VLC, the play-anything video player for the Mac, may soon be available as an iPad app. App maker Applidium has spent months porting the open source player into an iPad app and has submitted it to the App Store. Now they're just waiting for Apple to approve it; if approved, the app will be available next week, and like its big brother on the Mac, the app will be free.

Having VLC available on the iPad would be hugely beneficial. VLC plays far more video formats than QuickTime or the iPad's built-in video support; on the Mac, I've often said that if VLC can't play it, it can't be played. We don't know yet if VLC on the iPad will allow you to move (for instance) AVI files straight into the VLC program via iTunes or if you'll be required to stream files from a Mac to view them on the iPad. In either case,...

As you can search the archives, many users are in the Terminal and wind up finding about the various shortcomings Terminal.app from Apple has had and still has. Since the 10.2 days, iTerm has been an alternative project that offered many needed fixes for daily Unix usage and has always remained open source, allowing for future submissions.
iTerm2 is a full featured terminal emulation program written for OS X using Cocoa. It has a native Apple look and feel in the program's interface, and there has always been an emphasis on providing complete international support.



A few months back, there was an unofficial fork that has incorporated needed patches from the SF bug tracker and also improvements submitted by the community. The page has an official site on sites.google.com and...

Microsoft France has let slip the launch date of Microsoft Office Mac 2011 on its annual September meeting held at its HQ near Paris, reports "MacGeneration" (http://www.macgeneration.com/news/voir/167861/microsoft-office-2011-pour...).

Microsoft Office Mac 2011 should be launched on October 27, 2010. (Thanks to Anthony Nelzin, editor of "MacGeneration" for the heads-up on this.)

Just a short time ago, Apple announced that it is making some changes to the App Store review process, and among the changes is publication of the company's App Store Review Guidelines, offering developers a more transparent look at how their...

Today TMO readers are talking about Apple’s iPod touch, how the company is using the device to sidestep cell service providers, and what impact it is having on the company’s bottom line.






...

Recent revisions to the iOS developer agreements caused considerable controversy by restricting which programming languages could be used to develop iOS apps. Those changes also restricted what kind of analytics data could be collected by developers and advertisers. Now, however, Apple has backed off on its position: it will relax these rules in order to give developers more flexibility. Additionally, Apple will now actually publish a list of app review guidelines for developers—the first time the company has done so since the App Store launched more than two years ago.

The controversy ignited when Apple released the first betas of iOS 4 to developers. Those betas came with revisions to the iOS Developer Agreement, which governs what developers are allowed to do when creating iPhone and...

Gameloft has released Real Golf 2011 for the iPhone and iPod touch. Optimized for the iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G Retina Display, Real Golf 2011 allows players to face off against some of the world’s best golfers on ten authentic real-world golf courses recreated in 3D. Players can choose…

With iOS 4.1 still warm from its journey through the tubes, the jailbreaking community is already working its way inside. Chronic Dev Team member pod2g has discovered yet another bootrom-based exploit that would supposedly work across all iOS devices running the latest firmware. That means that the iPhone 4 and the shiny, new iPod touch are on the list.

The jailbreak isn't yet widely available, but with confirmations of initial success in less that 24 hours, it shouldn't be long before this...

Apple has released iMovie 1.1 for the iPhone. The new version adds support for the fourth generation iPod touch that was unveiled last week.

iMovie 1.1 also adds the ability to split video clips, video scrubbing support, support for automatic music looping when videos are longer than music tracks, and an in-app page of tips. It's available for US$4.99 at the Apple App Store.

Apple's new sixth-generation, multi-touch iPod nano has a battery with more than twice the capacity of the similarly-sized iPod shuffle, while its tiny 1.54-inch display has a pixel density nearly twice that of the iPad.

Apple has released iOS 4.1 for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, as well as every iPod touch after the first generation model. (However, note that not all the features are compatible with every device.)

The update adds support for Game Center, HDR photo capture, HD video uploads and TV show rentals. It also fixes some bugs and glitches including a faulty proximity sensor that could cause accidental hangups while on a call, poor audio quality when using Bluetooth accessories, slow iPhone 3G performance, and Nike + iPod fixes.

