Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Wednesday, February 8, 2012


	Print this page is sponsored by


	www.MyMacStore.com For all your iPod, iPhone and Mac Gear

Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/08 at 02:09 PM
•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Why A 15-inch MacBook Air Looks Like A Lock
15 Years Ago Motorola Unveiled the PowerPC G3
Don't Kill Caps Lock, Learning to Love the iOS Keyboard, and an Adaptive iPad Keyboard
European PC Sales Meltdown In Q4 '11; Worst U.K. Decline in Five Quarters; Only Apple Achieves Growth
Apple Only PC Brand Making Progress In Europe (And That's Not Counting iPad)
MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3
MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6
iMac EFI Update 1.8
Intel Claims Improved Speed and Reliability For New 520 Series Solid-State Drive
Carbon Copy Cloner Easy-to-use Backup/Cloning Utility Updated To 3.4.4
Canon U.S.A. Introduces Three PIXMA Office All-in-One Printers at Affordable Prices

___

Why A 15-inch MacBook Air Looks Like A Lock

CNET's Dan Ackerman reports that in a recent CNET reader poll of "most-anticipated 2012 laptops" at January's CES, the as-yet only a rumor 15-inch version of Apple's MacBook Air was the overwhelming popular choice, attracting a whopping 40 percent of the total vote, thereby more than doubling its nearest rival in, the glass HP Spectre which attracted a distant 17 percent)

Clearly there is strong demand for a 15-inch MacBook Air, Apple will certainly be aware of this, so is a 15" version of the Air inevitable?

For the full commentary visit here:
http://cnet.co/y2bcuv

15 Years Ago Motorola Unveiled the PowerPC G3

In the latest Low End Mac Roundtable, LEM staffers recollect that on February 6, 1997, Motorola unveiled a CPU codenamed "Arthur," but destined to be known as the G3 when Apple began using the CPU in November 1997.

Unlike earlier PowerPC CPUs, the G3 was optimized for the real world, especially the Mac OS and Mac software. Because of these efficiencies, the G3 provided almost twice as much processing power as a PowerPC 604e - the chip then used in top-end Power Macs - at the same clock speed. The end results were killing off the market for most 604e-based pro Macs and laying the foundation for the later G4 and G5 CPUs.

The original G3 (a.k.a. PowerPC 750) had been designed to replace the 603e CPU used in consumer and notebook Macs. Compared with the 603e, it had a faster system bus, larger onboard caches, added a second integer unit (which the 604e already had), improved floating point processing, and added branch prediction (also in the 604e). All of these contributed to its improved performance, and a side benefit was that the new CPU was also more powerful than the pro-oriented 604e.

LEM's Dan Bashur notes that 15 years have passed since the advent of the G3, and more than 14 years since the first Macs implemented the PPC 750, yet it can be argued that they are still relevant today, with 12-year-old Pismos are still in service running 400 and 500 MHz G3 processors. "Just ask Charles Moore, myself, Austin Leeds, or other LEM staffers and fans. The G3 was very stable and reliable, and in most cases was not soldered, providing access to G4 upgrades (such as the 500 and 550 MHz G4s still offered for the Pismo), further extending the life of the product."

Bashur further observes that many Mac veterans consider the G3 and G4 era to represent the "Golden Age" of Macs, and that given their age, incredible numbers of these Macs are still in service today and can still be quite useful running Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.

Charles Moore recounts that moving up from a 100 MHz 603e to a 233 MHz G3 13 years ago was like crossing into another dimension, with the G3's most impressive attribute being its speed. You could actually multitask with it at reasonable levels of efficiency, and this was in the days before Mac OS X brought real preemptive multitasking to the Mac.

Simon Royal notes that having owned over 30 Macs and being a big low-end Mac user, the G3 range has given him some of his most beloved and reliable Macs, and while outdated, the ultra reliable PowerBook G3 range still make awesome superstrong portable writing machines, and an iMac G3 still looks awesome in any house.

LEM's Dan Knight summarizes that best of all, a lot of those old G3s can still be useful with enough memory and OS X 10.4 Tiger installed, and you've got some nice iMacs and iBooks to pick from, not to mention the beloved Pismo.

For the full discussion, visit:
http://bit.ly/ytcvzC

Don't Kill Caps Lock, Learning to Love the iOS Keyboard, and an Adaptive iPad Keyboard

Low End Mac's Charles Moore weighs in on the contention of Slate's Matthew J. X. Malady that everybody hates something about their computer keyboard, his pet peeve being the Caps Lock key, which he suggests getting rid of, along with four other adjustments he thinks would greatly improve the typing experience.

Moore disagrees, saying he finds the Caps Lock key indispensable when you need it, albeit occasionally annoying, and goes on to riff at some length about computer keyboards in general, including the virtual keyboards in iOS devices.

You can check it out at:
http://lowendmac.com/misc/12mr/dont-kill-caps-lock.html

European PC Sales Meltdown In Q4 '11; Worst U.K. Decline in Five Quarters; Only Apple Achieves Growth

PC shipments in Western Europe totaled 16.3 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, a 16 per cent decline from the equivalent period in 2010, according to recent metrics from Gartner, Inc. For the year, PC shipments numbered 58.5 million units in Western Europe in 2011, also a 16 percent decrease from 2010.

The PC market in Western Europe has suffered four consecutive quarters of shipment decline. "Despite aggressive pricing and special holiday deals for PCs, consumers' attention was caught by other devices, such as smartphones, media tablets and e-readers," says Meike Escherich, principal analyst at Gartner. "Even though we saw a drop in prices, consumer PC shipments could not match the levels of previous years."

In the fourth quarter of 2011, the PC markets of Italy, Greece, Portugal and Spain were particularly hard hit, with year-on-year PC demand declining 30 per cent and more. The mobile PC market in Western Europe declined 17.5 percent during the quarter, while the region's desktop PC market decreased 12.1 percent.

"Uptake of professional PCs for migrations to Windows 7 remained subdued due to the troubled economic outlook," says Ms. Escherich. PC shipments in the professional segment declined 13.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, but the consumer segment suffered a bigger decline, falling 18 percent.

HP not only maintained the No. 1 position for PC shipments in Western Europe, but increased its lead over Acer, despite a shipment decline of 15.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 (see Table 1). Acer continued to decline, but steadied its shipment volumes quarter-on-quarter. Dell struggled with slow demand from large organizations and the public sector, while Asus won several major deals in the retail channel, which raised its total.

"Asus has successfully shifted its portfolio from mini-notebooks to the mainstream and managed to outgrow the market," notes Ms. Escherich. Lenovo's growth was partly due to its acquisition of Medion in Germany, which helped it secure the No. 5 position. Lenovo offered very aggressive prices, which made Western Europe one of its key regions.

"The impact of the hard-disk drive shortage was minimal in the fourth quarter of 2011, with local vendors feeling most of the impact. If general market conditions continue to deteriorate, we expect hard-disk drive shortages to be just one of many contributors to overall PC market contraction in 2012," Ms. Escherich says.

U.K.: PC Market Exhibited Worst Decline in Five Quarters

In the fourth quarter of 2011, shipments in the U.K. PC market totaled 2.9 million units, a decline of 19.6 percent compared with the equivalent period in 2010 (see Table 2). This was the UK's fifth consecutive quarterly shipment decline, and also its worst decline in five quarters. In 2011, as a whole, the U.K. market declined 15.9 percent, shrinking by nearly 2 million units from 2010.

"The UK market has been a prime illustration of the underlying weakness in PC demand across Western Europe," says Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, the U.K. PC market was impacted by the economic upheaval and the growing popularity of smartphones, media tablets and e-readers. As a result, the consumer market continued to shrink, with a decline of more than 20 per cent year-on-year. The professional market was also weak as austerity measures hit the education segment. Mini-notebook shipments declined more than 50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, indicating the final stage in a shift away from these devices by PC vendors (in the third quarter of 2009 these devices represented over 30 percent of the U.K.'s total mobile PC market).

Four of the top five vendors performed poorly. Only Apple achieved growth, which consolidated its hold on the No. 4 position. "PC vendors face a long, uphill struggle to regain the interest of consumers. The introduction of Ultrabooks in late 2011 is desperately needed," declares Mr. Atwal.

France: PC Market Suffers Sixth Consecutive Quarterly Drop

PC shipments in France totaled 2.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, a decline of 11.8 percent compared with the equivalent period in 2010 (see Table 3). In 2011 as a whole, PC shipments numbered 10.4 million units, a 12 percent decline from 2010.

"The PC market in France remained weak, with lower sell-in to the channel and a difficult economic environment that squeezed consumer spending," says Isabelle Durand, principal analyst at Gartner. As a result, the PC market in France recorded its sixth consecutive quarterly decline in shipments.

The consumer market declined 11.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 as demand for mini-notebooks was lower than in the same period in 2010. "The last quarter of the year is traditionally driven by growth in the consumer segment, but Christmas PC sales in France were disappointing as consumers spent their money on other devices, such as media tablets and smartphones," notes Ms. Durand. The professional market declined 13 percent in the fourth quarter 2011, despite a number of deals being signed in the public sector.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, the mobile PC market accounted for 68 percent of total PC shipments in France, while shipments declined 9.5 percent. Desk-based PC shipments declined 16.5 percent. Shipments of mini-notebooks decreased 36.6 percent.

Of the top five vendors, only Asus and Apple grew in the fourth quarter 2011. Asus achieved the strongest growth and claimed the No. 2 position. HP regained the No. 1 position, while Acer's market share collapsed as demand for mini-notebooks diminished, causing it to fall to the third position.

"Overall, we expect the PC market to remain under pressure in the first half of 2012, and although shortages of hard-disk drives had only a limited impact in the fourth quarter of 2011, we expect substantial increases in average selling prices in the first quarter of 2012," Ms. Durand summarizes.

Germany: Demand for PCs Fell Again but More Slowly Than in Other Western European Markets

PC shipments in Germany totaled 3.6 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, a decrease of 8.2 percent compared with the equivalent period in 2010 (see Table 4). This was the sixth consecutive decline for the German PC market. In 2011 as a whole, PC shipments declined 11 percent from 2010.

"Although PCs remain important devices for consumers, there are few compelling technological reasons for them to buy new ones, especially in times of economic uncertainty," says Ms. Escherich.

The PC market in Germany continued to suffer from poor sales of mobile PCs. Mobile PC shipments ell 9.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011. This decrease was steeper than that of the desk-based PC market, which declined 6 percent.

After three difficult quarters, Acer regained the No. 1 position in the fourth quarter of 2011. Lenovo nearly doubled its shipments through the Medion acquisition, which helped it stay ahead of HP. Lenovo's ThinkPad line, which used to have a high price premium, is now available at very attractive prices. In the consumer sector, Lenovo continued to expand its retail presence with its IdeaPad line.

HP had to battle aggressive pricing from competitors and deal with weak consumer PC demand during the holiday season, but it remained the leader in the desk-based PC segment. Asus continued to expand its notebook line, replacing mini-notebooks with mainstream mobile PCs, but it was competing against its own very strong shipments from 2010. Dell secured several large enterprise and government deals. It was the only top-five vendor to increase its shipments, aided by its lower reliance on the consumer business.

"Despite a sixth consecutive quarter of declining shipments, Germany continued to outperform most other Western European markets," Ms. Escherich notes. "Two consecutive instances of quarter-on-quarter growth could indicate that the PC market in Germany is stabilizing."

For more information, visit:
http://www.gartner.com

Apple Only PC Brand Making Progress In Europe (And That's Not Counting iPad)

9To5Mac's Christian Zibreg notes that according to the latest survey metrics from Gartner, only Apple and Asus made any meaningful progress with PC shipments in the Western Europe region during the holiday quarter, with Apple recording its strongest gains in France and the United Kingdom. The sole first-tier PC brand to grow sales in the United Kingdom during the holiday quarter, Apple's Mac business there grew 17.2 percent, enough to rank fourth with a 9.1 percent market share. Everyone elses business shrunk, and if you include the iPad (which Gartner doesn't), Apple easily beats its PC rivals across the board.

For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/wlIHxT

MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3

MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Air (Late 2010) models and addresses an issue where the system could restart if the power button is pressed immediately after waking from deep sleep.

For more information about Lion Recovery, visit this website:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/recovery/

System Requirements
• OS X Lion 10.7.3 and later

For more information, visit:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1494

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Pro (Early 2010) models.

For more information about Lion Recovery, visit this website: http://www.apple.com/macosx/recovery/

System Requirements
• OS X Lion 10.7.3 or later

For more information, visit:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1492

iMac EFI Update 1.8

iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.8 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on iMac (Mid 2010) models.

For more information about Lion Recovery, visit this website: http://www.apple.com/macosx/recovery/

System Requirements
• OS X Lion 10.7.3

For more information, visit:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1493

Intel Claims Improved Speed and Reliability For New 520 Series Solid-State Drive

Intel Corporation has announced what it says is its fastest, most robust client/consumer solid-state drive (SSD) to date, the Intel Solid-State Drive 520 Series (Intel SSD 520), a 6 gigabit-per-second (gbps) SATA III SSD produced using Intel compute-quality 25-nanometer (nm) NAND memory process technology. Aimed at delivering world-class performance for even the most demanding PC enthusiasts, gamers, professionals or small-medium businesses (SMBs), the Intel SSD 520 has fast throughput performance, new security features and unmatched reliability to meet even the most intensive user requirements.

Any consumer application requiring high throughput and bandwidth, low latencies and accelerated speed will benefit from the Intel SSD 520, Intel says. Software developers, architects, accountants, engineers, musicians, media creators and artists are just some of the professionals that will find that the Intel SSD 520s full package of features can make a dramatic impact on their productivity. With faster performance for graphic renderings, compiling, data transfers and system boot-ups, users can speed through multi-tasking or once-cumbersome application wait times with an Intel SSD 520 Series.

"We tapped Intel engineering to create a client SSD that delivers performance on all fronts with obsessively high reliability," says Rob Crooke, Intel vice president and general manager of the Intel Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. "The Intel SSD 520 once again raises the industry bar on SSD performance, quality and reliability to dramatically improve user experience."

Unlike a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) with spinning disks and moveable parts, an SSD is based on silicon, NAND flash memory specifically, to create a lower power, more reliable and drastically faster storage solution that can keep up with todays most demanding applications, Internet streaming and intense multi-tasking. Based on its own industry-leading 25nm Intel compute-quality NAND flash memory and a 6gbps SATA III interface, the Intel SSD 520 uses an LSI SandForce Flash Storage Processor with an Intel co-defined and validated firmware release, to create an SSD that sets new industry performance benchmarks. The Intel SSD 520 delivers up to 80,000 maximum 4K random write Input-Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) and up to 50,000 4K random read IOPS to speed through every day operations. High sequential read performance of up to 550 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and up to 520MB/s sequential writes also markedly accelerate and improve user productivity. This is backed by thousands of hours of Intel testing and validation, including more than 5,000 individual tests, as well as a 5-year limited warranty.

"We worked closely with Intel to leverage their deep understanding of the NAND flash, ultimately providing a unique and optimized solution for client computing applications with the LSI SandForce Flash Storage Processor," says Michael Raam, vice president and general manager of LSIs Flash Components Division, formed by LSIs acquisition of SandForce. "Working through Intel's extensive validation process ensures the Intel 520 SSD will raise the bar in delivering top-tier performance and superior quality and reliability over the life of the drive."

The Intel SSD 520 will mark the high end of its client SSD offerings and include these new features: a wide range of user capacities from 60GB to 480GB, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256 bit encryption capabilities and stronger password protection for added security in the event of theft or power loss. According to PCMark Vantage benchmarking, users of the Intel SSD 520 may see significant productivity gains through an up to 78 percent boost in overall PC responsiveness, and gamers will see an up to 88 percent jump in performance to enhance their gaming experience.(*)(*) Intel claims that IT professionals will not only provide this additional performance and productivity to their customers/employees, but find that the Intel SSD 520 also delivers on reliability, improved security, smoother operations and lower total operational costs.

"Our game development workflow involves a combination of large batch process and aggressive interactive pre-visualization, all highly parallelized to the point that the storage performance becomes a major bottleneck," says John Carmack, founder and technical director of id(*) Software, a gaming software developer and creators of Doom and Quake. "For many of our workloads, Intel SSDs have doubled throughput, and in some cases involving mapping tens of gigabytes of image data, we have seen an honest order of magnitude performance improvement, which is a rare and wonderful thing."

With a broad range of capacity choices, the Intel SSD 520 Series is priced as follows, based on 1,000-unit quantities: 60GB for $149, 120GB at $229, 180GB at $369, 240GB at $509 and 480GB at $999. It comes with a 5-year limited warranty.

For more information on Intel SSDs go to:
http://www.intel.com/go/ssd

Follow Intel SSDs on Twitter (@intelssd), and Facebook:
http://www.intel.com/go/ssdfacebook

or

http://communities.intel.com

Carbon Copy Cloner Easy-to-use Backup/Cloning Utility Updated To 3.4.4

Bombich Software's Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.4 is a backup, restore, and clone utility that includes support for network volumes, the ability to restore to the startup disk, a Cloning Coach, and other features.

The key to a successful backup plan is to actually do the backups regularly. When left to a human, the task often gets tacked on to the end of a very long list of other things to do. When you eventually have a catastrophe, the data is simply gone. You know that feeling you just lost six years of family photos. Your kids being born, their first birthdays, their first everything. The answer to this is consistent and regular backups, placed on a schedule and handled automatically by your computer.

Carbon Copy Cloner offers fast, incremental backups that copy only items that differ from the last backup, as well as checksum analysis of your backed up files, archiving and archive management, and backup task scheduling. With CCC, you can back up to a locally-attached hard drive, to a network volume, or to another Macintosh across your network or across the Internet.

• Better Bootable Backup your data, the operating system's data, all preserved impeccably on a bootable volume, ready for production at a moment's notice

• Simplest method to migrate to a new, larger hard drive, especially if you have lost your original Mac OS X Installation DVD
Support for block-level disk-to-disk clones for super-fast upgrades

• Smarter & faster Subsequent backups copy only the items that have changed since the last backup

• Merciful default settings protect against accidental loss of files on the destination

• Back up to hard drives, network shares or to disk images

• Schedule backup tasks on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis

• Configure a backup task to run when the backup device is (re)attached to your Mac

• Convenient "Defer or Skip" features allow you to dynamically reschedule or skip a backup that occurs at an inopportune time

8• Email notifications keep you on top of your backups

• Back up to another Macintosh on your home network or across the Internet

• Back up to a disk image with optional encryption

• Back up to and from network shares

• Simple interface for indicating exactly what to back up

• Restore using the same process used for backup

• Backups are non-proprietary, so you can browse them or use them with Migration Assistant

• "Cloning Coach" offers proactive configuration advice and expert troubleshooting guidance when hardware or filesystem errors occur

New in version 3.4.4:

Made several changes to the preset configurations. Both the wording and some of the settings have been changed in response to user feedback and typical usage scenarios.

New feature: CCC now provides support for archiving and cloning the Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Recovery HD partition. Choose "Disk Center" from CCC's Window menu to find this functionality.

New feature: Scheduled tasks can now be configured to wake or boot the system when the task is scheduled to run.

New feature: For users with a Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Installer application in /Applications, CCC's Source menu now includes a handy "Create a Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Installer..." choice that will clone the Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Installation disk image onto a physical volume.

Window positioning of the scheduled task helper application is now retained on a per-task basis, so you can move these windows around on your screen and multiple tasks won't be stacked on top of each other.

CCC will now mention the lack of a Recovery HD partition in the Cloning Coach prior to running the initial backup task.

The table of scheduled tasks in the Scheduler window are now sorted alphabetically by default.

Fixed a scheduler issue in which tasks scheduled to run on the first (any weekday) of the current month would be scheduled to run in the following month.

Fixed an issue in which CCC was not "remembering" the last preset that had been selected upon relaunching CCC.

Fixed an issue with the German localization related to the application of a particular setting in custom presets.

Fixed an issue in which a scheduled task had trouble mounting a disk image when uncommon permissions conditions were present (such as when a system is bound to an Active Directory directory service).

The "This volume will be bootable" message is back, though with a caveat that I have to insist upon from a support perspective. Many external hard drive enclosures still manage to screw up the boot process, and it's impossible for me to determine if that is going to happen for any particular user from within CCC.

When backing up to a subfolder, CCC now overlays an icon of the underlying volume on the folder icon in the task status panel.

Scheduled tasks that specify a network volume as the destination are now aborted when CCC receives a sleep notification.

Growl notifications should now work properly on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion with Growl 1.3.

Email notifications now include the sender's full name.

Fixed a couple minor bugs associated with email notifications.

Fixed an issue in which the scheduled task window would be unresponsive while CCC waited for a response from an email server.

Added support for sending email to servers that use a self-signed certificate. This support is disabled by default, see the documentation for details on enabling this functionality.

Resolved a problem in which an errant filter would protect items in folders that were to be deleted, resulting in CCC reporting that it couldn't replace a particular folder or application.

Fixed a minor 5-second shutdown hang associated with CCC scheduled tasks.

Numerous tweaks to the advice that CCC offers for various error conditions.

Fixed some Mac OS X 10.7 Lion-specific problems with the mounting of sparsebundle disk image files that are hosted on a network volume.

If you're running an ad hoc task in CCC (e.g. click "Clone" in the main window), CCC will ask before deleting anything from the _CCC Archives folder. To avoid problems that would affect automation, this warning is not provided for scheduled tasks.

CCC is more proactive about dealing with the 4GB file size limitation of FAT32 volumes. Files larger than 4GB will now be excluded by default, and you'll get a warning of this exclusion before running the task.

Fixed a hang that would occur at the end of a scheduled task while CCC tried to unmount the destination volume (network volumes only, Mac OS X 10.7 Lion only).

Made some cosmetic changes concerning ZFS support.

Mail account settings on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion are now properly imported and populated into the email notifications tab of the scheduled tasks window.

The path to a disk image file is now properly provided as the fourth argument to postflight scripts.

Fixed a 30 second hang that would occur while saving changes to scheduled tasks on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. For every OS, though, saving scheduled tasks should be considerably faster.

System requirements:
• PPC / Intel, Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later

Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.4 is donationware

For more information, visit:
http://www.bombich.com/index.html

Canon U.S.A. Introduces Three PIXMA Office All-in-One Printers at Affordable Prices

Canon U.S.A., Inc. has announced the addition of three PIXMA Office printers to the lineup: the MX512 Wireless 1 All-In-One (AIO), MX432 Wireless 1 AIO and the MX372 AIO. These new print, copy, scan and fax models help continue this tradition and are designed to provide users with the confidence that the final output will match the original concept.

Available for both new wireless models is the Canon Easy-PhotoPrint mobile app 2, for use with compatible Apple and Android smart phones and tablets, allowing documents to be scanned on the printer and sent directly to a compatible device. Users can print PDFs of documents that were created with the app directly from compatible devices, whereas in the past only photos could be printed.

With 802.11n Wi-Fi capability, the PIXMA MX512 and MX432 Wireless Office AIO Printer models are capable of a high-speed network transfer rate. Setting up a wireless network can be easily accomplished with the press of one button when using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). Canon U.S.A. offers its award-winning service and support online for all of its consumers looking to set up any of its wireless products at:
http://www.usa.canon.com/wirelesshelp

Here, customers have access to video tutorials and manuals to assist in setting up a wireless printer.

"With many people making the decision to work from home, it is more important than ever to have a printer you can rely on to produce high-quality prints no matter the project," says Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. "Canon has recognized this trend and will continue to make products designed to satisfy the needs and wants of the end user."

When making the decision on which printer to purchase, an important factor that users look for is overall ease-of-use. Taking this into account, Canon has developed the FastFront system and an exposed user interface included on all three new printers. Located on the front of the printer, the FastFront system allows users to open the front panel of the printer to easily access both the ink and paper for easy replacement. Each printer utilizes the two-cartridge ChromaLife 100 ink system 3 one black cartridge and one color cartridge providing high-quality prints on plain paper, while still delivering high-quality photo prints. With the exposed user interface, the user can scan or copy important documents without having to worry about the document blocking the control panel and buttons required to perform the task.

