Mac|Life - All Articles

Download 1Password for iOS, Mac for 50% Off for a Limited Time

Leif Johnson — Wed, 29 May 2013 23:01:01 +0000

For better or for worse, passwords might be here to stay (regardless of what Bill Gates said in 2004), but that doesn't mean you have to put up with their associated annoyances and the need to remember dozens of different passwords for the sites you frequent. That's where AgileBits' 1Password comes in, and for a limited time, you can acquire it for both iOS and Mac for 50 percent off the regular price.

1Password's usually kind of pricey, as its standard retail price on the Apple Store is $17.99 for iOS and $49.99 for the Mac. With the temporary sale pricing, though, you can download it for $8.99 and $24.99 respectively.

If you're at all concerned about password security and simply being able to remember all those passwords, 1Password is well worth it, and we've previously featured it as one of the Five Apps Every Mac Owner Should Use. It encrypts your standard logins, your bank account access codes, and credit card information with 256-bit AES encryption, and comes with a built-in browser and numerous organizational features. It's thus best to buy it for the device you plan to use the most, but you tend to use iPhones and iPads while keeping a Windows PC on hand for your desktop work, you can pick up a Windows version that syncs with your other devices for $24.99. (Sorry, Windows users--no discounts for you today.)

Of course, the big question is whether this sudden sale has anything to do with the persistent rumors that the new iPhone will utilize fingerprint technology for usernames and passwords, thus rendering apps like 1Password somewhat obsolete, at least for mobile devices. Maybe Gates was right after all--just a little too soon.

AgileBits has not specified when the promotion will end, so be sure to download 1Password sooner than later if you're interested.

Law & Apple: Apple Defiantly Stands Alone

Adrian Hoppel — Wed, 29 May 2013 20:59:26 +0000

The Justice Department's lawsuit against Apple and a gang of e-book publishers has been brewing for over a year. Now, just a few days before the trial is set to begin, Apple finds itself as the lone defendant in the case, as every other company involved has settled out of court. Is Cupertino willing to settle as well, just to make the whole thing go away? Not a chance, says Tim Cook.

DOJ vs. Apple

Last week, when Penguin Group USA agreed to pay $75 million to settle accusations of e-book price fixing, Apple was left alone to face the Department of Justice in a hearing scheduled for June 3. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, that's just fine.

During an interview at the D11: All Things Digital Conference Cook was adamant that Apple did nothing wrong, and although the government offered settlement terms, Apple flatly rejected them.

"We're not going to sign something that says we did something that we didn't do, " Cook said, and then added, "so we're going to fight."

We shall never surrender.

The DOJ launched the lawsuit against Apple and five book publishers -- Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster -- in April of 2012, claiming the six companies conspired to illegally fix e-book prices. After getting all five publishers to settle out of court, the Justice Department began labeling Apple as the "ringmaster", and Amazon must just be thrilled with the whole thing.

Apple has consistently maintained that not only was there nothing wrong with the arrangement they made with the publishers, but the so-called Agency Model actually helped the e-book industry and lowered consumer prices. In fact, Cupertino maintained, it was the previous pricing model driven by Amazon that was crushing the industry.

"The DOJ’s accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true," Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr stated when the lawsuit was launched. "The launch of the iBookstore in 2010 fostered innovation and competition, breaking Amazon’s monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. Since then customers have benefited from eBooks that are more interactive and engaging. Just as we’ve allowed developers to set prices on the App Store, publishers set prices on the iBookstore."

Now the trial is just a few days away and Tim Cook, who will have to testify, is not backing down. Despite facing a judge who may have already decided Apple lost before the trial even began. This is an amazingly important trial that could have lasting effects on the entire e-book industry. Stay tuned.

Follow the writer, Adrian Hoppel, on Facebook.

Bam Fu Review

Richard Moss — Wed, 29 May 2013 20:11:27 +0000

You’ll be nursing more than a bruised ego if your friends come out ahead in Bam Fu, an entertaining same-screen multiplayer game from the makers of Fingle that quickly turns into a full-contact sport. However, redemption won’t be so sweet when the novelty wears off. A free-for-all battle to turn virtual pebbles your way with kung-fu-like speed and precision, Bam Fu is best played on a full-sized iPad laid flat between a few friends, although you could get a decent two-player experience on an iPhone.

