6/9 MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories

MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories         App Store Delivery Lets Apple Slash Lion Pricing June 8, 2011 at 9:40 PM   Apple's Mac App Store-only strategy for the release of OS X Lion has brought consternation to some, particularly those in rural areas without reliable high-speed Internet and folks in enterprise and educational IT departments. However, for a large group of Mac users -- those outside the US and Canada -- the Mac App Store is a boon for the wallet. Apple made significant price cuts to Lion compared to what the company charged for Snow Leopard. Because the price didn't change much in the US or Canada -- it rose 3% from $29 to $29.99 -- we can assume the main reason for the change in pricing is cost savings from digital delivery. To get pricing for Lion and Snow Leopard, we examined each country's Apple Online Store and Lion launch pages. Some countries we looked at, notably China, Hong Kong and South Korea, had no pricing announced for Lion so we skipped them. Pricing was compared within individual countries so any VAT or taxation should be identical.         iOS 5 Allows You to Tap Out Custom Vibration Patterns June 8, 2011 at 6:45 PM   Quite a few of the 200 new features in iOS 5 are focused on accessibility, to "make it easier for people with mobility, hearing, vision, and cognitive disabilities to get the most from their iOS devices." Apple has long been a front-runner with making their devices easy-to-use for their more challenged users. Buried in the Accessibility settings of iOS 5 is a custom vibration creator. Users can choose from several vibration patterns, illustrated above, or create your own by tapping on the screen at the desired tempo. Taps patterns are recorded and can be used for different alerts. Thanks Brent!         OnLive Announces iPad Support for Cloud Gaming with Optional Bluetooth Controller June 8, 2011 at 6:11 PM   At E3 this week, OnLive announced the coming of an iPad client App for the OnLive gaming service. OnLive is pleased to announce the OnLive Player App for iPad and Android. Like the recently announced consoles, the OnLive Player App will enable gameplay of virtually all OnLive games on an iPad and Android tablet with touch or OnLive's new Universal Wireless Controller. We previously covered OnLive demoing this as a "tech demo" but it seems they've progressed to a final product. OnLive has already delivered a viewer app so iPad users can watch live games. Today's announcement, however, extends that to actual gameplay from your iPad. OnLive delivers console-quality games to Macs, PCs, your TV (and now your iPad) by remotely streaming the game from their central servers. The customer's home computer need not be fast enough to render high resolution graphics -- instead it simply has to play back what amounts to a video stream of the game, while user controls are sent back to the central server. We spoke to TouchArcade's Eli Hodapp who had a chance to demo the new system which he said worked "amazingly well". The OnLive iPad client will offer a visual overlay so customers can control games using on-screen touch controls to replace the usual physical controller. They also are giving developers the opportunity to implement actual touch/swipe controls as seen in the video above. Finally, OnLive will be offering a physical game controller (photo above) that communicates directly to the iPad through wireless bluetooth. The physical controller is optional but significantly improves the gaming experience. Hodapp described the entire package as a "game changer". OnLive has not yet announced pricing for the optional controller, and had no comment about an iPhone version in the future. This app seems like it would be find perfect usage for iOS 5's new AirPlay mirroring that would allow you to display the game on your HDTV.         Apple Addresses Graphics Issues on Mid 2011 iMacs With Firmware Update June 8, 2011 at 5:06 PM   Apple today released iMac Graphic FW Update 2.0, a firmware update to addresses graphics issues on the company's latest iMac models. About iMac Graphic FW Update 2.0 This firmware update fixes an issue that in rare cases may cause an iMac to hang during startup or waking from sleep. Do not shut off the power on your iMac during this update. Loss of power could result in your iMac failing to start up. Apple has also posted a support document noting that the update addresses issues arising as a white screen during startup or vertical lines on the screen while in use. In certain circumstances, your iMac (Mid 2011) may become unresponsive on startup, with a white or gray background on the display. You may also notice vertical lines on the display while using your iMac. iMac Graphic FW Update 2.0 weighs in at 699 KB and requires Mac OS X 10.6.7.         iOS 5 Comparison Video: iPhone 3GS vs iPhone 4 June 8, 2011 at 4:38 PM   While it seems most iOS 5 features will work just fine on the iPhone 3GS, the proof is in the pudding. Here's a video from AppleRumors.it (translated), an aptly named Italian Apple blog. They do a side-by-side comparison between the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4 and it gives a good sense of the speed differences between the two. It seems 3GS owners (including myself) have nothing to fear from iOS5.         