Unlock Your Printing Creativity

Full HD Movie Print 4 software has been included on all three models, allowing users to produce clear images of frames from videos captured on compatible HD Canon EOS and PowerShot Digital cameras. With Easy-PhotoPrint EX software, consumers can unlock their creativity with a variety of fun filter effects such as Fish-Eye, Miniature, Toy Camera, Soft Focus and Blur Background. An added bonus included with these new printers is exclusive printable content through CREATIVE PARK PREMIUM 5 website. The content on this site includes projects users can print to enjoy with their family, such as Eric Carle greeting cards and photo frames as well as calendars to keep track of important business meetings and appointments.

Canon PIXMA MX512 Wireless, MX432 Wireless and MX372 Office AIO printers

The affordable and easy-to-use Canon PIXMA MX512 Wireless, MX432 Wireless and MX372 Office AIO printers deliver high-quality output whether on plain or photo paper at a maximum color resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi 6. For the first time in a Canon printer at the $149.997 price point, the PIXMA MX512 Office AIO printer will feature a Dual Function Panel for easy navigation through menus, an Ethernet port for increased connectivity and Auto Duplex printing to help conserve paper usage. This new model also features a 2.5-inch TFT screen for easy viewing of menus and images while producing output at approximately 9.7 ipm for black-and-white documents and approximately 5.5 ipm for color 8.

The PIXMA MX432 Wireless Office AIO printer delivers output at approximately 9.7 ipm for black-and-white documents and approximately 5.5 ipm for color 8. The PIXMA MX372 Office AIO printer provides output at approximately 8.7 ipm for black-and-white documents and approximately 5.0 ipm for color9. All three printers can produce a 4 x 6 borderless photo 9 in approximately 46 seconds 10.

The PIXMA MX432 Wireless and MX372 Office AIO printers will have an estimated selling price of $99.997 and $79.997, respectively.

For more information, visit:
http://www.usa.canon.com/rss

Notes:

1 Wireless printing requires a working network with wireless 802.11b/g or 802.11n capability. Wireless performance may vary based on terrain and distance between the printer and wireless network clients.

2 Requires Canon Easy-PhotoPrint for iPhone app, available for free on the App Store, or Canon Easy-PhotoPrint for Android app, available for free in the Android Market. Compatible with iPhone 3G, 3Gs, 4, and 4S; iPod touch mobile digital devices; and Android devices running Android OS 1.6 or later.

3Canon cannot guarantee the longevity of prints; results may vary depending on printed image, drying time, display/storage conditions and environmental factors. See http://www.usa.canon.com/chromalife100 for additional details.

4 Full HD Movie Print allows printing from HD or Full HD "MOV" movie files created by Canon EOS Digital SLR or PowerShot digital cameras. From PC, or Mac with Intel processor. Print quality is determined by video resolution. Function does not upscale video resolution. Requires Canon ZoomBrowser EX 6.5 or later, or Canon ImageBrowser 6.5 or later.

5 To access CREATIVE PARK PREMIUM from a qualifying printer, all of the software and the full set of Genuine Canon Inks that came with the printer must be properly installed

6 Resolution may vary based on printer driver setting. Color ink droplets can be placed with a horizontal pitch of 1/4800 inch at minimum.

7 Availability and prices, of all products are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

8 ISO/IEC 24734 define the default print speed measurement methods. Print speeds are the averages of ESAT in Office Category Test for the default simplex mode, ISO/IEC 24734, excluding time to print the first set. See http://www.usa.canon.com/ipm for additional details.

9 Supported paper types for borderless printing are as follows: Photo Paper Pro Platinum, Photo Paper Plus Glossy II, Photo Paper Plus Semi-gloss, Photo Paper Glossy and Matte Photo Paper.

10 Photo print speeds are based on the standard mode driver setting using photo test pattern(s) and select Canon Photo Paper. Print speed is measured as soon as the first page begins to feed into the printer and will vary depending on system configuration, interface, software, document complexity, print mode, types of paper used and page coverage. See http://www.usa.canon.com/printspeed for additional information.

•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28439
Applelinks iOS News Reader - Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/08 at 01:58 PM
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

'App Economy' Creates 466,000 US Jobs
Apple In Discussions To Open Stores Inside Of Walmart’s Sam's Club Locations
Mac OS X ARM Port By Apple Work Experience Intern Revealed
U.K. Parliamentary Committee Backs Plan To Purchase iPads For MPs
Halliburton To Abandon Blackberry; Switching To iPhone
MacAlly Magstand 2 Magnetic Cabinet Mount & Viewing Stand For iPad 2
Canon U.S.A. Announces New PIXMA Printers with AirPrint Support
MiLi Power Releases External Battery for iPad, iPhone, Android, & Windows Phones
Automobile Inspection iPad/Cloud Apps for Insurance Adjusters, Car Dealerships and Auto Body/Service/Repair Shops
BioHorizons Mobile Application for Dental Implant Professionals
Lumia 900 Introduction Touted To Launch Smartphone Renaissance for Nokia and Microsoft

___

'App Economy' Creates 466,000 US Jobs

The Register's Rik Myslewski says that notwithstanding Apple's being a lightning-rod of mounting criticism for outsourcing its manufacturing beyond US shores, creating 700,000 jobs in China and elsewhere, one tech-industry advocacy group claims that Apple, the Android ecosystem, Facebook, and lesser lights account for roughly 466,000 US jobs in what it calls the "App Economy".

Myslewski cites economist Michael Mandel writing in a report entitled "Where the Jobs Are: The App Economy" (http://www.technet.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/TechNet-App-Economy-Jobs-Study.pdf) published on Tuesday by TechNet, that "Nothing illustrates the job-creating power of innovation better than the App Economy."

For the full report visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/08/app_economy/

Apple In Discussions To Open Stores Inside Of Walmart’s Sam's Club Locations

9To5Mac's Mark Gurman reports that Apple and Walmart subsidiary Sams Club are in early discussions to widen their already existing partnership. Sam's Club already sells Apple's iPhone, iPad, and iPod lines within its large retail chain, but Gurman says the two corporate giants are looking to take their business relationship to the next level.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/waJGzm

Mac OS X ARM Port By Apple Work Experience Intern Revealed

The Register's Anna Leach reports that a Dutch computer science student's homework has stirred the old rumour that Apple may ditch the Intel platform and power its Macbooks with ARM processors.

Tristan Schaap's bachelor thesis (http://bit.ly/A5p6Nn) at the Delft University of Technology described work he did at Apple as an intern: getting the core of Mac OS X to run on an MV88F6281 processor - an ARM926EJ-S-compatible component, made by Marvell [PDF], rather than silicon from Intel.

Written in 2010 after a three-month spell slaving away in the Platform Technologies Group in Cupertino, Schaap's 16-page dissertation was embargoed for a year and published in August 2011, Leach notes.

For the full report visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/07/mac_osx_on_arm/

U.K. Parliamentary Committee Backs Plan To Purchase iPads For MPs

Press Association reports that a U.K. Parliament cross-party committee has backed plans to issue all MPs with a iPad-style tablet computers, noting that more than a dozen members have been testing the Apple devices over the past year as part of proposals to modernise Parliament and save printing costs, and the House's cross-party Administration Committee is recommending "rapid roll-out of suitable mobile tablet hardware" to all of Great Britain's 650 MPs, which is projected to realize an overall saving for txpayers, and suggested that the House of Commons could secure a discount by purchasing iPad 2s in bulk. A final decision is expected later this month.

For the full report visit here:
http://yhoo.it/yXoYSO

Halliburton To Abandon Blackberry; Switching To iPhone

Reuters' Alastair Sharp reports that giant oil field services company Halliburton plans to stop issuing BlackBerry smartphones to its employees and switch over to Apple's iPhone, which it explains is better suited to its needs - another setback for beleaguered BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion. Halliburton expects to issue 4,500 currently BlackBerry-toting employees with iPhones over the next two years, according to the reoirt

For the full report visit here:
http://reut.rs/warroh

MacAlly Magstand 2 Magnetic Cabinet Mount & Viewing Stand For iPad 2

MacAlly is as usual economical with documentary description of its new Magstand 2 Magnetic Cabinet Mount & Viewing Stand For iPad 2, which it says functions as an under-cabinet mount as well as a tabletop viewing stand.

In pictures:

Price: $39.99

For more information, visit:
http://bit.ly/gKYTJU

Canon U.S.A. Announces New PIXMA Printers with AirPrint Support

Canon U.S.A., Inc. has announced AirPrint support in the PIXMA MX512 and MX432 Wireless2 Office All-In-One inkjet printers. AirPrint enables iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users to wirelessly print photos, email, web pages and documents without the need to install device drivers, saving time and enabling a seamless user experience.

AirPrint will be available with the majority of Canon PIXMA Wireless All-In-One inkjet printers launched from this point forward. AirPrint1 works with iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod touch (3rd generation and later) running using iOS 4.2 or later.

For more information visit:
http://www.usa.canon.com

MiLi Power Releases External Battery for iPad, iPhone, Android, & Windows Phones

MiLi Power has released the Power Shine, a 4000 mAh external battery that is sleek, portable, and highly compatible. The Shine is an easy to use external battery for iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows phone, or any other device using micro USB. Keeping in line with other MiLi products, the shine is small and lightweight, with an appealing rounded design. Dont let the small size fool you; the 4000 mAh external battery will keep a device powered for hours. The Shine offers awesome extended battery life, providing up to:
• 26 hours of data
• 34 talk hours
• 90 hours of media

The Power Shine package features:

• 2 USB ports- charge two devices simultaneously
• Blue LED power indicators let you know what battery level your Shine is on
• Apple cable and Micro USB cable included
• Thin and lightweight- only 8 oz.

The Power Shine, currently offered in black, is available for purchase at milipower.com for $79.99. MiLi Power is holding a giveaway contest to their email subscribers, and also offering free shipping to those on the email list. To subscribe, visit the email subscription form at:
https://www.milipower.com/MailingList_subscribe.asp

For more information on MiLi Power and their product lines, visit:
http://milipower.com

Automobile Inspection iPad/Cloud Apps for Insurance Adjusters, Car Dealerships and Auto Body/Service/Repair Shops

Inspect2GO (http://www.inspect2go.com/inspection/vehicle/) offers new vehicle inspection checklist applications that lower costs and improve quality through a combination of mobile and cloud technology. Vehicle inspectors, auto service mechanics, sales staff and insurance adjusters follow checklists on an iPad or Android tablet to inspect vehicles. Notes, pictures, necessary repairs and hand markups are recorded using the mobile app. Inspection results are sent to the cloud for access by multiple departments. Trending graphs, invoices and a wide range of reports/forms can be generated through the cloud database software and sent to all necessary parties. Applications can be custom configured for each new client with logos, unique forms, letterhead, etc. The applications are sold through Inspect2GOs private B2B account. Inspect2GO apps are used by Fortune 500's, government agencies and individuals.

Vehicle Inspection Applications
• Vehicle Inspection Apps - Mobile applications for auto inspection with iPad, iPhone and Android tablet pc/smartphones
• Checklist Vehicle inspection checklist apps (public/private vehicle, car, truck, school bus checklists on iPad, iPhone, Android)

Insurance
• Insurance company damage assessment apps and insurance adjuster/customer/job/claimant forms

Service Department
• Auto dealership service department apps, vehicle service, reconditioning and repair forms, car service inspection checklists, service schedules, work orders, field service and repair logs

Auto Body
• Apps to aid automotive repair, detail service, glass, repair/replacement/estimate/report order forms, cleaning, vehicle restoration, painting, automotive reconditioning and cosmetic services

Rental
• Auto and equipment rental applications

Dealer
• Auto dealership iPad/iPhone/Android apps - New/used car, end of warranty, pre-purchase and accident damage assessment inspection

Fleet
• Fleet tracking and fleet management software for trucking companies

Vehicle App Development
• Custom iPad/iPhone/Android vehicle inspection app development per spec

Port Facility
• Inspection applications

Vehicle App Capabilities
• VIN Vehicle identification number (VIN) database lookup, auto population of fields (make, model, license, mileage)
• GPS GPS location, geotagging, Google maps integration and location tracking applications
• Photos Take pictures to document vehicle condition, draw/mark on images
• Reporting Professional, custom, PDF reports
• Tracking Invoices, timesheets, work orders, commissions, project status, track all vehicles by VIN
• Custom Forms - Reports, maintenance, repair, inspections, service, users manuals, title, insurance, operations sheet, SOP, owners manual, order, invoice, transportation, logistics and auto service forms
• Estimates Damage evaluation, repair estimate, pre-inspection (identified issues, associated services, price estimate per issue, general work orders, calculate commissions, quote, book, bill, invoice)
• Enterprise Enterprise solutions, software integration IVM (Information Vehicle Management), accounting and CRM
IPad/Cloud Database Reporting and Software Capabilities
• Browser After data is submitted via iPad/Android tablet, data can be edited in the cloud via web browser
• Security Secure server, encryption, password protected
• Sales/Marketing Auto dealers can track items and send sales promotions to the specific customers that chose not to replace recommended items
• Reporting Run reports based on any set of data
• Data - Store, retrieve, push and pull data
• Graphing See trends of dealer, mechanic or service over time to identify areas of improvement

Vehicles
• Automobile Car, truck, commercial vehicle, school bus inspection
• Aircraft - Airplane, helicopter, commercial aviation, private jet
• Vessel Boat, cruise ship, yacht
• Construction - Heavy duty equipment

Inspect2Go is a mobile application, cloud database and software development company based in Southern California. The firms mobile technology includes inspection checklists and apps with signature, photo, markup, custom reporting, pdf, scoring and database functions. The checklist apps are compatible with Apple iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android. Inspection results are sent to Inspect2GOs cloud database for storage. Reports, graphs, trends and data feeds can be retrieved from the cloud.

For more information, visit:
http://www.inspect2go.com/inspection/vehicle/

BioHorizons Mobile Application for Dental Implant Professionals

BioHorizons, a dental implant company, today announced a new mobile application allowing Apple iPad mobile digital device users access to the latest BioHorizons product information. The free app is designed to conveniently provide dental clinicians with relevant videos and literature in a single location.

Our new app gives dental professionals quick, accessible information for placing and restoring BioHorizons implants on the most widely accepted digital platform. We continue to provide our customers advanced technologies that help them to excel in their practice

"We are proud to introduce an iPad application developed that provides up-to-date, relevant information about our products," says Todd Strong, Chief Operating Officer of BioHorizons.

With the new BioHorizons app, dental implant professionals have the ability to easily share educational materials with their patients. Users can also reference surgical manuals and technique guides for the many BioHorizons implant systems.

The BioHorizons app provides convenient access to a database of relevant clinical studies and videos on various dental implant topics. This tool also allows dental clinicians quick access to product, company and contact information.

"Our new app gives dental professionals quick, accessible information for placing and restoring BioHorizons implants on the most widely accepted digital platform. We continue to provide our customers advanced technologies that help them to excel in their practice," notes Strong.

BioHorizons literature and videos are optimized for the iPad and conveniently available offline. Automatic updates occur anytime a Wi-Fi connection is available.

This user-friendly app is free and filled with features. It can be downloaded from a link on the BioHorizons website:
http://www.biohorizons.com

or on the iTunes store.

For more information, visit:
http://www.biohorizons.com

Lumia 900 Introduction Touted To Launch Smartphone Renaissance for Nokia and Microsoft

iSuppli's Wayne Lam reports that with the introduction of its critically acclaimed Lumia 900, Nokia Corp. has set the stage to regain some of its lost smartphone market shareand to re-establish Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Phone as a leading contender in the cellphone operating system (OS) business.

Largely based on Nokia's strong support, Windows Phone is set to regain the No. 2 rank in the smartphone operating system in 2015. Finnish-based Nokia in 2009 lost its second-place worldwide ranking because of rising competition from Google Inc.'s Android and Apple Inc.s iOS.

In 2015, however, Windows Phone will account for 16.7 percent of the smartphones shipped, up from less than 2 percent in 2011, according to the IHS iSuppli Mobile & Wireless Communications Service at information and analysis provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). This will allow Windows Phone to slightly surpass Apple's iOS to retake the markets second rank behind Android, as presented in the table below.

Meanwhile, Nokia stands to stem its plunge in smartphone market share.

Once the perennial leader in global smartphone shipments, Nokia by the second quarter of 2011 had fallen to the third rank in the market behind Samsung and Apple.

One of the hottest new products unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show was the Lumia 900, a Windows Phone-based smartphone sporting a flashy set of features that makes it competitive with the best alternatives offered by the Android camp, said Wayne Lam, senior analyst for wireless communications at IHS. This hot product represents Nokias first step to reclaim its market share. Combined with Nokias efforts to drive the development of the Windows Phone ecosystem, the Lumia 900 and its successors will help Microsoft to reclaim its No. 2 ranking in smartphone operating system market share in 2015.

Coming to America

The Lumia 900s flashy feature set, along with Nokias strategy for selling the product, shows that the company is targeting the North American region, a market that, even in the height of Nokias dominance, historically had been an Achilles heel for the company.

The introduction of the Lumia 900 shows that Nokia believes the road back to smartphone dominance runs through North America, said Francis Sideco, senior principal analyst for consumer and communications at IHS. And the way to win North America is through its operator channels.

The Lumia 900 was developed with North American market dynamics and smartphone users in mind, with the product having been designed in and launched first in the regionanother departure from Nokias historical approach of repurposing devices designed in and for other parts of the world. The smartphones large 4.3-inch organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) touch screen display, 12-megapixel camera as well as partnerships with Rogers, Telus, AT&T and T-Mobile are concrete examples of Nokia executing on this strategy.

LTE to the Party

Another feature of the Lumia 900 also illustrates how serious Nokia is about addressing the North American market: its support of the high-speed Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G standard.

In the past, Nokia always introduced new technologies in its home European market first, Sideco said. However, for the Lumia 900Nokias first LTE phonethe company initially is rolling it out in North America. This demonstrates Nokia's commitment to re-enter the region.

Furthermore, Nokia is targeting the mobile network operator (MNO) channel to sell its phones in North America. Nokia previously eschewed the MNO approach, limiting its penetration into the region.

The company likewise is leveraging Microsofts business/enterprise sales channels to appeal to corporate customers in the region, offering value-added services in a play for the enterprise sector. Such moves will position Nokia to compete with Research In Motion Ltd., whose Blackberry phones are popular among corporate users.

Opening Windows of Opportunity

Although Nokia is not the only seller of Windows Phone smartphones, the company is expected to dominate the market, accounting for 50 percent of all Microsoft OS-based handsets sold in 2012, IHS iSuppli predicts. The companys share then is set to rise to 62 percent in 2013. Nokias portion of the market will begin to decline in 2014, as other companies increase their sales of Windows Phone products.

Nonetheless, Nokia will drive the development and expansion of the Windows Phone market, opening up opportunities for other players, Lam said. Because of Nokias support, apps developers will eagerly shore up the Windows platform. This will cause other makers of Windows Phone devices, such as Samsung and HTC, to offer more products supporting the OSfurther expanding the market.

More information in "Apple Leads with Mixed 3G Technology Adoption in Mobile Handsets":
http://bit.ly/xWKvH7

Or at:
http://www.isuppli.com/
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28438
Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/07 at 03:27 AM
•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

What's The Ultra Ultrabook For business Windows? - MacBook Air
OS X Lion: Time Machine's "Local Snapshots" On Portable Macs
Kingston To Slash NAND Flash Product Prices

------–

What's The Ultra Ultrabook For business Windows? - MacBook Air

Forrester's Ted Schadler says he's been testing the MacBook Air for five months now both for work and for home use, in the former running his employer's corporate image Windows XP with attendant applications and security software in a Parallels virtual machine, and sticking to the the Mac side at home. He reports that aside from a few hiccups with the security software in the corporate image that were addressed by the Parallels support team the in-house IT client and network security team, its been a great experience.

And while he says there are still some things that are still challenging about using the the MacBook Air in a Windows-centric business world, "the machine itself is a wonder." He says he can drop it on the floor and it keeps on ticking, while the battery lasts a flight across country. It fires up and finds a network in seconds is satisfyingly fast and thin and light enough to slide unnoticed into his bag. It boots in seconds, finds Wi-Fi in moments, and discovers new video connections without problems. It may cost a bit more than an UltraBook, but Schladler contends that it's worth the price.

He notes that there are definitely some caveats for the corpporate windows user, but these are far from deal breakers for a lone employee, and he's very happy overall with the Mac as a business machine.

For the full report, visit here:
http://zd.net/wwjV95

OS X Lion: Time Machine's "Local Snapshots" On Portable Macs

A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:

Time Machine in OS X Lion includes a new feature called "local snapshots" that keeps copies of files you create, modify or delete on your internal disk. Local snapshots compliment regular Time Machine backups (that are stored on your external disk or Time Capsule) giving you a "safety net" for times when you might be away from your external backup disk or Time Capsule and accidentally delete a file.

On portable Macs, local snapshots are automatically enabled when you turn on Time Machine. Just like regular Time Machine backups, local snapshots are made hourly in the background.

Note: The Time Machine status in the menu bar does not change when a local snapshot is created.

Local snapshots are periodically condensed into daily or weekly snapshots to minimize the space used on your disk. If your disk is low on space, Time Machine stops creating new snapshots, and some or all existing snapshots may be removed to make space available for applications to use. If sufficient disk space becomes available again, Time Machine resumes creating local snapshots. This means your disk will have the same amount of available space as it would if Time Machine were not enabled.

When you enter the Time Machine browser (used to restore data), local snapshots will appear on the timeline along with regular backups distinguished by different colors. Gray tick marks represent local snapshots and pink tick marks represent backups stored on your external backup disk or Time Capsule. Note: Pink tick marks will be dimmed if your portable computer is not connected to your external backup disk or Time Capsule.

In the OS X Lion's "About This Mac" window, the Storage tab lets you discover how much space your local snapshots are using for backups.

Note: You may notice a difference in available space statistics between Disk Utility, Finder, and Get Info inspectors. This is expected and can be safely ignored. The Finder displays the available space on the disk without accounting for the local snapshots, because local snapshots will surrender their disk space if needed.

You can check it out at:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4878

Kingston To Slash NAND Flash Product Prices

Digitimes' Josephine Lien, and Jessie Shen say that memory module firm Kingston Technology reportedly plans to cut prices for all of its NAND flash products, including USB drives, memory cards and SSDs, by as much as 15%, a move expected to encourage fellow NAND flash device vendors and module makers to follow suit, according to industry sources.

The article notes that major NAND flash chipmakers are transitioning to their newer 2Xnm and 19nm processes, which will result in ramp-ups of their capacity as more advanced processes allow for more chips produced on a single wafer. However, end-market demand thus far in 2012 has been disappointing, raising oversupply concerns, the sources indicated.

For the full report, visit here:
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120203PD209.html

•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28437
Applelinks iOS News Reader - Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/07 at 03:24 AM
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

Apple's Walled Garden: Sledgehammer Needed
1a Easy Writer Text Processor For iPad - The Power of Simplicity
iPhone Number One Mobile Handset in Q4 2011, but Android Attracts More First-Time Smartphone Buyers - NPD Group
The iPad At Work: Can It Get The Job Done?
Why Tablets Are Important To eCommerce
Apple Tells Authors: All Your Books iBook Files Are Belong To Us
Bendy Battery Gives Smart Fabrics A Charge
Flexible, Solid Electrolyte-Based Lithium Battery Composed of LiFePO4 Cathode and Li4Ti5O12 Anode for Applications in Smart Textiles
iOS 5 'Crashes More Apps' Than Android
WD-40 Won't Not Fix Your Sticky Home Button, But It Will Likely Damage Your iPhone or iPad
Why Kindle Fire Isn't Hurting iPad Sales
Hatch & Co. SKINNY iPad 2 Bluetooth Touch Keyboard Case
Paint FX: Photo Effects Editor for iOS is finally available on the iPad
Buick Fuel Efficiency Games Free App By General Motors
Top Tumor Website now Available as Mobile App

------–

Apple's Walled Garden: Sledgehammer Needed

Informationweek's Jonathan Feldman says Friday's revelation of an iOS app with a tethering app hidden inside a random number generator app shows that Apple's "walled garden" software restrictions don't necessarily keep us safer, but they do create a monopoly and planned obsolescence.

