Apple

"Wait, who's Brett Terpstra? Does that guy still write here?" Yes, he does, on special occasions. The release of Lick of the Day 2.0 seemed like a decent reason to come out of hiding. Lick of the Day is an app from Agile Partners for iPhone and iPad which teaches guitar players new skills in an easy to digest video and interactive format (see previous coverage by Matt Tinsley). With each lesson you get a high-quality video that includes explanations, fast and slow versions as well as tips for making the most of picking patterns and finger positions. Each lick also includes tab/notation, text narrative and backing tracks for practicing. The live fingerboard representation as the tab plays for you is one of my favorite parts of the app. In version 2, Agile partners with TrueFire to include 20 new Lick Packs that cover 500 blues, rock, jazz, rockabilly and acoustic lessons. Basically, if you play guitar, there's something there to enhance your ability, whether you're just getting started or a seasoned pro. They don't talk down to you; they present the music theory and techniques while building from the simple to the highly skilled, with enough instruction on the way to get you there. My personal guitar skills have enhanced ten-fold over the last year, due in large part to this app. I'm excited to see all of the new content and features coming out in such a valuable part of my music toolkit. Check out Lick of the Day in the App Store. It's free, with each "Lick Pack" being an in-app purchase ($2.99 US) with free samples from the pack to try out before purchasing.Agile Partners releases Lick of the Day 2.0 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony has teased its upcoming game console, via a video uploaded to YouTube. The clip, which alternates between close-up shots and one zooming into what could be presumed to be the impending PlayStation 4, is released the day before Microsoft is due to reveal its future plans for its own replacement for the Xbox 360....

The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been touring Silicon Valley companies this week, on the heels of a similar tour by Turkish President Abdullah Gül last month. Both men received VIP tours of facilities at Microsoft and Google, and met privately with officials from Apple. All three companies are hoping to land a contract to supply the country with at least 10.6 million tablets for the country's students....

Turkey’s tablet loving Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, has been going on a tour of the U.S.  in pursuit of the greatest tablet marker in the world to arm his students with. The prime minister visited Silicon Valley on May 18th to be briefed by the world’s best technology companies on their latest endeavors. Erdo?an is looking to buy 10.6 million iPads for his country’s education new education project Faith. So far, Erdo?an was first greeted by Microsoft CEO, Steve Balmer, and then he paid visits to both Apple, Google. Regarding his visit to the U.S., Erdo?an said: “We wanted to see the latest developments in the information technology sector before we launched the Fatih bid by visiting the Silicon Valley because we plan to realize a similar project in Istanbul. Our first aim is to produce 10,600,000 tablets as part of the Fatih project, which will be followed by the production of 2 million to 2.5 million tablets.” For the initial launch of Turkey’s FAITH program – an acronym for  Movement of Enhancing Opportunities and Improving Technology – the Turkish Education Ministry wants to purchase about 10.6 million tablet PCs to distribute to schools. The Turkish government plans replace textbooks and blackboards with tablets and electronic display boards to boost Turkey’s education system. Turkey says they won’t accept bids until May 27th. The prime minister has also received offers from GM, Samsung, and two Turkish companies, Arçelik and Vestel. Source: Hurriyet Daily News   Related StoriesFoxconn Is Already Making iWatches, And They Have OLED Displays [Rumor]15-Year-Old Boy Dragged To Death During iPad TheftCapture the World Around From Your iPhone 4/4S With Dot [Deals]Was Apple’s Logo Really Designed Using The Golden Ratio?Steve Jobs Would Have Thought Google Glass Was For Sexless Nerds

There’s a lot of talk these days about Google Glass, Google’s new futuristic wearable computer that functions like a set of cyborg glasses, overlaying a HUD of Google products and search services over your life. It certainly sounds impressive, and early reviews from the usual techno-nerds are positive. But what would Steve Jobs have thought of Google Glass? He would have thought you were a dork for wearing one, and you needed to get laid. In a funny (but sort of cruel) anecdote shared by Jeff Soto, who was once an Audio Test Engineer at Apple, Steve Jobs was once pitched an idea for a wearable computing solution like Google Glass at an Apple Town Hall Meeting. His response? Outright ridicule. As soon as I saw the video for Google’s Project Glass I instantly recalled a funny story from my time at Apple. I was once at a Town Hall meeting in Cupertino where Steve Jobs commented on this type of wearable computing. An Apple employee in the audience asked Steve a question to the extent of: “How can we reach out to our leadership if we have a really good idea”. Steve immediately put him on the spot and made him pitch the idea in front of everyone there. An opportunity to pitch Steve Jobs. What? The employee proceeded to pitch an idea about glasses you can wear that display various types of information. A heads up display a’la terminator cyborg vision if you will. He continued to explain how he wished he had a way to see projected information while he perhaps went for a run outside. Keep in mind this is happening in a room filled with a lot of people. Steve immediately shot his idea down and told the guy that he would probably trip and fall if that were the case. Steve also suggested he should get a girlfriend so he has someone to keep him company while running. To be fair, Steve Jobs often laughed at ideas that he later embraced. Remember when Steve laughed at the idea of an iPod playing video? Still, that’s a pretty blistering dismissal of a concept Google is putting a lot of resources and PR behind, don’t you think? Source: I Am Not Robot Via: MacTrast Related Stories5th Gen iPad To Enter Production In July Ahead Of September Release [Rumor]Foxconn Is Already Making iWatches, And They Have OLED Displays [Rumor]Get A Clean iOS Install Without Losing Your Jailbreak With Semi-Restore [Jailbreak]15-Year-Old Boy Dragged To Death During iPad TheftWas Apple’s Logo Really Designed Using The Golden Ratio?

Looking for an easy way to capture 360 degree video on your iPhone 4/4S when you’re out experiencing the world? Well…look no further. Cult of Mac is offering the Dot – a product that raised over $100,000 on Kickstarter and is now in full force changing the way you see the world…one video camera at a time. We’ve got the Dot for only $27.99 for a limited time. (Note: This promotion is available only to Continental USA customers – including shipping – and all sales are final.) Capturing video on the iPhone is a regular use case, and now thanks to the Dot from Kogeto you can take amazingly awesome 360 degree video with the click of a button. It’s that simple. Not only is the video quality great, but the interactive 360 views are unreal. Here are the highlights of the Dot: Shoot: Snap Dot onto your iPhone 4 / 4S, download our free Looker app, and press record. Dot will capture everything around you. Capture the crowd and the band. Film the beach at the same time as the sand volleyball team. Record a virtual tour of your dorm without missing a thing. View: The video on your screen is only the beginning. Swipe or click and drag across the screen to swivel around in 360°. Or switch modes and view all 360 at once in super-widescreen. You get to see everything. Share: Your Dotspot is ready to share with the world via email, Facebook, Twitter, or kogeto.com with just a single click. Got a blog? Tumblr feed? Website? You can embed your videos there – or anywhere! This Dot is specifically designed for iPhone 4/4S users. You’ll receive a black strap that snaps onto your iPhone and then you’ll be able to snap in the video lens which will allow you to capture your video. (For more details on this offer, visit the Deals page.) Dot is more than a lens for your iPhone. It’s a fast and fun way to shoot fully interactive 360 degree video which you can then share instantly with your friends online. Just snap it on your phone, shoot a panoramic video (we call them “Dotspots”), then post to Facebook, Twitter, or kogeto.com. You can also just email it to someone you love – all from Kogeto’s free app. Don’t delay. Pick up this offer from Cult of Mac Deals for just $27.99 while you can – which won’t be for long! [subscribebutton]deals[/subscribebutton] Related StoriesHacked AT&T Carrier Update Promises Faster Data Speeds On iOSSamsung Is Looking For Developers Who Can Help Them Make Galaxy Apps As Good As Apple’sFoxconn Is Already Making iWatches, And They Have OLED Displays [Rumor]15-Year-Old Boy Dragged To Death During iPad TheftWas Apple’s Logo Really Designed Using The Golden Ratio?

For every person who visited an Apple retail store last quarter, the company took in a record setting $57.60 in revenue, according to a new analysis.

Asymco mobile industry analyst Horace Dediu is up to his number-crunching again, this time with numbers showing that Apple Stores continue to have the top retail revenues per visitor of any retailer in the US. The first quarter of 2013 (Apple's second fiscal quarter) saw visitor growth of 7 percent and a new record revenue of US$57.60 per visitor. Average revenue per store was $13 million, a record-setting level for a non-holiday quarter. Dediu noticed that the average visitors per store has steadied out at about 250,000 per store per quarter, and posits that that number might be stagnant because fire regulations keep the stores from packing in even more visitors. Apple's employment in stores has increased as well to about 110 employees per store, climbing from less than half that level in 2007. Apple's new retail strategy appears to be expanding US stores in size and opening new stores outside of the US. According to Dediu, that allows for growth in the number of visitors to the US Apple Stores and in "maintaining the brand's relationship with customers." Asymco's Horace Dediu touts record Apple Store revenues in Q1 2013 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Users of iOS file management apps File Lite and File Lite Pro might want to delete the apps from their iOS devices for now (or at least turn off Wi-Fi sharing). That's because the Vulnerability Laboratory has discovered three vulnerabilities in the latest versions of the apps, according to iMore. The worst vulnerability allows an attacker to upload files to a user's account without any interaction, while the other two permit code injection in the user's browser while they are viewing file listings. All three exploits require that a user has the apps' Wi-Fi sharing option turned on. Since the vulnerabilities were discovered on May 17th, the app has not been pulled from the App Store, nor has it been updated. Until an update is released fixing the vulnerabilities, users should at the very least disable Wi-Fi sharing within the app.File Lite, File Lite Pro for iPhone shown to have vulnerabilities originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple is well-known for its love of the so-called golden ratio, an “extreme and mean” mathematical ratio that designers as far back as the third-century B.C. had identified as most likely to lead to harmonious design. The iCloud logo, for example, is designed with the golden ratio in mind… and it’s widely believed that the iconic Apple logo is also designed using the golden ratio. It’s a nice thought, isn’t it? That Apple’s logo is constructed out of mathematically perfect circles and partial circles? Unfortunately, not only is it not true, but Apple has different logos it uses even in its own official materials: the Apple icon etched into the back of your iPad is very different than, say, the official ? Unicode symbol. In a fascinating but technical post over at Quora, David Cole — Quora’s own product designer — debunks the notion that the Apple logo comes from the golden ratio. The whole post is a little too in-depth to summarize here, but essentially, Apple’s logo only satisfies the criterion of the golden ratio if you essentially change the definition of the golden ratio to be so vague as to be worthless. It’s well worth a read, though I think the aspect I find most interesting is how different the Apple logo has been over the years, and even across different medium: the actual geometry of the Apple logo is fluid depending on the medium it’s used in. Source: Quora Related Stories5th Gen iPad To Enter Production In July Ahead Of September Release [Rumor]Samsung Is Looking For Developers Who Can Help Them Make Galaxy Apps As Good As Apple’sFoxconn Is Already Making iWatches, And They Have OLED Displays [Rumor]Get A Clean iOS Install Without Losing Your Jailbreak With Semi-Restore [Jailbreak]15-Year-Old Boy Dragged To Death During iPad Theft