’s the full statement:

HTC knows how excited our fans are to get their hands on Google’s latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, so we’re thrilled today to announce the first wave of HTC phones that will receive upgrades: We can confirm the brand new HTC Vivid is upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich. In addition, Ice Cream Sandwich is coming in early 2012 to a variety of devices including the HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XL and HTC Sensation XE, as well as the HTC Rezound, HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO Design 4G and HTC Amaze 4G through close integration with our carrier partners. We’re continuing to assess our product portfolio, so stay tuned for more updates on device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Ice Cream Sandwich.

HTC announces specifics on Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades, includes Rezound originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Korg launches two new Monotrons, Duo and Delay: the clues are in the names (video)

Korg launches two new Monotrons, Duo and Delay: the clues are in the names (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading MyFord Touch Upgrade inbound, brings ‘faster, simpler, easier’ infotainment to your late-model whip

MyFord Touch Upgrade inbound, brings ‘faster, simpler, easier’ infotainment to your late-model whip originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you shoot 3D photos? Nope, neither do we, but Panasonic certainly seems to hope that’ll change — perhaps even as soon as next month, when its Lumix 3D1 hits store shelves… for $500. And how much camera does half a grand buy you? Well, for starters you get not one, but a pair of 25-100mm optical zoom lenses (30-120mm in 3D mode), pumping images to dual 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensors. Two lenses and two sensors make this pocket wonder a natural at stereoscopic 3D video, but it can also pull some pretty clever tricks with still photos. Sure, you can shoot full-res stills and 1080i video simultaneously, but those dual zoom lenses can operate independently as well, letting you snap pics and/or video at multiple focal lengths — capture a wide-angle shot with one lens and a close-up with the other, for example. Panasonic wasn’t able to demo this functionality during our briefing, so we can’t speak to the interface, but it certainly sounds like a nifty concept. Beyond that, expect up to 8 fps burst at full resolution, a 3.5-inch touchscreen and “dramatically clear” low-light images, even at high-ISOs (according to Panasonic). Ready to hear more from the camera maker? Jump past the break for the full PR.

Continue reading Panasonic announces Lumix DMC-3D1: dual lenses, 12 megapixel sensors

Panasonic announces Lumix DMC-3D1: dual lenses, 12 megapixel sensors originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember the Lumix GF1? It was one of Panasonic’s first Micro Four Thirds cameras, setting the bar quite high for models to come. But the GF1′s successors — the GF2 and GF3 — did not live up to expectations, with the company gradually shifting the series towards transitioning point-and-shoot users, and away from early adopters who grew accustomed to the performance and build quality offered by that beloved early mirrorless cam. Now that familiar look and feel is back, in the form of the Lumix DMC-GX1. The 16 megapixel ILC includes a Live MOS sensor and Venus engine, with a maximum ISO of 12,800. Like other Panasonic G-series cameras, the GX1 uses a Micro Four Thirds mount, and is compatible with both Panasonic and Olympus lenses, including the standard 14-42mm zoom that ships with the $800 kit, or the Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm retractable lens that comes packaged for $950. Existing lens owners can pick up just the body for $700.

What we really missed was the solid feel of the GF1 — everything from the housing to the controls felt well-made, while the design of later GF models, was… underwhelming. Picking up the GX1 helped to restore our confidence in the series — it was a pleasure to hold. There’s quite a bit of power under the hood, too. We weren’t able to test the GX1, which is expected to hit stores in mid-December, but Panasonic promises autofocus speeds of 0.9 second — you can focus simply by touching your subject on the 3-inch, 460,000-dot touchscreen. There’s also an external EVF option, which attaches to the camera’s hot shoe and offers a 1.44 million-dot display with 100-percent field of view. Movie buffs can capture 1080/60i HD video, with either MP4 or AVCHD compression. It goes without saying that the GX1 can shoot in RAW, and offers the complete gamut of advanced shooting modes. Of course the features don’t stop there, so jump past the break for the full PR from Panasonic.

