Rumor: Steam looking at iOS integration

This is interesting -- according to a Steam user who got to Valve headquarters in Washington, the popular game network may be looking at extending itself out onto the iOS platform. That doesn't necessarily mean that there would be a straight-up Steam client for the iPhone and the iPad (although how awesome would that be?) but rather, it sounds like Steam is looking at integrating either its social networking or achievement integration features out towards Apple's platform, in the form of an app or something else.

Whatever they're working on we can't wait to see it. 

Steam coming to Mac OS was a huge boon for Mac gaming, and the success of iOS was, I believe, a major reason that happened in the first place. Whatever Valve wants to do on iOS, there's no doubt it'll big a big bonus for customers.

[via 9to5Mac]

10.6.7 Crashing iTunes For Some MacBook Air Owners

According to a thread on Apple Discussions that received more than 30 replies since yesterday’s release of Mac OS X 10.6.7, the latest software update makes it impossible for some MacBook Air (late 2010) owners to open iTunes. The issue seems to especially affect the new MacBook Airs 13″, and it basically forces iTunes to quit seconds after launch while running 10.6.7.

Before upgrading to a new version of OS X, it’s always a good practice to backup your important files and possibly use Time Machine to save multiple instances of your OS to an external hard drive. When issues pop up, however, there are some tips you can follow to make sure the upgrade process goes as smoothly as Apple (and the user) wants. First off, if Software Update is failing you and you notice issues with some applications, consider running a Combo Update. It’s a bigger download, but in most situations the Combo Update is everything you need to make OS X update to a newer version correctly. You can download the Mac OS X 10.6.7 Combo Update HERE.

If iTunes 10.2.1 is still crashing after a combo update to 10.6.7 and a manual restart, you can erase your iTunes preferences and Genius database to start fresh with the app on the newly updated OS. Preferences can be found in Users/yourusername/Library/Preferences and they look something like this: “com.apple.itunes”. Delete those files when iTunes is closed and reboot again. The Genius database can be found in Music/iTunes and it’s the file called “itunes library genius.itdb”. The database will be rebuilt on next launch, after you accept the iTunes EULA again.

Of course, you should always backup everything on your Mac — especially the iTunes library that stores your music, apps, movies, books and more. Storing iTunes on Dropbox (which in its Pro plans includes a featured called “Packrat” that you gives unlimited access to all your previously deleted files) is a good plan to get started. If you have a MacBook Air and you found another way to fix iTunes on OS X 10.6.7

Sparrow 1.1 lands in the Mac App Store

The eagerly-awaited 1.1 update to the Sparrow email app US$9.99) has landed in the Mac App Store, adding the promised features and bug fixes.

The app now supports general IMAP, so for those of you who were waiting to add Yahoo, AOL, or MobileMe accounts to Sparrow and totally ditch Mail.app, you can now do so. For the many Mac users who use the app to access your Gmail accounts, Priority Inbox is now integrated into the app.

My personal favorite new feature is a dedicated view for browsing your unread email. Simply choosing "unread" from a tiny popup at the top of the inbox displays only your unread messages. There's also an unobtrusive formatting bar for messages so you're free to change the font, style, size, color, alignment, and indention, or even add a bullet list in the compose window.

One thing that made me surprisingly happy was the new three finger swipe multitouch gesture for showing or hiding the preview pane. On an 11.6" MacBook Air, it's nice to be able to minimize the real estate taken up by the Sparrow window.

If you've created contact groups in the Mac OS X Address Book, Sparrow 1.1 now supports using those groups for doing mass mailings to a team. The Sparrow team also fixed a long list of bugs in the initial versions, improved sync with Address Book, and improvements to the mail database, scroll performance, and memory use. The update takes little or no time to install through the Mac App Store, and for existing Sparrow users, it's a solid and welcome update.

