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Ports of Sonic CD and Marathon 2 Make Their Way to iOS [iOS Blog]
Dec 15, 9:50PM
Sonic CD and Marathon 2: Durandal have made their way to the iPhone and the iPad, more than 15 years after their original release.
Sonic CD was originally released in 1993 as a game for the Sega CD, Sega's CD-ROM add-on for the Genesis console. Unfortunately, the Sega CD was a complete flop, and, according to our sister-site TouchArcade, never got the attention it deserved.
I'd still say Sonic CD is the best Sonic game ever released. It was a particularly great Sega CD game, as it played to the strengths of the Genesis with familiar Sonic-style gameplay enhanced through a few tasteful full motion video scenes and some fantastic CD audio.TouchArcade has the full story of how Sonic CD came to the iPhone, and it's fascinating. The short version is that in 2009, a fan of the game created an unauthorized, emulated version for iOS. That version suddenly disappeared without a trace, presumably under the order of Sega's legal team.
But today, that port has come to iOS with the approval of Sega, and to rave reviews.
Here we have the best installment of one of the greatest gaming franchises, which received both flawless review scores and game of the year awards when it was originally released ported with complete perfection to iOS. This is a game you flat out need to buy if you even vaguely consider yourself an iOS gamer. Not only because it's such an impeccable port of an important piece of gaming history, but because we need to vote with our wallets to tell Sega (and anyone else who might be watching) that this is the quality we demand out of retro games brought to the App Store.Sonic CD is available as a universal iPad and iPhone app, for $1.99 on the App Store [Direct Link].
Marathon 2: Durandal was originally released in 1995 for the Mac and Windows 95 -- and was even ported to the Apple Pippen -- as a sequel to Bungie's first Marathon game. Marathon 1 was released on iPad earlier this year by the same developer.
As with Marathon 1, the game is a free download offering 28 levels divided into 9 chapters. The interface has been modified to accommodate touch screen interaction of the iPad. It also includes Joypad support, allowing players to play the game on the iPad, whilst controlling it with the iPhone.
Marathon 2 is a free download for the iPhone and iPad from the App Store [Direct Link]
iTunes Match Goes Live Internationally (For Real This Time)
Dec 15, 9:33PM
Following last night's premature access to iTunes Match some users in international markets were able to achieve through their iTunes Store account pages, the service now appears to officially be going live in several countries.
iTunes Match link on front page of UK iTunes Store
MacRumors readers in a number of countries have been reporting over the past few hours that they are being presented with updated terms and conditions for the iTunes Store mentioning iTunes Match. And now prominent links to iTunes Match have appeared on the front page of the iTunes Store in at least Canada, Ireland, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Users in those countries are reporting successful sign-ups for the service, and we're waiting to hear confirmation on whether it is indeed fully functional at this time.
Update: We're also receiving reports of iTunes Match links going live on iTunes Stores in Australia, France, New Zealand, and Spain.
Update 2: Users are reporting that the iTunes Match does appear to be working in the new countries, with subscribers' libraries being matched.
Canadian user's library being matched
Apple Rolling Out New iTunes Terms Ahead of International iTunes Match Debut [Updated]
Dec 15, 9:08PM
Yesterday, we noted that iTunes Match was appearing to go live in a number of countries around the world, with users being able to sign up for the service in their local currencies but reporting that the feature was not yet functioning properly. The rollout appears to have been premature, as Apple has been refunding early customers and notifying them that the service is currently available only in the United States and Brazil. Apple now appears, however, to moving closer to an official launch in a number of countries, as users are beginning to report that they are being prompted to accept new iTunes Store Terms and Conditions addressing iTunes Match legalities today.
Terms and Conditions and Apple Privacy PolicySo far we've seen reports of the new conditions rolling out in Canada and the UK.
The changes we have made to the terms and conditions include the following:
- Notification of an additional type of previously-purchased content that may be subsequently downloaded to certain computers and devices as an accommodation to you, subject to existing association rules; and that such content may be played back on certain devices that are not subject to existing association rules, with limitations;
- New terms have been added that govern your use of iTunes Match, whereby you may pay a subscription fee to access certain content remotely, subject to existing association rules and usage rules, and explain that such content may be accessed on certain devices that are not subject to existing association rules, with limitations; and
- New terms have been added that explain that use of iTunes Match requires collection of certain information from your iTunes library which shall be associated with your Account.
iTunes Match debuted in the United States in mid-November and expanded to Brazil earlier this week as part of a broader Latin American expansion for iTunes Store music and movie content.
Update: We've also received reports of the new terms and conditions going live in Germany and the Czech Republic. In addition, the "iTunes Match" link on the front page of the iTunes Store has now gone live in Canada and the UK.
Claimed iPad 3 Parts Continue to Leak as Rumored Release Draws Closer
Dec 15, 8:16PM
As long ago as mid-July, the first claimed iPad 3 parts leaked with photos of a dock connector and ribbon cable. Since that time, at least one other claimed iPad 3 part in the form of a power button flex cable has also appeared.
Claimed iPad 3 microphone flex cable
Cydia Blog notes that a third iPad 3 part appears to have joined the leaks with the appearance of a microphone flex cable. All three parts are currently available through Chinese parts retailer TVC-Mall.com.
The new part, when compared with iPad 2, shows a different arrangement in internal circuitry, hinting a major re-design. The tail end of the part makes a "U-turn", whereas the iPad 2′s Microphone Mic Flex Cable makes almost 90-degree turn both ways. Except for few details, the leaked part so far doesn't offer a tantalizing tease.But even major changes to the internal components of Apple's devices doesn't necessarily indicate significant changes to their overall appearance. For example, the internal design of many of the iPhone components changed with the introduction of the CDMA iPhone 4, which was actually a significant internal reworking of the GSM version. Most of those changes made for the CDMA iPhone 4 also made their way into the world-mode iPhone 4S without substantial differences among the three models visible from the exterior.
Apple's manufacturing partners are said to already be receiving display panels for the iPad 3, with an aim to begin assembly in January ahead of a launch in the following couple of months. The iPad 3 is said to offer a new "Retina" display offering twice the resolution of the current iPad in both the horizontal and vertical resolution, allowing for much sharper image quality.
iMessage Bug Sends Texts to Stolen iPhones [iOS Blog]
Dec 15, 8:00PM
It appears that a bug in iMessage allows texts to be sent to a stolen iPhone, even after a remote wipe and disabling the SIM card, reports Ars Technica. iMessage, introduced in iOS 5, is similar to RIM's BlackBerry messaging service. It sends text, picture, and video messages over Apple's servers instead of via the carrier's SMS service. This can lower the user's text messaging charges and adds features like delivery confirmation. It also allows users of non-cellular devices, like the iPad and iPod Touch, to send and receive text and picture messages -- as featured in a recent iPod Touch television ad.
According to Ars Technica:
Our attention was drawn to this story by Ars reader David Hovis, whose house was recently burglarized and his wife's iPhone 4S was stolen. According to Hovis, his wife deactivated her iPhone with her carrier, remote wiped it, and immediately changed her Apple ID password—"we picked up a new iPhone the next day, figuring that our insurance would end up paying for it," Hovis told Ars.Hovis sent messages to new "owner" of his wife's old phone, with the messages going to both the old and new phone, but the other person was uncooperative. He discovered a thread on the MacRumors forums with several readers reporting the same issues.
For most users, this would be the end of the story. The phone number had been transferred to a new device and the old one had been deactivated; what more is there to say? A lot, apparently, and in the form of iMessages. The thief who stole Mrs. Hovis' iPhone had sold the device to an unsuspecting buyer elsewhere in the state, and the buyer had begun sending and receiving iMessages from the phone as Mrs. Hovis—even though the stolen phone had apparently now been activated under a new number.
Apple has not commented on the matter, but it's possible that the iMessage servers permanently links the UDID number of a particular handset to a phone number, so it knows what handset to deliver iMessages to. When the phone is remotely wiped, and a new SIM card installed, the iMessage servers don't update and messages continue to be sent to the stolen phone.
