Filed under: How-tos, iTunes, iPhone, iPod touch
By default, movies and TV shows in the iPod portion of the iPhone and iPod touch play in landscape view. The biggest change with respect to video orientation came about with iPhone OS 2.0, which provided the option for landscape-right viewing (that is, with the volume and silent/vibrate buttons facing up). While most videos could, and should, be viewed in landscape, there are times that call for a portrait perspective — for example, when placing your iPhone into a dock, which is what I do when working out.
Getting your iPhone to play a movie or TV show in portrait mode requires a simple change in the video’s tag, from TV Show or Movie to Podcast. Simply right-click on the file and select “get info “(or you could use the Command-I shortcut). Then, in the “Media Kind” section within the “Options” tab of the video, select Podcast. Now, the videos will show up in both the Podcasts and Videos section of the iPod portion on your iPhone.
Obviously, this isn’t something you’d want to do with every movie or TV show in your library. So, to revert the file back to its old self, you’d want to follow the same process and change the video back to a TV show or movie.
Tricking your iPhone to play TV shows and movies in portrait view originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tricking your iPhone to play TV shows and movies in portrait view originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Software, iTunes, Software Update
iTunes 9.0.3 is out now for download on Software Update and in the usual places. The update features the option to remember your password when purchasing items in iTunes (finally!), fixes problems with Smart Playlists and podcast synching on iPod, and resolves a few bugs and issues. There’s no word of any updates in compatibility for iPad, but it’s probably just too soon for that yet.
That “remember my password” fix will definitely come in handy, though. Get it while the gettin’s good!
iTunes 9.0.3 released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iTunes 9.0.3 released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In light of the current tablet frenzy, TUAW is not alone shouting “Tablet, Tablet!” from the rooftops. The tablet has been a widespread and consistent story from several directions which we have been compiling and discussing. Over the last few weeks, TUAW has depended on multiple background sources who have information about the device, as do scores of other sites and news outlets.
In that light, we’ve assembled this round up of analysis and opinions posts, based on the most-likely credible rumors and sources we’ve been able to dig up from the last few years. Here are some of our longer discussion pieces that you might have missed the first time ’round.
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Publishing different: What the tablet brings to the table Like newspapers before them, traditional book publishers are facing the reality of the new digital world. With Apple’s much anticipated tablet expected to debut within the next few months, they’re… |
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App Store approvals and the tablet: why it matters When iTunes Connect returned after its Christmas break, developers noticed that things had changed quite a bit on the App Store approval front. Applications that had formerly taken ten to fourteen… |
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Tablet speculation: How could a tablet connect to the world? Do you know what word Dave Caolo is hearing in his sleep? Tablet. What phrase is trending mightily on Google Search? Tablet. What is every Apple fanboy and fangirl dreaming of for…um…some new… |
Also of interest:
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TUAWTablet analysis and opinion: What TUAW has put on the table originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hardware, Software, iTunes, App Store
Most of the rumors coming out about next week’s event say that there’ll be a tablet with a lot of similarities to the popular Amazon Kindle device, but even before Apple takes the stage, Amazon is taking one of the new ideas for its own. The online retail powerhouse announced that it is adapting a payment model for content providers that’s very similar to the App Store, with a 70/30 split on pay sharing. There are a few limitations (there’s still a cost for delivery, and the publisher has to conform to a number of price, feature, and location standards), but essentially, Amazon is taking the exact same model that has worked so well for both Apple and its development partners, and bringing it to the Kindle platform.
The timing is interesting — with Apple just about to release what many expect to be a Kindle competitor, you have to wonder what Jeff Bezos is thinking. You have to wonder what Apple will do, too: while there are certainly all kinds of other things the theoretical tablet can do, it’s possible that, if they are as close as some people think, Apple and Amazon will end up competing over content delivery, and one or the other may have to change its royalty offerings in order to attract more premium content.
That’s all a ways down the line, of course — first, Apple needs to announce the tablet, and then we have to see what happens in terms of releasing content for it. But there’s no question Amazon and other companies are watching Apple’s plans in the App Store, and it’ll be interesting to see what comes next.
Amazon Kindle moves to App Store’s 70/30 revenue split originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Amazon Kindle moves to App Store’s 70/30 revenue split originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hardware, Software, iTunes
Here’s a bit of interesting for you from the folks over at APC: during a press event at CES 2010, Intel used iTunes to tout its latest processors rather than one of the other oft-used performance-testing suites. Specifically, they showed off an i5 processor not by running some complex graphics simulation or commercial benchmarking algorithm, but by launching iTunes and synchronizing with an attached iPod.
Intel is attempting to make processor specifications more useful to normal people by focusing less on engineering statistics and more on actual applications. What is interesting here is that Intel is essentially admitting the difficulty in quantifying the improvements of their latest hardware. It is, however, easier to qualify their improvements by showcasing their hardware using applications people use everyday.
This de-obfuscation of a processor’s ability is a good thing. It means that my mother-in-law can stroll through Best Buy and understand that a given set of hardware is going to perform better at the tasks she cares about most. In the end, it really is less about GHz and more about GTD.
Intel uses iTunes for benchmarking originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Intel uses iTunes for benchmarking originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hardware, Odds and ends, iTunes
Scott Moritz over at The Street has new rumors about the tablet today (though be warned, Moritz isn’t first in the hearts of Apple crystal-ball gazers): he says that the tablet does not include any Intel chips inside, and that Apple has instead elected to go with another provider for the little pieces of metal, silicon and plastic that will power what many expect to be the new revolution in portable computing. He cites Apple’s “design manufacturing partners” as sources, although of course neither Intel nor Apple have anything to say about the subject.
And elsewhere in the tablet rumorscape, John Gruber has a followup to his big tablet speculation post that’s worth a read. He says that yes, of course, the App Store will deliver apps to the platform, that yes, there may be an SDK delay (although don’t forget, we’ve already heard about a possible new SDK going around), that yes, the new tablet may offer up non-app iTunes content from indie providers, and finally that no, the tablet probably won’t have Flash, for the same reasons that the iPhone doesn’t.
Which all sounds legit, though even Gruber admitted in his other post that his theories were based on reasoning more than any secrets he’d heard. We’re getting a pretty good picture of the tablet as we go along here — odds are it’ll get even clearer before we see the thing on stage.
Rumors and speculation: No Intel in the tablet, no Flash either originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Rumors and speculation: No Intel in the tablet, no Flash either originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: iTS, How-tos, iTunes, Mac 101
The iTunes Store and App Store have mastered the art of the impulse purchase. “Only two bucks? Sure, why not?” The good news is that you can send a song, album, movie or TV show to a friend just as easily.
Let’s start with music. First, find the album or song you’d like to send. If you’re sending a song, you’ll see a drop-down arrow next to the track’s “Buy” button. Click it to reveal the menu at right, then select “Gift this song.”
You’re brought to a new screen (in the gallery below). From there you only need to enter some information, click continue and you’re done! Your recipient will receive a nice email message with a download link. The process is the same for albums, individual TV shows, audiobooks (though the “Gift this audiobook” looks different) and movies.
Note that you can’t gift entire TV seasons (bummer) or iPhone/iPod touch apps. However, you can opt to share a link to an interesting app. With the app selected, click the same drop-down button to reveal the “Tell a Friend” option. The same is true of Podcasts – hit that “Tell a Friend” button to let everyone know what you’re listening to. With just a few clicks, you can share your favorite content with anyone you want!
Gallery: Sending gifts from iTunes
Mac 101: Purchase a file in iTunes for someone else originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mac 101: Purchase a file in iTunes for someone else originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Cult of Mac, Odds and ends, iTunes, Holidays, MobileMe, Music
January 1 is always a little strange. A quiet time after a night out, a time to take the tree down and deal with all the green light cords that started out so neatly applied and wind up a tangled maze of complexity. Time to get rid of all the holiday wrappings and hope the trash pickup is soon.
