| Giveaway: Bracketron Case | If outdoor adventures are in your future this summer, enter to win a Bracketron Sport Case with Mount Strap from MacNN and keep that iPhone, iPod or other electronic device safe from the elements. |
Apple has posted minor updates to the iOS versions of its iWork apps. In this case Pages, Numbers, and Keynote all share the same release notes, indicating that they make "stability improvements and bug fixes." Apple hasn't identified what particular bugs have been solved.
After a lengthy break since the last revision, Apple has updated its entire iWork suite of programs on both iOS and OS X. Pages, Numbers and Keynote for iOS are now at version 1.7, with improved compatibility with Microsoft Office and the counterpart iWork programs for Mac. The OS X version has been upgraded to version 9.3, adding support for iWork for iOS 1.7.
(Updated with Thunderbolt-to-FireWire availability) Apple appears to have restored new build-to-order options for the lower-end model of the Retina MacBook Pro. At the company's online store, shoppers can now scale the processor up to a 2.6 or 2.7GHz Core i7, or the SSD up to 512 or 768GB. Apple is moreover allowing any new Mac buyer to have Pages, Numbers, or Keynote pre-installed.
(Updated with Safari security notes) Accompanying today's launch of OS X Mountain Lion are a number of parallel software updates. Amount these is OS X Server for Mountain Lion, a $20 add-on. The release marks another price drop for Server, which in its Lion form cost $49; before that it cost several times more still.
Apple is sending out email notices reminding people of the impending iWork.com shutdown. The service will go dark on July 31st; in the memo, Apple links users to a support article telling them how to save their documents, and also recommends uploading files to iCloud for access across multiple computers and iOS devices. Once this month's deadline has passed, Apple will delete any documents still left on iWork.com.
Apple has removed trial versions of Aperture and the iWork suite from its website, reports observe. In both cases, users are now being asked to visit the Mac App Store and pay for full products. "The trial version of iWork is no longer supported. But you can easily purchase Keynote, Pages, and Numbers from the Mac App Store to start creating beautiful presentations, documents, and spreadsheets today," the US iWork page reads.
Now that iCloud offers modern Mac and iOS users a way to store and edit iWork documents across iOS and Mac devices, Apple has sent e-mails to users of iWork.com informing them that the service will be closing down as of July 31st. The letter contains links to detailed instructions on how to retrieve copies of users' documents that are stored on iWork.com before the shutdown. The service began as a free beta in January 2009.
Apple has finally brought iPhoto to the iPad, while introducing updates to the existing iMovie, iWork and GarageBand apps. The apps, introduced alongside the new iPad, have been reworked to take advantage of the third-generation tablet's 2048x1536 'Retina Display', which quadruples the pixel density from the 1024x768 display of the original iPad and iPad 2.
A somewhat sensationalist press release from Russian forensic-cryptology company ElComSoft claims that it can "crack" passwords users put on documents created in Apple's iWork software (which comprises Pages, Numbers and Keynote). However, the company admits that the attack is just a variation on a brute-force cracking method that attempts to guess the password.
Apple's digital textbook creation system is relying on the manager of its iWork suite, slips uncovered on Tuesday. Productivity app VP Roger Rosner was said by the Wall Street Journal to be "closely involved" in crafting the system. His involvement would reflect the creative nature of the unveiling, which would let publishers and schools themselves easily create their own textbooks.
Reports are coming into Apple's support forums that a serious bug in the way iCloud syncing is handling iWork documents -- those created by Pages, Numbers or Keynote -- is causing the files to be deleted upon a fresh sync, leaving mobile iWork app users in particular with lost documents and no apparent way to get the work back (Mac users can recover the documents via their Time Machine or other backup devices).
Complementing the introduction of Find My Friends and AirPort Utility, Apple has launched two more iOS apps, plus updates to several existing titles. The first of the new apps is Cards, a previously announced program that lets users insert custom text and photos into 21 basic designs and have real-world greeting cards mailed to addresses around the world. This costs $3 when mailing within the US, or $5 when sending a card to an international address.
A late rumor has Apple posting its iCloud-capable Mac OS X Lion and iTunes releases early. The "reliable" Macotakara contact has both Lion 10.7.2 and iTunes 10.5 arriving before the iOS 5 release on October 12. Apple rarely posts updates on weekends, making October 11 the most likely candidate if true.
Apple has posted a pair of updates to key iOS 5 apps in preparation for its iPhone event next week. Those with access to the developer center can now get iWork for iOS beta 4. It's uncertain what changes have surfaced in the new build, although at this stage they will likely be limited to polish.
Apple on its developer boards warned that it would reset iCloud backup data on September 22 in what's likely a clue as to the final iOS 5 release. Developers using iCloud during the beta won't have the option of backing up or restoring for an entire workday, between 9AM and 5PM Pacific that day. Any backups from before the reset won't work and will need a fresh backup.
Apple signaled that it was closing in on the release of its iCloud-related efforts on Friday with new developer betas of iTunes and iWork for iOS. iTunes 10.5 beta 8 focuses on "several performance enhancements and bug fixes" but is considered necessary to keep using iTunes Match during its beta phase. As before, testers still have to pay $25 per year like the public but get extra months of service in return for the testing.
On cue, Apple has posted to the Developer Center new test versions of iOS, iTunes, and Xcode. iOS 5 beta 6 primarily tackles bug fixes such as the ability to cope with syncing files changed outside of an app and fixes to Game Center and GameKit. Some bugs continue to remain, such as some iCloud storage commands.
On the heels of today's iCloud.com beta, Apple has released a new beta for iWork for iOS and a refreshed iPhoto for Mac that includes iCloud compatibility. The iWork updates will allow developers to sync documents begun on one iOS device onto another automatically (if desired), or onto the iCloud website -- where users can also edit documents, with the results automatically synced back to iOS devices.
Several days after the release of iWork 9.1, Apple has at last published a list of security fixes in its productivity suite. Only three have been made, all revolving around files from Microsoft Office. Two of the closed vulnerabilities are attached to Excel files; prior to the v9.1 update, it was possible to code Excel files to trigger certain buffer overflows or memory corruptions in Numbers, in turn creating crashes or allowing system hijacks.
The launch of iOS 5 beta 4 has added a handful of improvements for over-the-air updating. Windows users can now get access to the Wi-Fi syncing that had been given to Mac users first. The update lets users sync either automatically when charging or manually when wireless.
Apple has discontinued boxed copies of several Mac software titles, a note to resellers reveals. Major titles that are now online-only include Aperture 3, Xsan 2, iWork '09 and the iLife '11 suite. Remote Desktop is also being kept off shelves, along with an assortment of Jam Pack add-ons for GarageBand.
(Updated for iWork, iTunes, Safari releases) Apple is preparing several important software updates that should arrive in the near future, Software Update images from AppleInsider indicate. Perhaps the most significant of these is iTunes 10.4, which is said to be designed for Lion, for instance incorporating an iLife-style fullscreen mode which supports app switching using gestures. The program is also being made a native 64-bit Cocoa title, and cleaned up with a variety of stability and performance tweaks. iTunes is one of the few flagship Apple titles still operating with 32-bit code.
Recosoft is adding PDF2Office 5.1 and PDF2Office SE for iWork 1.0 to the Mac App Store today. The two apps focus on generating working files from PDFs. PDF2Office 5.1 converts PDFs to Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents with support for 2011 Office version formats. The app also supports Pages, Keynote and TextEdit.
Apple has launched a major update of the mobile version of iWork, evolving it to support the iPhone and iPod touch. Pages, Numbers and Keynote are now universal titles, continuing to offer an expanded, more complex interface on iPads. Pricing also remains a consistent $10 for each title.
Apple has shut down rebate offers for MobileMe and iWork, according to a leaked internal memo. It was previously possible to get $30 off a MobileMe subscription when buying a Mac or iOS device, or $30 off a new copy of the iWork suite when buying a Mac. Resellers were asked to "remove any reference to these promotions by close of business" on the 18th, the memo indicates.
Google on Friday gave Google Docs its first real file format update with 12 new standards. The release supports an Apple-specific format for the first time and will let users read Pages documents in-browser. Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop images also now work, and modelling gets its first support through recognition of Autodesk's AutoCAD.
A splash page at the Best Buy Mexico website is claiming that iWork '11 will be launched on February 19th. The graphic provides little other information, except to say an event is taking place at 7PM that day. Apple has not formally announced an iWork update, nor is any event mentioned on the US Best Buy website.
Icons discovered in the code for Pages for iPad may suggest that Apple has bigger plans for iWork on iOS. The graphics depict common options in Pages, such as printing, guidelines and notes. Notably though the material is sized at Retina Display resolution, something the first-generation iPad doesn't support.
Apple has made two important upgrades to the iWork.com beta. Keynote '09 presentations can now be viewed on the web, with support for animations. The technology extends to the iPad, where touch gestures can be employed to swipe through slides when browsing in Safari.
Apple has released an update to its iWork '09 productivity suite today, adding playback of Keynote presentations on the iWork.com public beta -- requiring the latest version of Safari -- with 15 animations and effects. Keynote Remote v1.2 is now supported with high-resolution slides available for Retina displays and two major bugs in Keynote are fixed. One involves a ruler issue when resizing, the other an export to iPod issue when iTunes 10 is installed alongside iWork '09. The update also fixes a Drop transition, Dissolve build, and Shape Colors issue in Keynote.
Multiple Apple retail store workers have commented that iWork '09 is running low in stock in what may be a more definite sign of an upcoming iWork '11 debut. The productivity suite is reportedly not only out of stock at the stores but isn't being replaced with future shipments, often a sign of an imminent replacement. Checks by 9to5 show Apple's online store and Ingram Micro still having supplies.
As part of its annual iTunes Rewind promotion, which highlights content on the iTunes Store, Apple is featuring four iOS apps in particular as award winners. The two iPhone apps are the tower defense game Plants vs. Zombies, and Hipstamatic, which emulates some of the unintentional artistic effects of old film cameras. The featured iPad apps include "social magazine" Flipboard, and Osmos, an indie game meant as much for relaxation as play.
As hinted at earlier, Apple has posted v1.3 updates for apps in the iPad version of the iWork suite. All expected upgrades are present, including support for two key iOS 4.2.1 features: multitasking, and AirPrint, which allows printing via Wi-Fi. Only a handful of HP printers are currently supported, however.
To help back today's iOS 4.2 update, Apple is also planning to launch simultaneous v1.3 updates of the Pages, Keynote and Numbers iPad apps, a news story claims. All three iWork titles should be getting support for iOS 4.2's multitasking capabilities, as well as AirPrint integration. Some AirPrint options include page- or slide-range selection, duplex printing and setting the number of copies.
iWork '11 and possibly the mobile suite may have a way of sending Keynote presentations out to the Apple TV, an e-mail message reputedly from Steve Jobs said this weekend. A fan asking if he could send Keynote presentations to the media hub from an iOS device or a Mac was told that it could all be released in the near future. "It's all coming soon," Jobs said in the message obtained by TUAW. "Stay tuned."
iWork '11 is actually already finished and just waiting for the introduction of the Mac App Store in order to ship, sources for AppleInsider claim. The same people also say that Numbers, Pages and Keynote will be available separately through the App Store, and that Apple has yet to decide whether the usual boxed retail version of iWork will be published. Images from Apple's Back to the Mac event depict iWork programs becoming available for $20 each via the App Store.
After a long wait, Microsoft has finally released an update to its Office productivity suite for Mac OS. Version 2011 brings a variety of new features, with a focus on compatibility and UI familiarity across both Mac and Windows variants. In our full review, we determine if Microsoft has moved in the right direction to compete with Apple's own iWork suite.
Apple appears to have placed restrictions on using official studio names to create trailers for movies produced in iMovie '11. When using the Trailers theme with an image of the earth, which looks very similar to the official Universal Studios logo, the software prevents users from placing the word "universal" in the studio name. The word is instead replaced with several hyphens.
BestBuy.com is listing iLife and iWork as backordered in further evidence of an imminent refresh that is expected at Apple’s Back to Mac media event next week. This follows a listing for an iLife ’11 third-party user guide being made available for pre-order on Amazon UK’s website. Amazon.com is also listing an iLife ’11 Family Pack.
SMEStorage will soon be releasing an update to their existing iSMEStorage app for iPhone and iPad, to be renamed CloudDav after the technology it uses, which will enable iPad iWork users to edit and save documents stored on a variety of third-party "cloud" storage services, even if they are not normally WebDAV enabled.
Apple has released v1.2 updates for the trio of iWork apps available for the iPad. Critically, Numbers documents can now be exported as Excel files, while Keynote presentations can be exported in PowerPoint format. All three apps -- including Pages -- have been updated with the ability to group and ungroup objects, as well as upload to a MobileMe iDisk or miscellaneous WebDAV services.
Apple has released an update to its iWork suite of productivity applications. Version 9.0.4 addresses unnamed issues in Keynote, Pages and Numbers. The update also adds an ePub export option in Pages, enabling users to save documents in a format compatible with the iBooks reader app for iOS devices.
Premature Amazon book listings may hint at when Apple will launch the next versions of iLife and iWork. Before being removed, a title called iLife '10 for Dummies was recently visible at Amazon France, tied to a September 23rd release date. Still present on the site is a guide called iWork '10, allegedly going on sale in October.
Joel Wolfgang has announced a new site designed to provide education professionals, students, and teachers with a variety of iWork templates. iWork4School currently offers more than 50 free templates that have been sorted by three different criteria: grade level, subject, and intended user. According to Wolfgang, "iWork4School is not just one of those teacher material sites, it's a site designed with everyone who works in and around schools in mind." The developer also runs a sister site, The Free iWork Templates Blog, which allows a community of iWork users to share their own template creations.
Apple is indeed working on an iPhone version of the iWork suite, a pair of screenshots suggest. Both depict Pages running on an iPod touch; the first shows an option to export a file as either a Pages or a Word document, while the second shows a simple document browser. The app is described as in beta testing, though how close to release an iWork update might be is not known.
Apple has quietly hinted at a launch window for iOS 4 on the iPad, while the company's website has slipped another clue that iWork is on its way to the iPhone. An AdAge report suggests that Apple has been telling marketers that the iAd platform will extend to the iPad sometime in November.
Apple may be preparing to launch its iWork suite on the iPhone. Following the iPhone 4 introduction, the company updated its website with a wide range of interface screenshots. One of the shots showed an attachment prompt asking if the user wants the document to "Open in Keynote."
Ahead of a May 28th hardware launch, Apple has opened up international access to the iPad App Store. While foreign owners of American iPads have been able to get apps for some time, this has only so far been allowed via iTunes, not an iPad's own store browser. Using an iPad in theory offers the advantage of browsing only iPad-compatible apps, and operating independently of a desktop or notebook.
The iPad version of iWork could generate over $40 million a year for Apple, one projection suggests. The figure is based on Silicon Alley Insider talks with several top 10 iPad developers, and a subsequent estimate that paid apps sell about 2,500 copies per weekday, and another 7,500 per Saturday or Sunday. This translates into 27,500 downloads per app, per week, and at a cost of $10 per app, $825,000 in weekly revenue.
A small clue hints that Apple may add printing support in iPhone 4.0 or another update. Support notes for the iPad's iWork apps all note that "printing directly from iPad is not currently available" and imply that it will be an option at a later date. Rumors so far haven't confirmed whether or not it would appear in Thursday's special event, though it presents the first clear opportunity.