Apple Releases Apple TV Software Version 4.4.4, Tweaks iOS 5.0.1 for iPhone 4S
Dec 15, 6:49PM
Apple today released a software update for the second-generation Apple TV, bringing the set-top box to version 4.4.4. The update arrives as Build 9A406a, but it is not yet clear what improvements are included in the release. Apple TV software 4.4.3 was released last month and added support for Netflix streaming in Mexico and an audio output issue when the connected television set is turned off.
Curiously, Apple also appears to have released a slightly tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 for the iPhone 4S [Direct Link]. The new version arrives as Build 9A406, an increment of one over the original release of iOS 5.0.1 last month.
The tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 does not appear to be being offered to users currently running the original version of the software, but would be downloaded by any users upgrading to iOS 5.0.1 from this point on. Consequently, any change appears to be a minor one that Apple would like to pass along to users and can easily do so for new iOS 5.0.1 users with the tweaked update, but for which an entirely separate iOS 5.0.2 release is not warranted. The company is presumably bundling the changes into the forthcoming iOS 5.1 update that is currently in developer testing, and at that point all users would receive it as part of the larger update.
One possibility is that the tweaked update contains minor changes needed for the next round of international launches occurring tomorrow. iPhones sold in those countries may come with only iOS 5.0 installed, and users immediately updating to iOS 5.0.1 in those countries would receive the tweaked version updated for their markets.
Update: Apple has updated its Apple TV software release notes to report that the 4.4.4 update is a bug fix update that does not appear to bring any new features or compatibility.
Stability and performance: Apple TV software version 4.4.4 includes general performance and stability improvements, including a fix for an issue that displayed an error when playing some video content.
'iPhone 5' Ranked as Sixth Fastest-Rising Google Search of 2011
Dec 15, 4:47PM
Google has released its annual Zeitgeist feature for 2011, highlighting some of the top trends in search during the year. As in previous years, Apple and its products appear in a number of contexts within this year's results.
In the highest-profile ranking included in the survey, the term "iPhone 5" ranked sixth among fastest-rising searches on a global basis. Driven by considerable speculation and rumors about the device and Apple's later-than-usual release for this year's iPhone, consumer interest in Apple's follow-up to the iPhone 4 remained at high levels for many months in 2011.
Consumers and analysts alike anticipated the release of Apple's newest smartphone many months prior to its arrival. Rumored features included a larger screen, edge-to-edge glass, an 8 megapixel camera, and extensive voice controls. Many believed the phone would be called the iPhone 5.Google notes that searches for "iPhone 5" rose 1,658% between 2010 and 2011, with the peak coming in the week of September 25th, just ahead of Apple's iPhone media event. To encapsulate the popularity of the "iPhone 5", Google requested our permission to use the mockups of the rumored design we commissioned from CiccareseDesign based on leaked case designs.
Apple of course released the iPhone 4S and not the iPhone 5 at the event, to the disappointment of many who had been hoping for a significant exterior redesign, hopes that had been fueled by the leaked case designs and rumors of a thinner, teardrop form factor.
As far as Google's Zeitgeist 2011, Apple made several other appearances in high-profile rankings, with Steve Jobs taking ninth place in fastest-rising searches and the iPad 2 taking tenth. Among fastest rising consumer electronics, the iPhone 4S took second place to Amazon's Kindle Fire, with the iPad 2 coming in in sixth place and the so-far unreleased iPad 3 taking tenth.
Apple and Tim Cook Fare Well in Survey of Best Places to Work
Dec 15, 4:10PM
Jobs site Glassdoor yesterday announced the release of its annual list of the 50 best places to work. While consulting companies Bain and McKinsey topped the list, Apple grabbed 10th place in the survey with an average employee rating of 3.9 out of 5. Apple's performance marked a significant increase over the previous three years that saw the company ranking around 20th place in the survey.
Facebook, last year's #1 company, took third in this year's survey while Google jumped from #30 to #5 to place ahead of Apple among high-profile tech companies.
In tech company employee ratings of their CEOs, Apple's Tim Cook placed third with an approval rating of 96%, one point lower than Steve Jobs' approval rating in last year's survey. This year's CEO survey was led by National Instruments' James Truchard and NetApp's Tom Georgens, who both scored 100% approval ratings.
