Popular online game Block Drop is now available
for the iPhone

post from prMac on 30 September 2009 11:00:00 AM. © prMac

Independent developer Dan Russell-Pinson today announced Block Drop 1.1 a popular Flash game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Block Drop is an addicting strategy/puzzle game featuring 3D graphics and dynamically generated music. Each of the 999 levels are randomly generated, so no two games will ever be the same. The iPhone port has meticulously preserved every aspect of the original game including the graphics and music.

Read The Full Article:
http://prmac.com/release-id-7771.htm

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Dropbox: Now Native on Your iPhone

post from TheAppleBlog on 30 September 2009 10:37:00 AM. © TheAppleBlog

Dropbox Icon

Of all the file syncing solutions available, one of the most popular is Dropbox. As one of the solutions that is also cross-platform compatible, many Mac users have embraced Dropbox as a more reliable and robust solution than other alternatives, like MobileMe?s iDisk. Diehard Dropbox users can now rejoice as the Dropbox team is at it once again with the release of a native iPhone app, allowing users to access their dropbox on the go.

For a while, Dropbox has provided users with an iPhone-optimized web site for accessing their contents on the go, but that left many users desiring more. Even with 3G speeds, web browsing through Mobile Safari is not as fast as an application that can read/write to its own resources and sync with a server.

Native App, Native Features

With a native application, the Dropbox team has managed to provide full access to your dropbox contents as well as several interesting iPhone-specific features.

One of these is the ability to take photos or video directly within the application (or use existing content on your device) and have those photos synced to your dropbox automatically. Dropbox then gives users quick access to generate an email with an appropriate link to view the content and share it with others.

The application itself is very usable and functions like most other native apps. As expected, you can delete items from your dropbox just as you would an email (swipe to delete). To prevent users from experiencing lag (as would have happened with a web app), the application caches a copy of the directory structure once you?ve viewed it at least once. (This later is re-synced if changes occur elsewhere.)

Typical application file types that are supported on the iPhone (images, PDFs, Keynotes, Pages documents, Word documents, etc.) are all supported within the application. Word documents even support copy and paste! If you have video files that are of a supported type (QuickTime and the like), they will also stream from your Dropbox. For those who love sharing content, just like the aforementioned photos, a mail icon in the lower left corner allows users to generate emails for any content stored on their dropbox.

Dropbox also supports a “Favorites” feature which allows you to sync your favorite files directly to your iPhone, even further speeding up response time. To favorite a file, simply tap the star icon at the bottom of the screen when viewing the file.

A Few Shortcomings

One little complaint that I have is that Dropbox uses its own picture browser. As such, when I load an image, I’m unable to pinch to zoom like what happens when browsing photos elsewhere on my phone. Support for the accelerometer is present, though, as rotating my phone allows the photo to reorient itself. I’m assuming this is just a bug and something the Dropbox team will work out in a future update.

Another interesting piece that is missing is the fact that Dropbox supports Growl on its desktop version. Though it may be annoying, some users may be wishing for push notifications for any updates to their dropbox. Again, as this is an initial release, this is something that could come in a later update.

Dropbox is a free download from the App Store but does require a valid Dropbox account. Users can sign up for a free Dropbox account (limited to 2GB), and there are paid options for greater storage (50GB or 100GB). As someone who has used Dropbox for over a year now, it’s a very robust solution for file syncing and in my tests, a lot more stable than MobileMe’s iDisk. If you?ve used Dropbox or the new Dropbox app and have thoughts on the matter, tell us your experience!

Read The Full Article:
http://theappleblog.com/2009/09/30/dropbox-now-native-on-your-iphone/

Digg this

Dropbox: Now Native On Your iPhone

post from TheAppleBlog on 30 September 2009 10:37:00 AM. © TheAppleBlog

Dropbox Icon

Of all the file syncing solutions available, one of the most popular is Dropbox. As one of the solutions that is also cross platform compatible, many Mac users have embraced Dropbox as a more reliable and robust solution than other alternatives, like MobileMe?s iDisk. Diehard Dropbox users can now rejoice as the Dropbox team is at it once again with the release of a native iPhone app, allowing users to access their dropbox on the go.

For a while, Dropbox has provided users with an iPhone-optimized website for accessing their contents on the go, but that left many users desiring more. Even with 3G speeds, web browsing through Mobile Safari is not as fast as an application that can read/write to its own resources and sync with a server.

