New Mac Pro Safe to Operate Horizontally [Mac Blog]
According to a new Apple support document, though the new Mac Pro is designed to be used in the upright position, it can also be used on its side. Owners of multiple Mac Pro units should ensure that the exhaust and intake ports are not aligned too closely as this can affect the cooling abilities of the machine.
The Mac Pro (2013) has a fan system capable of cooling the computer in a vertical or horizontal orientation as long as you follow these guidelines.
– Provide enough space at each end of the computer for unrestricted airflow into the base and out the exhaust at the top. Make sure that the air intake and exhaust ports are not covered.
– When using multiple Mac Pro (Late 2013) computers, do not direct the exhaust at the top of one Mac Pro towards the intake of another system. Place the computers side by side with a gap of at least several inches between them.
– When on its side, secure the Mac Pro (Late 2013) to be sure that it doesn’t roll. Place the computer on a protective surface that will not scratch or damage the enclosure. Note: The Apple Limited Warranty does not cover cosmetic damage to the enclosure.
– Orient the computer so that the Input/Output (I/O) panel remains accessible during use.
It is likely that third-party companies will come out with rack-mount options for the new Mac Pro at some point and those mounts could see the machine aligned on its side in order to maximize space.
(Sideways Mac Pro courtesy The Verge)
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‘Anki Drive’ App Updated With New Weapons and Upgrades [iOS Blog]
Anki Drive, the iOS-controlled AI-based racing game that first debuted at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, got a major app update today, adding new weapons, support items, and a new upgrade system.
Following the update, there are a total of 20 upgrades that can be used to customize cars, in categories like Combat, Chassis, Engine, and Energy Systems. The Anki Cars, which are largely self-operating and steer by themselves via Bluetooth, can be upgraded with different abilities and statistics that make each car unique.
Additional weapons have been added as well, such as the EMP, which is used by the player to shoot other cars as they race along the track. There are two new support items, the Reverse Drive and the Kinetic Brake, which allow users to do a 180 degree turn or come to a dead stop on the track.
Players are also no longer locked into specific upgrades as they were in the past and can freely choose to buy and sell upgrades.
We’re proud to announce a major app update to improve and enhance Anki Drive:
– EXPANDED UPGRADE SYSTEMS
Enter the Garage and customize the new Combat, Chassis, Engine, and Energy Systems. Choose your path, buy & sell upgrades, and level up!
– NEW WEAPONS AND SUPPORT ITEMS
Arm yourself with the all new EMP, Reverse Drive, Horn, and Kinetic Brake. Remember: swipe left & right on the triggers during gameplay to switch weapons.
– THE ARMORY HAS MOVED
Each vehicle now has it’s own set of Weapons and Support Items. Configure them via the Armory in the Garage.
– EARN BOUNTIES
Earn greater rewards for defeating stronger opponents. The higher a vehicle’s Level, the more bounty you earn for defeating it!
– VEHICLE SOFTWARE UPDATES
Once updated, vehicles can use the new Upgrade Systems. All existing purchases have been refunded, and you’ll get even more points for each vehicle you update in the Garage.
– SMARTER AI
Think you can beat the AI on hard? We sure don’t… especially with our recent improvements. It’s smarter than ever. Think you’ve got what it takes?
– IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE GAME
Enhancements and fixes make it even more fun to play.
Alongside the update, the creators of Anki Drive have released a few statistics on the game, which has been available for more than two months. Anki users have raced approximately 42 million laps around the track, the equivalent of 540,000 Monaco Grand Prix races. The game’s AI, when set to hard, has also managed to win 9 out of 10 races.
The Anki Drive Starter Kit, which includes two cars and a track, can be purchased from the Apple Store for $199.95. The accompanying Anki Drive app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Mac Pro Build-To-Order Units Start Shipping to Customers
Apple has begun shipping custom configured Mac Pro units to customers according to MacRumors Forum members, some two weeks after stock configurations began arriving just before Christmas.
According to several posters on the MacRumors forums, a number of custom configured models have seen their order status change to “Preparing for Shipping”, which typically happens one day before an actual shipment. A couple have even seen their machines actually ship, with some expected to arrive as soon as today.
Stock configurations ordered early on launch day have been shipping more consistently, while custom orders have seen longer delays.
Separately, Electronista reported earlier this week that Apple may not have sufficient Mac Pro units to stock its Apple Stores until March or April. Currently, customers are being advised to order units online and they will ship when available — estimated ship times for the Mac Pro are currently targeted to February.
Apple’s in-demand new Mac Pro will not be available to in store customers until as late as March or April. The information was supplied to us by an Apple Australia business sales specialist who also advised that they are being told to direct customers to the online channel as it the only way that customers can currently secure a new Mac Pro — the advice also applies to those who may have already placed an order on a unit in store. Apple’s online store is still showing that Mac Pros ordered now will not ship until sometime in February at the earliest. The only Mac Pro units to have reached some Apple Stores are demonstrator units and this is not expected to change for some months.