Samsung Turning Dispute with Apple to its Advantage in Australian Marketing
Dec 15, 3:46PM
With the preliminary injunction banning sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia now lifted, Samsung is turning the dispute with Apple to its advantage, noting that the lawsuits have made Samsung a "household name" according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
"At the end of the day the media awareness certainly made the Galaxy Tab 10.1 a household name compared to probably what it would've been based on the investment that we would've put into it from a marketing perspective," [Samsung Australia vice president of telecommunications Tyler McGee] said.Apple was granted an injunction blocking the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia back in mid-October, with Samsung reporting that it may scrap the device's launch entirely there if the injunction was not lifted in time for the holiday shopping season. The injunction was indeed lifted in late November, but Apple won a one-week extension that carried the ban through to December 9th as it unsuccessfully tried to appeal the lifting of the injunction. The case will proceed to full trial next year.
Asked how many units of the Galaxy Tab Samsung was bringing in, McGee said "as many units as we can" but warned "there will probably be short supply against the demand".
Meanwhile, Engadget points to a Tweet from @maungle showing a new Galaxy Tab 10.1 newspaper ad from Samsung carrying the tagline "The Tablet Apple Tried to Stop," illustrating how Samsung is seeking to tie its advertising to the lawsuit and portray the tablet device as so significant a threat that Apple felt the need to prevent it from going on sale.
Apple Predicted to Sell Nearly 200 Million iPhones Next Year
Dec 15, 3:11PM
Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, who has historically been rather conservative in her predictions of Apple's performance, issued a new report yesterday (via Fortune) suggesting that Apple could sell nearly 200 million iPhones next year. The number would be more than double that of this year's iPhone sales, which currently stand at 56 million ahead of a blockbuster quarter that is expected to add perhaps 30-35 million to that number.
- iPhones are selling surprisingly briskly. Based on the survey and last week's comments from AT&T; (T), Huberty estimates that Apple (AAPL) could ship anywhere from 31 to 36 million iPhones this quarter -- as much as 20% higher than the 30 million she's modeling and nearly 30% higher than the 28 million Wall Street is expecting.Huberty's predictions are based on her own research and a consumer survey by AlphaWise that pegs demand for the iPhone next year 40% higher than anticipated by Morgan Stanley in its "base case" scenario.
- iPhone demand is accelerating. "Surprisingly," she writes, "US consumers expect to buy more iPhones in C1Q12 than C4Q11" (emphasis hers). Even discounting the survey results 10%, that suggests Apple could sell 13 million iPhones in the U.S. and 41 million worldwide next quarter. Morgan Stanley's model has Apple selling 30 million iPhones in calendar Q1 2012.
On the tablet side, the survey data points to a similar story, with Huberty's survey data indicating that Apple could see sales of over 80 million iPads next year, well above her firm's estimate of 52 million units. Apple has sold 25 million iPads so far this year, with analysts estimating that Apple may add 13-14 million units to that total in the holiday quarter.
'Grand Theft Auto III' Now Available on App Store
Dec 15, 5:10AM
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the release of Grand Theft Auto III, Rock Star Games has released an iOS version that supports both iPhone and iPad. Grand Theft Auto III was first released in 2001 and was the first 3D title of the series. The game received very positive reviews and was considered revolutionary at the time.
The iOS version of the game was originally promoted as being one of the first to take advantage of the enhanced speed and capabilities of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. The final version also supports iPhone 4 and 4th Generation iPod Touch.
Initial impressions are favorable, with full reviews likely to come tomorrow:
Initial impressions are remarkably positive, although at this writing we've only played it so far on our collective iPad 2's. But, it's Grand Theft Auto III on iOS devices. The controls are about what you'd expect, virtual buttons everywhere, but they seem entirely workable once you get your head wrapped around where everything is.Grand Theft Auto III is a universal app and now available for $4.99. [App Store]
iTunes Match Starting to Roll Out Internationally - Spotted in UK, Europe, NZ, and Australia [Not Yet?]
Dec 14, 11:44PM
Apple seems to be deploying iTunes Match into international music stores this evening, though there seem to be some ongoing glitches that suggests they could be an early mistake or a partial roll out.