Continue reading Panasonic launches Lumix DMC-GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera, we go hands-on

Panasonic launches Lumix DMC-GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon’s been focused solely on the top-end of things here recently, but it’s obvious that the mirrorless and Micro Four Thirds markets are booming. Cute sells, right? And if you’ve taken the plunge on either of Olympus’ newest PENs (that’d be the E-PL3 or E-P3), we’re interested in knowing how you really feel about ‘em. Would you have preferred a slightly larger casing? Still want it smaller? Cool with the kit lens? Any quibbles with the exterior? The UI? The company’s made quite clear that the PEN line ain’t going anywhere anytime soon, so speak up in comments below, won’t you?

How would you change Olympus’ PEN E-PL3 and E-P3? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exciting energy projects lit up the newswires this week as Inhabitat reported that Desertec will begin building the world’s largest solar project in the Sahara Desert next year. We also saw a West Virginia wind farm use batteries to improve its performance, and we showcased the brand new Eco Whisper wind turbine, which is quieter and more efficient than three-bladed models. Meanwhile, Apple announced plans to build a major solar-powered iCloud data center in North Carolina, architects unveiled plans for a towering wind-energy generating skyscraper in Taiwan, and we shared ten tips for cutting down your electricity bill this winter.

In other news, green transportation took off for the skies as the world’s first manned electric multicopter launched its first flight. We also brought you six sexy electric cars that will be hitting the streets in 2012, plus one awesome compact camper that is a miniature house on wheels. Across the pond, Foster + Partners unveiled a massive Thames Hub plan to update Britain’s energy and transportation infrastructure, and IKEA just announced plans to build a massive 26-acre suburb in East London.

Researchers also brought to light several stunning new forms of energy-efficient illumination as they unveiled the world’s most efficient flexible OLED, Samsung announced plans to launch a bendable OLED cell phone in 2012, and we showcased a luminous netted vest for nighttime cyclists. We also spotted several fresh life-saving gadgets — a spindly 3D printed spider robot that can analyze hazardous sites, and a series of designer gas masks that question our psychological reliance on luxury labels. Finally, you won’t want to miss the awesome tot-sized Dalek costume that is currently tearing up our Green Halloween Costume Contest for kids, and this rock-solid carbonite Han Solo costume from our Halloween contest for adults.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: flexible OLEDs, wind-energy skyscrapers and 3D-printing spider robots originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You didn’t expect Ma Bell to open its first LTE markets without tossing in a few 4G friendly toys, did you? Of course not, we told you as much last week — but today things get official: The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and HTC Vivid (formerly known as the Holiday) are ready to take Ma Bell’s new LTE nodes for a spin. Not much has changed since the last time we saw these phones — the Skyrocket still knocks the Galaxy S II’s screen size and processor speed up a notch (a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus Display and 1.5GHz CPU, for those of you keeping track), and the Vivid still has a 4.5-inch qHD display, 1080p HD video recording via an 8MP rear camera and a 1.2GHz CPU. What’s new? AT&T is currently selling both handsets with an online discount, offering the Galaxy S II Skyrocket for $150 with a two-year commitment, and the Vivid for a paltry $99. If you’re lucky enough to live in one of AT&T’s emerging LTE markets, skip on over to the outfit’s webstore and have a look.

[Thanks, Reggie]

HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket go on sale, lead AT&T’s march on LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

When newly independent Motorola Mobility introduced its Atrix handset on AT&T at CES, the smartphone was generally well-received. But what drew more attention was the range of accessories that the company has continued to support through other high-end launches such as those of the Photon on Sprint and the Droid Bionic on Verizon.

These products now include a car dock for navigation, HDMI dock for entertainment, and lapdock for enhanced productivity. Motorola wasn’t the first company to introduce an HDMI dock, and Asus’ Padfone embeds a handset more directly into another device than do Motorola’s products. Taken together, though, the Motorola dock derby best positions the handset as the heart of a mobile lifestyle — one that can be easily transplanted so that it can overcome the limitations of its native form factor. It is a fitting push for one of the few smartphone companies not vested in other traditional electronic devices such as PCs or televisions.

