Apple’s US Market Share Growth Slows in 4Q 2008

Gartner has released a preliminary report on U.S. and worldwide PC shipments for the fourth quarter of 2008. The report places Apple in fourth place in U.S market share at 8.0%, up from 6.7% in the fourth quarter of 2007, but down from 9.5% in the t...

Interested in iPhone courses?

Are you looking to jump start your career in iPhone app development? Attending one of these classes seem quite interesting and exciting: Qantm College launched iPhone Game Development Course at their Islington campus. Following the London launch, the iPhone course will be available in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Amsterdam, Berlin and Munich. We’ve ...

Bubble Town arrives on iPhone

The Facebook and MySpace game phenomenon finally lands on your iPhone! I-play launches its Bubble Town puzzler for iPhone and iPod touch. The game, which uses the iPhone's accelerometer and touchscreen, was one of I-play's most successful mobile games last year. If you're new to Bubble Town, well, the easiest comparison ...

Done: To do list app for iPhone

Looking for a unique To Do List app for the iPhone? Chilli X has released "Done" (is priced at .99 cents for a limited time) for iPhone and iPod Touch, which offers features include: Shake to sort - Shake your phone and your list is automatically sorted. Unique wallpaper - Use a ...

More rumors of the iPhone Nano surface as the rumor mill gets a bit stale, spare me

In the technology world there will never be a shortage of rumors, even when one is debunked more start to surface. This may be wishful thinking or just someone’s opinion based on a photoshoped photo that is stated as a fact. Whatever the case the iPhone Nano rumors are back. According ...

iPhone tethering plans as low as $10?

Here at iPhoneBuzz we have reported on rumors that AT&T is going to be bringing an iPhone-tethering plan to users who have always wanted it. Before these rumors stated that AT&T would be instating one for $30 a month, but now there is a new rumor for pricing of such ...

Jobs Health Concerns Related to Food Absorption, Not Cancer?

The New York Times reports that the health issues that have resulted in Steve Jobs taking a medical leave of absence from his role as Apple's CEO stem from a problem with food absorption and not from a recurrence of cancer.

Two people...

iTunes: Variable Pricing Was Cost of Over the Air Downloads?

What finally made Apple and Steve Jobs relent on their previously locked-in-stone $0.99 single price for single songs iTunes business model? Many suspected it was the lure of DRM-free music, which the record labels (except EMI) had been withholding from Apple and providing competitors like Amazon MP3 in an attempt to break the iTunes juggernaut.

Maybe not, however, according to Ars Technica (referencing the Associated Press):

the key negotiating component was over-the-air downloads for the iPhone. The record companies held out on allowing users to download songs on the 3G and EDGE networks (instead of just WiFi) until Apple relented.

While this might seem strange, technically many users probably don’t care (or don’t even know about DRM) unless they run into the old 5-machine limit or try to move their protected music outside the iPod ecosystem. However, anyone hitting the iTunes icon on the iPhone and getting the message to switch to WiFi likely suffers a bad user experience. Then again, strange is normal in a strange industry filled with strange old media dinosaurs, innit?

Higher prices, according to the article, are also intended to make discounted song bundles seem like better values.

How important is 3G or EDGE downloads to you? Worth the potential cost bump for premium “hot” singles? Mitigated at all by the thought of cheapo bundles of the same? Let us know!

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

iTunes: Variable Pricing Was Cost of Over the Air Downloads?

Steve Jobs Not Absorbing Food, Needs to Reduce Stress

The New York Times (via Daring Fireball) provided some additional information on Steve Jobs’ health, and the possible reason behind the announcement today that he was taking a leave of absence from Apple:

Two people who are familiar with Mr. Jobs’s current medical treatment said he was not suffering from a recurrence of cancer, but a condition that was preventing his body from absorbing food. Doctors have also advised him to cut down on stress, which may be making the problem worse, these people said.

Again, we here at TiPb wish Steve Jobs and his family the very best. Get well soon.

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

Steve Jobs Not Absorbing Food, Needs to Reduce Stress

Son of: In search of the perfect panorama

Filed under: Software, Reviews, iPhone, App Store

Yesterday I put three panorama programs to the test. Today, I added a 4th program, appropriately enough called Panorama [app store link]. It's US$9.99 and the most expensive of the apps on offer. After using the new app today, and going back and taking another fresh crack at the other three, I'll share the results, and some sample images from each one. I didn't always shoot at the same location, because that would have been boring, but shot them all under the same sky conditions and lighting. In each case, I took two images and then merged them in the software. All the software allows the merging of more than 2 images, but I wanted to keep the file size down.

Using Pano [app store link] I got better matched skies today, and sharper alignment. The blend between the two images was good, and once you do a rough align, Pano takes care of the rest. At US$2.99 it is the bargain of the offerings.

