Once again, the rumor mill hits one out of the park! YouTube has finally confirmed a "pilot program" for paid subscriptions, which the company will use to test the waters as it competes against the likes of Netflix.

The Official YouTube Blog announced Thursday that Google-owned streaming provider is launching a pilot program with "a small group of partners" to offer paid channels starting at 99 cents per month, with a 14-day free trial.

Among the partners mentioned are Sesame Street, who will be offering full episodes, as well as UFC, who will be posting full versions of classic fights. YouTube has posted a full list of participating companies, with 53 vendors at this writing -- and not surprisingly, most of them are fairly obscure.

Users must first subscribe to a YouTube channel on the desktop, which will then allow them to view paid content from anywhere, including computer, smartphone, tablet or Google TV device. The company plans to soon add the ability to subscribe from other devices.

"This is just the beginning," the company concludes. "We’ll be rolling paid channels out more broadly in the coming weeks as a self-service feature for qualifying partners. And as new channels appear, we'll be making sure you can discover them, just as we've been helping you find and subscribe to all the channels you love across YouTube."

Certainly a baby step toward taking on the likes of Netflix or Amazon Prime, but should be interesting to see of this is the start of a bigger content push to come.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

 

Microsoft has been pretty good at throwing its formidable weight around to get key applications on Windows 8, but not surprisingly, it's finding resistance from the folks in Cupertino.

CNN Money is reporting that Microsoft has been pushing Apple for a Windows 8-native edition of iTunes, which currently only runs in traditional Desktop mode on the company's Metro-style software -- and not at all on the tablet-centric Windows RT.

"You shouldn't expect an iTunes app on Windows 8 any time soon," laments Windows Division CFO Tami Reller. "ITunes is in high demand. The welcome mat has been laid out. It's not for lack of trying."

While Apple has grudgingly carried over iTunes, Safari, QuickTime and even iCloud to the Windows platform, the company has largely ignored Windows 8, which debuted six months ago and claims to have sold 100 million licenses during that time.

Thus far, the sole exception is a recent OS X Mountain Lion update which added Windows 8 compatibility to Boot Camp -- but that's for running Microsoft's OS on Apple's hardware, not for Apple software on Windows computers.

Windows RT owners are the ones suffering most from Apple's neglect -- they can't install iTunes at all since it requires Intel hardware, which means a traditional desktop or laptop computer or more expensive Windows Pro tablet.

However, even that is a less than ideal experience, since iTunes doesn't currently take advantage of the native Windows 8 experience, instead running as a window inside the classic Desktop view.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

 

With only a month to go before WWDC 2013, it's still awfully quiet from Cupertino, which appears to be saving all of its ammunition for the big event. Meanwhile, developers are busy working on the next OS X Mountain Lion update and we'll have to be content with a tiny Thunderbolt firmware update to close out the week. Hoping for more? Keep reading to find out what else made news on Thursday...

Apple Releases Thunderbolt Firmware Update 1.2

MacBook users with a Thunderbolt port: Get thee to the Software Update! On Thursday, Apple released Thunderbolt Firmware Update v1.2, a modest 1.22MB download for OS X Lion 10.8.3 and up, which "provides stability fixes for Thunderbolt and Target Disk Mode." Okay, so those release notes aren't exactly going to set the world on fire, but these updates are important, folks! Be sure your Mac is plugged into AC power while updating, and Apple notes you'll see a gray screen with a status bar appear to indicate the update's progress after downloading.

AT&T Launches No-Contract Aio Wireless in Select Markets

You may not know it to look at the website, but AT&T has launched a new MVNO wireless carrier this week called Aio (pronounced A-O). Currently only available in Houston, Orlando and Tampa, Aio taps into AT&T's vast wireless network but provides unlimited, no-annual-contract talk, text and data services starting at $40 per month for a Basic plan with 250MB of data. Smart ($55 per month) and Pro ($70 per month) plans are also available, but keep in mind that data speeds above 2GB or 7GB respectively will be throttled. Aio also offers a tablet-specific plan for $15 per month, but that only gets you a 250MB pittance of data. The company promises to expand to other locations in the weeks to come, and yes, they offer the iPhone 5...

Readdle Updates PDF Expert for iPad with Selection, Shape Tools

Readdle is back with another free update to its $9.99 PDF Expert for iPad, this time adding the ability to copy and paste annotations as well as move, resize and change properties for multiple annotations at the same time. Those who frequently use forms will now have the capability of adding a day and time keyboard, and the update also adds a Save or Discard Changes prompt when flattening PDF files as well as the ability to sync folders using the pdfefile:// prefix. The update is free for existing users, so grab it and make a cool app even better.