"It's time to break down those walls," Feldman, noting that other apps with trojans have made it past Apple gatekeeper vetting, and asking rhetorically how long will it be until the hidden feature really is malicious, and proves conclusively that Apple's vaunted walled garden comstruct nothing more than an illusion?

He concedes that Apple's approcach reduces "app crap," and that in the field, iOS-based mobile devices tend to have fewer support calls associated with them than the equivalent Android platforms, but says he's not so sure that the walled garden can take credit for that, while it does appea to be used to impose planned obsolescence, and a single supplier means monopoly, while so-ccalled jailbreaking means breaking the monopoly and creating an opening for third party suppliers, which is healthy, indeed a precondition, for competition.

For the full commentary, visit:
http://bit.ly/zgD8jt

1a Easy Writer Text Processor For iPad - The Power of Simplicity

Infovole GmbH, creators of the excellent Textkraft and Schreibkraft text processing suite for the Apple iPad, has announced immediate availability of their new 1a Easy Writer App for the iPad.

Easy Writer is intended to do exactly what it's name promises: let you write easily. To set the main focus on the writing process, Infovole has slimmed down their extensive Textkraft-Interface to provide a minimalist, distraction-free writing experience. It includes the standard keyboard and one row of special text-selection-, navigation- and "missing-character"-buttons, but that doesn't mean it isn't powerful. For example, the spell-check feature highlights unknown words, while a jump-back button lets users can find their point of interest within a second.

With Easy Writer users can also do their research on Wikipedia and Wiktionary without leaving the App.

In addition, Easy Writer supports iTunes File Sharing, Dropbox and iCloud.

Last but not least Infovole is offering this App for an introductury price of US$ 1.00.

The essentials in brief are:
• Quick text selection tools.
• Rapid memories.
• The magic -button sets all diacritical marks and accents.
• Font size pinching.
• Fast navigation with 10 cursor keys.
• Upper-/lowercase by keystroke.
• Typographical quotes and other special chars.
• Undo/Redo.
• Best support for all onscreen
• Bluetooth keyboards.
• Wikipedia full-text search and online dictionary - all languages supported.
• Locked reading mode.
• Import/export with Dropbox, iCloud and iTunes file sharing.
• Sharing text as attachment, e-mail or Twitter message.
• Direct communication with Pages, Evernote and other Apps.
• AirPrint support.
• Supports iOS 3.2, 4.x, 5.0 and newer.

System Requirements:
• Compatible with iPad
• Requires iOS 3.2 or later

$0.99

App Store:
http://bit.ly/A1al6b

The other Infovole text apps for iPad are:

Textkraft for iPad
- The language specialist - contains an offline dictionary with synonyms and potential follow-ups; Wikipedia full-text search and several online-dictionaries; text import/export from Macintosh, Windows, Linux and other iPad Apps; Dropbox, iCloud, AirPrint"! and Twitter integration, easy cursor control, quick selection tools and detailled text information for professional editors. Textkraft is available with various language-specific dictionaries.

Schreibkraft for iPad
- Schreibkraft is the first multilingual text processor. It speaks 10 languages in 14 country-specific flavors. There is no need to switch regions or keyboards. The App supports the user in all needed tongues at the same time. Paired with all the professional Textkraft editing features, Schreibkraft is a text editor for global citizens.

For more information or to download the Apps, visit
http://www.infovole.de/en

App Store
http://bit.ly/A1al6b

iPhone Number One Mobile Handset in Q4 2011, but Android Attracts More First-Time Smartphone Buyers - NPD Group

According to the market research firm NPD Group,, Apple leaped past Samsung and LG to become the best-selling U.S. handset brand in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2011, during which the company launched its the iPhone 4S and added Sprint to its carriers, Apple's three available iPhone models combined captured 43 percent of the U.S. smartphone market in Q4.

"Attracted by a faster processor, improved camera and the Siri speech-driven agent, most iPhone buyers paid a premium for the iPhone 4S, making it the top-selling handset in Q4," says Ross Rubin, NPD Group executive director, Connected Intelligence."The iPhone 4S outsold the iPhone 4 by 75 percent, and outsold the iPhone 3GS, available for free on AT&T, five to one.

Together, Android and iPhone accounted for over 90 percent of smartphone sales, with Android holding on to 48 percent of the smartphone market during the quarter; however, Android devices performed better among first-time smartphone buyers. Based on the latest data from The NPD Groups monthly Smartphone Track service, among the first-time smartphone buyers in Q4, 57 percent purchased Android phones compared to just 34 percent who purchased iPhones.

"Android has been criticized for offering a more complex user experience than its competitors, but the company s wide carrier support and large app selection is appealing to new smartphone customers," Rubin comments. "Android's support of LTE at Verizon has also made it the exclusive choice for customers who want to take advantage of that carrier's fastest network.

The smartphone category's overall share of mobile phone sales continued to climb in Q4 2011, reaching 68 percent of the total mobile phone market, an increase of 18 percentage points since Q4 2010. Based on the latest data from NPD's monthly Mobile Phone Track service, average selling prices for smartphones increased eight dollars over the prior quarter, reaching $143 in Q4 2011, which is still below average price of $149 in Q4 2010. Led by continued steady sales for Apple's iPhones, the top five best-selling mobile phone handsets in Q4 were as follows:

1. Apple iPhone 4S
2. Apple iPhone 4
3. Apple iPhone 3GS
4. Samsung GALAXY S II
5. Samsung GALAXY S 4G

For more information, visit:
http://www.npd.com/

Follow on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/npdgroup

The iPad At Work: Can It Get The Job Done?

Macworld's Dan Moren says that for almost two years now he's started nearly every morning by reaching for his iPad before he even gets out of bed to check email, catch up on Twitter, read some comics, and surf some websites. Your editor has kept a similar routine since buying an iPad 2 last spring, although less the Twitter, which remains an unacquired taste, and the comics, but I do check the weather forecast and the morning's news headlines.

However, Moren says when it s time for work, he puts down the iPad and switches to Mac, which is likewise this reporter's routine.

However, he notes that as the iPad s hardware and software have developed since its launch in 2010, and especially since the recent release of iOS 5, he's been wondering whether that platform handoff is really necessary, or could the iPad replace a Mac for work? Or, more precisely, what sorts of work can it do now? What sacrifices will still be required, and can you actually get things done with it?

To find out, Moren vowed to go Mac-less for three days, using his iPad instead of my laptop for everything. He chronicles how things went here:
http://macw.us/yBbYEU

Editor's Note: I haven't tried going cold turkey, or anything close to it, but I have been trying to use the iPad more and more for production tasks, partly to help justify the hardware investment, and partly because I've been seduced by the portability, silence, instant-on, and speed. However, at its current stage of development, I would evaluate the iPad as not yet being remotely close to a satisfactory replacement for a Mac or PC as a production platform. Dan Moren's article explains some of the reasons why.

Why Tablets Are Important To eCommerce

Tech.pinions' Tim Bajarin says his iPad has become his constant companion along with his iPhone and Droid, noting that the smartphones' small screens present a challenge to his eyes as he gets older, and he very seldom uses them for any real eCommerce purchases, which typically have been deferred to his laptop.

However, he says that over the last six months he's been noticing that his preferred screen for buying things has gradually shifted to the iPad, recalling Steve Jobs more than a decade ago predicting a major shift in user buying habits and that the Web would become a serious vehicle for eCommerce, and observing that this has come to pass, with the entire eCommerce experience baked into the tablet experience, and suggesting that Apple's next big purchase might be an eCommerce etailer that offers a broad range of products that Apple can integrate into the complete user experience of the iPad and thereby ho head-to-head with Amazon.

For the full commentary, visit:
http://bit.ly/xFGuV9

Apple Tells Authors: All Your Books iBook Files Are Belong To Us

The Register's Anna Leach reports that in a legal rewrite pushed out Friday, Apple made its iBooks publishing agreement sound slightly less evil by clarifying just what you can do with the content you create on its iBook Author software, to wit: while all iBooks are locked to the iBook store, you can export those files as PDFs.

However, she notes that this stipulation still holds:

(ii) if the work is provided for a fee (including as part of any subscription-based product or service) and includes files in the .ibooks format generated using iBooks Author, the work may only be distributed through Apple, and such distribution will be subject to a separate written agreement with Apple (or an Apple affiliate or subsidiary)

For the full report, visit here:
http://bit.ly/yXXH0j

Bendy Battery Gives Smart Fabrics A Charge

New Scientist's Paul Marks reports that a flexible battery able to be woven unobtrusively into fabrics could one day provide electricity for your electronic gadgets buried in your clothing.

He notes that Maksim Skorobogatiy and colleagues at the Polytechnic School of Montreal in Canada say they have succeeded in building a battery consisting of a solid polyethylene oxide electrolyte sandwiched between a lithium iron phosphate cathode and lithium titanate anode, all these components being thermoplastic materials that can be stretched under mild heating, allowing strips of the composite to be woven into into cotton fabrics using conductive threads to connect these batteries in series, and the configuration was used to illuminate LEDs, Skorobogatiy claiming: "It's the first fully wearable, soft lithium-ion battery that uses no liquid electrolytes,"

(Journal of the Electrochemical Society, DOI: 10.1149/2.020204jes)

For the full report, visit here:
http://bit.ly/yeGz83

Flexible, Solid Electrolyte-Based Lithium Battery Composed of LiFePO4 Cathode and Li4Ti5O12 Anode for Applications in Smart Textiles

J. Electrochem. Soc., Volume 159, Issue 4, pp. A349-A356 (2012)
(Published 19 January 2012)

ABSTRACT
Y. Liu, S. Gorgutsa, Clara Santato, and M. Skorobogatiy
Ecole Polytechnique de Montral, Gnie Physique, Center-ville, Montral, Qubec, Canada H3C 3A7

Here we report fabrication of flexible and stretchable battery composed of strain free LiFePO4 cathode, Li4Ti5O12 anode and a solid poly ethylene oxide (PEO) electrolyte as a separator layer. The battery is developed in a view of smart textile applications. Featuring solid thermoplastic electrolyte as a key enabling element this battery is potentially extrudable or drawable into fibers or thin stripes which are directly compatible with the weaving process used in smart textile fabrication. The paper first details the choice of materials, fabrication and characterisation of electrodes and a separator layer. Then the battery is assembled and characterised, and finally, a large battery sample made of several long strips is woven into a textile, connectorized with conductive threads, and characterised. Two practical aspects of battery design are investigated in details: first is making composites of cathode/anode material with optimized ratio of conducting carbon and polymer binder material, and second is battery performance including cycling, reversibility, and compatibility of the cathode/anode materials.

You can check it out at:
http://bit.ly/xAcF5T

iOS 5 'Crashes More Apps' Than Android

The Register's Anna Leach reports that recent data from Crittercism monitoring software that records app crashes as a percentage of app launches and makes money by sending reports and diagnostics to the app's creators, has shown that iOS apps crash more often than apps running on the Android platform.

For the full report, visit here:
http://bit.ly/z4fhxU

Crittercism:
http://www.crittercism.com/

WD-40 Won't Not Fix Your Sticky Home Button, But It Will Likely Damage Your iPhone or iPad

Would anyone actually spray WD-40 on their Apple idevice's Home Button? Apparently so, causing iMore.com's Allyson Kazmucha to warn:

Do not - repeat - do NOT put WD-40 or any such substance in your iPhone or iPad; it won't permenantly fix your Home button and may, in fact, damage it far worse. The idea that repeatedly squirting WD-40 into your iPhone or iPad Home button could fix responsiveness began floating around the internet last month and has gotten some attention. That needs to be stopped immediately.... WD-40 may be non-conductive but the solvent in it will break down plastic. Your Home button is plastic as well as some of the internal parts.....

To read more, click here.
http://bit.ly/A2Zwvj

Third-gen iPad's 'Window Of Opportunity' Expected To Drive Apple Market Share Gains

Appleinsider's Neil Hughes says:

Apple's third-generation iPad is expected by one market watcher to soon arrive during an advantageous "window of opportunity," in which competitors have nothing significant to offer, that will further increase the company's lead in the mobile computing market.

For the full report, visit here:
http://bit.ly/yOPtU8

Why Kindle Fire Isn't Hurting iPad Sales

PC Mag's Tim Bajarin says he wasn't surprised when Apple reported that it sold 15.4 million iPads last quarter and felt no hit whatsoever in demand after Amazon launched its Kindle Fire last October, having stated in his columns and commentary that the Fire is simply a consumer-focused consumption device unable to span the broader business capabilities of the iPad, noting that the Kindle mainly appeals to the needs of consumers focused on media consumption, while the iPad's versatility attracts those who want much more.

For the full commentary, visit:
http://bit.ly/y9lxMu

Hatch & Co. SKINNY iPad 2 Bluetooth Touch Keyboard Case

Sold by Hatch & Co. and Fulfilled by Amazon, the SKINNY iPad 2 Bluetooth Touch Keyboard Case is claimed to be the world's slimmest & lightest keyboard case for iPad 2.

Features:
• Speed keys to control music, volume, language change, and virtual keyboard
• Wireless touch keyboard; Bluetooth connection to iPad 2
• Utilizes Smart Cover sensor: iPad automatically wakes up / sleeps when you open the case
• Type without losing half your screen to a virtual keyboard.
• iPad automatically wakes up / sleeps when you open the case.
• Speed keys for home, volume, music, and keypad sounds.

• Special surface adds texture to keys, enhancing your typing experience.
• Battery lasts 2 weeks (6 weeks on standby)
• Touch-active keys are also spill-proof

Technical Information:
• 9.6 x 7.7 x 0.6 (245 mm x 195 mm x 15 mm) (iPad 2 + 0.24 (6 mm) in thickness)
• Weight: 10.4 oz (323 g)
• Wireless: Bluetooth V 2.0 standard
• Battery capacity: 410 mAh
• Battery working time: 68 hours
• Battery standby time: 45 days
• Operating temperature: 32 to 95 F (0 to 35 C)
• Non-operating temperature: -4 to 113 F (-20 to 45 C)
• Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing

YouTube demo video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz2L2b-Mq6c

<P><CENTER> <img src="http://www.applelinks.com/images/uploads/hatchskinnyhand.jpg" border="0" alt="image" name="image" width="472" height="157" />
</CENTER>

Also available in black.

List Price: $109.99
Amazon Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $74.99

Ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

Details at:
http://amzn.to/y3YLaV

For more information, visit:
http://hatchnco.com/

Paint FX: Photo Effects Editor for iOS is finally available on the iPad

California based Sprite Labs has announced the release of the updated version of Paint FX - Photo Effects Editor for iOS. The new version features extended collection of filters and effects, even more easy-to-use interface, high resolution photos and iPad support. With the update Paint FX becomes universal app that works perfectly across all iOS devices. The app has already been featured as New and Noteworthy in 15 countries.

Right after initial release, Paint FX got "New and Noteworthy" and "Staff Favorite" banners thanks to its unique feature. Paint FX is the first app on the App Store that gives users the ability to decide whether to adjust the whole picture, or just a certain part of it. The choice is not limited to just one effect - Paint FX also allows applying multiple effects on top of each other. The app is perfect for adding just a little bit of flair or completely re-imagine a photo.

With Paint FX anyone can create professionally looking photos with just a few taps without any special knowledge. Users can easily change the color of the hair and clothes or give themselves a tan. Wide collection of filters and photo effects, which was significantly extended with the update, allows users to express themselves in tons of different ways. Such filters as Sketch, Hue, Cartoonize, and Threshold will easily turn photos into professional looking pieces.

All filters and effects are 100% customizable. Users can customize each effect and apply as many effects as they want on one picture. There is also a possibility to control brightness, contrast, and saturation with pinpoint accuracy. The app is comprehensive and the design is nice and clean and users can easily indulge their creativity and share it with the world.

"Since the launch of Paint FX on the iPhone, we have had tons of requests for an iPad version," says Nikita Sawant, Creative Director at Sprite Labs. "We spent a lot of time to make sure we have the right interface on the bigger screen and pack each pixel perfectly. We are pleased to finally bring the app to the iPad along with an update to the iPhone with a large set of new effects and features to allow even more creativity through an easy to use interface. We can't wait to see how users enhance their photos with this new version."

Device requirements
(*) iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
(*) Requires iOS 3.0 or later
(*) 19.6 MB

Paint FX 2.1 is $1.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category.

Paint FX 2.1:
http://www.animagik.com/AnimagikNewSite/paint_fx.html

Purchase and Download:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/paint-fx/id421532754

YouTube Video:
ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPinZjNJ_DA

Buick Fuel Efficiency Games Free App By General Motors

This application is intended to educate and inform users about the fuel-saving benefits of Buick's eAssist Technology through three interactive game experiences.

Buick Fuel Efficiency Games are designed to provide relevant content to people exploring Buick s lineup of vehicles on their mobile device. Roll and Boost, Wind Tunnel Tester and Regeneration Road demonstrate the three technologies that work together to make the Buick LaCrosse with eAssist Technology so fuel-efficient.

Enter the Wind Tunnel Tester and put your design skills to work to see how changes in a vehicle s body sculpture can result in big changes in fuel savings.

In eAssist Roll & Boost, the farther you go, the higher your score. The lithium-ion battery in Buick LaCrosse with eAssist Technology stores energy to give you that quick boost when you need it.

Regeneration Road lets you use regenerative braking to reach your destination in style while maximizing fuel economy. Slowing down and stopping will recharge your battery. Accelerating will use your fuel. The more fuel you save, the better your score.

System Requirements:
• Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.

Free

App Store:
http://bit.ly/y1SZ0s

Top Tumor Website now Available as Mobile App

The Tumorpedia/Bonetumor team announces the launch of Tumorpedia, a suite of mobile medical reference applications designed for healthcare providers and students. The Tumorpedia mobile applications deliver comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date information on the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors.

Tumorpedia is designed for physicians, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, primary care providers, podiatrists, residents, interns, medical students, and patients as well, Tumorpedia is available for iPhone and iPad, and is available now in the Apple App store.

Tumorpedia comprises a suite of mobile applications focusing on different types of tumors. The applications released today include Tumorpedia-lite, Tumorpedia-bone, Tumorpedia-soft tissue, Tumorpedia-foot and ankle, and Tumorpedia-Espanol, designed for Spanish-language users.

The Tumorpedia applications allow healthcare providers rapid mobile access to the content from Bonetumor, the web's most comprehensive medical information site covering all aspects of benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors. The website Bonetumor has been ranked #1 on Google since its inception in 1996.

Each Tumorpedia app contains information on 20 to 50 different tumors, covering the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and examination findings, as well as the xray, MRI, and CT scan appearance of the tumor. The diagnostic features of each tumor are illustrated with hundreds of images from actual case examples. In addition, the microscopic pathology findings are described and illustrated. The app provides treatment options, outcomes information, and prognosis for each tumor.

"There is no textbook in print that has the information available in this application, presented in the manner that it is. It's a great tool for orthopedic surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, podiatrists, residents and students who might be caring for patients with these tumors. It's hard to memorize the variable presentations and diagnostic features of these tumors, which can range anywhere from minor, benign conditions to serious, aggressive cancers. Zeroing in on the right diagnosis is really essential in determining the most accurate and appropriate tests to use. Having this information readily available, right at the point of care is invaluable," explains Dr. Henry DeGroot, principal content author of the applications.

It took DeGroot and his team more than five hundred hours of work to create and organize the content presented in Tumorpedia. Their goal was to make sure the app's information was accurate, evidence-based, comprehensive and easy to access in a clinical setting or at the point of care.

Device Requirements:
(*) iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad (also available on Android)
(*) Requires iPhone OS 3.2 or higher (iOS 4.0 Tested)
(*) 1.8 MB

Tumorpedia-Lite for universal iOS devices is free, Tumorpedia-Bone, Tumorpedia- Soft Tissue, Tumorpedia - Foot and Ankle and Tumorpedia - Espanol for universal iOS devices is $2.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Medical category. Promo codes will be supplied to qualified reviewers. Please identify the website or blog you represent when requesting promo codes.

Bonetumor:
http://www.bonetumor.org

Tumorpedia Lite:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/tumorpedia-lite/id495518090

Tumorpedia Bone:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/tumorpedia-bone/id493813423

Tumorpedia Soft Tissue:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/tumorpedia-soft-tissue/id495517626
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28436
Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Monday, February 6, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/06 at 02:48 AM
•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

ARM-Powered iPad-like MacBook Air now unlikely? Can iPad Satisfy Ultracompact Laptop Aspirants?
Snow Leopard Security Update 2012-001 Version 1.1 Fixes Rosetta Issues
Apple Pulls OS X 10.7.3 Delta Upgrade After Crash Complaints, Redirects To Combo Update
Lion (Mac OS X 10.7): A Flea-Bitten Cat
Seagate Predicts Lack Hard Drives for 2012: Truth or A Strategy to Keep Prices High?
Motherboard Prices To Hike By 10% At End Of 1Q12
Time Machine: How To Transfer Backups From The Current Backup Drive To A New Backup Drive

------–

ARM-Powered iPad-like MacBook Air now unlikely? Can iPad Satisfy Ultracompact Laptop Aspirants?

CNET's Brooke Crothers comments that based on a Friday note to investors from Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner, who met with CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer last Thbursday, more powerful, versatile iPads are on the way, with the Apple execs seeming to think that a MacBook Air with ARM internals, iPad-like features, and running the iOS is not necessary.

Crothers cites Gardner saying in the note that: "Tim Cook reiterated his view that rapid innovation on the iOS platform (and mobile OS platforms in general) will significantly broaden the use case for tablets, eventually pushing annual tablet volumes above those of traditional PCs. We have wondered whether Apple might offer an ARM-based version of MacBook Air at some point; we walked away from this meeting with the impression that Apple feels iPad satisfies - or will soon satisfy - the needs of those who might have been interested in such a product."

Based on Gardner's take, Crothers deduces that Mr. Cook appears to be convinced that the iPad - or at least future versions of the iPad - will satisfy any significant potential consumer demend for an iOS and ARM-based MacBook Air.

The current MacBook Air runs OS X on Intel's second-generation "Sandy Bridge" Core processors, with the next version refresh expected to adopt Intel's even more powerful and energy-efficient "Ivy Bridge" CPU family. Moreover, Crothers observes that Intel appears to be on track release its first power-conserving system-on-a-chip for mainstream laptops in 2013. Code-named "Haswell"--this would seem to be an ideal MacBook Air CPU, leaving less of a rationale for a move to ARM with the laptop.

So what is Apple planning for the iPad to satisfy would-be ARM Air enthusiasts? Crothers suggests that in the near term it's rumored to take the form of an iPad 3 with a faster quad-core A6 chip, a high-resolution 2,048-by-1,536-pixel Retina display, and LTE "4G" broadband support. He also specualtes that a more elegant physical keyboard solution for the iPad could be in the works at Apple, as well as both smaller and larger screen size iPads.

For the full commentary visit here:
http://cnet.co/Akk2Rz

Snow Leopard Security Update 2012-001 Version 1.1 Fixes Rosetta Issues

Last week, along with the OS X 10.7.3 update (which itself has proved to be bug-plagued), Apple released Security Update 2012-001for those of us who are Lion skeptics and continue to use OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Soon it was being posted in forums that the Security Update was breaking Rosetta emulation support for legacy Power PC applications. After installing the update, users were reporting that Rosetta applications would no longer work properly - unable to open, crashing if they did, unable to create and save files, or unable to print.

On the weekend, Apple released Security Update 2012-001 v1.1, an update to the earlier update.

Apple recommends Security Update 2012-001 v1.1 for all Snow Leopard v10.6.8 systems users to improve the security of Mac OS X, noting that version 1.1 of this update removes the ImageIO security fixes released in Security Update 2012-001 that had aderessed mishandling of certain kinds of TIFF image files.