TripStitch [app store link] gave me an acceptable image, but it was a lot of trouble because you can't take the image from within TripStitch. You have to go out to the iPhone camera app, then import the images into TripStitch, which I feel is an unnecessary step. I also didn't see any auto-alignment feature, so it's all up to the photographer. TripStitch is US$4.99.

Panolabs Pro [app store link] gave me a lot of control, but an image that I felt was below the quality of the others. I tried on several scenes, but manipulating the images for a smooth merge is difficult, and the controls are not fine grained enough to make delicate adjustments. I've shared my best effort with you in the gallery. The app is US$4.99.

Panorama did a nice job as well. It was pretty easy to merge and align the images, and the final result looks pretty good. It was the most expensive app of the group, but it was not head and shoulders above Pano or TripStitch. It allows a lot of control and lets you select the final resolution for saving. It does a nice job of guiding you through the process of taking and aligning the images.

So there you have it. A look at the options for making panoramic shots from the iPhone. Of course, you can get better results using a higher resolution digital camera, and something like Adobe Photoshop or Elements or 3rd party apps like DoubleTake or The Panorama Factory to stitch them all together. It is remarkable, though, that you can get decent pano photos from what is arguably a less than top-quality cellphone camera.

Click on the gallery below to see the images produced by the apps.

Son of: In search of the perfect panorama originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Son of: In search of the perfect panorama originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Phone different Goes iPhone Live! Tonight at 8pm EST + Win an Element Case!

CLICK HERE TO GO LIVE!

We missed iPhone Live! last week due to the hectic pace imposed by Macworld and CES, so just like last time when yours truly invaded Phone different, this time Phone different is invading iPhone Live!

Join me in joining TiPb’s editor-in-chief, Dieter Bohn, and editor-emeritus, Mike Overbo, for a special Macworld-roundup edition of Phone different on iPhone Live tonight at 8pm EST.

And did we mention we’ll be giving away one of the custom TiPb branded Element Cases to one lucky live chatter? That’s right. Get the details tonight via:

http://www.theiphoneblog.com/live/

See ya there!

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

Phone different Goes iPhone Live! Tonight at 8pm EST + Win an Element Case!

Steve Jobs Takes Leave of Absence From Apple

Following the speculation, the turning of the final Macworld Keynote over to VP Phil Schiller, and an unprecedented open letter to the Apple community on his health, Steve Jobs today sent out word to Apple employees that he was taking a leave of absence from the company he co-founded. Text via Engadget:

Team,

I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

Steve

Needless to say, everyone here at TiPb wishes Steve Jobs a fast and full recovery.

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

Steve Jobs Takes Leave of Absence From Apple

Steve Jobs Taking Medical Leave of Absence Until June

Multiple news sources have reported that Steve Jobs is taking a medical leave of absence until the end of June. Tim Cook will be taking over day to day operations.

Apple has published a letter Jobs sent to Apple employees.<p class="qu...

First Look: Health Cubby for iPhone / iPod touch

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

App Cubby announced that a new iPhone app, Health Cubby (click opens iTunes) arrived in the App Store today. Health Cubby (US$4.99) is a personal fitness tracking app with a difference -- it adds a social networking element for working with friends and family members to keep motivated to exercise more and eat less.

The social features connect you with up to 7 other people, share your progress in achieving fitness goals, and even send motivational messages. To do that, you set up a private account with App Cubby for data syncing and sending messages.

Health Cubby has a great online user manual complete with screenshots. Instead of tracking meals with points or calories, the app has you enter a 1 to 5 rating. Rating a meal a 1 means you put the all-you-can-eat buffet out of business, while a 5 is a low-calorie, healthy meal. You also set goals for strength, cardio and...vices! While the first two involve exercise, the third item makes you set goals to reduce the number of times you indulge in a vice. My goal is to reduce my beer drinking to one a day (yeah, right...).

I've put Health Cubby on my iPhone right next to Weight Watchers Mobile. It'll be interesting to see which app I use most often. Check the gallery below for screenshots of Health Cubby in action.

First Look: Health Cubby for iPhone / iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Look: Health Cubby for iPhone / iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Look: New Web Browsers for iPhone

PC World’s Brennon Slattery takes a look at the new Web browsers available for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Did Apple make a Major Policy Change by Approving Web Browsing Apps for the iPhone?

TiPb Interview: bjango’s (and iSlayer’s) Marc Edwards on the Mac to iPhone Transition and the App Store Outlook

Marc Edwards is one of the well known team behind Mac Dashboard Widget aces iSlayer and iPhone development house bjango, whose apps include Jobs, Cities, Darkness, and Phases, and he was kind enough to sit down and talk App development and ecosystem with TiPb.

TiPb: Your team is famous for their Mac OS X Dashboard widgets, was developing for the iPhone really the easy transition some have suggested?

Marc: For us, yes. Our widgets have used Cocoa plugins for quite some time. A lot of widgets are straight HTML, Javascript and CSS though, which is very different to what’s needed for iPhone apps.

