March 24, 2010
Even though Apple has many of the top book publishers signed up for its iBookstore, one of the largest — Random House — is still missing. While the company conceded the iPad and similar products were here to stay, executives are still being cautious.
But the absence of the book market leader would prove a blow to Apple. Markus Dohle, Random House chief executive, did not exclude the possibility of reaching a deal before the iPad goes on sale on April 3, but said he was treading carefully, as Apple’s pricing regime could erode established publishing practices.
Random House fears iPad price war [FT.com]
March 23, 2010
iTunes U has a new contributor to its educational content. Harvard University on Tuesday launched its own content channel on Apple’s service. (more…)
Apple has entered the consumer marketplace with several products, but one analyst expects the company to delve even deeper into the market with a connected-HDTV. (more…)
Mac software developer, Freshcode, on Tuesday officially launched its Mac App Store called Bodega. (more…)
Nintendo has quietly announced on its Japanese Web site plans to introduce a new portable game device capable of producing 3D graphics. Nintendo said it will reveal more news at E3, the annual gaming convention which returns to Los Angeles, Calif. in June, according to a report at The Wall Street Journal. (more…)
I had a feeling that if Valve stood up and walked into the Mac market without fear that others would follow, and I’m hoping this is a sign that I’m right: Apparently Gas Powered Games plan support for the Mac, going forward via Valve’s Steam distribution service. “We, as a developer, will include a Mac platform option in all of our proposals moving forward,” (Supreme Commander 2 developer) Chris Taylor reportedly said. “We’re in 100 percent support of it, absolutely.” There’s also some whispering that DICE may bring Battlefield: Bad Company 2 to the Mac, and surely if these things come to pass then others will follow. Keep your fingers crossed.
Interestingly, one can’t help but wonder if SC2 is positioned to be Starcraft 2’s only real competition in the same genre on the Mac this year.
Game developers eye the Mac after Steam’s jump to Apple [AppleInsider]
March 22, 2010
I remember Now Software from way back. The main products the company had at that time were Now Contact and Now Up To Date, two personal management tools for the Mac. Sadly in recent years, the company’s projects were too much for them. (more…)
Monday is a good day for those that want to use an iPhone 3GS on a wireless network other than AT&T. (more…)
Apple on Monday added the ability to gift apps on the App Store. This means that you no longer have to buy a generic gift certificate to get someone an application, you can buy them the application itself. This has ramifications beyond beneficence, however – developers routinely run out of comp redemption codes for their apps when dealing with reviewers. This will make it easier for devs, publishers and their marketing minions to make sure that apps end up where they’re supposed to, and that reviewers don’t end up using that gift card code to download something else entirely.
Apple adds Gift this App option to App Store [Macworld]
Amazon on Monday announced a new app designed specifically for Apple’s iPad and other tablet devices. It’s not a big surprise that they will have an app, but can they compete against Apple on the platform? (more…)
One of the most well-known names in the gaming industry is Sid Meier, who brought us the legendary Civilization series over the last few decades (as well as some other titles which few of us can remember the name of) said a few things at the recent Games Developers Conference about what makes a gamer tick. He’s a level-headed guy who seems to have a clear view on what gamers are all about, and says some interesting and controversial things such as “games should have moral clarity”, “players are egomaniacs” and “Game play is a psychological experience”. Interesting insight from a guy who actually knows something.
Game guru Sid Meier explains gamers [VentureBeat]
Amazon and Barnes & Noble already have e-book reading software available for the iPhone and iPod touch. While those apps will certainly run on the iPad as well, both companies have disclosed iPod-specific plans as well, according to the New York Times. Amazon and Barnes & Noble, which manufacture the Kindle and Nook e-book readers respectively, view the iPad as a way to sell more e-books – despite the potential competition for their own hardware.
Rush Is On to Be First in iPad Apps [New York Times]
Charlie Miller said he will reveal 30 security flaws he found with Apple’s Preview application at the CanSecWest security conference. Twenty of the flaws were found in the way Apple’s Preview app handles PDF documents. Unfortunately, because Safari uses the same code, he says a computer can be hacked using a malicious Web page too. Miller will demonstrate the flaws, but hasn’t decided whether or not to tell Apple.
He’s also considering keeping the details of his bugs secret and watching to see how long it takes the software vendors to patch them after his Vancouver talk. While that would leave users vulnerable to the secret vulnerabilities he’s found, Miller says it could also help reveal more about just what software companies are doing–or not doing–to patch their products’ flaws.
Researcher Will Expose 20 Hackable Apple Security Flaws [Forbes]
March 19, 2010
Apple on Friday notified developers that it has begun accepting apps designed for the iPad. Apple also confirmed for The Loop that the iPad App Store will launch on April 3. (more…)
The Mac beta for StarCraft 2 is reportedly going to drop in April, following the appearance of a Windows beta which became available a few weeks ago. Few burrs under the saddle chafe a Mac user more than Windows gamers having more fun than them, so this will please a lot of people. Don’t get the wrong impression, however; it still carries a “when it’s ready” qualifier, so no promises are being made, but April is definitely the target. Those who want to whine might do well to remember the Win and Mac versions of the original StarCraft were a whole year apart.