Apple earns yet another Readers' Choice Award from "PC Magazine" (http://www.pcmag.com) in ranking laptops and portables. Apple had an overall score of 9.2 (out of 10), 9.3 for reliability, 8.6 for tech support, 8.1 for repairs, and a 9.3 score for those who would recommend the company's products for others.

Apple added its newest iPad commercial to its Web site on Thursday. The latest addition, dubbed “iPad is Musical,” sports the same quick succession of apps used in the “iPad is Delicious” commercial.






...

The new iPod Nano certainly lives up to its name—it has a 1.54" touchscreen and very little else. IFixit blasted it open with a heat gun and found more screws (11) than parts (7) inside. [iFixit]

In case you missed it, the highly anticipated iOS 4.1 software update was released yesterday. If you've already upgraded, or after reading that sentence you're not already downloading it now, then you obviously like to play it cool and safe. Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. Good for you! Either that, or you got seriously burnt last time.

Well, when you're good and ready, Mac Observer has just the guide for you. It's so extensive, it practically holds your hand when taking your first steps to the land of iOS 4.1. From considering whether you should upgrade or not, to making sure your 'must have'...

Apple has teamed with BridgeCo, a software company that sells chips for wireless music streaming, to offer AirPlay functionality on third-party systems. CNBC reports that Apple has worked with BridgeCo in the past on iPod docking products, and approached the company a year ago to offering to make it…

Apple today announced that it is making several changes to its App Store developer policies and procedures, with one of the most significant changes being an easing of its earlier move to ban third-party ...

Most e-mails sent at work are "irrelevant," a survey for cloud company Salesforce.com has found.







...

A notorious Switzerland-based anti-piracy tracking company has to stop harvesting the IP addresses of citizens using P2P networks. The Swiss High Court ruled that IP addresses constitute personal information and when Logistep collected them without the owner’s knowledge, that amounted to a breach of privacy laws. From its eDonkey Razorback beginnings, via France through to yesterday’s conclusion, here is the full story.

Auditorium is that rare kind of game that's a must-play no matter what kind of gamer you are. It's a puzzle game, a music game, and a piece of art at various times. It's out now on the iPhone courtesy of EA (and the main download is absolutely free), but even if you don't want to take up space on your mobile device, just head over to the website and play the Flash demo for a little bit. My guess is that you'll be taken by the beauty and originality, at least enough to pop over to the App Store and download the main game.

The idea is that there is a stream of music flowing through each level, and it's your job to use the various widgets you've been given to shape and paint the music into certain spots on the board. As you move through the levels, you'll get more and more adept at sending the flow where...

Apple's products are "mutant viruses" that need to be cured, Acer's creator Stan Shih claimed to reporters late Wednesday. Shih saw Steve Jobs' insistence on revolutionary hardware as creating rampant but short-term growth for devices like the iPad and iPhone. While initially successful, the approach would eventually be defeated by competition that "evolves naturally" and becomes "immune" to the Apple effect, the executive insisted....

Apple - Macintosh - IPod Touch -...

In a surprising announcement—after receiving a mountain of criticism, —Apple has announced that they "are relaxing all restrictions on the development tools used to create apps" and "publishing app review guidelines." That's good. The bad: Arbitrary censorship stays.

What were the restrictions?

Apple wasn't happy when Adobe released tools that allowed developers to create native applications for the iPhone and iPad using using Flash. They fought back, changing the iOS Developer Program license, forbidding developers to use such compilers and development tools. The license said that, if they wanted to publish software for the iOS platform, developers must use Apple's Objective-C-based tools...

Apple on Thursday announced that it would no longer ban intermediary development tools for iOS as long as App Store software does not download any code, potentially paving the way for third-party software to convert applications from other formats like Adobe Flash.

iOS 4.1 is less than a day old, and the iPhone Dev Team has already found an exploit they can use in a new jailbreak utility. The hack isn’t available yet, but coders are already working on the project.






...

The Nike+iPod system has been a great idea from the get-go: Use this music machine not only to play tunes while you run, but also to measure your time and distance, provide audible updates on your stats and keep track of your progress over a period of weeks, months or years. Even if you're a purist who shuns on-the-run music, you might get something out of Nike+'s other features. The only problem with the original setup was that it required a bit of extra gear. Have a favorite pair of running shoes? Toss 'em, 'cause you'll need a new pair of Nikes.

