A bug fix for arranging apps on iTunes
Arranging app iconsAfter connecting your device to a computer and launching iTunes 9, just go to the Applications tab as shown below. Once there, you can drag apps between thumbnails that represent the 11 home screens. Exciting, right? Well not so fast, since the process still is a bit painful if an app isn't currently assigned to one of the 176 spaces on the home screens (four spaces are reserved for the Dock). We have the same problem when arranging (or deleting) app icons on the iPod or iTouch.If an app icon doesn't exist in a space, you won't be able to manage it until you figure out a secret. The check mark on the app on the left side of the window tells you that it's currently synced to your device. You can't manipulate "checked" apps unless they are sitting on a home screen. If the app is not on one of the 11 home screens you have to do the following.App checked for syncing and cannot be arranged due to iTunes 9 bugDavid MartinUncheck the app so that it won't sync with your phone.Place the app on one of the 11 home screens.Re-check the app so it will sync again.Unchecked app can be arrangedDavid MartinIf you forget to recheck it, you will delete the app from your device the next time you sync it with iTunes. Indeed, it's not a very intuitive process; I only stumbled on it accidentally. You'll also need to remember it for the tasks below.Arranging multiple apps or app groupingIf you need to move more than one app at a time between home screens then you should use the following steps. This is handy, for example, if you want to move all your game apps to one page. If they don't fit onto that page, they will overflow to the next one automatically.Select multiple app icons using the Command-Click or Ctrl-Click depending on whether you are using Mac OS X or Windows.Drag the icons to the home screen you want to move them onto.Release the mouse button.Some of my apps after arrangingDavid MartinMoving apps between home screensThis is an easy process after you know the workaround for the bug mentioned above.Grab the app icon that you want to arrange and drag it to the home screen thumbnails. By holding the app at the top or bottom of the home screen list, you can scroll through your home screen pages.Move the app to your desired home screen and the page will appear in the center of the photo above.Drag the app icon onto the larger image of that home screen as shown above and drop the icon in a location.Reorder home screensYou can drag home pages around in the thumbnail column to reorder them by performing these steps.Find the home page that you'd like rearrange and select its thumbnail.Drag the selected home page thumbnail to its new position and release it.App arrangement tipsIf you're lucky enough to have empty home screens, use them wisely as a place for temporary app storage. This can be useful during a massive rearrangement or, for example, when starting a screen containing only games or photo apps.Home screen thumbnailsDavid MartinArrange the very first home screen carefully since it's only a Home key press away from any where on the iPhone or iPod. Stock it with the apps you use the most.Use the dock on the very first home page for the four apps that you use most often. These docked apps will appear on every page giving you the fastest access to those most used apps. It's not limited to the default apps--you can replace those if needed, but remember that these default apps cannot be deleted.ConclusionHopefully, this bug will be fixed in a future release of iTunes so that you can move apps regardless of whether or not the check mark to sync them is on or off. Developers are now adding tags to their apps, which can make it easier to find them via Spotlight. It's unfortunate that Apple didn't include a way to sort apps on iTunes using these tags.This is a great first attempt at making managing apps easier, and we that hope Apple will spend time improving on it. For some, however, Apple's new solution falls short in usability when compared to the solution available on a jailbroken iPhone or the simple proof of concept for app sorting that we covered previously.What do you think about Apple's first attempt at app sorting in iTunes? Tell us about it in the comments.
How to optimize FaceTime on your iOS device
How to optimize FaceTime on your iOS device
FaceTime is potentially one of Apple's game-changing products. It provides users with an easily accessible way to video chat with anyone on an iOS device or a Mac. Here are some great tips to get the most out of this great technology.FaceTime is a proprietary, open-source video communications device developed by Apple and released in June 2010. It is, however, not as complete of a product as most Apple-shipped software, especially when organizing a large contact list is concerned.In a great collection of tips by GigaOm's Geoffrey Goetz, some extra ways to access FaceTime are uncovered.Because FaceTime is supported in Safari for iOS, creating a quick contact list can be as simple as adding Bookmarks to a list. The issue, as Goetz explains, is that Safari automatically opens FaceTime when a FaceTime URL is visited. So here's the way it works:Apple has a built-in protocol for Safari that allows users to access FaceTime and call other users. To do so, type in one of the following in your Safari address bar:facetime://YourFriendfacetime://YourFriend@Domain.Comfacetime://555-867-5309Obviously, replace YourFriend with the FaceTime Apple ID, e-mail address, or associated phone number of your contact and you are good to go.You'll notice that when you do this in iOS, FaceTime opens automatically and your call attempts to connect. To get around this you'll need Safari on your Mac or PC. Open Safari and choose "Show All Bookmarks" from the Bookmarks menu.Create a "FaceTime Contacts" folder by clicking the "+" symbol on the bottom-left of the Safari window, under the Collections and Bookmarks column.Highlight your new folder. Now, in the Address Bar, type out the FaceTime protocol that corresponds to one of your contacts. DO NOT PRESS ENTER.Copy the facetime:// address by highlighting it in the Address Bar and pressing Command + C (CTRL + C on a PC).Paste the facetime:// address in your new folder by pressing Command + V (CTRL + V on a PC).Repeat with as many Contacts as you'd like to have. You can also make specific folders to act as groups.Use iCloud to sync your bookmarks with your iOS device. You can also plug your iOS device into your computer and sync manually through iTunes if you have not upgraded to iCloud.As Goetz points out, anywhere you paste the facetime:// link in iOS it will become active (because it is recognized by Safari). So, you can create a list of your contacts using the Notes app, keep an e-mail with your list, or add your FaceTime contact to your e-mail signature.You can also send your own FaceTime URL to anyone who you may want to have access to video chat with you. Quite a handy tip if you prefer to do business FaceTime to FaceTime (yes, that pun just happened).How do you use FaceTime? Let me know in the comments!