Native App, Native Features

With a native application, the Dropbox team has managed to provide full access to your dropbox contents as well as several interesting iPhone specific features.

One of these is the ability to take photos or video directly within the application (or use existing content on your device) and have those photos synced to your dropbox automatically. Dropbox then gives users quick access to generate an email with an appropriate link to view the content and share it with others.

The application itself is very useable and functions like most other native apps. As expected, you can delete items from your dropbox just as you would an email (swipe to delete). To prevent users from experiencing lag (as would have happened with a web app), the application caches a copy of the directory structure once you?ve viewed it at least once. (This later is re-synced if changes occur elsewhere.)

Typical application file types that are supported on the iPhone (images, PDFs, Keynotes, Pages documents, Word documents, etc.) are all supported within the application. Word documents even support copy and paste! If you have video files that are of a supported type (QuickTime and the like), they will also stream from your Dropbox. For those who love sharing content, just like the aforementioned photos, a mail icon in the lower left corner allows users to generate emails for any content stored on their dropbox.

Dropbox also supports a “Favorites” feature which allows you to sync your favorite files directly to your iPhone, even further speeding up response time. To favorite a file, simply tap the star icon at the bottom of the screen when viewing the file.

A Few Shortcomings

One little complaint that I have is that Dropbox uses its own picture browser. As such, when I load an image, I’m unable to pinch to zoom like what happens when browsing photos elsewhere on my phone. Support for the accelerometer is present though, as rotating my phone allows the photo to re-orient itself. I’m assuming this is just a bug and something the Dropbox team will work out in a future update.

Another interesting piece that is missing is the fact that Dropbox supports Growl on its desktop version. Though it may be annoying, some users may be wishing for push notifications for any updates to their dropbox. Again, as this is an initial release, this is something that could come in a later update.

Dropbox is a free download from the App Store but does require a valid Dropbox account. Users can sign up for a free Dropbox account (limited to 2GB) and there are paid options for greater storage (50GB or 100GB). As someone who has used Dropbox for over a year now, its a very robust solution for file syncing and in my tests, a lot more stable than MobileMe’s iDisk. If you?ve used Dropbox or the new Dropbox app and have thoughts on the matter, tell us your experience!

Read The Full Article:
http://theappleblog.com/2009/09/30/dropbox-now-native-on-your-iphone/

Digg this

iPhone usurps Symbian as most popular phone
online

post from Macnn | The Macintosh News Network on 30 September 2009 10:35:00 AM. © Macnn | The Macintosh News Network

Apple's iPhone OS has successfully overtaken Symbian for the lead in all mobile web traffic, acc...

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=42b24182869f8d24aedc249ba3092823

Digg this

iPhone usurps Symbian as most popular phone OS
online

post from Macnn | The Macintosh News Network on 30 September 2009 10:35:00 AM. © Macnn | The Macintosh News Network

Apple's iPhone OS has successfully overtaken Symbian for the lead in all mobile web traffic, acc...

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=42b24182869f8d24aedc249ba3092823

Digg this

PowerbookMedic launches new DualDrives for
MacBooks

post from Macnn | The Macintosh News Network on 30 September 2009 10:20:00 AM. © Macnn | The Macintosh News Network

PowerbookMedic has launched a new line of DualDrive options, said to double the internal storage cap...

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=ce0e727d0dcdb9b4f40497e14eb82117

Digg this

BlackBerry Desktop Manager Hitting the Mac Oct. 2

post from TheAppleBlog on 30 September 2009 10:11:00 AM. © TheAppleBlog

MacDesktopSummary We reported earlier that BlackBerry would be delivering its Desktop Manager software for Mac in September of this year. Keen readers will note that, in fact, that was not the case, since it is now the last possible day for that software to appear, and that software isn’t coming.

It is, however, going to arrive just a little outside of the originally announced release window. On Oct. 2, which is this Friday, BlackBerry customers who are also Mac users will finally be able to enjoy equal status with their PC counterparts. About time, RIM. Be honest, you were just holding a grudge about the iPhone’s success, weren’t you?

As of this Friday, you’ll be able to use BlackBerry’s own software to sync contacts, calendar items and appointments, notes and task from sources such as iCal, Address Book, and Entourage, among others. You can also add and remove software downloaded via BlackBerry’s App World using the Desktop Manager, which is good news for people who’ve been trying to manage their fledgling collections all via the device itself.

