app store

Apple's sandboxing restrictive for some applications

Starting June 1, the Mac App Store will be adopting a new policy that requires applications distributed through it to be sandboxed -- a feature that restricts default access to all system resources except those allowed by specific Apple-defined entitlements. The sandboxing and entitlements are generally voluntarily set up and elected by the developer, but in the case of the App Store, are both mandatory and also scrutinized and approved by Apple. While sandboxing is a great option for protecting users' systems and should offer seamless functionality for most programs, Apple's implementation is too restrictive for some applications to … Read more

E3 needs a new product

As we head toward E3 2012 in Los Angeles, I've noticed something curious in the air:

No one really cares.

By "no one" I mean no one who's not a gamer, of course. The general public, even the casual technology fan. Compared with years past when friends would try to pump me for information on when the next PlayStation would come out, whether there would be anything new for the Wii...well, this year, it feels like radio silence. The video game fan at my local Starbucks who kept asking me about the Nintendo 3DS a year ago barely has any questions to ask. My friend who bought a Wii two years ago doesn't seem interested. I couldn't use E3 to start a conversation if I tried.

It's seemed that way on the appointment-making end of things, too: other than Nintendo's inevitable reveal of more details on the Wii U, we're entering this year's E3 with a stunning lack of new hardware...or even of new hardware rumors. The oft-wondered-about "When will we get a new Xbox or PlayStation?" chatter has already been shot down by Sony and Microsoft, which claim there won't be a PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720 at this year's E3.

I do know one thing, though: E3 needs a new product.… Read more

Networks are hopping mad over Dish's commercial skipping

In today's show, we're putting filters on Facebook, paying with our phones and watching the networks get hoppin' mad:

A battle is brewing in court between the major television networks and Dish Network's commercial-skipping Hopper DVR. The fight centers around a feature in the Hopper DVR called Auto Hop, which lets users instantly skip commercials for a show recorded the day prior from a major network during prime time. (No need for a fast-forward button!) Fox, NBC and CBS are suing Dish, arguing that commercial skipping violates copyright. And Fox added another layer to it, saying that … Read more

Apple's App Store gets new Editors' Choice picks

Apple has silently added a new feature to its App Store: Editors' Choice.

When users boot up the Mac App Store or App Store, they'll find a new promotional feature, called Editors' Choice. On the Mac App Store side, Apple says that for its "inaugural pick," it chose CoBook, an address book application that supplements usability by accessing social networks. In addition, the company chose Deus Ex Human Revolution as another Editors' Choice worth checking out.

Not to be outdone, Apple unveiled some Editors' Choice options for App Store users, as well. Among the picks was the … Read more

Facebook pushes App Center with easy app installs

With mobile as Facebook's financial Achilles heel, the company continues to drum up hype around its forthcoming App Center for mobile apps. The company announced today that it is making it easier for developers to place their apps on Facebook and is also helping users install apps via a mobile device or computer.

"Facebook sends over 160 million people to mobile apps each month through news feed and timeline," Facebook software engineer Brent Goldman wrote in a blog post today. "Soon, with the App Center, it will be easier than ever to drive mobile app installs … Read more

Getting started with Facebook Pages Manager for iOS

Last week, Facebook let the cat out of the bag about its new Facebook Pages Manager app for the iPhone. But, as you may be aware, the app was only available in New Zealand. Now, the app is available here in the U.S.

The app will surely come in handy for those who manage several Pages or perhaps don't want to have the Facebook app (logged in to a personal account) installed on a work device.

If you're the manager of a Page, be it for yourself or work, you can begin by downloading the app for free.… Read more

App Store changes on June 1 should have minimal impact

On June 1, Apple will begin enforcing sandboxing requirements for all applications distributed through its Mac App Store service. If you've purchased applications from the Mac App Store, you can expect updates to become available in the next week or two.

Sandboxing is a security measure that restricts applications from unintended resource access. When enabled on an application, the default sandbox gives a program no access to any resources. Developers then enable Apple-supplied entitlements for the sandbox that allow access to printing, the network, and filesystem reading and writing, and other features so their program can work properly. The … Read more

Leap Motion: 3D hands-free motion control, unbound

Hands-free motion control, a technology pioneered by Nintendo's Wii and later improved upon by Microsoft's Kinect, just took a very big leap forward. Industries from gaming to surgery to architecture, engineering, and design may never be the same.

With the unveiling today of its Leap 3D motion control system, a San Francisco startup called Leap Motion has, well, leapfrogged the state of the art in this young field, giving users the ability to control what's on their computers with hundredth of a millimeter accuracy and introducing touch-free gestures like pinch-to-zoom.

Leap, which comprises both a small USB … Read more

Jailbreak no longer a dirty word on iTunes, the App Store

Following yesterday's discovery that Apple was altering how it displayed apps, music, and other digital content with the name "jailbreak" in the title, the company appears to have relented.

Searching for "jailbreak" now shows the word in full, instead of offering "j*******k."

An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the change, which was spotted by The Next Web.

As mentioned yesterday, the issue was inconsistant. Some digital content that was named jailbreak, or that simply had the word in the title appeared unchanged, while others were not.

Apple's App Store Guidelines … Read more