Yahoo! News: Apple/Macintosh News

Apple/Macintosh News

• New iPhone OS Rumored To Finally Allow Multitasking (NewsFactor)

  NewsFactor - Version 4.0 of the operating system for Apple's iPhone, iPod touch, and the forthcoming iPad will represent a major overhaul of the software and will feature a "full-on solution" to one long-standing gripe about Apple's devices -- their inability to multitask.

• Razer, GPG pledge Mac support; DICE investigating (Macworld.com)

  Macworld.com - Now that Valve has pledged to support the Mac with the forthcoming release of Steam on Mac OS X and simultaneous Mac and PC releases for all its upcoming games, several in the gaming industry have been quick to respond with their own pledges of support.

• OnLive Plans On-Demand Streaming of Video Games (NewsFactor)

  NewsFactor - In a move to shake up the online gaming industry, OnLive has announced PC and Mac versions of its on-demand, instant-play games will roll out in June during the E3 2010 show. Here's the rub: Gamers don't have to buy a console, and they can get broadband speeds.

• Text message erasing application goes international (AFP)

  AFP - A California start-up on Thursday went international with a TigerText iPhone application that lets people kill embarrassing text messages after they have been sent out.

  
  

• Rumor: iPhone OS 4.0 Update Adds Multitasking (PC World)

  PC World - The iPhone will finally support multitasking for third-party apps as part of Apple's iPhone OS 4.0 release, according to AppleInsidier sources. It is just one of many iPhone 4.0 rumors surfacing as interest in what's next for the iPhone's OS mounts.

• Namco unveils new cross-platform SDK (Macworld.com)

  Macworld.com - On Thursday, Namco announced UniteSDK, its new propriety cross-platform technology. During a demonstration on Tuesday night at the Game Developers Conference, Namco revealed Macs, PCs, and mobile platforms like the iPhone will be able to play games simultaneously against each other. Namco also demonstrated Pool Pro Online 3 for iPhone, which was created using the UniteSDK. Pool Pro Online 3 is now available for $5 at the App Store.

• Novothink debuts solar charging case for iPhone (Macworld.com)

  Macworld.com - Sure, the App Store has plenty of ways to help survivalists fend off a zombie apocalypse, or figure out what plants are safe to eat—but without electricity, those useful guides quickly become very useless data on a dead paperweight. Thankfully, Novothink may have a solar-powered solution.

• Pink Floyd and iTunes could split after court ruling (Macworld.com)

  Macworld.com - It’s “A Great Day For Freedom”—at least for the members of Pink Floyd. As BBC News reports, the band has emerged victorious in a legal battle with record label EMI, accompanied by a ruling that could soon lead to the band’s entire discography getting pulled from iTunes.

• GDC: Khronos group unveils OpenGL 4.0 and 3.3 (Macworld.com)

  Macworld.com - The Khronos group has released versions 4.0 and 3.3 of the OpenGL spec, the latest version of the cross-platform, royalty-free 2D and 3D graphics API used on all major desktop operating systems, including Mac OS X. It also serves as the basis for OpenGL ES for smart phones and the upcoming WebGL standard for Web browsers.

• No Camera on Apple's iPad, After All? (PC World)

  PC World - Apple's latest iPad software development kit nixes references to video calling and chatting, creating uncertainty about the chances of a camera coming to the iPad.

• OnLive gaming service to launch in June (Macworld.com)

  Macworld.com - We’ve talked about the glory and promises of OnLive in the past—it’s the online gaming system that promises to let you play your favorite games whenever, wherever, and on whatever device you want. Now the gaming revolution has a street date, too: June 17, 2010.

• Apple iPod Shuffle 4 GB (PC World)

  PC World - Spring break is just around the corner, so what better companion to take on your swimsuit workouts than an Apple iPod Shuffle? Amazon has the 4GB 3rd Generation Silver iPod Shuffle for $55.99 with free shipping. The 3rd Generation iPod Shuffle features a sexy design, voice navigation (unlike previous iPod Shuffles, this Shuffle will tell you what playlists and tracks are on your device), and headphones with a built-in remote.

• Consumer Reports: Apple still tops in computer tech support (Macworld.com)

  Macworld.com - I have the greatest respect for the men and women behind Apple's tech support. Despite having one of the toughest jobs in the industry, they've always been extremely efficient and courteous in solving my own problems.

• Palm Inc. teeters in crowded smart phone market (AP)

  AP - Last year, Palm thought it had all the pieces for a turnaround in the market it pioneered: A new CEO known for making the iPod a household name, a sleek new smart phone called the Pre and fresh, intuitive operating software.

  
  

• Apple's iPad Could Kill The Mac (PC Magazine)

  PC Magazine - The rise of the iPhone OS-based iPad could be the beginning of the end for Apple's 26-year-old personal computer platform.

• Android Dominates, Windows Mobile Plummets, iPhone Stagnant (PC World)

  PC World - The results are in from comScore for the most recent quarter for smartphone usage in the United States. With smartphone use up 18 percent over the previous quarter, topping 42 million users, Google's Android mobile operating system stands out as the dominant winner for this quarter.

• Sony VAIO W Series Netbook (PC World)

  PC World - Buy.com has a Sony VAIO W Series netbook in cocoa brown on sale for $443.75 with free shipping. The sleek little netbook has a 10.1-inch backlit LCD panel, which has great picture quality with minimal glare, rich colors, and sharp contrast. The VAIO W Series also features 720p high-definition support and plays 720p video stutter-free. The unit on sale boasts a 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. Like any good netbook, it also has a built-in Webcam and microphone and two USB ports--who needs an iPad when you can get this netbook for $50 less?

• TextExpander 3 saves you from more tedious typing (Macworld.com)

  Macworld.com - TextExpander from SmileOnMyMac is the ultimate macro tool. It lets you create snippets of frequently used text or images, then instantly paste said snippets into any app simply by typing an abbreviation. It’s like a rubber stamp for working on your Mac, and it just got a lot more...stampier—but in a good way.

• Apple holds second place U.S. smartphone share (Macworld.com)

  Macworld.com - Market research firm ComScore is back with the latest numbers on the battle for consumers’ hearts and minds in the U.S. smartphone arena. On the positive side, Apple's share continued to grow, holding steady in second place after BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM).

• Summary Box: Palm struggles in its phone comeback (AP)

  AP - PALM'S PROBLEM: As smart phones have gotten more popular, Apple Inc.'s iPhone and Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerrys have benefited while Palm has fallen behind.