The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Apple patent application details simple "Grab and Go" synchttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/apple-patent-application-details-simple-grab-and-go-sync/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/apple-patent-application-details-simple-grab-and-go-sync/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/apple-patent-application-details-simple-grab-and-go-sync/#commentsFiled under: Software, Odds and ends, Bluetooth, Apple

Apple, being the innovative corporation that it is, applies for patents many times per year. While many of these items may never make it to market, the company is proactive in making sure that possible patents are filed as soon as possible in order to protect the intellectual property that's been developed.

One such filing from last year describes a fascinating cloud-based, cross-platform sync service referred to as "Grab & Go." The filing showed up earlier this week and demonstrates how synchronization of data over multiple devices could be simplified. Grab & Go creates pre-defined data sets with categories like family, entertainment, or business that a user could literally "grab" and move to a device. The patent document shows how sharing files between devices (whether the device is a smartphone, computer, tablet, or even a game console) could be made easier.

The software is flexible enough to adapt to different connection types (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, to name a few) and can provide different levels of encryption and security. The filing even discusses a possible requirement of having two or more devices within a certain distance of each other in order for synchronization to begin.

If you're up for a long, but interesting read over the weekend, head on over to the US Patent & Trademark Office and check out the details of Grab & Go. It could be a foretaste of things to come, or just another long legal document.

[via AppleInsider and Engadget]

Apple patent application details simple "Grab and Go" sync originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple patent application details simple "Grab and Go" sync originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appleapple tvAppleTvbluetoothiphonemacpatentsyncwi-fiSteven SandeSat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:00 ESTApple introduces reserve and pick-uphttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/apple-introduces-reserve-and-pick-up/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/apple-introduces-reserve-and-pick-up/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/apple-introduces-reserve-and-pick-up/#commentsFiled under: Hardware, Retail, Odds and ends, Apple, Holidays

As a guy who likes shopping online, but who still appreciates the act of going into a retail store for big purchases, I love this news. Apple has introduced a "Reserve and Pick-up" service for the holiday season.

The name is a little unwieldy, but it gets the point across. You go onto the Apple web site to find what you want, click to reserve the product at a nearby Apple Store, and then go to the store and pick up the goods while you're doing your holiday shopping between December 15 to 24.

For many folks, this might seem awkward -- why not just buy the product online and get it shipped, or just go to the store and buy it? For guys like me, it's perfect -- all of the convenience of choosing a product online, with the added bonus of being able to check out the retail store during the holidays.

iLounge notes that there's no AppleTV on the list, so if you were planning to pick one up as a gift, you'll have to go a more traditional route. There's also no way to actually reserve an iPhone. Instead, you're told to get an iPhone gift card to give to some lucky recipient. Nevertheless, I like the idea of reserve and pick-up, an interesting mix of online shopping and in-store purchasing for the holiday season. It's Apple take-out.

Apple introduces reserve and pick-up originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple introduces reserve and pick-up originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appleapple-storeappletvhggholidayiphonepick-upreserveretailretail-storeshippedshippingMike SchrammSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:00 ESTRumor: Smaller iPhone on tap for Verizon in Q3 2010?http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/report-says-smaller-iphone-on-tap-for-verizon-in-q3-2010/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/report-says-smaller-iphone-on-tap-for-verizon-in-q3-2010/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/report-says-smaller-iphone-on-tap-for-verizon-in-q3-2010/#commentsFiled under: Rumors, Wireless, Apple, iPhone

If you're tired of dropped calls and dead zones, and pondering the merits of turning in your iPhone for a DROID... hold on there, champ. AppleInsider says it's received a copy of a report by OTR Global, claiming that Apple has signed contracts to produce a UMTS / CDMA hybrid iPhone to be released in the third quarter of 2010.

The hybrid handset, built around a dual-system chip from Qualcomm, would allow the iPhone to run on virtually any GSM/UTMS cellular network worldwide -- and also on the CDMA2000 networks of US carriers like Verizon and Sprint. In particular, Verizon is cited in the report as the target carrier for the new devices.

The report states that Foxconn, the Taiwan-based sole-source provider of iPhone hardware at this time, will not build the new device. Instead, a subsidiary of Asustek known as Pegatron has been selected to kick off manufacturing. It's also rumored that the hybrid device uses a 2.8" screen, making the handset smaller than the current model which uses a 3.5" display.