VLC, the popular open source video player that can handle just about any file you happen to stumble across on the net, is coming to the iPad pending approval.

The next generation of WebOS will make or break HP’s attempt to slide in among RIM, Apple and Google in...

While it hasn't been granted approval by the almighty Apple gods, VLC's media player for iPad will be free from next week, the devs are claiming (perhaps too hastily.) I like their confidence. Mind you, CineXplayer is still available on the App Store... [Mac4Ever via Macrumors]

Consumer demand for mobile applications will wear down resistance to in-app mobile ads, propelling the North American market to $2 billion by the end of the year, according to a new report by Parks Associates (http://www.parkassociates.com). "Monetizing Downloadable Mobile Applications" shows North American in-app ad revenue will surpass US$860 million in 2014 and paid mobile app profits will exceed $4 billion.

As a followup to their iPad is Delicious and What is iPad commercials, Apple introduced a new iPad commercial last night.

The ad features the iPad in a variety of scenes, each captioned with text including "medical, li...

According to a recent post from Twitter infrastructure employee John Kalucki, the highly anticipated User Streams API product will be moved from a closed beta to an open beta testing period quite soon.Twitter first announced User Streams at Chirp, where Twitter Director of Platform Ryan Sarver told a crowd of eager developers about a new feature and API that would get data in real time and without rate limits. Onstage at the conference, Sarver pinged content from Twitter.com onto TweetDeck in real time. The API was made available to devs for a brief period during the conference, but any apps or features created around it were not shown to the general public.However, the company did open the API to two partners in July: TweetDeck and Echofon. At that time, Twitter also announced a new Streaming API product called Site Streams.Today, Kalucki took to Google Groups to let developers know that the User Streams product launch is moving along as planned.We havent had any downtime, and...

Now you can put your iPhone into field test mode, which will allow to easily and precisely test your cell signal reception quality. You just need to follow these two easy steps:

And that state is, appropriately, applewood. Carved with some intricate MacBook detailing, it's the perfect Apple-related kitchen accessory for you fanboys (and girls) out there. It's a bit pricey though, starting at about $55. [designspray via Design Milk via Geekosystem]

Apple iOS 4.1Apple iOS can be downloaded from iTunes by connecting your iPhone and clicking the Update button. You can also download the version specific to your iPhone or iPod touch by using the links in the \"Related Links\" section.
WHAT'S NEWVersion 4.1:

• Game Center
  
• High dynamic range (HDR) photos on iPhone 4
  
• Support for TV show rentals
  
• Upload HD movies to YouTube & MobileMe on WiFi
  
• More ACRCP support
  
• FaceTime calling from Favorites
  
• Bug fixes

• iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 3G. Or iPod Touch 3G or 2G.
• Not all features are compatible with all devices. For example, multitasking is available only with iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.

Unison 2.1.1Unison is a carefully-crafted, genuinely revolutionary Mac OS X Usenet newsreader. It offers all the expected newsreader functionality: easy-to-navigate threaded discussions, the ability to ignore annoying posters, multiple signature management, and easy, Mail-like posting with spell checking and all the trimmings.

But it also goes much, much further than any other Usenet client on earth, starting with a unique four-view interface that lets you view and work with Usenet group content in four distinct styles: messages, files, images, or music. It lets you preview MP3 files directly off a Usenet server, view images in an elegant iPhoto-like thumbnail view, prioritize transfers with a flexible downloads manager, find favorites quickly with a categorized column-view interface, smartly group files into meta-groups (like songs into albums), show download status beautifully in the dock, and...

SoftRAID 4.0.1SoftRAID allows you to create and manage disk arrays under Mac OS X, to increase performance and reliability. SoftRAID’s intuitive interface and powerful feature set makes this utility a must have for any Mac OS X Server admin, “Pro” users, Photographers, Digital Video editors and desktop users who wants more reliable backup for his computer.
WHAT'S NEWVersion 4.0.1:

• Adds a full
  German language translation of the SoftRAID application and SoftRAID
  Monitor.
• Includes performance enhancements
• Improved
  code for retrieving SMART data from disks
• A new status command for the
  command line interface
• Enhanced volume security
• Several bug fixes.

REQUIREMENTSMac OS X 10.4 or later.
PRICE$129.00
DEVELOPERSoftRAID, LLC
...

