Category Archives: News
Apple removes negative reviews from apps affected by DRM bug
In a good move that helps developers, Apple has eradicated the negative reviews from apps affected by the DRM bug, Macworld reports, with a subsequent article from MacStories relaying that the affected apps had the negative reviews removed.
Originally reported by Instapaper’s Marco Arment, the DRM bug affected iOS and Mac App Store software that was updated over the 4th of July holiday. Apple responded to the issue late Thursday.
Daily iPhone App: 30/30 helps you time your tasks
Binary Hammer’s 30/30 is a timer app for people who need to get lots of things done in a short period of time. The app lets you set up several consecutive tasks and allocate the time you need to get each one done. The app keeps track of the elapsed time and will alert you when you need to finish your current task and move onto the next. It’s perfect for reminding you take a 5-minute break from your work once every hour or to pace your progress through a circuit training course.
The app has a gesture-based interface that’s pleasing to use. You can swipe to delete a task, touch and hold to move a task, and pinch apart to create a new one. When creating a task, you can give it a title, set the duration and choose both a custom color and icon. There is only one default notification sound that you can toggle on/off if you want. You can also choose to have your phone vibrate.
Apple responds to spam app Find and Call
On Thursday, Kaspersky Lab Expert researcher Denis Maslennikov wrote about a rogue app in the iOS App Store and Google Play store that secretly uploads your contact list to a remote server and then uses that information to send out spam text messages.
Called “Find and Call”, the app is actually a Trojan that lets users “find friends in a phone book.” The app then steals your contact list and uses the phone numbers to send out spam messages on your behalf. The app has a companion website that lets you add your social networks and email accounts to the service. You can even use PayPal to transfer money to your Find and Call account.
Apple’s retail growth in China stalling
Apple may view China as its next big market, but the Cupertino company is dropping the ball when it comes to expanding its retail presence in the Asian country, says a report in the New York Times. Back in 2010, former head of Apple’s retail division Ron Johnson predicted Apple soon would have 25 retail stores in China. The company now operates a total of five stores that are located in either Shanghai or Beijing. Reuters estimates that Apple has one store for every 215 million Chinese citizens.
Not only does this create an overflow of customers into the five Apple stores, it also opens the door for a booming grey market where smuggled Apple products are sold by unauthorized re-sellers. Some peddlers don’t even bother trying to get authentic Apple goods and sell cheap Chinese knock-offs that bear a striking resemblance to the real thing. The grey market has gotten so big that several copycat Apple stores have even opened in the smaller mainland cities.
You’re The Editor: Picking vendors, price, and exclusivity
iBook Lessons is a continuing series about ebook writing and publishing. “You’re The Editor” is an occasional entry in this series, which asks the TUAW reader brain trust for opinions and advice about publishing topics.
There’s a dilemma faced by many new ebook authors: how to sell a book for “not much at all” and still earn a decent living. Apple and Amazon policies complicate this decision.