This Luxurious iPad 2 is Made Up of Diamonds, Gold, Rocks and T-REX Dinosaur Bones. Costs a Whooping $8,000,000

Since the launch of iPad 2 we knew we were going to see gold and diamond versions of it anytime soon. This, however, isn’t just a gold or diamond made iPad. This iPad 2 is as sexy as Cleopatra.

Obviously it’s not something you can easily get your hands on because it’s expensive. How expensive? that’s not important to know before you have this eyegasmic experience. Designed by Stuart Hughes, known for crafting one of the most luxurious products, this masterpiece only has 2 pieces. Don’t worry about the stock, you probably can’t grab one anyway.

The back which is made up of 24ct gold with an immense weight of 2000 grams has a magnificent total of 53 individually set sparkling gems dwell beautifully in solid 24ct Apple logo. Front frame is made from the oldest rock the world has to offer (75 million years old) in the form of Ammolite. What makes it more individual is 65 million year old T-REX Dinosaur’s thigh bone which was splintered and then shaved into the Ammolite, then finished off with ultimate jewel, as single cut 8.5ct flawless diamond inlaid in its own platinum surrounded with 12 outer flawless diamonds. Interestingly, these are the only specs available even on the official website of those who crafted this. No word whatsoever on the technical specs.

Now the heart-break, this comes in 5 million Pounds (8 Million US Dollars).

VeriFone Keeps Up FUD Campaign Against Square With Pathetic Facebook Ads

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

Mahatma Gandhi

A couple weeks ago, VeriFone went after a much smaller competitor in a very public way. It accused Square, Jack Dorsey’s mobile payments startup, of a serious security hole which turned out to be not particularly serious at all. VeriFone was trying to spread major FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) and use it to promote its own competing, late-to-the-party PAYware Mobile product. Dorsey responded and there was a huge backlash against VeriFone on Twitter, obviously, and elsewhere.

Well, apparently the backlash wasn’t so bad because VeriFone is still trying to market PAYware by bashing Square. An ad on Facebook reads:

Be Secure. Not Square. Trade in your Square credit card reader for a free, SECURE device from VeriFone. Free Trade-in offer!

This is nothing more than FUD marketing. Square is no less secure than handing your credit card to a waiter or a merchant who could theoretically steal your credit card number. And it os the credit card companies who are on the hook for fraud, not the consumer or the merchant. If anything, the fact that VeriFone—a huge, publicly-traded company with $1 billion in annual revenues—is basing the marketing for a new product on trying to discredit Square rather than on the advantages of its own offering tells you more about VeriFone’s desperation than Square’s failings. When they start fighting you tooth and nail, that’s when you know you’ve won.

Fix iPhone 4 iOS 4.3 Battery Drainage / Short Life Time [How to]

As mos of you know the problem which faced some problems with battery life after upgrading to iOS 4.3, our reader has sent a new method to stop the battery drain.

First method to stop iOS 4.3 Battery life problem:

Battery life should be restored to what they were before the latest update. Precisely, it's the notification system in Ping.

Go to Settings > General > Restrictions and select Enable Restrictions. You will see Ping setting whereby you can click on the switch to disable it. This will save 2 hours for your iOS device


Second method to stop iOS 4.3 Battery life problem (use if the first method didn't solve your problem):
Go to Setting > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

DreamBoard – An Alternative To WinterBoard For Jailbreak Themers

WinterBoard has been the skinning app of choice for many-a-jailbreaker for a good long while now, and it’s done a sterling job. Now though, it’s perhaps time for a challenger to try to break the equilibrium. That challenger is DreamBoard.

Now before you all read that opening paragraph and go delete WinterBoard, allow me to explain. DreamBoard is actually a little different to WinterBoard. The new DreamBoard is more of a way to apply themes to an iDevice rather than the more granular (if you want it) option of WinterBoard.

DreamBoard’s real party-piece is the ability to make an iOS device look more like Android. Out go the rows of icons and in come the widgets.

The best thing to do is to watch the video below, where you’ll see fancy new weather and Facebook widgets. Worth a watch indeed.