WatchESPN iOS app lets some people watch live sports wherever they want

By Ben Drawbaugh posted Apr 7th 2011 9:33AM Continuing the trend of tying streaming content to the ol' ball and chain that is your pricy cable subscription, ESPN announced the launch of the WatchESPN App for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, with an iPad optimized version slated for release in May. Said App can be downloaded now and will allow you to "stay connected to live sports and shows from ESPN, wherever and whenever you want them" -- assuming you're a Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV customer that is. The ability to watch three of the most popular cable networks while on the go, or anywhere in your house, is certainly nothing to scoff at, but many sports fans' excitement will indeed be diminished until ESPN fulfills its promise to release apps for "other smartphones and tablets," and of course the other big service providers like Comcast, DirecTV and Dish Network get with the program. For now you can live vicariously through us by clicking through to the gallery or watching the western style WatchESPN App commercial available embedded after the break.

ESPN Launches New 'WatchESPN' App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch

App Gives Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV Subscribers Live Access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com content

NEW YORK, N.Y. – ESPN announced today its flagship network ESPN as well as ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com are now available to Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV subscribers via the new 'WatchESPN' App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, now available on the App Store.

In time for the early rounds of the Masters, the NBA Playoffs and the beginning of the Major League Baseball season, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV subscribers who receive the linear networks as part of their video subscription can now watch the channels from the convenience of their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.

"Innovation continues to drive ESPN," said George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports. "When we launched in 1979, nobody envisioned a day when people would carry ESPN in their pockets. But here we are. And we've reached this watershed moment for the industry through tremendous collaboration with forward-thinking partners."
The free WatchESPN App includes a simple user interface that takes the current online viewing experience to the high-resolution, Multi-Touch displays of iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Once a user downloads WatchESPN from the App Store, they will receive instructions to enter their cable subscriber credentials and access their favorite ESPN content on their device. A version of the application optimized for the Apple iPad will be available free to download in May.

Added Sean Bratches, executive vice president, sales and marketing for ESPN, "This represents the culmination of our efforts over the last five years. We strive to serve the sports fan wherever they consume sports, and I can't think of a better way to do that than making our networks available to fans whenever and wherever they might be."

The company first launched an online-accessible authenticated version of ESPN in October, 2010. Authenticated versions of ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Buzzer Beater/Goal Line launched in January, 2011. Consumers can access the channels through a centralized website, ESPNnetworks.com.

The WatchESPN App is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

The App will be available on other smartphones and tablets in the near future.

Nokia releases Ovi Maps 3D beta plug-in for Safari

Filed under: Apple, Mac

by Michael Grothaus (RSS feed) on Apr 19th 2011 at 7:00AM

Nokia has just released a Safari plug-in for its browser-based Ovi Maps 3D mapping software, and it is beautiful. The new mapping software renders lifelike 3D textured buildings in a level of detail that is unparalleled. The image above is from London, and as you can see, not only are the buildings rendered in photorealistic 3D textures, but bushes and trees are as well.

As of now, Nokia's 3D textures are limited to London, Oslo, New York and other big cities, with other cities to follow later. To view the 3D beta of Ovi Maps 3D, you need to download the 19 MB Safari plug-in here. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether Nokia plans to release an iOS app for Ovi Maps 3D; given the competition in the smartphone market between Apple and Nokia, it's doubtful. However, Apple has been rumored to be overhauling the Maps app in iOS for quite some time, and it would be great if it could come close to this level of 3D textures in a future version of Maps.

[via Electronista]

Android Faithful Hate Apple And Wouldn’t Buy iPhone

Now we all know there’s no real love lost between the iOS faithful and the Android faithful and both sides will defend their chosen platform to the bitter end. Apple gear has dominated the mobile space for quite some time but Android is eating away at Apple, and will undoubtedly become the most dominant in the mobile arena.

Well according to an article over on Cnet, it appears that according to a recent survey by Business Insider, although iOS users would purchase an Android device if there was an Android handset that was “better in most key ways than an iPhone,” it appears that Android users aren’t so willing to swap to the iPhone.

According to the survey, which consisted of mostly Android and iPhone users, most of those Android users said they wouldn’t consider purchasing an iPhone, the reason for this is because they “hate Apple,” although the survey doesn’t go into why said Android users hate Apple.

Apparently the survey took in over 2000 participants and according to the figures only 31.2 percent of Android user would consider buying an iPhone if said iOS device “worked better with non-iPhone apps and products.”

However; apparently 55.7 percent of Android users marked the box that indicated “Nothing: I hate Apple.”

So our question is, do our Android toting users really hate Apple rather than just disliking the iPhone, and if so why do you hate Apple? Have to say I am one of the Android faithful, but personally I don;t actually hate Apple or the iPhone. Feel free to voice your opinions to our comments area below.

FindOne for iOS helps you get your hands on an iPad 2

Filed under: iPad

by David Winograd (RSS feed) on Apr 19th 2011 at 5:00PM

After being introduced to the US market on March 11th, it's still not easy to get your hands on an iPad 2. D.L. Horton decided to do something about it, which lead to FindOne, a free iOS app that checks the online inventory of Target and Walmart to see what they have in stock.

Depending upon your criteria -- such as AT&T or Verizon, color, storage capacity, or Wi-Fi only -- you enter your zip code and up pops a listing of what's in stock, along with addresses and phone numbers of the stores. Since inventory levels change minute by minute, you are strongly advised to call the stores and find out if the results are accurate and perhaps to reserve an iPad 2.

I called a few stores and found the app to be fairly accurate. It's not perfect by a long shot, but it's a great way to start your search. I live in a heavily populated area and got a lot of results, some of them as far as 45 miles away and some as close as only four miles. The site mentions that Best Buy inventory will soon be added to the app.

Yes, it would be nice if the app contained all vendors of iPad 2s, but first, it's free (advertising-supported) and second, it's anyone's guess whether the other vendors have an online inventory system that FindOne can tap into. It's basic, but I think that FindOne has the potential of helping out some frustrated would-be buyers.

News: GoodReader for iPad adds Data Protection support

Good.iWare has released an update to GoodReader for iPad adding support for encrypting files stored within the app using the Data Protection features in iOS 4. With the latest version, users can now easily designate which files and folders they wish to have secured and the underlying operating system will automatically encrypt those files whenever the device is locked with a passcode. By integrating with the iOS Data Protection features, GoodReader is able to leverage hardware level encryption built into modern iOS devices making the process fast and transparent for end users while ensuring that sensitive files are protected in the event a device is lost or stolen. The update also adds support for “flattening” PDF annotations, embedding them in the main PDF body for reading in PDF viewers that do not provide annotation support and protecting them from further modification. Additional new features include symbolic PDF page label support, AirPlay video playback and several improvements related to connecting and synchronizing with remote servers. GoodReader for iPad 3.6 is available from the App Store for $5.

Update (04/19/2011): An update to GoodReader for iPhone is also now available adding the Data Protection and other new features to the iPhone version.  Data Protection requires an iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS or third- or fourth-generation iPod touch running iOS 4 or later.

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iTunes 10.2.2 now available

Filed under: Apple

by David Winograd (RSS feed) on Apr 18th 2011 at 5:00PM

iTunes 10.2.2 has just appeared in Software Update for both Mac and Windows. The update seems to include some important bug fixes, but possibly no new features.

Here's what's under the hood.

• Addresses an issue where iTunes may become unresponsive when syncing an iPad.
• Resolves an issue which may cause syncing photos with iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to take longer than necessary.
• Fixes a problem where video previews on the iTunes Store may skip while playing.
• Addresses other issues that improve stability and performance.

iTunes 10.2.2 is available either through the ever-popular Software Update, or it can be grabbed directly here.

The software update also references a KB document on security issues, but there's nothing to be found specific to this update.

Get it while it's hot.

Serious Speed Boost for MacBook Pro

Apple has two strong 13-inch notebooks to entice shoppers, and one of them just got a lot stronger. While the 13-inch MacBook Air ($1,299) emphasizes portability and instant gratificaiton via Flash memory, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro ($1,199) is all about speed and extra-long endurance. The latest version boasts a bevy of new components and abilities, including a second-generation Intel Core i5 processor, a FaceTime HD webcam, and Thunderbolt high-speed connectivity. The much-loved unibody aluminum chassis remains, along with the outstanding backlit keyboard and glass touchpad, all for the same price. So how much better is this 13-inch MacBook Pro than its predecessor, and what do you give up?

The 2011 13-inch MacBook Pro is virtually identical to its predecessor. Slim with its iconic curved lid, the aluminium unibody chassis exudes premium build quality from all angles. Measuring 12.8 x 8.9 x 1 inches, and weighing 4.6 pounds, the new machine has the same dimensions as before but is a fraction heavier (0.2 pounds). Of course, the 13-inch MacBook Air (0.7 inches thick, 2.9 pounds) makes the Pro look heavy by comparison, but this 13-incher still slips into bags easily and is relatively easy to carry.    

Users will also find the same black Island-style keyboard and large multitouch touchpad that have graced previous models. Chiseled from a single block of metal, the MacBook Pro feels extremely sturdy. One drawback is that the MacBook Pro's battery is not replaceable, at least not without Apple tech support. Also, the chassis can scratch easily if exposed to sharp objects, making a custom-fit cover a smart investment.      

Despite its metallic construction, the MacBook Pro mainly kept its cool on our heat tests. After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, we measured a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit at the center of the keyboard, while the notebook's underside returned the same reading. The touchpad was cooler at 80 degrees. The bottom back end of the 13-inch MacBook Pro did get toasty, logging a temperature of 109 degrees; we consider anything over 100 degrees cause for concern.

Folks familiar with the MacBook Pro know that its keyboard is one of the best around. The laptop's big square keys have a soft finish and are arranged in an island-style setup, offering plenty of spacing. They also make little sound when hit, yet provide a satisfying click. Equipped with an ambient light sensor, the keyboard is backlit as well, one of the advantages the 13-inch MacBook Pro has over the 13-inch Air.

Like MacBook Pros before it, the current version has a vast 4.1 x 3-inch touchpad that doubles as one massive button. Frankly, it's the gold standard; it let us glide our fingers across it with minimal friction and intuitively press down to make selections. We never missed the lack of a discrete mouse button, or even two.

The full gamut of familiar multitouch gestures are here as well. We easily used two fingers to scroll up and down through webpages and zoom in and out of photos and documents. With four digits we pushed all windows out of the way for a clear view of the desktop, and with three fingers swiped our way from app to app.