Apps

Apple has been really thinking about their content creation strategy in Mac OS X and has lead the industry with applications like Garageband and iMovie. With 10.7 Lion Apple has moved to some new consumer content creation and that is podcasts. Apple has long had two application called ‘Podcast Producer’ and ‘Podcast Capture’ which work together to allow people to create podcasts and share them.

Unfortunately, these applications have been exclusive to Apple’s Mac OS X Server platform and were created with a “pro” mindset. Sort of like Final Cut Pro being the “pro” version of iMovie. Now, in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, Apple will introduce a new application called ‘Podcast Publisher’ and it’s the consumer version of ‘Podcast Producer‘.

Podcast Publisher allows users to create as many shows as they want and within each show they can have episodes. Podcast Publisher lets you capture video and/or audio for your show, and you can even record your Mac’s screen in realtime if you want to demo something. You can even do some quick iOS-like editing of your clips (“trimming”) and the whole feel of the application is very user-friendly.

Once your podcast episode is complete you can export it as a file to your desktop, iTunes, or an e-mail. You can also easily send it to your Podcast library’s server or remote workflow. We think Podcast Producer is something a lot of people will use, as Apple’s is yet to implement a true podcast creation tool in Mac OS X for use by anyone.

Check out a screenshot walkthrough after the break in addition to Apple’s explanation of the application. (Thanks, anonymous)

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It looks like Apple decided to drop support for their full-screen Mac media center application, Front Row. Front Row is just like the old Apple TV software and presents all your media in a full screen view. Whether that be videos, photos, songs, or movie trailers, it’s there. According to the developer preview of Lion, that won’t be the case in Apple’s next-generation Mac operating system launching this Summer.

We don’t know why Apple made the change and with the new full-screen application functionality, hopefully Apple is working on a cool, new implementation with the built-in iTunes application. Perhaps Apple will also use the change to promote their latest $99 Apple TV, which has the same functionality as Front Row, but much more, too. Front Row is still an application in Snow Leopard, Leopard, and some Tiger machines. Thanks, Mike T.

Keep in mind this is a preview/beta so Apple could bring this back before the actual release. Hopefully the new Front Row is cloudier.

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Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard was the writing on the wall for Apple to completely drop PowerPC support. Snow Leopard was the first Mac operating system to not work on PowerPC machines, yet it still ran PowerPC software through Rosetta. Even more, Rosetta was an optional download in Snow Leopard. Now in 10.7 Lion, Rosetta has vanished and Apple’s operating system launching this Summer will not support software built for PowerPC Macs.

This change will surely upset some longtime Mac users, but through our research it seems that many modern, supported Mac applications have been rebuilt to work on Intel machines. Also, every app on the new Mac App Store will work seamlessly with 10.7 Lion as they are all compiled, by default, for the Intel computing architecture. Users on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion who attempt to run a PowerPC application will get the alert shown above. Thanks, anonymous

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Did you think Apple was done announcing the new features coming in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion? Did you think Apple was done bringing features from iOS to the Mac? Well, they’re not, and here’s a big one that might be coming this Summer with Lion: Find my Mac.

Just as you can imagine this is probably a Mac implementation of the very popular iOS feature to locate, restore, and lock your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The details are scarce at this point, but we have found references to a Find my Mac service deep down in the 10.7 file system. The actual system files don’t tell us much besides the name, but they do share this Lion build number: 11A372z.

That build number appears to be an internal seed, meaning Apple has been playing around with this Find my Mac feature internally, but swiped it from the developer preview. If it means anything, Apple didn’t actually announce Find my iPhone until WWDC 2009, but it was found in the iOS 3 beta file system a few months earlier.

In terms of these Find my Mac files being for a difference service, we can’t imagine Apple making another service, not related to the iOS service, as this would cause user confusion, something Apple is completely against.

We speculate that this Find my Mac service will be integrated into the free MobileMe, like Find my iPhone, and the Find my iPhone application for iOS devices will be updated to support Macs. Macs will be able to locate other Macs with the online version of the tracking system through Me.com.

Macs don’t have GPS systems built-in so they will have to rely on WiFi connectivity like WiFi-only iPads, and iPod touches. Find my iPhone has a restore function for iOS devices, but we are not so sure that feature will make its way to the Mac in its current iOS implementation.

Restoring a Mac completely will most likely take much longer than an over-the-air iOS restore. Perhaps Apple will implement some super-fast encryption system that can only be unlocked by the user when it’s returned. We could not locate references to Find my Mac in 10.6.6 Snow Leopard, and this guy might need a new name.