Apple Maps Adds More 3D Flyover to France

As noted by 9to5Mac on Thursday, Apple appears to have added at least one major addition to its 3D Flyover coverage on the built-in iOS Maps app. This week it's France getting some love, with additional locations in Paris, Versailles, Aulnay-sous-Bois, Disneyland Paris and The Hay-les-Roses now included as well as Lyon, France, which Apple continues to list as the only available coverage in that country. Could there be more to come? We'd say: "Signs point to yes."

The Loop Introduces iOS Magazine

Apple journalist Jim Dalrymple is expanding his horizons, announcing the debut of The Loop magazine for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on Thursday. Updated twice a month at a cost of $1.99 per month, The Loop comes with a free seven-day trial and promises to include exclusive content you won't find anywhere else -- with the possible exception of The Loop magazine website, where one free article from each issue will be posted alongside partial articles for the rest, with easy subscription links. The most-read article from each issue will also be posted free the following month, so it sounds like even cheapskates will be able to enjoy this one, as long as they're patient.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

Even though the major holidays of May are Mother's Day and Memorial Day, the month is really all about bikers. It's National Bike Month, May 13-18 is National Bike Week, and May 17 is Bike to Work Day. With summer just around the corner, there's no better excuse to get your bicycle out and take it for a spin. Whether you've been riding all along or you're just taking your cycle down from storage, you'll want to grab these eight apps to enhance your trip, track your ride, help you with repairs, and plenty more.

[This is an advertorial. Maclife gets a portion of each unit sold.]

You wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. You just had a dream that you built the best iOS app of all time. It destroyed sales records, reached the top of the charts, and was named "Greatest App of All Time" by every major publication. You even remember what the app is. But now you're in reality and you don't know how to make apps. Grab this video course from our Deals tab you'll be able to make your dream app come to life.

Making an app doesn't have to be complicated or full of programming and code that you struggle to understand. Check out this video course presented by John Bura of Buzztouch. He'll teach you how to render your unique app idea in xCode, make it function, and release it in the App Store. The course covers everything, with over 180 step-by-step tutorials that will teach you everything you need to know.

This video course on building apps from John Bura usually retails for $499. If you'd like to save yourself some cash and still make your app a reality, head to our deals tab and get yourself 84% off. That brings your total to just $79. That's a great deal you can't miss, so grab it today!

Geocaching is not for the casual urban adventurer. The concept is simple enough – seek out a hidden treasure by following a specific set of GPS coordinates – but there's a reason why it never caught on in the mainstream. Not only does it command a giant commitment of time and energy, but there's also a pretty steep learning curve for new users. Wonderground is geocaching for the rest of us. Created by General Electric (yes, that one), the scavenger-hunting app challenges users to explore their favorite cities with the promise of the ultimate reward: Knowledge.

To wit, the knowledge gained isn't too far removed from a Wikipedia entry (crowbarred GE references aside), but there's a certain pleasure derived from following Wonderground's clues to obtain it.  A bold interface will keep you engaged during the blandest of treasure hunts, and a leaderboard injects a level of competition that adds some extra motivation to get over the toughest of hurdles. Based on the web app with the same name, Wonderground forces you to get out into the world if you want to play. Points are earned for unlocked discoveries, which consist of navigating to various points of interest and scanning objects based on a series of clues. Most discoveries are fairly easy to find by following clues, but once you reach your goal, scanning the statues and signs (by using the iPhone's camera) can be a little tricky.

While we had fun scavenging, Wonderground is extremely limited, offering missions in just five U.S. cities (like Boston and Chicago). And unlike the web app – which allows you to explore locales with your mouse – the iPhone app won't let you play unless you're within a five-mile radius. Also, the advertised feature to create personalized missions is curiously MIA; the developer says it's due out in a future update.

The bottom line. Wonderground makes geocaching simple and fun, but only if you're lucky enough to live near a mission.

Review Synopsis

Product: 

Wonderground 1.1

Company: 

General Electric

Contact: 

http://www.ge.com

Price: 

Free

Requirements: 

iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 5.0 or later

Positives: 

Sleek interface. Fun way to learn obscure facts about popular cities.

Negatives: 

Limited locations where it works. Some difficulty with scanning discoveries. Personalized missions feature isn't included yet.

Score:  3.5 Good

To heck with refurbs. We know it's the easiest, cheapest way to get your hands on a new-to-you Mac, but sometimes you just want the new computer smell. Well, here are the best brand new device prices we could find this week. Plus the usual round up of slick accessories for your mobile devices.

Mac

15.4" Retina Display MacBook Pro Quad-Core Intel Core i7 2.7GHz

A $500 price cut is nothing to sneeze at, nor is this powerful machine running for $2,699.

