The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/MacBook Pro users getting bitten by HDCPhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/19/macbook-pro-users-getting-bitten-by-hdcp/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/19/macbook-pro-users-getting-bitten-by-hdcp/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/19/macbook-pro-users-getting-bitten-by-hdcp/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Yesterday, our buddy David Chartier at Ars and Sam Oliver at AppleInsider both publicized an issue that's been burning up the support boards for a while now: iTunes video rentals and purchases in HD are flagged for HDCP control, and in cooperation with the new Mini DisplayPort connector on the MacBook and MacBook Pro unibody models, those movies and TV shows are refusing to play back on non-compliant external displays.

In this case, 'compliant' means HDMI or recent-vintage DVI, but even monitors or TVs that support HDCP may not properly negotiate with the DisplayPort connector to give iTunes and QuickTime the all-clear signal (if so, quitting and relaunching iTunes once the display is hooked up may clear the playback hold). Equally annoying: HDCP is only supposed to apply to 'high-value' digital streams, meaning standard-def purchases and rentals on the iTunes store should be out of scope... but some reports indicate that both the HD and SD instances are flagged, blocking playback on anything but the laptop's internal display or a straight-thru HDMI connection. Argh!

While Apple TV users with unconventional output setups have been dealing with this aggravation since the beginning of the year, MacBook and MBP owners have largely steered clear, even as the HD content on iTunes became available for playback on the laptops. Now that the hardware and software have come into sync on the unibody models, Apple's compliance with HDCP -- a necessary but appalling condition of the content companies that deliver the HD movies and TV shows -- is beginning to close out the 'analog hole' and cause real aggravation for laptop owners with legitimate use cases. Talk about a bag of hurt.

MacBook Pro users getting bitten by HDCP originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)MacBook Pro users getting bitten by HDCP originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>agitadisplayportdrmhdcpitunesMichael RoseWed, 19 Nov 2008 17:07:00 ESTAhem... where's the new In-Ear Headphones, Apple?http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/11/ahem-wheres-the-new-in-ear-headphones-apple/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/11/ahem-wheres-the-new-in-ear-headphones-apple/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/11/ahem-wheres-the-new-in-ear-headphones-apple/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Gallery: Apple In-Ear Headphones

Some of you might remember the music event in September. Not only did Steve Jobs give us new iPods, but he also promised that Apple would be releasing new in-ear headphones in October. If anyone hasn't noticed, it's now mid-November, and there's no sign of the new headphones anywhere.

Has Apple simply abandoned the release of these new headphones? If history repeats itself, then we might get these sometime next year. When I contacted Apple's sales staff, they told me that there is "no set release date." You can check out the In-Ear Headphones store entry by clicking here; someday you might even be able to buy them for $79 US .

View Poll

Ahem... where's the new In-Ear Headphones, Apple? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Ahem... where's the new In-Ear Headphones, Apple? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>delayearbudsIn-Ear HeadphonesIn-earHeadphonesreleaseCory BohonTue, 11 Nov 2008 10:08:00 ESTFireWire feedback from readers and Applehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/16/firewire-feedback-from-readers-and-apple/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/16/firewire-feedback-from-readers-and-apple/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/16/firewire-feedback-from-readers-and-apple/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Yesterday's discussion post about the exclusion of FireWire from the newest MacBooks generated a tremendous amount of reader feedback and discussion. We decided to take an unscientific straw Twitter poll which generated a large response, underscoring that for the Mac community, FireWire is a big deal.

The responses to the blog post were largely in support of my thesis: that losing FireWire from the MacBook is a big deal and a potential (or actual) deal-breaker for many, many users. This was to be expected, as people who are upset about FireWire's disappearance are more likely to respond to an article sharing that sentiment. On Twitter, however, when we just asked, "Is the lack of FireWire on the new unibody MacBook a deal-breaker for you, yes or no?" the data was less skewed.

A majority of the Twitter users that responded to our poll said "no, it is not a deal-breaker." Many commented that the loss is disappointing, but ultimately it won't prevent them from buying a new MacBook. Still, more than one third of the responses were "yes, this is a deal-breaker." Many users are considering putting off upgrading altogether; others expressed discomfort with being forced to buy a MacBook Pro (either the new units, or the now heavily-discounted older units).

A note to concerned future MacBook Pro users: you can get an inexpensive cable with FW400 on one end and FW800 on the other -- no adapter needed, just a new cord for your camera or audio device. Be warned, however, that the presence of a FW400 device in the chain will drop the speed of any FW800 devices to the older standard.