Apple Bans DUI Checkpoint Apps June 8, 2011 at 4:11 PM   Apple has added verbiage to the App Store Review Guidelines banning DUI checkpoint apps. Presumably, the changed guidelines are in response to letters from four Democratic U.S. senators sent to Apple earlier this year. The letters requested Apple remove apps that provide "a database of DUI [driving under the influence] checkpoints updated in real-time". The Senators considered the checkpoint apps "a matter of public concern." Section 22.8 of the updated App Store Review Guidelines reads: Apps which contain DUI checkpoints that are not published by law enforcement agencies, or encourage and enable drunk driving, will be rejected. Some law enforcement agencies publish where DUI checkpoints will be located ahead of time, and these notices have been exempted from the ban. As we noted when the senators sent their letter, many of the apps in question also offer information on speed traps, red light and speed cameras, accidents, and other traffic conditions, several of which have also been considered controversial. However, the new Guidelines only mention DUI checkpoints.         Apple Appears Set to Support FaceTime Over 3G in iOS 5, But Will Carriers Follow Suit? June 8, 2011 at 2:58 PM   9 to 5 Mac reports that one of its readers has passed along a screenshot of an iOS 5 dialog box suggesting that Apple is preparing to support FaceTime video calling over cellular networks with the new operating system set for release this fall. FaceTime Unavailable Turn on cellular data or use Wi-Fi to use FaceTime. FaceTime has officially been limited to Wi-Fi on iOS devices since its debut last year, although users have been able to work around that limitation using either jailbreaking solutions or MiFi connectivity. Official FaceTime support over cellular networks will almost certainly require individual carriers to also be on board in much the same way that carriers have needed to support Internet tethering and other features that have the potential to significantly increase demand on their networks.         Evernote Peek: The First iPad Smart Cover App June 8, 2011 at 2:42 PM   The folks behind Evernote, the notetaking and organizational app, have come up with an interesting new iPad app called Evernote Peek. The app offers a unique use of Apple's Smart Cover to help users study, learn, and improve their memory. Evernote Peek works by connecting to an existing Evernote account where your study materials are stored. When you're ready, close the Smart Cover, then fold the first panel back to reveal the question. When you think you have the answer, fold the second panel back and check. Peek will even keep track of which answers you get incorrect so you can go back later (it's on the honor system, so no cheating). Evernote Peek is a very clever use of the Smart Cover technology. It's free on the App Store.         Leaked Screenshots From Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5? June 8, 2011 at 2:22 PM   Twitter user @BWilks2001 today posted a series of screenshots (via AppleInsider) claimed to be from Apple's forthcoming Final Cut Pro X and associated Motion 5 release, potentially offering a further glimpse at what users can expect in the next-generation professional video production suite. The screenshots are primarily from Motion 5 and reveal such aspects as the Project Browser, rigging functions, and color adjustment functionalities. According to the poster, a revamped version of Color is also said to be on the way, although no screenshots were provided. The screenshots have since been pulled from TwitPic, with the poster claiming or at least assuming that Apple is responsible for the removal, although there appears to be no confirmation of that. The authenticity of the images has also not been verified. Apple demoed Final Cut Pro X back in April at the Final Cut Pro User Group Network SuperMeet held in conjunction with the National Association of Broadcasters' NAB Show 2011 in Las Vegas. At the time, the company announced that Final Cut Pro X would launch via the Mac App Store in June priced at $299, but did not provide any details on other Final Cut Studio apps such as Motion and Color.         Apple Tops List of Largest Semiconductor Buyers in 2010 June 8, 2011 at 11:47 AM   Top 10 OEM Semiconductor Buyers (Ranking by Revenue in Billions of U.S. Dollars) According to a new research report from IHS iSuppli, Apple became the world's largest semiconductor buyer among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in 2010, leaping past HP and Samsung to comfortably grab the top spot with $17.5 billion in spending. Apple's surge has seen it rise from third place in 2009 and sixth place in 2008. "Apple's surge to leadership in semiconductor spending in 2010 was driven by the overwhelming success of its wireless products, namely the iPhone and the iPad," said Wenlie Ye, Analyst for IHS. "These products consume enormous quantities of NAND flash memory, which is also found in the Apple iPod. Because of this, Apple in 2010 was the world's No. 1 purchaser of NAND flash." Apple's