Tapping on pebbles cycles through two to four colors – depending on the number of players – each of which points toward its same-hued champion’s corner. If the majority of the board is your color, you win the round. Win five rounds to claim bragging rights. You’ll want to disable multitasking gestures to avoid any app-switching mishaps as several or more fingers battle for supremacy.

It may take a few practice rounds for everyone to pick up the rules, but after that you could be in for a wild ride. Improvised strategies dominate play, with all kinds of subterfuge, tomfoolery, pattern reading, temporary alliances, and mock violence seeping into every game. The best fun comes when four friends battle it out under the presumption that manhandling is expected (provided all nails are trimmed, for safety reasons), in what becomes a chaotic struggle to hold the others off while simultaneously turning pebbles to your corner.

Highly-polished, tongue-in-cheek presentation and a variety of different layout patterns make Bam Fu feel fresh, but neither of these stand as enough to hold everybody’s interest over prolonged or repeated sessions – especially when rounds reach a stalemate where two players just won’t let up.

The bottom line. Bam Fu’s hectic same-device multiplayer is finger-bashing fun, but the shallow gameplay ultimately taps itself out of contention for anything other than a short bout.

Review Synopsis

Product:

Bam Fu 1.0.1

Company:

Game Oven Studios

Contact:

http://www.gameovenstudios.com

Price:

$0.99

Requirements:

iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone running iOS 5.1 or later

Positives:

Chaotic fun that stretches beyond the screen. Easy to learn. Slick presentation.

Negatives:

Gets old too fast. No timers means that close battles tend to drag on.

Score:

3 Solid

Realmac's Analog Camera Hits App Store, Only 99 Cents for Limited Time

J.R. Bookwalter — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:48:55 +0000

Just how fast can you snap a picture, process it and share it with friends? The makers of Clear have decided to find out by creating Analog Camera, its latest effort for the iPhone.

As teased earlier this month, Realmac Software released Analog Camera for iPhone on Wednesday, available on the App Store with introductory pricing of only 99 cents for a limited time.

Following in the tradition of Realmac's sleek to-do app Clear, Analog Camera includes three camera modes for getting the perfect shot, with manual focus and exposure modes for complete control over images.

The minimalist user interface offers eight ready-made filters so iPhone shutterbugs can snap, process and share via email, Twitter or Facebook with as few taps as humanly possible. Photos can also be saved to the Camera Roll and sent to Instagram and other apps as well.

Analog Camera is available now from the App Store for only 99 cents for a limited time and requires an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 6.0 or later.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

Streets 2.0 Adds Street View Coverage Layer, Google Vector Maps

J.R. Bookwalter — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:34:24 +0000

Longing for the grand old days of iOS 5 when Google's Street View was baked right into the Maps app? You may not be able to go back in time, but for only 99 cents you can get Street View back with Streets 2.0.

FutureTap announced the release of Streets 2.0 on Wednesday, a rebranding of the company's Street View which introduces a trio of big changes. The first big change in Streets 2.0 is the introduction of a blue overlay to indicate street view coverage. No more guesswork! Blue and orange dots will also indicate user-contributed panoramas or businesses with indoor panoramas, respectively.

Streets 2.0 now uses Google's vector maps and high-resolution satellite imagery in place of the stock iOS Maps, while offering even greater resolution and a wider zoom range for panoramas than the official Google Maps app.

Last but not least, panoramas can be shared with friends via email, iMessage, Facebook or Twitter, or even saved to the Camera Roll for future use, complete with geolocation data.

Streets 2.0 is now available from the App Store; the universal app features an introductory price of only 99 cents through the end of July, after which time it will return to the normal price of $1.99.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

D11: Apple CEO Tim Cook on Television, iOS 7 and Wearable Tech

J.R. Bookwalter — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:08:39 +0000

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was a frequent guest of AllThingsD's annual tech conference, and CEO Tim Cook will apparently follow in his footsteps, making his second appearance in as many years on Tuesday night.

