eXtensions: AMITIAE

AMITIAE -Thursday 20 November 2014

Cassandra: Apple News Snippets

By Graham K. Rogers

Cassandra

A number of items of news appeared in my inbox this morning that made me sit up before the coffee had cut in: on Aperture; on the Holiday Season; and on the iTunes App Store. And more.

Today

One of the first things I do each day after breakfast is check email and in this morning's collection of advertisements and items of interest, was a circulation from Apple: a reminder that the gift-giving season is almost upon us. The theme in the email was a warm, homey scene with children silhouetted in a tent. An iPad is being handed to one, who is excited. Scrolling down, most of the Apple product line - iOS, Macs, AppleTV - were shown.

That theme, with an extended range of products is now the design of the online Apple Store. Locally, both the Thai store and the English language Thai store have the same colours and products.

A number of sources are reporting changes in the iTunes App Store with the Free button being changed to "Get". Victor Agreda Jr on TUAW, one of many commenting on this, suggests that the reason for the change is that "issues regarding in-app purchases and litigation overseas may be to blame."

In the Thai iTunes store, the top level display still shows "free" beneath those apps that have no charge, while clicking on the app and visiting the app panel shows the "Get" button.

Immediate Future

Most users of OS X are aware that a new app will replace iPhoto some time next year and that Aperture is coming to the end of its life: Apple has stated that it will no longer be developed. Users have the choice of using Apple's new Photo application when it arrives, or of migrating to Adobe's Lightroom. As many Mac users are already using this, it is felt that most users will take this route. I am still hanging on: waiting for Photos and seeing how the developers of the plugins I have will react.

Adobe has not gloated about this. Instead their reactions have been positive: releasing advice on how to start the migration manually; then starting to develop a migration tool. Now we are told (MacNN) that Adobe has released an update to Lightroom (v5.7) and that this has the promised migration tool, but the article reminds us that any adjustments made in Aperture will not be carried over. However, star ratings, flags, keywords, GPS data and other information will be incorporated.

For more information see that MacNN article.

Earlier this week, it was reported by John Callaham on iMore (among others) that Apple is intending to allow third party developers to use the Lightning port on iOS devices.

While this will open up the market to new chargers, there is the added possibility that accessory developers will make use of this.

Also announced at the same time was the developer kit for the Apple Watch: WatchKit. The Apple Developer pages have a run down on this with several links to videos and tools that those intending to make such apps will need.

There is some more comment and some useful information in an article by Christian Zibreg on iDownLoad.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. He is now continuing that in the Bangkok Post supplement, Life.

For further information, e-mail to

Back to eXtensions
Back to Home Page