Federico Viticci

10781 posts on MacStories since April 2009

Federico is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MacStories, where he writes about Apple with a focus on apps, developers, iPad, and iOS productivity. He founded MacStories in April 2009 and has been writing about Apple since. Federico is also the co-host of AppStories, a weekly podcast exploring the world of apps, Unwind, a fun exploration of media and more, and NPC: Next Portable Console, a show about portable gaming and the handheld revolution.

The History Of The iPod

Look at the first iPod released in 2001. Then look at the iPod Touch 4th gen. Then back at the iPod.

How did this happen? How did we go from a white-solid and heavy 5GB iPod to a thin, multitouch and sexy iPod Touch? And what about that new Nano with a tiny square screen and nice icons? The answer is in the timeline below. Times change. Read more


Gestures Coming To Mobile Safari with Cydia Tweak | Cydia Store

Mobile Safari is a great browser, and especially on the iPhone I haven’t managed to find an alternative in the App Store that can live up to Apple’s standards. It’s minimal, fast and does most of the stuff one could ever need - but the jailbreak community is always there to enhance stuff. If you open Cydia and search for “Safari” you’ll find tons of neat tweaks and mods to enhance the functionality of Apple’s mobile browser.

The next great tweak coming soon in Cydia is FullScreen for Safari, developed by the creator of Firewall IP. The tweak (which should be available in a couple of days) will add fullscreen capabilities and gestures to Safari, such as two-finger swipe to switch between tabs and two-finger swipe down to open a new tab. A preview is available on iSpazio (Italian), or you can check out the demo video below. Read more


3G Unrestrictor Updated for iOS 4.1, Jailbreakers Rejoice | Cydia Store

3G Unrestrictor, the popular tweak available in Cydia to trick apps to think they’re on Wifi while you’re using 3G, was updated earlier today to include full support for iOS 4.1. This means that if you’ve jailbroken your device with Geohot’s limera1n or Greenpo1son, you’ll be basically able to have FaceTime calls on 3G again.

I missed FaceTime on 3G, a lot. Italy’s Tre network is pretty powerful (especially in my town) and I was once able to have a FaceTime call on 3G with Robert Scoble, who was in Boulder, Colorado. The quality was great. Now, can enjoy the fixes of iOS 4.1 and have FaceTime on 3G back.

The tweak comes at $3.99 in the Cydia Store. Must-have. Read more



Here’s Why You Can’t Have A White iPhone 4, But This Guy Can

Once upon a time, Apple announced a white version of the iPhone 4. Hell, Steve Jobs even carried one on stage. It should have been out by July, then it got delayed. And again. And again. Then rumors about manufacturing problems started circulating. You all know the story. So what do we have here? A “gentleman” spotted at a private even in New York City by the guys over at PocketLint, carrying an iPhone 4 and giving out some details about the facts behind this white unicor - I mean, iPhone.

Say what you want, but this smells an awful lot like a controlled leak by Apple. I don’t know, some guy goes to a press event where he knows someone from the actual press is going spot the unit eventually, lets people take pictures of the device and confirms that the problem with the delays is with manufacturers? Read more


New York Band Performs Live On iPhones [Video]

We know there are hundreds of music applications for the iPhone out there; some even managed to win an Apple Design Award earlier this year. Yet, we also know there are some people on the internet who regularly quickly diss iOS devices as “consumption-only” devices.

So take a look at the video below. Brooklyn-based band Atomic Tom performed one of their hits  - “Take Me Out”  - entirely on their iPhones, in the subway. At first the crowd thought they were going to bomb the train (seriously? with those hipster moustache?), but Atomic Tom eventually managed to make quite an impression on the passengers. Great video.

[9to5 via Recombu] Read more


It’s Here: AutoCAD for Mac Now Available

It’s been 18 years since the last appearance of AutoCAD on the Mac platform. 18 years during which professional designers and engineers all over the world were forced to use a PC, or install a copy of Windows on a partition on their Macs. Today, AutoCAD is coming back to OS X: it’s finally available for download (with a 30-day free trial) here.

Also available with educational discount for students, AutoCAD for Mac returns with a native interface and feel built on top of OS X unique capabilities, exclusive features for Mac users such as Cover Flow support and multi-touch gestures, also supported by the Magic Trackpad.

Our experience has been that AutoCAD for Mac is similar enough to the PC version that the transition is easy. We’ve found it to be a very powerful and reliable product that has all the functionality we need.”

Styles&Wood, the UK’s leading provider of property services to retailers, banks and commercial organizations, is one of the more than 5,000 participants who were part of the AutoCAD for Mac beta program. “We have been waiting a long time for AutoCAD to come back to the Mac,” said Andrew Handley, CAD development manager. “Our experience has been that AutoCAD for Mac is similar enough to the PC version that the transition is easy. We’ve found it to be a very powerful and reliable product that has all the functionality we need.

AutoCAD for Mac is available here. Check out the full press release after the break. Read more


A White iPad 2 Concept

In a few months we’ll be able to put our hands on a new iPad. Whether it’s going to be a 7-inch model, sold in double 10 / 7-inch flavor or simply have a new camera on board - it’s going to be all new. And when it’s about “all new” products from Apple, it’s never too soon to start thinking about them.

The following concept video, spotted by iSpazio, shows us a white version of the “iPad 2” with a front-facing camera and a flat back, much like the iPhone 4. I don’t know if that kind of surface would be suitable for the tablet, but sure the concept is damn sexy. Take a look at the video after the break. Read more


Clever Interactive Ads for iPad [Video]

Even though there’s no iAd program for the iPad yet (remember, it requires iOS 4), agencies are struggling to find the best way for their clients to showcase products on the tablet. And with its mainstream success, I bet clients are crying to have great ads on the iPad.

The following video, originally posted by Peter Kafka over at All Things D, showcases three cool ads for the iPad created by the MediaLets ad startup. In the video you can see a FedEx ad for the Newsweek app; a Visa ad that lets you interact with the various e-commerce possibilities offered by Visa (looks stunning); a Toyota Prius ad that allows users to draw images into the video.

Check out the video below. It gives you a taste of the things to come once iAd for iPad launches later this year. Read more