Home / tuaw.com rss archive / August-28-2007


Control iTunes from your Dock
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Freeware, iTunes Jonathan from Ripstyles.com sent along this easy little pack of apps, just like Dockables, that can be used to control iTunes from your Dock if you so choose. He confides in us that it wasn't that hard to put together ("just a few Applescripts"), and yes, it's true that there are now about five million ways to control iTunes out there, but what the heck, here's one more, just in case you haven't found your sweet spot yet.Actually, it would be awesome to control iTunes using Speakable Items! Has anyone done that yet? Then, you could make two recordings in Garageband that said "next track" and "previous track," import them into iTunes, and iTunes could control itself! Trippy!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It's official: Apple press event Sept. 5
Filed under: Rumors, Other EventsWe heard a rumor not long ago, and today Engadget confirms the date: Apple will hold a special press event on Sept. 5th. The invitation they received (where's ours, Apple?!?) looks like coverflow as displayed by an iPhone. Hmmm...The invite is as cryptic as always, so I guess it's up to us to provide wild and baseless conjecture. Let's get started.See you then, folks.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iTunes UK video content debuts
Filed under: iTSBig UK iTunes news today as UK video content debuts. The new TV Programmes section brings such classic American programming as SpongeBob Squarepants, South Park and Kim Possible and possibly British shows inluding Bam's Unholy Union and Jongleurs Unleashed. It's hard to tell because the only British shows I watch are things like Jekyll, Doctor Who, that Location show with Phil and Kirstie, and X Factor. Shows cost 1.89 each--that's a steep $3.81 in today's weak US dollar, compared to the $1.99 US episode costs. Studios/Channels include ABC (not the Australian variety, pity), Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, MTV, Paramount Comedy and Playhouse Disney.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Found Footage: $2 multitouch screen, made with iSight
Filed under: OS, Peripherals, Hacks, Odds and ends, Found FootageMultitouch is all the rage lately, but one of the drawbacks is that it's still pretty expensive. Enter this ingenious device-- it's a bag with dye colored water in it. That bag is then laid flat on a glass table, an iSight camera is placed underneath, the computer is coded (it appears, anyway) to look for fingertips pressing through the dye, and just like that, you've got a multitouch interface.Really incredible. Of course, it's hard to figure out how this could be used for something like the iPhone-- instead of a camera, you'd have to have some kind of light sensors behind the dye, and you'd have to figure out a way to have the dye-colored water stay spread even throughout the bag. In fact, come to think of it, I'm not really sure how most multitouch interfaces work-- maybe this is closer to the real thing than I imagine. Even if not, very cool idea, and I'm almost surprised to see it really works so well.[via...

Keynoteuser releases Galleria theme for Keynote '08
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Multimedia, Software, iWork Brian, who also told us about that Keynote hack when '08 was first dropped, sends a note about Galleria, a theme he's selling for Keynote that's designed specifically to show off photos. The theme takes advantage of the new "media placeholder" function in Keynote '08 that lets you place photos exactly how you want them, and then replace them with just a click. And any photos you put in can then be resized or cropped right there on the slide.Galleria also has lots of samples to use, layout choices, and extras like shapes and buttons and picture frames. It might be a little more than you need unless you're putting together a Keynote project that shows off lots of photos, or if you regularly show off photos in Keynote presentations (it's $19.95 for the whole package). But if it fits your bill, Brian definitely knows what he's doing with Keynote-- using his theme could save a lot of time in getting things set up yourself....

