Apple

Feedly is a service that's risen in popularity recently for the most part because the much-loved RSS service Google Reader is coming to close on July 1, but the company is definitely doing its best to make a space for itself as something more than just an alternative. Today, Feedly released the Feedly Cloud, which not only creates a standalone web-based RSS reader app, but also hooks all of your feeds into the cloud, which developers can then hook their own APIs into for various purposes. Just like Google Reader's API, the idea is to allow Feedly's work to power other readers, and in fact the service is connecting into IFTTT right away at launch, and opening up other options for future apps and tools. This also means that Feedly is available right inside your web browser (previously, the app required a plugin or extension in your browser to work correctly), and can be pulled up from anywhere. Personally, Feedly has become my reader of choice, partly because it works so similarly to Google's service, and partly because it's so easy to migrate from one service to the other. If you use Google Reader and haven't yet chosen a new service, you're running out of time, as Google is finally shutting everything down on July 1. Feedly is the best alternative I've seen so far, and this move to the cloud shows that the company is very interested in not only grabbing Google's refugees, but keeping their patronage for as long as possible.Feedly RSS reader launches cloud service originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Let's say you go to a restaurant almost every day for years. It's your favorite restaurant, and you've practically memorized the menu. The staff knows you, your favorite dishes and you know a little about the chef. Then one day you walk in and everything has changed. The menu looks weird, there's a bunch of new dishes and the staff is a little distracted-- but the food is amazing. Everything else is throwing you off but you cannot deny that the food is better. It's as if the chef changed out the kitchen entirely and got 10 times better overnight. After over a week of hearing pundits work their magic, I keep returning to my notes from chats with developers who were at WWDC and AltWWDC. For anyone who is worried about iOS 7 or Mavericks let me tell you right now: breathe, relax, things are going to be great. Beauty is skin deep Yes, iOS 7 looks really different. As one writer said, it will be polarizing. Consumers are a blob of people are scared of changes in technology. Forcing users to grok some new interactions, no matter how much more sense they make, will prove a little problematic for Apple. I anticipate slower uptake from existing users at first. But as word spreads about how much better iOS 7 is, I think those people will jump on board. If you're only looking at stills of iOS 7 you really aren't seeing the full picture. Parallax is a subtle thing, maybe the new active desktops are useless, but the zooming hints of depth. There are so many cognitive touches that will make iOS "just work" better that it's hard to delineate them all (never mind that I'm going to try to avoid chatting too much about things that are covered in Apple's non-disclosure agreement with developers -- although I am not a developer and have signed no such agreement). Suffice it to say that what you'll see when you start using iOS 7 is a better sense of where you are in the OS at any given moment. By zooming in and out, by seeing what pages are open as you multi-task, you'll feel like you have more context at any given point. This interesting method for using 3D spatial cues has prompted some interesting thoughts, like this great opinion piece by Jeff Rock. When you get designers thinking about this stuff, great things happen. Something that is impossible to understand when simply looking at frozen pixels on a screen is the interaction when using the OS. iOS has relied on buttons for many interactions, and iOS 7 does away with a good bit of this. Last week I kept joking with developers about the "Oregon Trail" your thumb takes as it traverses down, left, up, right, etc. just to do a simple thing. In iOS 7's Settings, however, if you want to go "back" you no longer have to reach way up to the left corner to tap a little button -- you just swipe to bring the previous screen back, much as you do on the iPod nano today. All of those little interactions add up to a significantly enhanced experience in iOS 7. Anyone who has been fixated on the pixels they see within a tiny rounded square is missing the forest of UX for the trees of UI. New kitchen, new rules Folks, there are 1,500 new frameworks. More importantly, those frameworks are all coming together to enhance the user experience and build better apps. Some of those frameworks may even hint at future Apple products. Every single developer I spoke to was excited about what they saw at WWDC sessions. iOS 7 isn't just "flat" design and a few new interactions, it's a significant boost to an already powerful mobile operating platform. There are new tools and toys that developers are still wrapping their minds around. In the end, you're going to see another app Rennaisance. I don't think I'm overstating it -- users have no idea how much better apps about about to become. As one example, I was told by one source that at some point Eddy Cue corralled more engineers to fix the iCloud Core Data sync issues. Apple finally woke up and realized it had a serious problem on this one, and dedicated the resou