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A 9to5mac reader writes in telling us he/she’s found some interesting files in Lion.  These files are labeled “MobileDocumentsFolder.icns, Mobile Documents 32.png and SidebarMobileDocumentsFolder.icns” and show new types of icons for a Cloud file system.  Clearly, this would seem to be the successor to iDisk and is probably shows a more transparent interface between the desktop and the Cloud, perhaps a little more like Dropbox. We’re also thinking there is an iWork.com component as well since these are “documentsFolders”.

– here’s the new sidebar icon.

We’re expecting to hear more about the future of MobileMe at the iPad 2 announcement next week.  Hope this tides you over until then.
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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PChhZx5AyRU]

We have been testing out AirDrop since we got our hands on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and it is one of the most helpful features in the new Mac operating system launching this summer. AirDrop allows you to wirelessly and simply transfer files between nearby Macs, running Lion, and actually does not require users to be on the same WiFi network.

You just have to be nearby and your Mac must have recent WiFi hardware. Chances are though, that if your Mac is capable of running 10.7, you have modern WiFi technology.

We find AirDrop to be very helpful already, but it goes beyond the average consumer. AirDrop is perfect for those with more than one Mac, people working on documents together in an office, and if you need to quickly turn assignments into a teacher in school, all the students can simply just drag the document onto the classroom Mac.

The possibilities seem almost endless at this point. In our use of AirDrop, the performance has been normally up to par with our expectations. It does hang from time to time when you are setting up an initial transfer, but rarely. Apple will also likely fix any remaining issues in upcoming builds, and of course in the final release.

To initiate an AirDrop the involved users simply need to open the AirDrop panel, in Finder, on all their Macs, wait for the Macs to popup on the screen, drag the files you want to transfer, and click confirm. In our tests, transfers have been fairly quick and it’s a lot more efficient than our old methods of emailing or transfering files via USB flash drives. Be sure to watch our walkthrough video above.

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6pT_2E5xI0&fs=1&hl=en_US]

The number one paid app in the App store right now is a great little game called Tiny Wings that ever so slightly riffs off of Angry Birds(now #2).  The gameplay looks excellent and it is $.99 cents.  The reviews are somewhat comical but almost 100% good.

I’m going to keep this short because I need to get back to playing this game. Basically, you can forget about Angry Birds, it’s all about this happy hopeful bird. Simple, yet addictive casual gameplay will keep you coming back for more. So what are you waiting for? Just press the download button, no need for hesitations here.

If you aren’t already addicted, get there.

Last night we heard the first concrete details about Apple’s all new Final Cut Pro coming during Spring this year, and tonight some new information has come to light. Final Cut Studio expert Larry Jordan was one of the people at Apple’s meeting, demonstrating the upcoming upgrade to the professional film-making software.

Jordan can’t say much about the upgrade, due to an NDA with Apple, but he did say it is a “jaw-dropper.” Besides the “jaw-dropper” part, the thing we are taking most from his blog post is the fact that Apple allowed him to write it up. It appears that Apple already considers the software public knowledge. Afterall, Apple CEO Steve Jobs did tell a 9to5mac reader to buckle up for it.

We know it’s coming Spring 2011, but when exactly? We’re thinking the NAB 2011 digital media industry event. Apple has used this event to announce products like Final Cut Pro and the April 9-14th dates do happen to fall during the Spring season. Thanks, Laura P!

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Jobs wasn’t kidding when he told a 9to5mac reader to “buckle up” for a brand new version of Final Cut Pro with 64 bit compatibility. According to TechCrunch Apple reportedly invited a “small group of video editors” to the Cupertino, California campus recently to test drive the new video editing product. Apple is supposedly glittering some last minute magic on the professional video editing suite of applications and is tracking a Spring 2011 launch date.

This new version of Final Cut Pro is said to be a “major overhaul” complete with a brand new user interface, 64-bit compatibility, and architectural enhancements. Randy Ubillos and Co. have surely been working on making the product even speedier and easier to use. With Final Cut Pro 8 Apple is going to make it clear that they have not dropped the professional video editing space in favor of the consumer space. This has been a concern for many with the lack of a Final Cut Pro update recently and due to the two iMovie-related presentations during iKeynotes in 2010.

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You know those in-flight magazines that every airline gives you? Well the time has come that these magazines won’t only be in the pocket in front of you but will be available for passengers with iPads. Malaysia Airlines has launched their in-flight magazine, Going Places, as an application on the iTunes App Store. The experience of using the in-flight magazine is much more interactive on the iPad and even includes more features like in-flight entertainment information.

