Late Thursday, an extraordinary thing happened: Adobe announced in a blog post that it would not provide Flash Player support for devices running Android 4.1, and that it was pulling the plugin from the Google Play store on August 15. The retreat comes five years after the introduction of the iPhone, the device which led to Flash's mobile ambitions, almost even before they began.That Adobe would make such an announcement nearly five years to the day that the first iPhone was sold is kind of funny. I'd like to think that the Flash team has a sense of humor and was well aware of the timing when it posted the blog entry, but I could also see the entry as unintentionally ironic. Either way, it caps off a five-year battle to win the mobile landscape -- one which for Adobe ended in defeat. read more..
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Flash Player Support-Google Play Store-Blog Post-Adobe-Apple
Bose Headphones-Dearest Alexia-Car
On the 25th of June, our dearest Alexia Tsotsis had an incredibly rough day. First, her car was looted by very bad people in San Francisco, who stole her laptop and a pair of excellent Bose headphones that were near and dear to her heart. And as if that wasn't enough, her car then got smashed by someone running a red light, totaling her vehicle and leaving her in quite a bit of pain. When fellow TechCrunch sharks heard the news, we knew we had to do something to help out one of our fearless leaders, and so our very own Ryan Lawler stepped up to the plate with a suggestion to buy some new headphones for Alexia. "Knowing that we can't replace the sentimental value, I was thinking we could maybe (at least) help replace the item that was taken." After a little back and forth, the team settled on an app to help us accomplish the task at hand (we at TC need an app for everything), and that's where CrowdTilt enters the mix. read more..
The International Space Station-Star Walk
The two bestselling astronomy apps, Star Walk and Solar Walk for iOS, can now find and track the Space X Dragon, the first commercial vehicle to visit the International Space Station. The Dragon was launched Tuesday. When you search for the spacecraft, you'll see it's current position. As I write this, it's in orbit next to the ISS. Using the augmented-reality feature, you likely can find the Dragon when it is in a good position overhead. I didn't try to find Dragon in the night sky, but it was easy to find on my iPhone. I could use the search command to find by name, or I could look on the last 30-day launches list. It appears centered on the screen in the correct orientation to the ISS and the star background. You also can get some specifics on the Dragon position and a bit of history. Use AirPlay mirroring and an Apple TV, and you can get it on the big screen, great for teachers or sharing with friends. I was interested in how the spacecraft was added so quickly to the app, and the developers told me they were contacted by the Space X people and wanted it added. Space X helped with the math and collaborated with Vito Technologies to get the 3D model correctly displayed. Star Walk is available for US$4.99. Solar Walk is a $2.99. Some screen shots are in the gallery below. Gallery: TheDragon spacecraft as seen in Star Walk for iOSStar Walk and Solar Walk apps now track the Space X Dragon originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Russian Hacker-Iphone 4-3D Maps-Ios
This had the smell of inevitability about it. Yes, a Russian hacker got 3D maps working on an iPhone 4. It's not complete and turn-by-turn directions aren't working yet, but it's a start. SlashGear has the story via Russian site iguides. There are instructions on the web, but they are not for the faint-of-heart and require the just released iOS6 jailbreak. I expect there are a lot of disappointed iPhone 4 users out there who are pretty upset that the maps app has so little functionality on their older phones. I could make a half-case for leaving the 3D flyovers off, but certainly turn-by-turn would have been nice to allow. Dozens of other apps have no trouble running on the iPhone 4 or even the 3G model. So readers, are you understanding about this Apple decision, or mad as hell? [via SlashGear]Russian hacker gets iOS 6 3D maps running on iPhone 4 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..
External Monitors-External Displays-Retina Display-Macbook Pro-Thunderbolt
OWC posted up a photo that is every Mac user's dream. The photo shows a MacBook Pro with Retina Display powering not one, not two, but three external displays in addition to the notebook's own monitor. OWC lists the attached computers which includes the Retina display on the MBP set at its "best for Retina" setting; two 2560 x 1440 iMacs connected via the Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt/DisplayPort; and a 1920 x 1200 LG monitor connected via HDMI. OWC says the performance was smooth and claims "moving images and media didn't create any lag." They also say they "were able to play video on all four displays simultaneously." As noted by MacRumors, Apple's support site confirms that the Retina MacBook Pro is capable of supporting one monitor on the HDMI port and two on Thunderbolt, but it's impressive to see such a setup in action. [Via MacRumors]MacBook Pro with Retina display running three external monitors originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..
Thursday, 28 June 2012
Game Developer-Disney Mobile-Game Tester
Disney Mobile has made a number of really smart moves over the past few years (starting with acquiring Tapulous, all the way up to allowing a game tester to make them a great game). Now here's another brilliant move: they've signed a deal with developers Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckynova (also known as the very nice married couple behind Imangi Studios) to help them make a Brave-branded version of Temple Run. The game itself is actually being put together by a third-party game developer, but Imangi had input on the finished product, and the deal has actually been in the works for quite a while, even before Imangi saw all of its astronomical success with the golden idol running game. Imangi told me at GDC this year that they were being careful about choosing partnerships, but apparently this partnership with Disney met with their approval. Temple Run Brave should be in the App Store for 99 cents on June 14 (though my guess is that given how popular Temple Run has been as a free game, it'll drop to free soon after that). Disney has shown a lot of insight into the App Store in the past, and this latest deal with a very hot indie studio is no exception.Disney taps indie studio for Temple Run Brave originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..
Turn-By-Turn Navigation-Mapping Features-Iphone 3Gs-Iphone 4-Flyover
As we noted earlier this week as part of our roundup of device compatibility for various iOS 6 features, several of Apple's new mapping features including Flyover and turn-by-turn navigation are not officially supported on the iPhone 4, much less the iPhone 3GS.
But as reported by SlashGear, a member of Russian site iguides has posted videos [Google translation] showing the 3D maps and Flyover working on a jailbroken iPhone 4. The poster has also included instructions for adding the functionality, although the procedure is not yet a completely straightforward one.
Apple has historically placed hardware restrictions on certain features of its iOS release, based at least in part on how well older hardware handles the specific features. In other cases like Siri on the iPhone 4S, Apple's limitations may have more to do with differentiation and marketing. But it seems reasonable to think that 3D map performance on the pre-A5 devices like the iPhone 4 simply doesn't meet Apple's requirements, and thus the company has elected not to officially support the feature on that hardware.
Regardless of the reasons for Apple's limitations on mapping features, hackers and developers will undoubtedly continue working on ways to circumvent those restrictions, and we will likely see other features like turn-by-turn navigation also come to older devices for those willing to tweak their devices to enable them. read more..
Apparent Resolution-Display Resolution-Macbook Pro
While Apple's new Retina MacBook Pro includes a display measuring 2880x1800 pixels, the default display options do not allow users to run their systems at that raw resolution. Instead, the extra pixels are used to display a higher level of detail on a canvas representing the previous 1440x900 resolution. As a result, windows and user interface elements appear to be the same relative size as on a 1440x900 15" display, but with four times the detail. Users who wish to use a desktop with apparent resolution higher than 1440x900 can still do so, as System Preferences offers several different options ranging up to 1920x1200.
Those users who want even more screen real estate by tapping into the full 2880x1800 resolution mode of the display can also do so, but the option involves a workaround that is not authorized by Apple. Macworld has more details on the process, which involves using either a third-party app like the paid SwitchResX (as noted in our forums) or one of a number of free options that have sprung up such as Change Resolution.
Retina MacBook Pro running at 2880x1800
(Click for larger)
Running a 2880x1800 desktop on a screen measuring only 15.4 inches diagonally obviously results in very small text and user interface elements, but for those willing to sit close enough to their screens to make the onscreen content readable, it may be an interesting option.
As noted by developer Steven Troughton-Smith, users running Windows on the new Retina MacBook Pro can also take advantage of the full display resolution, simply setting the resolution in preferences within Windows. read more..
Breast Cancer Risk-Exercise-Facebook
Discovered: Exercise reduces breast cancer risk, Facebook is better than sex?, parents aren't careful enough about kid allergies, and it just takes two degrees of warming for bit climate change.Exercise reduces breast cancer risk. What sounds like an easy way to cut back one's risk of the disease is actually a lot harder than it sounds. Those who exercised 9 to 17 hours per week, meaning more than one hour per day, reduced their breast cancer risk by 30 percent. Looking at 3,000 women those who exercised during their 20s and 30s, were less likely to develop the disease during ... read more..
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
The Endless Action Game-Mobile Car Apps-Smartphone Apps-Temple Run-Roundup
These smartphone apps will help you save money on gas and repairs, recover from an accident, and avoid tickets. read more..
iOS Game Review: Temple Run: Brave doesn't cover new ground
If you've played Temple Run, you'll be very familiar with this Brave-themed version of the endless action game. read more..