Apple has updated its iMovie app for iPhone 4 and the fourth-generation iPod touch, and released incremental updates for Safari and iWeb.

The Low-End Touch

The new $229 8 GB iPod Touch is a real new-generation device — Retina Display, dual cameras, etc. In prior years, the low-end Touch was based on the prior year’s new models. I suspect most people will spend the extra $70 to get 32 GB of storage, but if you don’t need the storage, this new low-end Touch is a great deal compared to previous years.

Differences Between iPod Touch and iPhone 4

The iPod Touch is, conceptually, a phone-less iPhone. No calls, no cellular data networking, but no two-year contract or monthly fees, either. But there are other differences. On the plus side for the Touch:

• Thinner and lighter.
• 64 GB option.

And here are the ways the new Touch is worse than the iPhone 4:

• It has only 256 MB of RAM, compared to the iPhone 4‚Äôs 512. More RAM allows more web pages and apps to remain open at the same time.
• The rear...

Despite earlier references on the Apple website to a "vibrating alert" for the fourth-generation iPod touch, the new device lacks a vibration motor.

Following the release of iOS 4.1 for the iPhone and iPod touch earlier today, the first Game Center enabled games have begun to appear on the App Store. Pangea Software has released updates to Nanosaur 2, Cro-Mag Rally and Enigmo, enabling support for Game Center achievements…

A forum thread on TouchArcade is maintaining a list of current and expected Game Center enabled games. Game Center offers a centralized achievement and leaderboard system for the iOS platform. In addition, Game Center provides matchmaking ...

I've never used one of the HDR apps, so I was eager to try out this new feature using iOS 4.1 on my iPhone 4.

Launching the camera now gives you an HDR option at the top of your screen. It's automatically set to off. When you toggle the option on, it will automatically switch the camera flash to off.

Using HDR will provide you with two shots -- one normal shot and one with HDR utilized. For my test subjects I used:

• A shot of a window from a few feet away.
• A shot of a window standing at the window.
• A dark shot using the cat lounging next to the iMac as a model
• A well-lit shot using one of the other cats, who happened to claim a kitchen cabinet as his own, as a model.

The most noticeable difference came from the window shot taken a few feet away. As seen above, the normal shot has the outside areas overexposed while you can...

The iOS 4.1 update added the Game Center to our iPhone and iPod Touch devices, but we've been struggling to find games which let us take advantage of this feature. Here are the ones we've discovered so far. Updating.

Field Fencer

This game will set you back $1.99 and is full of cute little creatures who are trying to cultivate some plants on their land. [iTunes]

Ms. PAC-MAN

This was the first game to be updated for the game center. It's a classic that requires little introduction and is available for $4.99. [...

Coinstar is having a promo where you can cash in $40 worth of coins and get a free $10 iTunes gift card through the end of September.

Read More:
DealNews

Read the comments on this post

...

We'd heard that the newest iPod Touch comes with a built-in vibrator for FaceTime notifications, but there was no such thing to be found when the gadget was torn down. And even worse? There was only 256 MB of RAM.

We certainly feel a bit ripped off after hearing about the lack of RAM in the device. While 256 MB is enough to keep things running smoothly, it's rather disappointing when we remember that we could get a far more powerful iPhone for the same cost as an iPod Touch.

As far as everything else goes, here are the highlights of the teardown according to the guys at...

Gizmodo reports that iOS 4.1 has reincluded the Field Test mode to iOS. Field Test mode allows you to get a numerical figure for your antenna strength rather than the traditional bar measure. To get to Field Mode:

- First, u...

We're all busy people, and I'm sure that many of us missed the iPod/Apple TV SteveFest on the first. Once again, Neil Curtis, master of cutting to the chase, has created a three-minute version of the 75-minute presentation. Previously, Neil did a very short version of the adjective enhanced iPad rollout; he's very good at this sort of thing.

This little video (making wonderful use of music) only mentions stores "with people" in them, the new iPods, the Game Center, Ping, and the underwhelming new...

ZumoCast, an app that lets iPhone and iPad users stream media stored on their home computers, has exited private beta testing and can now be downloaded for free. A desktop version also needs to be downloaded and allows users to specify which folders to share. To save space, files are transcoded before being sent out....

