The Mac App Store – First Impressions

By Athol Hill – 7th January 2011 – Mac Apps on MacTalk
The Mac App Store went live today so I thought I’d have a look and give my perspective on this new feature in OS X.

For those who haven’t used it yet, you can enable the App Store by doing a software update. You will receive a software update that looks something like this (10.6.6) and should be around 115MB:

The update to 10.6.6 is what enables the App Store and it requires a machine restart so I’d finish off any work you’re doing before applying this udpate. Unfortunately they don’t give much more information on the app store so for those who get past this point, so look in your applications for an app called “App Store” and you’re done.

The initial screen that greets you is pretty similar to something you’d find in the iTunes App Store. It has the latest featured apps and the usual “Top Paid”, “Top Free” and “Top Grossing” Apps.

You can select business categories or use the search function if you know what you’re looking for.

Looking at the App Store, its clear in its current form that all the software vendors haven’t come on board yet. I’m not sure whether people have been slow in adding their software to the App Store or whether they just don’t want it there, but its definitely in its infancy at the moment and the store was missing some of the main software providers like Adobe and Microsoft but some of the major software suppliers like Omnigroup were there and products like Omnigraffle (Visio for Mac) are available online. I’m hoping the other vendors get on board soon because it would be great to see products like Merlin on there as well.

To test the app store, I decided to download a couple of apps to see how well the install process worked. It does require login to work but you can use your existing itunes password for this. Interestingly enough it only picked up the Apple apps that were installed and show that apps like Evernote and Text Wrangler hadn’t been installed on my machine when they were already installed but it does pick up some apps like Mindnode Pro. This is surprising given that Macupdate desktop can pick all my apps.

This may not seem like a major issue, but if you want the App Store to manage updates you are going to have to re-download some of these apps via itunes. How the App Store will handle third party apps it doesn’t pick up is a mystery to me, but you may find yourself in a position where you’re still having to update some apps independently of the App Store which may be an annoyance for some people so hopefully Apple resolve this soon. The installation is pretty flawless but it does default by opening the app the moment its downloaded and inserting it in your dock which I’m not happy with. Every time I downloaded an app, I had to close it and drag it off the dock. Unfortunately there are no preferences to change this so hopefully we’ll see these appear in a future version. Purchases also only shows apps you’ve purchased through the App Store so don’t expect to see all your apps there.

One of the interesting things I noted is that the pre-packaged products are now offered independently but no longer as a box set. I.e. Ilife or iWork. I’m not sure how the pricing would compare but I still liked the idea of buying these prepackaged. It also doesn’t offer any multi-user scenarios like the iWork edition you could install on 5 machines so this is likely to frustrate some users for the purchasing process but at least once the install is complete, the App Store will continue to handle your updates.

There is no option to remove an app from your machine so you’ll still be stuck doing this the manual way or using a product like App Zapper. (which ironically isn’t in the App Store yet)

Conclusion

Okay, so after 30 minutes of playing with the App Store here are my first impressions.

1. Its very basic and definitely a first version.

2. Not all the software vendors are on it

3. It has issues – it doesn’t pick up all the apps you have installed even if they are in the app store

4. Its missing key Apple apps like iLife as a bulk purchase option (only individual apps are offered)

5. No uninstall options

6. It can’t match existing products on the market – Macupdate Desktop is streets ahead of it for the update process.

This may seem pretty negative but Apple have a history of toning down the functionality in a package until they know they can do it properly. It does however provide some great scope for future and I’m hoping that Apple put considerable development into this product to make it work.

There are some questions I still have, like how Apple will handle things like license keys. Does it imbed a key like it does with the iPhone app store? If so, how will it handle upgrades to existing products you have? Do I have to keep copies of my old keys incase it inadvertently overwrites it? No doubt some of the less legally orientated customers will want to know what if someone downloads a pirate copy and using a pirate key? Will it simply give them an update thereby legalising their old version with a new one with an imbedded license?

Obviously its early days and there is plenty of time to answer these questions but its definitely going to be an interesting if not bumpy ride to get there.