For information on the security content of this update, visit: http://bit.ly/zVPN2r

Snow Leopard users can download this update via Software Update, or from Apple's Downloads page.

For more information, visit:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1489

File Size: 192.73 MB

System Requirements
• Mac OS X v10.6.8

Apple Software Downloads
http://support.apple.com/downloads/

Apple Pulls OS X 10.7.3 Delta Upgrade After Crash Complaints, Redirects To Combo Update

The Verge's Bryan Bishop notes that Apple's version 10.7.3 update for Mac OS X last week has been causing some major headaches for users in the form of app crashes and a strange CUI erro, and Apple's provisional response has been to remove the standard ("Delta") incremental update from its servers altogether, and in the menatime directing users to use the 1.34GB "Mac OS X Updated Combined" ("Combo") Update update that that also now appears when one runs Software Update on a Mac running Lion 10.7.2 or earlier.

For the full report visit here:
http://vrge.co/AhDhLL

Combo Updater 10.7.3 can be downloaded here:
http://support.apple.com/downloads/

Lion (Mac OS X 10.7): A Flea-Bitten Cat

Betalogue's Pierre Igot http://www.betalogue.com/2012/02/03/lion-bugs/ notes in a recent blog that ever since he upgraded to Lion last summer, he's been dealing with the usual, seemingly unavoidable collection of bugs that each and every major OS upgrade brings, but what's been particularly irritating about the phenomenon this time around is that six months and several incremental OS updates later, most of OS X 10.7 Lion's problems are still there, "and there is no indication that Apple is taking them seriously enough that we can expect them to be fixed soon," and that means using Lion for work or play can be a frustrating experience.

Igot highlights the Lion bugs that he finds most annoying, which include:
Lion's Mail
Lion's Safari
Lion's Finder

He says what's needed os a radical flea treatment for Apple's big cat.

For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.betalogue.com/2012/02/03/lion-bugs/

Seagate Predicts Lack Hard Drives for 2012: Truth or A Strategy to Keep Prices High?

HardMac's Lionel reports that Seagate has announced that the shortage of conventional hard disk drives should remain a problem in 2012, notwithstanding anticipated improvement in supply over the coming months.

He notes that Seagate was not really impacted by the massive flooding that affected Thailand end of last year, leading hom to specualate that this announcement might simply be a way to keep news networks under the impression that there will be a continued HDD shortfall in 2012, helping prices to stay high... or artificially high, and even suggests a possibility of collusion among the HDD vendors.

Surely not.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/xjqw3F

Motherboard Prices To Hike By 10% At End Of 1Q12

Digitimes' Aaron Lee and Adam Hwang report that motherboard vendors including Asustek Computer and Gigabyte Technology, in response to increases in the international price of copper and labor costs in China, are expected to hike their prices by about 10% as early as the end of the first quarter of 2012, according to industry sources.

For the full report, visit here:
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120202PD207.html

Time Machine: How To Transfer Backups From The Current Backup Drive To A New Backup Drive

An Apple Knowledge Base article says:

If you want to switch to a different backup drive, use this article to learn how to transfer your existing Time Machine backups to the new backup drive, and then use it for regular Time Machine backups.

Products Affected

Mac OS X 10.6, OS X Lion, Time Machine

You can check it out at:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5096
•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28435
Applelinks iOS News Reader - Monday, February 6, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/06 at 02:44 AM
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

Apple CEO Hints At No ARM-based MacBook Air As iPad To "Soon Satisfy" That Niche
Smartphone Sales Overtake Client PCs in 2011
Apple to Authors: Content You Make in iBook App is Yours, Not Ours
Apple in China: Should We Applaud Instead Of Condemn?
You Bet Apple Could Build The iPhone Here
Why The Tablet is the Ultimate Mobile Personal Computer
You Will Never Kill Piracy, and Piracy Will Never Kill You
Apple's iPhone Business is Now Larger Than All of Microsoft
AMD Predicts True CPU-GPU Fusion for 2014
Windows Phone 8 Details Emerge
Windows Phone 8 Preview
Why Desktop Apps Would Be Bad News for Windows 8 Tablets
The iPad's Split Keyboard Has Hidden Buttons that Make Typing Easier
Tunewear Security Locker For iPad 2
Improving Eating Habits Today with MealGuru
Ball Turret Gunner 1.0 for iOS released - World War II Action Game

------–

Apple CEO Hints At No ARM-based MacBook Air As iPad To "Soon Satisfy" That Niche

Appleinsider's Daniel Eran Dilger reports that after meeting with Apple chief executive Tim Cook and chief financial officer Peter Openheimer, Citibank analysts noted that a strong iPad outlook is leaving little likelihood of Apple developing an ARM-based MacBook Air.

Dilger cites Citi analyst Richard Gardner reporting that Mr. Cook reiterated his comment, originally made during the quarterly earnings conference call, that the market for tablets would eventually grow larger than the conventional PC market, and alluding to "rapid innovation on the iOS platform" that will "significantly broaden the use case for tablets," observing that his takeaway from the meeting was an impression that Apple feels iPad satisfies, or at least will soon satisfy, the needs of those who might have been interested in an ARM-based MacBook Air.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/ytJpiw

Smartphone Sales Overtake Client PCs in 2011

Canalys has released its full, detailed Q4 2011 country-level smart phone shipment estimates to clients, so completing the picture for the year. One notable result was that total annual global shipments of smart phones exceeded those of client PCs (including pads) for the first time.

Vendors shipped 158.5 million smart phones in Q4 2011, up 57% on the 101.2 million units shipped in Q4 2010. This bumper quarter took total global shipments for the whole of 2011 to 487.7 million units, up 63% on the 299.7 million smart phones shipped throughout 2010. By comparison, the global client PC market grew 15% in 2011 to 414.6 million units, with 274% growth in pad shipments. Pads accounted for 15% of all client PC shipments in 2011.

"In 2011 we saw a fall in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads," says Chris Jones, Canalys VP and Principal Analyst. "But pads have had negligible impact on smart phone volumes and markets across the globe have seen persistent and substantial growth through 2011. Smartphone shipments overtaking those of client PCs should be seen as a significant milestone. In the space of a few years, smart phones have grown from being a niche product segment at the high-end of the mobile phone market to becoming a truly mass-market proposition. The greater availability of smart phones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices.

However, Canalys expects to see smartphone market growth slow in 2012 as vendors exercise greater cost control and discipline, and put more focus on profitability. Notably, even vendors who have focused on conquering the low-end of the market with aggressive pricing, such as Huawei, ZTE and LG, are now placing greater attention on the higher tiers. Flagship models aimed at raising selling prices and improving margins will feature more heavily this year.

Apple's impressive end to the year resulted in it becoming the leading smart phone and client PC vendor in Q4 2011, with shipments of 37.0 million iPhones, 15.4 million iPads and 5.2 million Macs. It also smashed the record for the most smart phones shipped globally by any single vendor in one quarter, beating Nokias previous record of 28.3 million shipped in Q4 2010. Moreover, Apples performance meant that it displaced Nokia, for the first time, as the leading smart phone vendor by annual shipments. Apple shipped 93.1 million iPhones in 2011, representing growth of 96% over 2010. The iPhone 4S benefitted from pent-up demand resulting from the launch coming in October rather than June, but Apple's overall volume was also buoyed by continued shipments of the now more aggressively priced iPhone 4 and 3GS models.

Samsung also finished 2011 with a flourish. It shipped 35.3 million smartphones in Q4 2011 under its own brand, bringing its total to 91.9 million for the year, compared to just 24.9 million in 2010. This excludes shipments of rebranded products, such as the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, which Canalys counts under the Google brand. Samsung continued to spend big on marketing activities, and its strong product portfolio particularly the Android-based Galaxy S II performed well.

Despite a disappointing set of financial results, Nokia's smart phone performance in the fourth quarter gave cause for optimism. It shipped 19.6 million smart phones, down 31% from the record high of a year earlier, but up 17% on Q3 2011. The total was helped by 1.2 million and 0.6 million shipments of its Windows Phone and MeeGo-based products respectively, as well as improved Symbian Belle volumes from competitively priced devices such as the Nokia 500, 700 and 701. Its total smart phone shipments for the year came in at 77.3 million globally.

"Its first Windows Phone products, the Lumia 800 and 710, along with the recently announced Lumia 900 through AT&T in the US, have improved the outlook for Nokia," Canalys Senior Analyst, Tim Shepherd, observes. "They are well-designed, competitive devices that demonstrate innovation is still alive within Nokia. But the battle is not over and it has huge challenges ahead. Nokia must continue to build out its Lumia portfolio with devices tailored to address all price points and all the markets in which it aims to compete. It must hasten its transition from Symbian to Windows Phone around the world and, with Microsoft, promote and generate excitement for the platform and new products. And it must succeed in attracting more developers to build high quality, locally relevant apps."

RIM's demise in 2011 has been overplayed by some, with the company ending the year as the fourth largest smart phone vendor and delivering annual unit growth of 5%. There is no denying that RIM has had a tough year, said Canalys Principal Analyst, Pete Cunningham. But when you consider that it is transitioning to a new platform it has done well to increase volume while remaining profitable; the latter point being something that many other vendors struggle with. The appointment of Thorsten Heins as CEO will bring new energy to the company while ensuring that it does not radically deviate from its overall strategy in this transitional year. However, 2012 will become even more competitive and RIM needs BlackBerry 10 devices out there to ensure it retains its status as a major player.

At a platform level, Android accounted for 52% of global smartphone shipments in Q4 2011, with iOS representing 23% and Symbian 12%. Android was also the leading smartphone platform by volume for the whole year, accounting for 49% of all devices shipped in 2011 and ahead of iOS with 19% share and Symbian with 16%. Collectively, Android smart phone shipments grew 149% year on year in Q4 2011 to 81.9 million units, resulting in a total of 237.8 million for the full year, up 244% on 2010. Samsung's success and focus on Android have contributed substantially to the growth of the platform, but other vendors, such as Sony Ericsson, Huawei, Motorola, LG and particularly HTC, have also seen significant growth in their Android volumes over the course of 2011.

Apple to Authors: Content You Make in iBook App is Yours, Not Ours

Wired's Tim Carmody reports that Apple has amended a controversial clause in the end-user license agreement of its recently introduced iBooks Author e-book creation app. While the first version could be read as saying that any e-book created or edited in iBooks Author could only be sold exclusively in Apple's store, a revised EULA of iBooks Author 1.0.1, released Friday, makes it clear that content created inside iBooks Author belongs to authors, and can be sold on any other e-book platform, with only files encoded in Apple's proprietary .ibooks format limited to Apple's iBooks store.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/zAXmcl

Apple in China: Should We Applaud Instead Of Condemn?

CIO's Tom Kaneshige summarizes that Apple publicly names its overseas suppliers; a New York Times article blasts working conditions there; Apple CEO Tim Cook angrily rebukes the charges in an internal memo; and consumers call for a boycott of Apple products.

Kaneshige observes that Americans go through a ritual of hand-wringing about overseas labor practices every few years. Remember the angst back in the '90s over Nike's suppliers purportedly using child labor in Indonesia.

However, notwithstanding that working conditions in China may seem deplorable when viewed through the lens of American standards Kaneshige contends that its wrong to wag a disapproving finger at American companies taking advantage of cheap overseas labor. For one thing, we're to blame for most of it.

He suggests that American companies are also responsible, it's in a good way, noting that, the New York Times chose to portray Apple's main Chinese supplier, Foxconn, in a harsh light, but he argues that the opposite is true: Foxconn being an example of how far China has come.

Citing Oscar Wilde's observaton about observed that people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing, Kaneshige observes that Apple delivered the iPad to the world two years ago, Apple fans were cheering the low price, having matched the $500 price point of the cheap netbook, even though most tech analysts had projected that the iPad would come in at closer to $1,000.

He notes that because we are a society fixated more on price than value or commercial ethics, American companies have been obliged to outsource manufacturing overseas to places like China were labor is cheap in order to compete in an increasingly global marketplace. Consequently, American's crying foul over the horrible labor conditions there and hold American companies here accountable is an insufferably sanctimonious lightning rod to deflect liberal guilt,"allowing us to hold our noses in the air and feel good about ourselves." Then it evaporates just as quickly. We want to have our socially progressive cake and eat it too, while continuing to pay bargain-basement prices for our beloved electronic umbilicals.

"After all," Kaneshige concludes, "the iPad 3 is coming out soon and I know what youre thinking: 'Come on, Apple, keep the price the same.'" We have met the oppressor, and he is us.

For the full commentary visit here:
http://macw.us/wbtyyU

You Bet Apple Could Build The iPhone Here

The Nation's Alexander Cockburn asks rhetorically; "Why do American jobs end up in China?", noting that When President Obama dined with the IT execs. of Silicon Valley last year and asked, "Why cant that work come home?" Steve Jobs's reply was economical: "Those jobs aren't coming back."

Apple also pointed out to the New York Times that it sells iPhones in over a hundred countries, and doesn't accept an obligation to solve America's problems, affirmng that its only obligation is making the best product possible.

Mr. Cockburn is not impressed, and cites Reagan era US government trade negotiator Clyde Prestowitz in a blog on the Foreign Policy website and in phone interview in which he says Prestowitz efficiently deconstructed Apple's no obligation pretensions and its rationale for why it and kindred companies had no alternative to offshoring.

Cockburn contends that In the mid-90s, the cost of building a computer at Apple's Elk Grove, California plant was $22 a machine, compared with as little as $5 at a factory in Taiwan, arguing that this is not a dominant factor when the machine sells for $1,500 and you have costs like transport to figure in. Moreover, economically stricken America is actually becoming a low-wage magnet.

Cockburn contends that US workers, taught the necessary skills, can put things together properly, and that it wouldn't be difficult to make a lot more of the iPhone in America and make it competitively if either Apple or the US government really wanted that to happen.

For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/yFBu8r

Why The Tablet is the Ultimate Mobile Personal Computer

Tech.pinions's Ben Bajarin says his firm has been doing extensive tablet analysis over the past year, and that the more he studys the role of tablet computers in the industry and in the lives of consumers, the more fascinated he become with the form factor. Bajarin clarifies up front that he, like market research from Canalys (and your editor), believes and classifies the tablet as simply anohter form factor on the PC landscape.

Bajarin says he's been recently focusing on tablets being able to go where traditional PC/Notebook PCs would be the wrong form factor for the job in a growing number of use cases and market pain points, and that prior to tablets the market has been obliged to use PCs for jobs that we are now finding tablets better suited to.

He observes that n many business related scenarios we are seeing the iPad step in and take the place of notebook PCs, primarily because it is better suited for the specific task at hand, with enterprises discovering that for their most mobile workers the iPad is a better tool for the job than a clamshell notebook.

He also observes that the iPad makes a perfect learning companion, contending that touch computing removes barriers to computing presented by mice and keyboards, thus making 'pads better tools for learning for all ages, but kids specifically (not all of us agree on that point Ed.), contending that the iPad fits better into educational environments than the PC ever could.

Another iPad portability advantage is that unlike laptops, users are comfortable using them while standing, walking, sitting on the couch, laying in bed, in the bathroom, by the pool, at the beach, in the kitchen, etc, and taking the tablet places where they would not or could not take our clamshell PCs. Bajarin argues that when consumers use a clamshell notebook they are not truly mobile, whereas one can actually use a tablet and literally be mobile, so when it comes to computing mobility the tablet is mobile computing in its purest form.

For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/yWe8Eh

You Will Never Kill Piracy, and Piracy Will Never Kill You

Forbes' Paul Tassi says now that the SOPA and PIPA fights have died down, and Hollywood prepares their next salvo against internet freedom with ACTA and PCIP, its worth pausing to consider how the war on piracy could actually be won.

He says "it can't," is the short answer, and one these companies don't not want to hear as they put their fingers in their ears and start yelling. However, Tassi maintains that as technology continues to evolve, the battle between pirates and copyright holders is going to escalate, and pirates are always, always going to be one step ahead.

He notes that legislation is obviously not the answer, being as piracy is already illegal in the US, and most places around the world, yet it persists, not only underground, but more often in plain sight.

So, what to do? Go the other direction, says Tassi. Realize piracy is a service problem.He also observes that no matter how much the movie and music industries hold their breath, stamp their feet, and doggedly claim that each download is a lost sale, that assertion is patently absurd, and that the primary problem movie studios have to realize is that everything they charge for is massively overpriced, and that after the SOPA and PIPA debacle, Hollywood now looks like a dinosaur, as out of touch as someone trying to kill the radio or home video cassettes.

For the full commentary, visit:
http://onforb.es/Apbjqz

Apple's iPhone Business is Now Larger Than All of Microsoft

Forbes Tim Worstall says this won't be a surprise to anyone who has been following the numbers, but Apple's iPhone business alone is now larger than all of Microsoft.

For the full report visit here:
http://onforb.es/w6N6pT

AMD Predicts True CPU-GPU Fusion for 2014

Hardmac's Lionel says that the current trend among CPU founders is to add GPU on the CPU die. In fact, this is only aiming to engrave two chips, next to each other, on the same silicon die, as the design of transistor is dramatically different.

However, he reports that AMD wants to go further, announcing at aa meeting with to shareholders and analysts that by 2012, the CPU and the GPU will be one and unique, while bringing improved performance. A system will be developed to be able to use the CPU or the GPU depending on the most effective chips for completing the task.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/w2eeSh

Windows Phone 8 Details Emerge

PocketNow's Evan Blass notes that he's learned Microsoft has some major changes in store for Windows Phone 8, thanks to a video hosted by senior vice president and Windows Phone manager Joe Belfiore, and intended for partners at Nokia, in which a number of WP8 features and themes have now been revealed.

Takeaway is that an overarching theme of the Windows Phone 8 hardware ecosystem will be scale and choice, adding support for multicore processors, new screen resolutions (a total of four, although actual pixel counts weren't specified), and removable microSD card storage, all in aid of competing in spec sheet comparisons with the iPhone and Android-based devices.

NFC radios will also be supported for makinf electronic payments, ie: he "wallet experience," along with tap-to-share capabilities that will reportedly work across multiple platforms, allowing desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones to all share content.

Blass says Windows Phone 8 won't just share a UI with the next-generation desktop and tablet OS, apparently: but will use many of the same components as Windows 8, allowing developers to "reuse - by far - most of their code" when porting an app from desktop to phone, according to Belfiore.

Microsoft also expects 100,000 apps to be in the Marketplace (tipped for imminent worldwide availability) at the launch of Windows Phone 8 - rumored to be coming sometime in the fourth quarter.

To read more, click here.
http://bit.ly/wkMCT0

Windows Phone 8 Preview

WinSuperSite's Paul Thurrott says that thanks to a recent leak that revealed some interesting information about the next major Windows Phone version, he can now publicly discuss Windows Phone 8 for the first time.

Thurrott notes that Windows Phone 8, as its name suggests, will also be tied closely to the desktop version of Windows 8, sharing integrated ecosystems, thanks to shared underlying code, components, and user experiences.

For discussion of key new features of Windows Phone 8, visit:
http://bit.ly/zPtTy8

Why Desktop Apps Would Be Bad News for Windows 8 Tablets

Wired's Christina Bonnington says that Windows 8 represents a huge departure for Microsoft; for one thing the platform is slated to run on both x86 processors for PCs, and on ARM chips for tablets. Secondly, its a single OS platform with two distinctly different user interfaces. You'll be able to divide your time between the touch-optimized Metro, which borrows its look, feel and navigation from the Windows Phone OS, and a traditional Windows 7-like desktop experience.

She notes that on desktop PCs, a dual-interface approach shouldn't be a problem. Metro doesn't demand many resources, and it should run on PCs just fine. However there's still the nagging question of how will legacy desktop applications run on ARM-based tablets, if they run on ARM at all?

For the full commentary, visit:
http://bit.ly/wGuMbB

The iPad's Split Keyboard Has Hidden Buttons that Make Typing Easier

Lifehacker's Whitson Gordon says the split keyboard that iOS 5 brought to the iPad has a few hidden buttons on the edges, and explains how they work.

You can check it out at:
http://lifehac.kr/whx2Zz

Tunewear Security Locker For iPad 2

The iPad 2 can be worn around the neck for in-store, or for back-office applications. It can be secured to desk or table to prevent the iPad 2 from disappearing when used for in-store demos, trade show booth presentations and even school exhibits.

SecurityLocker for iPad 2 is perfect when using iPad 2 in public places for running in-store display demos, trade show booth presentations and even school exhibits. The clear polycarbonate hard case is designed with a security lock and wire features. It will both prevent theft of iPad 2 and protect it from dirt and scratches.

To install, simply open the frame of the case and fit iPad 2 inside. Secure the frame using the screws provided, then attach the wire with lock. The wire is approximately 3mm thick and 105cm in length. If not using the included wire lock, separate wires can be attached to the two corners of the case for a more customized form of security.

The machined polycarbonate material of the case is strong, scratch and shock resistant and built to last. The back of the case has four slip-resistant silicone feet to keep it from sliding around when placed on a flat surface. The iPad home button cover is protected by the case yet still remains fully functional. Protective film is also included to keep the iPad 2 screen free from dirt and scratches. The iPad Dock connector, earphone jack, front and rear cameras, switches and speaker can all be used with the case on.

A folding stand is included to help position iPad at the optimum angle for displaying presentations and movies. Items included with the SecurityLock for iPad 2 case are a wire lock with two keys, shoulder strap, folding stand, small screwdriver, two sets of screws, protective film for the iPad 2 display, a squeegee for installing the film and a cleaning cloth. The shoulder strap is made of a durable nylon and can also be hung around the neck for writing or drawing on iPad 2 like a sketchpad.

The clear polycarbonate hard case is designed with a security lock and wire features. It will both prevent theft of iPad 2 and protect it from dirt and scratches.

Tunewear says many companies have asked if these can becustomized with their company logo, and they can now provide custom logo printing.

SecurityLock for iPad 2 case price: $99.95

The Tunewear Security Locker is now available on Amazon at:
http://amzn.to/zgHb20

or the TuneweareStore:
http://bit.ly/A0LBeL

Improving Eating Habits Today with MealGuru

EMP Company Inc. has announced the launch of MealGuru for the iPad and iPad 2. This app was built to help people prepare healthy dinners for everyday of the week, showing them what to cook and how to cook it. The MealGuru provides balanced, nutritious weekly meal plans based on recipes from a database of 280 unique recipes, each developed by professional dietitians in accordance with USDA Dietary guidelines.

MealGuru users simply decide which foods and flavors they like and MealGuru comes up with a balanced meal plan, easy recipe instructions with inspiring photos, shopping lists, and more to make it all a reality. The app does the planning for its users, shows exactly which groceries to buy, ultimately saving them a lot of time and hassle. Newly improved, this culinary resource now lets people add in personal recipes to use when planning meals too. MealGuru is currently available for download on the Apple App Store for $4.99 in the Health & Fitness category. A free version of the app with limited functionality is available to try as well.

A perfect meal planning solution for health conscious families, the app features a wide array of unique kid-approved recipes as well. To keep things as simple as possible, MealGuru compiles itemized grocery lists for every recipe it generates, ensuring that getting everything together to cook stays hassle-free. In-app recipes and grocery lists can be emailed to its user as well as to friends and family with the tap of a button too.

Leaving room for a personal touch, MealGuru now allows people to add and store personal recipes right into the apps database via its innovative My Cookbook function. Personal recipes are circulated and added into meal plans randomly, meaning that favorites will always find a fair place next to the apps nearly three hundred dietitian approved choices. Theres no need to spend hours searching for healthy recipes online or analyze nutritional content meal by meal. There is no more need for people to think up weeks worth of meal ideas anymore! With MealGuru it is as simple as powering up an iPad.

Watch video demo at:
http://vimeo.com/35559794

For more information, visit:
http://www.themealguru.com/

Ball Turret Gunner 1.0 for iOS released - World War II Action Game

Hendrickson Software Components has announced the release and immediate availability of Ball Turret Gunner, a shoot 'em up iPhone game. Ball Turret Gunner is a realistic shooting game where the player flies in the ball turret of a B-17 bomber and attempts to protect their bomber from enemy aircraft until the bomber gets over its target and can release its bombs.

