MacRumors

snapseedAfter being named the 2011 App of the Year, popular iOS photo editing app Snapseed was acquired by Google when the company purchased Nik Software.

Google today dropped the price of Snapseed, making the app free to download. Previously, the iOS version of Snapseed cost $4.99. The update also brings new filters, Google+ integration, and a new icon. From the App Store description:

New Retrolux filter! Use one of the newly created film styles, combined with a range of different scratches and textures as well as light leaks to create a truly retro look for your photos.

Updated Frames filter! Now includes a wide range of new, high quality photographic frames. Colorize the frame edges to match the look of your image or switch to square mode with a single tap.

Aside from the filters, the free version of Snapseed appears to be the same as the previous paid version, but there is a new splash page which refers to the app as “Google+ Snapseed.”

The iOS version of Snapseed [App Store] is currently available in the App Store at no cost. The Mac version of the app [Mac App Store] has yet to be updated and is still a $19.99 download in the Mac App Store. Google also released an Android version of the app, which is available for free in the Google Play store.

Apple has launched the newest version of its annual “12 Days of Christmas” holiday app for European and Canadian iTunes users. The free app, which is available for the iPhone, the iPod touch, and the iPad, provides free content each day from December 26 to January 8.

You and your friends can download a fantastic selection of songs, music videos, apps, books and TV episodes for free. Each download will only be available for 24 hours. Get our 12 Days of Christmas app to make sure you don’t miss out.

Don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch? Don’t worry. Come back December 26 to download gifts from your computer.

Apple's 12 Days of Christmas has been a long running tradition in Europe, and has existed in a modified form in Canada for several years, but the Canadian program has now been folded into the main app. Unfortunately, due to regional licensing restrictions, Apple is unable to offer the same promotion in the United States.

12daysofchristmas

Last year, gifts included episodes of The Big Bang Theory and Mad Men, music videos and songs from Kings of Leon, and games like Diner Dash and Fishing Kings.

The 12 Days of Christmas app can be downloaded for free in the Canadian and U.K. App Stores, as well as those for a number of other European countries.

PixelmatorThe team behind Pixelmator has posted a lengthy apology on their blog following the discovery of a bug that would sometimes cause Macs to restart or the app to crash when intensively using the popular image editor.

It turns out, the newest Nvidia Geforce graphics card drivers in OS X 10.8.2 are causing the issue, and Pixelmator is working with Apple to resolve the issue.

Everything we do at Pixelmator Team is aimed at making your favorite app the best in the world. With every minor update, we strive to live up to a high-quality standard. We even put aside new features, such as layer styles, for the sake of quality improvements. So far, we are happy with what we’ve achieved. However, there is one issue we wanted to talk about a little bit more.
A month or so ago, after the most recent OS X update (10.8.2), we’ve bumped into a problem that causes certain Macs to restart when intensively using Pixelmator. Sometimes, the app would stop responding without restarting a computer, or just cause some graphical glitches.

We did everything to find the root cause of the problem. We’ve researched a vast amount of information about OS X internals. We’ve torn down our Macs. We even reached out to Apple. Finally, the picture was clear: It’s an issue with Nvidia Geforce graphics card drivers.

Although the issue isn’t with Pixelmator, we didn’t give up. We’ve searched for various workarounds, and then, we checked with you to see if any of them helped (thanks so much for being so patient and for taking the time to test those workarounds). But in the end, nothing worked.

Good thing, though—the guys at Apple are very helpful, and as soon as we hear about a solution, we’ll let you know about it that very moment.

The affected Macs have GT 120, GT 320M, GT 330M, 9400M, and GT 9600 Nvidia graphics cards.

Apple today updated Final Cut Pro [Mac App Store] to version 10.0.7, bringing a number of bug fixes and other improvements.

This update improves overall stability, performance and compatibility including:

- The Letterbox effect "Offset" slider has been restored
- Fixes an issue when creating a single layer DVD
- Fixes an issue where some third-party effects could cause Final Cut Pro to hang during background rendering
- Fixes an issue where some third-party transitions would incorrectly use black instead of source media
- Adds support for editing MXF files that are still ingesting
- Fixes an issue rendering Motion Templates containing Image Units

final cut pro compressor motion icons
The company also issued a minor update to Compressor [Mac App Store] to address an issue with uploading large videos to Vimeo and an update to Motion [Mac App Store] fixing several issues.

