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Job Postings and Patent Acquisitions Hint at Potential Overhaul of iLife and iWork

Several clues surfacing in recent days have hinted that Apple's iWork and iLife suites may be undergoing substantial redevelopment.


Late last week, Apple Bitch noticed two new job listings for senior software engineers for the company's iLife team, with the descriptions emphasizing a desire to "re-imagine how user interfaces should be built and work". MacNN followed up with its own reporting pointing to a number of other job postings for both the iLife and iWork teams suggesting that Apple is making significant additions to its teams.
Apple has recently added several job postings that explicitly reference the iLife team or the suite itself, including requests for an engineer in the iLife Frameworks QA department; a QA engineer to help test new features in iPhoto (that requires a "passion" for digital photography); a Senior User Interface Designer for iWork, and two Senior Software Engineer positions that explicitly reference working on the user interface of iLife.
Apple's iWork productivity suite, which includes Pages, Numbers and Keynote, last received minor updates in December, while the last major update came over four years ago. iLife represents Apple's consumer apps (iPhoto, GarageBand and iMovie) and saw its last major update in October 2010.


Apple has also been active in the area of document management and the cloud, acquiring 18 patents addressing information management from Maya-Systems.
a file sorting system that can reorganize according to time, category, or a common theme -- such as a work project -- and sync with cloud servers and other users
New senior hires and patent acquisition may point to a major redevelopment of the software, but as new hires are typically done early in the development cycle, it may be some time before the fruits of such work are released to the public.

It is also likely that the new versions of iLife and iWork would lose the skeuomorphisms - emulation of real-life objects and materials like desk calendars, leather and wood. There have long been tensions within Apple over this approach, but with skeuomorphism proponent Scott Forstall being forced out of Apple and Jonathan Ive having now assumed responsibility for Human Interface aspects of software as well as hardware design, a new design direction for Apple's software may be in progress.

Røde smartLav Is Not A Self-Cleaning Toilet

Lavalier: When I first heard the word I though it was a kind of horseback warrior who would also come soap your back when you were showering, but it turned out to be a handy clip-on remote mic. And now Rode (or RØDE, as it somewhat annoyingly insists on being called) has a lavalier mic which works with your iOS device. It’s called the smartLav, and it doubles as a self-cleaning toilet (kidding!)

The SmartLav hooks into the iPhone’s (or other iDevice’s) headphone jack and sucks sound waves in through a little omni-directional bubble on the other end. Clip this to your lapel or collar with the included mounting clip, and minimize popping plosives with the foam pop shield.

The mic can record straight into apps like GarageBand, or you can use Rode’s own Rec app, which will also let you share straight to SoundCloud or Dropbox.

Want one? It’ll be just $60 when it goes on sale, any time now. That’s cheap enough that you can mic up every member of the cast of your lame Star Wars remake. What’s that? It’s not lame? I’m sorry – I mistook you for George Lucas for a moment…

Source: RØDE

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Discover The Best Of Macworld | iWorld 2013 In Video

SAN FRANCISCO, MACWORLD/iWORLD 2013 -

This year’s MacWorld | iWorld show wrapped up this weekend in San Francisco, and to wrap up our coverage of all of the gadgets and accessories shown off at the show, here’s a little compilation of Cult Of Mac’s video coverage of the event.

Which product from the show was your favorite? Tell us in the comments.

The XPrintServer

Our coverage this year started out with a look at the XPrintServer, a little device that you can attach to your network to make any printer compatible with AirPrint.

ScanSnap iX500

The ScanSnap iX500 is a quick little scanner that in addition to easily handling multiple pages at once can directly output your scans to an iOS device.

CamRanger

The CamRanger is a dongle for your DSLR that works in conjunction with your iPad or Mac to turn your device into a wireless remote for your camera.

Adonit Jot Touch

Perhaps one of the most unique styluses on the market, the Adonit Jot Touch features palm rejection technology to prevent spurious input on your iPad’s screen.

The LUMOback Sensor

Although you may not think of good posture as being critical to your health, it does have benefits, and the LUMOback sensor can help you to keep your posture in check.

The BowBlade

What can only be described as a combination gaming device-exercise machine, The BowBlade transforms your iPhone into a bow and arrow style gaming contraption.

Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater

Since the speakers in the iPad aren’t all that great, an external audio source is nice to have when using the device for long periods of time. Belkin’s new speaker case for the iPad gives you just that.

Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock

Belkin’s new Thunderbolt Express Dock connects to your MacBook via Thunderbolt to give you eight additional ports to work with on your machine.

The Transporter

If you like the idea of easily accessible files, but hate storing them in the cloud, the Transporter provides just the storage solution you need.

The CameraMator

The iPad’s large screen is great for viewing photos, and that’s exactly what you can do with the CameraMator. This device connects to your DSLR to relay photos you’ve take right to your iPad.

The Double

Perhaps the most interesting product at Macworld, the Double is wheels for your iPad, allowing you to remotely navigate around from anywhere in the world.

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Vanity URLs for AppStore.com Debut in Super Bowl Commercial [iOS Blog]

Apple introduced App Store Short Links a few days ago, giving developers a way to promote their apps with easy to remember App Store URLs.
Provide a simple way for users to find your apps with easy-to-remember App Store Short Links. Using an AppStore.com URL that includes your app or company name, you can create links to a single app or all of your apps. These links are accessible worldwide and will automatically direct users to their country's respective App Store or Mac App Store.
As noted by CNET, the feature made its public debut during a Super Bowl commercial for the upcoming movie Star Trek: Into Darkness.


At the end of the commercial, there is a promotion for the film's companion app, directing viewers to AppStore.com/StarTrekApp. This link takes users to the app page in the App Store, functioning in the same way as the traditional itunes.apple.com link.

According to Apple's Developer notes, the vanity URLs will be assigned to apps when they are submitted to the iTunes App Store or the Mac App Store.

As Apple points out, the shortened links are ideal for developers who want to share an app in a print ad, a TV or radio spot, an app trailer, or on a billboard.

The simple domain names can be directed towards individual apps or all of the apps a company produces. In demand names that result in naming conflicts will result in a search page, so Apple is encouraging developers to create unique names for apps to prevent future problems.

Though Apple has held the AppStore.com domain since shortly after the App Store debuted in 2008, the custom URLs mark the first time that Apple has put the domain to use.

iPad Mini Shipping Estimates Drop to 1-3 Days in U.S. Apple Store [iOS Blog]

Shipping times for the iPad mini have been slowly improving over the last few weeks, and customers ordering from the U.S. online Apple Store can now expect to have their tablets shipped within 1–3 business days.


European stores are also experiencing improved shipping dates, with a new lead time of 3–5 business days. Last week, European Apple Stores were listing a two week wait for an iPad mini. Other worldwide Apple Stores list shipping times of 3–5 business days.

Rumors in late 2012 revealed supply constraints were leading to restricted quantities of iPad minis, which was later confirmed by Apple during its first quarter conference call.

According to Apple executives, the Cupertino-based company expects to achieve supply/demand balance on the iPad mini by the end of the March quarter.

The iOS 6.1 Untethered Jailbreak Will Be Officially Released Monday, February 4 [Jailbreak]

Sunday isn’t ‘Funday’ this time around.

Despite rampant speculation that the official iOS 6.1 untethered jailbreak would be released on Sunday, February 3rd, it won’t actually be made available to the public until Monday, February 4th. The jailbreak is called Evasi0n, and it will be compatible with all iOS devices capable of running iOS 6.0-6.1. including the iPhone 5 and iPad mini.

The Evad3rs, a group of four hackers who have developed past jailbreaks, have been testing compatibility with different devices and iOS versions over the past few days. Compatibility tests have been successful, and the jailbreak is complete and nearly ready for public release.

Before you jailbreak your iOS device tomorrow, make sure to follow our guide on how to prepare. We’ll let you know as soon as the iOS 6.1 jailbreak drops. It’s only a matter of hours away!

Source: Evasi0n.com

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The Double Is Like Wheels For Your iPad [Macworld 2013]

SAN FRANCISCO, MACWORLD/iWORLD 2013 -

The show floor at Macworld typically houses a familiar array of gadgets and accessories. There’s plenty of cases, docks, and attachments for your iPhone and iPad that are all essentially the same. Perhaps the most unique product at Macworld, however, is the Double, which Double Robotics describes as “wheels for you iPad.”