;

Enemy aircraft will attack from all sides, and the player must respond to the crew member's warning and destroy the attacking aircraft before the attacking aircraft destroys the player's bomber! Bandits - 2 o'clock! Climb into your ball turret and defend your B-17 until it can deliver its ordinance over the hated enemies war infrastructure ... You have to be fast, accurate, and have sharp eyes to make it to the bomb run.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the then-United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and more than met the Air Corps' expectations. Although Boeing lost the contract because the prototype crashed, the Air Corps was so impressed with Boeing's design that they ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances.

The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force based at Thorpe Abbotts airfield in England and the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in Operation Pointblank to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for Operation Overlord. The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields.

From its pre-war inception, the USAAC (later USAAF) touted the aircraft as a strategic weapon; it was a potent, high-flying, long-range bomber that was able to defend itself, and to return home despite extensive battle damage. It quickly took on mythic proportions, and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status. With a service ceiling greater than any of its Allied contemporaries, the B-17 established itself as an effective weapons system, dropping more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. Of the 1.5 million metric tons of bombs dropped on Germany by U.S. aircraft, 640,000 tons were dropped from B-17s.

Device Requirements:
(*) iPhone and iPod touch
(*) Requires iOS 3.1 or later
(*) 10.5 MB

Ball Turret Gunner 1.0 is $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Entertainment category.

For more information, visit:
http://www.hendricom.com/

Product page:
http://www.hendricom.com/ballturretgunner.html

App Store:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/ball-turret-gunner/id498456065
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28434
Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Friday, February 3, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/03 at 01:45 PM
•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Byte-Dock MacBook Pro Dock Launches Range Of Colours, Plus Free Cable
Snapseed Photo Editor For OS X
Apple's Lead in Tech Support Quality Continues to Slip in Consumer Survey
Notebook Shipments Expected To Rise Significantly In 2H12
25 Years of AppleShare Networking
Censoring The Web - Will Licenses Be Required To Surf?
Mac OS X 10.7.3 Supports New Crop Of Compact Cameras
Bean 3.0.6 Free Word Processor Update Released
Quicksilver 64 Keyboard-Driven Application Launcher And So Much More
SeaMonkey 2.7 Browser Suite Released
TechTool Pro 6.0.4 Released

___

Byte-Dock MacBook Pro Dock Launches Range Of Colours, Plus Free Cable

The Byte-Dock docking station for Apple's MacBook Pro is now available in a new range of colours.

The team behind the Byte-dock is hoping to continue the success of the device, which has gone down a storm since its launch last September.

The Byte-dock offers users a seamless solution for leaving computer peripherals connected while on the move with their MacBook Pro.

The developers say demand has far outstripped expectations for the Byte-dock, as they have been snapped up by MacBook Pro users worldwide in just five months.

Now Byte-dock's creators, Southampton, U.K.-based Techne Industries, have made the gadget available in pink, green, yellow, blue and wood laminate, as well as the standard black with more options to follow.

Techne Industries is also expanding the availability of the device by making it available via reselling and distribution channels.

And as an added bonus for buyers, they are also offering a free mini-display to HDMI cable worth £19.99 with every Byte-dock sold. It will allow it to be connected via the mini-display port to any HDMI-enabled device.

Mark Petley, who runs Techne Industries with partner Paul Hackett, says: "We have been thrilled with how people have embraced the Byte-dock since we launched it in September last year. We have also been careful to listen to feedback and take on board the comments of users and this is one of the reasons we have launched the range of colours. We are also keen to expand the wholesale options and to increase the overall availability of the Byte-dock."

Paul adds that "Hopefully the free mini-display to HDMI cable worth £19.99 will convince MacBook Pro owners that ordering a Byte-dock really is a no-brainer.

The Byte-dock provides extended functionality and ease of use and has been designed so it integrates with most office or home environments. It can turn the MacBook Pro into a desktop system using the mini-display to HDMI connection and cable, and display work on an external monitor. Users can also use an external full-size keyboard connected via Bluetooth or USB.

You can watch a video of how the Byte-dock works here:
http://www.byte-dock.com/byte-dock-video.php

The Byte-dock costs £99.99 and can be ordered from:
http://www.byte-dock.com

Snapseed Photo Editor For OS X

Snapseed for Mac OS is a photo app designed to enhance, transform, and share photos with ease using advanced features, such as:

• Easily adjust your photos with the Tune Image filter, now featuring Auto Correct and Selective Adjust for precise editing
• Experiment with fun & innovative filters like Drama, Vintage, Grunge, and Tilt & Shift
• Add Image Borders for a finishing touch
• Share your creations via email, Facebook and Flickr

Features:

• Basic Adjustments
- Tune Image - Easily browse and adjust your photos with a single click using Auto Correct, tweak your photos to perfection with Tune Image or selectively adjust specific areas of them with revolutionary Control Points.

- Use Ambience to create depth and vibrancy that uniquely adapts to colors and textures. Adjust White Balance, Saturation, Contrast, more.
- Crop, Straighten & Rotate - Rotate 90 and/or straighten photos and easily crop images to remove distracting parts of your photo. Now includes standard aspect ratios.

• Creative Enhancement
-Black & White - Get that classic Black and White look with this darkroom-inspired filter.
-Vintage - Make any photo look like a vintage color film photo from the 50s, 60s or 70s.
-Drama - Add style with a custom effect specifically tailored to your photos.
-Grunge - Give your photos a totally unique, hip, and dingy look.
-Tilt & Shift - Create the classic compressed depth of field look of a miniature set or emulate the swings and tilts of a large format camera.
-Details - Enhance details with traditional sharpening or the unique Structure control found in the Nik Software professional products.
-Center Focus - Draw attention to the subject of your photo by blurring the surrounding background.
-Frames - Add stylized borders to photos for the perfect finishing touch.

• Sharing:
-Email - Send images at original resolution.
-Social - Share on Facebook and Flickr.

• Help & Support
- Get started quickly with help overlays, tutorial guide, and videos. If you ever get stuck, our support team can help.

New in Version 1.0.1
- fixes a potential crash during Facebook authentication
- fixes a potential problem with wrong output dimensions that may have occurred after cropping
- fixes a problem that may have occurred when entering the Crop Filter while the image was zoomed in

System requirements:
• Mac OS 10.6.6 and 10.7.2
• Requires 64-bit processor (Intel Core 2 Duo or later
• JPEG, TIFF (in RGB color mode), and RAW file formats

$19.99

Mac App Store:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snapseed/id490118981?mt=12

Apple's Lead in Tech Support Quality Continues to Slip in Consumer Survey

Apple continues to lead Dell and HP in customer service quality for phone-based technical support, but Apple's support satisfaction among surveyed customers dropped significantly over the past 18 months, according to the latest study conducted by Vocal Laboratories Inc. (Vocalabs).

In telephone interviews immediately following a support call, 54% of Apple customers were Very Satisfied with the experience during the last six months of 2011, compared to 44% of Dell customers and 49% of HP customers. Apple's satisfaction score is down 19 points from the first half of 2010, while Dell and HP have generally held steady over the past two years.

Despite its significant decline, Apple continues to lead Vocalabs' survey in overall tech support quality

Looking at common complaints in 2011, fewer than 1% of Apple customers surveyed complained about the language skills of the support technician; much lower than the 8% of Dell customers and 10% of HP customers who reported similar issues. Many customers also complained about the extra cost of out-of-warranty tech support, but Apple saw fewer complaints here, too. About 1% of Apple customers volunteered a cost complaint in this study, as compared to 6% of Dell customers and 6% of HP customers.

"Despite its significant decline, Apple continues to lead our survey in overall tech support quality," said Peter Leppik, CEO of Vocalabs. "But where Apple used to be well ahead in nearly every measure of service quality, there are now areas where Apple is tied with, or even behind, its competitors."

You can download the survey's Executive Summary by visiting:
http://www.Vocalabs.com/published-research

For more information, visit:
http://www.vocalabs.com

Notebook Shipments Expected To Rise Significantly In 2H12

Digitimes' Aaron Lee and Joseph Tsai say that notebook shipments, benefiting from the recovery of hard drive shortages and launch of Windows 8 in the third quarter, are expected to rise significantly in the second half of 2012, with shipments proportionally in the first and second halves to projecrted to reach about 45% and 55% respectively, with the spread possibly as great as 40% vs. 60%.

Lee and Tsai note that hard drive shortages and weak US and Europe economies are the two major negative factors causing weak performance in the first half, especially the first quarter, according to Digitimes senior analyst Joanne Chien, who says that Taiwan ODMs' notebook shipments in the first quarter will drop 9.4% on quarter and 3.2% year-over-year.

A growth driver for the notebook industry in the second half is expected to be Intel's next-generation 22nm Ivy Bridge CPU platform, which will feature Intel's 3D Tri-Gate technology with power consumption anticipatd to be up to 50% lower than with existing 32nm Sandy Bridge processors. Apple is also expected to switch to Ivy Bridge silicon with a complete overhaul of its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air families in 2012.

Lee and Tsai say market watchers are pessimistic about Intel acheiving its goal of having Ultrabooks account for 40% of total notebook shipments in 2012, but expect the devices will still attract consumer interest, with mass shipping expected to start in the second quarter. Another boost is anticipated with the release of Windows 8 in the third quarter, and the reporters observe that if shipments of Android 4.0 and Windows 8 tablet PCs are counted, notebook shipments in 2012 might still be able to achieve double-digit growth.

For the full report visit here:
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120201PD214.html

25 Years of AppleShare Networking

In the latest Low End Mac Round Table, LEM Staffers reminisce about Apple's significance as a pioneer of computer networking at the 25th anniversary of AppleShare.

Long before the the Internet and Dropbox, there were personal computers on local area networks (LANs) and dedicated file servers. 25 years ago, Apple introduced AppleShare, the software that could turn a Macintosh into a dedicated file server on an AppleTalk network using the network ports built into every Mac....

The biggest breakthrough in making AppleTalk networking affordable came in 1987 when Farallon released its PhoneNet connectors, which used inexpensive unshielded telephone cables and standard RJ11 telephone jacks, not only making networking more affordable, but also making it easy to create long runs of cable - up to 3,000'! (That's three times the 1,000' maximum distance for LocalTalk.) LocalTalk supports up to 32 devices, which made it great for home and small office use.

Also in 1987, Apple introduced the AppleShare software that allowed users to set up a dedicated Macintosh 512K (or newer) as a file server for a LocalTalk network (With only 128 KB of memory, the original Macintosh didn't have to resources to work as a file server. A Mac Plus with a SCSI hard drive was a much better choice.)

Personal File Sharing became part of the Mac OS when System 7 was introduced in May 1991. Prior to that, there had been a few third-party apps that gave System 6 users limited personal file sharing, perhaps the most used being Public Folder release by Claris, Apple's software division.

For the full discussion, visit:
Short link: http://bit.ly/AAFEK2

Censoring The Web - Will Licenses Be Required To Surf?

PC Mag's John C. Dvorak says the future of the Internet seems bleak, but Americans are too busy playing Angry Birds to notice, noting that Twitter is essentially censoring its services in various countries to abide by local laws, and Google's Blogger.com intends to do the same thing, and will carry over to Google+.

"This is the beginning of the end for the Internet, I can assure you," Dvorak predicts, citing a Fox News report that Google can now make content on its Blogger platform selectively available to users based on local laws, in a move similar to Twitter's new country-specific censoring ability which prompted a backlash from critics.... Under the changes, Google is redirecting users to country-specific domains for its Blogger sites which will allow certain content to be blocked in countries "where censorship is required," a phrase that speaks volumes.

Dvorak suggests that acceptance and tolerance of the notion of national censorship on a country-by-country basis will eventually lead to a completely censored and dumbed-down Internet, only be useful for approved shopping, Twitter, and Facebook, the rationale being that we don't need an out-of-control information exchange in which fake information can be used to stir up the public, so content must be censored to protect the public from getting alarmed by crazy information found on the Web. He further suggests that this dismal scenario will eventually lead to Internet licenses being required for blogging, podcasting, and just about everything else, in fact, and necessity to register with the government just to use the net.

This will happen, Dvorak observes, because evidently some 99.9 percent of the American populace don't give a crap, few ever doing do deep searches or much of anything more than checking Facebook, buying stuff at Amazon, playing Angry Birds, and photo sharing.

Unhappily, I suspect Dvorak has the future nailed. [Ed.]

For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/zj6fue

Mac OS X 10.7.3 Supports New Crop Of Compact Cameras

CNET's Stephen Shankland says if there's any doubt about the accelerating shift from traditional SLRs to more compact interchangeable-lens cameras, let the newly released Mac OS X 10.7.3 update put them to rest.

Shankland reports that of the eleven cameras whose raw image formats Lion now supports, six of them are compact mirrorless models. - the Nikon 1 J1 and V1, the Olympus Pen E-PL1s, E-PM1, and E-PM1; and the Sony Alpha NEX-5N. All these models forsake SLR's flip-up mirror and optical viewfinder, enabling a more compact design.

He notes that these new cameras come with new proprietary raw formats whose inner workings must be decoded, and Apple, unlike Microsoft, builds that support directly into the operating system so software such as iPhoto and Aperture can handle the images, which must be updated with new introductions.

For the full report visit here:
http://cnet.co/wLmDzp

Bean 3.0.6 Free Word Processor Update Released

Bean 3 is a small, easy-to-use and free rich text editor and lightweight word processor designed to make writing convenient, efficient and comfortable. A fairly extensive bugfix version 3.0.5 release is now available.

Lean, fast and uncluttered, Bean starts up quickly, has a live word count, page layout mode, full-screen mode, regular expression search/replace, multi-column text, inline graphics, detailed statistics, and much more, and its user interface is easy on the eyes. While MS Word, OpenOffice, etc. try to be all things to all people, sometimes you just want the right tool for the job. That's Bean's niche. For example, Bean doesn't do footnotes or use stylesheets and is only partially compatible with Word's file formats. Also, it allows in-line graphics, but not floating graphics.

New in Version 3 are an optional single-window tabbed interface layout, template documents with boilerplate text, a split view, a two-up layout view, freeform headers and footers, plain text editing, and other improvements.

Bean features:

live word count

make template documents with boilerplate text

free-form headers and footers

page layout view (optional 2-up)

alternate colors option (e.g., white text on blue)

split-window editing

full screen editing

date-stamped backups

selection of text by text style, paragraph style, color, etc.

find panel allows regular expressions (pattern matching)

all of Cocoa's good stuff (dictionary, word completion, etc.)

Bean natively reads and writes these file formats:

.rtf format (rich text)

.rtfd format (rich text with graphics)

.bean format (identical to .rtfd)

plain text (Unicode and legacy)

.webarchive format (Apple's web archive format)

Bean transparently imports and exports these formats:

.doc format (MS Word '97, minus images, margins, and page size)...more info here

.docx format (Word 2007, minus images and some formatting)...more info here

.odt format (OpenDocument, minus images, margins, and page size)

Bean can export all of the above formats to these formats:

.html (web page format)

.pdf

.doc compatible (with images intact)

New in Version Version 3.0.6:
The Inspector now updates more consistently (20120129-1).
Fixed a text field input validation bug that in rare cases could cause a crash (20120130-1).
Switching a document from full screen to a non-grouped window would not restore the document presentation settings. Fixed (20120130-3).
Fixed a regression in 3.0.5 where File > Prevent Editing setting was not maintained when switching documents between windows (20120130-2).
A status bar shown only to support Documents > Buttons now re-hides for other document navigation views (20120131-1).
Reimplemented cycle windows (command-~) since it wasn't working correctly for some unknown reason (20120130-4).
Fixed the bug where a newly created text table had black borders, then added cells had gray borders (20120201-1).
You can now select a plain text document under Preferences > New > New Document Template > Custom > Choose Template (20120131-3).
Updated Slovak translation, courtesy Rudolf Gavlas.
Added Chinese (Simplified) translation

System requirements:
OS X 10.5 Leopard, 10.6 Snow Leopard, or 10.7 Lion
An older version (2.4.5) is still available compatible with OS X Tiger 10.4+

For more information, visit:
http://www.bean-osx.com/Bean.html

Quicksilver 64 Keyboard-Driven Application Launcher And So Much More

Quicksilver is a light, fast and free Mac application that gives you the power to control your Mac with keystrokes alone.

With Quicksilver you can find what you need quickly and easily, then act upon it as you see fit. All with your fingers on the keyboard. For example, if you want to find an application hidden in the depths of your file system, just activate Quicksilver with a keystroke, type a few letters of the application's name, then hit Return or Enter to launch it, or tab and type to find an action such as Quit, Trash, Email To..., Run at Login, Move To..., Get Info, Reveal, the list goes on.

Quicksilver indexes and parses only selected parts of the contents of your hard drive in the Catalog, which means it locates and displays the items matching your search quickly. Quicksilver has a modular structure which means features for interaction with a whole host of of other applications (iTunes, 1Password, Safari, Microsoft Office) can be done after installing the relevant plugin.

Versions compatible with older OSes are available at
http://qsapp.com/download.php

New in version 64:

FIX: Prevent all plug-ins from being deleted on launch

FIX: Prevent some interfaces from showing <qscommand 0xffff> as the command

FIX: The plug-in download progress bar works

FIX: Accented characters no longer wipe out the search string (Issue #539)

FIX: Latest Download proxy object works with a symlinked Downloads folder (Issue #596, #616)

FIX: Correctly display dynamically generated details for objects and actions (Issue #591)

FIX: Correctly notify the user when there's no internet connection (Issue #640)

FIX: Prevent a crash when trying to run an AppleScript that was moved or deleted

FIX: Better handling of Dock icon preferences and crash protection (Issue #587)

CHANGE: If the name and details are identical, don't show both

CHANGE: Simplified the wording in the Setup Assistant

CHANGE: Updated QSDroplet icon to reflect the new style

System requirements:
Intel, Mac OS X 10.6 or later

For more information, visit:
http://qsapp.com/

SeaMonkey 2.7 Browser Suite Released

Mozilla's SeaMonkey 2.7 is an Internet application suite combining a Web browser based on the Firefox Gecko core, email and newsgroup clients, an IRC chat, Web development tools, and a simple HTML editor.

The SeaMonkey version 2.7 release incorporates recent changes to the Mozilla platform, including anti-aliasing for WebGL, support for CSS3 3D-Transforms, support for the new HTML5 bdi element for bi-directional text isolation, and other improvements.

New in SeaMonkey 2.7

SeaMonkey 2.7 contains the following major changes relative to SeaMonkey 2.6:

• SeaMonkey-specific changes
- Add-ons are compatible by default now, provided they are declared compatible with SeaMonkey version 2.1 or better (bug 702792).
Mozilla platform changes
- Anti-Aliasing for WebGL is now implemented (see bug 615976).
CSS3 3D-Transforms are now supported (see bug 505115).
- New <bdi> element for bi-directional text isolation, along with supporting CSS properties (see bug 613149 and bug 662288).
- Added IndexedDB APIs to more closely match the specification.
- Fixed several stability issues.

The changes page lists a more detailed overview of new features and fixes relative to the last stable release, SeaMonkey 2.6:
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/releases/seamonkey2.7/changes#new

Relevant security fixes are listed on Security Advisories for SeaMonkey:
http://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/seamonkey.html

System Requirements Mac:

Operating Systems
- Mac OS X 10.5
-Mac OS X 10.6
- Mac OS X 10.7 (starting with SeaMonkey 2.3)

Minimum Hardware
- Macintosh computer with an Intel processor
- 200 MB of free hard drive space

SeaMonkey is freeware

For more information, visit:
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/releases/seamonkey2.7/

TechTool Pro 6.0.4 Released

Micromat's TechTool Pro 6 delivers hardware diagnostics,
drive repair and daily maintenance for your Mac. Repair damaged volumes, identify files in bad blocks, recover deleted files. Clone exact duplicates of drives for backup. Create an emergency startup partition without requiring a physical boot DVD, exclusively via eDrive.

Testing, Maintenance and Optimization-to keep your Mac running smoothly.

• SMART test drives (including internal ATA, SATA or SSD's) to identify impending problems before a potential crash, prevent file access conflicts, and monitor LAN activity, services and device availability. Optimize to help speed up your Mac.

Single-click Diagnostics so you can quickly identify impending problems.

• Easy-to-use, one-click diagnostics scans critical CPU, memory, video hardware and more to identify aberrant behavior, providing ongoing protection and to help you mitigate issues and prevent costly repairs.

System Requirements:
- G4, G5 Macs, 867 MHz or faster; All Intel-based Macs.
- Mac OS X 10.4.9 or greater, including Mac OS X 10.7 'Lion'.
- Mac OS X 10.5 or greater for eDrive creation on active startup volume.
- DVD-ROM required to boot from DVD.
- 512 Megabytes RAM or higher.

Note: Some models do not boot from the TechTool Pro DVD.

New in version 6.0.4:

Changes:
- Improvement to Volume Rebuild/Repair routines.
- Enhancements and fixes in the Surface Scan test.
- Fixed an eDrive and Spotlight volume unmounting issue.
- Added ability to Wipe Free Space on an active system volume in Wipe Data.
- Significant improvements and updates to the Local Network tool for Bonjour enabled devices.
- Improved support of Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) FileVault encrypted and RAID volumes in TechTool Protection.
- Updated and fixed localization issues for French, Italian, German, Japanese and Chinese (Simplified).
- Included additional machine identification models to Check Computer.
- Updated Growl support.

New - $99.99

Upgrade - $39.99

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/ysi3vu

•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28433
Applelinks iOS News Reader - Friday, February 3, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/03 at 01:37 PM
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

comScore Reports December 2011 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market - iPhone In 4th And Gaining
AMD's Tablet-Oriented Hondo Processor Family Details Leaked
Snapseed Photo Editor App For iOS
How To Clean LCD Screens Website Celebrates 5th Birthday
Next-Generation UNIEA iPad 2 Cases Foreshadow New iPad Release, Plus Valentine's Day Sale
iPhoneArt.com Announces Annual Mobile Art Grant Recipient
Greeting Cards for iPad 1.1 (Free) - Sampler of Custom Photo/Text Cards

___

Apple Special Event For New Product Announcements In Early March Rather Than February?

Japanese blogsite Macotakara's danbo says that according to previous intelligence sources and suppliers in Asia, Apple had been planning to hold a Special Event in early February, an unusual date for Apple, so that products will be available in early March.

Adding to the intrigue is that it is now further rumored that Apple Will hold "Strange" event instead of a Special Event, in February, with a more customary Special Event for new products (eg: iPad 3) to still be hold in early March, with product release coming later in March as usual.

Clear as mud, eh what? Ed.

For the full report visit here:
http://www.macotakara.jp/blog/index.php?ID=15589

comScore Reports December 2011 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market - iPhone In 4th And Gaining

comScore, Inc. on Thursday released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending December 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.3 percent market share. Google Android strengthened its lead in the smartphone market to reach 47.3 percent market share.

OEM Market Share

For the three-month average period ending in December, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 25.3 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers, followed by LG with 20 percent share and Motorola with 13.3 percent share. Apple continued to gain ground in the OEM market with 12.4 percent share of total mobile subscribers (up 2.2 percentage points), while RIM rounded out the top five with 6.7 percent share.

97.9 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in December, representing 40 percent of all mobile subscribers. Google Android ranked as the top smartphone platform with 47.3 percent market share, up 2.5 percentage points from September. Apple maintained its #2 position, growing 2.2 percentage points to 29.6 percent of the smartphone market. RIM ranked third with 16 percent share, followed by Microsoft (4.7 percent) and Symbian (1.4 percent).

Mobile Content Usage

In December, 74.3 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, up 3.2 percentage points. Downloaded applications were used by 47.6 percent of subscribers (up 5.1 percentage points), while browsers were used by 47.5 percent (up 4.6 percentage points). Accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 3.8 percentage points to 35.3 percent of mobile subscribers. Game-playing was done by 31.4 percent of the mobile audience (up 2.6 percentage points), while 23.8 percent listened to music on their phones (up 2.9 percentage points).