The folks at iPhone5mod continue to churn out unofficial Lightning accessories to fill the void left by Apple's slow rollout of official products under its own label and licensed to third-party manufacturers. iPhone5mod's latest offering is a 3-in-1 Lightning Camera Connection Kit, a dongle priced at $23.90 that provides camera support for SD and microSD cards, as well as USB.


Apple offers a $29 kit containing a pair of dongles supporting USB and SD connections for its original 30-pin dock connector, but for the new Lightning standard Apple has moved to separate cable-based SD card and USB adapters priced at $29 each.

iphone5mod cable pro
iPhone5mod also released a 3-in1 Cable Pro product last week, packaging micro-USB, Lightning and 30-pin connectors with a retractable USB cable. The product may offer some convenience for users with multiple types of devices, but the implementation appears somewhat awkward with users having to remove either the Lightning or 30-pin connector in order to properly attach the other one to the micro-USB connector for use.

In line with analyst speculation from last week, Engadget reports that Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann has just announced at his company's analyst day event that T-Mobile USA will begin selling Apple products in 2013.

The announcement was posted --nearly as an afterthought, oddly enough -- as part of a press release in which Deutsche Telekom spelled out its financial plans through 2015. While the two companies have not explicitly given specifics on which Apple devices we can expect to see in a retail store near you, the timing of the launch will likely correspond with the fourth-largest carrier's LTE launch in 2013.

t mobile usa logo
T-Mobile is currently the only one of the four major U.S. carriers to not offer the iPhone, due at least in part to longstanding incompatibilities between Apple's hardware and the spectrum used by T-Mobile for its fastest data networks. The carrier has, however, been working hard to refarm its spectrum to add compatibility for frequencies supported by the iPhone, and it previously stated that it would be ready for the iPhone by the end of 2012. T-Mobile USA will also be rolling out LTE service for its customers in 2013.

Update: Deutsche Telekom's press release is now available.

The higher investment volume is to be used to roll out the broadband infrastructure in Germany and the United States in particular. In the mobile communications network, this will be done using the state-of-the-art technology LTE. Around EUR 6 billion is earmarked for rolling out the broadband infrastructure in the German fixed network with optical fiber and vectoring between 2013 and 2020. In addition, T-Mobile USA has entered into an agreement with Apple to bring products to market together in 2013.

No further details on exactly which products are included in the deal are available yet, but presumably both the iPhone and iPad will be coming to T-Mobile.

Update 2: Apple has also confirmed to The Loop that it has struck a deal with T-Mobile.

Shipping estimates for the iPad mini have fallen to one week in Apple's online stores for the United States and Canada, indicating that Apple is beginning to approach a supply-demand balance for the device that launched just over a month ago. Estimates in the company's online stores for other countries remain at two weeks, but those will likely move to the new one-week estimate fairly soon.

ipad mini shipping one week
Apple is beginning to catch up with demand on the iPhone 5 and iPad mini, as evidenced by shortening shipping estimates, although estimates on the new iMac are rapidly slipping following its introduction last week. Apple and supply chain sources have indicated that stocks of the iMac and iPad mini will remain constrained into 2013.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Just as Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed that Apple will be bringing some Mac production back to the United States next year, Bloomberg reports that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn is seeking to expand into the country.

“We are looking at doing more manufacturing in the U.S. because, in general, customers want more to be done there,” Louis Woo, a Foxconn spokesman, said in a phone interview. He declined to comment on individual clients or specific plans. [...]

“Supply chain is one of the big challenges for U.S. expansion,” Woo said. “In addition, any manufacturing we take back to the U.S. needs to leverage high-value engineering talent there in comparison to the low-cost labor of China.”

Neither Apple nor Foxconn has confirmed that the two companies will be working together on U.S. Mac production, but Cook noted that Apple's $100 million investment in domestic production would involve "working with people".

foxconn workers
The moves by Apple and Foxconn to bring production to the United States demonstrate an evolution of the thinking held by Apple until very recently, which comes from a perspective that the U.S. labor force and supply chain simply aren't set up to handle the kind of nimble consumer electronics mass production available in China.

