John Burke
New York - http://twitter.com/johnburke
John has been blogging about Apple news and rumors for the past five years. He is an avid Mac user and technology geek that maintains a number of blogs and websites. On the side, John dabbles in website development and design.
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, First Look, App Review
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Nov 19th, 2009
Novelty and social applications are a big hit on the
iPhone. A new one from the folks of
Taptivate is sure to be a big hit when it is released in the near future. Voices for iPhone is touted as an "audio recorder with a twist" and even a "social voicemail" utility.
With
Voices [
iTunes Link], you're given tools to manipulate your own voice in many fun and odd ways. Whether you'd like to transform into Darth Vader or a chipmunk, you're good to go with Voices. Sporting a unique and very pretty user interface, the application boasts a lot of cool extras sure to show you how hard the developers have worked on it.
The app has a home screen-like selection window where you can choose the way in which you want your voice manipulated. A stack of your recordings can also be accessed with just a tap.
After initially seeing this app when it was in early beta, it has come a long way since then. The app is being published by
Tap Tap Tap and is available for only 99 cents. Also, to celebrate the release,
MacHeist is offering a special "Tweetblast" deal, giving away a free copy of Voice Candy for Mac to people who help spread the word on Twitter.
Here's some shots of Voices in action:
Tags: app review, AppReview, false, iphone, Novelty, recording, social, Taptivate, voice, voice modulator, voicemail, VoiceModulator, Voices
Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, First Look, App Review
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Nov 16th, 2009
There's a lot of buzz about iPhone IM clients.Other applications have gotten a lot of coverage for allowing iPhones to chat from their AOL, Google, ICQ, Jabber or a host of other screen names.
WhatsApp [
iTunes Link] is different, calling itself an "iPhone-to-iPhone chat application" that provides direct messaging between iPhones. The application features push notifications and provides functionality similar to SMS.
So why bother trying it? The app makes it easy to chat with other iPhones with no need for screen names, logging in and out or the added cost of text messaging and cellular charges. It's a lot like an iPhone version of Blackberry's popular messaging service. You'll also quickly and easily be able to point out which of your contacts have WhatsApp installed. Even if you're offline, your messages will be saved until you're back online.
Other cool features include the ability to "Broadcast" or send a message to multiple users, emailing of your chat history and sound and visual badges to show your unread message count. Users can also see when their friends are typing as well as the last time they checked their messages.
WhatsApp is free "for a limited time" so head on over to the App Store and grab it.
Here's a few shots of the app in action:
Filed under: iTunes, Music
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009
In an attempt to increase movie sales, Apple is
pushing out more alternative content on the
iTunes Store. Today, they've spruced up their "Music Movies" library and added a landing page to promote upcoming releases. Music Movies are music-themed movies, concerts and documentaries that generally feature exclusive content and behind-the-scenes footage.
While the selection is currently limited, Apple does offer a few movies that are not available anywhere else, such as an exclusive Kings of Leon concert DVD among other selections such as U2's "Rattle and Hum" and "John Lennon Imagine". In addition to the added content, a prominent landing page has been created that is dedicated to this genre of film.
Apple also
plans to negotiate early access to music-themed movies and is trying to make the content available for download long before it is available in stores.
Filed under: Apple, iPhone, iPod touch
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Nov 3rd, 2009
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.
Filed under: Retail, iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Nov 2nd, 2009
The iPhone is slowly making it's way around the world. In Canada, there are now
four major carriers that support the device: Rogers, Fido, Telus and Bell. So how will Apple continue to stock and support the iPhone with that many carriers? That's where the story get's interesting.
According to
iPhoneInCanada.ca, to make stocking and inventory easier, the iPhones in Apple's Canadian retail stores will arrive completely unlocked without any SIM card. Once a carrier is chosen and a SIM card is placed in the device, it will then be locked to that carrier. So what happens if you put in a SIM card from a carrier other than the four in Canada? The simple answer: we have no idea!
While we're not entirely sure what this means, it does present some interesting ideas. The Canadian iPhones could only recognize the four possible carrier's SIM cards, but may also be entirely unlocked. It'll be interesting to see how people that want to use the iPhone on unsupported carriers will take this news.
Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, Macbook Pro
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Oct 26th, 2009
With all the news circulating around about updated Apple hardware, you might be asking yourself "What about the MacBook Pro?" Apple certaintly hasn't forgotten about its high-end notebook computer, and details are starting to slip out that the MacBook Pro might be receiving a speed boost sooner than anyone might have predicted.