IPhone - Apple - ZumoDrive - Media -...

Within hours of Apple's official iOS 4.1 release, a Dev Team member has already announced a bootrom exploit that promises to jailbreak the latest OS. The exploit is expected to be difficult for Apple to disable in a software update, without physically flashing a new bootrom to devices....

IPhone - Apple - IOS - Operating system -...

With a number of companies -- including Google and Apple -- collecting wireless data, it's clear that many users do not understand how the data is being collected or why. And security experts are just now starting to discover some of the ways that this information could be misused.






...

E-book reader service and hardware maker Kobo on Wednesday announced it has released an app called the Kobo Desktop Application. Free to download, it lets users browse and shop for e-books from their notebook or desktop computers. Users can also use third-party readers to access their digital book libraries thanks to the app....

Apple - Operating system - Macintosh - IPhone -...

The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things. Of Apple TVs and iOS 4.1, of new iPods and Pings. On today's TUAW TV Live the discussion is sure to wander all over the metaphorical map. As promised earlier, I will have my old Apple TV torn apart and will point out some interesting design flaws that demonstrate why the darned things ran so hot.

We have lots of other cool stuff to talk about, and I'm seriously hoping that iOS 4.1 drops before the show so I can give you a hands-on demo of some of the new features. To join in from your Mac or PC, just go to the next page by clicking the link at the bottom of this post, and you'll find a livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to join in on the fun by asking questions or making comments.

If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone...

The new fourth-generation iPod touch from Apple has the exact same A4 processor as the iPad, meaning it has 256MB of RAM, or half than the 512MB found in the iPhone 4.

On August 20, Canada's Privy Council Office issued an order targeting Apple and the company's new Canadian version of the iBookstore. Referred to simply as an "order authorizing a review under the Investment Canada Act of Apple Canada, Inc.’s proposed establishment of a new cultural business carried on by iBookstore in Canada," the order means that Apple's investment in Canada will be scrutinized by the government to make sure it aids "Canadian culture."

The decision was...

iPad comes with a 10W USB Power Adapter. This article discusses using this adapter with iPhone and iPod.

The folks behind the VLC media player have submitted an iPad version to the App Store for approval. Will Apple approve it?

Read More:
Applidium

Read the comments on this post

...

iFixit continued its investigation of the latest round of iPods today with a teardown of the fourth-generation iPod touch. Going deeper than the FCC look, the repair shop confirmed that the Wi-Fi antenna has been moved to the front, eliminating the need for the black plastic window on earlier models. It also confirms that Apple is using Toshiba flash memory for the main storage on the iPod; other Apple devices usually depend on Samsung....

Consumer electronics - Apple - Hardware -...

MacNN readers can get a special $50 discount off of the registration price of the upcoming MacTech Conference 2010, following this link to register. The conference is geared to IT professionals and Apple developers. The three-day event spans November 3-5, 2010 in Los Angeles at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City. It will have mobile and desktop sessions, focusing on the Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod. There will also be special speakers, a MacTech Bowl and information on Apple Certification testing....

US-Mexico Border - Programming -...

A new announcement from G-Technology has stated that its entire G-SPEED RAID external storage family will be switching to enterprise-class hard drives. From this point on, every G-SPEED product, such as the G-SPEED Q, G-SPEED eS, and G-SPEED FC XL, will feature Hitachi Ultrastar drives. The enterprise-class SATA hard drives are specifically designed to withstand multi-user, 24x7 storage applications. The Ultrastar drives are rated at 1.2 million hours mean time between failure and undergo additional manufacturing testing at extended temperature ranges to ensure great...

G-Technology - RAID -...

Apple released iPhone Configuration Utility 3.1 for Mac OS X Wednesday, an update that brings the software up to date with iOS 4.1, which was released earlier in the day.  iPhone Configuration Utility (iPCU) allows system administrators to create, install, and manage configuration profiles for iPhones for use in corporate environments.






...

Apple's official iMovie app for iPhone has been updated to version 1.1. The new update requires iOS 4.1 and is compatible with the new iPod touch. It also adds the ability to split up video clips, automatically loop music for a longer videos and updated Photos browser. There are a few other upgrades to help performance and reliability, and a new tips and indicators to help you use the app. High Dynamic Range photography is new in iOS 4.1, but since HDR requires multiple exposures of a still picture, there's nothing in the new iMovie app to similarly improve your videos.