FaceTime is potentially one of Apple's game-changing products. It provides users with an easily accessible way to video chat with anyone on an iOS device or a Mac. Here are some great tips to get the most out of this great technology.FaceTime is a proprietary, open-source video communications device developed by Apple and released in June 2010. It is, however, not as complete of a product as most Apple-shipped software, especially when organizing a large contact list is concerned.In a great collection of tips by GigaOm's Geoffrey Goetz, some extra ways to access FaceTime are uncovered.Because FaceTime is supported in Safari for iOS, creating a quick contact list can be as simple as adding Bookmarks to a list. The issue, as Goetz explains, is that Safari automatically opens FaceTime when a FaceTime URL is visited. So here's the way it works:Apple has a built-in protocol for Safari that allows users to access FaceTime and call other users. To do so, type in one of the following in your Safari address bar:facetime://YourFriendfacetime://YourFriend@Domain.Comfacetime://555-867-5309Obviously, replace YourFriend with the FaceTime Apple ID, e-mail address, or associated phone number of your contact and you are good to go.You'll notice that when you do this in iOS, FaceTime opens automatically and your call attempts to connect. To get around this you'll need Safari on your Mac or PC. Open Safari and choose "Show All Bookmarks" from the Bookmarks menu.Create a "FaceTime Contacts" folder by clicking the "+" symbol on the bottom-left of the Safari window, under the Collections and Bookmarks column.Highlight your new folder. Now, in the Address Bar, type out the FaceTime protocol that corresponds to one of your contacts. DO NOT PRESS ENTER.Copy the facetime:// address by highlighting it in the Address Bar and pressing Command + C (CTRL + C on a PC).Paste the facetime:// address in your new folder by pressing Command + V (CTRL + V on a PC).Repeat with as many Contacts as you'd like to have. You can also make specific folders to act as groups.Use iCloud to sync your bookmarks with your iOS device. You can also plug your iOS device into your computer and sync manually through iTunes if you have not upgraded to iCloud.As Goetz points out, anywhere you paste the facetime:// link in iOS it will become active (because it is recognized by Safari). So, you can create a list of your contacts using the Notes app, keep an e-mail with your list, or add your FaceTime contact to your e-mail signature.You can also send your own FaceTime URL to anyone who you may want to have access to video chat with you. Quite a handy tip if you prefer to do business FaceTime to FaceTime (yes, that pun just happened).How do you use FaceTime? Let me know in the comments!