Mac Pro models still show an “available to ship” estimate of February on the American Apple Online Store, while Mac Pro units appear to be out-of-stock at all Apple Retail Stores.
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AT&T Hits Back at T-Mobile with Up to $450 in Credits for Switchers
Over the past year, 
T-Mobile US has been shaking up the U.S. carrier market with its “Un-carrier” plans, the addition of the iPhone to its device lineup, and a frequent device upgrade program, enticing several other major carriers to make changes to their own services to align with T-Mobile’s offerings.
Going beyond recent moves to uncouple device and service costs as T-Mobile has done, AT&T today announced that it is offering up to $450 in credits for customers switching to the carrier from T-Mobile. The offer consists of two parts: up to $250 for trading in their current smartphone and an additional $200 for transferring their wireless service to AT&T.
Beginning Jan. 3, under the limited-time offer, T-Mobile customers who switch to AT&T can trade-in their current smartphone for a promotion card of up to $250, which can be used toward AT&T products and services. Trade-in values will vary based on make, model and age of the smartphone, but many of the latest and most popular smartphones will qualify for a value of $250. T-Mobile customers can receive an additional $200 credit per line when they transfer their wireless service to AT&T and choose an AT&T NextSM plan, buy a device at full retail price or activate a device they currently own.
Last month, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson noted that the long-standing U.S. wireless business model of carriers providing device subsidies in exchange for service contracts is no longer economically feasible. By uncoupling device costs from service, carriers believe they can offer customers more flexibility when it comes to deciding about device upgrades while still allowing customers to spread out their significant hardware costs through payment plans.
Following last year’s series of Un-carrier announcements from T-Mobile, the company is set to announce the next stage of its program next week at CES. Details have yet to surface, but hints and rumors have suggested that the carrier may be making some changes to encourage family plan users to switch carriers, perhaps through subsidizing early termination fees imposed by other carriers.
The future of T-Mobile does, however, remain up in the air, as parent company Deutsche Telekom has been looking to exit the U.S. market. Following a failed attempt by AT&T to acquire T-Mobile US in 2011, Sprint has been reported to be mulling its own offer for T-Mobile that could allow the combined carrier to rival the much larger Verizon and AT&T.
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Apple’s iBeacon Technology Featured in CES Scavenger Hunt
Next week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will feature a promotional iBeacon-based scavenger hunt, according to a press release issued today by the Consumer Electronics Association.
Attendees to the conference will be able to use the CES Mobile apps for iOS and Android to explore various areas of the show, collecting badges for each iBeacon that is encountered. The first three players to collect all of the iBeacon badges will be rewarded with prizes that include tablets, fitness bands, and more.
For the CES scavenger hunt, the Consumer Electronics Association is teaming up with several companies, including Radius Networks, which provides an iBeacon platform for mobile apps.
“This is one of the coolest proximity-aware apps we have worked on,” said Marc Wallace, CEO and cofounder of Radius Networks. “This is also one of the first, tangible applications that leverages iBeacon technology. And it is a great example of how iBeacon technology is not just about advertising as it is about bringing new and innovative solutions to the marketplace. We are very excited to be a part of it.”
First introduced in mid–2013 at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, iBeacons are low-energy transmitters designed to interact with iOS devices that support Bluetooth LE. Physical beacons are able to send notifications to iPhones and iPads when within 100 feet of a device, offering up an array of location-based information like product details, maps, and more.
Thus far, iBeacon technology has been implemented in Apple retail locations to provide additional product information to visiting customers with the Apple Store app installed. It’s also been used in a collaboration between Macy’s and Shopkick, installed in a cafe to provide on-site Newsstand publications, and Major League Baseball has plans to integrate the technology into various stadiums in the future.
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Build 3D printable castles and pirate ships one cube at a time with Blokify
Alright, this is pretty neat. We suspect the responsible parties won’t be mentioning the likes of Lego and Minecraft in its press material, so we’ll have to do it in this post. The conceit here is pretty simple: Blokify is an iOS app with a 3D environment where you can build models with cubes — things like castles, spacecrafts and pirate ships. And once you’re done, you can print the models at home or via the cloud through 3D Systems’ Cubify service (using the company’s ProJet 660PRo). The iPhone/iPad app is free, but additional kits and parts are available as an in-app purchase. Professional printing will be as well, with pricing based on the size of the set you build. You can grab the download in the App Store link below. We played around with it a bit earlier today — it’s fun and dynamic, even if we aren’t quite ready to drop the extra cash needed to make our tiny castle a reality.
New Mac Pro Uses 68% Less Energy, 74% Less Aluminum Than Previous Generation
Apple today released an Environmental Report [PDF] on its newly introduced Mac Pro, detailing the greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, and material efficiency of the company’s professional workstation.
According to the report, the Mac Pro uses power-efficient components that utilize less than half the allowable energy limit of the ENERGY STAR requirements for computers. It also uses 68 percent less power in idle mode than the previous generation Mac Pro, released in 2010.