TUAW talkcast at a special time: Wednesday 8:30p ET
Filed under: PodcastsWe're shifting a day to the left for this week's talkcast, so please join us online and live at 8:30 pm ET Wednesday with your Mac, iPhone and iPod questions. We're also hoping to have our newest TUAW bloggers on the call for introductions and a hearty welcome. Don't forget to hang around after the recorded half-hour show for open phones and the dark secrets of TUAW: who secretly plays PC games? Who hacks loaner iPhones? Who still uses AppleWorks? Tune in to find out.To participate in the talkcast, you need to register for a PIN at Talkshoe; that gets you access to the live call and to the simultaneous text chat via the Talkshoe Java client. In the next few weeks, we should be able to open up the call to anonymous participants -- we'll let you know.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPhone Coding: URL Launcher
Filed under: iPhoneGiven that Springboard--that is, the iPhone home screen--offers just 4 spaces for custom apps at this time, it surprises me how often I'm asked to create a utility to launch a single URL from a SpringBoard icon. Last night, I gave in and did exactly that. I developed a URL Launcher kit that you can download and customize with your own icon and URL. I guess hope springs eternal that we hackers can crack the big SpringBoard-does-not-scroll issue.Continue reading iPhone Coding: URL LauncherRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iMovie '08 Library Compressor
Filed under: iLife, SoftwareiMovie '08 certainly has sparked debate in Mac circles. Is it a step forward or a step back? Only time, and personal preference, will tell. There is one thing that no one can debate: saving disk space (I am sure someone can argue that since disk is so cheap, why bother but they are the vocal minority). This AppleScript application from iNik converts all those DV clips in your iMovie library into beautiful, efficient H.264 clips (giving you the choice of several different compression levels) which translates to lots of freed up space on your hard drive (your mileage may vary). The application is free but you need to have Quicktime Pro and Apple's Developer Tool installed on your Mac to make it work.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPhoto 7.0.2 update available
Filed under: Software UpdateSeems like it was just yesterday we were updating to iPhoto 7.0.1... OK, it was August 9, but it feels like yesterday. It does appear that Apple's consumer photo app is the subject of much tweaking, as the 7.0.2 update is now downloadable. What's new:This update to iPhoto addresses issues associated with publishing to .Mac Web Gallery, rebuilding thumbnails, and editing books. It also addresses a number of other minor issues.The update is 10 MB and requires no rebooting.Thanks DionysiosPermalink | Email this | Comments

Install applications on your iPhone without hacking
Filed under: iPhoneGood news everybody! Have you wanted to try out all those great-sounding third-party iPhone applications? Did the hacking part of it put you off? NullRiver has released a simple iPhone GUI installer for Mac OS X. Download the latest version of AppTapp installer to your Mac and then dock your iPhone, quit iTunes, and launch the program. The software downloads a copy of the latest Apple Firmware; you choose whether you're using Firmware 1.0.0, 1.0.1 or 1.0.2. It takes a few minutes to download the files from Apple using a good connection and then the software copies some files to your iPhone. When finished, your iPhone restarts and the Installer app appears on your iPhone home screen. The Installer application gives you access to nearly every third party application that has thus far been released by iPhone developers. I tested the entire install procedure on my G4 Mac and it worked flawlessly. Oh, and if you're looking to try out those software packages I...

iTunes: Free Tuesday
Filed under: iTS, Features, DealsWelcome to this week's edition of iTunes: Free Tuesday featuring a new collection of free singles and videos from around the world. Each week we send out mythical deal finders to the furthest corners of the Earth to find and retrieve iTunes freebies from all the International stores. Here's what's new today. Notice that this week there are no free US Videos. Probably all the networks and studios are waiting for the Fall season to get underway before releasing new programs.Continue reading iTunes: Free TuesdayRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Make your content look good on the iPhone
Filed under: Internet Tools, Developer, iPhoneSome might think that I hate iPhone specific websites based on this opinion piece I wrote in which said I hate iPhone specific websites. Actually, it didn't say anything of the sort, but many read it that way. The point I was trying to make was that crafting websites which use browser detection to only allow the iPhone in is a step in the wrong direction (Eric Meyers, CSS guru, agrees with me so I really can't be that wrong.). That being said, since I have long been a mobile Internet user I am all for variants of websites that work well on smaller screens.The Iconfactory's Craig Hockenberry has penned a great article (the first in a two part) all about making your website shine on the iPhone. He covers everything a budding iPhone web developer should know (which boils down to, ';Use standards!'), and points out some specific iPhone tags and tricks that you can use on your site.[via furbo.org]Read | Permalink |&...

Network Magic: Simplify Mac and PC networking
Filed under: OS, Software, Internet, Internet Tools The Mac and PC networking challenge is legendary. If you have both on a home or work network, it can be an adventure to get these two machines to see each other, share files or printers. Fortunately, Pure Networks has an app for both Mac and PC called Network Magic which hopes to change all that, as it allows you to easily set up file and printer sharing, diagnose slow networks and more. It offers what looks like a simple interface for managing all this, though I should note that printer sharing only works with the list of printers that Apple officially supports and provides drivers for right in Mac OS X (i.e. - if you can plug a printer in and it works without having to install extra software). While the Windows version is a bit more powerful than the Mac component, folks who need to maintain a mixed network and are after the primary features mentioned here will likely be happy with Network Magic, though licenses are sold...

Developers offer free iPhone application packaging
Filed under: Software, iPhoneToday developers Nicholas "Drudge" Penree and Shaun "Ste" Erickson have announced unlimited free Installer.app packaging for iPhone application developers. If Installer.app sounds familiar, you might recall that a few weeks back we posted about the Installer.app utility. Installer.app is an iPhone-based package manager from NullRiver.com. It allows you to download and update iPhone application packages over EDGE and WiFi connections directly from your iPhone home screen. The problem with Installer.app packaging is that it's fussy and requires a lot of dotted-i's and crossed-t's and for many programmers who are busy improving their software, it's an extra step that can easily get overlooked. Enter Penree and Erickson. They are offering to bundle up your application and host it on either Penree's Conceited Software or Erickson's smxy.org. digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Developers_offer_free_iPhone_application_packaging'; These services are a...

Ringo Starr joins iTunes
Filed under: iTS, iTunesYou may not be able to buy the Beatles' music as a group from iTunes, but you can buy most of the member's solo stuff. Lennon, McCartney, and now Starr. That's right, Mr. Conductor's music is available on iTunes including Photograph: The Digital Greatest Hits (which is an iTunes Plus album).One more thing to note about Ringo, other than he has the best name our of anyone in the Beatles, is that he is a Mac user. I was poking around his personal website, and stumbled across his photography section. Those certainly look like Photo Booth pictures to me.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Joy of Tech hits 1000th episode
Filed under: Humor, Cult of Mac, The WozHere at TUAW we're fans of Joy of Tech; we post about the great Mac web comic often, and even have had a cameo. So we can't let the 1000th episode go by without comment, especially since they're also running a giveaway to mark the occasion. Prizes include signed books from Woz and David Pogue as well as a variety of tech toys from RadTech, SendStation, and Freeverse. Check out the contest and join us in congratulating Nitrozac & Snaggy!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iGlasses goes 2.0
Filed under: Software, Cool toolsIf you want to customize your iSight output for chatting or video recording, there's a quick and cheap way to do it: iGlasses from ecamm network, only $9.95 for a whole kit bag of adjustments, colorizations, exposure controls and pan/zoom options. The 2.0 version was released earlier today (a free upgrade for previous licensees) and adds exposure lock for the built-in iSight camera among other new features.I find myself using the exposure control a lot to manage iChat video in poor lighting conditions; you can check it out for yourself by downloading the demo here.Thanks Glen & KenRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

TUAW Back-to-School Day 12: 60 GB iPod
Filed under: TUAW BusinessUnless you've been hibernating for the past six years, you've heard of our next prize: an iPod. Not a 1st-gen iPod with a janky mechanical scrollwheel and hidden Breakout game. Not a 2nd-gen iPod with handy FireWire port, or a 3rd-gen iPod with crummy battery. No, this skips the photo (4th-gen) and goes straight to video-- the very thing Steve once claimed people don't want. If you do want a video iPod, continue reading how to enter... To be clear, our prize today is a 5th-gen "video" iPod in the 80GB variety (you choose black or white).To enter, leave a comment on this post between 5AM and 11:59PM EST on August 28. Validate the comment for it to qualify, and only one per person please. Full rules on our TUAW Back-to-School Giveaway page. Good luck and thanks for reading!Permalink | Email this | Comments