Photos of the smaller display were first featured on iLounge in June of 2008 (see photo at right), sparking widespread rumors at the time that an "iPhone nano" was on the way. Over a year later, neither the smaller iPhone nor a Verizon model are available. However, if the leaked report is any indication, 2010 could be yet another year of incredible growth for the iPhone economy.

Rumor: Smaller iPhone on tap for Verizon in Q3 2010? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rumor: Smaller iPhone on tap for Verizon in Q3 2010? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AppleCDMA2000GSMiphonemanufacturingrumortaiwanVerizonSteven SandeSat, 07 Nov 2009 00:30:00 ESTSurvey: Less than half of touchscreen users prefer touchscreenhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/04/survey-less-than-half-of-touchscreen-users-prefer-touchscreen/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/04/survey-less-than-half-of-touchscreen-users-prefer-touchscreen/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/04/survey-less-than-half-of-touchscreen-users-prefer-touchscreen/#commentsFiled under: Gaming, Hardware, Apple, iPhone, iPod touch

Here's a few interesting stats from a survey recently conducted in Europe. These aren't specifically about the iPhone, but given that smartphones relied on buttons almost exclusively before Apple's handheld came along (and nowadays, everyone's bragging about their touchscreen technology), a temperature-taking on what people think of touchscreen controls is more or less a referendum on what people think of Apple's influence.

At least in France, Germany and the UK, reactions are mixed. While 38% of those surveyed say they were planning to get a touchscreen on their next mobile phone, only 47% of people who already owned a touchscreen said they would get another one. In other words, less than half of touchscreen owners thought they'd stick with the technology on their next purchase. Apple remains an anomaly -- both HTC and Apple have a higher amount of current customers planning to stick with their touchscreen interface (with the full numbers being released at a conference later this month), but the fact remains: current touchscreen users aren't anywhere near 100% on living button-free forever.

Especially as a gamer, that makes a lot of sense. Touchscreens are great for a lot of things -- they allow for limitless flexibility in the kinds of interfaces on offer, and especially with multi-touch, a lot of the controls on the iPhone are extremely intuitive (you automatically know now that pinching equals zooming, and so on). But as nice as touchscreen is, there are a lot of functions on mobile phones, from adjusting volume or changing music tracks on a phone out of sight in your pocket, to hitting exact button controls while twitch gaming, that work much better with tactile feedback. Steve, as he always does, made a big deal about the iPhone being a one-button interface, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see future iterations of the iPhone include either a few more buttons, or, even better, a few more haptic interface technologies.

Survey: Less than half of touchscreen users prefer touchscreen originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Survey: Less than half of touchscreen users prefer touchscreen originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>applebuttonscontrolseuropeanfrancegermanyhaptichtcinterfacemultitouchpocketsurveytouchscreenukMike SchrammWed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:00 ESTApple's iTunes Affiliates site briefly subjected to image swapshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/apples-itunes-affiliate-site-briefly-subjected-to-image-swaps/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/apples-itunes-affiliate-site-briefly-subjected-to-image-swaps/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/apples-itunes-affiliate-site-briefly-subjected-to-image-swaps/#commentsFiled under: Hacks, iTunes, Apple

Our friends over at OS X Daily passed along their story noting that Apple's site for iTunes Affiliates was vulnerable to a cross-site URL trick, letting you substitute your own images for the ones normally displayed on the page. Since the site is intended to let websites display a custom top banner, this was 'as designed' -- at least until jokesters began taking advantage.

The trick works (or at least, it did) by taking the default URL from the web browser and replacing a few things like the artist name, album name, album thumbnail source and the image link.

The Internet moves pretty fast, though. As I was typing this, Apple removed the top banner altogether, preventing the customized image display. No more pranks for us.

In any case, OS X Daily pointed out that the image issue could allow malicious folks to redirect would-be Apple visitors to malware sites or other bad destinations. Even an innocent image viewer that appears within an iframe on a branded page can cause problems; that's what the folks at Wired found out last January, when someone took advantage of their image tool to post a hoax "Steve Jobs had a heart attack" news story.