Current users can upgrade right now via the App Store. iMovie for iOS can be purchased for US$4.99. Enjoy the update!

TUAWiMovie updated to 1.1, requires iOS 4.1 originally appeared on...

On the heels of iOS 4.1's release, Apple has posted still more downloads related to the firmware. The first is iOS SDK 4.1, which includes the latest versions of the Xcode IDE, iOS Simulator and other tools necessary for app production. Registered developers can find the software at the iOS Dev Center....

IMovie - Apple - Operating Systems - Mac OS -...

FCC pictures of the brand new iPod touch's internal tech show that the device has a vibrating motor inside of it. According to Apple, the motor will be used with FaceTime, but presumably, it'll work when any app calls for vibration. That should help for gaming -- neither the DS nor the PSP has any sort of vibration feedback, and that's a feature that has become more or less standard on game consoles.

This also brings the iPod touch in line with most of what the iPhone has. Besides the cell service (obviously), the GPS, and the mute switch, the iPod touch really is, as even Steve commented at last week's event, "an iPhone without the contract."

Update: According to iFixit's teardown of the iPod touch, the...

One of the key pieces of information coming out of iFixit's fourth-generation iPod touch teardown is that that the device carries only 256 MB of RAM, the same as the iPhone 3GS and iPad but less than the 512 MB found in the iPhone 4. iFixit'...

Despite not fully understanding what the smart grid is, a recent survey found the majority of Americans actually support it.

The iPhone 4's best new feature in iOS 4.1—besides not hanging up on people with your face—is its ability to capture HDR photos. But you've gotta use it correctly.

To revisit, a high dynamic range photo combines multiple photos taken at different exposures to create a single picture that looks more like what your eyeballs are able to detect than a standard digital photograph. (Dynamic range is basically the range between the darkest and lightest parts of an image. Check out ...

After a fair amount of anticipation, Apple released its long-awaited iOS 4.1 update for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, second-, third-, and fourth-generation iPod touch. Per iLounge, the update adds a number of bug fixes and new features, including a fix for the iPhone 4’s proximity sensor, Bluetooth issues, patches for security holes and performance problems on the iPhone 3G.

Notably, the iPhone 3G is left out amongst its iOS 4.1-capable peers in support for Apple’s new Game Center social gaming service, which is also included in the update, along with support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography on the iPhone 4, HD video uploading over Wi-Fi, and support for TV show rentals from the iTunes...

The new iPod models announced last week are now available at retail Apple Stores, while preorders are arriving on doorsteps across the country. And for current iPhone and iPod users, Apple has released iOS 4.1—now available via iTunes.

The update brings several new feature additions, including a high-dynamic range photo option for the iPhone 4, support for TV show rentals, the ability to send 720p video uploads to YouTube and MobileMe, support for AVRCP-compatible accessories, FaceTime calling directly from favorites, and support for...

App downloads should match and actually surpass song downloads at the iTunes Store sometime this year, says asymco. The analysis and production firm notes that during Apple's September 1st press event, the company released new growth statistics, indicating downloads of over 6 billion apps. asymco remarks that apps have managed to achieve in two years what for music took five....

IPhone - Apple - MacNN - ...

Along with iOS 4.1, Apple released iMovie 1.1 for the iPhone on Wednesday. The update added support for the new fourth generation iPod touch.








...

Salesforce.com has unveiled plans to take its Chatter social networking service show on the road with new mobile apps for the major smartphone and tablet platforms, including the iPhone and iPad.






...

This morning, I headed over to the Apple Store and picked up a sweet little green iPod nano to play with. (Thank you, red-headed Molly!) The nano is basically the size and weight of a 2G shuffle, with a cute little touch screen and a couple of buttons for volume control and Sleep/Wake. Of course, I was just as interested in what was inside the nano -- at least from a software perspective.

The interface is easy to use once you get comfortable with the lack of a Home button (you swipe to switch screens) and certain GUI changes (switch buttons are smaller and look slightly different from their standard iOS cousins). The nano refused to play with older versions of iTunes, expecting a minimum of iTunes 10.