Continue reading Switched On: Motorola’s manic modularity

Switched On: Motorola’s manic modularity originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I’ll be hosting the TUAW Talkcast this evening over on our usual TalkShoe meeting place, and as always, you’re invited to join in both by listening along, and even by jumping in on the conversation. We’ll be chatting live about the most popular Apple topics of the last week, including the upcoming sandbox restrictions on Mac App Store apps, more cool things you can do with Siri (and if they’re worth doing), and the hazy future of the Mac Pro. It should be a lot of fun and the discussion is always interesting as well.

To participate, you can use the browser-only Talkshoe client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for +5 Interactivity, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines: dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 — during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. We’ll get started as usual around 10pm ET, which is 7pm PT, and don’t forget about daylight savings from last night. Did you Fall back?

If you’ve got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Blink or X-Lite SIP clients. Talk to you tonight!

Talkcast tonight, 10pm ET/7pm PT: Sandboxed in originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I’m a bit of a shutterbug, so Photo Stream is something I was really interested in when it was announced as part of iOS 5‘s feature set way back in June. Frictionless, automated sending of photos from my phone to my computer? Sign me up!

Of course, as is too often the case with Apple, the nitty gritty of how this would work wasn’t explained in any detail — particularly for Aperture, which often takes a back seat to iPhoto when Apple is showing off its apps.

Hopefully, this article will answer all your questions about how these two products interact. If not, please leave a comment pointing out what I’ve overlooked.

Before we start, some basic housekeeping. Photo Stream isn’t going to appear in your Aperture at all if you don’t first upgrade to v3.2. You’ll also need OS X 10.7.2 or later, and iOS 5 on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. You’ll also need to go to the iCloud pane in your System Preferences and make sure that “Photo Stream” is ticked (thanks to commenter ‘kootenayredneck’ for the reminder). If you’ve done all that, you’re all set.

Accessing Photo Stream within Aperture

This is Photo Stream’s marquee feature: snap a photo with your iOS device and have it show up on your Mac.

It’s easy to do, though it comes with one small wrinkle. In Aperture, go into Preferences | Photo Stream and tick the appropriate boxes. The caveat is that you can only have Photo Stream active for iPhoto or Aperture, not both at once. Turning it on in one app turns it off in the other.

With that setting in place, a Photo Stream entry should appear in your Aperture Library list.

Clicking on this will show you all the photos in your Photo Stream, which you can look through. You can’t make any edits, however, until you import them into your library:

Clicking “import photo” brings the photo into your library and allows you to do all the usual range of Aperture adjustments to it.

Note that the Photo Stream implementation on your iOS devices will only be active when they are connected to a Wi-Fi network. If you only have cellular 3G access, no photos will be transferred in either direction. However, don’t forget that tethering creates a Wifi network. In a pinch, you could use an iPhone to create a tethered network and connect a second iOS device to it. That would give the second device full Photo Stream access.

Note also that “Automatic Import” means Aperture is constantly copying Photo Stream pictures to your Aperture library. It creates a series of Projects, one per month. As long as you start Aperture at least once per month and once per 1000 photos, this guarantees you can never lose a photo placed in Photo Stream.

Non-destructive editing

Here’s a neat trick that isn’t immediately obvious. If you take a photo on the iPhone and use the new built-in photo editing features of iOS 5, when you bring the photo over to Aperture the edits are preserved as edits, in the usual Aperture master-and-version-file manner. So you can choose to change them as you please, perhaps replacing iOS’s rather crude “enhance” wizard with Aperture’s fine-grained adjustments.

I would very much like to see this functionality available to third-party devs. It’d be great if the likes of Instagram and Camera+ were able to save clean copies of their filtered output without cluttering up your camera roll with duplicate versions. Of course, as those filters aren’t directly comparable to Aperture’s, that would only be possible via a single image file that is basically just two JPGs stuck together — whereas I imagine the native Photos app is doing something more sophisticated.

Putting photos into Photo Stream from within Aperture

By default, when the third checkbox in my first screen grab above is ticked, all new photos imported into Aperture are automatically added to the Photo Stream by default. More on this “feature” in a second. If you untick that box, you can still manually choose to add specific versions by dragging and dropping them within Aperture to the Photo Stream entry in the navigation tree.

However, before you go adding files en masse, remember that by default everything in the Photo Stream is going to be downloaded to all your iOS devices; that there’s no way to delete images from Photo Stream except for a full purge; and that Photo Stream only deletes images when it’s holding more than 1000 pictures or after 30 days.