Props to Apple's web development team, though, for taking this down within the ten minutes it took me to finish the post.

Apple's iTunes Affiliates site briefly subjected to image swaps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's iTunes Affiliates site briefly subjected to image swaps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>apple.combughackimagesitunesxssJosh CarrTue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 ESTAdobe points finger at Apple over Flash for iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/adobe-points-finger-at-apple-over-flash-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/adobe-points-finger-at-apple-over-flash-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/adobe-points-finger-at-apple-over-flash-for-iphone/#commentsFiled under: Apple, iPhone, iPod touch

The lack of Flash of the iPhone has been an issue, complaint and breaking point for many current (and potential) iPhone users. It seems that Adobe is just as fed up as the rest of us and has started to more publicly blame Apple for the lack of this technology.

When a website requires a Flash plugin, it provides a link to a "Get Flash" page. From here and on most devices, you can download the appropriate version of Flash and be up and running in a few minutes. In the past, iPhone users have been greeted with a message that basically states that Flash is not available for their device.

A recent change, pointed out by GearDiary, shows Adobe getting a bit more snippy with Apple. The updated page now states that:

"Apple restricts use of technologies required by products like Flash Player. Until Apple eliminates these restrictions, Adobe cannot provide Flash Player for the iPhone or iPod Touch."

While this may not be "breaking news," it does say a number of things. For one, Adobe is clearly able to develop Flash for the iPhone and obviously wants to introduce it on the iPhone and iPod touch. This also shows that Adobe is very in tune of all the complaints and has redirected the blame to Apple.

Adobe points finger at Apple over Flash for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Adobe points finger at Apple over Flash for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AdobeAppledeviceflashFlash PlayerFlashPlayeriPhoneiPod touchIpodTouchJohn BurkeTue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:00 ESTNew Apple Switcher-Cam ad will take over online mediahttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/new-apple-switcher-cam-ad-will-take-over-online-media/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/new-apple-switcher-cam-ad-will-take-over-online-media/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/new-apple-switcher-cam-ad-will-take-over-online-media/#commentsFiled under: Internet, Apple

The newest Get A Mac, ad from Apple will take over the front page of a number of sites this month. Created by TBW\Media Arts Lab, the ad takes over the page as PC chases switchers through various switcher-cam displays.

Thanks to Ivan for sending it in, and Ads of the World for hosting it.

New Apple Switcher-Cam ad will take over online media originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

New Apple Switcher-Cam ad will take over online media originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advertisingget a macGetAMactbwa media arts labtbwachiatdayTbwaMediaArtsLabDavid WinogradTue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 ESTApple pitching "all you can watch for $30 a month" TV to networkshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/02/apple-pitching-all-you-can-watch-for-30-a-month-tv-to-network/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/02/apple-pitching-all-you-can-watch-for-30-a-month-tv-to-network/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/02/apple-pitching-all-you-can-watch-for-30-a-month-tv-to-network/#commentsFiled under: Rumors, Video, Apple

Apple is already the huge name in the music business with the iTunes Store, and they've made continual inroads into the application, video, and movie markets as well. But what if Apple also became the content provider of choice for TV?

That idea isn't that far-fetched, according to a blog post by Peter Kafka at the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital. Kafka reports that Apple has been pitching the concept of $30 monthly TV subscriptions through iTunes to TV networks.

You'll note that I said iTunes. That's the interesting point here -- Apple isn't pushing sending content to a particular device, like the Apple TV that Kafka refers to as "underwhelming" (sounds familiar, doesn't it?) or the fabled Apple tablet / slate / whatever. Instead, the service would be available immediately to the more 100 million iTunes account holders that Apple had as of a year ago. Have a Mac? You're a potential customer. Have a PC? Ditto.

There's only one fly in the ointment -- will broadcast and cable programmers buy into this? Kafka thinks the first content provider to jump would be Disney, which of course counts Steve Jobs as its largest shareholder. Cable companies might not like the loss of their usually overpriced monthly packages to an upstart, or having their bandwidth chewed up by hordes of people streaming HD video. And there's always the question of whether current cable TV subscribers would make the jump to streaming content.

Kafka ends his post with a quote from an unnamed TV executive, who says of Apple's subscription plan "I think they might get it right this time." What's your take, TUAW readers? Do you think the world is ready to purchase all of its video content from Apple? Leave your comments below.

