Normally we’d have a good laugh over some crazy Chinese knock-off that poorly imitates Apple’s genius, but we’ll admit it: China wins.
iPad Camera Kit vs. Chinese Knock-Off
Daylite Touch Goes 1.5: Reminders, Retina Display Graphics, New Features
Daylite Touch, the app that allows you to professionally manage your team and business, has been updated to version 1.5 - which introduces a lot of improvements and new features. First, Retina Display and iOS 4 multitasking support: the app now looks great on the iPhone and can sync with the Mac version in the background. Good stuff.
As for the new features, you can now filter your contact list or disable the sync process on the app’s launch. Daylite Touch is available for free here. Check out the full changelog below.
Flash 10.1 for Mac Updated with Hardware Acceleration
MacRumors is reporting that Flash 10.1 for Mac has finally been updated to include support for hardware-accelerated decoding of video content, which offers a smoother playback and eats less battery. At least Adobe says so.
Adobe project manager Thibault Imbert:
“We just pushed a few minutes ago a new version of the Flash Player 10.1.82.76 containing a nice feature that was in beta until now called “Gala”. Yes, H.264 GPU decoding in Mac OSX is now officially enabled in the Flash Player.
You should notice now a nice difference when playing H.264 content on your Mac in terms of CPU usage. We rarely enable new features in security releases but we really wanted to enable such a cool feature.”
Go download Flash here. Then, go download ClickToFlash here.
Gruber: iPod Touch with Retina Display and Dual Cameras Coming “In A Few Weeks”
John Gruber, while talking about the Dell Streak:
“That’s almost twice as much as a good iPod Touch, and if you wait a few weeks to buy the Touch, you’ll get one with a Retina Display and dual cameras. If Dell can’t make an iPod Touch competitor, who can?”
Does “a few weeks” mean September? I think so. But then again, what about the mid-August Apple event rumor?
Plants vs. Zombies for Mac Available on Steam
Mac gamers, rejoice: one of the most acclaimed games for iPhone and iPad, Plants vs. Zombies, is now available on Mac OS X via Steam. It’s the game you know and love, available on your desktop computer of choice.
This “Game of the Year” edition also includes support for Steamcloud and a new feature called “Zombatar” which allows you to incorporate your own custom zombies into the game.
Check out the full press release below. [Thanks, Jack]
Pandora Radio for iPhone Updated with Retina Display Support, Bug Fixes
The official Pandora client for iPhone, Pandora Radio, has been updated to include support for the Retina Display. The new 3.1.3 version also includes bug fixes and performance improvements, improved detection of device audio failures and album art loading.
The app is available for free here.
[Thanks, Parth]
Apple Opens Up Compatibility Labs for Developers
If you’ve been a member of Apple’s Developer Connection program, you’ve no doubt taken advantage of Apple’s compatibility labs. If you’ve ever wanted to test the next hit application on a variety of hardware, Apple launched on Monday a $99 Single Day Lab Day Pass for compatibility lab testing inside the Tokyo and Cupertino campuses.
500 different hardware configurations are available for testing from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and while Apple Lab Engineers will be on hand to assist you with configurations, items such as certification and engineering support aren’t available.
It’s suggest that you’d inquire for a Day Pass three days before you actually need to use the labs, and while the $99 Day Pass makes Apple’s labs accessible, you can’t forget about the travel and lodging fees you’ll incur along the way. Hopefully you’re a native on the American West Coast (or metropolitan Japan).
Apple has a spiffy compatibility lab site you can check out here.
[via Macworld]
Times for iPad: Beautiful Visual Newsreader. Review and Giveaway.
Ever since I bought the iPad, I knew it was going to change the way I read news online. Be it the New York Times or MacStories, TechCrunch or The Huffington Post, the iPad and the developers who create new apps for this new device have changed the way we approach news. At least this is what we thought before Flipboard came out. Flipboard pushed the game to the next level, enabling users to create their own digital magazine starting from their Twitter and Facebook streams - something many had tried in the past but never quite nailed as much as McCue and his guys did.
Now we have choices: RSS readers, apps that start from RSS subscriptions to build something visually new, and Flipboard. In fact, we reviewed a lot of these “visual newsreaders” in the past.
Where does Times for iPad fit?
MobileMe Calendar Beta NOT Public
[Update]: What was implied as an update available to all users, the author must have just received his invite and got a bit excited over it. The MobileMe Beta is still invite only - you can learn more and request access to the beta here: Apple calendar preview.
With MacStories on pause between a bit of R&R, we hope you haven’t missed out on the new MobileMe Calendar Beta now available to you iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch savvy subscribers. Having just launched yesterday evening, your MobileMe calendar now includes redesigned views, along with improvements to calendar sharing and event invitations. We’ve shown it off before, but you actually get the chance to play with it. Enjoy!
[via The Loop]