Here’s what a Malaysia Airlines Senior Vice President had to say about the move:

MAS chose the iPad because of the phenomenal growth of users in such a short time. As a platform, the iPad allows us to increase our range and reach new customers. It also allows our users a more comfortable, portable, convenient access to our magazine and some insight into our in-flight offerings, for their next trip.

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The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. anti-trust enforcers are in the process of “looking at” Apple’s new App Store terms regarding the newly announced in-app-subscriptions feature for developers. The report notes that this “looking at” is just “preliminary” and it’s possible this will never become a full investigation against Apple and their new policies.

The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission’s interest in Apple’s new subscription service is at a preliminary stage, and might not develop into either a formal investigation or any action against the company. But it comes as Apple has attracted growing antitrust scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe.

U.S. officials are currently looking at whether Apple is in the wrong for forcing app content’s customers into using iTunes as the payment system for subscriptions, and taking a 30% cut of the developer’s, or publication’s in this case, revenue.

The Justice Department and the FTC are both interested in examining whether Apple is running afoul of U.S. antitrust laws by funneling media companies’ customers into the payment system for its iTunes store—and taking a 30% cut, the people familiar with the situation said

The U.S. is not the only one pursuing a preliminary look at the situation, with European officials “carefully monitoring the situation.”

A spokeswoman for the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, said Thursday that the commission was aware of the new subscription service and was “carefully monitoring the situation.”

Apple as well as the U.S. officials declined to comment.

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Have we reached the point where Augmented reality has gone mainstream?  Perhaps.  Today Trip Advisor rolled out their iPhone/iPod touch upgrade (free, iTunes) with the included feature.  After playing with this for a matter of minutes I can tell that this is going to be big.

Sure other apps like Layar have been doing this for awhile but Trip Advisor is probably the most mainstream app so far to incorporate augmented reality.

The App uses the compass and your GPS to figure out where you are and what you are looking at.  Trip Advisor has a huge database of Hotels, Restaurants and things to do listed by geo-location and shows you which way to head to find them.

Also, there is nothing to do in my home town.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_T5PqPlUp4&w=640&h=390]

Warner Bros. has announced that they will begin selling their films as apps through the iTunes App Store as a workaround for people who live in countries without an iTunes movie store. The concept is quite interesting and the actual apps work like DVDs for your TV.

There are extras, scene selection, trivia, and other features all packed into the apps. The app itself is free of charge and uses the in-app-purchase feature to let you either download or stream the film to your device. You even get a five minute preview of the film before you have to purchase.

The applications work universally with unique interfaces for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad. The movie prices are the same as on the iTunes movie store and currently only Inception and The Dark Night are currently the only films available.

Streaming or downloading the films are $11.99 and $9.99 respectively, which are the same prices as on the iTunes movie store. The movie streaming works on both WiFi and 3G, which should be great for iPad 3G users.

The applications also provide a lot of content that you can’t get through a normal iTunes movie download, like film extras and 3G streaming. If you download the apps let us know how it works out for you, in the comments.

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Apple drew the line in the sand officially today.  If you are a merchant who makes money selling anything in the App Store either through subscription or in-app purchases, Apple will be taking a 30% cut.  And if you sell anything for use on an app, you now have to sell it for the same price or less in App.   You can argue for or against this policy but Apple is going to do this starting at the end of June.  There is no arguing that.

Unless the government gets involved that is.  The question that likely will be asked: Would you be OK if Microsoft made a mandatory 30% on every purchase made through Windows applications?

I honestly believe a lot of vendors will be exiting.  I also don’t think it is a coincidence that Apple owns properties that compete against these vendors either.  Netflix and Hulu? Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, welcome to iTunes everyone!  Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble exit?  Welcome to iBookstore.  Spotify and Rhapsody? Back to iTunes folks.

The reality is that companies like Netflix and to a lesser extent Amazon can’t afford to give 30% of their revenues to Apple.  They just don’t have the cost structure — they would have to raise their prices dramatically just to break even.  Apple knows this too.  Apple doesn’t want people watching Netflix or buying eBooks from Amazon.  It’s Apple’s platform and Apple can take what it wants, right?  If Apple wants to raise the rate to 40%, it will do that too.  This is Apple’s DisneyWorld and it controls the concessions.

I believe what Apple is saying here is that they’ve created such a good subscription and payments ecosystem coupled with such amazing devices that these companies are privileged to sell things to Apple’s 100 million highly-valued customers and their highly valued credit cards, which they conveniently have on file.

