Apple Stores still selling screen protectors, but not for long
Reports have been swirling that Apple plans to ban screen protectors from its brick and mortar retail stores, but for the time being, the items seem to be plentiful throughout many store locations. Several Apple Stores we contacted Thursday afternoon assured Ars that there were currently "plenty" of screen protectors in stock, and did not indicate that this would change anytime soon. (One sales associate went as far as listing off all the variations that were in stock.) None of the outlets mentioned anything about the impending ban or removing the product from inventory in the future. Rumors of Apple’s supposed ban started Wednesday when iLounge reported that several companies had been informed that, starting in May, Apple would no longer carry screen protectors in their retail stores. According to iLounge's sources, stand-alone solutions as well as those bundled with cases will eventually be removed. There were so many pundit theories about what could have sparked the decision that iLounge wrote a follow-up article to address them. The conspiracy theorists came up with all kinds of reasons: Apple is making room for iPad accessories, Apple wants you to ruin your phone so you have to buy another, the iPhone is too classy for a flimsy piece of plastic, etc. Our personal favorite theory was that Apple might be planning a new product or technology that doesn’t work properly with the film applied. iLounge even got an e-mail from an Apple Store employee, suggesting that the ban might be due to the difficulty in applying the protective layer. Apparently, this employee's store barred employees from doing this for customers some time ago. In our experiences here at Ars, the iPhone screen is extremely hard to scratch, though some of us have admittedly had much better luck than others. It seems much more likely that an iPhone screen will crack due to a fall than it will develop noticeable scratch. In that case, no amount of thin, flimsy, plastic is going to save your device from that. What Apple is up to is really anyone's guess. We would like to think that Apple is coming out with its own line of overpriced iPhone screen protectors, but it's more likely they are just more trouble than they're worth for Apple. Screen protectors may still be available at Apple Stores, but probably not for long. Don't worry—you can get the exact same thing for your iPhone from places like Best Buy, Fry's, and almost any other outlet that sells iPhone accessories. Read the comments on this post
published yesterday, 9 hours 24 minutes ago, ars-technica
Briefly: EA Mobiles upcoming games, Unlock iPhone backups
EA Mobile has posted some new information and screenshots for several of its upcoming iPhone and iPod touch games. The Sims 3 World Adventures will allow players to explore three exotic locations including Egypt, France, and China. Users can also transfer their Sims back and forth between the iPhone/iPod touch version and The Sims 3. Also currently in the works is an updated version of EA's classic city-planning game, SimCity Deluxe. The game will feature an improved interface that includes larger buttons, better flow, and quicker access to important items. Users wil...
published yesterday, 11 hours 5 minutes ago, macintosh-news-network
Secrets of the proxy icon in a program's title bar
You can perform many useful tasks using the icon in the title bar of many OS X applications (known as the proxy icon), in both Apple-bundled (TextEdit, Preview, etc.) and third party (BBEdit, Path Finder, and numerous others) applications. For this to work, you need to be using a file that has had its latest changes saved (otherwise, the icon will be grayed out). Normally, when you click-and-drag on the title bar of a window, you just drag the window around. However, if you click-and-hold directly on the proxy icon, and optionally add a modifier key, you can access other useful functions. Here's what happens in most applications, including TextEdit and Preview: Drag icon: If you drag the proxy icon to a Finder window or your Desktop, an alias to the open file will be created at the location where you drop the icon. Option-drag icon: Hold down the Option (Alt) key prior to dragging, and you'll create a copy instead of an alias. Command or Control: ...
published on Tuesday, the 16. March 2010, macosxhints
Wearable computing expert now Apple "prototype scientist"
Apple has hired an expert in "human-computer interaction for mobile applications" to complement its research and development in mobile computing, according to a new report from Computerworld. Richard DeVaul, known for his work in the field of "wearable computing," is Apple's newest senior prototype scientist. DeVaul originally studied architecture, anthropology, and physics at Texas A&M before working on a masters degree in visualization science. Before finishing his masters thesis on "novel dynamics constraints approximation algorithm for computer animation applications," DeVaul left Texas A&M to pursue an MD and later PhD degree in Media Arts and Sciences at MIT. While at MIT, he also worked as a research scientist at MIT's famous Media Lab. DeVaul's PhD dissertation revolved around a project called "Memory Glasses," which were designed to provide the wearer with context-sensitve cues to assist in memory recall. Much of the research focused on determining how to determine context, including using GPS location and accelerometer data—something that Apple's mobile devices can already provide. Research into how to present recall clues also showed that subtle, even subliminal information could prove useful in assisting memory—the same kind of subtle clues and interactions that are evident throughout the iPhone OS. After DeVaul finished his PhD, he spent the last six years working as the CTO and president of AWare Technologies, which he also co-founded. AWare originally focused on mobile monitoring technologies for athletic and military applications, as well as motion analysis for Olympic teams. The company later focused on adapting its technology to fitness tracking applications, including developing the StepTrak Lite activity tracking iPhone app. AWare's FitAWare system is similar in some respects to a system that Apple recently applied to patent that generates workouts that users can use to compete with each other as a sort of game. Apple has also teamed up with Nike in the past on the Nike+ run-tracking system as well as a system to track exercise on certain gym equipment, both of which interface with iPods and some iPhones. As Apple's senior prototype scientist, DeVaul reports directly to SVP of industrial design Jonathan Ive, ostensibly developing and building prototypes of mobile—and likely wearable—computing devices. Reportedly only seven people besides Ive and CEO Steve Jobs will even know what he is cooking up inside Apple's research labs. DeVaul will likely explore ways to make computing devices that are ever more mobile and constantly accessible, a job that fits Apple's direction as a mobile devices company. Read the comments on this post
published on Monday, the 15. March 2010, ars-technica
Windows Phone 7 development, marketplace detailed
Microsoft at its MIX10 developer event detailed some of how app development and sales will work for Windows Phone 7. Confirming that it's based on Silverlight and XNA, the mobile OS will fence off third-party apps from true native code but will give them access to all the key features: it will recognize accelerometers, cameras and multi-touch gestures. WP7 will also mirror iPhone development by using background push notification for those not allowed to multitask and include a general location service that any app can use....
published on Monday, the 15. March 2010, macintosh-news-network