This can add to create quite a headache. It means that if you pull 400 1.5 MB JPG shots into Aperture, it’s going to immediately upload 6 GB 600 MB of data to iCloud. If you’re not on fast, unmetered Internet, that could be at best inconvenient (as it’ll choke your Internet connection up for a prolonged period) and at worst expensive (if you go over your ISP’s bandwidth cap). It’s then going to download all of those photos, albeit at an “optimised resolution” to each of your iOS devices, exacerbating the problem. Testing on my iPhone 4 and iPad showed that Photo Stream optimised images are around 500 KB each. Continuing our example, then, if you have an iPhone and an iPad that’s a further 4 GB 200 MB download for 10 GB 800MB of bandwidth used overall. (Thanks to commenter ‘IhatePundits’ for catching the mistakes in my mathematics.)

This can also lead to problems with your iOS devices running out of disk space, which then has knock on effects that can start deleting app data you wanted. Overall, it’s probably a good idea to leave “automatically upload imports to Photo Stream” to the iPhoto-using casual shooters. I’d go so far as to question Apple’s decision to enable this feature by default in Aperture.

RAW files and Photo Stream

The problems with Photo Stream and bandwidth start to look much worse when you examine how it handles RAW files.

According to the Aperture documentation, how RAW interacts with Photo Stream isn’t immediately obvious — but it is very important that you understand it. If you send a RAW file from Aperture to Photo Stream — either automatically via the “import all” checkbox, or manually — and if that RAW file has no edits applied, then it’s the full-sized original RAW that ends up in Photo Stream. On the other hand, if it has had edits applied then Photo Stream ends up holding a JPG copy instead.

This surprising handling also applies to RAW files imported to the iPad via the Camera Connection Kit. This is a common workflow for me when I am travelling, as I typically do not bring a laptop. Several times a day, I import all the images from my cameras into my iPad, partly for proofing but also partly for backup purposes. It’s not unusual for me to shoot 15-20 GB of photos on a week long vacation (I’m very much a statistical photographer).

With Photo Stream enabled, this means I’ll be choking up the hotel’s Internet connection for hours on end as well as making my iPad run slowly as it manages the upload process in a background task I cannot control or suspend. In my experience, hotel Wi-Fi isn’t either the fastest or most reliable, so this could become quite hard to manage. Even at home, if you’re on metered Internet, you could easily (and accidentally) chew through multiple gigabytes of your bandwidth allocation.

Note, however, that as Apple states here, RAW files (like full resolution JPGs) are never delivered to iOS devices. If you put a RAW file onto the iPad or if you tell Aperture to add one to Photo Stream, it’s an around-500-KB optimised JPG that ends up synced onto the other iOS devices.

Most irritating of all is it is that unlike in Aperture, the Photo Stream option for iOS doesn’t have a “download all photos but do not automatically upload new ones” option. It’s on/off only. So I have to micro-manage the setting depending on whether I’m using my iPad to import photos from my camera en masse (in which case I want it disabled) or work with iPhone snapshots (when it has to be enabled).

There’s also a subtle interaction with the “automatic import” setting in Aperture. Files brought in like this are managed copies, i.e. with the master file living inside the Aperture library. If (like me) you maintain your Aperture library file on a small laptop drive and use external reference masters held on a network share or a larger external drive, then allowing Aperture to import a lot of RAWs through Photo Stream may cause you to suddenly run out of room on your laptop’s drive.

Now, it’s only fair of me to note that if you are in the luxurious position of not caring about upstream Internet bandwidth, then there is an significant upside to this — cloud-based backup of your photos. Even if you managed to lose your camera, your memory cards, and your iPad, up to 1000 RAW files are still safely in Photo Stream ready to be pulled into Aperture when you get home. There’s definitely perks to this system, I just wish Apple had given the end users a little more control because we don’t all live in Infinite Bandwidth Land.

Remember also that Photo Stream storage does not come out of your main iCloud disk space allocation (the 5 GB you get free or any extra you pay for). That’s admirably generous of Apple — a full stream of RAW files could easily be 10-20 GB depending on your camera.

Photo Stream and Apple IDs

One final note. I’ve seen a few professional photographers around the web getting excited about using Photo Stream as a sort of low-rent proofing service — for example, to consolidate work from multiple cameras tethered to laptops onto a single workstation back at the office where another member of staff is compiling picks in real time, or for a supervisor to keep an eye on pictures taken on a shoot in real time.

Remember that for this to work well, you’re going to need a lot of bandwidth at the shooting site — particularly upstream bandwidth, which is often not that fast on low-end and medium range Internet connections.

It also requires all the different devices and Aperture installs to be connected to the same Apple ID. Depending on the setup you are contemplating, that might not matter at all, or it could be a significant limitation.

Deep dive: Aperture and Photo Stream, how do they work? originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has been waging a legal battle with Samsung over the look and feel of its Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets. In response, Samsung filed a series of its own patent infringement lawsuits against Apple that involve 3G technology. These countersuits may have landed Samsung in hot water with the European Union as some of these patents may be subject to FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) licensing terms.

FRAND extends to patents that cover industry standards like 3G technology. Any company that’s involved in the development of a standard must license patents essential to the technology at a reasonable rate and with reasonable terms and conditions. These patents are not supposed to be used as weapons in a legal battle.

The European Commission has opened a preliminary investigation and is examining whether Samsung’s lawsuits against Apple have abused FRAND standards. This investigation was first mentioned publicly in a recent court filing by Apple in California and later confirmed by Samsung in a statement released to Computerworld.

Samsung has at all times remained committed to fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing terms for our wireless standards-related patents. We have received a request for information from the Commission and are cooperating fully. Note that this is a preliminary investigation and the European Commission has not yet determined whether to conduct a full investigation.

The European Commission will now gather information from all parties involved and will determine whether there’s enough evidence for a full investigation. If the EC continues, Samsung could be forced to withdraw its lawsuits against Apple. It could also face a possible fine.

EU antitrust body to investigate Samsung’s use of patents against Apple originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview will arrive in Landmark Theatres nationwide on November 16 and 17. As the title suggests, the movie is an interview, specifically a 70-minute conversation between Steve Jobs and Robert Cringely that was held in 1995.

A small 10-minute segment of the original conversation was included in the Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires, a 1996 PBS miniseries about Silicon Valley. The rest of the interview was supposed to be included in a sequel to the PBS series, but the original footage was lost.

Unbeknownst to Cringely, Paul Sen, the director of the original Triumph of the Nerds series, recorded a backup copy of the interview on VHS. When Steve Jobs passed away, Sen began a hunt for the video and found it in the deep, dark recesses of his garage.

Sen then contacted Cringely who, in turn, contacted Landmark Theatres co-owner Mark Cuban about screening the film. It only took five minutes for Cuban to agree and another $6,000 investment to convert the VHS recording into a theatrical-quality film.

Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview will be shown in Landmark Theatres in 17 cities nationwide including those in New York, Los Angeles and Palo Alto, the center of Silicon Valley.

Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview coming to theaters in November originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Apple’s senior executive team received lucrative stock grants worth US$60 million dollars at current market prices. A Securities and Exchange commission document filed by Apple on Friday details this financial reward.

Each executive will receive restricted stock shares that are meant to entice the executives to stay with Apple for the next five years. The grant requires that the executive remain at Apple to claim half of the stocks which will vest in 2013. The second half will vest in 2016.

Executives receiving the 150,000 shares include CFO Peter Oppenheimer, general counsel Bruce Sewell, iOS Software VP Scott Forstall, Worldwide Product Marketing VP Phil Schiller, Hardware Engineering VP Bob Mansfied and Operations VP Jeffrey Williams. Senior VP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue received 100,000 restricted shares.

Apple senior executives get lucrative stock grant originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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

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

If you have an Apple TV 2, be sure to check these out, and let us know what you think. There is no easy way to capture a screen from a TV, but I used my trusty iPhone and have some examples in the gallery.