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSSDaily Update for June 19, 2013 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

There are a few ways to retrieve a file or folders full path from Mac OS X, and we’ll cover the two easiest methods here, and also a third option that utilizes a Service to instantly copy any path to the clipboard. First, we’ll use the Get Info panel to pull any items complete path, and then we’ll use another trick that utilizes an under appreciated feature of the Terminal to retrieve any directory or files path. The optional Automator Service provides yet another option to copy file and folder paths, which is then quickly accessible through the right-click menu from the OS X Finder. Just to clarify, we are looking to copy the path to a file or folder to the clipboard so that it can be pasted elsewhere. This is different from showing the path, which can be made visible in any Finder window through an optional window bar or even in the title bar using a defaults trick. Let’s get to copying complete paths so that you can use them elsewhere. Copy a File / Directory Path from the OS X Get Info Window Perhaps the easiest and most user friendly method, you can easily retrieve any file or folders path from the Get Info window by doing the following: Select the file or folder in the OS X Finder, then hit Command+i to summon Get Info Click and drag alongside “Where” to select the path, then hit Command+C to copy the full path to the clipboard Get Info can also be accessed by the control-click and right-click menus. For most use cases and for occasional complete path access, the Get Info trick is simple, fast, efficient, and should fit the bill for most people. Print Path through the Mac Terminal Dragging and dropping anything into the OS X Terminal outputs the full path to that item. Launch Terminal then drag and drop any item from the Finder into the Terminal window to instantly print the full path Select and highlight the path to copy it to the clipboard as usual This trick is great if you are looking to use the path in the Terminal, otherwise it may not be as easy as the Get Info tip because it requires opening another app. Create a “Copy Path” Service for the Right-Click Menu If you find yourself frequently needing to copy and paste file and folder paths, creating an Automator Service will make your life easier because the service then becomes accessible from the OS X Right-Click contextual menu, accessible from anywhere in the Finder. This is an excellent trick from CNet and is very easy to set up yourself: Launch Automator and create a new “Service” Use the search function to look for “Copy to Clipboard” and drag that into the rightside panel of the Service Set ‘Service recieves selected’ to “files or folders” and ‘in’ to “Finder” as shown in the screen shot below Save the Service with a name like “Copy Path” Now go anywhere in the Finder, select anything in the filesystem be it a directory or a file, then right-click to reveal the “Copy Path” service item as created. Choosing that option will instantly copy the chosen items path to the clipboard, which you can then paste elsewhere. What is a path anyway? For the unfamiliar, you can think of an items path as it’s address in the file system, pointing to exactly where it resides on the computer. For example, a file named “Testfile.txt” that resides on your user account desktop would have a complete path that would resemble something like this: /Users/USERNAME/Desktop/Testfile.txt For items in the user directories, you can user a tilde to shorthand the path like so: ~/Desktop/Testfile.txt That shorthand does not work with system files, or for accessing other user files, thus a complete path would be needed. All of the methods we’re sharing will access and copy the complete path, not the short hand, even if the file or directory in question is in the user folders.

