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Tag: Macworld

  • Samsung’s Exynos Chip Lags Hopelessly Behind Apple’s A-Series

    Samsung’s Exynos Chip Lags Hopelessly Behind Apple’s A-Series

    Samsung’s Exynos chip was lauded as one of the best chances for the Android world to challenge Apple’s performance on smartphones…but that hasn’t happened.

    Apple has long held the performance crown in the smartphone market. While all of the major smartphone makers rely on Arm-based chips, Apple’s long history of semiconductor design has paid dividends, allowing it to dominate performance benchmarks, and real-world performance.

    Samsung’s Exynos 2200, which is one of the options in the company’s flagship Galaxy S22, was thought to be one of the best chances of dethroning Apple, or at least giving it a run for its money. Unlike Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, the Exynos 2200 chip is Samsung’s own design, giving it the ability to control “the whole widget,” much like Apple does.

    Unfortunately, the Exynos 2200 simply doesn’t deliver the goods, according to MacWorld and its sister site, Tech Advisor. In benchmark after benchmark, the Exynos 2200 was only able to seriously challenge the iPhone 11, with its outdated A13 processor. Compared to the more recent A14 and A15, the Exynos 2200 doesn’t even come close.

    Ultimately, with the poor showing of Samsung’s home-grown chip, it seems Google’s Tensor line of chips, may be the best chance of eventually challenging Apple.

  • Apple TV+ Trial Will Go to Three Months July 1

    Apple TV+ Trial Will Go to Three Months July 1

    Apple is shortening the length of the Apple TV+ free trial, from a full year to three months, effective July 1.

    Apple TV+ is the company’s premium TV streaming service, with a focus on original programming. It recently passed 40 million users, and boasts a number of hit shows and movies, including Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Mythic Quest and Tom Hanks’ Greyhound.

    Until now, Apple has included a free year subscription with the purchase of a new Mac or iOS device, as well as a new Apple TV. The year-long, complimentary subscription was a way for Apple to boost and retain subscribers as it worked to rolled out its original programming.

    First spotted by MacWorld, it appears Apple is reducing the free trial period to three months. On the Apple TV+ marketing page, it says subscribers will received a free year subscription “when you purchase and activate an Apple device before June 30th, 2021.”

    In the footnote clarifying the terms, it says: “Eligible devices activated July 1, 2021, or later will qualify for offers of 3 months free Apple TV+. Eligible devices activated on June 30, 2021, or earlier will qualify for offers of 12 months free Apple TV+.”

    It remains to be seen how well Apple TV+ will do without a year-long, free subscription artificially propping it up. If the company can continue releasing critically acclaimed programming, however, it just may continuing gaining ground.

  • Apple May Let Users Set Default Music and Podcast Apps

    Apple May Let Users Set Default Music and Podcast Apps

    Apple may be preparing to allow users to select their default music and podcast apps, according to reports on the iOS 14.5 beta.

    Apple has been loosening some of its control over iOS, giving users the ability to choose default applications. It began with allowing users to select their email client and web browser, instead of Mail and Safari. It appears Apple is taking it a step further, opening the door for users to select their default music and podcast apps.

    According to users on Reddit, via MacWorld, once iOS 14.5 beta is installed, asking Siri to play a song prompts the user to select from a list of available services. Siri will then prompt the user to allow access to the app’s data. Once permission is given, Siri will use that app for future requests.

    The results are still somewhat spotty, likely indicating the feature is still early in its development. Even so, if the feature makes it into the final version of iOS 14.5, it will give users significantly more choice and help Apple address concerns that its apps have an unfair advantage over third-party options.

  • Macworld Ends Print Publication, Reduces Staff

    News broke today that the print version of Macworld is being shut down as IDG laid off most of the staff. The online version will continue, but also with a reduced staff.

    The news emerged from tweets by staff, which were picked up by Valleywag earlier.

    From Senior Editor Roman Loyola:

    From Editor Dan Miller:

    The fate of the Macworld/iWorld conference is unclear.

    Image via Macworld

  • Here’s Noah Wyle Doing a Great Steve Jobs at Macworld 1999

    Today, at Macworld / iWorld 2013, Ashton Kutcher talked playing the role of Steve Jobs in the upcoming film jOBS. In 1999, Noah Wyle (who played Jobs in Pirates of Silicon Valley) impersonated the iconic Apple co-founder at that year’s Macworld show.

    The video quality is bad, but it’s worth a watch. As a bonus, Jobs himself comes out and tells him he’s doing it all wrong.

  • MacWorld iWorld: Best Of Show Winners Announced

    MacWorld iWorld: Best Of Show Winners Announced

    The editors of Macworld have released their list of winners of Best Of Show at this year’s Macworld | iWorld conference. The list is a diverse collection of apps and accessories, ranging in price from free all the way up to $200.

    – Adonit Jot Touch. This innovative stylus blends an internal spring, bluetooth in the stylus, and iPad software to create the first pressure sensitive stylus for the iPad.

    – Spark Digital Microphone from Blue Microphones. This professional-grade condenser mic is compatible with both the Mac and the iPad. It uses the same studio-grade technology as Blue Microphones’s previous microphones. It sells for $200.

    – iStopMotion for iPad. Available in the App Store at an introductory price of $4.99 (regularly $9.99), this app allows users to take several pictures in succession and stitch them together into a stop-motion video that can then be exported to YouTube or the iPad’s camera roll.

    – Dev Audio Microcone. Designed for group conversations, Dev Audio’s mutlidirectional Microcone can record in six directions, on six different audio channels. Included software allows users to edit the audio of the six channels individually.

    – FileThis Fetch. Fetch automatically collects your statements from a variety of financial institutions – banks, credit card companies, etc. – and presents them to you in an easy-to-navigate format. The service, which costs $2 per month unless you purchase a pre-paid plan, gathers all your financial information into one place, allowing you to review and search your informaiton without having to sign into multiple accounts.

    – Game Your Video. This iPhone app allows you to add a variety of special effect to your videos in an interface designed to feel more like playing a game than editing a video. The app sells for $1.99 in the App Store.

    – i4software’s Video Camera. Video Camera is another video editing app, albeit more powerful than Game Your Video. It’s designed to be both easy to use and feature-rich. Remarkably, it includes a feature that allows recording from as many as 8 remote cameras simultaneously. The app sells for $7.99 in the app store.

    – xPrintServer. This small device connects to your wireless router and automatically discovers any printers on your network. It allows iOS users to print directly to any printer on the network from their devices.

    – blinQ. This device turns the iPhone into a universal remote. The remote itself plugs into the iPhone’s headphone jack. The blinQ iPhone app provides the control interface and social networking features, allowing you to post what you’re watching on Twitter or Facebook.

    – PDFpen for iPad. The iPad version of Smile’s PDF editing software (originally for Mac) offers an array of powerful tools for editing and annotating PDF files on the iPad. In addition to the editing features, the app also allows for storing documents in various cloud services including iCloud, Dropbox, Evernote, and Google Docs, which means that you can edit the same file from either your iPad or your Mac. The app sells for $9.99 in the App Store.

    – TourWrist. There are dozens of apps in the App Store that take panoramic photos, and most of them work equally well. TourWrist does something unique, though. It blurs the line between panoramic photo and augmented reality: when you look at a TourWrist image, it moves as you move your iPhone or iPad, making a full 360-degree tour of any environment. Tours created in the app can be uploaded to TourWrist’s website or shared in a variety of other locations. TourWrist is a free universal app available in the App Store.

  • MacWorld iWorld: Jetpack Joyride Wins Best App Ever

    Halfbrick Studios, maker of the ridiculously addictive Fruit Ninja, have another hit on their hands, it seems. Their Jetpack Joyride game has just been announced as the winner of the MacWorld | iWorld Best App Ever award. Second place went to Temple Run, while Tiny Wings took third.

    Jetpack Joyride beat 19 other competitors to take the top prize. While most of the other apps in the category are games, many are not. This year also marks the first time that Android apps have been included in the competition. Of the 20 apps in the category, 10 are Android apps – including Angry Birds, Evernote, and Google Maps. All three of the top apps are iOS apps, however.

    Jetpack Joyride is a universal iOS app available for free from the App Store, as is Temple Run. Tiny Wings sells for $0.99. While Jetpack Joyride took the top award overall, there were over 100 categories in which apps could compete. There were several overall categories including Most Innovative App, Most Useful App, and Best Time Killer. There were also more specialized categories, including Best Social Networking App, Best E-Reader App, Best Mobile Office App, and many more. You can check out the full list of categories and winners on the Best App Ever site.

  • MacWorld iWorld: Intoxicase Puts A Bottle Opener On Your iPhone

    MacWorld iWorld: Intoxicase Puts A Bottle Opener On Your iPhone

    Spicebox has been showing off their new Intoxicase iPhone cases at MacWorld | iWorld this week. The two cases – Intoxicase and Intoxicase Plus – have built-in bottle openers. There is also an app that allows users to track how much they drink, share their drinking habits on social media (if they want), and even call a taxi cab when they’ve had too much.

    The opener on the Intoxicase Plus, pictured above, has a slim profile, but unfolds into a sturdy stainless steel bottle opener. The opener on the Intoxicase looks more like a traditional bottle opener, but protrudes further from the back of the case.

    Intoxicase

    The cases are available for pre-order in the Intoxicase store. The Intoxicase is $25, and the Intoxicase Plus is $35. The Intoxicase app is available now as a free download.

    Intoxicase App

    The makers of the Intoxicase made a video detailing the cases’ design, and describing both the inspiration for the case and the testing that they put it through. Check it out below, then let us know what you think in the comments.

  • MacWorld iWorld: Creston Lets You Control Your House From Your iPhone

    Creston has been showing off their new home/business automation system at MacWorld | iWorld. Creston’s system allows users to control lights, entertainment systems, electronic window blinds, and more, all from their iOS (or Android) devices.

    Of course, the system doesn’t come cheap. The full home or business automation hardware setup runs in the neighborhood of $2,000. On top of that, the control app for the iPhone is another $99. At that price tag, the system is going to be of more interest to business customers than to most homeowners. Homeowners with Creston’s system installed can use their iPhones to perform all sorts of home-related functions, though. In addition to turning lights on and off, they can also use the system to check the status of their home alarms remotely, as well as a host of other options. The interface is also customizable, allowing users – whether enterprise or home users – to perform a series of complex actions with just a tap on their screen.

  • Macworld iWorld: Video Camera App Lets You Record, Edit And Share

    Macworld iWorld: Video Camera App Lets You Record, Edit And Share

    You could create a movie on the iPhone before, but you could never really make a movie. i4software wants to remedy that.

    At Macworld iWorld today, the company announced their new cleverly titled Video Camera app. It aims to simplify the process of shooting, editing and sharing video by combining all three processes into a single application.

    But wait, there’s more! Video Camera’s built-in networking capabilities, so graciously provided by the iPod that it’s running off of, let groups of people share the video recording experience together in real time.

    “I always enjoyed making movies, but while shooting was quick, editing became time consuming,” software architect Michael Zaletel, i4software’s CEO, and Video Camera’s creator, said. “The concept of combining acquisition and editing is revolutionary.”

    The app sells itself on being easy and powerful. It works with the front and back cameras of recent iPhones, but it reportedly works on the 3GS model as well! The app’s live editing tool allows users to add, rearrange, trim and delete clips as they see fit. As you choose and trim clips, the app creates a timeline where you can refine, reorder and add transitions to your creation. You’ll be the next Steven Spielberg in no time!

    The app works with the iPhone 4 and 4S, fourth generation iPod touch and iPad 2. It lets you shoot video in 1080p, 720p and standard definition, or as my friends like to call it, 360p.

    Triple tapping the the screen offers more experienced users the ability to control exposure, focus and white balance. The app also has full zoom control.

    The app also includes the convenient features found in every other video editing program such as intros, background music and transition choices. You can now shoot a skateboarding video set to Drowning Pool’s classic rock hit “Bodies” on your iPhone.

    With Video Camera, you can also use a range of actual cameras using the iPad Camera Connection Kit. The list of supported cameras include GoPro Hero, Panasonic GH1 or GH2 and more.

    When you’re done filming your masterpiece worthy of an oscar, you can upload it to Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo in two resolutions.

    Video Camera remote camera feature takes the concept of movie-making as a social experience and turns it into reality. Groups of up to eight shooters can simultaneously record an event from different angles and combine the scenes into a single masterpiece worthy of Tommy Wiseau.

    The current group shooting functionality requires all the phone to be on the same Wi-Fi network, but soon the developer will tap into 3G networks via a secure server to deliver worldwide simultaneous shooting. Finally, my dream of shooting a 1930s crime mystery thriller that suddenly cuts to live footage of a giraffe grazing on the savanna will become a reality.

    Video Camera is now available on the iTunes store for the low price of $8.

    All the World’s a Stage from i4Software on Vimeo.

  • MacWorld: App Lets Users Track Rocket Launches

    MacWorld: App Lets Users Track Rocket Launches

    Vito Technology announced today at Macworld the ability to track rockets into space with their Solar Walk and Star Walk apps.

    The apps have been out on the market for a while and have recently added satellite tracking to their list of features. Speaking at Macworld, they announced that they soon will be adding the ability to track rocket launches from the SpaceX program.

    Star Walk is an app that lets users locate and identify objects in the night sky. Solar Walk provides a 3D model of the solar system. Star Walk has a dedicated iPhone version along with an iPad-optimized version. Solar Walk is compatible across both devices.

    Vito Technology has signed an agreement with the European Space Agency. The first technology to come from their cooperation was a spectrum bar for their Star Walk app. It allows users to view the sky in different wavelengths.

    They are also working with the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, to provide live space rocket tracking to both devices.

    Vito Technology is using Macworld to showcase the education opportunities of their apps to coincide with Apple’s education initiative revealed in New York last week.