Applesfera is reporting that some information about unreleased MacBook Pro models has been found in support files of the latest developer build of Mac OS X 10.6.2. In addition, there's been
some talk on 9to5Mac that Apple Store geniuses are starting to work with the new Core i5 and i7 Quad-Core processors that may make their way into the notebooks.
While nothing is definite, it's looking like the release of OS X 10.6.2 and the refresh of the MacBook Pro might come in tandem, and sooner than we think.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Filed under: iTunes, Software Update, Apple, iPhone
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Oct 3rd, 2009
Okay kids, this is starting to get a little out of hand now. Palm has once again pushed back at Apple,
releasing webOS 1.2.1 today that "resolves an issue preventing media sync from working with the latest version of iTunes." What's that issue, you might ask? Well, I'd say the fact that Apple isn't too happy that Palm is breaking all sorts of rules to make their device appear as an iPhone.
It
all started back in May, when it was determined that plugging a Palm Pre into a Mac will allow it to sync content with iTunes with no issues. This honeymoon period didn't last too long and once Apple figured out what was going on, Apple
swiftly released an update to iTunes that prevented syncing from non-Apple devices.
Apparently, that wasn't good enough for Palm and it was determined that they were
trying to make the Pre appear to be an Apple device when it was plugged in for syncing. Palm turned around and released
yet another webOS update that fixed the sync and it worked well until the
USB-IF got involved and sided with Apple, telling Palm they had to cease and desist.
Looks like Palm is back on the attack and this latest release is sure to stir up the pot once again.
Tags: apple, iphone, iTunes, media, palm, pre, software, sync, update, USB, USB-IF, webOS
Filed under: Hacks, Odds and ends, TUAW Tips
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Oct 2nd, 2009
Quick Look is such an awesome feature of Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6, making it really fun and easy to view files and folders from anywhere on your Mac. But what happens when you have a folder with multiple items and want to get a better idea of what's inside? Well, you could always just open the folder in
Finder, but there's a cool modification you can make to get an even quicker view.
You can get this working on your Mac in a few simple steps:
- Quit/Relaunch Finder using the Force Quit menu
- Open Terminal
- Paste (or type) the following command:
defaults write com.apple.Finder QLEnableXRayFolders 1
- Relaunch Finder
The contents of the folder will now be shown when you use Quick Look. In true Apple elegance, the files will even fade and cycle through the contents.
[via
Mac OS X Hints]
Filed under: Retail, Internet Tools, iPhone, App Review
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Sep 23rd, 2009
It's no secret that the iPhone is much more than just a smartphone. Apple has even started giving iPhones to Apple Store Concierge employees to schedule appointments and manage the store.
The ability to complete mobile transactions with credit card terminals is a great use of the iPhone for employees on the go or companies that do home or office calls. Like most applications in the iTunes App Store, there is no shortage of alternatives available for you to try. Here's a roundup of some of the most popular credit card terminals for iPhone.
Credit Card Terminal [iTunes Link] - $0.99 This app is pretty awesome. So awesome in fact, that it was featured internationally in an Apple commercial. The 99 cent application offers a (very) cheap alternative to expensive terminals and hardware. With a clean and easy to use interface, users can enter credit card information, complete transactions, and even view and refund past sales. The app also gives you the ability to collect customer information. The developer even offers telephone and email support and will walk you through setup.
Billing: Credit Card Terminal [iTunes Link] - $19.99 Another "easy to use" credit card terminal that is guaranteed to help make transactions easier. Sporting a pretty cool, and somewhat different kind of interface, the $20 application makes setting up a sale as simple as tapping a button. One cool feature offered in this version is the ability to get a customer's signature.
Some screenshots from the featured applications:
Read more →
Filed under: Wireless, iPhone
by John Burke (RSS feed) on Sep 23rd, 2009
It looks like the
iPhone is one step closer to being sold in South Korea. Apple has been trying to increase sales of the iPhone in the Asian market and has met some degree of difficulty along the way. After
initially showing interest back in December, the South Korean telecommunications regulation board has finally
granted Apple permission to sell the iPhone in the South Korean market.
The device was approved at a meeting of the board yesterday (September 22, 2009), but while the iPhone can now legally be sold there, Apple has not yet made any official decision as to their plans in the region. Both KT Corp. and SK Telecom, two big players in South Korean cell phone service, have both said they have spoken with Apple and claim they will have the iPhone soon.
[via
iLounge]
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