AllThingsD has published a liveblog of their interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, where the executive sat in the hot seat with interviewers Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher for nearly 90 minutes last night.

After denying that Apple is in any sort of trouble, Cook admitted that Apple's crazy stock price ride "has been frustrating," but not entirely unprecedented, pointing to a period in late 2007 where the stock price was $200, dropping to $75 only two years later.

While Cook mostly dodged questions about Apple's television ambitions, he did reveal the Apple TV has sold 13 million units to date, with roughly half of those in the last year alone.

"I don’t want to go any further on this because I don’t want to give anybody any ideas," Cook said on the subject of television. "There is a very grand vision."

The CEO then moved on to temper expectations about Google Glass, claiming the device isn't likely to achieve mass-market status. However, wearable technology in general appears to definitely be on Apple's radar, which Cook calls "ripe for exploration."

Cook does confirm rumors that designer Jonathan Ive has a key hand in iOS 7, which promises to better blend hardware, software and services. “I think it has been an incredibly great change," Cook adds, while dodging the exit of former iOS chief Scott Forstall.

While Cook doesn't outright dismiss a larger, "phablet" sized iPhone, it's clear that such a product is not planned for the near future, nor are Apple apps for Android, although the CEO claims the company is not against the idea.

The conversation closed with the topic of Apple acquisitions, with Cook estimating about six per year, although Cupertino has already done nine in the current fiscal year. "We’re always looking," Cook elaborated, at the same time dismissing the idea of owning a social network. "If anything, we will do more of that in the future."

AllThingsD has now posted the full interview with Tim Cook, so be sure to check it out!

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Image courtesy Asa Mathat and AllThingsD)

Overnight Recap: Google+ for iOS 4.4, SF Apple Store Plans, Adobe + Ideacodes

J.R. Bookwalter — Wed, 29 May 2013 12:38:28 +0000

The big event on Tuesday was Apple CEO Tim Cook's return to the AllThingsD conference, which we'll get to in a moment, but we managed to assemble a handful of other tidbits for you as well. We've got an acquisition, a merger, a couple of software updates and even some gripes about Apple's plans to relocate its flagship San Francisco retail store… so dig in and enjoy!

Google+ for iOS 4.4 Removes Hangouts, Adds Photo Enhancements

Following the debut of the separate Hangouts app, we were wondering how Google was going to handle having the service available in two places at once, but Tuesday's release of Google+ for iOS 4.4 pretty much answered the question. Hangouts has been yanked from the Google+ app, and selecting the feature now opens the dedicated app (or encourages you to install it, if you haven't already). The update also improves Google+ Photos, with options to Auto Enhance as images are added to your account. Finally, Google+ for iOS now supports hashtags, which should make it easier than ever to find whatever you're looking for. The app is available now from the App Store.

Design Critic Gives Thumbs Down to Apple's San Francisco Plans

The mayor of San Francisco may be excited about Apple's plans to relocate its flagship store to Union Square, but the design is already receiving a big thumbs down from The San Francisco Chronicle's urban design critic, John King. According to MacRumors, architect Foster + Partners -- also responsible for Apple's upcoming Campus 2 project -- have failed to come up with anything distinctive: "What's baffling is that a company renowned for design innovation has hired one of the world's most acclaimed architecture firms, only to unload a box that would look at home in Anymall, U.S.A.," King writes. "Worse, it's a box that would displace one of downtown's friendliest works of public art, a bronze fountain by Ruth Asawa that -- unlike the proposed polished Apple -- could exist nowhere else but here."

Adobe Acquires Design Consultant Ideacodes

Adobe has been on an acquisition spree lately, and on Tuesday the software publisher announced its latest pickup, Ideacodes. Based in San Francisco, Ideacodes is billed as "a leading creative consultancy" specializing in "the design and user experience of smart applications, digital products and networked communities." The nine-year-old company arrives at Adobe at a perfect time: Its latest Creative Cloud offering debuts on June 17, so its influence is sure to be felt in future upgrades. The acquisition follows mobile developers Thumb Labs last week and creative social network Behance last December.

Opera Debuts Latest Version of Desktop Browser, Email Client

The Opera Desktop Team announced the availability of Opera Next 15 for Mac and Windows this week, a move that separates the company's internal email client M2 into its own product, Opera Mail. Opera Next will be updated every couple of weeks in an effort to refine the web browser, which includes a new Discover feature that delivers curated news and entertainment from all over the world or right in your backyard. The team also encourages those who have been using the M2 email client to download Opera Mail and submit feedback so they can continue to make it a better product.

Connected Data Announces Merger with Drobo

Connected Data announced Tuesday (PDF link) that the company plans to merge with Drobo following a 30-day due diligence process. The company is best known for its Transporter product, a private cloud storage device starting at $199 with no monthly fees. Founder and CEO Geoff Barrall was the original founder and former CEO of Drobo, so the move makes a lot of sense, especially considering the recent release of the Drobo 5N has been making inroads into the cloud and connected services.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

Rumor: Apple May Work with Samsung for Thin Glass Production, After All

Leif Johnson — Wed, 29 May 2013 01:12:14 +0000

Well, that didn't last long. Just a few weeks after Apple reiterated that it wouldn't be working with chief competitor Samsung for thin glass for use in iPhones and iPads, South Korea's ET News passed along the rumor that Apple's currently working with the South Korean tech giant once again. And so far, this doesn't look like a temporary make-up. In the words of ET News, at least, the relationship's now so strong that it's almost single-handedly responsible for turning around a recent downturn in the Korean thin glass market.

Strange bedfellows, indeed. In the early days of smartphone development, Apple and Samsung worked closely together to produce glass for the new iPhones and iPads. These days, though, Apple and Samsung are practically mortal rivals--together, they're responsible for the lion's share of smartphones on the market--and even now, as reported by Bloomberg, they're locked in a bitter clash over patents. Fearful that too many design ideas have been making their way over to Samsung as a result of the collaboration, Apple's slowly been attempting to cut itself free of its former supplier. It also goes both ways. As Wired reported in October, Samsung themselves chose to stop supplying LCD displays to Apple because of Apple's "stiffer supply-chain management structure."

Unfortunately, as Apple Insider points out, Samsung simply has too many thin glass vendors available to it for Apple to ignore it, which may be the root of this rumored new collaboration. What's more, it also appears that they're one of the few suppliers who can keep up with Apple's production demands. When Apple recently tried to ditch Samsung for Taiwan's AU Optronics, for instance, they discovered that AU couldn't keep up with Apple's schedule.

Not only do we not yet know if there's any truth to the rumor; we also don't know if it's just a quick-fix so Apple can meet the deadlines for its iPad and iPhone releases scheduled for this year. If it is, it's good news for South Korea's thin glass industry, at least: according to ET News, sales of thin glass are up 134 percent from 2011, when "the thin glass process was introduced in full force."

Follow this article's writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.

Deceptively Simple XiStera Might Be the Most Versatile iPhone Accessory Ever

Michael Simon — Wed, 29 May 2013 00:34:01 +0000

After six years of cases, keyboards and camera lenses, I figured I had seen every iPhone accessory there is. Over the years, I've tried more stands, cable organizers and styluses than I care to remember, but I've pretty much abandoned them all.

It's not that they didn't perform as advertised, they just never seemed to be around when I actually needed them. I tend to travel light — my favorite "case" for the iPhone is AppleCare+ — so I've never really cared enough about any iPhone accessory to let it take up precious pocket space, no matter how well designed.

But XiStera might be the first. It's been called the Swiss Army knife of iPhone accessories, and I backed its Kickstarter before I was even done watching its 30-second demo video. XiStera isn't just another iPhone accessory — it promises to be another eight iPhone accessories.

But XiStera didn't start that way. In fact, you might see a strong likeness between it and the Glif, an earlier Kickstarter funded iPhone tripod stand and mount from Studio Neat, but its resemblance is only skin deep, said designer Alex Werbickas. In fact, he used it as something of a inspiration.