  Lytro, makers of the crazy Light Field camera that will let you refocus an image after it’s taken, is bringing its incredible editing powers to the iPhone and iPad. This afternoon Lytro released a new iOS app that can connect to Lytro camera to import images, edit them, and then share to Twitter or Facebook. Wait, you didn’t know the Lytro had Wifi capabilities? Yep, Lytro kept it a secret from everyone but is now enabling the feature with a firmware update. Mark Wilson at FastCo explains why the Lytro iPhone app is such a big deal: “Quite simply, editing a Lytro image on your phone feels like the way we’ll all be editing images in the future. All you need to do is tap any part of a photo, and it will appear in focus–it’s an interaction we’re all used to while snapping shots, but we’ve never experienced after a shot’s been taken. From there, you can also create and share animated GIFs that shift focus around your shot or pan it in a circle to create a 3-D scenic effect.” Lytro’s been nice enough to let us play around with a demo unit of their camera for the last few months, and while the technology is incredibly impressive, the inconvenience of having to go home to download photos to your desktop before being able to edit and share them has kept me from using it with any regular frequency. Maybe the camera will start to gain some traction now that you can upload Light Field photos on the go. If you already have a Lytro camera you can download the free app right here.   Source: iTunes Via: FastCo The post Lytro’s New iOS App Will Let You Import And Refocus Photos Directly Off The Camera appeared first on Cult of Mac.Related StoriesParallels Announces Desktop 8 Support For OS X 10.9 MavericksEvery WWDC 2013 Session Video Can Now Be Downloaded From Apple’s Developer SiteWhen Will The Next iOS 7 Beta Arrive? When Will iOS 7 Be Released? [iOS 7 Timeline]Boostcase For iPhone 5 Is A Do-It-All Case With A Ton Of Attachments [Review]Use AirDrop In iOS 7 Beta, Set Privacy Preferences In Control Center [iOS Tips]

On Wedneday Apple announced that HBO Go and WatchESPN (and a few other content providers) had made their way to the Apple TV. This is exactly the kind of content I’ve been praying Apple would acquire for its diminutive $99 set-top box. My dreams of finally catching up on The Wire, The Sopranos, and The Newsroom from the comfort of my bed (across from which sits a small HDTV and an Apple TV) were finally fulfilled. Until they weren’t. Because, you see, I’m a DirecTV customer. And after updating my Apple TV for the new channels, selecting HBO Go from its home screen, navigating to the Settings screen, selecting Activate Device, receiving my access code, logging into www.hbogo.com/activate, and selecting Apple TV (whew) DirecTV was nowhere to be found. No, not even when tapping More and scanning a list that included such regional carriers as Billy-Bob’s Down-Home TeeVee Shack and University of Middle-o-Nowhere Cable Access. (Joking, but the point stands.) What’s missing from this picture? DirecTV. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Lytro, the company behind the light-field camera system by the same name, has launched an iPhone and iPod touch application. The app connects to the Lytro Camera via a WiFi connection to allow Lytro camera users to easily sync photos from the camera to the iOS device. Using the technologies in an iOS device, users, via the app, can then share their photos via social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Because iOS devices have built-in text messaging and email capabilities, Lytro photos can be shared instantly via those mediums as well. Specific to Lytro, the free app also allows users to upload photos to Lytro’s own sharing site while on the move. Notably, the new Lytro iPhone app makes the first use of the camera’s secret WiFi chip. A software update specific to Lytro camera is required to officially unlock the hardware. In addition to sharing your own photos, the Lytro app can allow users to view the photos of other Lytro camera owners. A neat new bonus feature is the ability to create animated GIFs. Steve Jobs met with Lytro executives about integrated the light-field technologies into a future version of the iPhone.  The free Lytro iPhone app is available on the App Store. Press release: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jun 19, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Lytro, Inc., creator of the world’s first consumer light field camera, today introduced Lytro Mobile App. This new iOS app lets people use their iPhone, iPad and iPod touch device to experience and share light field pictures taken with Lytro cameras. The app communicates with Lytro cameras, whose wireless capabilities can be activated with a free software update, letting camera owners preview and upload pictures to Lytro.com directly from their iOS device while on the go, using either a cellular or Wi-Fi network. The Lytro Mobile App will be available internationally as a free download, starting today. “Lytro Mobile makes it even easier to share light field pictures and lets people experience the benefits of light field technology with a device that never leaves their side,” said Jason Rosenthal, CEO, Lytro. “As the first to bring light field photography to consumers, we believe there is vast potential to this technology, and Lytro Mobile is the next step in building this category.” Camera owners and non-camera owners alike can download the app to experience living pictures on their iOS device, including refocusing pictures and experiencing Perspective Shift, with no special software required. “Mobile sharing of photos is universal and Lytro Mobile now offers the kind of desktop-free convenience people are accustomed to having,” said Ren Ng, Founder, Lytro. “We have taken a complex technology and made it accessible through an app that is easy to use for both sharing and viewing light field pictures.” Lytro Mobile allows people to: – Share a picture directly from an iPhone to Lytro.com, Facebook, Twitter or via email or SMS; – View popular and recent living pictures that everyone has shared to Lytro.com; – Save a living picture as an animated GIF to their iOS camera roll; – Access a series of “Learn” tips, educational content that will expand over time. Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of Apps.What do you think? Discuss "Lytro launches WiFi-connected iPhone app to share photos on-the-go" with our community.

DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim is going back on statements he made back in May, when he said the next model of the iPad mini -- expected this fall -- would come equipped with a Retina display and an updated processor. In an added twist, before he made that statement, Shim said the Retina iPad mini would not ship before 2014. Now, Shim writes that Apple will refresh its iPad mini line later this year, but the Retina display will not make an appearance before 2014. Apple is expected to refresh its iPad mini in the second half of the year. The new iPad mini will continue to use a 7.9-inch display with a 1024×768 resolution, but it will use the iOS 7 operating system and an A6 processor, in a slimmer design than the current generation. Another iPad mini is also planned for production but not until early 2014. That device is expected to feature a QXGA (2048×1536) resolution display and the iOS 7 operating system.It's unclear which DisplaySearch report is correct, though it's widely expected that Apple will ship a Retina-display equipped iPad mini at some point. More notably, Shim does expect the iPad mini update this fall to bring a thinner case, regardless of whether it has a Retina display or not. Apple CEO Tim Cook did warn analysts and other Apple watchers to take rumors from the Apple supply chain with a grain of salt. Apple is expected to introduce new versions of the iPhone, iPad mini and iPad this fall. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Feedly Launches New Cloud Platform to Replace Google Reader Ahead of July Shutdown • Steve Jobs Ponders His Legacy In Never-Before-Seen 1994 Video • Apple Planning LinkedIn Integration for iOS 7 • Facebook for iOS Adds Status Update Icons, New Sharing Controls • Apple Updates 'Configurator' App With Improvements and Bug Fixes • 'Bike Baron' Named Starbucks App of the Week, Available for Free • Apple Releases New Java 6 Updates with Security Enhancements • 'Paper' Developers Get $15 Million in Funding For Future Apps and Hardware

The subscription based Rdio music streaming service today updated its iOS app with a few features similar to those included in Apple’s recently introduced iTunes Radio service. The most notable new feature is Song Stations which, much like iTunes Radio, allows users to automatically create a station based on any song with the ability to view and skip upcoming tracks. Another new feature in the updated Rdio app is “AutoPlay”, which automatically continues playing music similar to what you’ve just listened to when a station or playlist has ended. A full list of what’s new is below: What’s New in Version 2.2.1 • Song Stations. Start a station based on any song to hear more from that artist and other related artists. See four upcoming tracks and skip as much as you want. • AutoPlay. After the music you’re playing has ended, hear more like what you’ve recently listened to. • Various UI improvements and minor bug fixes. Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of iPhone, Apps, and iPad.What do you think? Discuss "Rdio iOS app updated with iTunes Radio-like Song Stations, AutoPlay, & more" with our community.

Popular desktop virtualization client Parallels released an update to their desktop app for Mac on Wednesday, allowing Apple developers to run beta versions of OS X Mavericks in tandem with older versions of the Mac operating system.