Reader David sent Steve Jobs (or sjobs@apple.com) an e-mail, expressing his disappointment by the lack of FireWire on new MacBooks. The response (which David forwarded and we verified had the correct mail-header information), is pretty interesting...

Continue reading FireWire feedback from readers and Apple

FireWire feedback from readers and Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)FireWire feedback from readers and Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuresfirewirefirewire 400Firewire400macbookChristina WarrenThu, 16 Oct 2008 19:00:00 ESTZut alors! MacBook announcement doesn't translate well http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/15/zut-alors-macbook-announcement-doesnt-translate-well/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/15/zut-alors-macbook-announcement-doesnt-translate-well/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/15/zut-alors-macbook-announcement-doesnt-translate-well/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Thanks to what appears to be a character encoding problem on a French version of the Apple website, the MacBook announcement -- meant to say "perfectly designed" in French -- came out reading "perfectly dumb" (or as one of our tipsters said, a more vulgar version of "perfectly poopy").

That wasn't the only problem: according to Macenstein, a Macgeneration article noted that the announcements were replete with spelling and grammatical errors. (Link is en français.)

The pages have since been updated with better grammar.

Unfortunately my decade-old high school French can't tell me what about the grammar is wrong, but hopefully our commenters can let us know by leaving a comment.

Thanks, Bertie and Fabrizio!

Zut alors! MacBook announcement doesn't translate well originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Zut alors! MacBook announcement doesn't translate well originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>frenchgrammarmacbookmacensteinmacgenerationspellingtranslationRobert PalmerWed, 15 Oct 2008 14:00:00 ESTApple and the App Store: meme of the momenthttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/26/apple-and-app-store-meme-of-the-moment/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/26/apple-and-app-store-meme-of-the-moment/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/26/apple-and-app-store-meme-of-the-moment/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's been a couple of months since I first posted my thoughts on the iPhone App Store review process and called for greater objectivity, transparency, and consistency from Apple. Apple's review process has become the meme of the moment this week. Here's a quick run-down of some of the big (and less big) stories out there at the moment:

Engadget
Ryan Block, with the help of Geek Lawyer (and TUAW buddy) Nilay Patel, looks at the App Store review system and finds it lacking. (Full disclosure: I had a very minor hand in this post.)

Joy of Tech
Here's Joy of Tech's hilarious take on the App-Store review process. (Thanks, Jonathan K!)

Mobile Chat
The authors of Mobile Chat are offering refunds, as they can't tell if or when they will ever be accepted to the App Store with a functioning product.

LateNiteSoft
Here's a thoughtful essay about the "Cruel Economy of the App Store." It's really a terrific read.

Macworld
Don't ascribe malicious intent to what can be explained by incompetence and too-rapid growth of the App Store, suggests this Macworld writeup.

Apple and the App Store: meme of the moment originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple and the App Store: meme of the moment originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>App StoreAppStoreiPhoneErica SadunFri, 26 Sep 2008 12:30:00 ESTApple settles options backdating lawsuithttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/10/apple-settles-options-backdating-lawsuit/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/10/apple-settles-options-backdating-lawsuit/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/10/apple-settles-options-backdating-lawsuit/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Associated Press reports that Steve Jobs and other senior executives have settled a stockholder lawsuit claiming they mishandled stock option awards.

Insurers representing Jobs and Apple's board will pay Apple, Inc. $14 million, which tidily covers almost $9 million in attorney's fees and expenses. The settlement puts to rest a series of suits related to Apple's options backdating scandal.

Apple had no comment on the matter.

The settlement and the suit behind it is a little complicated: In a traditional stockholder lawsuit, the stockholders must prove that the stock price was negatively affected by the actions of the defendants. Since accounting problems that follow options-backdating scandals frequently don't affect stock price, the lawsuit is called a "derivative lawsuit."

In a derivative lawsuit, shareholders sue company leaders individually on behalf of the company, claiming they caused harm to the company's interests. The executives settled with Apple and its shareholders, offering the $14 million in exchange for dropping the suit. The money comes from the insurance companies, as the executives had policies in place to cover them in case they had to pay up. Got all that? There's a test at the end.

The settlement received preliminary approval in Federal district court on Monday. A final settlement hearing is scheduled for October 31.

[Via Valleywag.]

