Month: January 2011

iOS Safari receiving Google instant preview support

Posted by on January 31, 2011

Formerly only for desktop browser searches, 9 to 5 Mac is reporting that Google "Instant Previews" is being rolled out for mobile Safari users as well. This new service allows iOS Safari users to get a quick visual preview of sites within their search results without having to actually click through and wait for the pages to load. Previews of search results are displayed like a slideshow, allowing users to flick through the different pages in typical iOS fashion. Google has not formally announced the new feature yet and not every device has it as of this writing -- my own iPhone included.

We first saw Google's Instant search service for iOS devices back in November, but this new "Instant Previews" version is definitely a step up from simply seeing textual search results appear as you type your queries. I am sure there will be fans and detractors of this new search preview, but do tell us -- is it live for you yet on your iOS device?

[via Gizmodo]

iOS Safari receiving Google instant preview support originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

TUAW Talkcast: The post-Macworld Expo recap

Posted by on January 30, 2011

The doors have closed, the carpet has been disposed of, the booths have been dismantled, and the TUAW team is, for the most part, back home from Macworld Expo 2011 in San Francisco. It seems like it was only yesterday that we were setting up Booth 1012 at Moscone West to prepare for the Expo (see photo at right).

It was an amazing and exhausting week and, for the TUAW blogging team, it was also a blast meeting literally hundreds of you who listen to the TUAW Talkcast each Sunday, watch TUAW TV Live on Wednesday, or read the site every day.

Tonight at 10 PM ET (7 PM PT) we'll do a wrap-up of our favorite hardware, software, people, and moments from Macworld Expo 2011. To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 PM EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (yay for free cell phone weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8.

TUAW Talkcast: The post-Macworld Expo recap originally appeared on TUAW on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Macworld Expo 2011: iFixit wields their magic in person

Posted by on January 29, 2011

On stage at Macworld 2011, two of our friends from iFixit, Kyle Weins and Luke Soules, attempted to fix broken Apple stuff right in front of an audience. The session was moderated by Chris Breen, who asked the audience to bring up their broken gear in the hope that it could be fixed right on the spot.

iFixit, for those that don't know, is a firm that not only posts teardowns of popular Apple products, but strongly believes in empowering users with the ability to fix their own Apple equipment, and sells replacement parts and tool kits to allow people to do it. As Luke attempted repairs, Kyle described exactly what was going on. During the session, they unfortunately weren't successful at any repairs but they were working under some impossible conditions. People in the audience had a lot of different broken things, and iFixit was only able to bring in two boxes of parts, which limited them dramatically.

Continue reading Macworld Expo 2011: iFixit wields their magic in person

Macworld Expo 2011: iFixit wields their magic in person originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iConnectivity presents iConnectMIDI at Macworld 2011

Posted by on January 28, 2011

I stopped by the iConnectivity booth here at Macworld because I'd heard about a zero-latency MIDI-to-iOS hub they were releasing. As you'll see in the video below -- at least for musicians with MIDI elements in their kit -- it was worth the stop! Using CoreMIDI (iOS 4.2 only), the iConnectMIDI unit can provide a connection between multiple (up to 8) MIDI sources (both legacy DIN and USB->MIDI) and your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or even a Mac or Windows desktop. In the demo they set up, there were several controllers all playing different instruments through a third-party iPad app (Music Studio, US $14.99), with an additional iPod touch controlling pitch bend on the bass through its accelerometer. Pretty neat.

The unit will ship in April for under $200, and we'll be bringing you a hands-on review in February. More information on the device can be found at the iConnectMIDI website.

Continue reading iConnectivity presents iConnectMIDI at Macworld 2011

iConnectivity presents iConnectMIDI at Macworld 2011 originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

KLA-Tencor CEO rewards 5,400 employees with iPads

Posted by on January 27, 2011

Talk about a logistical nightmare for an IT department! Last summer, 5,400 employees of semiconductor maker KLA-Tencor were rewarded for their hard work with brand new iPads, according to a report from CIO. After the company posted revenue of US$1.8 billion, the CEO decided that his employees deserved the device and even had his CIO and IT department help them all in setting up their new devices for personal and corporate use.

This isn't the first time we've seen iPads given out as a bonus. Schools have gotten in on the action, with Seton Hall providing them for all their students, while Financial Times recently handed them out to 1,800 staff members and Oprah gave them away to her studio audience. Guess I should find out which company/talk show is giving them out next!

KLA-Tencor CEO rewards 5,400 employees with iPads originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Former Newsweek editor planning iPad magazines

Posted by on January 26, 2011

Wide Screen iPad MagazineFormer Newsweek Magazine President Mark Edmiston is planning to launch a set of magazines formatted for the iPad, according to a report out from Mashable today. Nomad Editions, a new media company launched by Edmiston, started releasing five digital weekly magazines this past fall -- Real Eats, Wave Lines, Wide Screen, u+me, and BodySmart -- with the newest title u+me coming in February 2011. Each title is offered as a free trial for four editions/weeks, and after that the price is US $6.00 per 90 days or $2 per month -- a pretty fair price for a weekly magazine.

While Nomad Editions will be in competition with some other high-profile, iPad-centric publications like Rupert Murdoch's The Daily and Richard Branson's Project, Edmiston has structured his company a little differently with a small staff of freelancers contributing content in exchange for a share of any revenue derived from sales. With some reports saying that iPad magazines aren't faring well over time this should be a good comparison test to see which model performs better in this new digital marketplace.

[via Mashable]

Former Newsweek editor planning iPad magazines originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Former Newsweek editor planning iPad magazines

Posted by on January 26, 2011

Wide Screen iPad MagazineFormer Newsweek Magazine President Mark Edmiston is planning to launch a set of magazines formatted for the iPad, according to a report out from Mashable today. Nomad Editions, a new media company launched by Edmiston, started releasing five digital weekly magazines this past fall -- Real Eats, Wave Lines, Wide Screen, u+me, and BodySmart -- with the newest title u+me coming in February 2011. Each title is offered as a free trial for four editions/weeks, and after that the price is US $6.00 per 90 days or $2 per month -- a pretty fair price for a weekly magazine.

While Nomad Editions will be in competition with some other high-profile, iPad-centric publications like Rupert Murdoch's The Daily and Richard Branson's Project, Edmiston has structured his company a little differently with a small staff of freelancers contributing content in exchange for a share of any revenue derived from sales. With some reports saying that iPad magazines aren't faring well over time this should be a good comparison test to see which model performs better in this new digital marketplace.

[via Mashable]

Former Newsweek editor planning iPad magazines originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Microsoft offering free 30-day trials of Office 11

Posted by on January 25, 2011

Office 11 for Mac is an interesting little bit of software put out by a smallish Seattle-based company called Microsoft -- it's a nice suite of business apps, including a word processor, database software, an email client, and a few other helpful programs all bundled up. You may not have heard much about it before (it's kind of like OpenOffice, if we understand it right), but if you want to give it a try, this Microsoft company is offering up a free 30-day trial over on the official website. We're not sure how useful the suite actually is, but free's free, right?

OK, all kidding aside, you probably already have some form of Office installed on your Mac. But the Microsoft team is offering up a free trial of Office 11 during Macworld, and if you haven't seen the latest version of this ubiquitous software yet, consider this your chance to check it out.

Plus, we've heard some pretty interesting things about this "Microsoft." Apparently they also make their own operating system, but it'll run on any computer, not just the ones you buy at the official store. Crazy!

Microsoft offering free 30-day trials of Office 11 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Official App Store account on Twitter

Posted by on January 24, 2011

Apple has an official Twitter account for the App Store, appropriately named @appstore which promises "official App Store tweets including our featured apps, exclusive offers, and more."

The first post from the account came only a few hours ago, but there are already 50,000 people signed up.

One of the questions that people have had with the Mac App Store was the question of "discoverability" of apps on the store which aren't "featured" or on the "top" lists, hopefully this account will be one more way for Apple to get out the word about new apps that you might not otherwise hear about. If you aren't a Twitter user, you can always follow the RSS feed for the account. If you're on Facebook, Appstore is there too.

Official App Store account on Twitter originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Happy 27th Birthday, Macintosh

Posted by on January 24, 2011

Apple unveiled its first Macintosh-branded computer 27 years ago today. Steve Jobs introduced the Apple Macintosh on January 24, 1984 and received wild applause from the crowd of 3,000 people. The original Apple Macintosh was the first personal computer to be powered by the Mac operating system, then lovingly called System 1.0. The all-in-one beige case included a 9-inch greyscale monitor, a convenient handle and an accompanying keyboard and mouse. It also featured a 8 MHz processor with 128 KB DRAM, 16-bit data bus and non-upgradeable internal components.

It was originally introduced simply as the Apple Macintosh and was re-branded as the Macintosh 128K when its big brother, the Macintosh 512K, was introduced in September 1984. The history-making computer debuted with a price tag of $2495. For those that want to relive a piece of history, Steve Job's unveiling of the Apple Macintosh is above and the famous "1984" Ridley Scott TV commercial which aired during Super Bowl XVIII is after the break. Enjoy!

Continue reading Happy 27th Birthday, Macintosh

Happy 27th Birthday, Macintosh originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments