Apple Revives Animated Holiday ‘Get a Mac’ Ads

New Mac Mini at Macworld San Francisco 2009?

I Love Katamari in the App Store, optimization not included

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Can't believe we didn't think to ask of this before Namco gave it to us, but here it is -- there is already an official version of I Love Katamari (otherwise known as Katamari Damacy) right there on the App Store and playable on the iPhone. What a perfect game to put on the iPhone -- it's casual, it's easy to pick up but tough to master, and the analog controls, while perfect for a pair of analog sticks, work great on a touchscreen as well.

Unfortunately, it's not quite perfect yet -- the game slows down fast, and quickly becomes unplayable with all the stuff on the screen. But lots of people are hoping for an update from Namco, and while that hope might not quite be justified (is Namco really going to commit to making this game great, or are they just taking advantage of a hot property?), you never know. Pac Man has been a winner for the company for sure, so maybe they will make sure that Katamari plays as well as its console versions. As much as we appreciate original games on the iPhone, there's nothing wrong with quality ports of console gems as well, and if Namco can patch out the bugs to everyone's satisfaction, there's no question that's what this will be.

I Love Katamari in the App Store, optimization not included originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I Love Katamari in the App Store, optimization not included originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mac OS X 10.5.6 update breaks DFU Mode for iPhone?

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, Jailbreak/pwnage

iPhone Alley is reporting that the Mac OS X 10.5.6 update is causing problems for the jailbreaking community. According to a recent post at the site, if you place the iPhone in DFU mode (similar to a restore mode), your iPhone will be unrecognized by a Mac running 10.5.6.

DFU mode is required to jailbreak your iPhone using many of the popular tools such as Pwnage or QuickPwn. So far there is no word from the iPhone Dev group on this finding. In doing our own research, we discovered that the problem does, in fact, exist. So, if you need to jailbreak your iPhone/iPod touch, you might want to hold off on updating your Mac.

Could this be Apple's way of combating owners who jailbreak their iPhones? Has this happened to you since upgrading your Mac to 10.5.6? Let us know in the comments!

[via iPhone Alley]

Mac OS X 10.5.6 update breaks DFU Mode for iPhone? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mac OS X 10.5.6 update breaks DFU Mode for iPhone? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone apps round-up: Virtual mistletoe and ski conditions

Review: Brain Tuner for iPhone

Steve Jobs Giving Keynote at Macworld… or Not?

In 2007 Steve Jobs strode up onto the Macworld stage, rehashed the Apple TV for a bit, then dropped the shot heard around the consumer electronic universe: iPhone.

In 2008, it was Time Capsule, an iPhone OS update, Apple TV Take 2, and the MacBook Air.

And in 2009?

Er… um… we’re not even sure he’s going to be there, according to Businessweek (via MacRumors):

Update: 2:30 PM EST: Now Paul Kent is clarifying his statement. Here it is verbatim: “We haven’t made an announcement yet. We hope to in the next two weeks.” Rather than clearing the picture up, it just got muddy again.

Previous years, there’s been an announcement roughly a month before hand. We’ve blown that soft deadline this time around.

One concern is that Apple may have no big announcements to make. Mac Pro, MacBook Pro 17″, Mac Mini, and Apple TV are all due refreshes, maybe even iMacs, but none of those are iPhone or MacBook Air type sexay. Apple could drop an iPhone Nano or an iTablet, but those are seen as longshots.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard is almost a certainty, but while it includes Grand Central and Open CL, for consumers, it’s “no new features”.

But is Jobs giving a less than ‘verse denting keynote worse than him not showing up at all, generating more panic about his health and Apple’s confidence in the market, especially with Adobe already having pulled out of their booth?

What do you think? Is there a Macworld without a Steve Jobs Keynote? And if so, who gives it in his place, and what do they announce? Phil Schiller on iPhone 2.3 might not be enough…

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Steve Jobs Giving Keynote at Macworld… or Not?

Zannel releases CityWatch for iPhone

iPhone 3G being sold unlocked in Taiwan

First Look: iLava for iPhone/iPod touch

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

First Look: iLava for iPhone/iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Look: iLava for iPhone/iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone Dev-Team Unlock Update: “Target date is a few days after Christmas :)”

For anyone who has been waiting for a software unlock soltution for their iPhone 3G, it looks like you patience will be paying off in a short few weeks. As Dev Team member MuscleNerd stated “Target date is a few days after Christmas”.

With this good news comes some bad news… in order to be one of the first to be able to unlock your iPhone 3G it will be required that you are running the 01.45.00 baseband. Which would mean you are on 2.0 firmware. Now who is actually running the 2.0 firmware at this moment in time is beyond me but we have to take what comes our way. There is a possibility that a unlock will come for the 02.11.07 baseband (2.1 firmware) as well but that is not for certain. And if you are running the 2.2 firmware currently you must have followed our guide to jailbreak 2.2 firmware on a Mac while preserving the baseband. The Dev-Team did warn you and we relayed the warning numerous times.

Here is what the Dev-Team had to say recently:

Right now for 02.11.07 we have some untested ideas. Ideally we’d have something solid by the end of next week, but if we don’t then it would be a staged release, with 01.45.00 first out of the gate.

Here is a list of the iPhone firmware versions and their matching basebands…

- 2.0.0 Firmware & 01.45.00 Baseband

- 2.0.1 Firmware & 01.48.02 Baseband

- 2.0.2 Firmware & 02.08.01 Baseband

- 2.1.0 Firmware & 02.11.07 Baseband

- 2.2.0 Firmware & 02.28.00 Baseband

Those of you lucky enough to still be on 2.0.0 or the 01.45.00 baseband will be able to unlock first. If you are at 2.1 or used PwnageTool to update to 2.2 then you will have the 2.11.07 baseband. This will be the second baseband to receive an unlock. Those on the 02.28.00 baseband will likely have to wait a while before an unlock is released so make sure you use a tutorial on our site to jailbreak and update rather then using iTunes directly.

If this has totally confused you, accept our apologies. An iPhone 3G software unlock should be here before New Years for the first baseband of the device. Other unlocks for later basebands should come shortly after. Keep hanging in there, the Dev-Team will take care of you!

[Via iPhone in Canada.ca]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone Dev-Team Unlock Update: “Target date is a few days after Christmas :)”

Is this Apple’s iPhone Nano that will be Announced at Macworld 2009?

IDG: Jobs Expected to Give Macworld Keynote [Updated: Uncertain]

"We haven't made the an...

IDG: Jobs Expected to Give Macworld Keynote

"We haven't made the an...

Windows Mobile Team Says iPhone Success Validates WinMo?!

Our sibling site, WMExpert’s tells us about all the speculation surrounding code-name “pink”, which may have to do with some manner of next generation Windows Mobile stuffs. (We’ve heard whispers of “rouge” as well, so we’re guessing there’re some real “Lady Marmalade” skunkworks going on).

What thinks noted Windows pundit Paul Thurrott, who has made a side career absolutely annihilating Windows Mobile as of late? As much as he loves Vista and Windows 7 and everything else Microsoft (Internet Explorer rightfully excluded), and as much as he bashes and baits all things Apple, iPhone user Thurrott has been saving his most impassioned rants of late for Windows Mobile. The latest?

Yep. [News that Windows Mobile 7 may not hit the market until 2010] is bad. Microsoft is working on a number of things before that major update, Windows Mobile 7. These include a new version of the WM version of IE, called Internet Explorer 6, and a new Windows Mobile platform called Zune Mobile that includes Zune functionality. But it’s not happening quickly enough.

Really? 3+ years after Steve Jobs hit the stage at Macworld 2008 and pulled the original iPhone from his pocket isn’t quickly enough? That’s how long it takes to even begin a response? “Pink” aside, is there no sense of urgency in Redmond? No desire to step up their game in the face of the iPhone walking in, stealing their mind share, and smacking around their market share?

I wanted to at least mention one thing I found vaguely alarming. When asked about the success of the iPhone and how that impacts Windows Mobile, I was told that the iPhone “validated” Microsoft’s approach. That’s some weird combination of revisionism, wishful thinking and, perhaps, delusion.

Apparently not.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Windows Mobile Team Says iPhone Success Validates WinMo?!

Rumor: Case manufacturer drawings show smaller iPhone ‘nano’?

Filed under: Macworld, Rumors, iPhone

Our sister site Engadget notes that iDealsChina found this rendering of a silicone case for a new iPhone-like device with a smaller form factor.

iDealsChina says the case is "in production," and has many 3D images of a variety of angles. The device may be unveiled during Macworld Expo next month. The site also claims the "iPhone nano" will have three "sensors," a camera, a "mirror screen" and no 3G. The device will allegedly start production on December 20th at a rate of 60,000 to 80,000 units a day.

This falls in line with unsourced rumors of a wireless product slated for announcement at Macworld. It could wind up being the magic $99 Walmart iPhone that we've heard so much about.

The look of the new iPod nanos was leaked (famously by Kevin Rose) earlier this year as a result of a supplier showing off renderings of new cases for the device. According to iDealsChina, "...once one company starts making a mold their information is passed onto other mold companies or accessory companies through a China underground network."

Rumor: Case manufacturer drawings show smaller iPhone 'nano'? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rumor: Case manufacturer drawings show smaller iPhone 'nano'? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Hangman games for iPhone

First Look: Wikipedia Mobile

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, First Look

First Look: Wikipedia Mobile originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Look: Wikipedia Mobile originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.5.6

The 10.5.6 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security...

Round Robin: TiPb vs. HTC FUZE Q&A!

[This is an official Smartphone Experts Round Robin post! Every day you reply here, you're automatically entered for a chance to win an iPhone 3G, Case-Mate Naked Case, and Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset! Full contest rules here!]

So the WinManiacs kicked my butt a bit over the HTC FUZE review. David Pogue was wrong, neither Apple Nuts nor BlackBerry nuts hold a candle to WinMo users scorn. However, I’d counter by saying they were so busy being indignant, they didn’t really stop to consider the point of the round robin, or the points raised in the preview or final review. In other words, coming from where we’re coming from, iPhone users approaching other devices, we were right, and the enraged WinManiacs… well… read on after the break!

Justin Says: It is abundantly clear that the iPhone is excellent as a multimedia device, but lacks some of the productivity tools that a business user is looking for, a Blackberry is really the oposite. I want something that can fit both of those bills, how does this phone handle that?

It doesn’t do both well, it compromises to do both from poor to fair to okay. It’s power is considerably hampered by its unease of use, and its overall experience is a confusion of inconsistent TouchFlo 3D and archaic Windows Mobile 6.1. I’d almost recommend getting a BlackBerry and an iPod Touch. If, as I mentioned in my review, you’re really into tweaking hardware and controlling every little aspect of your device, then go for Windows Mobile and you can make it the best of both.

Jim Says: Just how easy (or hard) is it to get the FUZE to work with an Exchange environment?

Theoretically it should be a snap. I couldn’t get it to work, however, as Windows Mobile claimed my Exchange certificate was invalid, so while on the iPhone I could just tap ‘ignore’ and keep going, this was a dead end on Windows Mobile, as was the convoluted process required to move my Mac desktop certificate over the device. (Yeah, I know, they don’t support Mac — not acceptable).

Brooks Says: Speaking of HTC phones, how’s the HTC Touch HD? Is it available in the US?

Haven’t tried the HD but it looks good based on Dieter’s hands on. Not available in the US, and not going to be, unfortunately.

WatersWest Says: Would I be able to load up a fuze with music, photos, and videos to the same extent that I do on my 16GB iPhone, and would it be as easy?

Yes and no. You can load it up pretty much with everything you want, but nothing in my experience currently matches the ease of use of the iTunes and iPhone integration and sync.

WatersWest Says: My newest favorite feature on the iPhone is the wireless downloading of podcasts. Would I still be able to do that on a fuze, and would it be as easy as it is on the iPhone (where it is so easy, it’s a pleasure)?

Dieter loves him and recommends him some Kinoma player, which streams podcasts (though I don’t think downloads them). I didn’t try any direct downloads, so I’m not sure if those are possible. Nothing on Windows Mobile was as easy, however.

Touch Me Says: let’s assume that the bulk is acceptable to me and I am more at home with a physical keyboard. Further, once I get the device set up to do what I want the software becomes more-or-less transparent. Where does that leave the Fuze-iPhone comparison?

It leaves it manipulated to the extreme More specifically, it leaves a bulky device that you had to invest significant time tweaking compared to a slender devices that’s really not tweak-able to any significant degree.

Touch Me Says: Will the Fuze work more easily with other carriers besides AT&T? Is its replaceable battery a significant advantage in the field? Does the screen look as good as an iPhone’s especially outside? Is Window’s vast array of applications, not to mention the Palm applications it can run, a plus? Is every program efficient with the iPhone’s touch interface or are some uses better with a keyboard (text input, forms) or stylus (database, some games like backgammon)?

An unlocked GSM device is an unlocked GSM device, so until the iPhone 3G is software unlocked, the FUZE is more transportable. I had a replaceable battery on the Treo 680 and never used it, so for me it made no difference. The screen is higher resolution, I believe, than the iPhone and looked gorgeous, but the plastic matt finish vs. glass gloss of the iPhone will depend on individual preference. Are more applications better? No. Look at the 10,000 App Store apps, when many more are more realistically CrApps. So, this will also depend if there are applications you really need that are Windows Mobile or Palm emulator-only (like Office suites, currently). Keyboards and styluses will likewise be individual preferences. I never used keyboards well on the Palm, and didn’t like styluses, so the iPhone’s paradigm suits me far more. As to types of programs, that’s really down to the designers — they should be able to make any app work with any input method, the same way Photoshop works with a mouse or with a tablet.

Dimietriev Says: I don’t remember if this has come up, or if some other round robing review has talked about it. But are the many buttons re-mapable in any way?

I didn’t test for this. The fine folks at WMExperts likely know, but my guess is everything is configurable on Windows Mobile if a) you dig deep enough, b) spend time enough.

The_Reptile Says: How about a history lesson? This platform has been around in one way shape or form since the PDA days. What innovations has Mr Softie come up with and why is this not a me-too platform/device?

History available from Wikipedia, where you can discover that, unlike the iPhone which leverages the same core as Mac OS X, Windows Mobile is really Windows in name only. Now, if we go by CES shows, then Mr. Gates et. al. have created magical devices that take our entire computing environment with us where ever we go. However, that’s all been vaporware. Instead, we’ve got an aging OS chasing Palm’s garnet on the way to obsolescence, with a next generation version delayed to the point being vaporware itself. So, it’s not a me-too platform/device, more like a never was. Sorry folks, but Microsoft, like Palm, should have given us an iPhone-class experience 5 years ago. Their complacency has cost them.

ekabe Says: How does the turn by turn GPS compare.

The iPhone doesn’t have turn by turn GPS, so it’s not comparable. Google Maps is a much, much, much better experience on the iPhone. Turn by turn is nice to have on everything else, but I don’t use it much so I’m not missing it like others might be.

James Says: How well does the touchscreen on the phone work?

Uh… watch my video review. It’s resistive rather than capacitive, which is good news for stylus lovers, bad news for those who have gotten used to the iPhone, Android G1, or BlackBerry Storm.

Todd Says: I had a question, is the Fuze screen quality way better than the iphone bc it is a VGA device?

It has greater pixel count and density than the iPhone, so you get more dots in less space for a theoretically sharper picture overall.

Glenn Says: What is the biggest difference between windows mobile and OS X on the iPhone, does the htc blur this difference??

iPhone OS X is a modern, desktop derived operating system, built from the ground up to support multi-touch and other next generation mobile features. Windows Mobile is currently an out dated system built for last generation embedded devices. HTC’s TouchFlo 3D attempts to mask this, but ultimately fails due to inconsistencies of its own, and — worse — the necessity of dropping back into Windows Mobile proper all the time, which creates a completely Jekyll and Hyde user experience. (Again, I’d be really interested to see TouchFlo 3D given a little more consistency and backed right into a Samsung Instinct class consumer device).

The last WM device I owned was an T-Mobile MDA Vario II (HTC TyTN*), which was a WM 5 device. Lots infuriated me about it, but nothing so much that it didn’t automatically connect to Wifi networks (even if you’d joined them many times before). Is that fixed now in WM (like in iPhone)?

It might be; I was running off 3G fast enough I didn’t couldn’t bring myself to try to enter my long, pseudo-random WPA key into Windows Mobile with a visibly state-changing keyboard. However, going to the settings screen and seeing just how many wireless configuration apps were just sitting there scared the bajeebers out of me. I’m sure they all provided cool functionality — maybe tethering? — but that many similar looking and similar named icons is just depressing from a UI point of view. Collect ‘em up!

Andrew Says: The physical keyboard for me looks like a win. I don’t have an iPhone, but the iPod Touch Keyboard is annoying for my big fingers, unless in landscape mode, which isn’t always possible…

You know, I have fingers big and smushy enough that typing on a hard keyboard if very frustrating for me, and with the iPhone, I find I barely ever use the landscape keyboard. Maybe it’s my alternating typing style, but the portrait keyboard works just find for me. For those who want a hard keyboard with some room to it, the FUZE was definitely a nice, wide slider.