StarCraft II beta developer chat 1 transcript [Blizzplanet]
Now that it looks like the golden era of Halo is beginning to recede into the sunset, there’s some speculation – and evidence – that they may be planning a return to their roots … in the form of a new Marathon game. Apparently Bungie filed a new trademark application for “Marathon”; not exactly conclusive evidence, but it carries the whiff of possibilities. You youngins need to understand: When veteran Mac gamers aren’t busy sitting on their patio and yelling at neighborhood kids to get off their lawn, they’ll tell you a tale about the days when Mac first-person-shooters were actually better than the fare offered on Windows and, when they do, they’ll mention the Marathon series. Could this trademark application signify Bungie’s return as the golden child of Mac gaming?
Makers of Halo have a new project [Kokugamer]
John Cook, Valve’s director of Steam development, recently took some questions about the company’s new foray into Mac support. Among his comments is that Valve considers Steam for the Mac “to be the biggest event in Steam’s history.” Impressive for a service that, by some estimations, owns 70 percent or more of the PC game download market.
Interview: Steam on Mac OS X is ‘the biggest event in Steam’s history,’ John Cook says [Joystiq]
Every year or two we seem to see an internet trend spike really fast; Facebook a few years back, “microblogging” in the 2006/2007 era, and now it seems like Apple is stepping into the ring with the latest: location-based social networking. Made popular by websites like Foursquare and Gowalla, the trend has been overtaking smartphones including the iPhone, and appears to be creating an effective link between the virtual world of social networks and the real world where people do things like eat lunch together or shop (or so I hear). Apple is now grabbing up some patents which suggest that they could combine MobileMe with GPS-style features and even a walkie-talkie type of communication option which lets you connect to your friends’ iPhones if they’re nearby. It brings to mind a story not long about how Apple was grabbing up some mapping technology which made people speculate about their potentially taking on Google Maps. Perhaps they were gearing up for this instead?
Apple’s working on a new social location app called iGroups [TheNextWeb.com]
Among the most popular games for iPhone, racing games are consistently at or near the top of the list. I’m not personally a car guy (if you saw my car, you’d probably understand why), but there are some great examples of hardcore and casual racing games to be found. What’s nice is that not everything you find out there uses the tried-and-true tilt-your-phone steering system, though there are some great entries which are. Makes me want to roll down the window and enjoy the spring air while burning up the track.
APPlicable: High Octane Edition [UGO]
March 18, 2010
It seems that some iPhone app review sites are demanding money from developers in order to write a review of their app. One site, ThePhoneAppReview.com, is offering developers the chance to “expedite” reviews for a $25 charge, but developers have said the site threatened to shun their product altogether. AppCraver.com said developers could expedite a review on the site for $150, although they said developers could not purchase a “good score.” No matter how you look at it, this is a bad practice.
Requiring payment for product reviews is not illegal, but the Federal Trade Commission has frowned on the practice. The commission believes a paid review can easily be the same as a paid advertisement, and consumers as a result may be misled into purchasing a product based on a falsely positive evaluation that was bought.
Pay to Play: Some iPhone App Sites Demand Money for Reviews [Wired]
If you ever wondered what Web sites Apple CEO Steve Jobs reads on a regular basis, the answer is here. According to a source, Jobs like to read Engadget, Gizmodo, the New York Times tech section, and the Wall Street Journal. I’m sure The Loop and my articles on CNET were bookmarked too, right Steve?
REVEALED: Here Are The Tech Sites Steve Jobs Reads On His iPad [Silicon Alley Insider]
Apple on Thursday updated its professional audio application, Logic Pro. (more…)
Jim Cramer’s TheStreet.com financial Web site is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission because of “accounting woes.”
Last summer, TheStreet.com announced there were “issues” related to how it had been recording revenue at Promotions.com, the marketing company it acquired in 2007. An internal probe ensued and resulted in several quarters of delayed earnings results for the parent company, frustrating investors.But just as things appeared to be getting back to normal, earlier this month the SEC asked to have a second look at the findings of TheStreet.com’s internal probe, said a person close to the company.
SEC probes TheStreet.com’s finances [New York Post]
After being admitted to hospital on Tuesday night with a massive cerebral hemorrhage, Apple director, Jerome York, passed away on Thursday. (more…)
Valve’s recent announcement that it’s bringing Steam to the Mac promises to fundamentally change the landscape of Mac gaming, which has been bleak for longer than many of us care to admit. Here’s a look at what this means for the platform. (more…)
Apple updated its Web site this week with plans for youth programs the company will put on for kids. (more…)
I have a lot of respect for Rupert Murdoch. He’s a tough business man, a ruthless negotiator, and knows what he wants. I can’t imagine going up against him and luckily, I don’t have to. In a recent interview, Murdoch discusses Google and how the iPad is changing modern media delivery. It’s interesting to hear his side of things.
Rupert loves iPad, hates Google..thinks larger iPads are coming? [9 to 5 Mac]
March 17, 2010
I’m not a big fan of the Kindle, but some people do like it. Amazon already has an app for the iPhone, but now the company released an app for Mac OS X too. The app requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.
The app allows you to download Kindle books you already own, and read them at leisure on your Mac; synchronization of your progress through the book is automatic, and will keep track with your Kindle or iPhone reading.
Amazon stealthily releases Kindle app for Mac [TUAW.com]
9 to 5 Mac has some more information, as well as the press release from the company.
Amazon releases Kindle Application for Mac [9 to 5 Mac]
Jerome York, 71, has been hospitalized in Michigan, after collapsing at his home on Tuesday night. According to his wife, he suffered a a massive cerebral hemorrhage. York has been a director at Apple since 1997.
Jerome York, Apple Director, in Critical Condition [Bloomberg]
Apple on Wednesday added a few new features to its iWork.com Web site, including the ability to share documents on social networking Web sites. (more…)