15.4" Retina Display MacBook Pro Quad-Core Intel Core i7 2.3GHz

You'll save $299 with this new MacBook Pro for under $2,000, coming in at $1,899.

13.3" Retina Display MacBook Pro Dual-Core Intel Core i7 2.9GHz

If those top two models are still a little pricey, we can get you down a bit more to $1,599 for a $600 savings on this model.

13.3" MacBook Pro dual-core Intel Core i7 2.9GHz

Our budget conscious readers will find this $1,398 model, only $100 off when we get this low, is still a heck of a great machine at a deal of a price.

21.5" iMac - 3rd Gen Intel Core i5 processor - 1TB Hard Drive

Save $150 if you get this model at Best Buy rather than the Apple Store and have the sleekest, slimmest, best-est desktop model out there.

11.6" MacBook Air 4GB Memory - 64GB Flash Storage

Best Buy's also rocking a deal on MacBook Air's like this model $100 off the ticket. 

Apple 60W MagSafe Power Adapter

You don't usually see such good Apple deals at Newegg, but this MagSafe cord is $40 and that's worth checking out.

The NYOP Adventure Gamer Bundle

Take all this do-re-mi you're saving here on newer model Macs and name your own price on this gamer bundle and have yourself a blast. Be generous. You can afford it, thanks to these deals.

iOS Accessories

Altec Lansing MZX236MIC Bliss Women's Earphones Inline Remote + Mic

If you have little ears, this is just the ticket and at $4.99, you're saving $25 on headphones with inline remote and mic, so hook it up. But it's a woot deal, so HURRY.

iLuv Acclamation High-Fidelity Speaker Dock

If you're looking for jamming tunes no-earphone style, then Groupon has you covered with this dock for only $19.99.

iPhone 4 / 4S Bluetooth Keyboard Case

For those of you who still can't let go of physical keyboards, here's the case for your brand new iPhone 4S and it's only $14.95.

iLearn 'N' Play Robbi

Teddy Ruxpin for the iOS generation comes alive in Robbi for only $39.

Apple iPad Leather Smart Cover RED

If you love the sleek look of Apple's Smart Cover, then this eBay deal is for you! $16.99, not a joke, $16.99 for this model. 

All-In-One Smart Hybrid Case for iPad

Spring an extra $3 taking it up to $19.95 and get a case that covers the front and the back of your iPad in this stylish luminescent green.

Designer Leather Portfolio Smart Case for iPad

Look like a real smooth operator with this folio style iPad case replete with buckle and strap for only $16.95.

Lightning Connector to USB Charging

Pick up a replacement cord, 30 whopping inches, and get it for just $11.97.

Adorable Panda Silicone Cover for iPad Mini

Get your squee on with this well-named adorable panda cover for your iPad Mini and get it for the low price of $15.73.

Really Darn Cheap

Holy Cow Silicone Cover and Screen Protector for iPhone 5

Cute and cheap, this is our really darn cheap deal of the day. Turn your iPhone 5 into a cute little cow for only $2.

 

When you can't help but whip through a couple dozen attempts each time you open up a game, it more than likely has its hooks plunged quite deep into your psyche. Luckily, Impossible Road is a game worthy of such obsession, as the unflinchingly difficult quest to guide a ball along an endless roller coaster track into the abyss rewards persistence, and wastes no time in getting you back into its dazzling world upon inevitable failure. And trying to circumvent the typical rolling approach to maximize your score? Well, that's just part of the appeal.

Each randomized course starts with a straightaway and then quickly twists like mad into the white haze, with touches of the left and right sides of the screen letting you navigate the turns. Rolling through numbered gates ups your score, but it's inevitable that you'll fall off of the route sooner than later. That's not necessarily a death sentence. In fact, a large part of the strategy in Impossible Road involves "jumping" – whether intentionally or otherwise – and falling to a much further part of the track in order to advance your score and keep the run alive. Only mere seconds are allowed to get back on solid ground again, otherwise the attempt ends.

At first, even double-digit scores may seem daunting. Getting a feel for the touch controls – plus the need to reorient yourself immediately once airborne – will show in your steadily advancing leaderboard placement. Even so, Impossible Road's constant challenge serves not to frustrate, but rather to put you in a Zen-like zone as you weigh risk and reward in split-second bursts – and it absolutely succeeds. Despite the simple approach and (elegantly) minimal visual and audio design, it's thoroughly gripping.

The bottom line. Impossible Road stands alongside Super Hexagon as one of the top tests of skill, reaction, and sheer pluck on the App Store.

Review Synopsis

Product: 

Impossible Road 1.0.2

Company: 

Pixels on Toast

Contact: 

http://www.pixelsontoast.com

Price: 

$1.99

Requirements: 

iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone running iOS 5.1 or later

 

Positives: 

Simple but challenging approach encourages obsessive, repeated play. Dazzlingly minimal presentation. Rewards both persistence and daring play.