For more information, visit:
http://www.comscore.com/companyinfo

AMD's Tablet-Oriented Hondo Processor Family Details Leaked

Turkish Website Ozel-Haber reports that AMD is speeding up work on tablet CPUs, specifically its ultra-low power consumption Brazos-T platform, code-named Hondo. The report says the new processors, based on the existing Hondo-generation Fusion processors, mainly feature power savings and energy efficiency upgrades, with power consumption reduced to 2 watts while maintaining the core and graphics capabilities and to be supported as well with innovations coming in Windows 8.

Ozel-Haber says with the Brazos-T platform, AMD is targeting tablets and ultra-low power consumption fanless design devices, and that according to AMD's documentation, the new processors in 2012 will support 720p video playback to the Internet through the wireless network ports from 1.6 Watts - 2.1 Watts of power it consumes. Windows 8, "Always On, Always Connected" will offer the ability to support the processors. They say AMD's Brazos-T platform began sampling in December, and will begin volume production in the second quarter of 2012 - Brazos-T-based systems is expected to available simultaneously with Windows 8.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/xl7P51

Snapseed Photo Editor App For iOS

App Store Rewind's 2011 iPad App of the Year Snapseed is an iOS app that supports enhancing, transforming, and sharing photos using an array of advanced features, such as:

- Easily adjust your photos with a single tap using Auto Correct
- Tweak your photo to perfection with Tune Image
- Use Selective Adjust to enhance specific objects or areas in your photos
- Experiment with fun & innovative filters like Drama, Vintage, Grunge, and Tilt-Shift
- Add Image Borders for a finishing touch
- Share your creations via email, Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter

Snapseed for iOS supports:
- 6.25 MP images for iPad, iPhone 3GS, and iPod Touch (3rd & 4th Gen), 16 MP images for iPad 2 and iPhone 4, 4S (larger images will be automatically down sampled)
- JPEG and TIFF photos
- RAW photos (requires iPad or iPad2) transferred using the Camera Connector Kit (if files show up as a small thumbnail, go to Settings > Location Services and turn this setting to On for Snapseed. This is required to allow Snapseed to use the iOS RAW processing)
- Language support: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified)

Features:

• Basic Adjustments

- Auto Correct - Automatically analyzes your photo and adjusts color and exposure to perfection.

- Selective Adjust - Make precise selections and enhancements to specific areas of your photos in seconds with Nik Softwares revolutionary U Point technology.

- Tune Image - Use Ambience to create depth and vibrancy that uniquely adapts to colors and textures. Adjust White Balance, Saturation, Contrast, more.

- Straighten & Rotate - Rotate 90 and/or straighten photos with simple gesture controls.

- Crop - Easily crop images to remove distracting parts of your photo, now with standard aspect ratios.

- Take Photos Open photos from the Camera Roll or take new photos.

• Creative Enhancements

- Black & White - Get that classic Black and White look with this darkroom-inspired filter.

- Vintage Films - Make any photo look like a vintage color film photo from the 50s, 60s or 70s.

- Drama - Add style with a custom effect specifically tailored to your photos, ranging from subtle textures to wildly artistic effects.

- Grunge - Give your photos a totally unique, hip, and dingy look.

- Tilt-Shift - Create a narrow in-focus area designed to simulate depth of field, common in a Miniature Scene look.

- Details - Enhance details with traditional sharpening or the unique Structure control found in the Nik Software professional products.

- Center Focus - Draw attention to the subject of your photo by blurring the surrounding background.

- Organic Frames - Add stylized borders to photos for the perfect finishing touch.

• Sharing

- Email - Send images at original resolution.

- Social - Share on Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter (using iOS5).

- Print - Print wirelessly using Apples AirPrint technology

• Help & Support

- Get started quickly with help overlays, tutorial guide, and videos. If you ever get stuck, our support team can help.

New in Version 1.3.1

Snapseed 1.3.1 contains the following:
+ iPhone 4S optimizations
+ fixed a bug that created pixelated images in some circumstances
+ fixed a bug that caused images to be opened smaller than they actually are
+ fixed a bug related to lost Exif data

This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad

System requirements:
• Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.
• Requires iOS 4.2 or later

$4.99

App Store:
http://bit.ly/jcDLmv

How To Clean LCD Screens Website Celebrates 5th Birthday

CleanLcds.com, a handy website showing visitors how to clean LCD screens and displays, recently celebrated its 5th birthday of being online. This helpful site gives useful tips on how to go about cleaning the many different LCD displays currently on the market. These displays can range drastically in size - anywhere from a 60 inch flat-screen TV to a 4 inch cell phone display. Regardless of size, they all have to be regularly cleaned.

One common "Home Made" method involves using a 50/50 cleaning solution of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. Many experts suggest you don't use tap water, paper towels or ordinary dish cloths as these could potentially harm your screen, especially if we're talking about a laptop LCD (liquid crystal display) which is not made of glass but a soft film that can be damaged easily. Instead of a paper towel, use an old cotton T-Shirt or handkerchief. Shut down any devices before cleaning. Dampen your large cleaning cloth with your solution and apply very gentle pressure, cleaning the display in a circular motion. Let dry before turning your device back on. Word of Caution - you should always check your owner's manual for the recommended cleaning method for your LCD TV or Laptop Screen.

Another route is to buy one of the many different LCD cleaning kits and products which are purposely designed to clean LCD screens and displays. These cleaning kits are relatively inexpensive and can be found in most electronic stores or can be ordered online from such places as Amazon. CleanLcds.com explains the wide variety of LCD cleaning solutions, kits and cloths - one can use to clean any screen. It also features such cleaning items as Compressed Air Dusters and MicroFiber Chamois.

Other Helpful Tips For Taking Care Of Your LCD Screens

(*) Keep your notebook or laptop closed when not in use, this will help keep your screen clean.

(*) Try to keep small children away from your LCD devices, especially laptops. Some children may confuse a laptop for an etch-a-sketch like toy and create a masterpiece on your shiny new laptop. Ouch!

(*) Wipes are good for cleaning LCD on the road or when traveling.

(*) One person has suggested Absolute Vodka as a good cleaning solution.

(*) Make sure you cover your mouth when sneezing or couching around any LCD screen.

(*) It is not a good idea to use mineral or tap water because they may leave white spots from the dissolved salts.

(*) Purchase a can of compressed air - this comes in handy for removing dust and cleaning your keyboards or hard to reach places.

(*) If you buy any LCD cleaning product, try to get one that has an anti-static element in it. This will help keep down the dust and lint on your LCD screen.

(*) If you use any LCD screen in a dusty place, you may considering buying a protective covering. It is bes to buy this directly from the manufacturer to ensure the cover fits your device perfectly.

Given the wide range of devices now featuring a LCD display, having a quick and easy way to clean them without doing any damage, is a "must-have" solution in our computer oriented society. Besides keeping these items clean and in proper working order, will only increase our enjoyment of these gadgets for years to come. Dust, smudges and smears can subtract from that enjoyment, so visit CleanLcds.com to make sure all your LCD devices are operating at peak performance.

CleanLcds.com has been online since 2007 and has helped countless visitors find the proper way to clean LCD displays and screens. Featuring all the latest LCD cleaning kits and products, this handy website can be found at this URL:
http://www.cleanlcds.com

Next-Generation UNIEA iPad 2 Cases Foreshadow New iPad Release, Plus Valentine's Day Sale

Universal Electronic Accessories (UNIEA) is foreshadowing a new design and form factor for the coming iPad 3 in anticipation that its popularity in the iPad case market will continue to expand over the coming year with Apple's release of the third generation iPad.

UNIEA CEO Jeffery Chan explains that with the iPad 2, UNIEA was able to completely refocus its perception on what kind of case suits the average iPad user, understanding that elements of a handbag, folio, and wallet, together with rich, stylish construction materials, would make for a fundamentally more enjoyable tablet experience. Now, with the new and exciting rumors swirling around about the iPad 3 and how its form factor may change, UNIEA is ready to take its designs to the next level this year and offer iPad users with a selection of cases that are in perfect conformity with Apple's vision of aesthetics and ergonomics for their flagship tablet device.

In the meantime, UNIEA is holding a Valentines Day sale. From now until 2/15/12, use promo code GEEKLOVE for 40% off your order, plus $5.95 flat rate shipping worldwide.

For more information about UNIEA and its products, visit:
http://www.uniea.com

iPad 2 Case selection:
http://www.uniea.com/iPad-case/iPad-2-case/56.aspx

iPhoneArt.com Announces Annual Mobile Art Grant Recipient

With 2487 submissions from around the globe, the 2nd annual iPhoneArt Mobile Art Grant was awarded to Carlein Van Der Beek of Holland. First runner up is Nettie Edwards of the United Kingdom, and second runner up is Cindy Patrick, of the United States. A comprehensive list of all award winners, finalists, semi-finalists and honorable mentions can be seen on the IPA Mobile Art Grant page:
http://www.iphoneart.com/groups/323

In addition to revealing the winners, the grant page is an excellent Year in Review. For those involved in iPhoneography, its a great place to see many of todays top artists being recognized and for those less familiar, it provides a quick and comprehensive introduction to what is possible in the mobile arts.

Carlien will receive a $1000 grant for the development of her art, and will have her work included in Mobile LA: A 2012 Mobile Art Exhibition in Los Angeles. IPA will also publish a book that contains work by those who have emerged as the most influential mobile artists of the past year including the top 20 grant finalists.

The 20 finalists were selected by the IPA Grant Panel, and the final awardees were selected by Jane Deering, a long time gallery owner, curator, and advocate of the arts who has been showing the work of established and emerging artists in the US and Europe for over a decade.

"This was an exhilarating introduction to iPhoneography and the breadth of possibilities open to all who have a visual curiosity and are willing to explore new dimensions," says Deering. "Thank you to all the artists for their exceptional work, and to iPhoneArt for supporting this new platform!"

For more information, visit:
http://www.iphoneart.com/home

Greeting Cards for iPad 1.1 (Free) - Sampler of Custom Photo/Text Cards

MobileChamps has introduced Greeting Cards for iPad 1.1, their iBooks styled, free Social Networking app, which offers a sampler of different cards featuring decorative frames for any picture in the device's Photo Library. Users can add a personalized text message in their own handwriting, or an attractive, italic typeface. The app offers six kinds of cards, including: Miss You, Valentine, Chocolate, Birthday, Sorry, and Christmas. The custom eCards can be saved or instantly shared via integrated email, Facebook, or Twitter.

MobileChamps specializes in photography-related apps, and Greeting Cards for iPad allows the sender to place and manipulate a custom photo behind a specially shaped mask that gives the card a professional appearance. The free app comes with 10 professionally designed, high-resolution Miss You cards that are ready to use, and other kinds of cards can be unlocked via an in-app purchase.

Six Kinds of Greeting Cards:
(*) Miss You- 10 different themes, including: Seashore, Night Sky, and Hound Dog
(*) Valentine- 10 different themes, including: Candy Hearts, Red Roses, and Gift Wrapping
(*) Chocolate- 10 different themes, including: Box of Candy, Melted Chocolate, and Candy Hearts
(*) Birthday- 10 different themes, including: Balloons, Rainbows, Party Hats, and Birthday Cake
(*) Sorry- 10 different themes, including: Yellow Roses, Sandy Beach, and Teddy Bear
(*) Christmas- 10 different themes, including: Snowman, Christmas Tree, and Decorations

On launch in landscape orientation, the app displays a scrolling list of ten different greeting cards from one of six categories. Most of the screen displays the chosen card, and there are two buttons in the bottom tab bar, Add Photo and Add Text. The cards feature beautiful artwork designed to touch the heart of the recipient. Each card includes a printed greeting, e.g., "I Miss You," or "Happy Valentine's Day," and a thematic, custom shaped mask or frame.

Touching the Add Photo button lets the user select any photo from their Camera Roll, Photo Album, or Photo Library. Controls are included to increase or decrease the photo's size, and rotate it incrementally either clockwise or counter clockwise. The Add Text button allows the card creator to compose his or her own, special message, which can be displayed in the user's own handwriting or an italic typeface. When finished, three buttons give the user access to the app's integrated Facebook, Twitter, and email connectivity to easily share their customized card. A fourth button allows the user to save the newly created card. Designing a truly personalized eCard for any occasion is quick and simple and produces a memorable keepsake that will be treasured by the recipient.

Feature Highlights:
(*) 6 kinds of greeting cards- Miss You, Valentine, Chocolate, Birthday, Sorry, and Christmas
(*) Choose from 10 different themes in each category
(*) Express your feelings with a personalized message
(*) Any photo stored on the iPad can be put into the frame created by the card's cutout
(*) Beautifully shaped masks add a romantic feeling to each photo
(*) Photos can be manipulated using the app's built-in controls

"If you plan to send someone an eCard, why not send the best?" says Virendra Parekh of Mobile Champs. "With Greeting Cards for iPad you can create a high resolution, customized card that includes a dramatically masked photo and your personalized message."

New in Version 1.1
(*) Added Chocolate Cards.

Device Requirements:
(*) Compatible with iPad
(*) Requires iOS 4.0 or later
(*) 18.4 MB

Greeting Cards for iPad 1.1 is free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Social Networking category. Ten free Miss You cards are included, and additional cards are available as an in-app purchase for $1.99 (USD) per category.

Greeting Cards 1.1:
http://mobilechamps.com/greetingcards.html

Download From iTunes:
http://bit.ly/xfoPLH

YouTube Video:
http://bit.ly/wdjgW2
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28432
Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Thursday, February 2, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/02 at 01:46 PM
•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Time For The 13-Inch MacBook Pro To Go Away?
Kill The Caps Lock And Four Other Keyboard Improvement Proposals
A Neighbor's Daughter Berated By Steve Jobs' For Pushing Junk-Food (Girl-Scout Cookies)
Is Apple's Thunderbolt Truly Lightning-Fast?
15 Freeware Alternatives to Popular Mac Software
Why Steve Jobs Opposed Macs for Business, But Now They're Coming Anyway
Used Car Inspections.ORG offers Used Car Buyers the Top 10 Keys for Avoiding a Lemon
Prosoft Engineering Photo Transformer - A New Way to Organize your Photos

___

Time For The 13-Inch MacBook Pro To Go Away?

So says CNET's Scott Stein, who notes that the original 13" aluminum unibody form factor, which debuted as a just plain MacBook in October 2008, is getting a bit long in the tooth. As Stein observes, that was before Barack Obama was elected president, "Avatar" hadn't yet been released, the iPhone was still on its first refresh, and the iPad was still a year and a half away.

Stein observes that since October '08, the 13" unibody has barely changed at all, although beneath its anodized aluminum skin, it's a completely different computer today, with an Intel Core i processor, Thunderbolt, an integrated long-life battery, and better screen, but you can plunk a 2008 13-incher down beside the latest 13-inch Pro and most people won't be able to tell the difference.

Indeed, Stein he concedes that he himself has leaned slightly toward the 13" Pro as the laptop of choice if one had to pick an all-around Apple computer, but he argues that few people use optical drives, processor and graphics performance are roughly equivalent to the 13" MacBook Air, and suggests that making hybrid drives optionally available in the Air, a la some of the new PC Ultrabooks, would address his only misgiving abolut the Air vs. the 13" Pro. That's skipping over the Air's RAM limitations a bit too blithely, but with Apple's entire notebook lineup due for replacement in 2012, the 13" MacBook Pro is likely on the bubble.

For the full commentary visit here:
http://cnet.co/yBmBo1

Kill The Caps Lock And Four Other Keyboard Improvement Proposals

Slate's Matthew J.X. Malady contends that everybody hates something about their computer keyboard, and in his estimation it's the caps lock key, and he suggests that getting rid of it along with four other adjustments would greatly improve the typing experience.

Stick-in-the-mud that your editor is, I disagree about the Caps Lock key, which I find indispensible when I need it, albeit occasionally annoying. However, moving the Caps Lock so it isn't so easily hit when you're going for the a or s key would be more rational than getting rid of it altogether or moving to tapping the shift button twice a la the iOS virtual keyboard. Better than nothing, but I prefer a real Caps Lock key.

However, I'm not a complete reactionary, and I do agree with Malady that a dedicated em-dash key would be a boon, putting the exclamation point on the same key as the question mark sounds like a good idea as well, as does an iOS-esque .com key, perhaps combined with a @ symbol key.

For the full commentary visit here:
http://slate.me/zX5b2H

A Neighbor's Daughter Berated By Steve Jobs' For Pushing Junk-Food (Girl-Scout Cookies)

BusinessInsider's Henry Blodget cites an anecdote from Adam Lashinsky's Inside Apple that he says marks a new high for Steve's legendary irascibility, Lashinsky relating that a neighbor's daughter knocked on the Jobs house dor selling girl-scout cookies, and got severely berated by the great man for flogging sugar-laced junk food.

Nice.

For the record, your editor agrees with Jobs on the point, and I haven't eaten sugar (other than fructose in fresh fruit) myself since 1989, but there shoujld be reason in all things, not to mention kindness and tact.

For the full report visit here:
http://read.bi/xP7wk0

Is Apple's Thunderbolt Truly Lightning-Fast?

Popular Mechanics' Senior Tech Editor Glenn Derenes reports that tests with Thunderbolt gear show that the assortment of available gear and the price still leave a lot to be desired, noting that while Apple T-Bolt is up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and 20 times faster than USB 2.0, those speeds are theoretical maximums, and to see how much faster Thunderbolt can actually go, PM conducted this simple real-world test of an early piece of Thunderbolt gear.

Result: Thunderbolt is fast, but in PM's test it provided nowhere near the speed improvement Apple claims.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/z6unbA

15 Freeware Alternatives to Popular Mac Software

AppStorm's Henry Bennett notes that while there's a huge range of paid OS X software out there, more often than not there is also some form of free alternative, and he outlines 15 great free pieces of software that achieve much the same purpose as a popular commercial software application, although the latter are usually going to do the job better, look nicer, or have more features than any free app.

For example, he notes that while Photoshop is without question a brilliant piece of software, it costs a whopping $700, most people looking for a general photo editing application, and freeware image editor Seashore might be perfect for users on a tight budget, supporting layers, alpha channels, and has a decent tool set, image editing controls likes contrast and hue sliders and so forth.

The 15 apps profiled are:

Photoshop Alternative: Seashore
AppZapper Alternative: AppCleaner
Parallels/Fusion Alternative: VirtualBox
Linkinus Alternative: Colloquy
Transmit Alternative: Cyberduck
Concentrate Alternative: Isolator
InDesign Alternative: Scribus
Pages Alternative: OpenOffice
CoverScout Alternative: Album Artwork Assistant
CoverSutra Alternative: Bowtie
MainMenu Alternative: IceClean
DaisyDisk alternative: DiskWave
Illustrator Alternative: Inkscape
TextMate Alternative: TextWrangler
Coda Alternative: Aptana Studio

All excellent suggestions, although your editor leans toward LibreOffice as opposed to OpenOffice.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/etDDuR

Why Steve Jobs Opposed Macs for Business, But Now They're Coming Anyway

Wired's Caleb Garling says that when Dale Fuller was trying to resuscitate Apples PowerBook division in the late 1990s, he didn't see eye-to-eye with Steve Jobs.

Garling relates that while Fuller saw all those PC makers selling Windows laptops to big businesses, as he struggled to inject new life into Apple's then-moribund PowerBook division, he wanted to do the same, but Steve Jobs said no, harboring an aversion to business IT departments, which Jobs argued were about control and not about empowering the user. And since one of Jobs's abiding central beliefs was that computers should be about the user, he wouldn't let Fuller sell PowerBooks to businesses, Fuller noting that he
doesn't think Steve ever cared about money - just wanted to do this stuff the right way.

However, Garling reports that 15 years on, Dale Fuller still thinks Macs are good for business, his new company, MokaFive's slogan being "Finally, Apple for the Enterprise."

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/yoWjTd

Used Car Inspections.ORG offers Used Car Buyers the Top 10 Keys for Avoiding a Lemon

The non-profit organization, Used Car Inspections.ORG has put together the top 10 reasons bad cars are bought and financed. Knowledge is power and knowing the top 10 Myths, Misconceptions and Pitfalls will reduce the financial and safety risks when purchasing a used vehicle.

"Any one of the following Top 10 items can cause a financial nightmare when purchasing a used vehicle," says John Adams, founder of UsedCarInspections.ORG.

#10) Used Car Lemon Law
Many used car buyers assume that since there is a new car Lemon Law, there must be a used car Lemon Law. Most states do not have any type of a used car Lemon Law. It is the buyers responsibility to determine the true condition of the vehicle before purchase.

#9) Take Back Period
Many used car buyers still believe there is an automatic 3-day take back period, or they can take it back if they have not made the first payment. There is no such law or protection.

#8) Automatic Warranty
Many used car buyers have a belief there is some sort of automatic warranty when purchasing from a used car dealer. However, dealers (in most States) and individuals are not required to give any type of used car warranty. Any warranty must be in writing to be enforceable and most warranties are limited to certain parts or systems of the vehicle. Used car buyers must understand what components and/or systems are covered, and NOT covered, and for what length of time. Most warranties are very limited covering just the drive train and not the majority of mechanical and electrical systems. Warranties do not cover any problems caused by previous accident damage. Note: A used vehicle might have some remaining factory warranty. This is different from a warranty given by a used car dealer. Vehicles with remaining factory warranty should be inspected for previous accident damage and abuse by the former owner(s), which may void the remaining factory warranty.

#7) "AS -IS" Document
When purchasing a vehicle from a used car dealer, all buyers are required to sign the AS-IS document. The "AS IS document has two check boxes, Warranty and AS-IS No Warranty ( http://www.usedcarinspections.org/as_is.htm ). If the AS IS box is checked, used car buyers are responsible for all problems after the purchase. If the Warranty box is checked, the dealer offers some sort of warranty for a specific time. Used car buyers must understand what components and/or systems are covered, and NOT covered, and for what length of time.

#6) Odometer Fraud
It is estimated that 1 in 4 used vehicles have odometer discrepancies ( http://www.usedcarinspections.org/odometer.htm ). A professional pre-purchase inspection can determine if the wear and tear on the vehicle is consistent with the odometer reading. Vehicles with altered miles or abnormal wear and tear will be worth much less than book value.

#5) Frame Damaged and Flooded Vehicles
It is estimated that 1 in 14 vehicles on the road today are rebuilt from salvage and that 40% of all frame repairs are substandard (http://www.usedcarinspections.org/frame.htm). Used car buyers will need a professional pre-purchase inspection by an Automotive Technician that is also a Body & Frame Specialist to determine the extent of any accident damages, and the quality of any repairs. Many frame damage and flooded vehicles have clean titles and were never reported to the DMV, Carfax or AutoCheck. .

#4) Used Car Values
There are many web sites and publications that give used car values ( http://www.usedcarinspections.org/used_car_inspection_values.htm ). Normally, these pricing guides and web sites calculate used car prices based upon current sales plus additions and deductions for items including optional equipment and excessive miles. However, these web sites and publications cannot give accurate deductions for the true mechanical condition of the vehicle. Only a professional pre-purchase inspection can discover any needed repairs, abuse, and previous accident damages. The true value of a used vehicle is the book value minus any needed repairs, abuse, or previous accident damage.

#3) Certified Vehicles
There is no quality standard or inspection standard for "Certified" or Certified Pre-Owned vehicles ( http://www.usedcarinspections.org/certified.htm ). Any certifications, inspection standards, and warranties can vary greatly from dealer to dealer. As with any warranty, used car buyers must know what systems are covered, and NOT covered before purchase. A professional pre-purchase inspection is still required to determine any existing problems that are not covered under the limited warranty and any problems missed by the dealers cursory inspection.

#2) Vehicle History Reports
A vehicle history report cannot inform the used car buyer of any existing or potential mechanical or electrical problems, or the quality of any previous repairs, including any accident repairs. Vehicle history reports do not report all accidents. Carfax & AutoCheck have admitted that there are thousands of accidents each day that never get reported to their database. Only a Body & Frame inspection performed by a Body & Frame Specialists can determine if the vehicle was in an accident, the extent of the damage, and the quality of any repairs. There are "7 problems with vehicle history reports that cause buyers to purchase bad cars ( http://www.usedcarinspections.org/carfax.htm ).