On the flip side, I think Apple is absolutely sure that these companies aren’t going to be able to match their offering in an HTML5 web store either.
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AppleBitch spotted a new page on Best Buy Mexico announcing a launch event on February 19th at 7PM for the rumored iWork ’11 productivity software suite from Apple. This is not an official announcement from Apple but does add some more credit to past evidence from the last couple months.

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Today, Apple announced that the App Store Subscriptions, originally found on The Daily, are now available for all developers. The subscription service is available for all content based apps such as magazines, newspapers, video, music, and basically anything else a developer could want their users to subscribe to.

Subscriptions purchased from within the App Store will be sold using the same App Store billing system that has been used to buy billions of apps and In-App Purchases. Publishers set the price and length of subscription (weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly or yearly). Then with one-click, customers pick the length of subscription and are automatically charged based on their chosen length of commitment (weekly, monthly, etc.). Customers can review and manage all of their subscriptions from their personal account page, including canceling the automatic renewal of a subscription. Apple processes all payments, keeping the same 30 percent share that it does today for other In-App Purchases.

The revenue system for developers is the same as normal in-app-purchases or app sales: 30% to Apple and 70% to the application’s developer. Perhaps the best news in today’s announcement is that Apple CEO Steve Jobs comments in the press release:

“Our philosophy is simple—when Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30 percent share; when the publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100 percent and Apple earns nothing,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “All we require is that, if a publisher is making a subscription offer outside of the app, the same (or better) offer be made inside the app, so that customers can easily subscribe with one-click right in the app. We believe that this innovative subscription service will provide publishers with a brand new opportunity to expand digital access to their content onto the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone, delighting both new and existing subscribers.”

Did Jobs comment while he was on his last medical leave? Apple does not say whether the subscription service is available for developers to implement today or if it is an iOS 4.3-only feature. The entire press release is after the break for those interested.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5kv7xjoLBo&w=640&h=510]

Verizon today updated their popular FiOS DVR management application for the iPhone. Verizon’s new ad for it (above) tells it all. Grab it here from iTunes.

– Multiple DVR support is here! Control all of your DVRs through one application or use multiple devices to control your DVR(s)
– UI has been updated to aligned with the new Interactive Media Guide
– Update the individual settings of your parental controls
– What’s Hot on FiOS Added
– Ability to update your set-top box names
– Non-DVR users can access basic functions of the app
– Landscape orientation support has been added for the Guide view

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNBhhQSBExs&fs=1&hl=en_US]

GreenPois0n has just been upgraded to release candidate 6 and it includes support for the second generation Apple TV. GreenPosi0n will give your Apple TV an untethered jailbreak and will also install the popular NitoTV software on it. Let us know how it goes for you, in the comments. Get it here.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlhkUUFWA6E&w=640&h=390]

iPhoneDownloadBlog points to an upcoming jailbreak-only tweak, which promises turn-by-turn voice navigation for the native iPhone Google Maps application. The tweak is said to be “coming soon” to Cydia with no specific launch of pricing information being available at this time. Turn-by-turn voice navigation in iPhone Google Maps has long been a popular feature request, and hopefully Apple brings it natively in future iOS upgrades. (via RazorianFly)

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Opera has announced that their popular ‘Opera Mini Browser’ will be making its way soon to the iPad with a formal announcement at the upcoming Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Spain. Anyone at the conference who wants a peek at the iPad version should stop by Hall 1, Booth C44.

105 million people might use Opera’s browsers today, but Opera Software cares even more about tomorrow. At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, new versions of the Opera Mini browser on Android, iPhone, J2ME, BlackBerry, Symbian and even the iPad will appear.

No other information has been revealed so far about the browser so far. The browser should look fairly similar to the iPhone version, but will probably have some tweaks and new features that take advantage of the iPad’s larger display.

The popular BBC iPlayer service has finally made its way to the iPad, and is now available for free on the UK iTunes App Store. BBC iPlayer allows you to watch live TV from the BBC television station in addition to live radio broadcasts from the network. You can even select your “favorite” programs and these episodes will be “ready and waiting for you to watch.” We assume this means you will get an alert when a new episode is about to air, or it will be somehow saved for you to watch.

Browsing through iPlayer’s program guide is supported over 3G, but actually watching video will require connection to a Wi-Fi network. For those of you who are on tablets, or plan on getting tablets, other than the iPad, BBC says they will eventually release versions for you, too. BBC also says that HD video is not available on the iPad, but will be added at a later date.

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