Apple settles options backdating lawsuit originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple settles options backdating lawsuit originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>lawsuitstock optionsStockOptionsRobert PalmerWed, 10 Sep 2008 20:30:00 ESTiPhone users reporting reboots due to high App counthttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/05/iphone-users-reporting-reboots-due-to-high-app-count/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/05/iphone-users-reporting-reboots-due-to-high-app-count/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/05/iphone-users-reporting-reboots-due-to-high-app-count/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Recently, TUAW has received numerous tips about near random iPhone boot loops that force users to restore their units. This forum thread suggests that these reboots may be due to the iPhone's onboard watchdog system.

The iPhone has to create a new Application Map whenever you load or unload apps to the system. Should the time to create that map exceed two minutes, the phone enters an endless boot cycle.

The solution proposed on the thread isn't of much general use -- it requires jailbroken shell access. You may want to limit the number and scope of Apps you load to your phone (i.e. cut down on those tip calculators and sudoku apps that we know you're secretly addicted to) to achieve the same, stable results.

Fewer apps mean a shorter time to generate that map and a better likelihood that your phone will work with greater reliability.

Thanks, Goran

iPhone users reporting reboots due to high App count originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)iPhone users reporting reboots due to high App count originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Application MapsApplicationMapsBad AppleBadAppleEndless RebootsEndlessRebootsiPhoneWatchdogErica SadunFri, 05 Sep 2008 16:00:00 ESTiPhone App rejected for "Limited Utility"http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/04/iphone-app-rejected-for-limited-utility/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/04/iphone-app-rejected-for-limited-utility/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/04/iphone-app-rejected-for-limited-utility/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When a developer submits a "Pull My Finger" application, you've kind of got to expect it's going to be rejected. iFartz was rejected. Ibrate was rejected -- and that one was even raising money for breast cancer research. Today, over at Mac Rumors, I read about "Pull My Finger"'s rejection for limited utility. Right at the bottom of the rejection letter was the name "Victor Wang".

Mr. Wang has become a near legend for his rejection letters, usually long, delayed (I suspect he's second- or third-tier in the review process) and for aesthetic reasons that leave developers blinking with surprise. While "Pull My Finger" would probably not meet "Koi Pond" levels of user reach (here's our look at Koi Pond), it could have a solid audience. It's a simple, stupid joke app (notice how I'm not pulling punches here) but it's the kind of simple, stupid joke app that a lot of people would download and use because people like simple, stupid joke apps.

I've complained about this before, so apologies to everyone who has heard this point -- the next post is just a wee bit below this one, feel free to scroll -- but until Apple offers developers a firm set of guidelines, developers will continue to be ticked off by seemingly arbitrary rejections like this one. Apple is clearly refusing applications that fail the sniff test -- and yes, I know that's a little more apt a metaphor than this application deserves. "Pull My Finger" is tasteless. Apple should have rejected it for that reason, rather than pulling new reasons out from thin air.

Apple needs to step forward, and do so soon, with a clear set of guidelines that explain to developers exactly what to expect when they press that "submit" button for their new app. Developers shouldn't be wasting Apple's time with unpublishable software. Apple should not be wasting Developers' time with a secretive and arbitrary review process.

Update: The app's author has set up a plea-page

iPhone App rejected for "Limited Utility" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)iPhone App rejected for "Limited Utility" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AppStoreDear JohnDearJohnDevelopersibrateiFartziPhoneRejection LettersRejectionLettersRejectionsErica SadunThu, 04 Sep 2008 19:30:00 ESTApple Store SoHo cited as a bad neighborhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/22/apple-store-soho-cited-as-a-bad-neighbor/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/22/apple-store-soho-cited-as-a-bad-neighbor/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/22/apple-store-soho-cited-as-a-bad-neighbor/#commentsFiled under: ,

Is Apple's oldest NYC retail store causing agita for its well-heeled neighbors in SoHo? AFP and Dow Jones are reporting that the SoHo Alliance, an umbrella community organization, has complained to city officials and Apple execs about a litany of issues with the popular outlet. Crowds outside the store (sometimes overnight) have blocked streets and left trash behind, to the frustration of nearby residents.

The recent Jonas Brothers in-store concert may have been the final indignity for alliance director Sean Sweeney. "This concert attracted thousands of young teenage girls who screamed incessantly on the street for hours for their idols, blocking traffic, injuring one resident in the crush, and inconveniencing scores of other people and businesses."

I suppose there's a price to pay for being busy and popular. Considering that the immediate vicinity of the store is home to scores of restaurants, bars and high-end boutiques, it's surprising that Apple is the biggest quality-of-life offender in the area, but maybe it's time for some of the bigger draws to move to the 14th Street store instead.

[via Cult of Mac]

Apple Store SoHo cited as a bad neighbor originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple Store SoHo cited as a bad neighbor originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>apple sohoAppleSohojonas brothersJonasBrothersnimbyretailsohoMichael RoseFri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:00 ESTApple recycling information mailer not so greenhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/20/apple-recycling-information-mailer-not-so-green/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/20/apple-recycling-information-mailer-not-so-green/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/20/apple-recycling-information-mailer-not-so-green/#commentsFiled under: , ,

An Apple Premium reseller in the UK sent us these photos of an Apple recycling information mailer they received: but the mailer itself was sent in a decidedly non-green way.

From photos the reseller sent, it appears the mailer consisted of two sheets of standard A4-sized paper. Those sheets of paper were placed inside a large, yellow clasp envelope. That envelope was then placed inside a corrugated cardboard box. The box was then mailed to the UK from Switzerland.

While all of these materials are recyclable, it seems like a little bit of a waste to send what could have fit in an everyday DL-sized envelope (that's about the size of a number 10 envelope for us Americans) in ridiculously oversized packaging. Plus, it probably would have saved them a bundle on postage.

Apple has been making a concerted effort to reduce its environmental footprint: not only with the program mentioned in this mailer, but for everything from iPhone packaging to how it makes its displays. Surely this isolated incident isn't representative of the company as a whole, but still. Sheesh.

Gallery: Not-So-Green Mailer

Apple recycling information mailer not so green originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple recycling information mailer not so green originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>environmentgreenmailerrecyclingRobert PalmerWed, 20 Aug 2008 13:00:00 ESTApple engineers: We're indentured servantshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/07/apple-engineers-were-indentured-servants/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/07/apple-engineers-were-indentured-servants/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/07/apple-engineers-were-indentured-servants/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

On Monday, a group of Apple technical staffers filed suit against Apple alleging that the company denied them overtime pay and meal compensation. Both the pay and meal compensation are required by California state law. The suit also claims that many Apple employees are subjected to working conditions that are similar to indentured servitude.

The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, David Walsh, was an Apple network engineer from 1995 to 2007. He stated that he was often required to work more than 40 hours a week, miss meals, and spend evenings and weekends on call without any overtime pay or meal compensation. [Author's personal comment: this is not unusual in the tech industry]

Walsh alleges that Apple deliberately classified Walsh and others as management employees so that they would not receive overtime compensation as required by California law for hourly employees. The class action suit also seeks to include the staffers at Apple Stores as plaintiffs.

Should the plaintiffs win, Apple could be required to revise its compensation practices and pay retroactive compensation to many present and past employees. Apple has not responded to the complaint.

Thanks to Charles for the tip!

Apple engineers: We're indentured servants originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple engineers: We're indentured servants originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appleengineerslawsuitovertimeSteven SandeThu, 07 Aug 2008 14:00:00 ESTiPhone hacker says devices "phone home," allows for disabling apps remotelyhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/07/iphone-hacker-says-devices-phone-home-allows-for-disabling-a/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/07/iphone-hacker-says-devices-phone-home-allows-for-disabling-a/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/07/iphone-hacker-says-devices-phone-home-allows-for-disabling-a/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

iPhone Atlas is reporting that Apple has a way to blacklist and remotely remove applications from your iPhone. According to the post, the iPhone will remotely "phone home" and check a posted blacklist of bad applications. These speculations are based on a URL found on Apple's site with references for a blacklisting mechanism:

https://iphone-services.apple.com/clbl/unauthorizedApps

Jonathan Zdziarski, an iPhone hacker, says nothing has been blacklisted as of yet. However, the mechanism is there, and the iPhone could call in on occasion to see what has been blacklisted. Zdziarski says that Apple could have the ability to shut down applications you've purchased from the App Store.

While this may sound like a privacy violation, our sources tell us that Apple has put this tool into place as a security measure to shut down rogue apps if needed, and it could simply be a proof of concept that hasn't yet been implemented for actual takedowns. We're not convinced that this is new, considering that the only entry in the unauthorizedApps list is dated "2004" and is clearly a test entry.

[via Engadget & Macrumors]

iPhone hacker says devices "phone home," allows for disabling apps remotely originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)iPhone hacker says devices "phone home," allows for disabling apps remotely originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>applicatonblacklistingiPhoneremoteremovalCory BohonThu, 07 Aug 2008 11:30:00 ESTArs: Jobs agrees MobileMe not up to Apple's standardshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/05/ars-jobs-agrees-mobileme-not-up-to-apples-standards/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/05/ars-jobs-agrees-mobileme-not-up-to-apples-standards/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/05/ars-jobs-agrees-mobileme-not-up-to-apples-standards/#commentsFiled under: ,

How often does Apple admit a mistake? It's a once-in-a-blue-iMoon occurrence, but now that Ars Technica is reporting the contents of an internal Steve Jobs all-hands email regarding the MobileMe launch challenges we can add one more instance to the tally board. Jobs apparently acknowledges that trying to rush the MobileMe migration while pushing iPhone 3G hardware and iPhone 2.0 software out the door (not to mention the iTunes App Store) may have been too much to bite off at once.

The money quote from the letter (yet to be confirmed by TUAW sources) is here:

"The MobileMe launch clearly demonstrates that we have more to learn about Internet services," Jobs says. "And learn we will. The vision of MobileMe is both exciting and ambitious, and we will press on to make it a service we are all proud of by the end of this year."

Ars also notes that MobileMe management will now be centralized under iTunes exec VP Eddy Cue, who will be leading the charge for all Apple internet services across the board. We've all been through the MobileMe ups and downs during the first weeks of the service; it's nice to know (belatedly) that Apple top brass is clued in.

Ars: Jobs agrees MobileMe not up to Apple's standards originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Ars: Jobs agrees MobileMe not up to Apple's standards originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>mobilemesteve jobsSteveJobsMichael RoseTue, 05 Aug 2008 00:15:00 ESTThe NetShare debacle: Apple, explain yourselfhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/04/the-netshare-debacle-apple-explain-yourself/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/04/the-netshare-debacle-apple-explain-yourself/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/04/the-netshare-debacle-apple-explain-yourself/#commentsFiled under: , ,

About the App Store

Put yourselves in Nullriver's shoes for a minute: you create an app (NetShare - see TUAW passim), which as far as you can tell does not break any of the App Store rules. You submit it to Apple for inclusion. It passes the vetting procedure (so it must be OK, right?) and goes live online, for sale to real people.

Then it disappears, with no warning. No explanation is given. Then it returns. For a while. Again, no explanation. Then it goes offline again. (I've now lost count how many times NetShare has been online, then offline, rinse and repeat.)

And throughout all this, you get nothing from Apple. No explanation. No reason. No polite email asking you to wait. Not even an impolite email. Nothing.

Continue reading The NetShare debacle: Apple, explain yourself

The NetShare debacle: Apple, explain yourself originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)The NetShare debacle: Apple, explain yourself originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bad appleBadApplenetsharenullrivernullriver softwareNullriverSoftwarerudeGiles TurnbullMon, 04 Aug 2008 17:00:00 ESTApple's DNS patch coming up shorthttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/apples-dns-patch-coming-up-short/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/apples-dns-patch-coming-up-short/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/apples-dns-patch-coming-up-short/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The distance between good intentions and actual results seems to be getting longer and longer. While Apple did release a security patch yesterday that included a fix to BIND for the highly publicized cache poisoning exploit -- some time after most other vendors got updates out to customers -- that fix doesn't seem to be, you know, actually working.

Multiple sources have noted that Apple's DNS patch, at least on Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 client versions, isn't implementing the key feature that's meant to block cache poisoning: port randomization on requests. While the same version of BIND running on Linux systems behaves as expected, Mac OS X machines doggedly issue DNS requests on sequential ports, making them far more vulnerable to spoofing by malicious folk.

This may seem like an esoteric vulnerability, and indeed for most Mac users the more important question is whether or not your ISP or network manager has patched the primary DNS servers you rely on (you can check your DNS server status via Dan Kaminsky's tool here). The behavior of Apple on this security issue, however, is very troubling. Waiting weeks to issue a patch for a key vulnerability and lagging behind other OS vendors is bad enough; shipping that patch only to have the user community discover that it doesn't work worth a bucket of warm spit ... that's not the act of a company that claims to care deeply about the security of its customers.

Update: Kaminsky suggests that we lighten up; Mac OS X Server (which would be the most vulnerable to attack, if it serves as the primary DNS for your network) has been patched, even if the client patch isn't behaving properly yet.

Apple's DNS patch coming up short originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple's DNS patch coming up short originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dnsexploitsecuritywhoopsMichael RoseFri, 01 Aug 2008 17:00:00 ESTApple's quality dwindling: My MacBook Pro sob storyhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/apples-quality-dwindling-my-macbook-pro-sob-story/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/apples-quality-dwindling-my-macbook-pro-sob-story/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/apples-quality-dwindling-my-macbook-pro-sob-story/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When faced with the dilemma of upgrading my iBook G4 in June, I started looking for a replacement that would have the same performance as my Intel iMac. I decided upon getting a MacBook Pro 15". With money in hand, I eagerly clicked the "buy now" button on Apple's website. Little did I know that I would be trading in my MacBook Pro more than 6 times over the next 2 months.

I received my first MacBook Pro, and it was beautiful. I loved everything about it. However, after 2 weeks of use, I started noticing the screen striping symptom that others before me have noted. This problem usually occurred after charging the computer from a half-filled battery and unplugging the MagSafe power cable. I didn't think anything of this problem, since it only happened once or twice. After another week of use, the striping problem started becoming an everyday part of charging the computer. I called Apple and even emailed them the picture that you see above (minus the additional note) -- they did nothing and said it was a "software glitch."

The first MacBook Pro did have another problem: When I went to check my email one day, every program would crash repeatedly. I immediately ran the Apple hardware test (AHT) to find out what was going on. As any unlucky person (me) would have it, the memory sticks were dead. I called AppleCare, told them all of the problems I was having and then told them about the AHT results. They set up a replacement order since I was having hardware problems within the first month of ownership.

Continue reading to learn more about my MacBook Pro woes.

Continue reading Apple's quality dwindling: My MacBook Pro sob story

Apple's quality dwindling: My MacBook Pro sob story originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple's quality dwindling: My MacBook Pro sob story originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ApplebadMacBook ProMacbookProQualityCory BohonFri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:00 ESTMobileMe update: mail restored to 1% of users, syncing issue resolvedhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/29/mobileme-update-mail-restored-to-1-of-users-syncing-issue-res/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/29/mobileme-update-mail-restored-to-1-of-users-syncing-issue-res/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/29/mobileme-update-mail-restored-to-1-of-users-syncing-issue-res/#commentsFiled under: ,

Good old David G., the mysterious author of Apple's MobileMe Status blog, has good news for that unfortunate 1% of MobileMe users who couldn't use their email accounts. All email services, including 'historical messages,' have been restored (it is unclear if this means all messages are back in their right place).

Apple has set up a special MobileMe Mail Dedicated Chat Support to help those folks who had email issues sort everything out. If you were one of the chosen few, head on over there to discuss what happened with a friendly, and helpful, Apple support tech.

In addition to resolving the email issue, David G. says that nasty syncing issue (you remember, the one that was wiping people's iPhones of any and all contacts) has been corrected as well. Most MobileMe users didn't see this issue, and for the few that did it seems to have sorted itself out, however, if you're still having this issue check out Apple's KB article for the solution to your syncing woes.

Hey, David G., since it looks like you have MobileMe under control can I report a bug about the MobileMe Status blog? Thanks! There is no way to link directly to a post, like the post I'm talking about right this second, which makes it hard to make sure people see the entry I'm talking about. I'm sure you just forgot to click a button in iWeb or something.

MobileMe update: mail restored to 1% of users, syncing issue resolved originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)MobileMe update: mail restored to 1% of users, syncing issue resolved originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>mobilemeScott McNultyTue, 29 Jul 2008 23:57:00 ESTMobileMe: the case of the vanishing iPhone contacts (Update)http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/28/mobileme-the-case-of-the-vanishing-iphone-contacts/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/28/mobileme-the-case-of-the-vanishing-iphone-contacts/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/28/mobileme-the-case-of-the-vanishing-iphone-contacts/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Another day, another new way for MobileMe to anger folks. Today we are hearing lots of grumbling about people seeing their contacts and calendars disappearing from their iPhones after a sync with MobileMe. Luckily, it looks like it is only the iPhone that is wiped, the contacts/events are still on their Macs.

Wyn called Apple support and they suggested disabling automatic syncing and manually syncing to clear up the problem. That gives a new definition to push.

This seems like a good time to remind people to back up your data before you enable any sort of automatic syncing. Read on after the jump to see how to backup your Address Book and iCal events, just in case.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in and thanks to FailMe for the graphic.

Update: It is 8:30pm on the east coast of the US, and Apple has just posted this note on the MobileMe System Status: "Some MobileMe members may be unable to sync new, edited, or deleted contacts, calendars, and bookmarks over the air between computers and mobile devices (iPhone and iPod Touch). Service will be restored ASAP. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Continue reading MobileMe: the case of the vanishing iPhone contacts (Update)

MobileMe: the case of the vanishing iPhone contacts (Update) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)MobileMe: the case of the vanishing iPhone contacts (Update) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>mobilemeplease-dont-pushsyncingScott McNultyMon, 28 Jul 2008 20:00:00 ESTUnlucky 1 percent of MobileMe email users may get reliefhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/26/unlucky-1-percent-of-mobileme-email-users-get-some-relief/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/26/unlucky-1-percent-of-mobileme-email-users-get-some-relief/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/26/unlucky-1-percent-of-mobileme-email-users-get-some-relief/#commentsFiled under: , ,

How big is one percent? If it's a surcharge on your restaurant check, not that much; if it's a point on your mortgage, ow. If it's a chunk of .Mac/MobileMe email account holders who are left hanging for a week without access to their email... well, let's just say that anyone in that select and sorry lot who used a mac.com email address for professional or vital communications is justifiably furious right now.

The good news, if you can say that under the circumstances, is that the outage that started July 18 may be coming to a close. Apple has posted a tech note on the ongoing issues, launched a blog to cover the MobileMe introduction challenges, and provided some additional details about what happened. As of 10 pm PDT last night, the one-percenters should be able to log into MobileMe webmail and retrieve messages from the July 18-25 outage window, though none from before the problem started are available yet. Apple also warns affected users NOT to change MobileMe passwords, aliases or storage allocations until the problem is cleared up, so be alert.

As the problem was triggered by a "serious issue" on one of Apple's mail servers, some messages got dropped in the bit bucket and will never come back (unless you have them cached in a local client like Mail.app, Entourage, Thunderbird or Outlook). Apple's statement:

While the vast majority of your email messages will be fully restored, a small percentage of email messages in the affected accounts have regrettably been lost. This includes approximately 10% of messages received between 5:00 a.m. PDT on July 16 and 10:20 a.m. PDT on July 18. We sincerely apologize for any email messages you may have lost.

Apologies are well and good -- but considering the MobileMe terms of service, that's about all you can expect to see, as Apple isn't liable for lost business or damages due to the outage. If there's a lesson in this, maybe it's that mission-critical users should own their own domains and public-facing email addresses, so that they can redirect incoming mail in a crisis. Depending on a single provider for mail (even ones with a reputation for reliability) can bite you.

Written by Michael Rose. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Unlucky 1 percent of MobileMe email users may get relief originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Unlucky 1 percent of MobileMe email users may get relief originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>emailmobilemepainMichael RoseSat, 26 Jul 2008 09:00:00 ESTLongtime mobile developer feels no love from Applehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/18/longtime-mobile-developer-feels-no-love-from-apple/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/18/longtime-mobile-developer-feels-no-love-from-apple/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/18/longtime-mobile-developer-feels-no-love-from-apple/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Ilium Software products App Store debut delayedImagine you are a software development company that has been around for 11 years, with award-winning titles for mobile computing devices. You follow the rules, you submit iPhone versions of your applications to the App Store, and yet you still haven't seen your programs make it to the store.

This is the boat that a lot of developers are in, but it is particularly frustrating for Ilium Software. Ilium has sold two well-respected applications -- eWallet and ListPro -- for Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices for years, and has a number of other commercial and free mobile applications on the market.

According to Ilium spokesperson Ellen Craw, eWallet has been "in the queue" at Apple for over two weeks, and they can't get any word from App Store personnel on when their highly anticipated app will actually appear online. The comments in Ilium's blog are particularly revealing, as longtime customers are also frustrated by the black hole at Apple.

Having used Ilium's products before, I'm waiting for both ListPro and eWallet to show up in the store to fill those niches on my iPhone. What other great products are being held up by Apple? We'd love to know!

Longtime mobile developer feels no love from Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Longtime mobile developer feels no love from Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app storeAppStoredelaydeveloperiphoneSteven SandeFri, 18 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST