Starbucks wiped from Apple’s site, but what does it mean?
Fresh off an extensive corporate decaffeination downsizing and a scaling back of its foray into music sales, it’s a fair question to ask: just how ironclad is Starbucks’ commitment to rolling out iTunes WiFi Music Store integration across its entire chain? We just happened to notice that the Starbucks page on Apple’s site is now stone-cold gone, redirecting to the standard iTunes 8 stuff. You might say “no big deal, Apple’s just playing down an agreement that’s now been in place for a full year,” but there’s some other weirdness, too — the company’s iTunes WiFi Music Store at Starbucks FAQ, for example, still references the dead link. The partnership was kinda ill-conceived to begin with; getting access to the store meant hooking up to AT&T WiFi, which you wouldn’t normally have configured unless you actually had an AT&T WiFi account. We haven’t heard any official word here that the deal is in danger, but really, would anyone be welling up if it fell apart?
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Wireless
Starbucks wiped from Apple’s site, but what does it mean? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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i. TV and Netflix buddy up for mobile queue management
Filed under: Video, iPhone, App Store
iPhone media guides may be a dime a dozen (or, in the specific case of What’s On TV, $0.99), but the free i.TV listings and lookup tool is starting to follow through on some of the promises for future feature development we heard when it was launched.
The new version, on the App Store now, includes third-party partnership integration with Netflix. You can manage your DVD rental queue and your instant-viewing list (if you have a supported target — Mac streaming is “still in the works” but as we know you can sneak your way in), search the Netflix catalog, or check for DVD availability from any TV schedule listing or movie details screen.
Other new features include the addition of Wikipedia links from most movie, show and actor listings; new TV channel listings, along with an option to only show new/unaired episodes; and location-based searching for movie theaters.
i.TV says that the Netflix integration is the first of several third-party ties for the app, with more announcements coming through the end of 2008 and into 2009. Can’t wait!
i. TV and Netflix buddy up for mobile queue management originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
i. TV and Netflix buddy up for mobile queue management originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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First Look: Memento
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
A couple months ago we reviewed SodaSnap, a free application for the iPhone that allows you to send postcards. SodaSnap didn’t allow you much flexibility, and was definitely not an iCard replacement. However, Memento for iPhone and iPod touch [iTunes link], which brings Mail.app-like stationery to everyone’s favorite mobile platform, is a better alternative.
Each “stationery theme” allows you to add one picture and some text to the message. When you open the application, you are presented with a screen that shows all the messages saved as drafts, plus the ones that you’ve already sent. To start a new message, tap the “+” in the top-right corner of the screen.
To add a picture, just tap in the gray area with the camera icon. A popup menu will ask if you want to take a new picture or browse for one in your photo library. Once you’ve selected the image, it will be placed in the gray area.
This application is solid and has some nice themes to choose from. There is still room for improvement, however. I would like to see more themes (the 14 provided themes are nice, but they get old after a while). I would also like to see the ability to add more text, as you currently can only add a small snippet to your message. This is one of those applications that is just cool, and it has a variety of uses. If you’re looking to surprise Grandma with pictures of her grandkids, then this is the application for you. You can download Memento for $2.99 (US) from the iTunes App Store.
Gallery: First Look: Memento
First Look: Memento originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
First Look: Memento originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone bug a potential threat?
Filed under: Bugs/Recalls, iPhone
There’s a lot of “could” and “might” in this story, folks, so keep that in mind. MacNN is reporting that a group of iPhone developers has identified a bug in the current iPhone firmware that could lead to an exploit of the Default.png file.
Default.png is what’s displayed when an application is launched in the iPhone. Typically it’s a static image, but some of Apple’s applications use a dynamic file, which could be fooled into granting access to third party code.
This sounds like conjecture to us, and MacNN’s sources are not known, so keep that in mind. Plus, iPhone firmware 2.2 is rumored to be released on the 21st. Perhaps it will lock this down.
iPhone bug a potential threat? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iPhone bug a potential threat? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ATT to charge $30/month for tethering, says MacBlogz
Ars Technica’s Justin Berka quotes MacBlogz, which claims a source at AT&T confirmed that tethering for the iPhone will closely resemble the phone-as-modem plans already available for BlackBerry.
The plan will cost at least $30 a month, and the cost will be rolled into a new plan for the iPhone. The source said that the plan will cap data transfer at 5GB, and AT&T will terminate the tethering connection if you go over the limit.
Also mentioned is the connection process: iTunes may be required to at least set up the initial tethering configuration, and may be required every time you connect.
Speeds will apparently start at 30kbps for areas serviced only by GPRS, and top out at 1000kbps for a really spectacular 3G connection. No release date was mentioned.
All this comes from deepest Rumorland, of course, so all due caution is advised. MacBlogz says the source has worked at AT&T for “some time now” and the rumor could be taken “relatively seriously.”