Bla1ze Says: What I wanna know is…Why does the device lag so bad with all that processing power behind it, I mean TF3D really suck up that many resources?

Windows Mobile 6.1 + TouchFlo 3D = Vista Aero on a “capable” 2006 machine.

Joshua Says: If you do a hard reset and not allow the ATT software to load, this device is so much faster.

If you, like Apple, stand up to the carriers and say “No crapware, frakyou very much!” it runs faster still!

Steve Says: When I look at those screen shots I can’t even make out what it is I’m looking at. It’s a typical cluster-f**k of Windows icons, menus, and tabs. What do I click on? What will happen?

That’s a very real concern. The device is not intuitive.

PhilR8 Says: I also with you would have addressed some of the comments from the preview thread that gave you suggestions on how to better use TF3D (like mine). Were these tips helpful? Did you even try them? Or is it still not for you?

The tips did help somewhat, but I think my usage method was just too iPhone-trained to really do a good job with it in only a week. Switching to my nail made it better, but it never did what I intended it to do. I would even try just hitting the icon I want, when it was off to the side, and different things would happen at different times, and no matter what anyone says, if I drag sideways on the music app instead of up and down, no way should that activate the tab bar (which is nowhere near where I pressed) and shoot me into different apps.

Nailing touch is hard. I think we all know that. HTC names their like Touch. That’s a really brazen thing to do if you don’t nail the experience utterly and completely. I’d argue Apple did with the iPod Touch, and HTC absolutely did not with their line.

Maybe I could have gotten used to it if I spent more time with it, or if I’d spent money on it and knew I couldn’t return it, but — again — I don’t think, in 2008, I should have to.

ekabe Says: But after a month of using this phone ive never had a random application generator moment using touchflo. You sure you where holding and dragging? Its not meant to be flicked.

I switched to even just trying to press the icons. Maybe I should have held and dragged, but can’t I even just press the icon I want to launch an app? From testing: nope.

pinguino1 Says: I’m not a fuze guy, but many of your negative comments are because you just didn’t do what 99% of people in this planet do: . Read the manual! . The other 1% are iPhone guys.

I never read an iPhone or iPod Touch manual, nor the Android G1, nor the Treo Pro, and I shan’t be reading the BlackBerry Bold why should the FUZE get, never mind need, special consideration?

And if it does, that sorta makes many of my points. I really don’t want a phone I need an instruction manual for, especially after having used PDAs and Smartphones for a decade already…

Darrell Pittman Says: You know, irony can be so ironic. I think back to that 1984 Super Bowl ad, where the Mac’s avatar strides up to the big screen and supposedly, strikes a blow for the everyman against Big Brother. Now look at you lot, grateful for being able to spend big money on a phone, then set it up AT HOME. Then when you do, you can install only Apple-approved apps. You can’t even change your own battery. It’s sad, for people who profess to love freedom.

If I go to a gourmet French restaurant, look at the menu, and then proceed to throw a fit because I can’t order pizza, is that a blow against my personal freedom? Of course not, that would be silly. If, on the other hand, I want to go to the trouble of cooking for myself at home, I can make anything I want. I enjoy cooking, and I enjoy restaurants. Cooking can be a lot of work, so sometimes I eat out. Setting up a Windows Mobile device (or Linux distro) can also be a lot of work, so currently I choose to use an iPhone. What’s really ironic is all the so-called freedom exponents with little no respect for the choices of others. Part of being free means the freedom to chose proprietary solutions.

PmMann Says: As much as they say “Think Different”, every ipod I have seen is exactly alike. Heaven forbid you want to change the skin of the UI, or even choose a different UI..

“Think Different” was a Mac, not an iPod campaign. There are plenty of devices you can tweak to your hearts content, but does market share show them to be as popular? Nope. Why is that? Could it be that while some groups are especially loud, they don’t consider that there’s a far larger, albeit more silent group, that doesn’t really want to tinker, doesn’t even really care for technological details, and just wants their music to work? Apple considers that, and the market has certainly born them out.

Thanks for all the great questions!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Round Robin: TiPb vs. HTC FUZE Q&A!