The Double is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. At first glance, it almost looks like an iPad mounted on a Segway, but it’s much more than that. You can control the Double from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection.

Since the iPad is great for video conferencing, the Double lets you communicate from anywhere by simply accessing the unit of choice. With onscreen controls, you can navigate using the Double from an app or a web browser. Double Robotics says that the device is great for businesses, where employees can’t always be on location.

In addition, they predict that the device could be useful for schools and museums, allowing for flexibility and accessibility in schedules. The Double isn’t really intended for home use, as it comes in at $1999, but as the technology continues to improve in the future, I would expect these prices to drop.

You can pre-order the Double now.

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The CameraMator Wirelessly Transfers Your DSLR Photos To Your iPad [Macworld 2013]

SAN FRANCISCO, MACWORLD/iWORLD 2013 -

The iPad’s large, beautiful screen has always been attractive for photography applications, and as the device becomes more and more powerful, developers and hardware vendors alike are taking advantage of all the iPad has to offer.

The latest device to do so, the CameraMator, lets you wirelessly transfer photos from your Canon or Nikon DSLR directly to your iPad or MacBook. It’s almost like magic.

The CameraMator is similar in many ways to the CamRanger, another remote DSLR product we found this year at Macworld. Essentially, the CameraMator can perform basic camera functions and act like a remote for your DSLR. Its headline feature, though, is the ability to view the photos you take almost in real time on the big screen without wires.

The device itself mounts right on the top of your camera, so that you don’t have cables and boxes dangling all over the place to take care of. The CameraMator retails for $299, and you can purchase it here now.

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Why The iPad Is The Best Thing To Happen To NFL Safety Since The Football Helmet [Feature]

At the opening of this year’s NFL season, we looked at how the iPad has become a popular training tool among many NFL teams. With the season over and the Super Bowl just days away, many players, coaches, and fans are already looking ahead towards the NFL draft in the spring and next season.

Next season, Apple’s tablet will be an even bigger part io the NFL and it may even revolutionize parts of the organization and even the sport of football itself. Here’s how.

Ditching Dead Tree For Digital

Teams began adopting the iPad as a replacement for traditional printed playbooks (which can easily top 500 pages and need to be updated and reprinted every week) during the 2011 season.

It’s possible that every team will ditch paper playbooks for iPads

At the beginning of that season, just two teams – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens – had adopted the iPad as a playbook replacement. This past season, demand for the iPad by NFL teams picked up significantly and the number of teams relying on the iPad as a playbook alternative expanded to fourteen, with other teams reported to be using the iPad to augment traditional playbooks.

Next year, more teams are expected to adopt the iPad. In fact, it’s possible that every team will ditch paper playbooks for iPads. The broad adoption by NFL teams, however, is only part of the story. The league itself has big plans for the iPad when it comes to ensuring player safety and medical treatment.

Why The NFL Wants The iPad To Help Save Players’ Brains

C.T.E. is a degenerative brain disorder linked to repeated head injuries that has been associated with NFL players.

Player safety has become a hot topic around the NFL in recent years, particularly when it comes to concussions and other head injuries.

Last spring, two former NFL players — Ray Easterling, a safety for the Atlanta Falcons in the 1970s, and Junior Seau, a linebacker who played 20 seasons in the NFL for three teams (the San Diego Chargers, the Miami Dolphins, and the New England Patriots) and who played in 12 Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls – committed suicide within just two weeks of each other. Long term effects of repeated concussions are believed to have been related to both incidents.

Last spring, two former NFL committed suicide within just two weeks of each other.The suicides were the result of brain trauma.

The suicides followed that of Dave Duerson, a former defensive back for the Chicago Bears, who committed suicide two years ago. Duerson requested that his brain be donated to to researchers exploring the links between repeated concussions and other brain injuries. According to reports, Duerson was aware of a condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (often referred to as C.T.E.) and an anonymous source reported that before his death, he had expressed concern that he might have C.T.E.

Possible symptoms of C.T.E. include:

Memory loss Dementia Impaired cognitive function Depression Other emotional and psychological symptoms

A formal diagnosis of C.T.E. can only be made by examining the brain after death, though research as recent as this month indicates that it may be possible to identify the disease using a PET scan).

Both Duerson and Seau were found to have C.T.E. during examinations of their brain tissue last year.

C.T.E. is a degenerative and incurable condition associated with repeated head trauma that can include memory loss, dementia, impaired cognitive function, and depression as well as other emotional and psychological symptoms – including an increased risk of suicide.

Its link to repeated blows to the head was initially dismissed or discredited by NFL officials and physicians, though it has gained acceptance in recent years, perhaps because of growing evidence of the condition among combat veterans.

A recent article in the journal Brain bolstered the link between C.T.E. and football.

A recent scientific study, published in the journal Brain in December, bolstered the link between repeated concussions and mild traumatic brain injury. The study examined the brains of 85 people, 68 of them (80%) men, including 33 former NFL players and 17 non-NFL football players. The study was the first to categorize the stages and progression of the disease, but it wasn’t able to conclusively demonstrate a link between C.T.E. and on-field injuries. Nor was it able to predict the risk NFL players have for developing the disorder nor explain why some players develop it while other don’t.

C.T.E. lawsuiits are forcing the NFL to look more closely at player safety issues.

Easterling was one of 3,000 former players suing the league over its handling of concussions and head injuries. The high-profile lawsuits are causing disputes between the NFL and 32 insurers (past and present) about liability for the legal costs and damages. They are also forcing the NFL to look more closely at player safety issues.

That focus on safety was put to the test after allegations that the New Orleans Saints had operated a bounty system in which players were rewarded for injuring their opponents during a game. Bounty systems violate league rules and, obviously, have a direct impact on player safety. Among the NFL’s response to the system was the suspension of Saints head coach Sean Payton for the entire season – a situation that has lead to some tension for NFL officials, commissioner Roger Goddell in particular, as New Orleans prepares to host the Super Bowl this weekend.

How iPads have been used by team doctors up till now

iPads are expected to be used by all 32 NFL teams to diagnose concussions and review X-rays next season.

Seeking to provide medical staff with additional data for identifying and treating injuries, including concussions, team doctors have been granted sideline access to replay videos for injury identification and diagnosing purpose.

The technique was used widely this season.

Medical staff for 16 NFL teams started using iPads this season.

By reviewing the hit that caused an injury as well as examining the injury itself, doctors can make more accurate and informed assessments. The New York Times reported in October that the New York Giants medical staff, which typically includes around 10 doctors on the field, assigned one physician to monitor the replays during each game to ensure that all injuries are identified and treated.

Medical staff for the Giants and 15 other teams also began using iPads on the sidelines to assess concussions. The iPads are used to provide a league standard concussion test. Using the iPad helps doctors to ensure that test experiences and results are consistent from case to case. They also allow doctors to quickly and accurately compare a pre-injury baseline test result with a post-injury result following a hit, a key way to determining the severity of the concussion. Doctors also used the iPads to view player X-rays.

Next season all 32 teams are expected to use iPads to diagnose concussions.

Next season all 32 teams are expected to use iPads to diagnose concussions.

Using iPads To Boost Player Safety And Treat Injuries

The iPad version of the eClinicalWorks EMR that all NFL teams will use for the next 10 years.

Among the player safety initiatives that the NFL is undertaking, the league signed a deal with Massachusetts-based eClinicalWorks to bring its electronic medical records (EMR) system into use for all 32 NFL teams. The contract will last ten years and is valued between $7 million and $10 million.

eClinicalWorks offers a full scale cloud-based EMR system that supports patient records, electronic prescribing, access to lab reports and X-rays, interoperability with other EMR and healthcare systems using industry standard protocols, and native iPhone and iPad apps (as well as a BlackBerry client) for mobile access. The system can also be accessed through a web browser.

The iPad is considered the most likely way that NFL team doctors will interact with the the EMR system during games and training due to the existing investment in the iPad for concussion diagnosis and X-ray data review.

One major goal of the system, as with any electronic medical records initiative, is to improve the quality of care and make injury diagnosis and treatment more efficient and effective – in this case that means both during the game and following it.

