Federico Viticci

10804 posts on MacStories since April 2009

Federico is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MacStories, where he writes about Apple with a focus on apps, developers, iPad, and iOS productivity. He founded MacStories in April 2009 and has been writing about Apple since. Federico is also the co-host of AppStories, a weekly podcast exploring the world of apps, Unwind, a fun exploration of media and more, and NPC: Next Portable Console, a show about portable gaming and the handheld revolution.
@viticci@macstories.net
@viticci.macstories.net
viticci@macstories.net

Apple Releases Safari 5.0.3

A few minutes ago Apple released an update to Safari, which reaches version 5.0.3. It’s available now in Software Update, or via direct download on Apple’s website.

Apple also released Safari 4.1.3 for Tiger users. Safari 5.0.3 comes with a variety of fixes and overall performance improvements. Specifically, the update addresses issues with search and text input fields on Netflix and Facebook, improves stability of Javascript-intensive extensions and introduces more reliable pop-up blocking.

Check out the full changelog below. Read more

Sleeve360: iPad Case With Hand Strap Mode

The guys at ThinkFast have been working on a very cool case for iPad that, among other functionalities, will enable you to use the tablet in “hand strap mode”. Thanks to a 360° spinning pivot attached to the back of the device through a case, the Sleeve360 will allow you to have the screen always at your fingertips and rotate it in any direction you want. Read more

World Without Photoshop: Neat PS Book for iPad

Created by photographer Dan Marcolina, “World Without Photoshop” is an app for iPad designed using Adobe’ InDesign publishing tools, and it focuses on showcasing the techniques and processes used by Photoshop “artists and masters”.

From the app’s description:

Now 20 years old, Adobe® Photoshop® software has changed image editing forever. Can you imagine a world without Photoshop? Over the next twelve chapters you can see for yourself what some of the best digital artists work looks like without the software. Then with the touch of your finger The World Without Photoshop is transformed and you can see and hear the imaginations of these artists come to life in their work. Pinch and zoom into over 48 works by artists, illustrators, designers, and photographers and get their insights into how twenty years of Photoshop innovation have changed their world.

Honestly, we can’t imagine a Photoshop-free world. And since I can’t imagine a world without iPad either, you’ll get the best of both worlds with this cool app / book / book app.

World Without Photoshop is available for free here. [via John Nack]

Yahoo’s iPad-optimized Homepage Doesn’t Look Bad

Oh, Yahoo. What are you, exactly? What have you become? No one really knows for sure. Are you “the guys behind Flickr”? Are you a news website? A mail platform? Many say Yahoo! lacks an identity. Maybe they do.

But anyway, the iPad-optimized homepage they recently launched isn’t that bad. Available at yahoo.com/tablet, it displays Yahoo’s sites in a sidebar and featured articles to flick through with your fingers on top.

Not bad at all.

Murdoch: Tablet-only Publication Is Exciting, Coming Soon

The iPad was meant to save the publishing industry. When Steve Jobs unveiled the device last January, no one was surprised to see the New York Times demoing an iPad-only app – we all knew that if the rumors were true, if Apple was really working on a tablet, then it must be aimed at the publishing industry. Among things.

After that, all major newspapers and publications rushed to have iPad applications out in the App Store, and now they’re carrying those same apps over to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. Most of those apps aren’t exactly “great”, some of them are well-realized and will even follow the website counterpart to adopt a subscription-based model (see the New York Times). Read more

Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition Coming To The Mac On December 3rd

Popular PC and console game Borderlands is coming to the Mac, The Loop reports. Feral Interactive announced its plans to bring the “Game of the Year” edition of its game to Macs in December, though it’s not clear whether the new version will be also be sold on Steam or not.

A first-person shooter spliced with the DNA of a role-playing game, Borderlands takes you to the scarred desert surface of planet Pandora. Ravaged and abandoned by mega-mining corporations, and populated by prison convicts, miscreants and bloodthirsty alien monsters, it’s a hostile land. You’re a fortune hunter determined to find and open the mythical ‘Vault’, an alien artefact of unimaginable power. Luckily for you,Borderlands’ random content generation system means you’ve got guns. Lots of guns.

The game can be pre-ordered here at £35 (around $55), but if you don’t want to wait and prefer to run the game via Boot Camp, you can buy the Game of the Year edition for PC on Amazon at $49.

Woz: Apple Had A Phone Ready In 2004, Android Will Win The Race [Updated]

Steve Wozniak is that kind of guy who has no problems in saying exactly what he thinks. He co-founded Apple, but criticizing Apple and talking about the great features of Android OS isn’t a problem for him.

That’s exactly what happened in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf: as Engadget reports, the Woz apparently revealed that Apple was collaborating with a “well-known Japanese consumer electronics company in 2004 to develop a phone that was ahead of its time”. That would be the iPhone that was released in 2007, and it’s interesting that Steve Jobs and his team had the thing ready in 2004 and decided to put it on the shelf for 3 years. Perhaps multi-touch wasn’t ready? Perhaps because of high manufacturing costs? Who knows. Read more

Apple Is Bringing iAds To Europe In December

Today Apple announced they’re bringing their “revolutionary iAd network” to Europe. iAds will launch in December in the UK and France, Germany will follow in January. As for the partners, the rumors were correct: Apple managed to close deals with L’Orèal, Renault, Luis Vuitton, Nespresso and Perrier & Unilever.

iAds started to roll out internationally two weeks ago, and while the ads were visible to non-US users they weren’t target to specific audiences. For instance, I was able to see an AT&T iAd in Italy.

Press release follows below. Read more