Apple pitching "all you can watch for $30 a month" TV to networks originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple pitching "all you can watch for $30 a month" TV to networks originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>all things digitalAllThingsDigitalappleitunespeter kafkaPeterKafkatvSteven SandeMon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 ESTMac OS X 10.6.2 rumored to block Atom support, foil netbook OS X bootinghttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/02/mac-os-x-10-6-2-rumored-to-block-atom-support-foil-netbook-os-x/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/02/mac-os-x-10-6-2-rumored-to-block-atom-support-foil-netbook-os-x/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/02/mac-os-x-10-6-2-rumored-to-block-atom-support-foil-netbook-os-x/#commentsFiled under: Hacks, Apple, Beta Beat, Snow Leopard

In a move sure to rile up the crowds of people (including our very own Erica Sadun) who have converted cheap Intel Atom-powered netbooks into tiny MacBook-like hackintoshes, several sites are reporting that Apple will kill support for the battery-sipping CPU in the next release of Snow Leopard.

For most netbook manufacturers like MSI, Dell, and ASUS, the Intel Atom line of energy-efficient microprocessors has been the perfect CPU due to its low cost. Cheap prices on these netbooks, often below US$300, have made them the choice of many Mac users who want a very portable and affordable laptop solution that they're not currently getting from Apple.

The word from many developers who are testing the most recent build of Mac OS X 10.6.2 Snow Leopard is that support for the Atom CPU is gone. Either the hackintosh owners will have to run Mac OS X 10.6.1 for the foreseeable future, or some enterprising hacker will build a patch to add Atom support back to the upcoming OS release.

Like the current syncing struggle between iTunes 9 and the Palm Pre, this may turn into a tit-for-tat battle between Apple and the hackintosh community -- or it might be the end of the road for Mac OS X on the featherlight PCs.

[via Engadget, OS X Daily]

Mac OS X 10.6.2 rumored to block Atom support, foil netbook OS X booting originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mac OS X 10.6.2 rumored to block Atom support, foil netbook OS X booting originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>hackintoshintel atomIntelAtommac os x 10.6.2MacOsX10.6.2netbookSteven SandeMon, 02 Nov 2009 11:15:00 ESTI went to an Apple Store on Halloween and they gave me... a bookmarkhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/01/i-went-to-an-apple-store-on-halloween-and-they-gave-me-a-bookm/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/01/i-went-to-an-apple-store-on-halloween-and-they-gave-me-a-bookm/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/01/i-went-to-an-apple-store-on-halloween-and-they-gave-me-a-bookm/#commentsFiled under: Retail, Apple

Several TUAW readers have tipped us to the fact that many Apple Stores were in the Halloween spirit last night, handing out treats for ghouls, goblins, and Mac nerds who wandered by.

However, it sounds like Apple was playing the anonymous homeowner to Charlie Brown, who always got a rock instead of candy in his bag. The Apple Stores were not giving out sugary treats to the tots with their parents in tow, but they did get bookmarks. Yay.

The bookmarks are pretty cool, though. Printed in a beautiful turquoise color, the iPod nano-sized bookmarks have magnets on the inside tips so you can fold them around a page and they'll stick. Apple design savvy strikes again!

Apple fans apparently "ate up" the bookmarks; the post on iPhone Savior mentioned that one store was out of them by 7:30 PM. I'm thinking that we should use Apple's use of a bookmark as a giveaway as a hint about the legendary iTablet / ebook reader...

What do you think Apple should have given out to the costumed crowds last night instead of bookmarks? Leave your comments below.

[via iPhone Savior]

I went to an Apple Store on Halloween and they gave me... a bookmark originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I went to an Apple Store on Halloween and they gave me... a bookmark originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>apple storeAppleStorebookmarkscandyhalloweenSteven SandeSun, 01 Nov 2009 15:30:00 ESTThink those warranty parts are new? Think againhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/01/think-those-warranty-parts-are-new-think-again/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/01/think-those-warranty-parts-are-new-think-again/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/01/think-those-warranty-parts-are-new-think-again/#commentsFiled under: Retail, Apple

We received a question from one of our readers earlier this week that made me cringe, cower in fear, and heavily debate posting the answer. He had just been to the Genius Bar and they had replaced his under-warranty iPhone for a hardware issue. He then asked us what the quality of said iPhone would be; is it new or refurbished, and will it be a problem in the future?