Negatives: 

Tilt controls would have been a nice option.

Score:  4.5 Excellent

 

[This is an advertorial. Maclife gets a portion of each unit sold.]

Your Mac is built to help you get work done. The problem is, it's also more than capable of keeping you distracted from that work. It's the whole "with great power comes great responsibility" thing. We could all use a little extra help to stay on task and get the job done. That's where the nine great apps of the Mac Productivity Bundle 4.0 come in. You can get all of these tools for one low price in ourDeals tab.

The Mac Productivity Bundle 4.0 is packed with apps to help you accomplish task after task, meet your goals and deadlines, and help you get more done. If your work requires you to produce visually appealing products, tools like Sketcher and Logo Design Studio Pro 2 can help you get the look you need while Camtasia can help you make an engaging video to show off your work. More and more people find themselves in need of knowledge about Adobe Creative Suite tools so you can learn your way around Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator with TrainSimple Design Courses. Give your text a new look with Toolbox for Pages or make sure there are no odd characters or out of place formatting with Text Soap. With all your important work on your laptop, you're going to want to keep it safe. That's where internet security suite Mac Internet Security from Intego, iPhone transfer system DiskAid, and file encryption tool Concealer come in. There's a tool for every one of your productivity related needs.

If you were to purchase all nine of the Mac Productivity Bundle 4.0 apps individually, you'd ring up a total cost of $690. If you'd like to save yourself 92% off of that price and still get access to all these great tools, head over to our Deals tab. You can get the Mac Productivity Bundle 4.0 for just $49.99. That's a must have offer, so get it today!

 

After splitting off its Nook division last fall, Barnes & Noble appears to be entertaining getting out of the digital business altogether in a possible sale to partner Microsoft valued at as much as $1 billion.

TechCrunch is reporting that Microsoft has offered Nook Media LLC as much as $1 billion to purchase the digital e-book assets owned by Barnes & Noble and other investors, which not-so coincidentally includes the Redmond giant.

Should the deal come to fruition, Microsoft would then own the entire digital operation, which could mean the demise of the Android-based tablets by the end of 2014, instead focusing on distribution of its content through "third-party partner" devices and apps.

Back in February, rumors began to grow that the Nook hardware could be discontinued following a holiday quarter that barely made a dent in the company's market share. The report notes than more than 10 million Nook tablets have been sold to date, and more than seven million of those are in active use.

News of a rumored purchase comes from internal documents obtained by TechCrunch, although there's no word on when the deal could actually be announced, assuming it actually closes in the first place.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

The miniStack may have started life as a third-party companion for the Mac mini, but with each new iteration, it becomes a nice complement to any Mac -- especially now that an optical drive is part of the mix.

Newer Technology announced Thursday that its popular all-in-one storage solution miniStack MAX is now even more useful with the addition of an optical drive, available in one of three flavors.

The existing miniStack MAX already allows internal storage up to 4TB, three USB 2.0/3.0 ports and an SD card reader, but with Apple now having eliminated the SuperDrive across all of its product lines, the addition of an optical drive only makes the package more appealing to Mac users.

Newer is offering three optical drive options: CD/DVD read or write (starting at $194.99 with no storage), Blu-ray read with CD/DVD read/write ($219.99 and up) or full Blu-ray/CD/DVD read or write ($259.99 and up); the company also offers a bare version starting at $149.99 for those who want to add their own storage and optical drive.

miniStack MAX is perfect for those who need to move between older and newer Macs, with support for USB 2.0, USB 3.0, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 or eSATA, as well as full Windows plug-and-play support.

The latest miniStack MAX is now available to order through Newer's exclusive distributor, Other World Computing. Until May 31, buyers can also choose to receive Roxio Toast Titanium 11 for as low as $29, which will help make full use of that new optical drive.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

 

As promised earlier this week, Pixelmator debuted a major new update to its image editor for Mac which adds a light leak effect, smart shape and move tools and much more to the popular application.

The Pixelmator Team has announced the release of Pixelmator 2.2, the latest version of its Mac App Store image editor. Code-named "Blueberry," the update adds new Smart Shape, Move and Paint Selection tools along with a retro-style Light Leak effect.

“We’re excited to deliver even more, easy-to-use, advanced features to our Pixelmator fans and continue to create the best and most enjoyable image editing experience,” said Saulius Dailide of the Pixelmator Team.

“With new state-of-the-art Smart Shape Tools, people can fully enhance their images, create logos, Web layouts, posters, and much more, all easier than ever before.”