For Mr. Cook, the focus on Asia “came down to two things,” said one former high-ranking Apple executive. Factories in Asia “can scale up and down faster” and “Asian supply chains have surpassed what’s in the U.S.” The result is that “we can’t compete at this point,” the executive said. [...]

“The entire supply chain is in China now,” said another former high-ranking Apple executive. “You need a thousand rubber gaskets? That’s the factory next door. You need a million screws? That factory is a block away. You need that screw made a little bit different? It will take three hours.”

With Cook's announcement regarding domestic Mac production for 2013, the company is clearly testing the waters, perhaps with a low volume product like the Mac Pro, but the company faces major challenges if it wishes to bring operations on the scale of iPhone production to the United States.

Lark today announced that its new Larklife wristband is available for immediate purchase both online and at Apple Retail stores.

Like the newly updated Jawbone Up, the Nike+ Fuelband, and the Fitbit, the Larklife is a smart wristband that is designed to track personal fitness, nutrition, productivity, and sleep.

Larklife goes beyond tracking your information; it is focused on helping you build better habits through small changes that help you feel your best each day. Using continuous machine learning, it analyzes your activity, identifies your unique patterns, and delivers real-time coaching through the iOS app. Designed with world-renowned scientists and coaches, like Dr. Shiv, Stanford neuroscientist and Fortune 500 CEO coach, lark’s app provides personalized simple suggestions from the wristband and app.

Larklife stands out from similar offerings because it comes equipped with two different wristbands. There’s a sweat-proof wristband for daytime use and a soft fabric wristband for use at night. The two bands share a single interchangeable core that collects activity, sleep, and diet information.

larklifewristband
With Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, Larklife automatically syncs collected information to the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 with the free Larklife iPhone app in real time.

Larklife is now available at brick and mortar Apple Stores. It can also be preordered online from the Lark website for $149.99.

In his lengthy interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Apple CEO Tim Cook discusses the recent management shakeup that saw iOS chief Scott Forstall relieved of his duties and retail boss John Browett out of a job just months after arriving at Apple. In line with comments in the press release announcing the changes, Cook elaborates on his belief in high levels of collaboration and that executive changes were needed in order to take that effort to the next level.

So the changes—it’s not a matter of going from no collaboration to collaboration. We have an enormous level of collaboration in Apple, but it’s a matter of taking it to another level. You look at what we are great at. There are many things. But the one thing we do, which I think no one else does, is integrate hardware, software, and services in such a way that most consumers begin to not differentiate anymore. They just care that the experience is fantastic.

So how do we keep doing that and keep taking it to an even higher level? You have to be an A-plus at collaboration. And so the changes that we made get us to a whole new level of collaboration.

cue federighi ive mansfield
Cook goes on to highlight Eddy Cue's expertise in services, Jony Ive's design skills, Bob Mansfield's experience with silicon and wireless, and Craig Federighi's history of overseeing the underpinnings of both OS X and iOS. Cook is careful to note, however, that this increased collaboration is not working toward a merger of iOS and OS X as some have speculated.

We don’t subscribe to the vision that the OS for iPhones and iPads should be the same as Mac. As you know, iOS and Mac OS are built on the same base. And Craig has always managed the common elements. And so this is a logical extension. Customers want iOS and Mac OS X to work together seamlessly, not to be the same, but to work together seamlessly.

Forstall had been seen as a polarizing figure at Apple, wearing his ambition on his sleeve while some said that he was quick to take credit for accomplishments but deflecting blame for missteps. Forstall reportedly also refused to sign an open letter from Cook apologizing for shortcomings in Apple's new Maps app for iOS 6, sealing his fate.

As part of its teaser for tonight's Rock Center interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, NBC points quotes Cook as hinting that Apple is indeed focused very seriously on redefining television.

What’s next for Apple? Did Cook leave us with a clue?

“When I go into my living room and turn on the TV, I feel like I have gone backwards in time by 20 to 30 years,” Cook told Williams. “It’s an area of intense interest. I can’t say more than that.”

apple tv 2012 interface
Cook's hint comes as Apple has reportedly been struggling to reach content deals that would allow it to create the revolutionary television experience it is looking for. Talks are said to be ongoing, but launches for any new Apple television products, which could include a set-top box or an Internet-connected television set, are said to not be imminent.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

NBC reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook will announce during an interview airing on Rock Center tonight that the company is bringing some Mac production back to the United States.

