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

Back to the “iWallet”, Apple Allegedly Considering A BOKU Acquisition

According to a rumor published by TechCrunch, Google and Apple are keeping an eye on mobile payments startup BOKU, which allows users to complete online transactions by simply entering their phone number and confirming the purchase with a text from their phone. A simple and unobtrusive system that could really eliminate the need of credit cards and banks online: charges will be added to your wireless monthly bill. Boku has closed deals with carriers worldwide, including AT&T in the U.S.

Apple seems to be really committed to turning the iPhone into a digital wallet-like device you can use to buy stuff on the go and / or online, as we speculated in rumors surfaced earlier this year. Yesterday, Cult of Mac reported Apple not only wants to develop an “iWallet” based on NFC technology – they’re aiming at remote Mac controlling as well. Read more

Notes On Setting Up A New Mac→

Notes On Setting Up A New Mac

Good points by Neven Mrgan, but I especially agree with this one:

Apple IDs and MobileMe accounts need to become connected. I should be able to enter one and have the other pulled in automatically. It’s kind of really weird that the whole setup process skips MobileMe - you have to go into System Preferences to add it yourself.

It’s weird, and it’s one of the things I hope Apple will address in Lion.

Permalink

Steve Wozniak’s Sleek Business Card

Imagine a business card as sleek as an Apple product, with smooth and sexy lines wrapped around future-proof metal. Take a look at Steve Wozniak’s business card, stamped by UK company PlasmaDesign and produced for several high profile clients.

The cards are created through a combination of photochemical etching and good ol’ cutting (we assume stamping), depending on the design, and if regular stainless steel etched into two shades is too boring for you, PlasmaDesign can also tint the metal into seven different shades using a complicated process called electrophoresis, which I could not adequately explain to you if I had a gun to my head.

Saying this is just too cool would be an understatement. [Gizmodo via Core77]

Mac Portable Vs. MacBook Air - 21 Years of Apple Computing

Times change. Gadgets grow old fast. Look at your original iPhone from 2007, then look at the iPhone 4’s sexy metal band. Things in this industry have a short lifespan, and it’s up to great engineers and designers to make a device last in time and leave a permanent sign in the minds of people who used it, loved it.

In the picture above, you can see a Mac Portable from 1989 compared to a 2010 MacBook Air. Generation of Macs sitting next to each other, a visual representation of the progress that’s been made in science and computer engineering. But it was “only” 21 years ago. The first Game Boy came out the same year. The U2 were a great band. Yet, for as much as we remember those events as if it was yesterday and we struggle to keep that Mac Portable in perfect mint condition, things change. Fast.

So welcome, MacBook Air. We look forward to comparing you to another Mac in 21 years.

If Macs will still be around. [TUAW via Patrick McCarron]

Grazing for iPad Reaches 1.1: Sharing Menu, Smoother Browsing

Grazing is, in my opinion, the best alternative web browser for iPad which I reviewed here back in September. By combining a fast engine with a polished UI and a minimal (yet powerful) feature set, the developers of Grazing managed to release the finest example of what it’s possible to do with a 3rd party web browser on the tablet.

Today Grazing for iPad gets even better with a 1.1 updated aimed at improving overall performances and introducing a couple of new features highly requested by early adopters of the app. In the Settings, you can now turn on Ad-blocking, which works on domain basis and you can enable or disable at any given time. Also in the Settings, a TV Out option that allows you automatically output web pages when the iPad is attached to an external monitor or TV. Read more

Instapaper Founder’s Journey From Bagel Jockey to Publishing Pioneer→

Instapaper Founder’s Journey From Bagel Jockey to Publishing Pioneer

I learned the value of giving people little delights [while working at the bagel shop]. Those small details and experiences are the reason why people like luxury cars. They are full of those little delights. You can do the same thing with any business. With a Web and iPhone app, I try to find new and tiny ways to delight my customers. They may not notice, but it helps drive goodwill and makes your product remarkable.

I’m looking forward to what’s coming next for Instapaper.

Permalink

Apple Silently Cuts Mac Mini Prices Outside The U.S.

If you live in Europe or in any other market outside the United States, here’s a nice surprise for you: Apple cut €100 off of the price of the Mac Mini, which is now available at €699 in the standard configuration with 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB memory, 320GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive and NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics. The price cut is also available in the UK Store, where the Mac Mini is now priced at £599.

Prices in the US remain unchanged at the moment of writing this. I assume these prices cuts in Europe are likely connected to Dollar - Euro conversion rates, or maybe Apple just wants to sell more Minis in the holiday season in Europe.

AppleCare Protection Plans Now Transferable To Any Device

According to the latest report by BGR, Apple changed its policy regarding AppleCare Protection Plans and transferability:

Starting immediately, an Apple customer will have the ability to transfer AppleCare Protection Plan coverage to a new device without having to cancel the current plan and purchase a new one. Though no formal announcement has been made to the public, Apple notified its employees of the new procedure on Monday.

This new system simplifies the purchase experience for customers and makes AppleCare even more relevant. Yeah, because in case you’re wondering – you need AppleCare.

miCal, Powerful Calendar App for iPhone

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have noticed I’ve been tweeting about Google Calendar integration on iOS since last week. Indeed, I’m looking at all the possible ways to integrate Google’s calendar utility on iOS, especially on the iPhone which is the device I always have with me. It turns out there are many ways to get your Google Cal up and running on the iPhone, the default one requiring you to create an Exchange or CalDAV account in Mail, Contacts and Calendars. In that way, you’ll be able to use Google Calendar in Apple’s default Calendar app and enjoy the additional sync services offered by Google (very similar to MobileMe).

Or, you can just go looking for a 3rd party calendar application in the App Store and play with features Apple didn’t implement in its default app. So I did, and here’s the first app I downloaded, miCal.

Read more