TUAWHands on (and in) the iPod nano 6th generation reveals hints of video playback support...

Apple today managed to hold on to and in some cases widen its lead in a reader-guided study of satisfaction with their computers and mobile devices. The company's MacBooks led the way in PC Mag's studies with an overall score of 9.2; the figure was the highest in any category, not just notebooks, and kept it in front of ASUS' 8.5. Most sat between 7.9 and 8.1, while HP's Compaq label trailed the pack at 7.3....

Apple - Macintosh - IPhone -...

Microsoft continues to offer a closer look at features of the new Office 2011 for Mac set to launch in October, with the latest update focusing on the co-authoring, Web apps, Scheduling Assistant and Broadcast Slideshow features.

Mystery episode, you say? What could that mean?

Usually it means that your host can't think of much to talk about, but today I'll probably have iOS 4.1 feature discussion and demos, an original Apple TV tear-apart (literally), and that's just the beginning. I'm thinking a few app demos might be in order as well, provided that the super-secret spy cam decides to cooperate. I'll also be showing off some iPhone 4 products from Exogear, including their new Exolife rechargeable battery case.

My weekly hour-long video livestream starts, as usual, at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT) right here at TUAW.com. Drop by a few minutes before the show begins to get yourself acquainted with the livestream and chat tools (if you're not a regular viewer), or to start chatting with the others about whatever topic comes to mind....

To coincide with Wednesday's iOS 4.1 update, Apple also updated iPhone Configuration Utility, its device management software for businesses and the enterprise, with some key new features.






...

At Apple's media event last week, Steve Jobs briefly demoed a new feature called AirPlay rolling out in iTunes and coming to iOS devices in November with iOS 4.2. An extension of the existing AirTunes feature for streaming audio to remote de...

Searching from Google's homepage no longer requires hitting return; results are updated live as you type.







...

Microsoft has posted a new behind-the-scenes look at several new features in the company's forthcoming Office for Mac 2011. The new features include:

- Co-Authoring: Using SkyDrive or SharePoint cloud storage, Office for Mac 2...

If you were using the tripwire script, you already know this: iOS 4.1 is now available for download via iTunes. Just connect your iPhone or iPod touch and hit the Check for Update button.

tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.tuaw.com/2010/09/08/sound-the-klaxons-ios-4-1-now-available-for-download/'; tweetmeme_source = 'tuaw';
As announced last week, the new version of the firmware should fix some deeply annoying issues (if you've inadvertently muted or hung up a call with your earlobe, raise your hand). It also adds Game Center, HDR...

CounterPath Corp. (http://www.counterpath.com) has announced the worldwide availability of X-Lite 4.0, an entry-level voice and video softphone for Mac and Windows PCs.

Available as a free download, X-Lite 4.0 is based on a year’s worth of beta user feedback. It takes many of the features from X-Lite 3.0 and adds a completely new user interface that provides the choice of a contact-centric experience, a dialpad-centric experience or a combination of the two. X-Lite 4.0’s other major features include:

° Call history, call display and message waiting indicator;

If you're an iPhone 3G user who has upgraded to iOS 4, you're most likely pulling your hair out in anticipation of the bug fixes expected in iOS 4.1 (due to arrive this week). However, if you just can't wait that long, creativebits has a few tips you might like to try in order to improve the performance of your sluggish iPhone 3G.

• Delete all unused and unessential apps.
• Delete all unessential conversations from your SMS inbox.
• Clear your history and browsing cache in Safari.
• Delete your call history.
• If you don't use them, turn off Spotlight and MMS messaging.

For all the details, check out the article here.

Our own Chris Rawson has some...

Frictional Games, the makers of the Penumbra series, has announced that Amnesia: The Dark Descent game (http://www.amnesiagame.com) for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux is now available for instant download. It costs US$20..

Whenever Apple releases new hardware, I start to anticipate iFixit's inevitable teardown. This time they've gotten into the iPod shuffle to show us the very small number of tiny parts that keep users rocking.

Much like the Magic Trackpad, there isn't much to see inside the new shuffle. The guys admit that getting the shuffle apart wasn't easy. "It took us a good half hour of prying and heat-gunning to open the little guy." The front and back cases were glued and press-fit together. It's a solid little device.

