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The Week's 10 Hottest Apple News Stories, February 3rd

J Keirn-Swanson — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:30:00 +0000

Price Drop: Childlike Wonder Games

J Keirn-Swanson — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:30:00 +0000

This week's games are addictive and packed with cute animals, making them too fun by half. You'll be fighting your kids to get back your phone just so you can have a crack at these adorable discounted apps. Got a long car trip coming up for the weekend? Well, then, you're set.

Rocket Rush - Tappi Bear

Time for another space journey as you pilot Tappi Bear through the cosmos. Navigate your way through meteors as you fire you donut canon but watch out that the aliens don't get you! How far can you go? This fast loading universal game is a buck off, making it free for you. Enjoy and good luck!

Kiwi Brown

Oh noooes! The evil space bubbles are set to invade and only you, Kiwi Brown, can save the day. Pop those bubbles through cycles of days and nights (bubbles don't rest -- what can you do?). Power-up for mega burst action in this charming free iPhone only app down from one dollar to just one tap in the App Store.

Little Bricks

The classic brick breaking style game gets a few twists in this update on an old favorite. It's not just you, your ball, and some bricks. Oh no, you'll be working in the rain, in the snow, against high winds. You'll be finding portals and all kinds of other hidden gems in this now free iPhone favorite.

Derby & the Jellybean Adventure

Derby's on an adventure to eat as many jellybeans as he can. You'll fling him from peg to peg in this free iPhone physics style game. Watch out for thieving enemies who will try to steal your sweet treats. With the right aiming, you can toss this adorable little guy for hours without stop. Down from a dollar, but not forever, so what are you waiting for?

Friday Recap: Snow Leopard Rosetta Bug, Readdle’s Remarks, iBooks Author Update

J.R. Bookwalter — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:19:34 +0000

Ah, Friday: Time to kick up the feet and relax, assuming you don’t have to work the weekend. (Sadly, we do -- feeling sorry for us yet?) Despite the weekend being upon us, today was a rather busy day in the tech world, with Apple briefly removing 3G-equipped iOS devices from its online store thanks to a Motorola injunction, RIM baiting Android developers with free BlackBerry PlayBooks and a whole lot more. Read on to find out what’s making news for this Friday, February 3, 2012.

German Motorola Victory Briefly Removes 3G Devices from Apple Online

If you live in Germany and have been trying to buy a 3G-equipped iOS device aside from the iPhone 4S in the last day or so, you might have been out of luck. According to AllThingsD, Apple removed all 3G-equipped iOS devices from their online store in that country with the exception of the iPhone 4S in compliance with an injunction granted to Motorola Mobility last December, part of the ongoing patent dispute between the two companies. Even as Apple was moving to comply, they were hard at work on an appeal, and this morning it came through -- although it’s only a temporary measure until the matter is resolved, which patent expert Florian Mueller says could take upwards of a year. “Apple appealed this ruling because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago,” an Apple spokeswoman explained to AllThingsD.

Free BlackBerry Tablet for Android Developers

iOS developers must surely be getting a good chuckle out of this: BlackBerry PlayBook maker Research in Motion is trying to woo Android developers to their tablet by giving them the necessary hardware for free. According to The New York Times, “all an Android programmer has to do to get one is make a PlayBook app and submit it to RIM’s app store, BlackBerry App World, by Feb. 13.” We’re not even talking about native BlackBerry QNX apps here -- RIM wants that Android goodness, presumably in the hopes of expanding its user base the way Amazon has with the Kindle Fire and its own Appstore. However, the report notes that RIM has an ulterior motive here: “Oddly, the PlayBook giveaway could have less to do with the tablet than it does with future BlackBerry smartphones.” Perhaps the idea is to lure Android developers and turn them to the Dark Side, writing QNX apps for the forthcoming BlackBerry 10 (and, presumably, the next PlayBook tablet as well).

Oops, Apple Did It Again: Snow Leopard Security Update Breaks Rosetta

While OS X Lion users had to content with a cryptic CUI error after installing Mac OS X 10.7.3 this week (assuming they could successfully open apps at all!), it turns out the seemingly harmless Security Update 2012-001 for Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard that Apple pushed out at the same time is also causing some ticks in that big cat’s fur. According to Macworld, Snow Leopard users who install the update are finding they can no longer run PowerPC apps, which require Rosetta to run. “People have reported cursor glitches, printing errors, and crashes when quitting an application,” the report reveals. “The popular financial package Quicken 2007, which requires Rosetta to work on Intel Macs, appears to be a frequent victim.” Thankfully, an enterprising group of system administrators at a Nebraska high school have already come to the rescue with the aptly named RosettaFix, which swaps out the afflicted files for the ones installed prior to applying the Security Update. The only caveat is that the fix may not work for all apps, but it’s worth a try if you find yourself stuck with no other choice.