Amazon's new Appstore feature could be patent suit bait
Amazon's new Appstore feature could be patent suit bait
The patent was a cause of controversy in the technology world after Amazon went to court against rival Barnes & Noble, which was using a similar purchasing system on its Web site. The two companies reached a settlement over the issue in 2002. Separately, Apple signed a licensing agreement with Amazon to include it in its own products in 2000.Several years later, the United States Patent and Trademark Office ordered a re-examination of the patentupon the request of a New Zealand actor named Peter Caveley, who cited prior art. That led to a rejection of a few of the patent's claims, and several amendments by Amazon. In March 2010, the USPTO passed the 1-Click patent through the re-examination process, with the stipulation that it's tied to a virtual shopping cart. "Amazon built a substantial business around that innovation, and licensed it to major players including Apple," said Erin-Michael Gill, the managing director and chief intellectual property officer at MDB Capital Group. "Apple is using that innovation to make it easier for developers' apps to be purchased on iTunes. That's how the system is supposed to work."By comparison, Gill says that Lodsys' current strategy seeks the same ends, but is going about it in a potentially destructive manner."Because it appears that Lodsys is attempting to leverage the inefficiencies in the patent system to extract royalties -- apparently looking to settle with developers that don't have the resources to defend themselves, for just under the cost of litigation --there ends up not being this virtuous cycle of innovation promoting further innovation," Gill said. "This leads to the entire ecosystem going on the offensive."A still from Amazon's promotional video of its in-app purchase feature.AmazonLodsys patents under attackThere have been notable efforts to keep app developers out of harm's way when using built-in APIs, as well as get all of Lodsys' patents invalidated. Apple, whose developers were some of the first to be targeted, sent a letter to Lodsys last May, saying it was "undisputedly licensed to these (patents)," adding that app makers were protected under its licensing agreement. Lodsys publicly rebuffed that letter, saying that Apple was mistaken. The firm then proceeded to file a lawsuit against several additional app developers, and send similar licensing requests to Android developers.Related storiesHow much is that patent lawsuit going to cost you?Scoop: Bounty set for invalidating Lodsys patentsApple throws weight behind devs on patent issueiOS app makers targeted in patent spatAfter its own developers were targeted, Google responded last August by filing a request with the United States Patent and Trademark office seeking a re-examination of two of the four Lodsys patents. That process is still on-going, though since then there have been no newly filed suits against Android developers.Seemingly separate from both of those efforts was one launched last year from Article One Partners, a business that crowd-sources intellectual property research. It offered a reward to the party that found prior art, or examples of pre-existing technologies or other IP that could be used as evidence to invalidate one or more of Lodsys' patents. All three of those studies were completed successfully, resulting in $15,000 worth of prize money being doled out to three researchers."When folks like Microsoft, Apple, and now presumably Amazon start pulling together and pooling resources to really dig into these assets, every little nuanced issue becomes critical," Gill said.
The patent was a cause of controversy in the technology world after Amazon went to court against rival Barnes & Noble, which was using a similar purchasing system on its Web site. The two companies reached a settlement over the issue in 2002. Separately, Apple signed a licensing agreement with Amazon to include it in its own products in 2000.Several years later, the United States Patent and Trademark Office ordered a re-examination of the patentupon the request of a New Zealand actor named Peter Caveley, who cited prior art. That led to a rejection of a few of the patent's claims, and several amendments by Amazon. In March 2010, the USPTO passed the 1-Click patent through the re-examination process, with the stipulation that it's tied to a virtual shopping cart. "Amazon built a substantial business around that innovation, and licensed it to major players including Apple," said Erin-Michael Gill, the managing director and chief intellectual property officer at MDB Capital Group. "Apple is using that innovation to make it easier for developers' apps to be purchased on iTunes. That's how the system is supposed to work."By comparison, Gill says that Lodsys' current strategy seeks the same ends, but is going about it in a potentially destructive manner."Because it appears that Lodsys is attempting to leverage the inefficiencies in the patent system to extract royalties -- apparently looking to settle with developers that don't have the resources to defend themselves, for just under the cost of litigation --there ends up not being this virtuous cycle of innovation promoting further innovation," Gill said. "This leads to the entire ecosystem going on the offensive."A still from Amazon's promotional video of its in-app purchase feature.AmazonLodsys patents under attackThere have been notable efforts to keep app developers out of harm's way when using built-in APIs, as well as get all of Lodsys' patents invalidated. Apple, whose developers were some of the first to be targeted, sent a letter to Lodsys last May, saying it was "undisputedly licensed to these (patents)," adding that app makers were protected under its licensing agreement. Lodsys publicly rebuffed that letter, saying that Apple was mistaken. The firm then proceeded to file a lawsuit against several additional app developers, and send similar licensing requests to Android developers.Related storiesHow much is that patent lawsuit going to cost you?Scoop: Bounty set for invalidating Lodsys patentsApple throws weight behind devs on patent issueiOS app makers targeted in patent spatAfter its own developers were targeted, Google responded last August by filing a request with the United States Patent and Trademark office seeking a re-examination of two of the four Lodsys patents. That process is still on-going, though since then there have been no newly filed suits against Android developers.Seemingly separate from both of those efforts was one launched last year from Article One Partners, a business that crowd-sources intellectual property research. It offered a reward to the party that found prior art, or examples of pre-existing technologies or other IP that could be used as evidence to invalidate one or more of Lodsys' patents. All three of those studies were completed successfully, resulting in $15,000 worth of prize money being doled out to three researchers."When folks like Microsoft, Apple, and now presumably Amazon start pulling together and pooling resources to really dig into these assets, every little nuanced issue becomes critical," Gill said.
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