Having spent time working behind the Genius Bar, as a technician at an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and now as the owner of my own repair shop in Denver... I know the history of the replacement parts and where they come from. If you have been involved with Apple repairs, you will probably know what I'm reluctant to tell you. If you are merely a consumer, prepare to be disappointed.

The vast majority of parts that Apple ships to repair centers are what they consider "re-manufactured." As a Genius, I was coached to explain that process when we were asked where the parts came from. Customers would always respond with, "Wait, so you're giving me a refurbished iPhone?"

I was told to say no, and to follow it by saying, "re-manufactured parts or products are different than refurbished. Someone may have used your device before you if it's a refurbished product... but in the re-manufacturing process, Apple uses known-good parts and builds new units out of them." So, they added a fake, nonsensical name to pretend that their parts or products weren't refurbished.

What does this mean? The iPhone that you just received looks new on the outside because it has new glass, a new case, new battery... but the rest of the device is fair game for refurbished parts. The logic board, audio assembly, LCD, pretty much anything else on the inside that isn't visible from the exterior could be from another person's iPhone. I'm not saying that every part is used, every time... they'll use new parts if that's what they have in stock. But if they have working used parts, they won't hesitate to put them in your replacement iPhone. There is usually one scenario that will allot for a new replacement: if you purchased your device less than 14 days ago. In that case, they have the ability to do a POS (Point of Sale) swap instead of a repair. Any swap outside of 14 days needs a very good explanation and a manager's approval.

This doesn't just apply to iPhones and iPods; it actually applies to any part they put into your Apple product. The logic board they put into your MacBook Pro: refurbished. The optical drive they put into your iMac: refurbished. The DC-In Board they put into your PowerBook G4: refurbished. There are many, many parts out there that Apple will happily replace for you, but beware -- it's probably not new. Re-manufactured is no different than refurbished.

If you look at it from the environmental aspect, I have to give Apple some respect for repairing broken parts instead of just tossing them in the dump. Still, that doesn't mean that I -- as a consumer -- want someone's "fixed" two-year-old logic board going into my computer. At this point, though, I don't have much of a choice.

Think those warranty parts are new? Think again originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Think those warranty parts are new? Think again originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>applecaregenius barGeniusBarrefurbishedrepairreplacementwarrantyJosh CarrSun, 01 Nov 2009 14:00:00 ESTApple's ad man changes roles, but another Apple fan will take his placehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/31/apples-ad-man-steps-down-but-another-apple-fan-will-take-his-p/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/31/apples-ad-man-steps-down-but-another-apple-fan-will-take-his-p/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/31/apples-ad-man-steps-down-but-another-apple-fan-will-take-his-p/#commentsFiled under: Odds and ends, Steve Jobs, Apple

Update: As our loyal commenters have pointed out, Gizmodo (which was among the first sites to report that Clow was changing roles, echoing a piece in the industry journal Advertising Age) has followed up with an internal email from Clow where he says Miller's promotion does not imply that Clow is stepping away from his own leadership role with the company, including "keeping an eye on Apple."

---

When many people think of Apple, they think of the ad campaigns that the company has used over the years:

The original "1984" Super Bowl ad that introduced the Mac to the world
The "Think Different" campaign that coincided with the return of Steve Jobs to the company
The iPod dancing silhouettes
"There's an app for that" -- the iPhone ads
"Hello, I'm a Mac. And I'm a PC." -- the Get A Mac ads

Apple's advertising agency is TBWA / Media Arts Lab, and the person who has been the creative force behind all of these ads is a man by the name of Lee Clow. The 66 year-old Clow has decided to step down as chief creative officer at the agency, although he'll remain chairman and global director of Media Arts Lab and fulfill other roles within TBWA.

Clow's replacement is no stranger to Apple. Duncan Milner is currently the executive creative director on the Apple account and is considered by many in the advertising industry to be the perfect replacement for Clow, a close friend of Steve Jobs.