In an exclusive interview with Brian Williams airing tonight at 10pm/9c on NBC’s “Rock Center,” Apple CEO Tim Cook announced one of the existing Mac lines will be manufactured exclusively in the United States next year. Mac fans will have to wait to see which Mac line it will be because Apple, widely known for its secrecy, left it vague. Cook's announcement may or may not confirm recent rumors in the blogosphere sparked by iMacs inscribed in the back with “Assembled in USA.”

“We’ve been working for years on doing more and more in the United States,” Cook told Williams.


Cook has more to say about the effort in a lengthy interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, noting that Apple is spending about $100 million on the effort.

It’s not known well that the engine for the iPhone and iPad is made in the U.S., and many of these are also exported—the engine, the processor. The glass is made in Kentucky. And next year we are going to bring some production to the U.S. on the Mac. We’ve been working on this for a long time, and we were getting closer to it. It will happen in 2013. We’re really proud of it. We could have quickly maybe done just assembly, but it’s broader because we wanted to do something more substantial. So we’ll literally invest over $100 million. This doesn’t mean that Apple will do it ourselves, but we’ll be working with people, and we’ll be investing our money.

mac lineup
Cook also addresses several of the challenges Apple faces in bringing production back to the United States, pointing out once again that the educational system is not producing the expertise needed for major manufacturing in consumer electronics, but he hopes that Apple's effort can help spur progress in that area.

twitterrific iconThe Iconfactory, the developer of Twitterrific and Flare for Mac, has released a major update of its Twitter client for iOS. Twitterrific 5 debuted the App Store tonight and features a completely redesigned interface, themes and font customization, cross-device synchronization, and more.

As in previous versions, Twitterrific offers all of the basic Twitter client functions like timeline browsing, access to mentions and direct messages, search, and list access. New features include two themes, Light and Dark, that can be switched manually or done automatically at 7:00 am and 7:00 pm every day. Twitterrific 5 also offers five font choices and nine font sizes, as well as control over line spacing.

twitterrific 5 large11twitterrific 5 large2

Cross-device synchronization is available through Apple's iCloud service or Tweet Marker. Unlike previous versions, Twitterrific now does not include advertising and offers multiple account support without the need for an upgrade via in-app purchase, though the app is no longer a free download. Twitterrific 5 is available now and costs $2.99, which is a special introductory price in celebration of its launch. [Direct Link]

A review and video of Twitterrific 5 are available at our sister site, AppShopper.

vicecityRockstar Games has released the iOS port of their blockbuster hit Grand Theft Auto: Vice City tonight. It's essentially the same game you played in 2002 but with touch enhancements.

Our sister site TouchArcade has a walkthrough video of the game that shows off some of the gameplay on iOS.

On touch devices, you control Tommy with virtual buttons and a roving virtual stick. It isn't the best solution in the world, but it works OK. Punch, car jack, and sprint are presented on the right half of the screen. Movement is available on the left. When you jump into a car, the controls change. A two-button directional pad replaces the stick, and car-specific actions like hand brake pop up on the right.

We haven't noticed many notable mobile-specific features. Our gut says that the textures on the buildings in particular have been cleaned up a bit. Also, the frame rate seems a little bit smoother, maybe on par with the PC and Mac versions


Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is available on the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

The Boombot REX Ultraportable speaker from Boombotix is an intriguing new Kickstarter project that promises to deliver quality sound in a durable, pocket-sized package.

This hexagon-shaped Bluetooth speaker is designed to be worn externally, and as such, it sports a built-in clip and a rugged, water resistant exterior that can even withstand grime and mud.

boombotrex

It has high powered dual drivers and a bass woofer, along with speakerphone capabilities and a lithium-ion battery that is rated for six hours of continuous use.

We built the REX to be rugged, rechargeable, and water resistant, so you can take it with you just about anywhere. The sound of the REX is driven by two 36-millimeter drivers and a bass woofer. The bass woofer allows us to generate a full rich dynamic range sound without increasing power consumption.