Many of the advantages of integrating EMRs in the locker room or on the sidelines are obvious. Full access to a player’s medical history – past injuries, current medical conditions, medical and surgical interventions, recovery times, current and past medications, and medication allergies – will help ensure appropriate treatment during a game or after. It also has the potential to speed up in-game diagnosis and treatment simply because that information is readily available at any time.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaking about player safety at the Harvard School of Public Health.

In a speech at the Harvard School of Public Health in November, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell noted that the league is investigating additional technologies that could be integrated into its EMR system.One possibility is the use of accelerometers or other sensors that could be integrated into player uniforms, shoulder pads, and helmets. The sensors would be able to help determine the location and force of an impact and could be used to gauge injury potential and to help diagnose concussions more quickly and more accurately.

Mining NFL Injury Data With The iPad

Players might not carry or wear them, but iPads are saving NFL players’ lives.

One reason that the NFL is adopting a league-wide EMR rather than allowing each team to manage medical records for its players is that players may change teams several times over the course of their NFL careers. A league-wide system means that a player’s full medical history will easily follow them from one team to another. That ensures that team doctors have access to as much data as possible and that there is no issues related to teams using incompatible systems. It also means that doctors from a player’s new team won’t need to redo certain procedures like X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs to assess the extent of past injuries and related surgical interventions.

The bigger reason is that the EMR system will allow the league to build a vast collection of data related to player injuries. The data can then be analyzed to look for patterns. Although it will take at least a few years for the league to compile a rich set of player injury data, it will eventually be able to extrapolate a lot of useful information. If sensor data or even just video and data about plays that resulted in injuries are included, the league will be able to examine the causes of injuries in ways that haven’t been possible up to this point. That data could be used in different ways.

It could be used to redesign protective gear like pads and helmets to be more effective in preventing specific injuries. Gear could even be customized for specific positions or player body types. If specific plays or blocks are more injury prone, rules and penalties could be adjusted to discourage them. The league already uses this approach to some extent. If specific injuries or combinations of injuries appear to cause or increase the chances of progressive long term health problems, identifying those trends would allow medical or policy intervention for those injuries early on and potentially prevent or reduce further damage. Doctors will and sports medicine experts will be able compare treatments used for specific injuries. That should allow the NFL to determine which courses of treatment work best and encourage their use while phasing out less effective approaches. It’s even possible to reviewing data over the course of a season could identify trends that would indicate the existence of a bounty system like the one operated by the Saints or provide corroborating evidence of one.

It’s worth noting that injury data collected and analyzed will likely have broader applications. The NFL could easily share the data with colleges, high schools, equipment manufacturers, and others. The result would be delivering useful and concrete data that might cost prohibitive for other organizations to develop on their own.

The iPad has already begun to transform the NFL at a variety of levels beyond simply replacing playbooks.

In the end, the iPad has already begun to transform the NFL at a variety of levels beyond simply replacing playbooks. Team management, enhanced injury diagnosis, and player safety are all key areas that the iPad is influencing directly or indirectly. Ultimately, the iPad and related technologies may even transform the sport of football in many more ways over the next five, ten, or twenty years.

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The Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater Gives Your iPad’s Audio An Extra Kick [Macworld 2013]

SAN FRANCISCO, MACWORLD/iWORLD 2013 -

While the iPad’s audio has always been certainly passable in most situations, the tiny speakers that Apple crammed into the device aren’t anywhere near a suitable replacement for the sound quality that can be produced from larger, more substantial speakers.

In order to bridge this gap, Belkin is showing off at Macworld this year what they call the Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater, a case for your iPad that integrates 2 4-watt speakers for a more immersive experience. Cult Of Mac’s Erfon Elijah talked to Brandon from Belkin at Macworld to learn more about the product.

The Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater is essentially a large case for your iPad with a speaker unit built into the lower half. However, don’t let its simple appearance deceive you. The unit can pump out some pretty impressive sound that can easily fill a room. In addition, the case includes Smart Cover like functionality to prop up your iPad when it’s in use.

While Belkin won’t have a Lightning connector compatible version of the case out until spring of this year, you can currently pick up the 30-pin edition over at Belkin’s site for $199.

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