#1) Pre-Purchase Inspections
Pre-purchase inspections (PPI) requires testing and evaluating of every mechanical, electrical, body and frame system of the used vehicle. However, there are no pre-purchase inspection standards and there are significant differences between Automotive Technicians performing PPI. Todays vehicles are so complex that most Automotive Technicians become ASE Certified in just a couple of 8 general automotive testing areas. ( http://www.usedcarinspections.org/ASEcertifications.htm ). However, only an ASE Master Certified Technician is qualified to properly test and evaluate all 8 mechanical and electrical automotive areas (http://www.usedcarinspections.org/ase.htm ). In addition, used car buyers will need an independent Body & Frame Specialist to uncover any previous accident and/or frame damage ( http://www.usedcarinspections.org/salvage.htm ).

The #1 reason bad cars are purchased is the buyers' inability to determine the current condition of the entire vehicle before purchase.

For more information, visit:
http://www.UsedCarInspections.ORG

Prosoft Engineering Photo Transformer - A New Way to Organize your Photos

Prosoft Engineering, Inc. has announced the availability of Photo Transformer at the Mac App Store.

"Prosoft is excited to release our new Photo Transformer app, which is a fast and easy way to categorize your photos by type, date or size. Photo Transformers categories make it easy to find the images you are looking for and then process them in a variety of different ways," says Greg Brewer, CEO of Prosoft Engineering, Inc. "Now you can easily manage your photos regardless of where they are located on your computer."

Photo Transformer (available for $9.99 via the Mac App Store) is a photo management app that provides fast, easy and automatic categorization of images by type, date, size, etc. Photo Transformer does not require your photos to be managed by a library or database; it will find images no matter where they are located on your system using its fast search and categorization engine.

These categories can then be used to easily select the images you are looking for and process them in a variety of ways.
(*) Supports Aperture and iPhoto.
(*) Handles tens of thousands of images and high-resolution images with aplomb.
(*) Supports the latest OS X technologies, including Quicklook and Resume.
(*) Highly parallel nature to take full advantage of multiple processors/cores.

For more information, visit:
http://www.prosofteng.com/products/photo-transformer.php
or
http://www.prosofteng.com
•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28431
Applelinks iOS News Reader - Thursday, February 2, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/02 at 01:41 PM
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

Most Of Your iPhone's Value Retained In The U.S.
Apple Jumps Into Third Spot Globally From Fifth In Mobile Phone Sales - IDC
Apple Building New ARM SoC In-House, Possibly for iPad 3 - Rumor
Jailbreaking an iPhone is Fair Use - U.S. Copyright Office
Tablet Ownership In Canada Nearly Tripled In 2011: Report
With iPad 3 Coming, Totem Encourages iPad and iPad 2 Owners to Sell Now to Get Top Dollar for their Tablets
About.com Launches Free Cooking App with Thousands of Recipes, Expert Tutorials and Kitchen Tools
BodyShopBids Expands to Offer Car Repair Estimates Online and via Smartphone App in Seattle, Portland, Spokane Metro Areas
Enhanced Safari To Go App Brings 3G iPad Support to Safari Books Online Subscribers
Top Tips and Tricks for Apple's Siri
Foxconn Ready To Start Production Of Smartphones, Tablet PCs In Brazil
BlackBerrys Losing Lustre Even Among Canada's Bay Street Legal Elites
New RIM CEO Thorsten Heins Faces Uphill Battle as Consumer Surveys Forecast an Exodus from Blackberry to iPhones and Androids
OMVS Eyes Multi-Billion Dollar Chinese App Market as iPhone Use Explodes

___

Most Of Your iPhone's Value Retained In The U.S.

China Daily's Zhang Yuwei notes that while China is widely regarded as the Apple's main production base, US consumers could be misled when they turn over an iPhone and see the "Made in China" label, which many perceive as meaning China is taking US jobs and making money from US products.

Zhang contgends that the reality is that this impression is not an accurate reflection of the situation, citing a report written by three US professors showing that only about "$10 or less in direct labor wages that go into an iPhone or iPad is paid to Chinese workers".

He says the report points out that while the Apple products - including components - are manufactured in China, the primary benefits go to the US economy because Apple continues to keep most of its product design, software development, product management, marketing and other high-wage functions in the US, and China's role, the report concludes, is much smaller than the casual observer would think.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/zCWU7E

Apple Jumps Into Third Spot Globally From Fifth In Mobile Phone Sales - IDC

The worldwide mobile phone market grew 6.1% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2011 (4Q11), as the feature phone market declined faster than anticipated, dragging market growth down to its lowest point in over two years. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 427.4 million units in 4Q11 compared to 402.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2010. The 6.1% year-over-year growth was higher than IDC's forecast of 4.4% for the quarter, but weaker than the 9.3% growth in 3Q11.

"The mobile phone market exhibited unusually low growth last quarter, which shows it is not immune to weaker macroeconomic conditions worldwide," says Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. "The introduction of high-growth products such as the iPhone 4S, which shipped in the fourth quarter, bolstered smartphone growth. Yet overall market growth fell to its lowest point since 3Q09 when the global economic recession was in full bloom."

While smartphones continue to grow in popularity, feature phones still comprise the majority of all mobile phone shipments. "Feature phones accounted for a majority of shipments from four of the five market leaders during the quarter," says Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "Even though their proportion is eroding, feature phones maintain their appeal on the basis of price and ease of use.

"At the same time, feature phones are fighting to maintain their market share," adds Llamas. "To meet the challenge, feature phones are becoming more like smartphones, incorporating mobile Internet and third-party applications. While this may not stem the smartphone tide, it should slow down the rate at which smartphones are selected over feature phones."

Regional Highlights

In Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan), the feature phone market declined in conjunction with the region's largest feature phone markets China, India, and Indonesia. The impact on phone demand due to the holiday season, which generally means a sales uplift, was minimal in this category. Meanwhile, smartphones maintained their growth momentum as the iPhone 4S was well received in Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. Competition in the Android market intensified as mid-range vendors, such as Lenovo, Coolpad, and Huawei, shipped large numbers in their home market of China. Elsewhere, the rest of the Android market was dominated by Samsung, followed by HTC and LG. Windows Phone gained some momentum thanks to sales of the HTC Titan and Radar and Nokia Lumia. In Japan, pent-up demand for mobile phones after last year's natural disasters and weakened economy meant unusually high growth for the country's mobile phone market. Smartphone sellers, such as Apple, fared particularly well while non-Japanese vendors continue to make incremental gains in the market.

The Western European mobile phone market was impacted by lower demand, a result of the worsening economic environment. Smartphone growth was not enough to offset the feature phones decline, despite excellent performances from Apple and Samsung. Nokia experienced another difficult quarter as a result of its transition towards Windows Phones. Feature phone shipments were near historic lows, supported primarily by very low-end devices. Overall, the Central Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMA) markets showed strong double-digit growth due in large part to Samsung's continued strength in the regions. Bucking its global troubles, Nokia shipments flattened out in the regions after a strong third quarter, enabling it to remain the market leader in the regions. Apple continued to make quiet progress in the regions as well.
In North America, smartphones held the spotlight with the launch of the Apple iPhone 4S, while LTE smartphones from HTC, LG, Motorola, and Samsung also made important gains. Research In Motion launched several new phones running on BB OS 7 during the quarter, and signaled a late 2012 timetable for its first BlackBerry 10 smartphones to reach the market, leaving an opportunity to its competitors to attack its market share.

Smartphones also took center stage in Latin America with the launch of multiple models across the region, particularly sub-$200 Android models. The low price points have enabled broader appeal, and have also found placement among popular prepaid markets. Although smartphones continued to grab attention, low-cost feature phones ruled the market, with strong participation from Nokia, Samsung, and multiple Chinese vendors.

Vendor Highlights

Nokia finished the year exactly where it began: as the undisputed leader of total mobile phone shipments. The company took another step in its storied transition, having officially launched its first Windows Phone-powered Lumia smartphones and its Asha line of smartphone-like feature phones. While both have received positive response from the market, Nokia has been quick to adjust its retail experience, customer engagement, and hardware bug fixes. At the same time, the increased focus on the Lumia, combined with changing market conditions in key markets, has prompted Nokia to change its strategy on Symbian smartphones. Fewer Symbian devices will be sold in 2012. Still, Nokia's broad distribution around the world and manufacturing capabilities make it a serious contender to maintain its leadership position.

Samsung finished the quarter and the year reaching new record levels: breaking the 90 million unit mark for the first time in a single quarter and breaking the 300 million mark for the first time in a single year. Leading the charge for Samsung was its growing smartphone volumes, boosted by the release of several high-end devices (Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Nexus), mass market models (Galaxy Ace, and Galaxy Y), and new Windows Phone smartphones (Focus Flash and the Focus S). These, along with its own steadily growing feature phone volumes, pushed Samsung closer to market leader Nokia, with fewer than 20 million units separating them in 4Q11.

Apple jumped into the third spot globally from the fifth spot last quarter thanks to a record-breaking quarter of shipments. That represents the Cupertino-based company's highest-ever ranking on IDC's Top 5 global mobile phone leaderboard. The launch of Apple's iPhone 4S smartphone, which is now available in over 90 countries (as of mid-January), was the primary reason the company leapt over LG and ZTE in 4Q11. Device sales in the U.S. and Japan were particularly strong given extra sales days in the quarter and carrier distribution.

LG's total volumes declined for the third consecutive quarter, sinking to levels not seen since the second quarter of 2007. Driving this result was a combination of waning interest in its aging feature phones and stalled smartphone volumes. In addition, from a full year perspective, LG posted the largest full year-over-year decline among the leading vendors. Still, the quarter did have some bright spots, including a return to profitability and a warm reception for its Optimus LTE smartphones across multiple markets. 2012 will feature more smartphones from LG, especially LTE-powered models, but the competition has similar smartphone strategies.

Chinese vendor ZTE nearly tied with LG for fourth place, with fewer than a million units separating the two vendors. Long known as a purveyor of entry level devices, ZTE's smartphones increasingly moved into the spotlight. The company's primary targets included countries throughout Asia/Pacific, but it also gained presence in EMEA and Latin America, and branched out into North America. Key models for the quarter included its popular mass-market Blade and mid-range Skate Android smartphones, and recently the company added its first Windows Phone-powered smartphone, the Tania.

On a full-year basis, the worldwide mobile phone market maintained its upward trajectory by growing 11.1% in 2011, which was down from the 18.7% year-over-year growth experienced in 2010. While part of the slowing growth can be attributed to softening demand for feature phones, IDC expects continued double-digit growth in the years ahead as smartphones continue to capture a greater share of the overall market.

For more information, visit:
http://www.idc.com

Apple Building New ARM SoC In-House, Possibly for iPad 3 - Rumor

DailyTech's Jason Mick says the iPad 3 looks to be a major bump, likely to have Apple's first LTE modem ans maybe its first homemade core, too, plus a "Retina" display made by LG Display Comp., Ltd.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/zlVqxg

Jailbreaking an iPhone is Fair Use - U.S. Copyright Office

PCMag's Chloe Albanesius reports that if you want to jailbreak your iPhone 4, you can go right ahead according to the Library of Congress, whose Copyright Office on Monday ruled that jailbreaking a smartphone - particularly Apple's iPhone - is permissible under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's (DMCA) fair use provisions.

Jail breaking is "innocuous at worst and beneficial at best," Ms. Albanesius quotes Librarian of Congress James H. Billington writing in his decision, notikng that the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) had asked the Copyright Office to review the jailbreaking issue, particularly as it applies to the iPhone.
Apple had objected to the EFF's proposal and argued that its policies are "necessary to protect consumers and Apple from harm," but she says Billington was not convinced.

For the full report visit here:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2366993,00.asp

You can download a PDF of Billington's ruling here:
http://www.copyright.gov/1201/2010/RM-2008-8.pdf

Other useful links:
https://www.eff.org/
https://www.jailbreakingisnotacrime.org/

Tablet Ownership In Canada Nearly Tripled In 2011: Report

The Canadian Press reports that Tablet ownership nearly tripled in Canada last year and will continue to surge in 2012, according to a report by the Media Technology Monitor, which found that among anglophone Canadians, tablet ownership was at about 11 percent last fall, up from four percent in 2010, based on surveys of 4,000 anglophones and 4,000 francophones late last year, and francophone tablet ownership was at six percent last fall, compared to two percent in 2010.

CP notes that MTM expects Canuck tablet growth toslow somewhat this year, with ownership rising from 10 percent among all Canadians in 2011 to about 17 percent.

The report also found that about 72 percent of all tablets owned by anglophone Canadianss last year were iPads.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/xaLi4k

With iPad 3 Coming, Totem Encourages iPad and iPad 2 Owners to Sell Now to Get Top Dollar for their Tablets

The iPad 3 appears to be on its way, with an arrival date speculated to be as early as March. Accompanying reports of the iPad 3 launch are rumors that Apple will soon drop the price of the iPad 2 to $399 or even $299. Totem encourages customers looking to upgrade to iPad 3 to sell iPad original and iPad 2 models now, before price cuts, to ensure they receive top dollar on their used tablets.

While Apple still hasn't officially announced an official release date for the iPad 3 (some suggest that it may be called the iPad 2S), Apple's manufacturing partners in Asia have started ramping up production, with plans to reach full volumes by February.

Full reports of iPad 3 features are not yet available, but some details have been confirmed. One speculated improvement is the Retina display feature that will double the resolution of an iPad screen. The increased pixel density will help the iPad display look more like the printed page. The next-gen tablet is also rumored to come with a faster, quad-core processor that will help apps render graphics in spectacular clarity. For some tablets, 4G support is rumored, as is a slightly thicker body to help house the additional power.

With so many compelling upcoming iPad features, many tablet users will want to upgrade. Smart consumers will prepare now while they can still get top dollar on their early-generation iPads. Totem, a leader in the iPad buyback industry, is offering up to $239.50 for mint condition iPad originals, and $333.31 for those looking to sell iPad 2 models. Selling an iPad to a program like Totem is a quick and easy way to earn the cash to fund an iPad 3 purchase, as well as responsibly dispose of their old tablet.

Customers who choose to partner with Totem will receive a cash deposit into their Paypal account, or are issued a check within 72 hours of their iPad being received.

For more information, visit:
http://www.hellototem.com/how-it-works

About.com Launches Free Cooking App with Thousands of Recipes, Expert Tutorials and Kitchen Tools

About.com ( http://www.about.com ) has expanded its mobile presence with the launch of Real Recipes, a free app for iPhone and iPod Touch that delivers the recipes and expertise of About.coms deep catalogue of culinary content in a searchable, easy-to-use display.

Real Recipes offers more than 25,000 recipes and countless tools to enhance the users cooking experience, including a recipe box, recipe ratings and reviews, and the best advice and tips from the expert food Guides on About.com. Users can easily search recipes by a variety of categories, perfect their techniques with a deep catalogue of instructional content from About, submit photos and reviews of the recipe, and share with friends via e-mail or social networks. The app is free, with no registration required.

"The mission for About.com is simple: to help users find information and solutions to their everyday needs," says Darline Jean, president and chief executive officer, the About Group. "About is one of the most-visited food sites in the United States, and for many of our readers, there is no greater everyday need than figuring out whats for dinner and accomplishing that task. With Real Recipes, we're ensuring that our users have access to the best of Abouts culinary content, tools and expertise, no matter where they are."

The Real Recipes app allows users to:
• Browse through thousands of recipes in a wide variety of cuisines, created by the expert food Guides on About.com and rated by other users;
• Search by ingredients, preparation method, cuisine, occasion or dietary considerations (i.e. gluten free, Kosher, vegan) using the Recipe Spinner;
• Learn about cooking techniques, ingredients and more with instructional content from About.com in the Learn to Cook section;
• Save favorite recipes to the Recipe Box and attach notes;
• Submit photos and reviews of recipes after trying them out;
• Share recipes with friends via e-mail, Facebook or Twitter; and
• Set kitchen timers to keep track of each different step in meal preparation.

Philadelphia Cooking Creme is the launch advertising sponsor of Real Recipes. As the launch sponsor, Philadelphia Cooking Creme is the exclusive advertiser in the app during the initial launch period.

System requirements:
Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
Requires iOS 4.0 or later

The app can be downloaded from the iTunes store at:
http://bit.ly/AfdLBv

BodyShopBids Expands to Offer Car Repair Estimates Online and via Smartphone App in Seattle, Portland, Spokane Metro Areas

Chicago-based startup BodyShopBids, an online and mobile platform that enables consumers to solicit custom car repair estimates by uploading a photo, has announced its expansion to the Pacific Northwest. The BodyShopBids network will cover the metro areas of Seattle; Portland, Ore.; and Spokane, Wash.

Accessible for free via iPhone, Android and the Web, BodyShopBids connects consumers who need auto body repairs with body shops through a unique bidding system. Consumers upload a photo of their damaged vehicle and receive several custom quotes from nearby body shops within 24 hours. A personal BodyShopBids representative is available to walk the consumer through the repair process. From there, the consumer can choose an estimate and book an appointment with the body shop.

BodyShopBids launched in June 2011 in Chicago, where the system has processed more than $2.5 million in vehicle damage estimates to date.

"With BodyShopBids, consumers have a painless way to find a reputable body shop and save money on repairs," says Brad Weisberg, founder and CEO of BodyShopBids. "Despite its large population, 84 percent of Seattle households have one or more vehicles, making it a prime target market for us."

These locations represent several of the many cities lined up for BodyShopBids expansion to major metro areas across the United States and Canada.

"BodyShopBids gives shop owners a unique avenue to bring in new business," Weisberg says. "We look forward to replicating this model in Seattle, Portland, Spokane and eventually into Canada."

BodyShopBids announced a $1 million round of Series A financing from OCA Ventures, New World Ventures and Lightbank in January.

The BodyShopBids mobile app is available for download on both iPhone and Android devices. Body shop owners who wish to join the network can sign up by visiting BodyShopBids Web page for shop owners today.

For more information, visit:
http://www.bodyshopbids.com/add_your_shop

Enhanced Safari To Go App Brings 3G iPad Support to Safari Books Online Subscribers

Safari Books Online ( http://www.safaribooksonline.com ), an on-demand digital library for technology, digital media, and business professionals, has announced that its free Safari To Go iPad app is now 3G enabled, offering an optimized mobile experience for users on a 3G capable iPad.

The new Safari To Go update for the iPad with 3G support gives our subscribers more of what they are asking for: true mobile access to Safari Books Onlines learning tools without being tied to a desk or hotspot

Safari Books Online, which also features support for iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, Android and most Web enabled smartphones on its mobile site, m.safaribooksonline.com, built the Safari To Go app from the ground up in 2011 to leverage the native iPad platform.

The 3G update extends the initial Safari To Go app with the following functionality:
• Quickly locate information previously marked as important by using enhanced page-level bookmarking
• Ability to return to the app and the latest page read from other apps or features on the iPad device
• Native iOS navigation of the Safari Books Online portal for current subscribers, bringing a familiar experience to the iPad
• Pre-fetching of book sections for a smooth reading experience
• Caching of book content to the iPad for offline, untethered use. One full book can be downloaded for offline viewing.
• Access to streaming video training courses

The new Safari To Go update for the iPad with 3G support gives our subscribers more of what they are asking for: true mobile access to Safari Books Onlines learning tools without being tied to a desk or hotspot, said Bill Levien, Product Manager, Safari Books Online.

To download Safari To Go, visit the Apple iTunes App Store at: http://bit.ly/SafariToGo

For more information, visit:
http://www.safaribooksonline.com

Top Tips and Tricks for Apple's Siri

Brighthand.com Contributor Mac McCarthy reports that in an illuminating Tech Talk session at MacWorld 2012, Siri expert Joe Kissell, senior editor of the Apple news site Tidbits, revealed some secrets around how to make Siri smarter and sexier.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/xUKeKO

Foxconn Ready To Start Production Of Smartphones, Tablet PCs In Brazil

Digitimes' Ninelu Tu and Joseph Tsai report that Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) has finished preparations at its assembly lines for smartphones and tablet PCs in Brazil and is ready to kick off production, according to industry sources.

For the full report visit here:
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120201PD204.html

BlackBerrys Losing Lustre Even Among Canada's Bay Street Legal Elites

The Globe and Mail's Jeff Gray reports that slumping Research In Motion Ltd. shakes up its leadership, its signature BlackBerry smartphone has been losing some of its most loyal supporters: pinstriped lawyers on Toronto's Bay Street - Canada's central business and finance hub analog of Wall Street.

Gray notes that the BlackBerry has long been standard-issue in the conservative legal industry, thanks to the smartphone's reputation for data security, a key concern for law firms, and its aura of seriousness. Until now. He reports that betrayal of the BlackBerry often starts by turning to a spouse's iPhone or iPad after a grinding day of thumbing away at legal memos on a BlackBerry keypad, and that several IT departments at some of the most prestigious law firms in Canada's financial capital have quietly started allowing the use of Phones or iPads, in addition to BlackBerrys, saying they are satisfied that clients' data on the new devices are just as secure, noting that top lawyers now often carry two smartphones, with perhaps an iPad in the briefcase as well.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/wAOGjD

New RIM CEO Thorsten Heins Faces Uphill Battle as Consumer Surveys Forecast an Exodus from Blackberry to iPhones and Androids

Drippler.com, a gadget news aggregator that has been used by over one-million people, is adding its findings to a parade of user trend surveys that point to a difficult challenge ahead for RIM and its new CEO Thorsten Heins. Only 25% of BlackBerry users indicate in their preferences on Drippler.com that they want a BlackBerry for their next smartphone, while 75% want to switch to competing smartphones.

Our users indicate in their profiles what devices they own and what devices they want to own, so this gives us the ability to discover what type of smartphones Blackberry owners want next, says Matan Talmi, Drippler CEO. Our data is in-line with other recent surveys that suggest an increasing number of Blackberry users want to switch to iOS or Android.

In December ChangeWave Research surveyed consumers who said they plan on buying a smartphone in the next three months and 54% of respondents said they plan to buy an iPhone. Samsung was a distant second at 13%, Motorola 7%, HTC 3% and RIM trailed its major competitors at just 2%.

Whether a survey converts into sales is another story but ChangeWave found that customer satisfaction also followed the trend of iPhone scoring well and RIM trailing the pack. 75% of iPhone owners said they are very satisfied, Samsung and HTC got 47%, Motorola 45% and RIM had 22%.

January's Nielsen smartphone report also indicates a shrinking market share for RIM. According to Nielsen RIM had a six per cent share of recent smartphone acquirers in the U.S. in October, November and December, 2011. Apple iOS had 37% of recent smartphone acquirers and Android led this category with 51.7%.

Even though some surveys make it sound like consumers have their minds made up, Drippler offers a free service that helps users do more research and stay totally up to date before buying a smartphone or any gadget. Drippler users can flag gadgets either as Have or Want. By flagging gadgets Want users can monitor all relevant product reviews, comparisons, pre-orders, releases, price reductions and rumors about the next models about to be launched.

For more information, follow Drippler on Twitter @drippler and Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/drippler

OMVS Eyes Multi-Billion Dollar Chinese App Market as iPhone Use Explodes

The market for mobile applications like those developed by On the Move Systems appears headed for a huge jump next year. Media outlets reported this week that analysts predict Apple could move as many as 40 million iPhones in China in 2013.

China is a critical market for Apple, and the company is investing heavily in increasing its footprint there. A Morgan Stanley survey last fall revealed that Apple is the most preferred smartphone brand in China. The arrival of the iPhone 4S in China earlier this month was met with crushing crowds that forced the company to temporarily suspend sales.

With Apple poised to make a big push to increase its smartphone market share in China, mobile app developers such as OMVS stand to benefit, as well. Apples App Store is the top applications market in the world, and an influx of 40 million new users next year would dramatically enlarge OMVS potential customer base.

OMVS is working to capitalize on the projected growth of smartphone use in China by creating fun, innovative and engaging applications tailored to the specific needs of that market.