Apple's ad man changes roles, but another Apple fan will take his place originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's ad man changes roles, but another Apple fan will take his place originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advertisingapplelee clowLeeClowtbwaSteven SandeSat, 31 Oct 2009 12:00:00 ESTMen in kilts: video from the Aberdeen, Scotland Apple Store openinghttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/29/men-in-kilts-video-from-the-aberdeen-scotland-apple-store-open/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/29/men-in-kilts-video-from-the-aberdeen-scotland-apple-store-open/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/29/men-in-kilts-video-from-the-aberdeen-scotland-apple-store-open/#commentsFiled under: Retail, Apple, Found Footage

TUAW fan George sent us a link to some video he shot earlier today at the grand opening of the Apple Store Union Square in Aberdeen, Scotland.

The video is fun; not only is there the usual high-fiving and applause as customers enter the new store, but one of the Apple employees is wearing a kilt and there was a kilted piper entertaining the folks in line.

In other Apple Store news, reader Christophe pointed us to exclusive photos on Macgeneration of the interior of the new Louvre store in Paris, France, which is scheduled to open on November 7th, 2009. That store will be the first Apple Store in France.

Apple's plans to dominate the European computer and consumer electronics market continue to bear watching, as these new Apple Stores are bound to increase international sales to impressive new levels.

Men in kilts: video from the Aberdeen, Scotland Apple Store opening originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Men in kilts: video from the Aberdeen, Scotland Apple Store opening originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>aberdeenapple storeAppleStorelouvreopeningscotlandSteven SandeThu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 ESTPictures from the Beijing iPhone launchhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/29/pictures-from-the-beijing-iphone-launch/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/29/pictures-from-the-beijing-iphone-launch/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/29/pictures-from-the-beijing-iphone-launch/#commentsFiled under: Apple, iPhone

beijing iphone china

Reader Maik Lutze sent us some pictures from in front of "THE PLACE" shopping center in the CBD area of Beijing. As you can see, Apple is planning for a rather large event tomorrow! He notes the activation stations, with copiers for IDs and, sadly, Windows machines for activation. There's also a stage, presumably for live acts, and some very nice seats. If you're there tomorrow, tag photos on Flickr as "tuaw" (no quotes) or submit them to our Tumblr page.

Thanks for sending these in, Maik! His blog, in German, can be found here.

Gallery: Beijing iPhone launch

Pictures from the Beijing iPhone launch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pictures from the Beijing iPhone launch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>chinaiphonepicturesVictor Agreda, Jr.Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:00:00 ESTApple iPhone closing in on BlackBerry market sharehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/apple-iphone-closing-in-on-blackberry-market-share/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/apple-iphone-closing-in-on-blackberry-market-share/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/apple-iphone-closing-in-on-blackberry-market-share/#commentsFiled under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple, iPhone

Paul Carton, Director of Research at ChangeWave Research, reported yesterday at investorplace.com that Apple iPhone is gaining steadily on BlackBerry's market share, a great feat considering BlackBerry's entrenched position in the business sector. iPhone market share is now a heady 30%, still behind BlackBerry's 40%, but RIM products are not gaining new users at nearly the same rate. As for Palm? Well, the Pre seems to have leveled out the free fall, but there's nothing terribly encouraging about the data. My guess is they are still pining for those halcyon days of 2006 when Palm was king.

The smartphone market itself is rising; according to Mr. Carton's research, a full 39% of consumers now own some kind of smartphone. Compare that with last summer, when the smartphone market was just cracking 25%.

The good news for Apple is that RIM's stranglehold on the smartphone market appears to be loosening, and with so many consumers still to reach, Apple has the momentum. CNNMoney.com characterized Apple's market gains as putting Apple within "striking distance" of BlackBerry. What's driving the momentum? Customer satisfaction. Among those who plan to buy a smartphone within the next 90 days, 36% plan to buy an iPhone. And among current users, fully 73% of them are satisfied with the device, compared with only 43% of BlackBerry users.

Mr. Carton notes that BlackBerry is planning product launches this year, and Apple has already released the 3GS. If Apple holds true to its history, we won't see a significant upgrade to the phone until next June. Either way, Apple has carved itself out quite a niche and the iPhone can no longer be dismissed as a toy to BlackBerry's business device.