Inside, the battery and logic board live side-by-side in cozy quarters. In fact, they're soldered together (so no user-serviceable battery in the shuffle). Once the connecting ribbon has been removed, you can pop the board's retaining clip and the lone screw holding it in place, removing it...

The latest update to Apple's mobile OS brings a handful of new features and squashed bugs, including high dynamic range photos, FaceTime calling from the Favorites menu, Game Center, and fixes for proximity sensor and Bluetooth audio problems.






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Google at its special event today rolled out Google Instant, its codename for a live, as-you-type search. The method provides results on the fly and auto-suggests search queries based on the exact characters. It makes predictions based on past searches and automatically pops up specially formatted information for common searches, such as weather, movie info and images....

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Enabling VoiceOver for iPod allows you to hear the names of songs, artists, and playlists spoken when listening to content on your iPod. If you have the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic or the In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic, you can also use VoiceOver to navigate playlists.

Oranged Software has launched Studiometry 8, updating its business management software. Studiometry handles contact management, builds estimates, tracks work and bills clients. The software has an easy interface for daily data entry. It can track work time through timesheets, running timers and manual entry. There is also a companion iOS app with full syncing capability....

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iLounge has just posted a new gallery of images comparing the camera capabilities of the iPhone 4 to that of the new fourth-generation iPod touch. Notably, the iPhone 4’s camera is a five-megapixel shooter while the fourth-gen touch’s camera is designed primarily for…

When viewing the photos and video count in Camera Roll, the number of videos appears as ^1:

(Updated with AT&T response) AT&T's President of Wireless Operations in the US West, Fred Devereux, hinted today that sales of the BlackBerry Torch were disappointing. He told those at Seattle's Mobile Future Forward conference that he was "surprised there hasn't been a faster adoption" of the phone, which he thought was the best-ever BlackBerry to date. He didn't provide numbers, but the statement was unusual and backed unofficial analyst views that sales had cooled quickly after launch....

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Right on schedule, Apple has released iOS 4.1 for the iPhone and iPod touch. The update, known as Build 8B117 and available for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and second- and third-generation iPod touch models, brings several new featu...

Apple on Wednesday released the iOS 4.1 update for recent iPhone and iPod touch models, addressing issues with Bluetooth connectivity and proximity sensor accuracy, and also adding HDR photos the mobile operating system.

Sharing your files, photos, movies, and images with others through online services can sometimes be a hassle for Mac users. For some of us, it's possible to get all of the various interconnections between services set up in such a way that one tweet sends a photo to Facebook, Flickr, and a variety of other services. But for a surprising number of Mac users, it just isn't that easy.

Realmac Software is in the business of making things easy. They're the folks who make website design easy with RapidWeaver, and they've just come out with a tool to make media sharing as easy as putting a stamp on an envelope. Courier (US$19.95 introductory price) is designed so that anyone, even your Mom, can easily upload photos, movies, and the like to a pile of services.

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Apple has generally done well with its latest iPods, reviewers say. The iPod touch is so far garnering the most praise, for instance getting compliments on its thinness, audio quality and HD video recording from Wall Street Journal writer Katherine Boehret. Businessweek's Arik Hesseldahl claims that the player has "kicked up the intensity about a dozen notches" thanks to an A4 processor and a Retina Display. Edward Baig of USA Today points out that the Touch is now closer to the level of the iPhone 4, but still missing some core features, like a GPS receiver, an L...

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Good news for 2nd generation iPod touch users! As reported by AppleInsider and MacDailyNews, the 2nd generation iPod touch will be compatible with Game Center, Apple's new gaming and social networking application, but the iPhone 3G will not. Other compatible iOS devices are the 3rd and 4th generation iPod touch as well as the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.

AppleInsider...

Learn how to reset or restart iPod following a freeze.

In 1991, Cuba’s economy began to implode. “The Special Period in the Time of Peace” was the government’s euphemism for what was a culmination of 30 years worth of isolation. It began in the 60s, with engineers leaving Cuba for the Unites States, and continues in part today, under the longest trade embargo in modern history.

When Ernesto Oroza, a Cuban-American designer and artist, began studying the technological innovations that have been made during this period, he uncovered a trove of homespun, Frankenstein-like machines that ordinary citizens made for their survival, out of day to day objects.