Most impressively, the Boombot REX is the first ultraportable speaker to offer Siri integration, similar to how the feature works with Bluetooth headsets and vehicle systems. Users can push a button, make a request to Siri, and Siri will answer back through the speaker.

wireless
After just a day on Kickstarter, the Boombot REX is 80 percent funded, with over $22,000 of a $27,000 goal. Interested backers can get a limited edition Arctic white REX speaker for $75, or for $80, the REX is available in Electric Blue, Savage Green, and Pitch Black. For more information on the Boombot REX, which is currently expected to ship beginning in February 2013 should it reach its funding goal, check out the Kickstarter page.

chinamobileliyueChinese carriers China Unicom and China Telecom may be receiving the iPhone 5 on December 14, but the nation's largest carrier, China Mobile, has been left out the launch.

Though speculation has targeted China Mobile's network exclusive TD-SCDMA technology as the problem, the company's president says that's not the case.

As reported by Unwired View, China Mobile President Li Yue today said that incompatible network standards are not the only reason why the iPhone 5 has yet to appear on the carrier.

Speaking at 2012 China Mobile Worldwide Developer Conference, when asked about availability of iPhone, he told the audience that "technology is not a problem, [it's] mainly about business model and benefit-sharing issues".

In May, it was confirmed that China Mobile had been in negotiations with Apple about acquiring the iPhone 5, but thus far those talks have failed to produce results, and today's comment may hint at the reason. It appears that the two companies may be hindered by disagreements over revenue sharing and carrier subsidies rather than technological difficulties.

China Mobile is China's biggest cell phone carrier, with 703 million subscribers. More than 15 million of those subscribers currently use gray market iPhones on the network, which China Mobile supports.

The iPhone 5 has been much anticipated in China. China Unicom began accepting preorders on Monday and received more than 100,000 first day reservations.

att logoCNET reports on comments from AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega today revealing that the carrier has experienced record-breaking smartphone sales through the first two months of the fourth quarter of 2012.

The wireless carrier is selling smartphones at a record pace -- 6.4 million already in the first two months of the quarter, according to Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T's mobility arm. De la Vega, speaking at an investor conference today, said he now expects to sell 26 million smartphones this year, 1 million more than previously expected.

The current record for the carrier was set in the fourth quarter of 2011 with 9.4 million smartphone activations on the strength of the iPhone 4S launch.

Given that the iPhone typically represents 70-80% of AT&T's smartphones, the carrier's record numbers for the quarter so far bode well for Apple. Apple will likely also see a boost from its rapid rollout of the iPhone 5, which is already offered in nearly 50 countries and will be available in more than 50 additional countries by the end of the month.

Apple is clearly expecting a blockbuster quarter, having issued guidance for a record $52 billion in revenue on the strength of not only the iPhone 5 but also the new iPad mini and the just-updated full-size iPad, as well as recent updates to most of the company's Mac and iPod lines.

Related Forum: iPhone

According to Nielsen’s newly released Q2 2012 Cross-Platform Report, second screen television viewing is becoming a widespread trend, with smartphones in more than 50 percent of U.S. homes and tablets in almost 20 percent.

The data shows that 85 percent of mobile owners use their tablet or smartphone while watching television at least once a month, while 40 percent do so on a daily basis. 41 percent of those who use a second screen daily are using a tablet, while 39 percent are using a smartphone.

nielsensecondscreenInterestingly, smartphone usage skews younger, with half of 18 to 24 year olds using their phones while watching television, while tablet usage skews older. People aged 25–34 and 55–64 are the most likely to use tablets multiple times a day while watching TV, and women are more likely to use smartphones than men.

What’s more is that tablets have forded the oft-treacherous age gap. Thirty-six percent of people age 35–54 years old and 44 percent of people 55–64 years old use their tablets while watching TV in order to dive deeper into programming. Nearly a third of tablet users age 25–64 check sports scores while watching games too. In fact, a majority of owners use apps while watching TV across the board.

A small digital divide between the sexes has been happening with smartphones, however. Over 40 percent of female smartphone owners use their smartphones at least once a day while watching TV. Men, one the other hand, use their smartphones much less. About 35 percent say they put their smartphones in use while channel surfing, giving new meaning to the phrase “pass the remote.”

While checking TV programming and sports scores is popular with tablet users, smartphone users tend to use their devices to visit social networking sites, shop, and access email accounts.