In total, Pixelmator 2.2 racks up more than 100 new features and improvements, headlined by a pair of "smart" tools for creating and adjusting the shape of an outline as well as determining which tools you'll need while moving image or shape layers. Shapes also include a dedicated palette packed with ready-made designs that can be dragged and dropped onto any project, along with a Style palter for making them your own.

The Paint Selection tool makes it a snap for users to make even challenging selections in only a few brush strokes, while the new Light Leak effect offers "retro-artistically illuminated" images from any photo you can throw at it.

Pixelmator 2.2 is now available from the Mac App Store as a free update for existing users, with a special promotional price of only $14.99 for a limited time.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

 

Whew! It's only Thursday, but it feels like we've already experienced a full week after hitting the ground running in Los Angeles on Monday and Tuesday at Adobe MAX 2013. There's been a number of notable product introductions over the last few days you might have missed, so here's a quick recap of a handful of those while we catch our breath.

Microsoft Updates Office for Mac 2011 with 365 Support

With all the hoopla surrounding Microsoft's recent move to the cloud with Office 365, support for the existing Office for Mac 2011 has been relegated to security patches for the most part. While there's still no new 2013 edition, the folks in Redmond finally made good on an update to add Office 365 compatibility. Version 14.3.4 does indeed include the usual barrage of bug fixes, but also adds the ability to save files to both SkyDrive as well as SharePoint from the existing Mac release. The update can be installed by direct download or using the Microsoft AutoUpdater, and applies to all flavors of the Office for Mac 2011 editions.

Viber Debuts Free Mac, Windows VoIP Clients

Free VoIP service Viber is making some very Skype-like moves this week, introducing version 3.0 of its existing platform along with Mac and Windows clients so its more than 200 million users worldwide can now communicate between mobile and desktop. The Mac edition of Viber Desktop works with OS X Lion 10.7 and up and serves up the usual free messaging and calls Viber has become known for, with cross-platform support between Windows, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Nokia and Bada devices. With all those possibilities, it's a good bet you already know one of the existing users, so jump over to the Viber website and get calling!

Rovio Account Syncs Game Progress Across Devices

In a move many Angry Birds gamers will find too little, too late, Rovio has announced a new feature called Rovio Account, which allows players to sync game progress between different devices. "Our fans have been asking for a way to play their game on different phones or tablets without losing their progress when changing the device," the company noted in a blog post this week. "This is exactly what Rovio Account lets you do!" For the moment, the feature is limited to the original Angry Birds in Finland and Poland only, as well as The Croods game worldwide, and will be gradually rolled out to other properties in the coming weeks.

Boingo Adds In-App Purchase to iOS App

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Wi-Fi provider Boingo has introduced an all-new version of its existing Wi-Finder app for iOS which allows travelers to use their iTunes account to pay for wireless access on the go. Instead of requiring a Boingo account, the app update uses an existing Apple ID to facilitate the $7.99 per month payment, which then allows users to log in at one of more than 600,000 Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide, all of which include VPN service to keep your connection safe and secure at all times. Existing Boingo users take note: The iTunes payment model is completely different than the direct billing model, so you'll have to choose one or the other.

FxFactory Debuts Luca XOverlays for Final Cut Pro X

Luca Visual FX has again teamed up with Noise Industries to announce a new batch of Final Cut Pro X plugins called XOverlays. Billed as "a wealth of stylish and extremely customizable motion graphics to use as overlay on a great variety of projects," the $49 XOverlays includes more than 15 different unique effects to spice up almost any video. If you don't believe us, have a look at the YouTube video embedded below, then head over to the Noise website to download the free trial version, which can be unlocked as a full version just by purchasing a registration code from the company's online store.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

 

Well, that was quick. Just last week the New York Times was lamenting about how so little's being done (in their eyes) to curb the rising thefts of iPhones and iPads, and today Absolute Software trumpeted their Computrace Mobile Theft Management Program as the first real iOS "loss management and theft recovery" service available. It looks like it's targeted more toward businesses and organizations than to the iPad user on the street, but it's at least a step in the right direction.

It's important to distinguish the service from existing options that simply shut off the device or wipe its data remotely. With the Computrace program, Absolute Software promises a dual system of loss prevention and theft recovery. The details of the loss prevention program remain a little vague, with Absolute only announcing that it provides customers with "the tools to implement best practices within their organization and amongst users to ensure these iOS devices are handled responsibly." According to Absolute's site, some of the aforementioned tools include indentity tags and registration in Absolute's database.

The theft recovery benefits are much clearer. Once someone under the plan reports a stolen iPad, the Absolute Investigations team starts working with local law enforcement to help with the investigation and recover the iPad. In the event that the Absolute Investigations team is unable to recover an iPad, a service guarantee covers the loss.

