Tag Archives: OS

Apple Configurator app gives schools and businesses tools to manage iPad deployments

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Apple Configurator screenshot

Amid all the hubbub about the new iPad, Apple has released a new OS X app that’s made for IT administrators to easily manage and deploy iOS devices. It’s called Apple Configurator, and with it up to 30 iPads, iPhones, and iPod touch devices at once can be updated, configured, and more. From the program’s description in the App Store, administrators will have the ability to backup and restore devices, apply custom settings, and install new apps onto devices. One feature of particular note is that users will be able to have their personal settings restored when checking out a device and have it all removed again when they check the device back in.

We already knew that Apple saw the iPad as more than just a personal tablet — the company…

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Apple ditches Google Maps display tiles in iPhoto for iOS

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iPhoto for iOS Map Tiles

When Apple unveiled iPhoto for the iPad and iPhone this morning it showed off an assortment of new features, but one thing it didn’t tout was something left behind: Google Maps. Bringing up the location feature in the app calls up tiles that bear little resemblance to the Google service used in the rest of iOS and in iPhoto for OS X. Writer Holger Eilhard was able to discover that the tiles are in fact being pulled from Apple directly, from a server named gsp2.apple.com.

It’s no secret that Apple has been moving away from relying on Google‘s services, even going so far as to pick up several mapping companies itself in recent years. While there’s nothing here yet that confirms Apple has rolled its own service — these could easily be…

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Spotify wants to become ‘the OS of music’ and help artists earn more along the way

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spotify apps

Spotify’s US launch has helped reignite the conversation on how musicians should be compensated for their works in the digital age — streaming services say they’re helping to create more revenue for artists, while some of the bigger bands refuse to make their new music available on Rdio or Spotify. It’s a complicated situation, but Spotify is hoping that its recently-launched apps platform will be a difference maker going forward. Sten Garmark, Spotify’s director of platform, believes that his company’s apps will help increase engagement with users, help them discover and play more music, and ultimately make those users more valuable to artists. In a discussion on Spotify’s apps at last night’s Music Apps: Beyond the Hype conference in…

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Windows Embedded Standard 8 preview available to download, Microsoft details roadmap

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windows embedded 8

Microsoft has laid out its roadmap for the next version of Windows Embedded, with a preview of the standard version available to download now. Windows Embedded is the specialized version of the OS that you’ll often see running in devices ranging from kiosks and ATMs to car dashboards and medical equipment. It looks like the next version will be labeled with the Windows 8 branding across the board, though it’s officially being called Windows Embedded v.Next in Microsoft’s press release. The enterprise version is set for release three months after Windows 8 becomes generally available, and the standard version will come six months after that. The new Embedded Compact, which is designed for smaller devices and has formed the basis of…

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Skype 5.6 for Mac adds automatic updates, feature tweaks

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skype 5.6

Microsoft’s Skype Group has updated its Mac OS X app to version 5.6, adding a few minor interface tweaks and features, but leaving the mostly maligned UI intact. On the video calling front, 5.6 adds an option to switch between dynamic and non-dynamic modes when five or more people are on an a call. With dynamic mode on, the person talking will be automatically moved to the top of the screen. We can imagine this feature playing nice with the new full-screen mode that Lion users can take advantage of. On the audio side, users can now disable automatic gain control for mics, which should help reduce background noise on conference calls. The app is also adding more granular controls for deleting conversations, as individual messages within…

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