Was there anything substantially different about developing for the iPhone? If so, did you learn anything that you will effect your future Mac development?

The biggest lesson seems to be quality. Apple have some great bundled apps, so if you want to fit in, you’d better make sure you spend as much time as they do on the small details. The effective hit area of a human finger also means you have can only have a small number of buttons on screen at once. That keeps you on your toes—almost everything has to be contextual, which is quite different to traditional Mac development.

With some of Apple’s built in Apps, like Stocks, Weather, etc. seeming more like OS X widgets than real Apps, there was once speculation that Apple may open up a widget platform for the iPhone as well. With both WebApps and App Store apps, do you think there’s still a place for a dedicated iPhone widget development system?

There probably isn’t much point in a development platform between web apps and App Store apps… Apple can and will keep on extending WebKit, allowing for better web apps that look and behave more like App Store apps. That’s probably enough for anyone who doesn’t want to develop using Cocoa.

So the line between the two is close enough to not warrant another choice. But hey, who knows what Apple will do!

There been ongoing controversy about the App Store and how to both get exposure for apps and earn a fair living off their development. Do you think app developers are currently racing to the bottom, and pricing themselves out of business, or do you think volume and building user base will prove a viable model long term?

I don’t think pricing is as much of an issue as others seem to. We’re talking about a platform with millions of users (don’t forget iPod touch users when adding up the total). A huge portion of those users seem to buy apps.

If anything, I think we will see some more expensive apps appear, as all the small ideas get done well enough that each app type has a clear winner. Once the low hanging fruit is gone, developers will probably head towards bigger projects.

Either way, I’m not sure less than $5 is a bad pricepoint for an app. Just make sure you have a very good, very small team developing it and you’ll be fine.

Now that the numbers are approaching 10,000, what could Apple do to make iPhone apps more discoverable by end users?

Search results ordered by rankings. A “newly popular” section might work too. I think it’s going to be fairly difficult to keep iTunes as it is for music while making it work for the App Store too. I’m sure they’ll figure it out though. These kinds of things have been working well on web 2.0 sites for years.

What are your thoughts on the new “rate upon deletion” feature of iPhone OS 2.2? Is this unfair to developers who may get more negative reviews now? (fair disclosure, I’ve only give 4 and 5 star reviews to Apps I’ve deleted).

For Apple to build better search and ranking tools, they need all the good data they can get. Right now there’s a lot of fairly average apps on the store, so I don’t see how rate upon deletion should be something any decent developer should worry about.

I’ve also rated some apps well on deletion. Maybe a rate after 20th launch would be good too, although you don’t want it to get in the way too much.

Thanks Marc, we really appreciate your taking the time!

bjango is the website, and the apps are all available via the iPhone App Store (iTunes Link)

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

TiPb Interview: bjango’s (and iSlayer’s) Marc Edwards on the Mac to iPhone Transition and the App Store Outlook

Analyst Roundup: Bullish on the iPhone

Filed under: Apple Financial, iPhone

UBS analyst Maynard Um says that Apple could sell 7 million iPhones in the first quarter of the year if they sell a low-cost, 4GB model, according to Electronista.

Citing "checks" with industry partners, Um claims a 4GB model is in the works, though it's unclear if it will be a regular iPhone at a lower price point, or a smaller iPhone nano device rumored to be in development. While it may cannibalize sales from the current low-end 8GB model, a significantly lower price could add 1.5 million more sales for the quarter.

Generator Research's Andrew Sheehy goes even further, projecting that Apple could sell 77 million iPhones by 2013, according to Philip Elmer-DeWitt. Sheehy has three reasons why Apple will dominate the smartphone business:

• Apple's ability to combine hardware and software, making it easy for users to consume
• The App Store's vertical platform model leads the market so far
• Smartphones are the only kind of phone that Apple makes, unlike other handset manufacturers like Nokia.

Sheehy says that, among other recommendations, Apple must broaden its offering to include higher- and lower-end units, including tablets and entry-level smartphones: All with access to the App Store.

He also says that Apple will capitalize on the paralysis brought on by a weak global economy, and use its cash to get "one or two design cycles ahead of the competition."

"When rivals start spending again, they may discover that Apple has built an unassailable lead," Sheehy writes.

Analyst Roundup: Bullish on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Roundup: Bullish on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Initial Impressions of T-mobile’s G1 - an iPhone Perspective

Writing this story on an iPhone newsite might seem a little strange, however, if any of you have been following me on twitter (TypeZero3), you'll know that I've been really excited about the G1 even though I am a happy iPhone owner.In any case, last night I had the chance ...

Interested in iPhone courses?

Are you looking to jump start your career in iPhone app development? Attending one of these classes seem quite interesting and exciting: Qantm College launched iPhone Game Development Course at their Islington campus. Following the London launch, the iPhone course will be available in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Amsterdam, Berlin and Munich. We’ve ...