It is also a time to reflect on all things Apple and how the ecosystem of products has changed our lives in ways we sometimes forget or are barely aware of.
This morning I was in a melancholy mood and needed some music to match. I thought a good idea was for some music by Eric Ewazen, [iTunes link] who writes some pretty deep and mystical compositions. I had already bought some of his tracks from the Apple Store. In the old days, waking up on a holiday and craving some music you don’t have was a lost cause.
Now I can get what is admittedly an obscure album of music, download it to my computer, put it on my Sonos system with a few clicks and sync it to my iPhone for my morning jog. Basking in the early morning Arizona light I loved hearing Ewazen’s ‘Hymn for the Lost and the Living’ while contemplating a new year with new challenges. Apple enabled much of what I was able to do, and we take it for granted, but when you stand back from it all you can see how changed our lives are.
Some of my other favorite things from this year include MacSpeech Dictate, software that allows me to reliably dictate my emails, some longer reports, and even some of my TUAW posts. It’s truly science fiction in the here and now (or is it ‘hear’ and now?) and some updates in 2009 made it easier to use and far more accurate.
Continue reading January 1 reflections on my favorite things
January 1 reflections on my favorite things originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
January 1 reflections on my favorite things originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Multimedia, Odds and ends, iPhone, iPod touch, App Review
Empire is a venerable British movie magazine that has amassed quite a library of film reviews since it was first published more than 20 years ago. Their reviews tend to be aimed at the enthusiastic film buff, rather than academics. I have always found the reviews entertaining and a worthwhile read.
Now, the entire Empire archive has come to the iPhone and iPod touch with the Empire Movie Guide [iTunes link]. The US$4.99, 8.9 MB app puts all of the reviews on your phone without need for a data connection. As a nice bonus, Empire grabs the most recently published reviews over the air when you are connected and launch the app.
The Empire app contains about 9,000 reviews, searchable by actor, director, genre, writers, or release dates. Want to share the reviews with friends? Empire allows sharing via email, Facebook, and Twitter.
If a movie or soundtrack is available in the iTunes store, the review provides a purchase link. The Empire Movie Guide won’t help you find movie times or locations, but it does put a library of well-written reviews in your hand.Empire is a venerable British movie magazine that has amassed quite a library of film reviews since it was first published more than 20 years ago. Their reviews tend to be aimed at the enthusiastic film buff, rather than academics. I have always found the reviews entertaining and a worthwhile read.
Now, the entire Empire archive has come to the iPhone and iPod touch with the Empire Movie Guide [iTunes link]. The US$4.99, 8.9 MB app puts all of the reviews on your phone without need for a data connection. As a nice bonus, Empire grabs the most recently published reviews over the air when you are connected and launch the app.
The Empire app contains about 9,000 reviews, searchable by actor, director, genre, writers, or release dates. Want to share the reviews with friends? Empire allows sharing via email, Facebook, and Twitter.
If a movie or soundtrack is available in the iTunes store, the review provides a purchase link. The Empire Movie Guide won’t help you find movie times or locations, but it does put a library of well-written reviews in your hand.
TUAWIntelligent and insightful mobile movie reviews: the Empire Movie Guide app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: iTS, Multimedia, iTunes
A reader has tipped us off that Apple’s Movie Trailer site has gotten an iTunes Store-style look. Well, for the Iron Man 2 Exclusive Trailer page anyway. Right now the rest of the site seems to have retained its old look. Is this a slow rollout, or is Iron Man just that cool that he gets his own design? Either way, the trailer for Iron Man 2 looks amazing!
We’ll let you know if any other trailers get the iTunes Store treatment.
Thanks Space Taker!
Apple Movie Trailers website getting an iTunes Store-style overhaul? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple Movie Trailers website getting an iTunes Store-style overhaul? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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