Startup developers represent one in five on Apple's App Store
Despite the fact that it will be two years old this summer and now has more than 150,000 applications, Apple's App Store for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad remains a place where startups and independent software creators have a fair shot at success.
published today, 4 hours 37 minutes ago, appleinsider
iPad crunch may see long waits, limited business use
It may soon be difficult or impossible to get an iPad without having pre-ordered, information from retail sources indicates. Apple itself has confirmed that all shoppers are currently being limited to two iPads, even if they represent a business client. The restriction on businesses could imply that quantities are limited enough that Apple is reserving as much as it can for the general public....
published on Friday, the 12. March 2010, macintosh-news-network
Apple Already Running Low on iPad Supplies for Launch Day In-Store Pickup Reservations?
MacDailyNews notes that multiple iPad customers who placed pre-orders for Wi-Fi iPad models and are looking to change those orders to in-store pickup reservations have been told by Apple representatives that customer response to the iPad has ...
published on Friday, the 12. March 2010, macrumors
Bed readers rejoice: iPad gains last-minute rotation lock
When Apple first introduced the iPad in late January, we noted with much disappointment that the device had no way to lock the screen orientation. This is apparently no longer the case, however—according to an updated iPad specs page, there is now a screen-rotation-lock switch on the right-hand side of the device, seemingly replacing the mute switch that was there when the media first played with it. In January, Ars confirmed the lack of a screen-lock option with an Apple representative at the iPad event. At that time, the Apple rep reminded us that individual apps give users the option to lock the screen into portrait or landscape mode (which is already the case on a number of third-party iPhone apps), but that the iPad itself had no universal control like on the Kindle or Nook. As a serial in-bed Kindle and iPhone user, this was disappointing to me and a number of other readers. There are few things on earth more annoying than trying to type on your iPhone at a strange angle and have the screen rotate four times before you're finished. Apple apparently heard our cries. 9 to 5 Mac first pointed out the difference in specs this morning, which is now reflected on the official iPad spec page. Yep, that sure does say "screen rotation lock," and that option was definitely not there when Ars played with the iPad on January 27. For those of you who forgot, today is iPad preorder day as well. You can now reserve one to be picked up in-store on April 3 (WiFi only) or you can preorder either the WiFi or 3G versions to be delivered to you. As usual, you can count on Ars to have a review up not long after the iPad launch! Read the comments on this post
published on Friday, the 12. March 2010, ars-technica
Plastic Logic QUE delayed to summer
Plastic Logic chief Richard Archuleta sent notice late Thursday to customers that the QUE proReader has been delayed from mid-April to an unspecified point in the summer. The executive didn't specify the exact reasons behind the delay but claimed it was to "fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience." More details are expected to follow within the next month....
published on Friday, the 12. March 2010, macintosh-news-network
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published on Thursday, the 11. March 2010, macintosh-news-network
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published on Thursday, the 11. March 2010, macintosh-news-network
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published on Thursday, the 11. March 2010, macintosh-news-network
Apple looking to improve exercise routines with 'virtual competitor'
A new patent application from Apple describes an exercise motivation feature that presents a "virtual competitor," providing an "interactive and engaging experience" for fitness enthusiasts.
published on Thursday, the 11. March 2010, appleinsider
Code library gives homebrew iPod remotes chance for awesome
Not too long ago, David Finland built a device capable of communicating with just about any model of iPod via the dock connector using an Arduino Nano, PodGizmo breakout board, an old USB iPod connector, and a momentary switch. While it may not sound like a big deal, there is more to it than one might think: namely programming a device (in this case the Arduino Nano) to be able to receive, interpret, and respond to messages sent from an iPod. This means teaching it to speak Apple Accessory Protocol and, although proprietary in nature, it has been fairly well documented around the Internet. Finland slung some code so that his iPod touch was hooked up to one of the famous Staples Easy buttons in his car. Now he could easily play and pause his iPod touch without having to fiddle with the on-screen controls. Fast-forward several months and Finland had all but forgotten about the project when he was asked by the folks that run Make magazine to talk about it. In particular, they wanted him to talk about the library he created for communicating with Apple’s portable audio players. He said yes, and decided to dive back into the project and attempt to add additional functionality to the project. Finland's first go around only involved tackling the the Simple Remote portion of the Apple Remote Protocol, which handles things like mute, next playlist, skip, and turning the device on and off. With newfound interest, however, he has now tackled the Advanced Remote portion, which opens up a bevy of new functionality, including getting names of songs, albums, artists, and track time; toggling shuffle and repeat mode; and all the other neat functionality that iPods have. This newly released library of code will surely appeal to the do-it-yourself hackers who love tinkering, soldering, and programming. Someone could theoretically even build his or her own iPod speaker solution with a plethora of different options and feedback. The more daring could hard-wire a solution to a car’s in-wheel audio controls. Personally, I envision some sort of bicycle solution that docks the iPod on the handlebars but allows riders to control the device without taking their hands off the handlebars. An even more enterprising individual could rig something like this up to a sudden motion sensor so that when someone enters a room, the iPod begins to play. Read the comments on this post
published on Wednesday, the 10. March 2010, ars-technica