Found: Apple sneaks in a very cool Apple TV 2 screensaver originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is interesting — Activision has apparently teamed up with an iOS developer to release a promotional game for its upcoming title Prototype 2. ProtoSlice is now available as a free download from the App Store, and it’s made by the creators of Slice HD, a developer named SmallBall. The new game is very similar to the old one (which itself reminds me of Hand of Greed), in that you need to try and use your real finger to press a fake button, all while dodging virtual blades. Of course, in ProtoSlice, you’re dodging Prototype-themed blades, and you can win new screenshots of Activision’s game by finishing levels.

The game is free, so if you’re looking forward to Prototype 2, downloading this one is a no-brainer. But even more interesting about this game is simply the fact that it exists. Activision has experienced a little success on the App Store with its Call of Duty: Zombies app, but we haven’t seen a lot of action from them lately. Other publishers like EA have learned a lot more from iOS, both seeing big success with apps and app sales, and even acquiring companies who know how to make iPhone and iPad games. Activision has been relatively silent on this front for the past year or so, but this release indicates what the company really thinks of iOS so far: It works best, apparently, as a vehicle for promoting console games, not an actual game platform itself.

This is one release, of course. We do know that Activision is set to release iOS apps for the upcoming Call of Duty Elite metagaming service for its big Call of Duty series, so it’s very possible there are other strategies in the works for the big publisher on Apple’s platform. But we haven’t seen any of that yet — ProtoSlice is a clear sign so far that Activision isn’t necessarily taking iOS seriously as an actual gaming platform.

Activision releases ProtoSlice iOS app to promote Prototype 2 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After spending about 10 months without an iPhone, I stayed up late to order the iPhone 4S. Then the next question occurred to me: “What am I going to do for a case?”

I ordered 3 different cases for three different purposes: an AmazonBasics Silicone Case for everyday use, a Mophie Juice Pack Air Case/Rechargeable Battery for “really long day” use, and an iPhone Wallet from the folks at Waterfield Designs/SFBags.com.

Back in February, I bought a bag for my MacBook Air from Waterfield Designs, and I absolutely love it. I carry my 13″ MacBook Air and my iPad in it every day. When I decided to get an iPhone, I knew I’d be heading to SFBags.com to see what they had to offer.

The iPhone Wallet

I love this idea. You carry a wallet, you carry an iPhone, why not carry one thing instead of two? For the past several years I’ve had a wallet which was used mostly to carry cards. If I have cash (which I often don’t) I carry it in my pocket but not in my wallet. I have also been known to walk out of the house without either my iPhone or my wallet, so having one less thing to remember seemed like a good idea.

Let’s start with what’s good about the iPhone wallet. The first thing I noticed is that it looks and feels well made. This isn’t a case that’s going to start fraying around the edges after a few months. It also already feels “broken in” rather than stiff.

The window in the front will allow you to see the entire screen. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I could actually use the touch-screen right through the plastic. Even the plastic window seems to be made of sturdy material that won’t easily scratch and won’t start to pull away from the edges. I assumed this plastic would be the “weakest link” in the case, but it seems just as good as the rest of it. The window is just a bit too small to let you see the iPhone’s home button, but you should be able to judge where it is, and you can press it while it is still in the case.

You can fit the iPhone in the wallet while it is in the silicone case (which I assume is about the same size as Apple’s “bumper” case). It will be snug, but it will fit. However, once you do that, you have added considerable “bulk” to the iPhone (relatively speaking) and putting it inside the wallet like that will not leave room for much else. If I have the silicone case on, I can only fit 3-5 cards in the wallet before it really starts to feel “too big.” (I tried the wallet with the Mophie Juice Pack on it… I did, and it does not fit. The Juice Pack extends the length of the iPhone, and the wallet does not have enough extra room to accommodate that. Nor should it; I only mention this because I assume someone else might want to know.)

If you carry the iPhone “naked,” then you can easily fit about 8-10 cards inside the wallet. There are two separate pockets which hold the cards securely.

One unexpected detail was a divider between the “iPhone” part of the wallet and the card section. It is mentioned in the wallet description and shown in the video (see below) but it is thicker than I expected it to be, about 2-3 credit-cards, and covered in “ultrasuede.” At first I thought that was intended to protect credit cards from being demagnetized, but Richard tells me that isn’t much of a concern these days.