Bold words, but apparently there's plenty of success stories to back them up. Absolute Software CEO John Livingston added that the Absolute Investigations team has already used the technology to assist in 29,000 successful recoveries of other mobile devices in 97 countries. “As a result of this hard work, we have built a global network of relationships with law enforcement agencies and innovative investigative techniques our customers can leverage to recover stolen iPad and iPad mini devices,” said Livingston.

The program was also used at Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon as a part of a technology immersion program that loaned iPads to students. Jedediah Gilchrist, the senior manager of infrastructure and operations at Portland Public Schools, was pleased with the results. “Absolute Software was the only company we found able to offer the kind of comprehensive plan to respond to theft (in the event it should occur) that would give staff, administrators and parents the peace of mind they need in order to let this program flourish.”

If there's a catch, it's that it appears to be tailored for businesses or large entities like Roosevelt High School, and the site's language suggests the service only applies to iPads and iPad Minis. Pricing for the service is also only available upon request, so there's a good chance you'll simply want to stick with Find My iPad if you're an average iPad owner.

(Source: Absolute Software)

Disney's long been known as the go-to maker of family films, but with Disney Interactive's new Story app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, they're hoping families will make some short films of their own. Story, which is free, takes various media on your iPhone or iPod Touch and automatically organizes them into customizable "stories" that you can share with friends and family through Facebook, e-mail, and other venues.

In fact, it seems clear from Disney Interactive's descriptions that the idea for Story grew out of all those ubiquitous photos of newborns on Facebook. "When we become moms, our iPhone instantly becomes the go-to device to capture the spontaneous moments of family life," said Brooke Chaffin, the senior vice president Disney Interactive Family. "With Story, we’ve created an easy-to-use app that takes this content and creates meaningful narratives and stories that can be shared with friends and family with just a few taps."

As TheNextWeb reports, last year Flock achieved a similar effect with the way it scanned your friends' photos for similar geotags and timestamps, but Story focuses only on the media of one person so as to generate family specific content. Think of it as a much more robust version of Vine. "Stories" can last as long as a minute, they include both still images and videos, and you can customize them with your own captions and themes. Your Stories are also uploaded to iCloud, allowing you to view or edit them whenever you desire.

Ken Yeung at TheNextWeb also learned from Disney that they plan on keeping social media interaction limited to Facebook from now, owing to the privacy restrictions the plaform allows for compared to open platforms like Twitter. "With Facebook, parents could share their photos in a setting where they know their friends can mostly see it," Yeung said. "However, conscious that other audiences will use it besides parents and mothers, Disney says that it will eventually look at other services like Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+."

Best of all, Story currently has no ads, nor does it feature any discernible references to Disney. That could change in the future, although to what extent is unclear.

Known for console and computer heavy hitters like Civilization V and XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Firaxis’ latest strategy game is the unexpectedly kid-friendly and cartoonish Haunted Hollow for iPhone and iPad. Starring familiar monsters like vampires, ghosts, and witches, this free-to-play game offers a surprisingly rich level of depth and enjoyment that is sure to please any fan of the genre.

Haunted Hollow puts you and your opponent on opposite sides of a town – one that you must fully scare in order to win. Each turn, you are given “scare tokens” that you can use to make monsters, move them into town to scare and control houses, or fight against other monsters. Because both you and your opponent are ultimately fighting for supremacy, the game offers plenty of room for strategic calculations that reward you with more scare tokens, and thus a better chance at winning each showdown. Scare groups of houses and you’ll get extra tokens and experience points that unlock items for you to use, giving you strength-enhancing tools to choose from.

Each turn also presents you with a random room to add to your mansion, letting you create different monsters or level up their abilities. Monsters specialize in scaring, fighting, or a mix of these two abilities, so there are plenty of options when it comes to planning your moves. A den, for example, lets you create a basic werewolf, but adding more dens next to each other lets you make a more formidable fighter.

Computer-controlled opponents don’t offer much of a fight, and the single-player challenges can be cleared rather quickly. Thankfully, you can you can also play against a local friend using the pass and play option, or online opponents in asynchronous turn-based multiplayer via Game Center. Additionally, while the initial free download comes with a limited number of monsters to make, you can purchase additional monsters (with real cash) that also let you play on different maps beyond the one available to everyone. These new monsters come with unique abilities, but are balanced enough to give your matches a touch of variety without feeling overpowered.

The bottom line. Haunted Hollow is an uncomplicated, charming, and fun strategy game that's particularly potent with pals.

Review Synopsis

Product: 

Haunted Hollow 1.3

Company: 

2K Games

Contact: 

http://www.2kgames.com

Price: 

Free

Requirements: 

iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone running iOS 4.3 or later.

Positives: 

Inviting and enjoyable competitive mechanics. Great amount of variety and opportunities for strategic planning. Charming monsters and visuals.