Because one of the largest portions of product-related greenhouse gas emissions results from actual use, energy efficiency is a key part of each product’s design. Apple products use power-efficient components and software that can intelligently power them down during periods of inactivity. The result is that Mac Pro is energy efficient right out of the box.
Apple states that the Mac Pro’s “ultracompact product and packaging designs” are at the forefront of the industry in terms of material efficiency and that its component makeup contains large amounts of aluminum and copper, which are desired by recyclers. The Mac Pro contains 3660 grams of aluminum and steel, 715 grams of copper, and 270 grams of plastics and uses 74 percent less aluminum than the previous Mac Pro.
Mac Pro packaging has also become more efficient, with current retail packaging using 82 percent less volume than packaging for the previous generation Mac Pro, which also allows for three times more units to fit in a single airline shipping container.
Finally, Apple clarifies that all of its products, including the Mac Pro, comply with and exceed the European Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, avoiding hazardous substances like brominated flame retardants and offering PVC-free internal cables and a PVC-free AC power cord in most regions.
Apple maintains detailed reports on its environmental responsibility, producing progress reports on its environmental impact each year. Recently, the company hired former EPA chief Lisa Jackson to head its environmental and sustainability efforts and it has also made efforts to create data centers that use 100 percent renewable energy.
The Mac Pro is the first Mac in many years to be manufactured in the United States, providing more than 2,000 jobs across 20 states. The computer is produced in Austin, Texas, in partnership with Flextronics.
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iPhone and iPad Dominate Mobile Web Share Throughout Holidays
Apple’s iPhone was the only smartphone to gain mobile web traffic share in North America during the holidays, according to a new report from analytics firm Chitika, suggesting that the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c were popular with consumers over the holiday season.
The iPhone saw a 1.8 percent jump in web traffic from the period between December 20 and December 29, while other smartphone manufacturers experienced no gains or a slight loss in traffic share. Overall, the iPhone has a 54.3 percent share of total mobile web traffic, far above its closest competitor Samsung, which has a 23.7 percent share.
Despite its minor share loss, the iPad remains the most popular tablet, comprising 76.1 percent of all mobile web traffic in North America. Apple’s closest competitor, Amazon, has a 9.4 percent share, while Microsoft and Samsung come in at 2.3 and 5.9 percent.
Mobile web traffic usage numbers have changed little over the course of the last year, with iOS devices continuing to dominate Android devices. In a report from late 2012, Chitika noted that iOS had an overall usage share of 67 percent, while Android had a 33 percent share.
Apple’s mobile web traffic dominance was also confirmed by a recent report from IBM, indicating the majority of online shopping from mobile devices during the Christmas holiday was done by iOS users rather than Android users. 23 percent of total online sales on Christmas in the U.S. were made from iOS devices, while just 4.6 percent were made from Android devices.
To gather its data, Chitika used its Chitika network ad impressions, analyzing data from millions of smartphone and tablet users in both the United States and Canada. An ad impression was measured each time an individual user loaded a page containing Chitika ad code, giving an impression of overall web usage rather than a measurement of unique users.
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Readdle’s ‘Scanner Pro’ Named App of the Week, Available for Free [iOS Blog]
Readdle’s popular document scanning app Scanner Pro has been named Apple’s app of the Week, and as a result, it is available for free for the first time since its initial 2011 release.
Scanner Pro is one of the most highly rated scanning apps in the App Store and is designed to turn the iPhone or the iPad into a portable scanner for documents, receipts, notes, photos, and more. The app removes shadows, sharpens scans, and corrects perspective in order to make scans as “readable as possible.”
It also utilizes edge detection in order to create fast, accurate scans, and it stores scans as PDF files that can be uploaded to Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, or emailed/printed.
Scanner Pro transforms your iPhone and iPad into portable scanners. It allows you to scan receipts, whiteboards, paper notes, or any multipage document.
Scanned documents can be emailed and printed, uploaded to Dropbox, Google Drive and Evernote, or simply saved on the iPhone/iPad.
While Scanner Pro has been priced as low as $1.99 during sales, it typically costs $6.99 to download. For the next week, it will be available from the App Store at no cost. [Direct Link]
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CBS to Stream NFL Playoff Games to Macs and Tablets for First Time [iOS Blog]
CBS announced today that it will stream its full slate of NFL playoff games to PCs and tablets for the first time, beginning with a wildcard game this weekend.
The coverage will include all the network’s AFC playoff games including one wildcard game, plus its coverage of the divisional and championship rounds.
The network will carry Sunday’s Chargers v. Bengals tilt at 1:05PM EST, plus both divisional round games at Denver and New England on January 11 and 12, and the AFC Championship game on January 19.
The games will be viewable on CBSSports.com, but, due to the slim chance of non-sold out games, it remains a possibility that the games will be blacked out in some areas.
The NFL is hugely popular in the United States, with NFL-related content accounting for 9 of the top 10 most-watched TV programs of 2013.
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