Graham Spencer

917 posts on MacStories since January 2011

Former MacStories contributor.

graham@macstories.net

Intuit And Apple Working To Try And Get Quicken 2007 Working On Lion

With Lion launching next month, some users who rely on Quicken for Mac 2007 may want to hold off updating for a while. As it stands it Quicken relies on Rosetta, an engine that allows PowerPC code to run on Intel Macs, but Lion removes support for Rosetta – rendering Quicken for Mac unable to run on Lion.

The Mac Observer talked to the Aaron Patzer of Quicken to find out a bit more about the situation and found that PowerPC codebase is the foundation for Quicken for Mac 2007. Patzer says it “has many intricacies – including its own custom-built database engine that are very much PowerPC specific”. He explains that porting the code over would take a significant amount of work, which is why they recently decided to develop Quicken Essentials, a brand new app developed on the Intel code.

For many Quicken Essentials or perhaps another Intuit owned service, Mint.com, would suffice in replacing Quicken for Mac 2007. However because of its lack of some features, most critically bill pay and detailed investment tracking, it may not be enough. Well there is some, potentially, good news for those users. Patzer said that Intuit has been working “closely with Apple” to potentially get Rosetta (or parts of it) running in Lion.

The project has been underway for the past few months, with Intuit working to possibly embed specific Rosetta libraries into Quicken For Mac 2007 to get it to run. This, too, is not a simple project and may never come to fruition.

Patzer says they will know by the end of summer where the project stands and whether or not the old Quicken for Mac will run in Lion. However in somewhat more positive news, Intuit is on their way to deliver an iPad app for Mint.com within the next few months.

[Via The Mac Observer]

Patent Details Potential Future Find My iPhone Features

If features presented in a patent application from Apple this morning come to fruition, the ‘Find My iPhone’ service will become far more powerful in keeping your data secure. The primary feature described in the patent is one where the device would be able to detect a potential ‘intrusion’ by an unauthorised user of the device when an incorrect passcode is entered multiple times. It would proactively raise the security risk and then take steps to secure a users data.

When a raised security level is reached, certain files and content would be selectively protected. This data could be scrambled instead of wiped out – meaning that if a user does get the device back they still have the data and just have to unscramble it. The raised security level could also transition the device into a surveillance mode where the device records certain actions taken by a user including their actions, the ambient sounds, location of the device and then sends that data out, presumably to iCloud.

If a device is lost or stolen, it could become purposively limited from making calls, text messages and using mobile data so that the user doesn’t face costs from their mobile provider. Similarly, if the device has access to a corporate VPN, that VPN data could be altered when the device faces a raised security risk.

The patent also describes a system of how if a device is or presumed to be lost or stolen that it could request the location of the device. A pop-up would appear on the device, warning that location data is about to be sent, a user could then over-ride it with the correct passcode, or alternatively, contact the owner. Presumably this would be helpful if someone who found the device is trying to return the device.

[Via Patently Apple]

Angry Birds Updated With New Episode, Rovio Boasts Of 1 Million Downloads A Day

The unbelievably popular Angry Birds app has today received a new update, version 1.6.0, which brings a new episode for users to play with. The new underground episode, titled ‘Mining and Dining with the Burrowing Piggies’, is jam packed with another 15 levels to complete.

With a bottomless appetite, the bad piggies have burrowed deep in underground caverns to hide the eggs they stole from you. Use the landscape and geology to your advantage to chase the pigs out of their hiding holes, gather rare gems, and retrieve the eggs!

The new levels are cave themed and as usual there are jewels to find, but there is also new a gameplay mechanic – shoot at the hanging stalactites to “pop those pesky burrowing piggies”. Apart from the new levels, Rovio has tweaked some existing levels that were stonewalling people. The app update is available for both the iPhone version version and iPad version of Angry Birds.

Meanwhile, Peter Vesterbacka CEO of Rovio, spoke at the openIDEAS Conference in Europe today and revealed that the Angry Birds games are now seeing over a million downloads per day. You may recall that Rovio revealed that over Christmas Day last year it saw its most successful day ever with one million downloads – now that’s a daily occurance. In recent times it had also surpassed 250 million downloads.

[Via The Next Web]

Yahoo Tries To Improve App Search With Yahoo! App Search And AppSpot

Yahoo today launched a new search service that aims to improve the searching experience for the iPhone App Store and the Android Marketplace. The service brings a new app called Yahoo! AppSpot to the iPhone and Android as well as the Yahoo! App Search website.

With 425,000-plus apps in the Apple App Store and 200,000 apps in Android Market, we know finding what you want can be exhausting. And even more challenging: There are times you don’t know the specific name of the app, so you’re leaving it up to chance that you’re actually downloading the app you really want.

Yahoo claims to be able to search the App Store and Android Marketplace more intelligently as well as also offering users personal recommendations from within the AppSpot app. The personal recommendations feature works by first taking a look at all the apps you currently have on your iPhone (it asks for permission) and then displays eight suggestions for each category of the store. Unfortunately the recommendation system seemed very poor for me at least, suggesting a rather bizarre range of apps from ‘Alphabet Car’ to ‘Justin Bieber Revenge’ to ‘Foreclosure Search’.

Both the website and the app from Yahoo gives you all the same information that Apple’s own store provides, including: a description, rating, price and screenshots. If you choose to download the app through the AppSpot app it will launch you straight over to the App Store app. If you’re on the website on your Mac/PC though it will give you the option to either send an SMS with a link, open up the iTunes Preview page in your browser or display a QR code with the link embedded (the AppSpot App has a QR reader inbuilt).

You can try Yahoo! App Search from here and download the Yahoo! AppSpot App from here. Jump the break for a video promo.

[Via Engadget]
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Apple Launches 2011 Back To School Promotion In US And Europe, Features $100 Gift Card

As had been rumored and then confirmed last night, Apple has launched its 2011 Back to School promotion today, featuring a $100 gift card for use on any of Apple’s digital stores. The promotion runs from today until September 20th this year and is available for college students and faculty staff.

When you buy a new qualifying Mac with Apple education pricing* from June 16, 2011, through September 20, 2011, you’ll get a $100 Back to School Card

The qualifying Mac’s include the MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iMac – all of which are at a discounted rate for students. The gift card will work on the Mac App Store, App Store, iTunes Store or the iBookstore. The promotional page also highlights some accessories to help you “Gear up for college” as well as suggested “Apps for Studies” and “Apps for Study Breaks”.

The promotion has also launched in the UK where a £65 gift card is offered and in various other European countries where a 75 € gift card is offered.

Apple Removes App That Revealed The Most Common PINs

On Monday we reported on what the most common PINs were for users of the Big Brother Camera Security app after its developer had added the ability for the app to anonymously send back those PINs. Many were not happy about hearing this and Apple was clearly among those as the Big Brother Camera Security app was pulled from the App Store yesterday.

In a blog post, the developer of the app, Danial Amitay explains that the app was not obtaining the actual lockscreen PINs but rather those used for his app. He also quells fears by explaining that when the app sent the data to his server it was “literally sending only that number (e.g. “1234”) and nothing else”. Amitay had presumed (when he added the function) that it would be within the iTunes EULA for him to do so, as it states the following (emphasis added):

b. Consent to Use of Data: You agree that Application Provider may collect and use technical data and related information, including but not limited to technical information about Your device, system and application software, and peripherals, that is gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, product support and other services to You (if any) related to the Licensed Application. Application Provider may use this information, as long as it is in a form that does not personally identify You, to improve its products or to provide services or technologies to You.

Amitay says he is actively trying to work out the issue Apple had with the app and get it back into the App Store soon. If it means he has to get rid of the code that sent the PIN data, he says would “gladly” do that, understanding the concern it raised. He does say however that he had planned to warn users not choose the obvious PINs that the data had revealed in a future update.

[Via Macgasm]

BBC iPlayer Rolling Out To Western Europe By Year’s End

A number of countries in Western Europe will be the first to experience the BBC iPlayer outside of the UK as the BBC begins its international rollout this year. Fans of BBC content such as Doctor Who that live in Western Europe will be the first that will be able to access it and other BBC shows (including archive content) on the iPlayer app available on the iPad.

The BBC will begin the rollout for Western Europeans sometime before the end of the year and at a monthly cost of something under $10 – the fee has yet to be finalised. The content library will be available on the iPad app but only in English at this stage.