Several readers in the UK and Australia have noticed that iTunes Match is now a sign up option in their iTunes Account information page. Apple has not yet started promoting iTunes Match in the iTunes Store, but the links to iTunes Match are live with localized pricing (see above).
In the UK, iTunes Match costs £21.99 for a year and €24.99 in other parts of Europe. Users are allowed to sign up for it and receive a confirmation email of their purchase but one Twitter report claims it "does nothing" at this stage. For Australian customers, the service is priced at A$ 34.99.
To see if it appears available in your country, log into your iTunes account on your Mac or PC and then tap on your account name to see your account information. From there, you may be able to sign up, though we'd advise some caution as it seems the service isn't fully operational at the time of this writing. Alternatively, you can also try this direct link that opens the page directly in iTunes.
iTunes Match is Apple's music service offers users the ability to match their existing iTunes library with high quality versions in Apple's iCloud. The service originally launched in the U.S. and recently expanded to Brazil.
Thanks Colin
Update: It appears the launch may have been premature. Apple is refunding early buyers and claims it is not available outside of Brazil and the U.S. at the moment.
Apple Releases Logic Express 9.1.6 [Mac Blog]
Dec 14, 9:09PM
While Apple discontinued Logic Express last week as it moved Logic Pro to the Mac App Store and reduced its price to $199.99, the company is pushing out at least one last update for existing users in the form of Logic Express 9.1.6.This update improves overall stability and addresses some minor issues including the following:The full list of over three dozen fixes and improvements included in Logic Express 9.1.6 is included in the release notes. Logic Express 9.1.6 weighs in at 140.58 MB and requires Mac OS X 10.6.8 or OS X Lion.
- Improved compatibility with full-screen view and Mission Control in OS X Lion
- The sample preview option available when importing samples into Ultrabeat now functions correctly
- The destination for recorded files is now properly reset to the new Project folder after using "Save As..." command This update is recommended for all users of Logic Express 9.
Apple last week issued a similar Logic Pro 9.1.6 update for existing users of the boxed Logic Pro software. Logic Pro entered the Mac App Store with the 9.1.6 version.
Behind the Scenes of Apple's 'Think Different' Campaign
Dec 14, 7:57PM
Forbes publishes a lengthy guest post from advertising executive Rob Siltanen, one of the primary contributors to the development of Apple's famous "Think Different" advertising campaign that helped turn the company around following Steve Jobs' return. In the piece, Siltanen details the process of pitching the campaign to Jobs and his work on the "Here's to the Crazy Ones" script.
Siltanen was inspired to write the post following the publication of Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Steve Jobs, which repeats the oft-cited claim that Jobs himself was responsible for much of the "Here's to the Crazy Ones" text and ideas.
Steve was highly involved with the advertising and every facet of Apple's business. But he was far from the mastermind behind the renowned launch spot. In fact, he was blatantly harsh on the commercial that would eventually play a pivotal role in helping Apple achieve one of the greatest corporate turnarounds in business history.Siltanen goes on to describe how he and other representatives of the high-profile TBWA/Chiat/Day advertising firm were surprised that Jobs required them to pitch to win the contract with the then-struggling Apple. In dreaming up concepts to pitch to Jobs, the one that stood out was the "Think Different" tagline paired with photos and videos of famous creative thinkers. Jobs liked the campaign but initially worried that it would appear too egotistical. Within seconds, however, Jobs changed course and brought the firm on board to carry out the idea.
Siltanen used Robin Williams' speeches from the movie Dead Poets Society as inspiration for what became "Here's to the Crazy Ones". But when it was presented to Jobs in what turned out to eventually be nearly its final form, Jobs initially hated it.
We played the spot once, and when it finished, Jobs said, "It sucks! I hate it! It's advertising agency ****! I thought you were going to write something like 'Dead Poets Society!' This is crap!"Jobs eventually changed his mind again, and the "Think Different" campaign quickly marked a turning point for the company even as it was still trying to develop new products to execute the dramatic turnaround.
Clow said something like, "Well, I take it you don't want to see it again." And Steve continued to go on a rant about how we should get the writers from "Dead Poets Society" or some "real writers" to write something.