Mac App Store Cracked For Piracy

By Jesus Diaz on January 7, 2011 at 11:01 AM on Gizmodo

The Mac App Store’s security has been cracked. This means that by installing a software called Kickback you will be able to pirate any applications in the store. However, the crack will not be available until February 2011, according to Dissident:

We don’t want to release kickback as soon as the [Mac App] Store gets released. I have a few reasons for that.

Most of the applications that go on the Mac App Store [in the first instance] will be decent, they’ll be pretty good. Apple isn’t going to put crap on the App Store as soon as it gets released. It’ll probably take months for the App Store to actually have a bunch of crappy applications and when we feel that it has a lot of crap in it, we’ll probably release Kickback.

So we’re not going to release Kickback until well after the store’s been established, well after developers have gotten their applications up. We don’t want to devalue applications and frustrate developers.

Dissident is a member of Hackulous, the community that cracked Apple’s Digital Rights Management system for iOS.

While I don’t support piracy, I understand the need to allow people to try apps for free, especially when there’s so much crap out there. However, this opens the door to wide piracy, which is not good for anyone, developers and users alike in the long term.

That’s why Apple should provide a test mode for all apps. Lite and trial versions don’t cut it. It’s cumbersome and not universal. Storewide 24-hour testing would be perfect, allowing users to quickly purchase or delete at any time during the trial period.

And they should do the same with iOS. [Gadgets DNA]

Optus To Offer 24-Month Warranties With Contract Mobiles

By Angus Kidman on January 7, 2011 at 2:30 PM on Gizmodo

Just yesterday, we mentioned that new consumer laws meant that items sold on a contract should be covered by a warranty for the life of that contract. Proving the point, the ACCC has negotiated a court-enforceable undertaking with Optus that means phones sold on a 24-month deal will be under warranty for that entire period — even for iPhone owners.

The ACCC already had similar deals in place with Telstra and Vodafone, which means a large portion of the market is covered by a proper warranty arrangement that lasts the length of the contract. (Note that the Optus deal doesn’t extend to other companies which use its network such as Boost or Virgin Mobile, since it doesn’t deal directly with consumers or supply phones under those arrangements.)

What’s particularly interesting about the deal is that it includes the iPhone, something which didn’t happen with the Telstra and Vodafone arrangements, much to the ACCC’s chagrin. Optus is generally reckoned to have the largest share of the Australian iPhone market (something which might be at least partially explained by the fact that it has the cheapest contract deals), so getting Apple included for the full 24 months is definitely a win for consumers. We’ll watch to see if similar concessions are extended by Vodafone and Telstra.

LG Optimus Black Coming To Australia In May

By Seamus Byrne on January 7, 2011 at 2:45 PM on Gizmodo

LG’s Optimus Black is their hero handset for 2011. It’s sleek, it’s bright, and it’s expected to land in Australia around May.

The LG Optimus Black is seen as the hero handset for LG’s fresh push for 2011. It’s a sleek 9.2mm at its thickest point, running Froyo, and features a screen LG is calling NOVA. Yep, everyone has a name for their screens these days.

The killer feature for NOVA is its daylight mode that pumps up the brightness to 700 nits, far beyond most handsets and into a brightness level that makes it genuinely usable in daylight. Compare that with its indoor brightness of 280 nits. But it’s also smart with its screen’s power usage, running about 40% more efficient than other screens. And where AMOLED screens would draw 530mA power while viewing a bright white screen like the Google search page, the NOVA screen draws a standard 160mA power whether it is viewing black or white screens.

LG sees this power saving as a major battery win, with expected life between charges pushing out to two days where many current smartphones run a day or a day and a half before they dry up.

LG expects the Optimus Black to launch in Australia around May. While they are still in discussions with carriers, they feel this is likely to launch with more than one carrier and it will launch in either the $79 or $49 cap range.

 

AirStash is a Wireless USB Drive For Your iPhone or iPad

Tue, Jan 4, 2011 | by Andy Boxall on iPhoneFreak

The AirStash has been around for a while, however it’s being re-launched at CES 2011 with a few tweaks and the promise of a new app coming later in the month.  The AirStash is a USB flash drive which uses removable SD cards for storage, that creates its own Wi-Fi network ready for your iPhone, iPad or just about any other wireless-capable device to connect to.

Once you’re connected, you can stream video and music or view photos, and the latest WebDAV enhancement makes it possible to wirelessly save and then share documents created on your iPad in Pages, Numbers, Keynote or other similar apps.  The AirStash can be used to store all these files too, a useful feature given the size of most digital copies of movies these days.

The SD card can be a maximum of 32GB, and the AirStash itself doesn’t cost anything to use, has its own rechargeable battery, password protection and even supports up to eight devices at the same time.

The new application is waiting to be approved by Apple, and is designed with photographers in mind, as it allows browsing and bulk import of photos directly to the iPad from your camera’s SD card.

You can buy the AirStash direct from the manufacturers website, where it costs $99, but you’ll have to add your own SD card.  It’s only available in the US and Canada at the moment, but AirStash say they’ll be adding other countries soon.  If you grab one now, you’ll have to wait for a firmware update to activate the WebDAV feature.

 

Revised iPhone 4 Antenna Band Images Could Cure Reception Woes

Thu, Jan 6, 2011 | by Andy Boxall on iPhoneFreak

After a hastily removed video showing a similar design, we now have some static images of what’s being called the iPhone 5’s antenna band and chassis.  The picture shows the current antenna band alongside a revised model with added segment breaks, presumably ending the ‘death grip’ syndrome.

Of course, it’s impossible to judge the authenticity of these parts, although it was Apple who requested YouTube take down the original video, and these new images come from another website, so that’s two different sources showing the same thing.  We don’t think it’s a ‘fake’ photo, as why would someone do that, but it could be parts from a knock-off device.

Anyway, assuming it’s real, what’s it going to be seen on?  There are three logical options here.  The first is an iPhone 4a model, or the white iPhone 4, released prior to a new model, which purely solves the antenna issues with this new band.  Secondly, there is the ever-looming specter of the Verizon iPhone, and finally, it’ll be found on the next iPhone model.

If it does turn out to be the chassis for the next iPhone – which seems the most likely of the choices – then it appears Apple will do the same as they did with the iPhone 3G; i.e. release an internally upgraded phone while leaving the exterior (almost) identical to the previous one – an iPhone 4S, if you will.

Steve Jobs’ New Year’s Resolutions Found On Starbucks Napkin

Palo Alto, CA — Uh-oh. Another piece of top-secret Apple material has been left behind in a public place. 

Only this time the culprit is Steve Jobs himself.

A napkin bearing Steve’s hand-scrawled New Year’s resolutions was picked up by an astute patron in a Palo Alto Starbucks after the Apple CEO rushed out to take a call.

After a brief bidding war with Gizmodo, Scoopertino has taken possession of the napkin and proudly presents this teardown:

The napkin is standard-issue Starbucks beige. Written in what appears to be a thin Sharpie, black, are ten numbered resolutions. It cannot be determined if they are in ascending or descending order of importance. Three mug stains appear to be random.

Some of Steve’s resolutions are shocking and/or surprising, while others suggest a playful CEO who enjoys pranking the likes of Mark Zuckerberg — and fleeing the likes of Steve Wozniak.

Resolution #1 — Keep the Verizon myth going — will likely rock Wall Street today. Resolution #5 — Reject more apps, just for fun — shows a CEO who delights in his work. Resolution #9 may have even the most fervent Apple fans questioning their faith — Upgrade to iPhone 4 when antenna gets fixed.

Apple’s PR department declined to respond, saying they do not comment on unreleased resolutions.

This post originally appeared on Scoopertino.

Twitter for Mac Announced

Posted on the Twitter Blog

Twitter is proud to introduce an appropriately slick and simple desktop application for Mac computers. Twitter for Mac has launched today as part of the Mac App Store. 

 

This app gives Twitter users another fast and convenient way to stay connected to what they care about the most. Tweets appear in real-time (using our streaming API), and the app auto-shortens URLs and has lots of useful keyboard shortcuts.

 

The app is also three times faster than its original version that was previously called Tweetie for Mac. Tweetie for Mac was a desktop client that was originally created by atebits developer Loren Brichter prior to our acquisition of atebits last April. Twitter for Mac is a new version updated by Loren and team during Twitter’s first Hack Week in October.

 

We acquired atebits with a focus on launching our own Twitter iPhone application. Since then, we’ve been asked repeatedly for a new version of Tweetie for Mac. We decided that the new version fits well into our goal of ensuring that mainstream users will have the best possible experience on popular platforms. We hope you enjoy it.

*$%# the future!

Just saw this on twitter and oh boy does it hold true!

Apple TV 2G first impressions…

First Impressions

After recently purchasing a new 32″ HD LCD TV for the bedroom I decided it was time for a network media player to play all those movies and videos I download instead of always watching them on my Macbook Pro. Luckily my boss recently got an Apple TV 2g (2nd Generation) and lent it to me for a short period to give it a go.

First impressions is it’s very tiny, compact but limited by the external connections it must supply (AC power in, SPDIF, RJ45 Ethernet, Mini USB and HDMI) otherwise I’m sure it would be the size of a deck of cards!

Plugging it in was easy and setting it up and connecting it to my wireless network was even easier as per typical Apple products and I had it running in less than 3 minutes (Gotta love that!)

I found though that browsing the menus and working the little Apple Remote that comes with it was easy and didn’t take long for me to get the hang of it.

As far as what you can do with this little beastie I’ll break it down into network content and downloadable content. The fact that the ATV2 can both stream content from any iTunes enabled computer on your LAN as well as download content from the internet makes this most appealing.

Network Content

As I already have a fully populated iTunes on my Mac I was able to let the ATV2 find my library and then was able to browse my music and videos easily and play them back to the ATV2. So essentially what I plan to do is convert all my video library into a format that can be played on Apple devices and then add them into my iTunes library so I can watch them on my ATV2 or indeed sync them to my iPhone or iPad as well. ATV2 doesn’t discriminate against Windows iTunes users either so I’ll put iTunes on my Win7 media center PC and add all my content into that library for a permanent storage area (My NAS box connects to the media PC for online storage).

Speaking of NAS boxes the one true failing of the Apple TV 2G is the fact you cannot stream directly from your NAS device to an ATV2 it has to be via an iTunes enabled computer or server. But with a lot of the new NAS devices having iTunes servers and clients built in this should get around this limitation.

This solution should be able to handle all my home media needs and allow me full access to my library from almost any device in the house.

Downloadable Content

Whilst I haven’t taken a good look at the downloadable content I can see how this will be appealing as well. If you don’t mind paying to rent a movie online or download music then this should suit your needs and will tie into your existing Apple Store ID/Account and charge any downloads to your current Apple ID account.

There are plenty of movies and titles to download, you can preview the latest releases at the box office as well all at a cost of course with many movies costing around $5.99 or thereabouts its comparable to going to the rental store and renting a new release DVD anyway without having to leave the house!

The ATV2 also has various clients for YouTube and the like allowing you to browse and search these popular sites and watch their content on your big TV instead of your computer monitor.

Airplay

Well what can I say about Airplay? I just love this feature!

Essentially Airplay allows you to stream videos etc from your other iOS devices to you ATV2. So if you were watching a music video on your iPhone you could select the ATV2 to play to and have the content streamed from your device back to the ATV2 where it’s shown full screen on your TV all over your wireless network.

Overall

Overall I’m very impressed with this little box and will probably get a 2nd one for the other HD TV in our house in the near future.

There is also a large community out there devoted to getting the most out of your ATV2 including adding features and plugins or completely jailbreaking the device just like an iPhone or iPad which essentially is what this box is just cut down without all the extra hardware but still has the same processor and base iOS operating system that’s used in both the iPhone and iPad.

Whilst the ATV2 is restricted in what it can do compared to other network media players out there, Apple has made this one simple, easy to use and still feature packed and it can only get better with the 3rd Gen version whenever it arrives!