Apple iPhone closing in on BlackBerry market share originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple iPhone closing in on BlackBerry market share originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blackberryiphonemarket shareMarketSharepalmpresmartphoneLauren HirschWed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 ESTiPhone app claims 95% piracy ratehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/iphone-app-claims-95-piracy-rate/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/iphone-app-claims-95-piracy-rate/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/iphone-app-claims-95-piracy-rate/#commentsFiled under: Gaming, Software, Hacks, Apple, Developer, iPhone, App Store

With all of the success stories coming out of the App Store, it's been pretty easy to forget the problem of piracy for most developers. Not so for Fishlabs, who've posted over on the Touch Arcade forums that their latest game, Rally Master Pro 3D, is experiencing a 95% piracy rate. You read that right: supposedly 95% of the people playing the game on the iPhone haven't paid for it.

There's probably a multitude of reasons why that is -- the app is $7 with no trial version, it's not a super-popular app quite yet (so one pirated copy on a popular message board is probably traveling farther than the copies coming off of the official App Store), and there are probably at least a few other factors in the mix that we don't know yet. Still, 95% is obviously pretty darn high for a platform that's supposed to only deliver software through Apple's official store.

Now, fortunately Fishlabs doesn't sound litigious -- they're not pulling the old "piracy = lost sales" fallacy that many companies in this situation would do. They are lowering the price on the app -- they expected it to be worth more, but apparently their consumer base seems to disagree. They tell Mobile Entertainment that they'd entertain the idea of providing content only through Apple's in-app purchasing service (presumably, that would prevent piracy by locking down the extra content), but they also say that's a gamble they've tried and missed on other platforms before.

Of course, it'll take more than one post on one message board to make hay out of the problem of app piracy -- it definitely happens, but on the other hand, there certainly are apps selling well, and there are also apps not selling well that don't have this level of piracy going on. Apple already has lots of authentication and validation processes in place, but if app piracy is this big a problem for everyone, they may need to look at more.

iPhone app claims 95% piracy rate originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone app claims 95% piracy rate originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app-storeapp-store-piracyforumsiphonelost-salesmobile-entertainmentpiracyrally-master-pro-3dtouch-arcadeMike SchrammWed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 ESTApp Store Stories: One man's app. Three corporations. Lyrics 2 against the world.http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/the-big-story-one-guy-one-app-three-corporations/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/the-big-story-one-guy-one-app-three-corporations/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/the-big-story-one-guy-one-app-three-corporations/#commentsFiled under: Features, Apple, App Store, App Review

When Joris Kluivers (@kluivers on Twitter) set out to write his Lyrics app for iPhone, he never intended to personally take on Apple, Sony, and Gracenote. Kluivers, a student at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, was just trying to get his foot in the App Store door, not go toe-to-toe with three media behemoths. The story of how he ended up navigating through the corporate bulwarks to eventually successfully publish his latest release, Lyrics 2 (iTunes Link), with the blessings of all three companies, no less, makes quite the App Store saga.

The initial version of Lyrics was simple. Kluivers collaborated with Moop.me, a programming cooperative, to build his application. Published this past May, Lyrics was the first application on the App Store to allow users to find and display song lyrics. Several other similar applications followed in the weeks after.

Kluivers built the application around the LyricsWiki database. Featuring over 700,000 songs, the wiki provided easy access to a much-desired resource. It was exactly that access to a vast library of songs that caused the first of Kluiver's corporate challenges. Apple insisted on censoring his lyrics.

Read on to learn more about what happened...

Continue reading App Store Stories: One man's app. Three corporations. Lyrics 2 against the world.

App Store Stories: One man's app. Three corporations. Lyrics 2 against the world. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

App Store Stories: One man's app. Three corporations. Lyrics 2 against the world. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>GracenotelyricsLyrics 2Lyrics2LyricsWikiSONYErica SadunWed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 ESTZFS project for Mac OS X discontinuedhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/23/zfs-project-for-mac-os-x-discontinued/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/23/zfs-project-for-mac-os-x-discontinued/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/23/zfs-project-for-mac-os-x-discontinued/#commentsFiled under: OS, Open Source, Apple

Is it a forgotten project? A fit of open-source pique? Or is it just that everyone got really busy on other stuff? Looks like Apple has just shut down the ZFS project for Mac OS X. The site for the project on Mac OS Forge reads:

ZFS Project Shutdown
2009-10-23

The ZFS project has been discontinued. The mailing list and repository will also be removed shortly.

