Flapcraft Brings a Viking's Flying Dreams to Life

Flapcraft is a gorgeously drawn one-off game from the developers of Pixelmator. In it, users control a "Flapcrafter" -- a Viking who, in the absence of any wars to fight, tries to fly by standing on a log (and upgrading it with wings, rockets and other improbable things). 

The developers note that they aren't getting into the game business -- on the contrary, they made Flapcraft as a way of beta-testing the version 2.0 of Pixelmator, the image editing software. 

"Oh, and just to make things clear: We are not going into the game business anytime soon. If you try to get the business logic behind Flapcraft… don’t; there is none. Flapcraft was developed during beta testing of Pixelmator 2.0—well, of Pixelmator’s 2.0 painting engine, to be more precise. We found that testing Pixelmator 2.0 by creating game graphics was very effective. What’s more, we made ourselves comfortable with many of those great iOS technologies in the process. In fact, we handled everything ourselves in the building of Flapcraft—no third party was involved."

The game is a little short, but the artwork is phenomenal and the gameplay is quite challenging. 

Flapcraft is a universal app, for both iPhone and iPad, and is $1.99 on the App Store. [iTunes]

Source:Macrumors.com

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Adobe's PDF Creation Service Comes to iOS

Adobe is expanding its suite of iOS apps with CreatePDF, a universal app that takes files in a number of different formats and converts them to PDFs. This ensures that formatting and document layouts are preserved when passing them on to coworkers or clients. The app uses Adobe's online PDF creation service to do the heavy lifting. 

Some apps, including the iWork apps from Apple, already include PDF export functionality, but CreatePDF accepts a wide variety of formats including several Adobe products: 

- MS Word (docx, doc), Excel (xlsx, xls), PowerPoint (pptx, ppt) 
- Adobe Illustrator (ai), Photoshop (psd) and InDesign (indd) 
- Images – JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF 
- RTF, Text and WordPerfect 
- OpenOffice and StarOffice documents

Adobe CreatePDF is available as a universal app for iPhone and iPad for $9.99 on the App Store. [iTunes]

Source:Macrumors.com

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iTunes Match Beta Now Available for Developers

iTunes Match was released to developers today in an email from Apple: 

In the email, Apple notes that beta subscribers will receive an additional 3 months free with their $24.99 paid subscription to cover the beta plus the standard 12 months after launch. 

Apple also advises customers to maintain a local backup of their iTunes library and any music they add to iCloud. "Apple will periodically reset your iCloud library during the beta and it is critical that you backup your music regularly. Some features and optimizations of iTunes Match will not be available during the beta." 

iTunes Match will give users the same benefits for their downloaded and ripped music as those purchased from the iTunes Music Store, up to 25,000 songs, for $24.99/year.

Source:Macrumors.com

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Buying an iPad In a Parking Lot is a Bad Idea

Grand Prairie, Texas is experiencing an epidemic of fake Apple products -- but not the kind from a fake Apple Store. The details of this scam come from the Grand Prairie police department: 

"A car load of two or three males will pull up to someone at a convenience store or shopping center parking lot and it’s “Pssst, hey buddy. Want to buy an Apple iPad or MacBook?” They will tell the victim they are for sale for $300 each or both for $500. The Apple products are actually painted wood or loose leaf note books with the Apple logo on top and wrapped in bubble wrap. They are in a Fed Ex or Best Buy box and sealed up with tape. By the time the victim figures out the purchase wasn’t what they bargained for, the crooks are long gone. 

Grand Prairie has had over a dozen such crimes committed since January of this year. The suspects have been mostly black males. However one offense involved a black female as well. The vehicles used vary in most cases. There appears to be several groups of thieves and sometimes the suspects never even get out of the car. 

The public should be advised that it is unwise to purchase anything from the trunk of a car, no matter how good the deal seems."

The silver Chrysler 300 C in the above picture was allegedly used in one of the offenses. 

Anyone who has information about the suspects should call Grand Prairie Crime Stoppers at 972-988-8477 or the Grand Prairie “Tip Line” at 972-237-8877.

Source:Macrumors.com

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Prototype Next-Generation iPhone Front Panel Reveals Identical Design to iPhone 4

Last week, a prototype back panel for Apple's "N94" iPhone surfaced, revealing a nearly identical appearance to the iPhone 4. The part was an "Engineering Verification Test 2" component carrying a date of June 7th, 2011, but questions have continued about whether the device represents the upgraded iPhone 5 or an "iPhone 4S" designed to be a cheaper model based on the iPhone 4 design. 

MacPost has now obtained photos of a similar front panel part in black, carrying a similar "Engineering Verification Test 1" designation and dated March 3rd, 2011. The part consists of the entire front assembly for the N94 device, including the digitizer panel itself and the LCD. 

The design is entirely consistent with the iPhone 4, showing the same amount of bezel edge on the sides of the screen and a hole for the traditional iPhone home button.

"The panel part shows same bezel space on the sides of the display, as well as similar space between the screen and the home button and top ear piece, when compared with iPhone 4. If you compare the digitizer component, it is exactly the same as that of iPhone 4 model. The home button might not be going anywhere and the cut-out area for Home Button is still circular which debunks earlier claim that iPhone 5 will get an elongated Home Button (rather capacitive)."

With continued reports of a redesign for the iPhone 5, perhaps with a metallic back, the interpretation of these parts points toward them being from the "iPhone 4S". We have yet to see, however, any leaked parts from the rumored form factor redesign of the iPhone 5.

Source:Macrumors.com

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Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.9 to Bring iCloud Support?

Apple appears to be preparing a 10.6.9 update to Mac OS X Snow Leopard in order to provide compatibility with the company's upcoming iCloud service. The following notice appeared in one developer's .Mac preference pane in Tiger after he had upgraded his MobileMe account to iCloud. 

According to the notice, users will have to upgrade to a minimum of an as-yet unreleased Mac OS X 10.6.9 in order to sync select content via iCloud.

"You will no longer be able to sync with this machine because you've upgraded to iCloud. 

iCloud requires a computer running Mac OS X Snow Leopard v10.6.9 or later for Contacts, Calendars, and Bookmarks."

Apple so far has only been testing iCloud for OS X Lion with developers, regularly pushing out new builds of OS X 10.7.2, iCloud software and Photo Stream-enabled iPhoto 9.2 as it moves toward a public launch of iCloud. 

Apple has been quiet about absolute minimum system requirements for iCloud, although it notes on its promotional pages that some features will require OS X Lion.

"Some features of iCloud require iOS 5 on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation), iPad, or iPad 2, or a Mac computer with OS X Lion or a PC with Windows Vista or Windows 7 (Outlook 2007 or 2010 recommended)."

Apple has already confirmed that syncing of Mac Dashboard widgets, keychains, Dock items, and System Preferences are not making the transition from MobileMe to iCloud for any users, but if the alert notice being delivered to iCloud users on Mac OS X Tiger is correct, it seems that at least minimal iCloud functionality may be coming to Mac OS X Snow Leopard in the form of a full maintenance release.

Source:Macrumors.com

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Galaxy Tab 10.1 Launch in Australia Delayed Again as Apple Objects to Design

Nearly a month ago, Australia became the first market to see Apple win a tangible victory over Samsung in the patent dispute between the two companies, with Samsung agreeing to delay the launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in that country and to provide Apple with samples of a version of the device specific for that country at least one week ahead of the launch. 

The Sydney Morning Herald now reports that Samsung has again agreed to delay the launch of the device in Australia, pushing the debut out to at least September 30th. The agreement came after Samsung provided Apple with samples of the Australian version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 late last week in anticipation of launching the device at the end of this week. Apple unsurprisingly considered the Australian Galaxy Tab 10.1 to still infringe upon its intellectual property rights and requested new and extended injunctions to prevent Samsung from selling the device until the dispute can be resolved.

"Apple's counsel said that while the modified version had "some reduced functionality" it "will still infringe". They sought orders from the court re-affirming the previous block on sales of the US model and asked for a new order to prevent the sale of the Australian version at least until a hearing can take place at the end of September."

For its part, Samsung has indicated that it is looking to invalidate Apple's iPad design patents and will also be filing claims against Apple for infringement by the iPad. 

A new formal hearing in Apple's case against Samsung has been scheduled for September 26th and 29th, with "top executives" and others involved in the design process for the iPad and Galaxy Tab potentially appearing either in person or via video link to testify.

Source:Macrumors.com

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Apple CEO Tim Cook as Steve Jobs' Replacement

PCMag asks the question "How Will Tim Cook Lead Apple?" after the surprise resignation of Steve Jobs last week. They offer some quotes from an ex-Apple employee and a look back at a detailed Fortune profile of Cook from back in 2008. 

Fortune's Tim Cook profile came at a time when there were some ongoing health concerns about Steve Jobs which raised the question of who would take over upon Jobs' departure. The Forbes profile describes Cook as "demanding and even-keeled" and credits Cook for keeping Apple running like a finely tuned machine, keeping tabs on supplies, production and product forecasting.

"Think of Cook's contribution like this. There are two basic ways to get great profit margins: Charge high prices or reduce costs. Apple does both. The marketing and design drive consumers wild with desire and make them willing to pay a premium; Cook's operational savvy keeps costs under control. Thus Apple is a cash-generating machine. Cook has called the company a place that is "entrepreneurial in its nature but with the mother of all balance sheets."

One ex-Apple employee speaking to PCMag simply states that "Tim Cook is the person who really runs Apple", but that they don't see him as "that visionary guy" to replace one of Steve Jobs' major roles at the company. 

It's that role of visionary that many feel will be hard, if not impossible to replace. Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff aptly described Jobs ability to show him the future:

“[Steve Jobs] has probably given me more help and more advice than just about anybody," Benioff said of Jobs. "And when I get in trouble and I kinda get lost in my own vision, I’ve been fortunate to be able to go and see him and he’s been willing to show me the future a couple times.”

The general consensus, of course, is that it's simply not realistic to expect any one person to replace Steve Jobs. From the same 2008 Fortune article, they point out that Cook will simply need people around him to make up for any weaknesses, just as Jobs had Cook around to make up for his.

Source:Macrumors.com

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iPhone 5 with Metal Chassis and Less Than 4" Screen?

iPhone 5 artist rendition with 3.7" screen and circular home button

Digitimes offers a bit of a strange report this morning that just seems to reinforce some details that have been previously reported about the iPhone 5. 

The strangest bit, however, is that their report attempts to refute a fake "leak" video that circulated on YouTube earlier this month.

"Despite rumors about iPhone 5 featuring a 4.2-inch panel circulating within the IT market for a while, following a leak from Apple's website in Switzerland in early August."

The referenced "leak" video was a clear fake. They seem to have taken the video seriously, but at the least they refute the details of the leak citing "upstream panel suppliers." 

Instead, their sources indicate the iPhone 5 will include a 3.5 to 3.7-inch panel "with a design to allow the bezel of the panel to become thinner and make the screen look larger." They also report that the glass back of the current iPhone 4 will be changed to a "metal chassis". 

Despite the confused nature of the report, these details come at an interesting time, as the vision of the iPhone 5 has become increasing confused. 

Last week, we saw a number of part leaks for a device that looks just like the iPhone 4, but carrying an upgraded A5 processor. That device carried an internal name of 'N94' which was previously believed to be the iPhone 5. Over the last few months, multiple conflicting sources have described the iPhone 5 as both thinner and lighter as well as largely identical to the iPhone 4. The "largely identical" report came from Reuters who did say that the new device would have a "bigger touch screen". 

The only concrete design that we've seen is one of a leaked design spec but we've not yet seen any related parts leak out into the supply system.

Source:Macrumors.com

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Multiple Sources Suggest Apple Working on Television for as Early as 2012

Rumors of an Apple-branded television set were revived earlier this year by a former Apple executive, and we've long seen similar claims in the past. The frequency of these rumors, however, seems to be increasing, now with Venturebeat pointing to multiple sources suggesting the same. 

Venture capitalist Stewart Alsop who sits on the board of Sonos and was an early investor in TiVo told the site that "he has heard multiple sources throughout Silicon Valley that the Apple television project is underway." 

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster also cites component suppliers as well as an internal Apple source to suggest the same -- that Apple is planning on launching a television in the 2012/2013 timeframe. Munster isn't the only analyst who has predicted an Apple television, and we've heard whispers from others. 

It seems that momentum is picking up for rumors that Apple is heading into the television marketplace. Yet as recently as 2010, now Apple CEO Tim Cook had said that Apple had no interest in the TV market, but did feel there is "something there" to the Apple TV, Apple's $99 set-top-box. Later that year, Steve Jobs had also outlined the challenges of infiltrating the television industry. 

Jobs, of course, had also denied that Apple had any interest in producing an Apple cell phone back in 2003, four years prior to the launch of the original iPhone.

Source:Macrumors.com

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Doubts Cast on Revived Rumors of Subscription TV Packages from Apple

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journalbriefly reported that Apple is working on "new technology" for pushing video content to televisions, apparently linking that work with revived rumors of a subscription TV service. Rumors of such of a service first surfaced in late 2009, but by the iPad launch in March 2010, Apple had been said to have put the plans on hold in the face of opposition from media companies. 

But despite The Wall Street Journal's revival of the rumors yesterday, CNET insists that such an offering will not be coming in the near future, if ever, pointing back to a report earlier this month shooting down rumors of an imminent "iTunes Replay" streaming service for movies. The report also cites today's removal of TV show rentals from iTunes as evidence that Apple is moving backwards on the streaming TV front rather than making progress on any subscription deals.

"Now does this sound like the studios are willing to back a new subscription service from Apple or for anyone else for that matter? No. Don't put any stock in the rumors that began circulating today. My sources at the studios said three weeks ago that an Apple subscription service is not coming anytime soon, if ever."

The report goes on to note that while Apple has over the course of negotiations with media companies suggested a number of potential business models, the company has yet to seriously push forward on any subscription TV proposals. The company instead seems to be focused more on basic cloud services that would allow users to download or stream purchased content from Apple's servers as needed.

Source:Macrumors.com

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