AT&T to charge $30/month for tethering, says MacBlogz originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
AT&T to charge $30/month for tethering, says MacBlogz originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Juxtaposer: Fun with photos on iPhone / iPod touch
Filed under: Humor, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Fans of Adobe Photoshop rejoice! Have you been waiting for a way to whip out your iPhone or iPod touch and be able to juxtapose Arnold Schwarzenegger’s head onto Pamela Anderson’s body? Your wait is over — Juxtaposer (click opens iTunes) is now available in the App Store.
This $2.99 app is a lot of fun, as well as one of the best-executed compositing tools for a mobile device that I’ve ever seen. Features include:
- Unlimited undo, so no mistake or accidental brushstroke is permanent.
- Hard or soft brushes to create sharp or blurred edges.
- Smooth blends between images with transparent brushes.
- Red mask mode lets you accurately isolate part of one image without being distracted by the second image in the background.
- Translucent mode makes it easy to align your images precisely.
- The stamp tool lets you add multiple copies of your cut-out to your composite.
- Work in portrait or landscape orientation; optionally have images auto-rotate.
Who would you like to make a photo-composite of? Earn the admiration of your fellow TUAW-ites and leave us a comment.
Juxtaposer: Fun with photos on iPhone / iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Juxtaposer: Fun with photos on iPhone / iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tatomic brings great puzzler gameplay to the App Store
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Tatomic came to my attention the other day, and I finally gave it a shot this afternoon — it’s terrific. They’ve done what all game companies should do (and what Apple really needs to support on the actual App Store) and provided a free version [iTunes] to test out, and I can’t really recommend it any more highly. It’s a falling block game basically, very much like Lumines (which I really enjoy on Xbox Live) — little spinning atom blocks drop in pairs, and you’ve got to match them up in certain numbers to clear them off the board. Pretty addictive gameplay, too — the fact that you’ve only got two blocks dropping makes it simple, unless things start to pile up, and then you’ve really got to start thinking what goes where.
Controls are also done pretty well, but take a little getting used to (you basically touch corners of the screen to move, drop or turn the little atoms you’re matching), but once you figure them out, you’ll start dropping blocks like a maniac. If you finish up the first ten levels and still want more, there’s a $4.99 version with three modes and thirty levels total. Excellent puzzler gameplay. I still would like to see a deeper game on the App Store, but for cheap puzzle thrills, Tatomic delivers.
Tatomic brings great puzzler gameplay to the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tatomic brings great puzzler gameplay to the App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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An observatory in your pocket: Star Walk for iPhone and iPod touch
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
I’ve always had a fascination with astronomy. Even when I’m not lugging my telescope out to do deep sky work, I’m using my eyes and binoculars to see what’s visible in the night sky. Now I can use my iPhone to help me figure out where some of the night objects are — even when it’s light outside.
VITO Technology has just released Star Walk (click opens iTunes), a US$4.99 astronomy app that shows you what’s in the sky above. It has an internal database of almost 9,000 objects including the planets, various stars and clusters, and more.
While not for serious amateur astronomers, this is a great tool for anyone who is interested in knowing more about the universe they live in. There’s a moon phase calculator, a time machine function to show you what the skies were like or will look like on any day. If you have an iPhone 3G, Star Walk uses GPS to automatically determine where you are on Earth to adjust the view. First-generation iPhone and iPod touch users can select their city from a list.
Star Walk should be a great app for teaching youngsters or yourself more about astronomy.
An observatory in your pocket: Star Walk for iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
An observatory in your pocket: Star Walk for iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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New iPhone Ad: Dilemmas
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While most of us were watching the general election results last night, some were watching the new iPhone ads. Apple released a new ad yesterday called Dilemmas (and it didn’t have anything to do with the election). Apple conquers the “age old dilemma” of where to grab a bite to eat — with an iPhone app of course.
In this ad, the UrbanSpoon [iTunes link] application is demoed. In the closing of the ad, the narrator says, “That’s the iPhone; solving dilemmas, one app at a time.” You can watch the new ad by visiting the iPhone ads page. You can also watch it via a direct video link.
Thanks for the tip, Toren!
New iPhone Ad: Dilemmas originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
New iPhone Ad: Dilemmas originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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SplashID for iPhone gets some update love
Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch
SplashData, Inc. has announced a major update to SplashID for iPhone and iPod touch. SplashID, which first shipped in July, is a secure information manager application that has been available on other handheld platforms for years.
Version 4.5 is up to 2 times faster for power users who have a number of records in their SplashID databases. Other enhancements include:
- Enhanced user interface with simplified navigation
- Improved search and look-up functions
- Landscape view
- Number pad login
- New browser window to make log-in to websites on the iPhone easier
- Updated Mac and PC desktop software
The update is free to users of the US$9.95 application (available in the App Store — click opens iTunes). For those who want to sync their iPhone SplashID database with their Macs or PCs, the newly refreshed desktop software is available for $19.95 from the SplashData Web site.
A full review of SplashID 4.5 is coming soon to a TUAW blog near you. In the meantime, what’s your favorite secure information manager for non-jailbroken iPhones? Leave a comment below.
SplashID for iPhone gets some update love originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
SplashID for iPhone gets some update love originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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