In the last column, we talked about how an iPhone makes for a perfectly capable and in some ways, even a superior camera for many people. So why would anyone even bother to buy a small pocket sized camera (cameras often referred to as Point and Shoots or P&S for short)? (more…)
Apple on Friday released an update to iPhoto, version 9.0.1. It’s available through the Software Update system preference and also from Apple’s Web site. (more…)
Microsoft introduced Silverlight in 2007 as its alternative to Adobe’s Flash technology – a framework that managed graphics, multimedia, animation and interactivity – but the company is now favoring HTML 5 to do most of that, according to comments made at this week’s Microsoft Professional Developer Conference (PDC). Bob Muglia, who’s in charge of Microsoft’s server and tools business, told ZDNet that Silverlight remains Microsoft’s development platform for Windows Phone, but Microsoft’s strategy has shifted to emphasize HTML 5. It’s a move Apple surely appreciates, as the company has positioned HTML 5 as the open standard alternative to Adobe Flash.
Silverlight will continue to be a cross-platform solution, working on a variety of operating system/browser platforms, going forward, he said. “But HTML is the only true cross platform solution for everything, including (Apple’s) iOS platform,” Muglia said.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has emphasized HTML 5 – earlier this year, the general manager of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team called the technology “the future of the Web.”
Microsoft: Our strategy with Silverlight has shifted [ZDNet]
Apple just recently updated its professional digital audio workstation software, Logic Pro, but on Friday the company released another update. (more…)
Sophiestication Software is making its tip calculation software for iPhone, Tipulator, free on Friday for anyone who wants to download it. (more…)
Okay, they aren’t really all that spooky and scary, but you just knew that on an occasion like Halloween I’d be able to say, “there’s an app for that.” (more…)
OWC has announced the expansion of their Data Doubler optical bay drive mounting kit. The kit now works in 2009-era Mac minis and 2009-2010 iMac models. It costs $79.99. (more…)
Fishlabs has announced the release of Galaxy on Fire 2, the sequel to their outer space shooter and trading simulation for the iPhone and iPod touch. The game is now available in the App Store and costs $6.99 as a promotion; an iPad version is expected to be released in a few weeks with higher-resolution graphics and special controls, and will be a free upgrade for iPhone version users. (more…)
MacPractice, the practice management and clinical software for the Mac, is now available with an iPad interface. (more…)
Virtual Programming – best known for its Mac games, most recently Supreme Commander 2 – has announced the acquisition of Australian developer Syncode, a publisher of utilities for Mac OS X and iOS. (more…)
IK Multimedia on Thursday released AmpliTube 2 for iPhone, the newest version of the companies amp and effects software for iPhone users. (more…)
Just in time for Halloween, Valve Software has released Left 4 Dead Game of the Year Edition for the Macintosh. The game is regularly priced at $19.99 but costs $9.99. It’s available through Valve’s Steam download service. (more…)
Keith McMillen Instruments on Wednesday released a new foot controller for musicians called SoftStep. The controller can be plugged into a Mac using USB or MIDI. (more…)
Macintosh security firm, SecureMac, on Wednesday discovered a new trojan affecting Mac OS X, including Snow Leopard. (more…)
Apple on Wednesday confirmed that the white iPhone has been delayed again. The most recent delay marks the third time the device’s release has been postponed. (more…)
Apple CEO Steve Jobs made, what some might consider, a risky decision by excluding Flash from the iPhone and iPad in favor of HTML5, but significant growth rates of the standard shows he was on the right track. (more…)
The holidays are almost here and Apple is getting into the spirit of giving. (more…)
Former Microsoft executive Ed Fries says that Steve Jobs was angry with Microsoft when it acquired Bungie Software, makers of Halo.
“He was mad at [Microsoft CEO Steve] Ballmer and phoned him up and was angry because we’d just bought the premier Mac game developer and made them an Xbox developer.”
Fries recounts that Jobs made a heated call to Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer following Microsoft’s acquisition of Bungie, then well-known as a Mac-friendly game company behind hits including the Marathon and Myth series, as well as Oni. Halo had then been in development for both Mac and Windows and had even been featured on the keynote stage of a Macworld Expo.
Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Bungie, Halo became a showcase title for the then-fledgling Xbox console. Destineer Studios would eventually publish Halo for the Mac – something that Fries takes partial credit for as well. Read on for details.
Steve Jobs ‘raged at Microsoft’ over game studio sale [Develop]
Apple CEO Steve Jobs made several comments in the past few months that have angered competitors, most notably Research in Motion. But should Jobs just take his victories in silence and not comment about his competition? (more…)
Casual game publisher Telltale Games has announced plans to release Back to the Future: The Game for Mac and PC in December. A version for the iPad and the PlayStation 3 is also planned. The Mac and PC versions are now available for pre-order for $24.95. (more…)
In the previous (and first) column in this series, I laid out who I was and what I thought this column would be about. In my mind, I had a plan for what I would write about, step by step, column by column. (more…)
Blizzard Entertainment is planning to release the newest expansion pack to its World of Warcraft game in December. The new Cataclysm expansion pack will further enhance the game with new character capabilities, places to explore and more. And unlike previous expansion packs, you won’t have to get a disc to install the expansion pack – instead, the kit will be available for online download. (more…)
MacUpdate Desktop, an application developed by the folks that run the MacUpdate website, has been updated adding new features and a number of improvements. (more…)
Apple CEO Steve Jobs and RIM executives have been in a war of words lately about which company is selling more smartphones, but a new report from Strategy Analytics may put an end to the battle. (more…)
SuperMegaUltraGroovy has some great news for musicians — the company’s Capo app is now available on the iPhone and iPod touch. (more…)
Apple on Wednesday released Aperture 3.1, an update to its pro-oriented photo editing and cataloging software. The update is available through the Software Update preference and through Apple’s Web site. (more…)
FaceTime, the video conferencing feature built into the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, has come to the Mac in the form of a newly available public beta version. (more…)
Apple gave its first look at Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion,” the next major iteration of its Mac operating system, at a special “Back to the Mac” event at its Cupertino, Calif. headquarters on Wednesday. The software is slated for general release in summer of 2011, according to CEO Steve Jobs. (more…)
Apple on Wednesday introduced an update to iLife, the suite of applications it includes for free on all Macs and also makes available separately for $49. It’s available beginning on Wednesday. (more…)
During Apple’s “Back to the Mac” announcement in Cupertino, Apple revealed some features of the next Mac OS X version – 10.7, code-named “Lion,” coming in summer 2011. One of the key features is a new Mac App Store, which Steve Jobs revealed will go online much sooner than that – within 90 days. (more…)