It's hinted that this was caused by legal issues surrounding the merger of Sun Microsystems and Oracle, which caused Apple to back away from the next-generation file system technology. After many rumors, including ZFS support that was going to be added in Snow Leopard Server, but that ended up being removed in the final version, it now seems like the saga of ZFS on Mac OS X is ending with a whimper.

[via Daring Fireball]

ZFS project for Mac OS X discontinued originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ZFS project for Mac OS X discontinued originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>file systemFileSystemSun MicrosystemsSunMicrosystemsZFSJoachim BeanFri, 23 Oct 2009 17:15:00 ESTThree new "Get a Mac" ads premiere, aimed at Win 7http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/three-new-get-a-mac-ads-premiere-aimed-at-win-7/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/three-new-get-a-mac-ads-premiere-aimed-at-win-7/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/three-new-get-a-mac-ads-premiere-aimed-at-win-7/#commentsFiled under: Switchers, Video, Apple

Domestic TV watchers who tuned into the NBC Thursday comedy lineup or the Yankees-Angels playoff game on Fox were treated to three new Get a Mac ads in heavy rotation tonight, all focused on the launch of the latest Windows version. You can watch all three ads (Broken Promises, Teeter Tottering & PC News) over on Apple's site.

While these ads are pretty funny (Broken Promises, in particular, features some excellent work by the wardrobe department), it's not clear if the message of upgrade challenges from XP to Win7 is going to resonate. Apple's marketing team may describe Windows 7 as 'antiquated tech,' but the big M clearly is expecting plenty of PC users to buy brand new machines to run Win7 rather than upgrading their old gear. Will they consider a Mac as part of the mix? We can certainly hope so -- but by all indications, Windows 7 is no Vista, and it's quite a bit harder to sell against an operating system that doesn't actively shoot itself in the foot. Heck, it's possible that there may even be a few Mac diehards in the opening day lines to buy Win7.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Three new "Get a Mac" ads premiere, aimed at Win 7 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Three new "Get a Mac" ads premiere, aimed at Win 7 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>get a macGetAMactv adsTvAdswindows 7Windows7Michael RoseThu, 22 Oct 2009 22:30:00 ESTMacminicolo writes up their state of the Mac minihttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/macminicolo-writes-up-their-state-of-the-mac-mini/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/macminicolo-writes-up-their-state-of-the-mac-mini/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/macminicolo-writes-up-their-state-of-the-mac-mini/#commentsFiled under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Switchers, Apple, Mac mini, Mac OS X Server

Steve Sande actually did a brilliant job of explaining just why the Mac mini is so awesome the other day (and we've certainly had our share of mini-love here on the site before), but this is worth a read as well if you're interested in Apple's littlest Mac. Macminicolo, the very company that Steve lauds in his piece for colocating mini servers for a while now, has posted a "state of the mini" piece, complete with unboxing of the new mini server, pictures of its guts and how they all work together. If you've ever wondered why the mini is such a marvel of desktop OS X-ness, check out their writeup (and drool at the beautiful setup above -- so many minis!).

There are a few good things to take away from the big release this week -- while Steve is exactly right that releasing a mini server means Apple is getting on the server bandwagon, it also means that Apple is officially on the mini bandwagon. When these machines were first released, they were marketed as a switchers' computer -- bring your own mouse and monitor, and we'll show you what being on a Mac is like at a fraction of the cost. Frankly, they never shined at that purpose, prompting many people to proclaim death sentences for the little machine that could. But by releasing a server, Apple's saying, "we get it." They get that the mini is much more of a workhorse than it appears (or was meant) to be. In my mind, that's a whole new lease on life -- the mini may have never made much of a splash as a switchers' computer, but it's got a long future as a tiny but powerful computer you can use for all sorts of things.

[via DF]

Macminicolo writes up their state of the Mac mini originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Macminicolo writes up their state of the Mac mini originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appleapple-hardwaredfhardwaremac-minimac-mini-servermacminicolomonitoros-serverstate-of-the-miniswitcherMike SchrammThu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST