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Filed under: Gaming, Hardware, Software, Odds and ends, Apple, Apple TV

Apple has updated a patent that they already held featuring a sort of a Magic Wand -- a remote control for operating a media system by controlling an on-screen cursor. That might sound familiar if you own a Wii -- even the pictures look very similar to the way the Wiimote currently works. And the pictures tell us something else: not only does the patent itself mention a "media system," but the user interface looks very similar to the current Front Row interface on the Apple TV. So it's likely that if Apple is updating this patent, they're working on a new remote to control their set-top box.

But that doesn't mean it's the only thing they'd use a motion controller for -- I speculated a long time ago that Apple might want to put their now substantial App Store library into play on another platform, and a motion controller would go a long way towards replicating the touchscreen and accelerometer capability of the iPhone. Of course, this patent only means Apple is playing around with these ideas, not actually releasing hardware based on them. But it just shows that they're thinking along the same lines in terms of improving the browsing and interface experience.

TUAWApple updates patent for magic wand remote originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Developer

The very first book I bought for programming the iPhone was none other than Erica Sadun's iPhone Developer's Cookbook. It wasn't the first book of Erica's I had purchased -- years ago I bought her Desktop Video book -- but it was an excellent introduction into the secret world of iPhone development. If you recall, Apple's cloak of silence (aka the NDA all developers had to agree to) prohibited developers from even talking about how to write programs for the iPhone! Erica, as is her style, was rarin' to go with a book detailing common practices all developers would find useful, especially n00bs like myself.

I should note that InformIT, the publishers, also have sample chapters for a bunch of Mac and iPhone developer books available here.

So I'm very happy to say we are giving away five copies of the second edition of The iPhone Developer's Cookbook. To enter, you must be over 18, in the US or Canada, and leave a comment on this post. The rest of the rules are below. Good luck and get coding!

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter leave a comment on this post.
• The comment must be left before Friday, January 8, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Time.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
• Prize: one copy of iPhone Developer's Cookbook, 2nd edition (Value: US$40.49)
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

TUAWWin a copy of the iPhone Developer's Cookbook originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

If you're like me, you find it impossible to keep up with the constant stream of apps being written for the iPhone and iPod touch. As a result, you wind up missing some useful or fun apps that you would buy if you just knew that they were in the App Store.

Searching the App Store using iTunes doesn't work very well, and there are plenty of sites that review apps (including TUAW), but there are so many apps out there that finding what you want can be a matter of luck rather than skill.

That problem has largely been solved with Appsaurus [iTunes link], a U.S. $0.99 app that can quickly focus on what kinds of apps you like and make decent suggestions for new apps to try or buy.

Here's how Appsaurus works. When you launch the app for the first time, it presents you with an explore mode. It displays a list of apps, and you tap the ones that are of interest to you. You may have some of the apps, but you probably won't have all of them. When you select a favorite you'll get a new list that includes apps that match the general description of the app you clicked on. Run through a few iterations of this process, and the app begins to learn your preferences.If you're like me, you find it impossible to keep up with the constant stream of apps being written for the iPhone and iPod touch. As a result, you wind up missing some useful or fun apps that you would buy if you just knew that they were in the App Store.

Searching the App Store using iTunes doesn't work very well, and there are plenty of sites that review apps (including TUAW), but there are so many apps out there that finding what you want can be a matter of luck rather than skill.

That problem has largely been solved with Appsaurus [iTunes link], a U.S. $0.99 app that can quickly focus on what kinds of apps you like and make decent suggestions for new apps to try or buy.

Here's how Appsaurus works. When you launch the app for the first time, it presents you with an explore mode. It displays a list of apps, and you tap the ones that are of interest to you. You may have some of the apps, but you probably won't have all of them. When you select a favorite you'll get a new list that includes apps that match the general description of the app you clicked on. Run through a few iterations of this process, and the app begins to learn your preferences.

TUAWCan't find the apps you need? Of course there's an app for that. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Deals

'Tis the season to shop until your brains melt (or skip it all entirely, depending on your interpretation of the term holiday). In that spirit, for the next few weeks we'll be rounding up a dozen daily deals courtesy our friends at DealNews.com. Each afternoon tune in to TUAW for this handy summary. Keep in mind that while our posts will live on, the deals won't. Each is lovingly generated by the deal-bot every day, so get 'em while they're hot. Enjoy!

• iTunes Music Store: [iPhone / iPod Apps] App Store Freebies: Falling Gems, Koala Dartz, Stop and Go, Pattrns Turbo, more
• Finish Line: [iPod Accessories] Nike + iPod Watch Remote for $20 + $8 s&h
• Apple Store: [iMac] Refurbished Apple iMac Core 2 Duo 3.06GHz 27" Desktop for $1,449 + free shipping
• MacUpdate Promo: [Home & Hobbies Software] Optimism 3.1 for Mac downloads for $20
• Dell Home: [Headphones] Dell Bluetooth Headphones for $19 + free shipping
• Shop4Tech: [Digital Camcorders] 4GB Pen DVR Digital Camcorder for $33 + free shipping
• OfficeMax: [Office Furniture] OfficeMax Divoga Task Chair for $50 + free shipping, padding
• Dell Small Business: [Computer Speakers] Dell AY511 Multimedia Soundbar with Virtual Surround for $63 + free shipping, more
• PC Micro Store: [Store Events] PC Micro Store coupon: $9 off $18 or more + free shipping
• PC Connection: [24" - 26" LCD TVs] Samsung 24" 1080p Widescreen HDTV / Display for $240 + free shipping
• HandHeldItems: [iPod Accessories] HandHeldItems.com: Up to 80% off Apple iPod touch cases + 20% off coupon
• ExperCom: [MacBook Pro] Apple MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 3.06GHz 17" Laptop for $2,699 + $10 s&h

TUAWDozen Daily Deals for December 31, 2009 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: How-tos, Mac 101

Text replacement: it's one of Snow Leopard's really cool features. With it, you can type abbreviations and they'll automatically expand into full text. You can convert your most common phrases into just a few keystrokes, and let Snow Leopard take care of the rest. Here's a quick summary of what you need to do to make text replacement work for you.

Creating Macros in System Preferences.

Open System Preferences (it's in the Apple menu at the top of your screen) and navigate to Language & Text > Text. There you'll find a Symbol and Text Substitution list. Click the + button to add a new item. For this example, put (tuaw) into the Replace column and The Unofficial Apple Weblog into the With column. Leave the box to the left of these items checked.

So why use the parentheses? Strictly speaking, they're not necessary. You can define text substitutions on any set of characters, as shown in the screen shot below. What these parentheses do for me, is that they distinguish between when I want to type TUAW and not have it expand, and when I want the abbreviation to transform into the full Weblog name.



Enabling Text Replacement

Text replacement works on a per-application basis. Many applications default to this feature being off. To make text replacement happen, right-click within any text entry area such as a composition window in Mail or the text entry field in Colloquy, etc. The contextual menu provides a Substitutions submenu. Make sure Text Replacement is checked. If it is not, select it to toggle the option from on to off or off to on.



Applying Text Replacment

The big secret to making text replacement happen, once you've defined the shortcuts and enabled Text Replacement in the contextual menu, is the space key. Snow Leopard does not apply the shortcut replacement until it detects you have finished typing a phrase. Only then does it perform its internal look up and substitution.

Also prepare to wait a second or so. The replacement text often lags behind your typing. So go ahead and keep entering text. The operating system will catch up and perform its substitution work without your oversight.

For Mike G., with TUAW affection

TUAWMac 101: Making Text Replacement Work originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a pair of articles published over the past week, Hardmac reveals that Apple has been working to fight against fraud perpetrated against the company by third-party authorized service centers. According to the initial report published last week, th...

Facing intense criticism of its mobile network coverage from a variety of sources, AT&T has both failed to deploy its iPhone tethering strategy and to successfully get its 3G MicroCell product into widespread distribution.