How to make iCloud behave like Dropbox
Local copies of files you store on iCloud are stored in the Library > Mobile Documents folder in your home folder. (See this hint for more about accessing that folder.) This can be exploited to convert iCloud into a general-purpose storage and sharing resource. This folder in your Library folder functions exactly like the Dropbox Folder on your Mac: anything stored in it will appear in the same folder on other Macs logged onto the same iCloud account. There is no restriction on what can be placed in this folder, so the data you can store and share via iCloud is not limited to files created by Apple or Apple-approved software. When you realize this, you can use iCloud as a fully comprehensive cloud resource. Once you have stored all the files you want in your Mobile Documents folder, to avoid having to dig around to get at it, you can access it from utilities such as the free ...
published on Monday, the 10. December 2012, macosxhints
Scosche Announces Lineup of Lightning Charging Accessories
Close on the heels of Belkin's launch of the first official accessories supporting Apple's new Lightning connector standard, Scosche is now announcing its own lineup of Lightning charging accessories for use both at home and in the car.?Smartphones and tablets are an integral part of our daily lives, but keeping them all charged can create several challenges,? said Kas Alves, Executive Vice President of Scosche Industries. ?We designed our Lightning chargers with flexibility in mind. The new line provides power solutions for home and on the go and addresses the varying wattage requirements of our favorite devices, the need to charge multiple devices simultaneously and is capable of powering multiple devices with different connections with the same charger.?Scosche's lineup includes the following products: - strikeDRIVE 5w ($24.99) and strikeDRIVE 12w ($29.99): Car charger with a single hardwired Lightning cable. The 5w model is designed for iPhone, iPod, and iPad mini models, while the 12w model can charge any Lightning-equipped device. - strikeDRIVE 12w +12w ($39.99): Car charger with one hardwired Lightning/micro-USB cable supporting up to 12w with a second USB port also supporting up to 12w. strikeDRIVE 12w + 12w - strikeDRIVE pro 12w + 12w ($49.99): Car charger with two USB ports each supporting up to 12w. Comes with one detachable USB cable with convertible micro-USB and Lightning tips. - strikeBASE 5w ($29.99) and strikeBASE 12w ($34.99): Low-profile wall adapter for home use includes a single hardwired Lightning cable attached and offers folding prongs. The 5w model is designed for iPhone, iPod, and iPad mini models, while the 12w model can charge any Lightning-equipped device. - strikeBASE pro 5w + 5w ($39.99): Low-profile wall adapter for home use with two USB ports each supporting up to 5w. Comes with one detachable USB cable with convertible micro-USB and Lightning tips. - strikeBASE pro 12w + 12w ($49.99): Low-profile wall adapter for home use with two USB ports each supporting up to 12w. Comes with one detachable USB cable with convertible micro-USB and Lightning tips. strikeBASE pro 12w + 12w - strikeLINE pro ($29.99): Retractable USB cable with convertible micro-USB and Lightning tips. Scosche has yet to announce specific launch dates for the new accessories, but says that "some of them should ship prior to CES" in early January. Images of several of Scosche's Lightning accessories had leaked in late August, but the company quickly requested that those images be removed. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Jawbone Releases Updated UP Wristband • Apple Online Selling iPhone-Enabled Fender Strat Guitar • Judge Will "Consider" Questions on Jury Foreman in Samsung v. Apple Trial • VirnetX Files Follow-Up Patent Lawsuit Targeting Apple's Latest Products • Apple Releases MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0
published on Tuesday, the 13. November 2012, macrumors
Microsoft Windows Chief Steven Sinofsky Out Following Windows 8 and Surface Launches