"Some say XiStera is similar to Glif. Others have said the XiStera is like a Glif on steroids. We love the Glif and have used and enjoyed its benefits," Werbickas said. "Glif was the first Apple product on Kickstarter to set a record in the design category, while the olloclip started a new era in iPhoneography. We thought both features could combine in a more rigid platform to allow people to use the magnetic lenses they already had. So we began brainstorming."

Nothing about XiStera seems forced or out of place. Much like a Leatherman multitool, its basic features — lens adapter, stand, tripod mount, headphone wrap, stylus, keychain and bottle opener — are separate and distinct, but the deft simplicity allows each part complement the whole.

"Lots of design iterations ultimately amounted to more and more features," Werbickas said. "However, these features were not just thrown on as an afterthought; understanding the user/demographic played a very key role in developing our concepts. ... By taking a minimalistic approach, this challenged the design to be very precise. The main form follows the contour of the iPhone and each feature/function was carefully thought out."

Even in its most stripped-down form, XiStera seems enormously useful. Made of a molded stainless steel component and wrapped in TPV santoprene to avoid leaving any unsightly scratches, it can hold your iPhone at a proper landscape or portrait viewing angle like the Glif, but it also keeps your earbuds untangled and doubles as a stylus. Its shape is longer and more curved than the Glif, allowing for an array of attachments, from an LED light and camera lenses to an auto mount and bike clamp.

But the form factor doesn't just look tidy and functional, it's also its namesake. As Werbickas explained to me, the name XiStera (pronounced "siss-tera") is inspired by the equipment used in jai alai. "The form of the design came first and then reminded us of the paddle used in the fastest sport in the world." (If you've never seen one, a quick Google search will shed some light on the obvious similarities.)

But XiStera's most unique characteristics have to be its stylus and bottle opener, both of which "grew throughout the design phase, but were not part of the original design." If XiStera took a page from Glif, it's features like these that give it its originality; a recent stretch goal of multicolored tips for the stylus seem to drive that point home.

Even though XiStera seems to be about as complete an iPhone accessory as it can be, Werbickas and his team still left some features on the cutting-room floor.

"Improvements can always be made. ... Certainly there were designs that we did not use. Even though we still have some solid concepts that did not make it to the final design phase for XiStera, we do hope to pursue some of these concepts in the future."

But for now, we'll just have to suffer without a corkscrew or nail file.

Find Michael Simon on Twitter or App.net @morlium.

Tablet Sales Projected to Outpace Laptop Sales in 2013, Desktops in 2015

Leif Johnson — Wed, 29 May 2013 00:07:00 +0000

Remember the days when pundits were clamoring on about how the iPad was just a fad and that it'd never have an edge over laptops and desktops? According to a report released this morning by research firm IDC, those days are over. By the end of the year, the study asserts, tablets will outpace laptops in sales volume, and--get this--by 2015, they'll even outpace desktops.

The growth rate is rather phenomenal. According to IDC, tablets are on track to increase in year-over-year sales volume by 58.7 percent in 2013. That's a total of 229.3 million units this year, up from 144.5 million in 2012. The numbers stand in stark contrast to the numbers for PCs, which are falling and expected to continue decreasing throughout the year.

Image Source: IDC

Many factors are increasing to the tablet's usurping of the personal computing throne, according to IDC. For one, prices are falling rapidly, and the average retail price from a tablet (Apple or otherwise) sits at just over $380. (Compare that to the $635 average retail price for a PC.) You might recall that just last Friday we reported on some of the outstanding new prices for refurbished iPads. Such agreeable pricing for older models will likely have the same impact on the wider acceptance of tablets much as similar events had on the spread of smartphones.

Smaller tablets, too, account for the shift. As recently as 2011, only 27 percent of the market consisted of tablets under 8 inches; by 2017, IDC projects, 57.7 of all tablets will be under 8 inches.

Taken to extremes, the numbers seem to herald a future where desktops will be little more than a memory and almost all of our personal computing will take place on tablets. By IDC is quick to assert that it's not quite like that. "IDC continues to believe that PCs will have an important role in this new era of computing, especially among business users," said IDC's Ryan Reith. "But for many consumers, a tablet is a simple and elegant solution for core use cases that were previously addressed by the PC."

Follow this article's writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.