I’m not sure the divider is 100% necessary, but I’m willing to bet that someone at Waterfield Designs had practical experience with another a case that led them to include it. My best guess is that it is probably intended to keep the cash or anything from the “money side” from falling out when you are taking the iPhone out of the wallet. It adds a bit of bulk, but it’s not a huge deal. As Gary points out in the video, it does help keep the iPhone pressed up against the window

Two minor complaints…

There’s one drawback to the iPhone wallet that should be fairly obvious: if it’s in your pocket and you get a call, you have to get the wallet out of your pocket and then the iPhone out of the wallet before you can begin your conversation.

The only other minor complaint I have with the iPhone wallet is with the placement and direction of the zipper. If you think of the “window” side of the case as the “front” then the zipper runs from top-left (when zipped) to bottom-right (when unzipped, as shown above).

The headphone jack is on the top-left of the iPhone. Why is this combination a problem? Because if you are using headphones, you can’t keep it in the wallet.

If they had made the wallet so that it zipped from “top-right” to “bottom-left” then you could have stuck the headphones in and threaded the wire out. However, that would have made it a little more awkward for people who are right-handed.

Conclusion

Let’s be clear: this isn’t a wallet for slipping into the back pocket of your “skinny jeans” before you go out clubbing. It has a certain heft to it. But before you decide whether or not it’s “too big” take a minute and walk through this next section with me.

Take out your wallet, put your iPhone on the table, and stack up all of the cards that you carry around with you. Then imagine that wrapped in leather and lined with ultrasuede. Ok, now take a look at those cards again. How many of them do you really need in your wallet all of the time? I took most of my cards out of my wallet and put them into my old wallet and leave it in my office desk drawer or the glove compartment of my car. Library card? Sam’s club? Prescription card? AAA? I never carry any store card if they can lookup my account by my phone number.

I was able to get my total down to 5 (and could probably get by with 3 for 95% of the time), which means that I could even leave the silicone case on and still have it not feel “too big.” The biggest adjustment for me is that I am used to having my wallet in one pocket and phone in the other, but I love being able to feel it in my pocket and not have to think “Is that my phone or my wallet? Do I have both?” With this I know if I have one, I have the other.

If the idea of a combination wallet/iPhone case appeals to you, the Waterfield Designs iPhone wallet is a great option. A reasonable $41 ($39 + $2 US shipping) buys a great product that will most likely still look and work great even when you’re thinking about the iPhone 6!

If you’re on the fence, Waterfield Designs has a 90 second review video available too. It shows that you can text or email through the case, and even suggests you could talk on the phone while it was still in the case. I haven’t tested that theory because the only people I know who talk into their wallets are crazy people.

The iPhone wallet has a place for your stuff originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A baker in England has made these gorgeous cake pops (featuring some Apple logos and Steve Jobs’s likeness) to raise some donation money for a pancreatic cancer charity. The pops will go on sale next Wednesday in London, when cake blogger and maker “Miss Cakehead” is set to open up a “Steve Jobs Inspired Cake Shop.” The whole event is part of something called Internet Week Europe, and all proceeds from the Steve sweets will be donated to Pancreatic Cancer UK.

We can’t be in the UK by then, unfortunately, but we hope the cakes get all the money they’re worth, considering just how great they look. And we’re very curious to see what a “Steve Jobs Inspired Cake Shop” looks like. If anyone in the neighborhood over there is reading this, be sure to take pictures!

[via Neatorama]

Apple cake pops made to raise money to fight pancreatic cancer originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unlike many, I didn’t buy the iPhone 4S for Siri. It’s nice to have a voice assistant, but what I really wanted was the camera. I shoot a lot of photos throughout the day using my iPhone and have been looking for a good image editor to complement its camera. Now with PhotoStream, I am no longer limited to using the iPhone for editing. I can automatically transfer my photos and edit them on my iPad, a convenience that led me to try Photogene for the iPad.

Photogene is a fantastic editing application that’s great for tweaking and touching up photos. You name it and Photogene has it. It lets you crop, straighten, resize, sharpen, reduce noise, adjust color, correct red-eye and remove unwanted blemishes or spots.