lead over second-place HP, which stood at $2.3 billion in 2010, is expected to balloon to over $7.5 billion in 2011 as Apple expands its purchases to over $22 billion while other vendors remain relatively stagnant. The report points out the marked differences between Apple's and HP's businesses, citing data showing that 61% of Apple's semiconductor spending in 2010 was on wireless products while 82% of HPs spending was on traditional computer products. That difference in focus, combined with the exploding smartphone and tablet market, has been driving Apple's run up the charts. Apple is also cited for its ability to create an "ecosystem" of its products, with the company's tie-ins across devices leading consumers to stick with Apple for each new computer and mobile device purchase. This contrasts with the traditional PC business that offers no such ecosystem, thus leading to considerably lower brand loyalty across the range of devices and more fragmentation in purchasing patterns.         2011 Apple Design Award Winners Announced June 8, 2011 at 11:12 AM   Apple last night held its annual Apple Design Awards ceremony at WWDC, recognizing twelve applications for excellence in design and innovation across four categories: Student, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. All eligible applications were required to be available via either the iOS or Mac App Store. This year's winners come from a range of genres, from games to news to books to music and beyond. In terms of price, the winners range from the free Pulse News Reader for iOS to the $49.99 Capo for OS X. Student - Grades 2 - Pennant - Pulse News Reader iPhone - Cut the Rope - Golfscape GPS Rangefinder - Infinity Blade iPad - Osmos for iPad - Our Choice - djay Mac - Capo - Pixelmator - Anomaly Warzone Earth As part of a focus on iOS at last year's conference, Apple did not include Mac applications in the Apple Design Awards competition. But with OS X Lion playing a prominent role in this year's event and the Mac App Store gaining momentum, Mac applications returned to the ballot this year.         Lodsys Patents Under Attack as Legal Challenge to Their Validity Commences June 8, 2011 at 10:58 AM   FOSS Patents reports that Lodsys, the company that has begun filing lawsuits against App Store developers for implementing in app purchases and upgrade links, now finds itself on the receiving end of legal action. According to the report, a Michigan firm has filed a request for declaratory judgment regarding the validity of the four patents Lodsys is using in its own lawsuits. While a declaratory judgment against Lodsys would not automatically invalidate the firm's patent claims, it would set the legal framework for further challenges and negotiations both in and out of court. Yesterday, the aforementioned Michigan company -- ForeSee Results, Inc. -- filed a proactive declaratory judgment action against all four Lodsys patents. In that complaint, ForeSee Results Inc. said that Lodsys had "threatened assertion" of one or more of its four patents against ForeSee's customers. Foresee names three examples of customers that received letters from Lodsys: - Adidas (I have published that assertion letter on Scribd so you can take a look at it; it includes a claim chart that looks similar as the ones that many app developers received, though it relates to a different patent) - Best Buy - WE Energies The report notes that the move is a preemptive strike by ForeSee Results, as its initial filing in Illinois could allow it to have any future lawsuits filed against the named companies transferred there instead of being adjudicated in the patent holder-friendly courts of the Eastern District of Texas where Lodsys has been filing its suits so far. And while the legal challenge to Lodsys' patents does not directly include the App Store developers targeted by the firm, a win for ForeSee Results could help bolster the developers' cases should a verdict come soon enough.         Apple Releases iTunes 10.3.1, Potentially Fixing iOS Device Syncing Bug [Updated] June 8, 2011 at 2:54 AM   Just a day after releasing iTunes 10.3 to support some early iCloud features such as automatic downloads and access to previously purchased content, Apple has already pushed out iTunes 10.3.1 via Software Update and the company's software downloads page. The documentation accompanying the release merely offers the same information as found with the original iTunes 10.3 release, providing no word on exactly what is addressed in what is presumably a minor bug fix update. A number of users in Apple's support forums and elsewhere have reported issues with syncing iOS devices under iTunes 10.3, with iTunes reporting an "unknown error (-50)" when attempting to sync. Consequently, it seems reasonable to speculate that the iTunes 10.3.1 update addresses this issue, although we have yet to receive confirmation from users. Update: In a new support document, Apple confirms that iTunes 10.3.1 addresses the "unknown error (-50)" syncing issue experienced by some users under iTunes 10.3.             This email was sent to venturescitechcapital@gmail.com. Delivered by Feed My Inbox PO Box 682532 Franklin, TN 37068 Account Login Unsubscribe Here