BlackBerry users will also be able to sync playlists from iTunes, so long as the format is compatible. Last time I checked (just last week), the Tour still didn’t play back .m4a files. It recognized them and was able to retrieve track information, but it wouldn’t actually play them.

People with RIM devices will also be able to schedule and encrypt backups for their phones, and install software updates from the desktop. BlackBerry Desktop Manager is designed to run on OS X 10.5.5 and above. BlackBerry devices used with Desktop Manager for Mac must be running OS 4.2 or higher. Set your alarm for 10 a.m. PDT on Friday, because that’s when the download goes live at the official BlackBerry site.

Read The Full Article:
http://theappleblog.com/2009/09/30/blackberry-desktop-manager-hitting-the-mac-oct
ober-2/

Digg this

Marware announces the Accent for iPhone 3G/3GS

Marware today is pleased to announce that the Accent carrying case for the iPhone 3G/3GS is now shipping. This slim, fashionable patent-leather flip-top case for iPhone 3G/3GS provides the perfect balance between protection, ease of use, and aesthetics. The Accent line is available in eight tasty colors: blueberry, bubble gum, cherry, chocolate, lemon ice, licorice, orange sorbet, and vanilla.

Read The Full Article:
http://prmac.com/release-id-7782.htm

Digg this

MacPractice upgrades, optimizes iPhone Interface
2.0

MacPractice has released an upgrade for its iPhone framework, iPhone Interface 2.0. The code allows ...

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=41655bf7e5fb845a4e14f06c71a213d8

Digg this

The 10 Million Mac Year

With the end of September comes the end of fiscal year 2009 for Apple. While the company won’t be releasing the numbers for another two weeks or so, consensus estimates from Wall Street for the fourth quarter will fill in the blanks, as Apple always beats estimates. For 2009, during what is arguably the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Apple will have its best year ever.

fy09_01_net_sales

For FY 2009, Apple can expect sales of approximately $36 billion, up from $32.5 billion last year. While the increase will only be half that from 2007 to 2008, that’s against severely curtailed consumer spending. Conventional wisdom suggests premium products like those from Apple would be hit hardest in such an environment, but Apple has been selling strong since 2005. However, looking at net income over the long term, the picture is a little different.

fy09_02_net_income

That bump during the late 90’s is largely due to the original iMac, introduced in May 1998. The iMac probably saved the company. It’s hard to imagine Apple losing money or barely profitable until 2004. That year the company earned net income of a quarter of a billion dollars. The next year it was more than $1.25 billion, beginning that nice linear trajectory to $5.5 billion for FY 2009, but enough about the money. For those who use the products, the real numbers are in the success of the platform, and the Mac is about to have its best year ever.

fy09_03_macs

Fiscal year or calendar year, it just doesn’t matter, either way 2009 will be the first year the company sells 10 million Macs. Sales estimates for the quarter ending September 30 are for 2.7 million Macs, putting Apple just over that magical base-10 for the fiscal year. That will top last year’s record of 9.7 million Macs, which was also a new record, but then every year since 2006 has been a new record. The question then becomes whether this year’s “slowing” sales are due to economic conditions, or a plateauing of the Mac like the iPod has seen.

fy09_04_ipods

The bad news is that the phenomenal growth the iPod enjoyed from 2004 through 2007 appears to be over. The good news is that’s still more than 50 million iPods per year. For FY 2009, projections are for just under 54 million iPods to be sold, which would be just under the record of 54 million sold last year. However, further solace can be had in the theory that iPod sales are being cannibalized by iPhone sales, and iPhone sales are looking a lot like iPod sales used to look.

fy09_05_iphones

Analysts are all over the place on iPhone sales for FY 2009, with somewhere in the range of six to seven million iPhones sold in the fourth fiscal quarter. Splitting the difference at 6.5 million means iPhone sales for the year will come in just under 20 million. That would nearly double last year’s total of 11.6 million. With the imminent introduction of the iPhone into China, it’s a safe bet that iPhone sales won’t be leveling off anytime soon. The iPhone is undeniably the biggest success in a record year, but what brought that success?

Two words, one name: Steve Jobs.

That’s the biggest earner for the year past, and every year going back to 1996. Although Jobs became “iCEO” in the summer of 1997, Apple acquired NeXT in late 1996 for what would become OS X, and got Jobs for free. It was the best deal the company has ever made. Just look at the numbers.