Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch
TUAW would like to help take away a bit of the sting of tax week by giving away something for free. That's why we've teamed with Tapbots to give ten lucky US readers licenses for WeightBot and ConvertBot.Although you'll probably be a lot lighter after the IRS empties your wallet, you may want to lose some weight. That's where WeightBot comes in handy. It's a great-looking and very functional weight tracking app for iPhone that has been featured on TUAW in the past.
Should you decide to skip the country in order to avoid paying taxes [which we do not recommend --Ed.], you might find ConvertBot's ability to convert units of measure and currency to be a big help! If you're not one of the giveaway winners, these apps are available for US$0.99 (ConvertBot) and US$1.99 (WeightBot) respectively.
Tapbots has won accolades for their innovative design of iPhone apps, and we'd like to help them come out with another really cool app. To enter the giveaway, write a comment with your idea for the next Tapbots app.
Here are the rules and a link to the obligatory legal statement:
- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
- To enter leave a comment with an idea for a new Tapbot iPhone app.
- The comment must be left before Monday, April 13, 05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
- You may enter only once.
- Ten winners will be selected in a random drawing.
- Prize: One license each for ConvertBot and WeightBot (US$3 value)
- Click Here for complete Official Rules.
TUAWTUAW giveaway: WeightBot and ConvertBot originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple will not offer its patents
Here a news which will make the ink run, and not to the benefit of Apple.
The World Wide Web Consortium which defines the standards of the Web has announced to its members that Apple (which is in fact a member) considered that the next standard of widgets in progress of development would violate one of its patents at the level of the automatic update. This claim will waste a lot of time in the making of this standard, those who taking part in it not wanting to see it attacked once it is set up. They will have to check with what comes from Apple, and to find a way around any problem.
Of course, this notification by Apple disappoints the other who see in this claim as a means of blocking them.
MLB At Bat 2009 struck out, but now back in the game with bug fixes
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Baseball fans were quite excited to learn that this years MLB.com At Bat 2009 iPhone app [App Store link], selling for $9.99US, would include game day audio. We reviewed the app in March and it received good notices but there was no audio to test at that time. Since baseball season began, the App Store reviews have been filled with comments from angry users saying there are frequent crashes and the audio keeps dropping out. Many wanted their money back. The good news is that yesterday the app was updated to version 1.01 and most reviews are now positive. The crashes have been pretty much fixed, and the audio streaming is working very well. There are some scattered complaints about the game day pages being a bit behind, but generally people are now very pleased.
In my tests of the first version, I had lots of crashes, and indeed, the audio streaming was spotty. The new version has been crash-less so far, and the audio has been smooth and starts up quickly. I've listened via WiFi and 3G with no issues -- although if you are trying to use the app from your local ballpark, as Steve points out, you'll be competing with thousands of other fans for scarce 3G bandwidth and you may not be able to use the audio features (or do other things involving the cell connection, like making and receiving calls).
The app itself is a bargain, since getting audio from any game all season long costs $14.99 via MLB on the web. For 5 bucks less you get it on your phone. If you can live without streaming audio you can get MLB.com At Bat 2009 Lite for free. Now, if my hometown team just wouldn't come in last again this year all would be well. I guess the iPhone can't fix that.
TUAWMLB At Bat 2009 struck out, but now back in the game with bug fixes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iFixit does the Dell Adamo
Being a bit unfaithful to the Apple portables, iFixit has dismounted the Dell Adamo portable.
The integration is very complete, and all is properly done. It is noted however that the mother board is perfectly rectangular where Apple does not hesitate to give convoluted forms, which allows an even more thorough integration, but increases the manufacturing costs. It remains to be seen whether Dell which built its empire on products at very low cost manages to produce a product that fits in the category where only Apple and Sony have had success.
Talkcast preview: special guest Mitch Wagner from InformationWeek
Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts
If you joined us last Sunday night, you heard an unvarnished rant in five-part harmony as Dave, Christina, Mike S., Mel and I all weighed in on the ongoing series of "Laptop Hunters" Microsoft TV ads (yes, there's a third one now: an adorable mother-and-son team of laptop shoppers who shockingly still find time to slag the Mac as a kiddie machine while they browse the aisles) along with MacHeist and the other news of the week. You can download the show from Talkshoe or subscribe in iTunes.
Tomorrow night -- Easter Sunday, 10 pm ET -- we'll be joined by a special guest: Mitch Wagner of InformationWeek, also known (in Second Life, anyway) as the metallic talkshow host Copper Robot. Bring your questions for Mitch about Apple news, virtual communities, social media & the public sector... we'll be covering the entire waterfront.
To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only interface, or you can stick with the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in so we can hear your dulcet tones. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VOIP lines (take advantange of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8. SIP or Gizmo users can connect directly to Talkshoe by following the instructions here. Talk with you then!
Recording support for the talkcast is provided by Call Recorder from ecamm networks.
TUAWTalkcast preview: special guest Mitch Wagner from InformationWeek originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Steve Jobs Also Overseeing Apple Tablet or Netbook Device?
One aspect of the Wall Street Journal article published today that we failed to mention in our previous coverage was that Apple is indeed working on a new type of device.
According to The Wall Street Journal's sources, Apple is workin...
Microsoft may clone iPod touch as Zune HD
Based entirely upon a leak of abstract new marketing graphics from Microsoft, bloggers have announced a new generation of music players that will apparently do most of what the iPod touch did when it arrived in 2007.
Microsoft adds to the Apple surtax
After the diatribe from Steve Ballmer about the Apple overcost and the advertising campaign aiming at showing that Mac is much more expensive, MS places more on the Windowsstreamblog.com site. They financed a study that concludes, of course, that the "Mac surtax" is very high.
The whole is even detailed in a PDF.
The example is disressing. A family that would equip itself with a PC running Windows could save $3367. Even though we will not detail certain points, there are many that are obviously made in bad faith, like including in the difference, an iLife update at $99 or to take a Linksys router instead of an airport base station (one can, of course, do this with Mac too). Other points are less contestable like the price difference of a Radeon HD 4870 and the high cost of Apple Care.
But all this is secondary. The most important thing is that Microsoft shows for the first time in its history a real fear concerning a competitor that, in spite of the remarks of Ballmer, becomes sufficiently strong to worry them.
Road Tested: LaCie iamaKey, the USB flash drive you'll actually use
Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, Peripherals, Road Tested
USB flash drives are a dime a dozen. They've gone from being a "wow" item a few years ago to a throwaway handout item. Many are cheap plastic devices that either come with a neck lanyard attached or with a small loop for attaching to a key ring. More often than not, they end up falling to pieces or getting lost.
iamaKey came with a tiny plastic cap that covered the connector. Of course, after about 15 minutes the cap disappeared. I was concerned about that until finding out that iamaKey uses a gold SIP connector that resists scratches and water. You don't need the cap at all.
So, does it still work after almost two months of riding around in a pocket with a bunch of other keys and change? Absolutely! It's been dropped multiple times, it's gotten soaked in the pocket of a pair of jeans I was wearing during a sudden downpour, and it's put up with winter cold while I've been out walking. iamaKey is rugged and fast, with up to 30 MB/s read rates and 10 MB/s write speeds.
iamaKey comes in 4 GB (US$19.99) and 8 GB (US$29.99) flavors. LaCie also sells the less rugged and larger itsaKey, which retails for US$3 less than iamaKey.
TUAWRoad Tested: LaCie iamaKey, the USB flash drive you'll actually use originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
TUAW giveaway: WeightBot and ConvertBot
Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch
TUAW would like to help take away a bit of the sting of tax week by giving away something for free. That's why we've teamed with Tapbots to give ten lucky US readers licenses for WeightBot and ConvertBot.Although you'll probably be a lot lighter after the IRS empties your wallet, you may want to lose some weight. That's where WeightBot comes in handy. It's a great-looking and very functional weight tracking app for iPhone that has been featured on TUAW in the past.
Should you decide to skip the country in order to avoid paying taxes [which we do not recommend --Ed.], you might find ConvertBot's ability to convert units of measure and currency to be a big help! If you're not one of the giveaway winners, these apps are available for US$0.99 (ConvertBot) and US$1.99 (WeightBot) respectively.
Tapbots has won accolades for their innovative design of iPhone apps, and we'd like to help them come out with another really cool app. To enter the giveaway, write a comment with your idea for the next Tapbots app.
Here are the rules and a link to the obligatory legal statement:
- Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
- To enter leave a comment with an idea for a new Tapbot iPhone app.
- The comment must be left before Monday, April 13, 05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
- You may enter only once.
- Ten winners will be selected in a random drawing.
- Prize: One license each for ConvertBot and WeightBot (US$3 value)
- Click Here for complete Official Rules.
TUAWTUAW giveaway: WeightBot and ConvertBot originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple will not offer its patents
Here a news which will make the ink run, and not to the benefit of Apple.
The World Wide Web Consortium which defines the standards of the Web has announced to its members that Apple (which is in fact a member) considered that the next standard of widgets in progress of development would violate one of its patents at the level of the automatic update. This claim will waste a lot of time in the making of this standard, those who taking part in it not wanting to see it attacked once it is set up. They will have to check with what comes from Apple, and to find a way around any problem.
Of course, this notification by Apple disappoints the other who see in this claim as a means of blocking them.
MLB At Bat 2009 struck out, but now back in the game with bug fixes
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Baseball fans were quite excited to learn that this years MLB.com At Bat 2009 iPhone app [App Store link], selling for $9.99US, would include game day audio. We reviewed the app in March and it received good notices but there was no audio to test at that time. Since baseball season began, the App Store reviews have been filled with comments from angry users saying there are frequent crashes and the audio keeps dropping out. Many wanted their money back. The good news is that yesterday the app was updated to version 1.01 and most reviews are now positive. The crashes have been pretty much fixed, and the audio streaming is working very well. There are some scattered complaints about the game day pages being a bit behind, but generally people are now very pleased.
In my tests of the first version, I had lots of crashes, and indeed, the audio streaming was spotty. The new version has been crash-less so far, and the audio has been smooth and starts up quickly. I've listened via WiFi and 3G with no issues -- although if you are trying to use the app from your local ballpark, as Steve points out, you'll be competing with thousands of other fans for scarce 3G bandwidth and you may not be able to use the audio features (or do other things involving the cell connection, like making and receiving calls).
The app itself is a bargain, since getting audio from any game all season long costs $14.99 via MLB on the web. For 5 bucks less you get it on your phone. If you can live without streaming audio you can get MLB.com At Bat 2009 Lite for free. Now, if my hometown team just wouldn't come in last again this year all would be well. I guess the iPhone can't fix that.
TUAWMLB At Bat 2009 struck out, but now back in the game with bug fixes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iFixit does the Dell Adamo
Being a bit unfaithful to the Apple portables, iFixit has dismounted the Dell Adamo portable.
The integration is very complete, and all is properly done. It is noted however that the mother board is perfectly rectangular where Apple does not hesitate to give convoluted forms, which allows an even more thorough integration, but increases the manufacturing costs. It remains to be seen whether Dell which built its empire on products at very low cost manages to produce a product that fits in the category where only Apple and Sony have had success.
Talkcast preview: special guest Mitch Wagner from InformationWeek
Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts
If you joined us last Sunday night, you heard an unvarnished rant in five-part harmony as Dave, Christina, Mike S., Mel and I all weighed in on the ongoing series of "Laptop Hunters" Microsoft TV ads (yes, there's a third one now: an adorable mother-and-son team of laptop shoppers who shockingly still find time to slag the Mac as a kiddie machine while they browse the aisles) along with MacHeist and the other news of the week. You can download the show from Talkshoe or subscribe in iTunes.
Tomorrow night -- Easter Sunday, 10 pm ET -- we'll be joined by a special guest: Mitch Wagner of InformationWeek, also known (in Second Life, anyway) as the metallic talkshow host Copper Robot. Bring your questions for Mitch about Apple news, virtual communities, social media & the public sector... we'll be covering the entire waterfront.
To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only interface, or you can stick with the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in so we can hear your dulcet tones. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VOIP lines (take advantange of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8. SIP or Gizmo users can connect directly to Talkshoe by following the instructions here. Talk with you then!
Recording support for the talkcast is provided by Call Recorder from ecamm networks.
TUAWTalkcast preview: special guest Mitch Wagner from InformationWeek originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Steve Jobs Also Overseeing Apple Tablet or Netbook Device?
One aspect of the Wall Street Journal article published today that we failed to mention in our previous coverage was that Apple is indeed working on a new type of device.
According to The Wall Street Journal's sources, Apple is workin...
Microsoft may clone iPod touch as Zune HD
Based entirely upon a leak of abstract new marketing graphics from Microsoft, bloggers have announced a new generation of music players that will apparently do most of what the iPod touch did when it arrived in 2007.
Microsoft adds to the Apple surtax
After the diatribe from Steve Ballmer about the Apple overcost and the advertising campaign aiming at showing that Mac is much more expensive, MS places more on the Windowsstreamblog.com site. They financed a study that concludes, of course, that the "Mac surtax" is very high.
The whole is even detailed in a PDF.
The example is disressing. A family that would equip itself with a PC running Windows could save $3367. Even though we will not detail certain points, there are many that are obviously made in bad faith, like including in the difference, an iLife update at $99 or to take a Linksys router instead of an airport base station (one can, of course, do this with Mac too). Other points are less contestable like the price difference of a Radeon HD 4870 and the high cost of Apple Care.
But all this is secondary. The most important thing is that Microsoft shows for the first time in its history a real fear concerning a competitor that, in spite of the remarks of Ballmer, becomes sufficiently strong to worry them.
Road Tested: LaCie iamaKey, the USB flash drive you'll actually use
Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, Peripherals, Road Tested
USB flash drives are a dime a dozen. They've gone from being a "wow" item a few years ago to a throwaway handout item. Many are cheap plastic devices that either come with a neck lanyard attached or with a small loop for attaching to a key ring. More often than not, they end up falling to pieces or getting lost.iamaKey came with a tiny plastic cap that covered the connector. Of course, after about 15 minutes the cap disappeared. I was concerned about that until finding out that iamaKey uses a gold SIP connector that resists scratches and water. You don't need the cap at all.
So, does it still work after almost two months of riding around in a pocket with a bunch of other keys and change? Absolutely! It's been dropped multiple times, it's gotten soaked in the pocket of a pair of jeans I was wearing during a sudden downpour, and it's put up with winter cold while I've been out walking. iamaKey is rugged and fast, with up to 30 MB/s read rates and 10 MB/s write speeds.
iamaKey comes in 4 GB (US$19.99) and 8 GB (US$29.99) flavors. LaCie also sells the less rugged and larger itsaKey, which retails for US$3 less than iamaKey.
TUAWRoad Tested: LaCie iamaKey, the USB flash drive you'll actually use originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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