If you want to get more creative, there’s also specialized effects like reflection or vignette and standard effects like dodge & burn, blur, and grayscale. You can add captions and text to images and apply artistic filters such as sepia or charcoal. There’s even several categories of presets that’ll let you add a border or change the look of your photo in just a few taps. And if you don’t like what you have done, there’s multiple undo and redo.

One of my favorite features is the collage creator which takes up to six photos and turns them into one image using templates. The app comes with a handful of collage templates and you can buy a pack of 60 that gives you twelve designs for each group of photos (12 templates for a 2 photo collage, 12 templates for a 3 photo collage, and so on).

When you’re done, you can export your images back to your iPad’s photo library, upload them to an online web service like Dropbox, Flickr or Picasa, or share them via email, Facebook or Twitter. If you have a printer, you can use AirPrint to get a hard copy.

Photogene is available for $2.99 from the App Store and is a must have for anyone that uses their iOS device for photos or image editing.

Daily iPad App: Photogene originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple announced that GarageBand, its breakthrough music creation app, is now available for iPhone and iPod touch. Introduced earlier this year on iPad, GarageBand uses Apple’s Multi-Touch interface to make it easy for anyone to create and record their own songs, even if they’ve never played an instrument before. GarageBand 1.1 for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch is available on the App Store for $4.99 (US) to new users, or as a free update for existing GarageBand for iPad customers.

Wired Magazine reports that Newsstand, a new feature of iOS 5, is “hitting it big with traditional media publishers thanks to its windfall delivery of new digital subscriptions.” Newsstand keeps all app subscriptions for newspapers, magazines, and journals in one convenient place on the iOS 5 home screen and makes it easy to shop for new reading material. Wired cites Conde Nast and The New York Times among publishers seeing large spikes in app subscriptions since Newsstand launched.

Vogue’s “Need It Now” column features the new Cards from Apple, which lets users create and mail beautifully crafted cards personalized with their own text and photos from their iPhone or iPod touch. Each card is just $2.99 when sent within the U.S. and $4.99 when sent to or from anywhere else — postage included. Vogue calls the Cards app “nothing short of genius” for reviving the almost forgotten pleasure of receiving a “real, honest-to-goodness paper greeting card in the mail” and concludes: “This is the kind of vintage innovation we would all do well to download.”

Reviewing iPhone 4S at TechCrunch, columnist MG Siegler finds much to like, including its faster speed, improved camera, iOS 5 with Notification Center, and Siri, which he calls “the true killer feature of the device.” He adds: “The iPhone 4 was a great product. The best smartphone ever made. Now it cedes that title to the iPhone 4S.”

The Benetton Group, headquartered in Venice, Italy, is internationally known for its lively fashions and memorable ad campaigns. Recently, they created a fast, color-accurate iPad catalog app that replaces bulky, production-intensive hardcopy catalogs. As a result, the company saves 60 days per year in preparing its sales materials for its staff and is able to adapt instantly to changes.

Wired reviewer Brian X. Chen writes that a superb new camera and speedy dual-core processor are great additions to iPhone 4S and that Siri alone is reason enough to buy the phone: “To give you an idea of how convenient Siri is, it takes about three seconds to create a reminder with a voice command, as opposed to the 10 seconds it takes me to manually type an event into a to-do list or calendar entry.” Chen concludes: “…both inside and out, this is a magnificent smartphone.”

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 fourth quarter ended September 24, 2011. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $28.27 billion and quarterly net profit of $6.62 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $20.34 billion and net quarterly profit of $4.31 billion, or $4.64 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.3 percent compared to 36.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 63 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

Apple today announced iPhone 4S, the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with new features like Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an 8MP camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. iPhone 4S also ships with iOS 5 — the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, with over 200 new features — and
iCloud.

Apple today announced that iCloud — a breakthrough set of free cloud services that includes iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, and Documents in the Cloud — will be available on October 12. iCloud stores your music, photos, apps, contacts, calendars, documents, and more, keeping them up to date across all your devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. When content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly.

Apple today announced great new features and more affordable pricing for both
iPod touch and
iPod nano. iPod touch, which includes iOS 5 and iCloud, will be available in new black and white models starting at just $199. The new iPod nano is available today starting at just $129 and features a redesigned user interface, 16 new digital clock faces, and improved built-in fitness features.