Readdle Introduces Innovative New Remarks App for iPad

The creators of the popular Readdle Docs and PDF Expert apps are back, fresh from the recent Macworld/iWorld expo, with their latest work: Remarks, a $4.99 digital notebook app for the iPad. “Write down your thoughts, capture ideas and information, annotate documents and outline notes anywhere from university class to sofa at home,” the app description reads. “To let you write anything you have in mind we included all the tools you might need: pens and highlighters of different colors, floating text boxes, shapes and of course an eraser.” But this isn’t just a simple note-taking app: iPad users can also extensively annotate their notes, which are saved in PDF format and can be easily shared with others, imported to other iPad apps or even saved to the Mac or PC. Judging from early user reviews on the App Store, Ukraine-based Readdle has another winner on its hands with this 17.8MB app, which is now available and ready to purchase.

Apple’s iBooks Author License Not Quite as Evil

You may recall that the launch of iBooks 2 and the free iBooks Author was somewhat marred by a firestorm of controversy surrounding exactly what users could do with their finished work. According to MacRumors, many took the EULA quite literally, “believing that Apple was claiming rights to all content used in the production of the iBooks Textbooks, perhaps attempting to exclude books from being published in any other form.” Thanks to today’s iBooks Author 1.0.1 update, the licensing terms have now been clarified: Apple is claiming rights only to the .ibooks document format, while authors are free to sell their content in other formats as they please. A subtle change, but one that should send content creators back to the village to snuff out those torches and hang up the pitchforks -- at least for now.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

iOS Games Weekly Roundup: Gorillas, Ghosts, and Aliens, Oh My!

Andrew Groen — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:57:28 +0000

This week, we've got the lowdown on one of the best Nintendo DS games of 2011 hitting iOS, as well as an equally interesting game about a gorilla jumping up and down on a ski lift. See, this is exactly why we love iOS gaming.

Official Magic App Launches

Perhaps 99.9% of iOS won't care about this in the slightest, but here at Mac|Life, we are the 0.1%. For years, overpriced imitation Magic: The Gathering apps have ruled the roost, but now Wizards of the Coast finally has its own official app. It's pretty nifty too! The free app contains the entire database of Magic cards, and you can even experiment with different deck styles.

Ticket to Ride Gets Asynchronous Multiplayer

Words With Friends became an unparalleled success in the iOS board gaming space in part due to its great asynchronous multiplayer, which allowed players to take their time in a game and juggle multiple matches at the same time. Now that same kind of functionality is available in the wonderful Ticket to Ride Pocket for iPhone, and we couldn't be more excited. We can't wait for asynchronous multiplayer to make its way into every last iOS board game release.

NetherRealm May Make More iOS Games

The studio behind Arkham City: Lockdown has declared unequivocally that it is very interested in continuing to develop games for iOS. NetherRealm recently said that they want to continue to diversify their games, rather than relying on their highly popular reboot of the Mortal Kombat series. While we're thrilled to play just about anything this highly talented developer puts out, we're definitely most excited for them to continue classing up iOS gaming with well-produced efforts like Arkham City: Lockdown.

10 Essential Apps for Facebook Timeline

Ambika Subramony — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:35:25 +0000

Facebook Timeline is the social network's latest method of adding more trinkets to your profile page. It's a virtual scrapbook of your whole Facebook history that fits in with the site's new timeline format. You can get the most out of the new format by displaying not just your Facebook activities, but by using apps to show what else you're doing around the web. Facebook touts it as a way to bring your timeline to life and express who you are, and we'd say that's pretty accurate. Timeline apps are a great way to integrate your various hobbies into your Facebook profile.

If you haven't started using apps with your Timeline profile, here are 10 of our favorite to get you started. Be warned though--if you aren't one to share, you might want to skip this feature. These apps send all of your various activities straight to your Facebook profile!

Bring Me Sandwiches!! Review

AJ Dellinger — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:55:23 +0000

Who would have guessed that Adult Swim, the late-night network famed for its irreverent cartoons and live-action series, would prove to be one of the most consistent producers of quality iOS games? Its latest addition to the stack is Bring Me Sandwiches!!, which is one part platformer and another Katamari Damacy, topped with a dab of absurdity and slapped between two slices of bread.

You'll take control of lovable loser Jimmy Nugget, a hapless employee at a local fast food restaurant. When a seemingly unquenchable glutton of an alien named Gourmo threatens to destroy the earth, Jimmy is called upon to save the day by meeting the otherworldly visitor's single, titular demand. Of course, an extraterrestrial isn't going to crave just any kind of sandwich; he's choosy about ingredients, so don't be surprised if you're asked to offer up a cat and fire hydrant sandwich.