Late yesterday, Microsoft announced its own management shakeup, with Windows and Windows Live President Steven Sinofsky stepping down from the role he had held for over three years. Sinofsky's position is now being split, with Windows executive Julie Larson-Green taking on oversight of engineering and Windows chief financial officer and chief marketing officer Tami Reller adding responsibility for the remainder of the business aspects of the Windows business unit.?I am grateful for the many years of work that Steven has contributed to the company,? [Microsoft CEO Steve] Ballmer said. ?The products and services we have delivered to the market in the past few months mark the launch of a new era at Microsoft. We?ve built an incredible foundation with new releases of Microsoft Office, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Microsoft Surface, Windows Server 2012 and ?Halo 4,? and great integration of services such as Bing, Skype and Xbox across all our products. To continue this success it is imperative that we continue to drive alignment across all Microsoft teams, and have more integrated and rapid development cycles for our offerings.?The move is being seen by some as a parallel to the impending departure of iOS chief Scott Forstall at Apple, with AllThingsD reporting that executive tensions involving Sinofsky had simply reached a breaking point.Sources have said the move came amid growing tension between Sinofsky and other top executives. Sinofsky, though seen as highly talented, was viewed at the top levels as not the kind of team player that the company was looking for.Sinofsky's departure comes just weeks after several high-profile product introductions for Microsoft's Windows division, with the company launching Windows 8 and its Surface tablet late last month. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Jawbone Releases Updated UP Wristband • Apple Online Selling iPhone-Enabled Fender Strat Guitar • Judge Will "Consider" Questions on Jury Foreman in Samsung v. Apple Trial • VirnetX Files Follow-Up Patent Lawsuit Targeting Apple's Latest Products • Apple Releases MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0
published on Tuesday, the 13. November 2012, macrumors
Nokia to Launch Free Maps App with Offline Mode and Transit Directions for iOS
Nokia today announced an expansion of its mapping services, launching a new "HERE" brand for the products and announcing that it will be introducing a new iOS mapping app in the coming weeks."People want great maps, and with HERE we can bring together Nokia's location offering to deliver people a better way to explore, discover and share their world," said Nokia President and CEO Stephen Elop. "Additionally, with HERE we can extend our 20 years of location expertise to new devices and operating systems that reach beyond Nokia. As a result, we believe that more people benefit from and contribute to our leading mapping and location service." To further extend its location services, Nokia is launching a maps application for iOS under the HERE brand. Based on HTML5, it will include offline capabilities, voice-guided walk navigation, and public transport directions. The application is scheduled to be available for free download from Apple's App Store in the coming weeks.The initiative also includes a partnership with Mozilla for mapping in Firefox OS, a reference app for Android developers, acquisition of California company earthmine to help with 3D mapping, and new LiveSight 3D mapping technology. The New York Times has more on why Nokia has chosen to open up its mapping platform even as it seeks to differentiate its Lumia smartphones in the market.Stephen Elop, chief executive of Nokia, said in an interview that in order to ensure that its mapping platform stays competitive, it needs lots of users. The more people who look up directions or search for locations on its maps, the smarter the system gets. And Nokia can still build exclusive location features into its Lumia phones, he said. ?For the location platform to be at the highest quality, one needs scale, and you need as many different people contributing as possible,? Mr. Elop said. ?Of course, Nokia will build apps, some of them unique to Lumia devices, that gain a competitive advantage for Nokia.?Apple has been working to improve its in-house Maps app launched as part of iOS 6, following significant criticism of the app's features and accuracy. In an open letter addressing mapping issues, Apple CEO Tim Cook pointed to the web version of Nokia's maps as an alternative for users unhappy with the performance of Apple's own app. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple Online Selling iPhone-Enabled Fender Strat Guitar • Judge Will "Consider" Questions on Jury Foreman in Samsung v. Apple Trial • VirnetX Files Follow-Up Patent Lawsuit Targeting Apple's Latest Products • Apple Releases MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0 • Classic Video Game 'Dragon's Lair' Comes to OS X
published on Tuesday, the 13. November 2012, macrumors
Apple Allowing Select Employees to Devote Time to Special Projects [Updated]
Apple is allowing a small group of employees to spend up to two weeks working on projects outside their standard job responsibilities. This was originally reported by the Wall Street Journal's Jessica Lessin, by way of Business Insider. It's similar to Google's 20% time, which lets employees spend 20% of their time on side projects that could end up helping Google. Lessin cautioned it was a "far cry" from what Google does. It's limited to a small group of employees at Apple.We don't have too many details for how the program, reportedly nicknamed "Blue Sky", works. It may allow employees to spend time on their own projects, or if they could be temporarily assigned to other working groups within Apple. Update: Lessin's full Wall Street Journal article is now live. Lessin focuses on how the corporate culture is changing at Apple since Tim Cook took over as CEO, noting that Cook has been more accepting of sabbaticals, has praised employees at Apple's media events, and that the company is more frequently giving counteroffers to employees considering posts at other companies. When it comes to culture among technology companies, Apple is still an outlier. Its managers have long ignored standard Silicon Valley perks, such as free lunches, believing the opportunity to work at the company and on its popular products compelled people to stay. Last year, in a session of Apple's internal management program Apple University, officials discussed how the company is in some ways more like the military than a traditional corporation, according to a person who was told about the presentation. But under Chief Executive Tim Cook, who took over from co-founder Steve Jobs last year, Apple is becoming more employee-friendly. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple Online Selling iPhone-Enabled Fender Strat Guitar • Judge Will "Consider" Questions on Jury Foreman in Samsung v. Apple Trial • VirnetX Files Follow-Up Patent Lawsuit Targeting Apple's Latest Products • Apple Releases MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0 • Classic Video Game 'Dragon's Lair' Comes to OS X
published on Monday, the 12. November 2012, macrumors
Apple Ordered to Pay All of Samsung's Court Costs in UK Tablet Design Dispute
Following a series of events in a UK court case between Apple and Samsung that resulted in Apple having to publish a revised notice acknowledging that Samsung's Galaxy Tab devices had not infringed upon the registered design related to the iPad, the court has now ruled that Apple must pay all of Samsung's legal fees. The order was made after the court decided that Apple's behavior in the matter had been inappropriate and showed a "lack of integrity".As to the costs (lawyers' fees) to be awarded against Apple, we concluded that they should be on an indemnity basis. Such a basis (which is higher than the normal, "standard" basis) can be awarded as a mark of the court's disapproval of a party's conduct, particularly in relation to its respect for an order of the court. Apple's conduct warranted such an order. The order also highlights the court's issues with Apple's original statement, which contained improperly inserted text within the notice that was required by the court. The court's order specifically permitted Apple to comment on or publish its own information relating to the case, but the company was judged to have purposely circumvented the intent of the order by inserting information judged to be false within the ordered text.I do not think the order as made precluded any addition to the required notice if that addition had been true and did not undermine the effect of the required notice. But I do consider that adding false and misleading material was illegitimate. For by adding such material the context of the required notice is altered so that it will be understood differently. [...] The reality is that wherever Apple has sued on this registered design or its counterpart, it has ultimately failed. It may or may not have other intellectual property rights which are infringed. Indeed the same may be true the other way round for in some countries Samsung are suing Apple. But none of that has got anything to do with the registered design asserted by Apple in Europe. Apple's additions to the ordered notice clearly muddied the water and the message obviously intended to be conveyed by it.Beyond the inclusion of false and misleading text within the required notice, the court also took exception to Apple's claim that it would take 14 days to modify the notice posted on its website. The court ultimately gave Apple 48 hours to make the changes, and the company complied with that demand. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Judge Will "Consider" Questions on Jury Foreman in Samsung v. Apple Trial • VirnetX Files Follow-Up Patent Lawsuit Targeting Apple's Latest Products • Apple Releases MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0 • Classic Video Game 'Dragon's Lair' Comes to OS X • Pixelmator Adds New Color Profile Management and CMYK Support
published on Monday, the 12. November 2012, macrumors