Apple to Build Semiconductor R&D Center in Israel?
Dec 14, 7:28PM
In the wake of reports that Apple is considering the purchase of Israeli firm Anobit, Israeli financial newspaper Globes reports that Apple plans to set up its first research and development center outside of its Cupertino headquarters. Sources inform "Globes" that Apple Inc. has decided to open a development center in Israel focusing on semiconductors. The decision was taken even before the company entered into talks to acquire Herzliya-based flash storage solutions provider Anobit Ltd..Globes also claims Aharon will spend several months at Apple's headquarters and will return to Israel to set up the research center whether or not Apple purchases an Israeli company.
Apple has hired Aharon Aharon, a veteran player in Israel's high tech industry, to lead the new development center.
[...]
Aharon Aharon comes to Apple with a varied background that will assist him in setting up a semiconductors operation for a foreign company. His most high-tech venture was Camero Tech Ltd., which develops Radio Frequency (RF) based imaging systems, and which he founded in 2004 with Amir Beeri. Aharon serves as chairman of Camero Tech. Before that he was chairman of embedded security solutions developer Discretix Inc. and managed their Israel development center. Earlier still he was VP operations at Zoran Corp. (Nasdaq: ZRAN), having begun his career at IBM's Haifa development center where he reached the post of deputy director.
Both Globes and Israeli business paper Calcalist report [translation] that Apple vice president Ed Frank has been taking meetings with high-tech companies in Israel ahead of the announcement of the development center. A number of other US tech firms have research centers in Israel, including Intel, Google, IBM, Microsoft.
TeleNav Introduces Free HTML5 Browser-Based Navigation Service [iOS Blog]
Dec 14, 6:47PM
TeleNav has launched a browser-based turn-by-turn navigation service for mobile phones written in HTML5. The service will be free for consumers and developers of mobile websites and apps will be able to integrate turn-by-turn directions into their products.
Similar to TeleNav's award-winning GPS navigation application, the HTML5 navigation service will include full-color moving maps, audio directions, and automatic rerouting if the driver misses a turn. TeleNav's HTML5 navigation service will be free for both developers and consumers and will support all major mobile platforms.TeleNav plans to launch the service in early 2012, but is accepting applications from interested developers at telenav.com/developer/HTML5.
"This is an enormous amount of added value for any mobile, location-based website or app focused on travel, shopping, local search, deals and more," said Sal Dhanani, co-founder and vice president of products for TeleNav. "With one line of code, you can give your customers one-click access to premium, voice-guided turn-by-turn directions to any location, including hotels, restaurants, merchants or deal locations. Customers never need to leave your app."
Netflix for iOS Updated with New iPad Interface
Dec 14, 4:53PM
Following up on last month's promise that it would be launching an updated user interface for its iPad application, Netflix has just updated its universal iOS app to version 2.0. The new update brings the updated iPad interface, compatibility with new streaming services in Latin America, and several other improvements.
New in Netflix v 2.0As Netflix previously noted when the revised interface debuted on Android tablets, the app now displays twice as many movies and TV shows as with the old interface, making it easier for users to discover new content to add to their Instant Queues.
1. Netflix now available in Latin America for iPhone and iPad
2. New iPad UI for all regions - US, Canada, Latin America - requires upgrade to iOS 5
3. Addressed stability issues
4. For support questions please contact us at mobilesupport@netflix.com
Netflix is a free download, but requires a monthly subscription to Netflix's streaming service.
(Thanks, Arthur!)
Google to Launch Siri Rival Soon?
Dec 14, 3:51PM
Apple's artificial intelligence agent Siri was one of the key new features in the iPhone 4S. The impressive system has generated a lot of publicity and has put voice recognition technologies back into the forefront. Many companies are expected to integrate more voice enabled applications in the coming year. Google's Android has long had voice dictation and command capabilities, but the company seems to be stepping up their efforts in the coming months. AndroidandMe reports on a secret project codenamed Majel which is meant to be an evolution of Google's Voice Actions with the addition of natural language processing. This natural language processing is what gives Siri an edge over other simple voice recognition systems.
