iPad

You just know that there's trouble brewing for a product when their ads stop touting its features and start pointing out the perceived faults of a competitor's wares. If you're looking for an example, you needn't look any further than Amazon's latest ad for their revamped Kindle. Instead of talking about what makes the Kindle a decent reader--features such as its new lighter weight, crisper screen fonts, increased storage and free WebKit-based browsing--they focus on the glare of the iPad's full color screen and higher price point.

Apple Ups the Ante in Online Customer Support with "Express Lane"

Posted 09/14/2010 at 10:02am | by Florence Ion

Apple knows that your favorite check out line at the grocery store is the Express Lane, which is why they've added their own. While it's not the same as making sure you've got 15 items of less in your basket, it does up the ante in customer service, making sure that faithful buyers are tended to very carefully.

The Complete Guide to Game Center on iOS

Posted 09/13/2010 at 12:52pm | by Cory Bohon

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With iOS 4.1, Apple released a completely new social gaming platform for the iPhone, iPod touch and in November, the iPad called Game Center. Game Center is the mobile equivalent of Nintendo’s Wii Network Play, Xbox Live, or Playstation Network. When you download games that have been designed to support Game Center, you can interact with leaderboards, special per-game achievements, and even multiplayer support complete with VoIP.

Apple Rooting Out App Store Squatters

Posted 09/13/2010 at 12:24pm | by Seamus Bellamy

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Ask anyone in marketing and they'll tell you that branding is everything. Finding the right name for your product can mean the difference between raging fiscal success and utter financial failure for developers. There there are few companies on the planet that understand this better than Apple. The Cupertino-based company has one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Don't believe us? Flash a photo of their iconic fruit logo anywhere in the developed world and watch people's eyes light up like a pair of iPod nanos.

OK, that was a terrible simile, but you get the idea.

With the success Apple has enjoyed in getting the name of their products 'just so,' not to mention the trials and tribulations the company has undergone to secure the rights to those names, it's great to see that Apple's taking a stand against name-squatters in the iTunes App Store.

In Case You Missed It: Sep. 5 - Sep. 11

Posted 09/12/2010 at 8:39am | by J Keirn-Swanson

Well, once again, it was kind of slow iPhone news week, as iPods iPods iPods were all the rage (Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!), but it's not like no one was talking about it, especially with the new SDK rules that rolled out. Flash on the iPhone? Well, not really, but sorta yeah, if you count apps made in Flash being legit all over again. Thanks, FTC!

Frag the Editor Friday

Posted 09/10/2010 at 3:24pm | by Roberto Baldwin

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Hi everyone,

Lately we've been playing a lot of Team Fortress 2 on Frag the Editor Friday. Okay, it's really all we've been playing. This week we're going to mix it up and have the editors playing different games, giving our readers the opportunity to play against us without having to delve into the face-shooting world of FPS.

So pick an editor and get ready to battle:

Roberto Baldwin & Nic Vargus - Steam - Team Fortress 2 - Mac|Life Steam Group - Join the group chat room to be invited to the game.

Ray Aguilera - Enigmo - Game Center & Strategery- Username: raguilera - Will announce on his Twitter feed when he's ready for another game.

Susie Ochs - Words with Friends & Strategery - Will be accepting new games over the weekend - Username: sfsooz

Florence Ion - Cro Mag Rally - Game Center - Username: Ohthatflo - Will announce on her Twitter feed when she's ready for another game.

The editors will begin playing at 4:00PM PDT.

Free App Friday: Extreme Home Makeover

Posted 09/10/2010 at 1:02pm | by Florence Ion

They say that home is where the heart is. So then, if your heart isn't in your home, where is it? Sure, decorating a home is a pricey endeavor, not to mention a stressful one. But when all is said and done, a house that fits your style will only make you feel more comfortable. So, take out those tools, put on your overalls, and use these apps to help you turn your home (or in this editor's case, small studio apartment) into the dwelling of your dreams.

How To Add Additional Email Accounts to Game Center So Your Friends Can Find You

Posted 09/10/2010 at 11:52am | by Roberto Baldwin

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If you're like a most of the Mac|Life staff, you have more than one email address. If you're on Game Center, your main email address might not be the one you have attached to your Game Center account. Here's how to add all of your email addresses to Game Center so you don't miss an invitation from your game playing friendship.

Google Voice to Become Comeback Kid In App Store

Posted 09/10/2010 at 11:38am | by Cory Bohon

GV Mobile, the unofficial Google Voice application, may actually make it back to the App Store after all. After the GV Mobile application was pulled by Apple almost 2 years ago, along with the Official Google Voice application (which never made it past the approval process), many Google Voice users wondered if they would ever see the Google Voice functionality in an app on their iOS devices. But a recent tweet by GV Mobile application developer, Sean Kovacs, revealed that Apple has finally broken their silence about Google Voice on the App Store.

Apple's Policy Changes Could Have Been Result of FTC Investigation [Updated]

Posted 09/10/2010 at 9:12am | by Florence Ion

Since Apple's big policy changes in app development yesterday, software developers have been jumping for joy at the freedom to build their own applications with whatever tool they well choose. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that Apple's change in policy on its third party app development may have a little something to do with being under fire from the FTC.