Apple: 100 Million Downloads From The Mac App Store

Apple has just issued a press release that notes that over 100 million apps have been downloaded since the Mac App Store launched less than a year a go on January 6th. Phil Schiller notes that “With more than 100 million downloads in less than a year, the Mac App Store is the largest and fastest growing PC software store in the world.”

Averaging out the 100 million downloads across the 341 days since the store launched, thats close to 300,000 downloads per day. The full press release is included after the break and it includes some select quotes from developers such as Autodesk, the developers of Pixelmator and the developers of djay - all offering positive words about the Mac App Store, but from different perspectives.

“In less than one year we’ve shifted the distribution of djay for Mac exclusively to the Mac App Store,” said Karim Morsy, CEO of algoriddim. “With just a few clicks, djay for Mac is available to customers in 123 countries worldwide. We could never have that reach through traditional channels.”

The press release also notes that combined, the iOS and Mac App Stores offer over 500,000 apps that have been downloaded more than 18 billion times, with every additional month adding more than 1 billion to that figure. So whilst the 100 million downloads in just under a year is impressive, compared to the download figures of the iOS App Stores, it’s a small proportion.

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Report: iPad 3 Component Production Beginning, Launch Expected For March Or April 2012

According to DigiTimes, which admittedly has quite a mixed record on Apple rumors, manufacturers in Apple’s supply chain have begun delivering parts and components for the next generation iPad. From this information, DigiTimes believes that the next iPad will be available in 3-4 months (aligning with March or April next year), with iPad 2 component supply beginning to wind down now.

OEM production of iPad 2 will remain high at 14-15 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011 but decline to 4-5 million units in the first quarter of 2012, paving the way for the launch of the new iPads, the sources noted.

Furthermore, the Chinese Commercial Times reports that Foxconn will begin production of the next-generation iPad in January, with production volume ramping up in February. It is expected that production of the next iPad will reach 9.5-9.8 million units in the first quarter of 2012.

[Via DigiTimes]

Angry Birds Updated To Version 2.0 With 15 New Levels, All Episodes Unlocked

To celebrate the second birthday of Angry Birds, which was first released on the iPhone on December 10th, 2009, Rovio has released version 2.0 of its popular game, adding new menus and graphics and a series of new birthday-themed levels. Since its release in 2009, Angry Birds has become a worldwide phenomenon, spurring the creation of spin-offs and sequels on a variety of gaming platforms and eventually finding its way to Apple’s iPad with properly scaled “HD” versions. Rovio recently announced the franchise has reached over half a billion downloads, with 300 million minutes played daily across all platforms and 400 billion birds “shot” by players.

Whilst today’s update isn’t exactly the highly anticipated “Angry Birds 2”, it is version 2.0 of the original game, and as usual with software updates Rovio has made sure to include bonuses and treats to dedicated players that have enjoyed the app over the past two years. For one, all episodes are now unlocked, meaning you can pick up Angry Birds from any world inside the game and start playing through all levels (which, obviously, aren’t unlocked). Alongside the slightly reworked interface and menu graphics, Rovio has designed 15 new “birthday cake” levels, and introduced a new orange bird that can be “expanded” to destroy level elements upon touch. Last, new achievements will allow Angry Birds fans to show their dedication to the series on Game Center thanks to this birthday update.

To celebrate the “birdday”, Rovio has also announced a series of initiatives across the globe, including a special presentation by Rovio’s Peter Vesterbacka at the Apple Store in Ginza, Japan. Angry Birds 2.0 for iPhone is available now on the App Store at $0.99, and you can find the just-updated HD version for iPad here. Check out more screenshots below. Read more

Apple Promotes The Beatles With New TV Advert, Free iBook

Late yesterday Apple posted a new TV ad online that promotes The Beatles on iTunes. The ad, called “Covers”, is a 30 second piece that features a number of their album covers animating and morphing into one another to the tune of ‘Magical Mystery Tour’.

It follows yesterday’s release of ‘The Beatles Yellow Submarine’ a free, interactive iBook that is available exclusively on the iBookstore.

This enchanting illustrated book captures the same magical spirit found in the film. The Beatles’ journey to save Pepperland from the music-hating Blue Meanies is filled with surrealistic humor, wit, and clever references to The Beatles’ song titles and lyrics. In this iTunes exclusive, clips from the movie have been included throughout and can be viewed either embedded in the page or at full-screen. The book also contains interactive animations as well as sound effects and music clips.

Jump the break to view the new ad, you can download ‘The Beatles Yellow Submarine’ for free on the iBookstore.

[Via MacRumors]

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Twitterrific 4.4.4 Gains Support for Readability

In light of the Twitter news yesterday, we missed a small but important update for Twitterrific! Fans of the Readability subscription service will find an update (4.4.4) waiting for them in the Mac and iTunes App Stores. Readability can be chosen as a read later services from the Services tab in Preferences on the Mac, and via Twitterrific in the Settings app on iOS. Readability, a bookmarking service that gives back to the authors you enjoy, also offers a customizable web and mobile reading experience, an easy to use article queue that can be shared with others, and bookmarklets to send articles directly to your Kindle.

The previous Twitterrific 4.4.3 update brought in a lot of extra refinements such as the addition of a load more button in profile pop-overs. In 4.4.4, the load more button has been added to timeline searches as well! In addition, 4.4.4 fixes some bugs with the Magic Mouse (no more missed clicks), and fixed a bug that would cause the timeline to jump to the top of the timeline when retweeting. Overall a small but noteworthy update!

Twitterrific is a free download on iOS, with a $4.99 in-app purchase removing ads and adding translations. Twitterrific for the desktop is $4.99 from the Mac App Store.

Tapbots Release First Ever #TweetbotSale

Tapbots, creators of awesome iPhone apps such as Calcbot, Weightbot, Pastebot, and Convertbot have decided to promote their fantastic twitter client by having a limited time sale of Tweetbot. Normally $2.99, Tweetbot has a sale price of just $.99. This #TweetbotSale comes after the official Twitter client for the iPhone was updated yesterday. Version 4.0 of Twitter has received much discussion on the internet in the last 24 hours. Cody did an excellent review yesterday that everyone should read regardless of your thoughts about version 4.0 of the official client.

Tapbots is hoping to gain even more users after many may be shopping for a new iPhone client. We at MacStories think that Tweetbot is one of the best Twitter clients available for the iPhone and if you haven’t had the chance to pick up the app, you get it now on the App Store for $.99.

TweetDeck for the Mac: A Shorter Review

TweetDeck has always been looked up to as the power-user’s go-to Twitter app thanks to a huge feature set, its multi-column layout, quick filtering, and its availability across platforms thanks to Adobe Air. When Twitter acquired TweetDeck back in May, many questioned whether Twitter would continue to maintain the client, and whether Twitter would rebrand the app to better fit into their ecosystem. Yesterday, TweetDeck launched natively on Mac and Windows, bringing with it a brand new experience in-line with #NewNewTwitter’s focus. Like Twitter, it’s another big change many will have a hard time adjusting to.

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Limited Time Pricing Available on Refurbished iPads

The holidays are right around the corner and there is no doubt that the iPad will be on a lot of Christmas lists this year. Apple is making it more affordable than ever to get your hands on either generation of the iPad. These models are refurbished but I don’t expect that to be much of an issue for consumers thanks to Apple’s high quality assurance standards.

The iPad 2 sales include two models:

  • Black 16Gb Wi-Fi - $419.00 (save $80)
  • White 16Gb Wi-Fi + 3G - $549.00 (save $100)

There are two models of the iPad 1 that also have limited time pricing

  • Black 32Gb Wi-Fi + AT&T 3G - $399 (save $230)
  • Black 64Gb Wi-Fi + AT&T 3G - $499 (save $230)

All refurbished iPads are subjected to full testing including a screen burn-in test. The devices are also put through a cleaning and inspection process before being handed off for a final quality assurance check. Apple has a few extras for these refurbished iPads. They are also including a 1 year warranty, a new battery, a new outer shell, and will be packaged with all the accessories in a new white box. There really is no reason not to take advantage of the great deals on iPads this holiday season.

[The Apple Blog via Macgasm]