In a Slashgear interview with Matias Duarte, Google's Director of Android OS User Experience, they describe their approach which won't try to mimic Siri's attitude:
The metaphor I like to take is – if it's Star Wars, you have these robot personalities like C-3PO who runs around and he tries to do stuff for you, messes up and makes jokes, he's kind of a comic relief guy. Our approach is more like Star Trek, right, starship Enterprise; every piece of computing surface, everything is voice-aware. It's not that there's a personality, it doesn't have a name, it's just "Computer." And you can talk to it and you can touch it, you can interact with it at the same time as you talk with it. It's just another way to interface with the computer.The codename "Majel" comes from Majel Barrett-Roddenberry who voiced the Federation Computer from Star Trek.
Developer of Fake Driver's License App Responds to Apple
Dec 14, 3:00PM
Yesterday, we reported on Apple's removal of a free iOS app from DriversEd.com that allowed users to create fake driver's licenses on their devices. While the app was positioned as a joke app that would allow users to add funny content to licenses and share them with friends, it attracted the concern of U.S. Senator Bob Casey, who sent a letter to Apple suggesting that the app could be used to support identity theft and underage alcohol and tobacco purchases, as well as compromise national security.
DriversEd.com got in touch with MacRumors about the situation, sharing that Apple did not contact the company until several hours after pulling the app from the App Store. In its communication, Apple simply cited without clarification Section 22.1 of the App Store Review Guidelines:
Apps must comply with all legal requirements in any location where they are made available to users. It is the developer's obligation to understand and conform to all local laws.In a press release (PDF) response and an associated FAQ (PDF), DriversEd.com lays out the numerous ways in which the gag licenses produced by the app could not possibly used to generate legitimate-looking fake IDs. Among the most important characteristics are slight differences in layouts, fonts and colors, multiple mentions of the license being a "mock" from DriversEd.com, and a resolution of just 72 DPI.
DriversEd.com specifically and deliberately designed the app to prevent the creation of counterfeit identification. "By design, it would take more effort and expertise to modify the product of the DriversEd.com 'Driver License' app than to construct a counterfeit from scratch," says Founder and Chief Operating Officer Gary Tsifrin.Tsifrin goes on to note that it strongly supports Senator Casey's goal of secure identification but that the company's free license app could not possibly threaten that aim. Says Tsifirn, "We hope that in light of these facts Apple will take one more look at the DriversEd.com 'Driver License' app."
Apple to Launch 2880x1800 Resolution 'Retina Display' MacBook Pro in Q2 2012?
Dec 14, 9:28AM
In a report sure to excite our readers, DigiTimes is saying that Apple may be readying an ultra high-resolution MacBook Pro for as early as second quarter (Q2) 2012:
Apple is likely to launch its new MacBook Pro lineup with a display resolution of 2880 by 1800 in the second quarter of 2012, setting a new round of competition for panel specifications in the notebook industry, according to sources in the upstream supply chain.The publication cites supply chain partners as the source for the information which would double the resolution of the MacBook Pro to 2880x1800 pixels.
This new high resolution MacBook Pro would presumably be a 15" model which currently carries a native resolution of 1440x900 pixels. By doubling the resolution in each dimension, Apple would achieve four times the number of pixels and provide developers an easy way to scale existing artwork.
TextEdit running in HiDPI mode, via Arstechnica
We've known about Apple's work to support these ultra high resolution screens, but we didn't necessarily expect them to arrive so soon. That said, support seems to be building for exactly such a thing.
Intel's upcoming Ivy Bridge processors are known to support resolutions as high as 4096x4096. Meanwhile, Apple has already added new "HiDPI" modes in Lion that support this resolution-doubling mode. Apple has even added ultra-high resolution artwork in Lion with desktop images at 3200x2000 pixels and icons at 1024x1024 pixels.
And Apple's not the only company preparing for the possibility. Microsoft is also building in support for high dpi monitors in Windows 8.
A Q2 2012 launch would place it near what has been expected to be the arrival of a 15" MacBook Air. Based on the expected timing of that product (Q1 2012), it seems this MacBook Pro may be a different product altogether.
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