For its international rollout of the BBC iPlayer, Jana Bennett who works for BBC Worldwide said to The Guardian that they are looking forward to adding collections of content for various genres including music, comedy and documentaries. She says that the international version is a “different proposition” from its British counterpart that is primarily for catch-up content.

The freedom from catchup means that we’ve got a lot more flexibility in terms of what we put on there and how we present it.

[Via The Guardian]

Apple: Samsung “The Copyist” Is Attempting To Harass Us

There’s been some news on the Apple vs. Samsung patent battle today with some recent Apple filings coming to light where Apple alleges that Samsung is “attempt[ing] to harass” them and that Samsung’s demands are not made in good faith – even going so far as to label Samsung as “the copyist” in the documents. It comes after Samsung requested Apple to hand over the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 (or the most recent prototype) to Samsung’s lawyers, which itself was a response to Apple’s request for several Samsung products that hadn’t yet been released (although they were announced).

Samsung’s Motion to Compel is an improper attempt to harass Apple by demanding production of extremely sensitive trade secrets that have no relevance to Apple’s likelihood of success on its infringement claims or to a preliminary injunction motion.

This Friday (1:30 PM Pacific Time) Apple and Samsung will meet with their judge for the purpose of discussing Samsung’s request for expedited delivery (Samsung gaining access to the next generation iPhone and iPad). Apple’s recent filings are in preparation for this court session. FOSS Patents has given the filings a good look over and found some highlights.

As many had expected, Apple’s lawyers make the note that Samsung is asking for much more than what Apple asked given that the Samsung products, although unreleased, had been fully revealed and were available for pre-order. By contrast the next generation iPhone and iPad do not officially exist – in fact it notes in its filings that “Apple is widely recognised as one of the most secretive companies in the world”.

It also tackles the idea that whilst Samsung’s law firm may not leak the details of the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, it could use their knowledge of them to form future patent infringement theories for other companies it represents – which includes other major Android device makers including Samsung, Motorola and HTC.

It also puts the argument that since no future iPhone or iPad products are included in Apple’s complaint of Samsung products, there isn’t reason to show them. It also dismisses Samsung’s suggestion that future design changes “could indicate that Apple is not as consistent as it claims, and consequently Apple’s related rights could be weaker”. Be sure to head over to FOSS Patents if you want a more thorough review of the recent filing and if you want to remind yourself of what the lawsuit is about, be sure to head over to read This Is My Next’s excellent analysis.

[Via FOSS Patents]

Some Early Signs Of iCloud Web Apps Found

Details of iCloud, particularly over any potential web apps, have remained murky at best since Steve Jobs introduced the service at WWDC last week. Yesterday Joshua Topolsky of This Is My Next obtained what seemed to be a confirmation that web apps would not be offered with iCloud as they were with MobileMe:

Let’s be clear about what happens when iCloud goes live – according to what was described on stage at the event, and what I’ve confirmed with Apple PR –the service will effectively replace the current web offerings of MobileMe. That means that when the cutoff date of June 30, 2012 comes around for users, the web-based email client, calendar, contacts app, and other components of the web suite will cease to exist.

This drew a sceptical response from many, a post by John Gruber is representative of that scepticism, and today MacRumors seems to have found that Apple is actually porting iCloud to at least some of the MobileMe web apps. One of their readers sent themselves a Calendar invitation in iOS 5 and received a link to the iCloud.com domain. The above image illustrates what was linked to – and identical page to the current MobileMe invitations system (visually at least) except that was on the iCloud.com domain and had some iCloud branding at the bottom of the page.

It seems reasonable that Apple is working on at least some level of web support for the iCloud components but as usual they won’t confirm anything that they aren’t ready to talk about. If you wanted some more convincing of the reader’s screenshot jump over to this iCloud.com link and see for yourself.

[Via MacRumors]

Update: Well-sourced Apple journalist Jim Dalrymple at The Loop says iCloud will have a web interface, with Apple saving some interesting tidbits for iCloud’s public launch this Fall:

As for Josh’s Apple PR confirmation. The only thing I can think of is that there was some kind of misunderstanding. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber says Topolsky is making a “bad assumption.” That sounds about right to me.

Of this, I am sure — Apple will have a Web-based interface for iCloud. In fact, I expect an even cooler interface than the latest updates we saw with MobileMe calendar and email.