At the start of each vibrantly colored and well-designed level, Jimmy is handed a slice of bread. Running around using either the intuitive touch or tilt controls, you'll collect any and all items that are littered about the level to stack your sandwiches higher. While the controls work well, there are rare occasions where they don't seem responsive enough; jumping off the heads of other characters comes to mind. Some platforms are also ill-defined, though it's seldom problematic. Neither presents a significant hindrance, but the rest of the game is so sharp that the little flaws seem more prevalent.

The bottom line. Bring Me Sandwiches!! is a genre-blender that takes the best parts of other favorites and makes them work together. It's so quirky, entertaining, and difficult to put down that you might find yourself in your kitchen, simply stacking random objects on bread because you just can't get enough.

Review Synopsis

Product:

Bring Me Sandwiches!! 2.1

Company:

Adult Swim

Contact:

http://adultswim.com

Price:

Requirements:

iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 3.1 or later

Positives:

Plenty of variation within the simple concept. Easy to pick up and play. Hilarious dialogue and sandwich combinations.

Negatives:

Controls feel less responsive than expected on occasion. Hard to see parts of the level when sandwich stack gets too high.

Score:

4.5 Excellent

Thursday Recap: Mac OS X 10.7.3 Update Problems, Avid Studio, iMessage “Bug”

J.R. Bookwalter — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:37:10 +0000

Some people are more fortunate than others -- for example, yesterday’s Mac OS X 10.7.3 update is causing grief for many who used Software Update to install it, while our 27-inch iMac was smooth sailing all the way with this method. If you’re one of those affected, read on for the fix -- and while you’re at it, stick around for a little bit and take in the rest of the day’s news for this fine Thursday, February 2, 2012.

Mac OS X 10.7.3 Update Woes? There’s A Fix for That

Hey, nobody’s perfect, and that includes the engineers at Apple. As noted by Macworld, yesterday’s Mac OS X 10.7.3 update appears to be hiding a little bugaboo that has caused some grief for a number of users. Thankfully, there’s an easy solution, which is to download the larger Combo updater and simply install it over the system having the problem. So what’s the problem? It appears that a number of users who updated via Software Update “discovered upon rebooting that every app they launched would crash, and the ensuing error dialog box sported bizarre overlays: gradient boxes reading ‘CUI CUI,’ along with bright red question marks.” While the fix is easy, if your particular system is crashing every app, you may need to resort to using FireWire Target Disk mode from another Mac to install, or if worse comes to worse, use Lion Recovery mode to get things going again. No word yet from Apple on what the problem might be or how they intend to fix it -- most likely they’ll pull the update and replace it with a patched version in the near future.

Avid Studio Brings Powerful Editing to iPad

It’s been quite a week for video editors, with Apple releasing an update for Final Cut Pro X that finally restores missing features from the legacy version and now their rival Avid landing on the iPad with a $4.99 prosumer offering called Avid Studio. Avid is a familiar name in the pro video world, having pioneered much of the non-linear digital editing used by Hollywood. The company’s latest offering isn’t quite as ambitious, but aims to take on Apple’s own iMovie solution instead. Avid Studio promises “big-screen moviemaking” on the iPad. “Swiftly arrange your clips in the Storyboard, make precision edits using the Timeline, and add high-quality transitions, effects, and a soundtrack,” the app description reads. “Then share your movie directly to YouTube, Facebook, and more -- or export your project to Avid Studio for the PC and continue editing with even more advanced tools.” Avid Studio is a 30.7MB download from the App Store and available now for $4.99.

Apple Leapfrogs LG to Become Third Largest Mobile Phone Maker

MacRumors is reporting that Apple’s recent success with the iPhone 4S is paying off in many ways, including a new report out from research firm IDC today that positions Cupertino as the third largest manufacturer of mobile phones worldwide -- and that’s not strictly smartphones, but rather mobile phones of all types. With a 128.4 percent year-over-year-change, Apple handily breezed from fifth place to third place, bumping rival LG down a notch. The iPhone maker is now perched behind Nokia in first place and Samsung in second place, although that pair will be much harder to dethrone: Nokia and Samsung sold 113.5 million and 97.6 million handsets respectively in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared with Apple’s relatively modest 37 million.

Skype for Mac Update Brings Video Call Stability, UI Improvements

The folks at Microsoft-owned Skype are back for another heapin’ helpin’ of update fun for the Mac edition, with a new version out today that promises “improved video call stability and improvements to the calling interface.” Of course, that all comes on top of the VoIP giant’s recent bear hug with Facebook, which allows users to check news feeds, instant messages and even video call their friends with or without the client software, thanks to the wonders of modern browser technology. But enough of our yakking, it’s time to click the link and get your update on...

iMessage “Bug”? Not So Fast

There’s been plenty of chatter this week about what everyone assumes is a bug with iOS 5’s iMessage service, which allows text messages to continue to be received even on stolen or lost devices. As it turns out, the “bug” only rears its ugly head when proper protocol is not followed. According to The Loop, one such incident recently documented by Gizmodo found a customer’s text messages inadvertently going to an iPhone owned by the Apple Genius who assisted her with an unrelated problem. Since the customer’s device had no SIM card, the Genius popped out his own and placed it inside the customer’s, causing a shift in the time-space continuum. Okay, not really, but it did cause the iPhone to start routing the customer’s iMessages to the Genius’ device. As it turns out, toggling iMessage on and off or having the customer put their own SIM card back into their device would have eliminated the problem, as explained by an Apple representative. Problem… solution.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

How to Keep Your Mac from Getting Stolen

Cory Bohon — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:41:19 +0000

Before we get started, we'd do well by advising you not to leave your Mac unattended in a public place. That's an expensive -- and highly coveted -- machine! But sometimes, nature calls, or that second latte is all you need to keep chugging along with work for the afternoon. Take the neccessary precautions to make sure that your laptop stays put and, more importantly, that your private information stays unrevealed.

What You'll Need:

>> Kensington ClickSafe Laptop Lock
>> FileVault enabled
>> iCloud account

1. Secure Your Data with FileVault

Just because your computer is physically secured doesn't mean that a thief couldn't steal your data. With physical access to your machine without FileVault enabled, a thief can boot your machine in Target Disk mode and copy files in a heartbeat with just a FireWire cable.

To enable FileVault, navigate to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > FileVault. Click the "Turn on FileVault" button to begin encrypting your hard drive. After the drive is encrypted, any access through Target Disk Mode will be required to enter the encryption password.

2. Physically Bolt Down your Mac

If you tend to work a lot from a coffee shop or the library consider investing in a ClickSafe Laptop Lock lock to tie down your MacBook to a table leg. This lock plugs into the small, curved rectangular hole on the right-hand side of your MacBook and uses the same locking mechanism as a bike lock.

We also recommend an application called iAlertU that acts as an alarm. It's just as annoying and distracting as a car alarm.

You can also secure your iMac or some Apple displays with this type of lock as well.

3. Keep Tabs on your Mac with iCloud

If the worst has happen, as long as you have an iCloud account you can keep track of your Mac's current location based on its IP address. This isn't as accurate as GPS, but it'll give you a rough estimate of where your Mac is located.

To enable this, go to System Preferences > iCloud, and check the box labeled, "Find My Mac."

You can then locate your Mac by visiting iCloud.com, logging into your account, and selecting the "Find My iPhone" icon. Despite the name, this section of iCloud will display your Macs as well. When your Mac is found, you can click it on the Map to get options for Remote Locking, or Remote Wiping.

4. Lock your account with a password

To keep people from logging into your account and making changes without your approval, head to System Preferences > Users & Groups, and select your account. Click Reset password to create or change your password.

When you're done, head to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General. Ensure that the box labeled "Require password after sleep or screen saver begins" is checked and a time is selected. While you're here, check the box to "Disable automatic login." Doing this will make your Mac more secure.

5. Keep Your Stuff with You

Of course, the best way to keep from becoming a victim of theft is to just keep your stuff with you. We recommend getting a nice, comfortable bag, and keeping it on your person at all times when you're out and about. Or a ferocious dog that is constantly baring its teeth at anyone who goes near your stuff. We're kidding about that last part. Doggies are nice.

Follow this article's author, Cory Bohon on Twitter.

How to Edit Digital Photos on your iPad

Richard Cobbett — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:05:35 +0000

How to make any photo look its best

Whatever tool you use to edit your photos (we’re using Luminance here), the majority of the options you’ll need will be exactly the same and should work in the same basic way. On top of those, you’ll usually find one-click gimmick options, and a few that may come in handy for specific images, but those are usually better tried a few times and then never touched again. The ones to focus on are the less exciting options, especially brightness and color saturation. Follow these six steps in order and even a picture that seems ruined can come alive under your fingers.

14 Must-Have iOS First Person Shooters

Andrew Dyer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:31:26 +0000

Doom was released by id Software in 1993, and it cleverly combined hugely innovative gameplay features with a storyline crammed with controversial satanic imagery… so its success was assured. Playing the part of a lone soldier up against the hordes of Hell, the player had to navigate his way through the maze-like levels, blasting the enemies with a range of destructive weapons. Multiplayer mode and the ability to design your own level mods gave the game longevity. It laid the foundations on which gaming’s most popular genre would be built.