For more information on OMVS mobile applications initiative, visit:
http://www.onthemovesystems.com/investor-relations
and
http://www.onthemovesystems.com

Follow OMVS on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/OMVSinfo
•News •Tech-Industry •iPhone •iPhone News •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28430
Apple Releases OS X Lion v10.7.3 Update, OS X Lion Update 10.7.3 (Server), And Security Update 2012-
Posted by Staff on 02/01 at 06:29 PM
•Hot Topics •News •Apple •Software Updates •Apple •Tell-a-Friend
Apple today released a bunch of system updates, pretty well all bugfix and security tweaking.

The OS X Lion v10.7.3 Update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.

Updating your system

You should back up your system before installation; you can use Time Machine.

Do not interrupt the installation process once you have started to update your system. You may experience unexpected results if you have third-party system software modiﬁcations installed, or if you've modiﬁed the operating system through other means.

Choose Software Update from the Apple () menu to check for the latest Apple software via the Internet, including this update.

Other software updates available for your computer may appear, which you should install. Note that an update's size may vary from computer-to-computer when installed using Software Update. Also, some updates must be installed prior to others, so you should run Software Update until Software Updates states "Your software is up to date".

You can manually download the update installer. This is a useful option when you need to update multiple computers but only want to download the update once. These versions of the standalone installers are available from Apple Support Downloads.

OS X Lion Update 10.7.3 (Client Combo):
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5048

The 10.7.3 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac including fixes that:

Add Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian language support
Address issues when using smart cards to log into OS X
Resolve issues authenticating with directory services
Address compatibility issues with Windows file sharing

System Requirements:
OS X Lion 10.7

For detailed information on this update, visit this website:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5048.

For information on the security content of this update, visit:
http://bit.ly/xocKdL

New in OS X Lion v10.7.3

The OS X Lion v10.7.3 Update includes Safari 5.1.3 and fixes that:

Add Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian language support

Address issues when using smart cards to log into OS X

Address compatibility issues with Microsoft Windows file sharing

Address an issue printing Microsoft Word documents that use markup

Address a graphics performance issue after sleep on some earlier iMacs that use ATI graphics

Resolve a Wi-Fi connection issue when waking from sleep

Address an issue that may prevent Safari from opening before joining a wireless network

Fix a potential issue authenticating to an SMB DFS share

Include RAW image compatibility for additional digital cameras

Directory Services

Improve binding to read-only Active Directory Domain Controllers

Improve binding and login speed for Active Directory users in a domain whose name ends in ".local"

Improve reliability of Dynamic DNS (DDNS) updates by Active Directory clients

Allow login with an Active Directory username that contains a space

Improve compatibility with Active Directory schemas that have been extended with the "apple-user-homeDirectory" and "apple-user-homeurl" attributes

Fix home directory Dock item for Active Directory users with mobile accounts

Allow NIS users with MD5-hashed passwords to log in

For information about the security content of this update, visit:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

OS X Lion Update 10.7.3 (Server) Combo

OS X Lion Update 10.7.3 (Server) is recommended for all servers currently running Lion Server. This update includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, migration and security of your server and improvements of the following services and applications:

File Sharing pane in the Server application

display number of connected users

list connected users

disconnect specific AFP users with a message

send a message to specific AFP users

set a login greeting message for AFP users

access to advanced ACL controls

VPN pane in the Server application

choice of enabling L2TP or L2TP and PPTP protocols

sharing of address ranges between L2TP and PPTP (if PPTP is enabled)

configure DNS name server addresses and domain names provided to VPN clients

option to save L2TP or PPTP settings as a configuration profile

Web pane in the Server application

enable .htaccess overrides

edit web sites' domain names

map multiple domains into a single web site

configure redirects and aliases

specify custom index files

choose SSL certificates for individual websites

Wiki Server
support for editing Wiki pages from an iPad running iOS 5 or later
support for Active Directory groups
improved reliability for certain timezones
improved support for an administrator-specified custom tag, protocol and inline style whitelist

Profile Manager

updated Exchange, Mail and Restrictions payloads for iOS clients

updated Dock payloads for OS X clients

performance improvements

allow VPN payloads to be used by both iOS and OS X clients

support for External Account home folder locations

improved support for managing enterprise applications

The update also includes specific fixes for:

iCal Server auto-acceptance of meetings during free times

authenticated directory binding to Open Directory servers with Directory Utility

improved reliability of setting up Open Directory replicas

correctly create podcasts when bound to an Active Directory server using Podcast Publisher

improved support for different certificates used for IMAP/POP and SMTP in the Server application

improved searching of logs in the Server application

web password reset support when using the Internet Explorer 9 browser

For detailed information on this update, visit this website:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5049

For detailed information on security updates, visit this website:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

Security Update 2012-001 (Snow Leopard)

Finally, Apple also released a new Security Update for OS X 10.7 Snow Leopard.

Security Update 2012-001 (Snow Leopard) is recommended for all users and improves the security of Mac OS X.

For information on the security content of this update, visit this website:
http://bit.ly/wsgjGc

•Hot Topics •News •Apple •Software Updates •Apple •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28429
Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Posted by Staff on 02/01 at 02:15 PM
•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Will Apple Kill the Macintosh?
Are We Living In A Post-PC And A Post-Mac World?
VLC 2.0 for MacOS X Almost Gold
John Browett Joins Apple as Senior Vice President of Retail
Apple Releases Final Cut Pro Version 10.0.3 With Multicam Editing, Broadcast Monitoring, And More
Tiger or Leopard for PowerPC Macs? Does It Matter Anymore?
Prey: A Powerful Recovery Tool For Tracking Your Missing Laptop Or iOS Device
State Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg, Russia One of the World's Largest Art Collections, Uses NTFS for Mac OS X to Produce Exhibitor Catalogues and Other Printed Materials

___

Will Apple Kill the Macintosh?

PCMag’s John C. Dvorak says rumors are circulating that Apple might kill the Macintosh, and he outlines why and how Apple might do it, noting that considering the magnitude of iPhone and iPad profits, Apple probably could kill the Mac, and the iPod as well, and become a two-product company. That point notwithstanding, he thinks such a strategy sounds like idiocy him. But is it?

Dvorak notes that it appears the Mac Pro workstation is on its way out, although he thinks that for now Apple will keep the more profitable laptops and iMac units flowing from China. The only people who will complain, he suggests will be high-end Photoshop users who cannot live with an iMac, but they’re a niche market, and likely expendible in Apple’s game plan going forward.

Dvorak says he doesn’t like the idea of Apple following such a path, and hopes his apprehensions are mistaken.

For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/wUcerO

Are We Living In A Post-PC And A Post-Mac World?

Writing in The Guardian, Jean-Louis Gassée, who was an executive at Apple Computer from 1981 to 1990, and subsequently founder of Be Inc., whose BeOS was once a contender for becoming the basis of OS X, contends that notwithstanding portest from Mac OS veterans and power users, if the iPad and its successor devices free people to focus on what they do best, it will dramatically change people's perceptions of computing from something to fear to something to engage enthusiastically with. Based on that rationalization, he says he finds it hard to believe that the loss of background processing isn't a price worth paying to have a computer that isn't frightening anymore.

[Editor’s Note: Not being frightened by computers and computing, I disagree that a substantial dumbing-down at the cost of the massive diminishment of efficiency the iOS imposes is a tolerable trade-off, but I apprehend that I’m likely not on the winning side in this battle. Mr.Gassée contends that Apple is now the iOS company. While the Mac first donated its software DNA to iOS, in the latest OS X Lion we witness the iPadification of the elder, observing that his experience of OS X Lion has been mixed, possibly either because the gene splicing is still in transition, or maybe simply because Apple has committed its elite troops to the iOS front, leaving things half-done on the Mac]

For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/yIYYnG

VLC 2.0 for MacOS X Almost Gold

HardMac’s Lionel notes that VLC 2.0, the Mac cognoscenti’s favorite media player, will be released soon. A release candidate RC1 can already be downloaded, and he cite’s colleague Jean-Baptiste’s quick look comment:

The future version of VLC, aka TwoFlower or 2.0, brings numerous improvement and modifications specific to Mac OS X. Thanks to the effort of Felix and numerous coders and designers, the team was able to continue the development of VLC on Mac OS X. If several bugs will remain to be fixed, the future new version will bring a lot of new features:

New Interface
- The most obvious difference with TwoFlower will be the new interface. This is a single window design to stick with current Mac OS X standard. Two colors will be available, black one for the Mac OS X style and gray for the Lion style. With Mac OS X 10.7, it will be possible to select between the classic full screen mode of VLC and the Lion full screen mode.

The audio and video filters are now available from the HUD.

Extensions
- Supports for new windows and features such as integration of IMDB, Wikipedia, OpenSubtitles and others.

Peripherals
- So far on Mac OS X, it was only possible to use the integrated webcam as a video source. With VLC 2.0, generic support for QKit peripherals has been added for audio (QTSound) and for video (QTCapture). It will allou to view and stream USB or FireWire external webcams, as well as microphones DVB and SDI cards.

Regarding Blu-ray support, VLC 2.0 allows to access files on non-encoded media for Linux and Windows. It could be ported to Mac OS X. For encrypted media, the libaacs library is NOT ported to Mac OS X yet, if anyone want to contribute, you are welcome!

Codecs
-The MacOS X version of VLC 2.0 will benefit from the same support and availability than the other platforms. The main new feature will be the support for multithreading deciding, bringing access to the power sitting in multicore hardware models running Mac OS X. New codecs are supported: ProRes, AVC/Intra, codecs 10bits and some version of WMV. Support for MKV and MOV have been dramatically improved. GPU-based decoding on Mac OS X, is not ready to be release immediately, it will come later on.

Video output
- The video output in Open GL has been modified, simplified and improved. Subtitles are now rendered according to the size of the displayed window, independently of the source and fully implemented in Open GL. This process improves quality and sharpness of subtitles.

Support for OS X and PowerPC
- This version 2.0 is compatible with Leopard, Snow Leopard and Lion.
The 64-bits version is the priority version for Snow Leopard and Lion, as it is the only one providing native full screen support on Lion. The 32-bits version also works on Leopard.
- There is still a PPC version for Leopard, only tested on G5 hardware. It also allows multhreading decoding in HD format, however, it is possible that the next major evolution of VLC will not be supporting PPC-based hardware.

VLC is freeware.

For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/zRkbMJ

John Browett Joins Apple as Senior Vice President of Retail

Apple on Tuesday announced that John Browett will join the company as senior vice president of Retail, reporting to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Browett comes to Apple from European technology retailer Dixons Retail, where he has been CEO since 2007. Beginning in April, he will be responsible for Apples retail strategy and the continued expansion of Apple retail stores around the world.

"Our retail stores are all about customer service, and John shares that commitment like no one else weve met," said Tim Cook, Apples CEO in a release. "We are thrilled to have him join our team and bring his incredible retail experience to Apple."

Prior to joining Dixon's Retail, Browett held a series of executive positions at Tesco plc including CEO of Tesco.com. Earlier in his career he advised retail and consumer goods clients at Boston Consulting Group. He holds a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and an MBA from Wharton Business School.

Apple Releases Final Cut Pro Version 10.0.3 With Multicam Editing, Broadcast Monitoring, And More

Edit multicam projects faster than ever before with a collection of innovative features that provide unmatched speed and flexibility. Select video and photos, then create a Multicam Clip by automatically syncing different angles based on time of day, timecode, markers, or audio waveforms. Play back multiple angles at once in the customizable Angle Viewer, and use the powerful new Angle Editor to dive into any Multicam Clip and make precise adjustments. You can change, add, or delete camera angles at any time and work with different codecs, frame sizes, and frame rates without conversion. When its time to cut your multicam project, simply click in the Angle Viewer or use keyboard shortcuts to switch between angles on the fly.

Advanced Chroma Keying

In addition to using the high-quality, one-step chroma key in Final Cut Pro X, you can now access advanced keying controls for color sampling, edge adjustment, and light wrap. Tackle complex keying challenges without exporting to a motion graphics application. And play back results instantly and in context to make critical editing decisions.

Media Relink

Reconnect media and exchange files with third-party applications using a robust relink interface. Select media that has been moved or modified, or locate clips that have been transcoded, trimmed, or color graded by third-party tools. Then easily relink to your Final Cut Pro X project or Event.

Import Layered Adobe Photoshop Graphics

Import and keep all the object layers from a Photoshop file in a single Compound Clip so you can animate, colorize, and add effects to individual layers while editing in Final Cut Pro X.
XML 1.1

Final Cut Pro version 10.0.3 includes support for exporting basic primary color grades to third-party applications like DaVinci Resolve. In addition, you can import and export audio keyframes and intrinsic effects parameters such as opacity and scale. This improved XML support saves time and reduces creative rework when moving projects and media between applications.

Broadcast Monitoring Beta

Output video to an external monitor using third-party PCIe cards or Thunderbolt I/O devices.(*) Connect to waveform displays, vectorscopes, and calibrated, high-quality broadcast monitors to ensure that your final project meets broadcast specifications. Or send video to large HD screens and projectors so everyone in the edit suite can see the creative process at work. Broadcast monitoring is currently in beta, and we're working with third-party developers to continue to improve it over time.

(*)Broadcast monitoring is available in beta and requires OS X v10.7.2 or later. Broadcast monitoring via Thunderbolt requires a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac.

System requirements:
• Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later
• 64-bit processor

$299.99

Mac App Store:
http://bit.ly/xNUyvf

Tiger or Leopard for PowerPC Macs? Does It Matter Anymore?

Low End Mac's Simon Royal says:

Whenever a new version of Mac OS X is released, it is always debated whether it is an improvement over the previous version and whether it could slow down your machine, particularly if you are not running the latest hardware.

This was especially true when Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard was released. Leopard really raised the bar in terms of system requirements. Previous versions didn't really need faster hardware: OS X 10.3 Panther required USB, and OS X 10.4 Tiger required FireWire - but the basic requirements (CPU speed, memory, and hard drive space) stayed pretty much the same. Leopard however, jumped the requirement from running on almost any G3 (officially 300 MHz or faster) to requiring an 867 MHz G4.

A lot of people claim running that Leopard on any G4 is too much for the hardware, so you should stick with Tiger. I have run Leopard on both an 867 MHz G4 and a 1.07 GHz G4, and it runs well. The key is RAM: you need at least 1 GB. Of late I have found the latest versions of iTunes really are quite slow and bring up the "spinning pizza of death" just a little too often.

But with the demise of the PowerPC and only a handful of software developers still releasing software for the platform, does it really matter what version of OS X you are running? Are they all not in the same boat these days?

To read more, click here.
http://bit.ly/wiX66l

Prey: A Powerful Recovery Tool For Tracking Your Missing Laptop Or iOS Device

Prey lets you keep track of your laptop, phone and tablet whenever stolen or missing - easily and all in one place. It's lightweight, open source software that gives you full and remote control, 24/7.

Silent but deadly

Basically you install a tiny agent in your PC or phone, which silently waits for a remote signal to wake up and work its magic.

This signal is sent either from the Internet or through an SMS message, and allows you to gather information regarding the device's location, hardware and network status, and optionally trigger specific actions on it.

Recover What Is Rightfully Yours

You can quickly find out where your computer is located, who's using it, and what he's doing on it thanks to Prey's powerful reports system.

By marking your device as missing, Prey will gather all the evidence you request and send it either to your Control Panel account or directly to your mailbox, depending on the reporting method you choose. Next

They Can Run But They Can't Hide

Besides gathering information, you can also trigger actions remotely such as sounding a loud alarm or showing a message which will appear onscreen just in case you want the guy to know he's being chased at.

You can also wipe your stored passwords for security, or even lock down your PC to prevent access. In other words, you're in control. Next

There's two ways in which you can send Prey the activation signal and get the reports.

1. Prey + Control Panel
- Recommended for most users. You monitor your devices on Prey's web Control Panel, where you can watch new reports arrive and manage specific settings, such as changing the frequency for reports and actions. You can add up to three devices for free, and can optionally upgrade to a Pro Account in case you wish to bypass this limit.

2. Prey Standalone
- For advanced users who wish more control. In this case, reports fly directly to your inbox but you need to set up your SMTP settings, and more importantly, you must generate a valid web URL which will trigger Prey to wake up when deleted -- otherwise Prey will keep sending reports on each interval! (For more information please check our FAQ).

Key Features

100% Geolocation Aware
- Prey uses either the device's GPS or the nearest WiFi hotspots to triangulate and grab a fix on its location. It's shockingly accurate.

Wifi Autoconnect
- If enabled, Prey will attempt to hook onto to the nearest open WiFi hotspot when no Internet connection is found.

Light As A Feather
- Prey has very few dependencies and doesn't even leave a memory footprint until activated.

Know Your Enemy
-Take a picture of the thief with your laptop's webcam so you know what he looks like and where he's hiding. Powerful evidence.

Watch Their Movements
- Grab a screenshot of the active session - if you're lucky you may catch the guy logged into his email or Facebook account!

Keep your data safe
- Hide your Outlook or Thunderbird data and optionally remove your stored passwords, so no one will be able to look into your stuff.

No unauthorized access
- Fully lock down your PC, making it unusable unless a specific password is entered. The guy won't be able to do a thing!

Scan your hardware
- Get a complete list of your PC's CPU, motherboard, RAM, and BIOS information. Works great when used with Active Mode.

Full Auto Updater
- Prey can check its current version and automagically fetch and update itself, so you don't need to manually reinstall each time.

Prey for iOS: The Inner Workings

The developers say that when they began drawing sketches, trying to imagine what the iPhone client for Prey would look like, it sure looked easy-peasy. But when they actually put our hands into it, they bumped into a number of things they had to sort out to make Prey work the way thery wanted to, and of course, without breaking any of Apple's rules. So it took longer than expected but the work is now done, and the wait finally over.

Prey is now available for iPhones and iPads at the App Store. Open source, for free, tested and ready to kick some burglar butt.

Heres a detailed explanation of how the iOS client actually works.
Keeping the bird watchful

The first thing that Prey does after being installed on a device, is to add a hook for iOS Significant Location Change (SLC) service. This provides a way for Prey to be woken up when needed, using the least possible amount of battery.

What the SLC service does, internally, is to instruct the phone or tablet to poke Prey every time it connects to a different cell antenna. Once Prey receives that poke, it will ask the Control Panel about its status, very much like the desktop and laptop version does using Cron or CronSVC.

What comes next, you already know: if the device is marked as missing, Prey will begin to send new reports. If it isnt, it will simply go back to sleep and wait until it is poked again, when the phone connects to another cell antenna.

So, the first difference with the laptop/desktop version is that on iOS the delay between reports and actions isnt a fixed, regular interval, but rather a semi random one which is triggered when phones move from one location to another. Pro users, however, do have On-Demand activation available in the Control Panel, that activates Prey in a glimpse without having to wait. Just as it works on PCs and Android devices.

Regardless of the way you sent the signal either pull (interval) or push (On-Demand) Prey will send reports until the device is unflagged as missing in the Control Panel.

The main reason why Prey uses the SLC listener from iOS is simple: if it didnt, it would need to be opened by the person holding the device in order to work. This way, Prey can run silently in the background, without giving any indication to the guy who took your phone that hes being chased.

The SLC service as well as support for background apps was added on iOS 4.0, so unfortunately Prey wont work on older versions of iOS. So if youre running an earlier version then it may be time to update!

Geo Module Accuracy

On iOS devices, Prey's Geo module includes a accuracy option which defines the frequency it will poll iOS for a new geolocation fix. As you may imagine, more accuracy means more battery consumption, but also a higher level of precision about your phones current location.

We suggest you try different options, so you get a better idea of the level of accuracy and the delay between reports. This is important because when setting the accuracy to the lowest level, Prey may not get a new fix from the iOS in a while so reports may take longer to arrive than expected. In the end, it all depends on how fast the person holding the phone moves around.

Front-Facing Camera Support

If your iPhone or iPad has a front facing camera then youll be happy to know that Prey's iOS client supports it. This is how it works.

As soon as you push the On-Demand button, a predefined message will be displayed on your device (like the one on the right). Once the thief moves the slider, Prey will take a picture using the built-in camera, while a random bank page is opened showing a Loading message. This way we can get the thiefs attention so that he looks right into the camera lens when the picture is taken.

Unfortunately, Apple only allows the use of the camera when the application is running on the foreground, so the webcam module won't work if the application is sent to the background.

In other words, if youre not a Pro user youll need the app to be running in the foreground for the Webcam module to work (i.e. the user must tap the Prey icon on the phone, which is not likely to happen). If you are Pro, however, youll be able to send the On-Demand, push notification that, if opened, will raise the app to the foreground.

The bottom line is that if you want to take pictures remotely, you'll probably want to upgrade to Pro.

Camouflage Mode

If you installed the app on your device then you probably saw an option called Camouflage Mode. When Camouflage is enabled, a random image is shown instead of the Prey logo when the apps icon is tapped by the user. This is just to trick the guy into thinking that Prey is a game and not the reason of his future arrest.

What you can and probably should do is to move the Prey icon into one of iOSs subfolders (like Utilities, which includes the Clock and Calculator). This way the thief won't notice the application at a first glance.

For more information, visit:
http://preyproject.com/

State Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg, Russia One of the World's Largest Art Collections, Uses NTFS for Mac OS X to Produce Exhibitor Catalogues and Other Printed Materials

Paragon Software Group (PSG), Paragon Software’s backup, disaster recovery and cross-platform solutions software developer, has announced that the publishing department of The State Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg, Russia, uses their cross-platform utility, NTFS for Mac OS X 9.5, on their Mac computers to gain instant access to works of photographers saved on media of various formats, including Windows, while preparing catalogs and other printed materials for the museum. NTFS for Mac OS X 9.5 is one utility in Paragon’s major cross-platform product line based on Paragons Universal File System Driver (UFSD).

The State Hermitage Museum is a museum of art and culture founded in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1764 by the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. Today, the collection comprises nearly 3 million paintings, graphic works, sculptures and works of applied art, archaeological finds and numismatic material. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors.

“Our utility NTFS for Mac OS X 9.5 is widely used in publishing businesses around the world. The cross-platform software erases the boundaries between incompatible file systems, most often between Windows and Mac OS X, running any materials in Windows format on a Mac without the usual delays in the rhythm of the production process,” comments Natia Kartvelishvilli, Director of Business Development of Paragon Software Group. “It is our special pride that Russia's largest museum, our national heritage, the State Hermitage Museum, uses Paragons tool to produce their catalogs and brochures to promote the art and culture of Russia.”

The publishing department of the State Hermitage Museum celebrates its 80th anniversary in fall 2012, having published exhibition catalogues, scientific papers, archeological findings and much more throughout its lengthy history. Today, the museum employs several authors who publish more than 50 book titles a year under the State Hermitage imprint.

When publishing catalogues and brochures, the museum includes works of photographers submitted on multimedia devices of different formats, most often Windows. Common incompatibility issues arise when transferring these photographs to the museums Mac systems. With Paragons cross-platform technology, barriers between multimedia devices and media file systems are eliminated, allowing users to enjoy multimedia devices that can write data to and read data from external media of any file system. Paragon’s UFSD technology makes it possible to process unsupported partitions to browse contents, read and modify files, copy and create new files and folders, and more, while maintaining high-performance read/write access and speedy file transfers.

Key Features include:
• Updated support of the latest OS X Lion, including 32/64-bit native mode.
• Support for the latest Thunderbolt devices.
• Support for extended attributes.
• Fast volume transfer speed.
• Full read/write access: Modify existing files, delete files and create or copy new files.
• No limitation to maximum file/partition size (must be within Mac OS X and NTFS specifications).

Paragon NTFS for Mac OS X 9.5 is available for USD 19.95, EUR 14.95 or GBP 12.95, and can be downloaded at:
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/

Owners of Paragon NTFS for Mac OS X 9.0 may upgrade to version 9.5 for free.
•News •Tech-Industry •Tell-a-Friend

Article URL:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/28427

Print this page is sponsored by
www.MyMacStore.com
For all your iPod, iPhone and Mac Gear