After all the theories surrounding Apple’s new data center in North Carolina, and the rumors surfaced in the past months pinpointing a complete revamp of iOS and MobileMe with extensive cloud features, here comes an interesting tidbit suggesting that Apple is looking to improve capacity of the iTunes Store by ordering 12 petabytes of storage from Isilon Systems. As reported by AppleInsider, the additional storage will be used for hosting video content on the iTunes Store – although it is not clear whether this storage will also be dedicated to video streaming, future iOS or MobileMe functionalities, or just downloads for the existing iTunes Store. Currently, the iTunes Store hosts thousands of movies, TV shows and video podcasts that are available both in standard and high definition, can be streamed to an Apple TV or downloaded locally on Windows PCs and Macs. Read more
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Apple Orders 12 Petabytes (That’s 12 Million Gigabytes) For iTunes Store Video
Camera+ Goes Social With User Pages, Comments, Mobile View
Camera+ for iPhone is one of our favorite photography apps here at MacStories: version 2.0 brought lots of new features and optimizations to an already great piece of software, and another update released last week introduced a brand new “Clarity” effect that’s a serious competitor to Apple’s own HDR processing. Camera+ is packed with features, has a beautiful user interface and powerful sharing options. It doesn’t come as a surprise that the app sold more than 2 million copies in a few months. Camera+, according to many, is the photography app for iPhone Apple should have bundled into iOS in the first place.
Today the tap tap tap developers are taking a leap forward by completely revamping the social aspect of Camera+ – the campl.us website that allows you to upload photos (even multiple pics at once) directly to app’s servers and then share a link on Twitter, Facebook or other social networks. The new Camera+ website now supports comments, has got user pages to quickly browse all the images posted by your friends, and – finally – has also a mobile view optimized for the iPhone and iPod touch. You can see a photo of mine here, and my user page here. You can comment either as a Guest or by logging in with Twitter and Facebook (with optional comment sharing as well); photo pages sport the usual view count and image info; the mobile web view perfectly fits the iPhone’s screen and you can also swipe through photos at the bottom to quickly switch between them.
The developers write on the company’s blog:
For a long time we were hesitant about doing mobile optimized versions of our sharing pages because we still wanted to support the zooming into pictures that our desktop pages allowed. We’ve finally come up with a solution that makes everything easier to read and browse while still supporting high quality photos that can be pinched in to see more detail. We really wanted to make our mobile pages “feel” exactly like their desktop counterparts, all the information on them makes its way over, just organized and designed for a smaller screen. We also support the same commenting via mobile as on the full desktop website.
We really like the new social features of Camera+ on the web, and we look forward to more functionalities (such as albums, they would be great) hopefully coming soon. If you still haven’t downloaded Camera+, go get it here. Check out more screenshots below. Read more
With The Latest Update, Cloud Connect Becomes A Finder for iPhone
Back in January when I reviewed Antacea’s Cloud Connect Pro, I called the app “a Finder for the iPad” thanks to its large set of functionalities that allowed users to easily connect to computers, AirPort stations, shared drives and a variety of services / machines with a few taps. The app didn’t exactly sport a beautiful user interface (the developers are still working on improving this aspect), but it was already a full-fledged solution to put most of the features of the Mac’s Finder into the tablet’s screen: copy and paste actions, sorting options, media streaming, column-based folder navigation were there in the first release. Of all the apps to locally or remotely connect to a computer (SMB, FTP, SFTP protocols are supported, as well as VNC and RDP for screensharing) I’ve tried over the past years, Cloud Connect Pro was, in spite of graphic elements that could have been better, the most powerful way to put a computer or online services like Dropbox in your hands. And with the latest 2.0 update, this is now possible on the iPhone too.
Cloud Connect Pro has gone universal with the update released on April 1st, and the iPhone version is nothing but the iPad app on a smaller screen with tweaked navigation to please your thumbs. It’s got the same features of the iPad client: iDisk and Dropbox remote access, Google Docs / Box.net support, FTP / SFTP / WebDAV / Apple File Sharing and SMB authentication. Plus screensharing functionalities that turn the app into a simple VNC client. Not to mention automatic discovery of computers on your local network, different login options as Guest or Administrator, copy & paste support, local downloads and much more. All the features I mentioned here have been implemented on the iPhone, basically. Of course you can’t see multiple columns at once when browsing a computer, but you can move back and forward between folders with a single swipe. A button in the upper left corner takes you back to the main screen that lists all your servers and desktop machines. Feature-wise, Cloud Connect Pro blows most of its competitors out of the water.
The 2.0 update also brings support for multitasking (finally), which now allows you to stream music in the background even when not using the app. At $24.99 in the App Store Cloud Connect Pro doesn’t come cheap, but it’s packed with features that will enable you to connect to your computers, services and shared drives directly from an iOS device. More screenshots below. Read more
Survey Reveals 37% Of Teens Will Soon Buy An iPhone, 22% Of Them Have “A Tablet”
When I was a kid, having an iPod meant you wanted to be different and you cared about the quality of your music. At least in my town, most kids bought MP3 players from a variety of popular / unknown brands at the local electronics store or mall, and they didn’t really care about the functionalities of the device as long as they could “put MP3s” into them. I know the situation was different in the States and, perhaps, in other towns of Italy too, but that’s what I remember.
The scenario nowadays, of course, is completely different. Every teenager knows what the iPod is, they have iPhones and, when they really want to go Apple all-the-way, they also have Macs. Apple’s sales numbers and popularity have dramatically changed (for the better) over the past decade, and with 100 million iPhones and 15 million iPads out there the company has surely created a new market for smartphones and tablets. Yet there’s still a huge room for growth, and according to Piper Jaffray’s latest bi-annual survey of high school students in the US, the numbers for Apple are promising. Among the 4,500 surveyed kids, 37% of them plan on buying an iPhone in the next six months, and 17% of them already have one. That’s up from 31% and 14% in Spring 2010. What about tablets? 22% of high school kids said they own one (and I guess they’re talking about the iPad here), whilst 20% plan on buying one in the next six months.
As for MP3 players, 86% of the kids who have one are using an Apple iPod. Other devices from Microsoft, Sony and Dell follow in the chart with incredibly lower numbers. But the MP3 player is clearly decreasing in popularity as kids prefer to listen to music on their phones rather than a dedicated device: in Fall 2010, 90% of surveyed kids had an MP3 player; in Spring 2011 “only” 80% of them have said they own a standalone device for playing music. And of course the iTunes Store has a 95% share among the “legal ways” of downloading music online; on the other hand, 65% of kids still use P2P services to illegally download music from the Internet.
So this survey leaves us with an interesting question: what will the popularity of tablets be like in 12 months? What’s going to happen to the iPod and, most of all, will Apple reboot the entire line to make sure it still makes sense for a kid to have an MP3 player alongside an iPhone? We know the iPod touch makes for a great gaming device, but I can see how having an all-in-one device (phone+music+games) can be a more attractive option. Check out the full survey here.
Suppliers Reporting 2.4 Million iPad 2s Shipped in March
Despite shortages, Apple aggressively sold the iPad 2 at launch date, part suppliers said Wednesday. Roughly 2.4 - 2.6 million iPad 2’s are believed to have shipped in March. Digitimes also said that based on a conservative estimate, Apple is likely to ship 4 - 4.3 million units a month, or a total of over 12 million iPad 2s in the second quarter.
A limiting factor for Apple could be the cover lenses, suppliers said. Taiwan-based companies like Chunghwa, G-Tech, HannStar, TPK, and Wintek are all increasing their capacities this year. Apple usually only uses a handful of suppliers and will have to stay on their supplier’s toes to stay ahead of the demand to reach these numbers.
These unofficial March shipment figures suggest an explosive, and expected, start to iPad 2 sales. Apple took 28 days to ship the first million of the original iPad and likely reached that number twice as fast for the iPad 2. Sales accelerations were certainly helped by an international release only two weeks after the US. Apple had to push non-US availability out by several weeks in 2010 with the release of the original iPad.
Most competitors are feeling the pain from the iPad 2 sales, today TechCrunch has reported that Motorola Xoom and Atrix sales are disappointing. “If it don’t make dollars, then it don’t make sense.”
[via electronista]
iCushion Stand for iPhone
Is there anything better than keeping an iPhone 4 with its flush, shiny glass back on the flat surface of a desk that also hosts a variety of other Apple products? For some, it’s keeping the iPhone into a desktop stand like the Xtand. Others prefer the simplicity of a standard Apple dock. Last, some people keep their iPhones protected with a bumper, which also ensures the device won’t slide and fall off a flat surface like your office’s desk or coffee table. For these people, and for all those who hate how cables inevitably create a giant tangled mess on your desk, the iCushion for iPhone could be a great alternative to the usual DIY stand or protective case: designed by Fadtronics, the iCushion is a seat for the iPhone that a) also keeps the cables in place neatly organized and b) has a suction cup to prevent the device from slipping away. Plus, it’s cute.
The iCushion stand is likely just a design experiment, and we’re not sure the thing will ever be available for purchase. But it should. Check out more photos here.
Kickstarter Project - Tweet Land: Playing With Reality
I hope you don’t get tired of reading about Kickstarter projects because I enjoy writing posts about very cool ideas. A new project I found today is called Tweet Land. Tweet Land is the idea of six Costa Ricans that believe it’s “possible to reinvent the way video games are created. We believe in opportunity, that’s why we believe in Tweet Land.” Tweet Land is one of the world’s first video game platforms that plays with reality, or “Real Time Gaming.”
What would happen if people’s social networks effected what happens in a video game? If you like the idea of the twittersphere becoming a virtual universe, this is for you.
Video after the break. Read more
New Final Cut Pro to be Announced on April 12th?
The ProVideoCoalition reports this evening that the new Final Cut Pro isn’t just amazing, but that it’s slated for an April 12th launch date at the tenth annual SuperMeet at the Bally’s Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rumors are flying that Apple will be using the Vegas Supermeet to announce the next version of Final Cut Pro. Supposedly, Apple will be taking over the entire event for their announcement, canceling all other sponsors, including AJA, Avid, Canon, BlackMagic, Autodesk and others, who were set to give presentations.
So far, ProVideoCoalition has confirmed that Canon, Avid, and Autodesk will not be presenting on the 12th. Avid reported that Supermeet canceled their sponsorship for the event, while Canon cancelled speaker Philip Bloom’s stage appearance. However, Bloom may make a guest appearance at the event.
Early in January, Hardmac proposed that Apple was testing a beta version of Final Cut Pro, and that it was slated for a late March or early April release date. In February, Techcrunch’s Alexia Tsotsis reported that video editors were visiting the Apple campus to get a preview of the new software.
Apparently Apple is still putting the finishing touches on “the biggest overhaul to Final Cut Pro since the original version was created over 10 years ago”and wanted pro user feedback. Emphasis on “pro.”
MacRumors quotes Final Cut author Larry Jordan, who writes on his blog:
I’ve Seen The New Version of Final Cut Pro… and it’s a jaw-dropper. Last week, Apple invited a few folks, including me, to a short meeting in Cupertino where they previewed the up-coming version of Final Cut Pro. While I am under NDA and can’t talk about what I saw, I CAN tell you the meeting happened and that it showcased the new Final Cut Pro.
Ripe with rumors pointing to an April launch, I’d expect the next iteration of Final Cut Pro to launch this month. The last time we saw any activity with Final Cut Pro was in 2009, and many are expecting dramatic interface changes to coincide with 64-bit support and the launch of Lion.
[via MacRumors]
Fring To Introduce Group Video Calling For iPhone
In its continuous effort to develop the best mobile video calling app for iOS and Android devices, popular service fring has announced that they’ll soon launch a private beta to pilot a group video calling feature that will be available on fring later this year. The beta program is open to Android and iOS users, and it’s been demoed in a video published by the developers in a blog post.
The new fring will allow you to easily browse the buddy list and pick a contact to add to a group call. The functionality apparently supports up to 4 simultaneous conversations and works both on WiFi and 3G. Once a person has been added to the group call, you can go back to the main screen and keep adding buddies until the limit is reached. As soon as you tap on a contact’s name, fring will initiate the call – meaning you don’t have to wait for all connections to go through at the same time. You can see how it works in the video below.
The dev team is putting the finishing touches on a super cool new service: free, mobile Group Video Calls. We are having too much fun with it already, and want to get some feedback from users ahead of public launch on Android & iPhone.
Of course, this is super-exciting as it’s the 1st time the world will get to enjoy free Group Video calls.
Fring for iPhone was recently updated to include the possibility to switch between cameras, buy credit through in-app purchases and enjoy fullscreen video calling with a “Dynamic Video Quality” the company has heavily promoted on mobile devices. Fring for iPhone is available for free in the App Store.