Negatives: 

Computer opponents aren't very challenging. Few single-player offerings. Only one free map.

Score:  4 Great

[This is an advertorial. Maclife gets a portion of each unit sold.]

Your average, every day, routine-filled life probably doesn't consist of much adventure. That is, unless you count your daily commute to work as full of obstacles like traffic jams and mysteries like what's taking the barista so long to make your coffee? You need to spice your life up a little bit, but you don't have time to take off. Don't worry, you can get some adventure in right from home, and you can name your price for it. Check out the Name Your Own Price Adventure Gamer Bundle. It's on sale in our Deals tab.

When you get the Name Your Own Price Adventure Gamer Bundle, you'll score six unique adventures to experience.

• The Great Gitters: Pudding Panic: Take on 48 levels filled with gorgeous animations, scary enemies, and tons of fun.
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The European Commission smacks Motorola for using patents as leverage rather than tools for innovation (cough, cough), a major Taiwanese University is suing Apple in Texas, and Apple is begging the court for a peek at Android's goods. Another week, another round of courtroom drama in Law & Apple.

Apple vs. Samsung (er, Google)

While the court still wrangles over the decision from Apple's first lawsuit against Samsung, Cupertino lawyers are bulking up for the sequel. This second lawsuit, filed in February of 2012 and scheduled to begin in March of 2014, brings several of Samsung's more recent devices, including the Galaxy S3, into the fray.

While both companies are playing the cat-and-mouse game of sorting out the evidence for their cases in this new lawsuit, this week Apple asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal in San Jose, California, to step in and make sure Samsung is playing fairly.

Cupertino lawyers claim that Google is accidentally-on-purpose having trouble finding the documents Apple requested during pretrial requests.

"It’s a question of transparency," claims Mark Lyon, a lawyer for Apple. "We have concerns that they’re not doing a full search."

Starting to feel like a pawn in someone else's chess match...

Google, however, has no desire to open the kimono. Since Apple did not name Google in the complaint, Google does not have any rights to "reciprocal discovery." In other words, Google would have to share sensitive information with Apple, but Apple would not have to share anything in return.

A Google lawyer who represents Samsung, Matthew Warren, claims that this was a "strategic decision" by Apple, and that by turning over the search terminology Apple is seeking, an unfair and potentially damaging situation may arise. Warren alleges that the information may provide Apple with "future discovery that we don't think they're entitled to" as well as "ideas about how to proceed that they would not have had."

These lawsuits against Android device manufacturers have always really been about Apple taking an indirect route to Google in the courtroom. If Apple can convince Judge Grewal that Google needs to pull the curtain back, it would be a significant advantage for Apple. Stay tuned. 

NCKU vs. Apple

According to The Next Web, a major public university in Taiwan, National Cheng Kung University,  has recently filed another patent lawsuit against Apple. On May 3rd, NCKU filed the new lawsuit claiming that Apple is infringing on a 2007 US Patent (#7,561,078) which covers technology for a "encoding system for a data set, particularly for a video data set." The lawsuit is specifically targeting Apple's FaceTime and QuickTime software.

The university, which might want to consider offering graduate courses in suing Apple, wants "monetary damages in an amount not yet determined." NCKU also sued Apple last summer over patent infringement regarding Siri.

We fight for the glory of...well, for the money, actually.

After that first lawsuit, NCKU's legal department director, Chen Xisan, was very candid about why his academic institution was taking Cupertino to court. If for nothing else, Xisan wanted to pick up a sword and strike a blow for Taiwan's manufacturers -- like HTC -- that he felt were being picked on in the courtroom by companies like Apple.

This new lawsuit, like the previous one, was filed in Texas, where the courts notoriously rule in favor of patent holders and love to order massive settlement awards. So, you know, for NCKU, clearly it's about protecting national companies, and has nothing to do with the money.

Motorola (er, Google) vs Apple

The European Commission believes Motorola is doing it wrong. Apparently, in a formal statement of objections, the EU believes that by seeking an injunction against Apple in Germany, Motorola is abusing its market position. Seeking injunctions based on alleged patent infringement is all the rage these days, and Apple has certainly used this tactic like a sledgehammer. So why the Motorola smackdown from the EU?

The difference is in the patent; Motorola filed against Apple in Germany over patents essential to mobile phone standards, patents that Apple is willing to pay licensing fees to use. The idea behind standard essential patents is that the patent holder agrees to offer the use of critical patented technology to the industry, and the industry agrees to pay fair licensing fees for them. While the EU maintains that seeking injunctions is a useful tool against patent infringements, it should not be used when a potential licensee was ready to agree on licensing terms.

No, not that way, Googlerola.

"I think that companies should spend their time innovating and competing on the merits of the products they offer," wrote EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia,  "not misusing their intellectual property rights to hold up competitors to the detriment of innovation and consumer choice." 

Wouldn't that be something?

Follow this writer, Adrian Hoppel, on Facebook.

Adobe may be the last company users think of when it comes to hardware, but judging from a trio of products demonstrated during its annual MAX 2013 conference, the software maker may soon forge a new path.

In a move that might have made late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs proud, Adobe executives surprised attendees at its annual MAX conference on Monday by showing off three hardware products the company has brewing in its labs.

Demonstrated by Adobe Vice-President of Experience Design Michael Gough, "Project Mighty" is what the company calls a connected or "cloud pen" -- a pressure-sensitive drawing tool synced with the user's Creative Cloud account, which uses Bluetooth to connect to tablets like the iPad.

Made in conjunction with industrial design firm Ammunition, Gough describes Project Mighty as "a three-sided, twisted form that is inspired by the ergonomics of holding a pen." The device not only remembers how a Creative Cloud user draws, but also uses themes synced from the forthcoming Kuler for iPhone app to act as a "cloud clipboard."

But that's not all: Gough then introduced "Project Napoleon," which borrows its namesake ("a short ruler," quipped Gough) to create a digital ruler filled with a ton of potential for artists.

One of the most impressive features demonstrated is the ability to snap to "vanishing points," making it easier to draw in perspective while getting the same tactile feedback a real ruler would provide.

Adobe also showed off a third piece of hardware aimed at digital publishers: Project Context. While the first two hardware surprises are definitely aimed at consumers, Context is clearly intended for professionals who want to use touch-based screens to emulate the pasteboard experience used by newspapers, magazines and traditional print media.

While Adobe has yet to announce any firm plans for this trio of products -- which may or may not involve hardware partners to market them -- their inclusion at the MAX 2013 keynote is a good indication that Adobe is getting serious about hardware to complement their existing software products.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

 

Nervous about the internet sales tax bill that just flew through the Senate on Monday? A new report claims that it's not quite out of the woods yet, while Amazon beats Google to paid Android apps in China and Facebook Messenger finally adds the stickers recently enabled in the full official Facebook app. Ready to read more? Click on and find out what else is making news!

Internet Sales Tax Bill Passes Senate, Tough House Vote Still to Come

The Washington Times is reporting that, although the Senate has passed a bill which will allow states to begin collecting sales tax for online purchases made regardless of whether the e-tailer has a sales presence there, internet shoppers shouldn't hang their heads quite yet. That's because the Marketplace Fairness Act still has to pass through the House of Representatives, where it's expected to face much tougher scrutiny than it did from Senators, who passed the bill with a 69-27 vote on Monday. So, keep your fingers crossed, folks...

Facebook Messenger for iOS Adds Stickers

Facebook updated its Messenger for iPhone app on Monday, adding stickers to its free instant messaging service, much in the same way it did recently on the official Facebook app. Users can now tap the smiley icon to add "cute critters" to their messages, sending free stickers with only a tap or buying more by tapping on the basket icon. If you're not seeing the feature quite yet, don't panic: Facebook says it's rolling out to users "over the next few weeks." The update also restores a previous feature allowing users to delete conversation with a swipe, as well as the usual bug fixes.

Amazon Beats Google to Paid Android App Store

Reuters is reporting that Amazon has once again bested Google by introducing its Appstore in China, offering Android customers in that country paid apps for the first time. While Google Play does exist in China, the storefront only offers free apps, providing a significant advantage for Amazon when it comes to premium app offerings. The move follows the debut of the Kindle e-book store in China back in December.

Free Mac App Makes Short Work of Finding Subtitles

As noted by Cult of Mac, Subtitles is a new Mac App Store title which makes it a snap for users to drag and drop video files of any format and automatically download accompanying subtitles for movies or TV shows. While there are plenty of other paid options for doing the same thing, Subtitles does it for free, and with plenty of style, too. The app is a little light on preferences -- there's just one, for determining which languages you want to search, but otherwise looks like a nice option for finding SRT files without a lot of effort.

Windows 8 Hits 100 Million Licenses, "Blue" Public Beta Coming in June

Microsoft's Blogging Windows had a few items of interest on Tuesday, including news that the company's latest Windows 8 has now hit 100 million licenses sold in the six months since launching. The second bit of news may be more exciting to those waiting anxiously for the next version, with word that Windows 8.1 -- code-named "Windows Blue" -- will be unveiled at the end of June at Microsoft's annual BUILD developer conference, where a public preview of the software will be available for all to tinker with. Various rumors claim Microsoft will return at least partial traditional Start menu use to the next version, so those averse to the tiled look may have something to look forward to there.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter