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It seems more than a little odd to us that Apple hasn’t bothered to make FaceTime compatible with its own longstanding desktop video chat service, iChat, but we’ve at least supposed that it’s an inevitability with whatever upcoming Mac OS X update or software bundle that Apple deems appropriate. Now Mac4Ever, who was spot on with a pile of rumors last year, but hasn’t succeeded with its recent prediction of an iLife ’11 launch in August, is saying that Apple is prepping FaceTime both for Mac and PC. We don’t know if that means building a whole copy of iChat for Windows, or just making FaceTime compatible with some existing PC video chat service, but it would certainly improve the odds of us ever finding a legitimate use for FaceTime.

FaceTime headed for Mac OS X and Windows next? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple on Thursday published a set of rules about the types of content that aren’t allowed in the iOS App Store, answering questions that have been bugging software developers and customers for years while introducing some new ambiguities.

Still, it’s an important step. By publishing the guidelines, Apple mobile customers will be able to know what they can and can’t get on an iOS device versus, say, an Android phone. Also, third-party programmers will have a clearer sense of whether or not to invest in developing an app, whereas before they were subject to rejection without knowing what they weren’t allowed to do. However, some developers think parts of the guidelines could be more clear.

“By no means is what they put out today perfect,” said Justin Williams, developer of Second Gear software, who quit iPhone development last year. “There are some vague areas. But compared to where we were yesterday, it’s a big improvement.”

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has described the App Store as a “curated platform” that is regulated to ensure a high quality, secure experience for customers. IPhone, iPad and iPod Touch get third-party applications through the App Store, and Apple must approve any software before it can be sold through the store. Unless you hack your iOS device, the App Store is the only way to get additional native software.

The regulated App Store model deviates from the traditional experience of owning a PC, where customers can typically purchase and install any software that’s compatible with their computers. Critics have argued that by curating the iOS platform, Apple tightly controls the mobile devices that customers own as well as the developers who create software for them.

Additionally, by not publishing the guidelines on its iOS app review policy, programmers were left guessing as to what they were allowed to create, potentially putting a bottleneck on their innovation. Publishing the list of app review guidelines — a step that Wired.com called for Apple to take in a previous editorial — addresses this potential problem of self-censorship.

“Hopefully it will give developers increased confidence when starting projects,” said Jamie Montgomerie, developer of the Eucalyptus book-reading app, which was approved by Apple after its controversial rejection. “I suspect there are a lot of interesting apps that were never made because people were scared of the approval process.”

Apple’s seven-page list of guidelines (.pdf) splits reasons for app rejections into 11 categories. Reasons for rejection range from technical to editorial offenses: Apps that crash will be rejected, for example, and apps that defame people in a mean-spirited way are rejected, with the exception of political satirists and humorists.

“We hope they will help you steer clear of issues as you develop your app, so that it speeds through the approval process when you submit it,” Apple said in a statement Thursday about the app guidelines.

The publication of the guidelines is a major step toward transparency for a company as opaque as Apple. Since the App Store opened in 2008, critics scrutinized the App Store for its undisclosed editorial guidelines, which resulted in seemingly arbitrary rejections of a wide variety of applications.

For example, Apple in 2009 rejected an app called Me So Holy, which enabled iPhone users to edit their self-portraits to look like Jesus Christ. However, Apple that year approved Baby Shaker, a game that involved shaking a baby to death. Apple later pulled Baby Shaker, admitting its approval was a mistake.

Because of its unclear app approval system, some developers gave up on making content for the App Store because they couldn’t be sure that an app would be a wise investment of their time and money. Second Gear developer Williams said he quit iPhone development last year because Apple didn’t disclose its policies.

“One of the big reasons I got frustrated was I didn’t like the black box review system, which is basically you’re submitting your apps to the review process and you have no idea what the review process is,” Williams said. “I think [Apple publishing guidelines] is a good step towards being more up front and honest about what the criteria is.”

However, Williams noted that there was still room for improvement, as several parts of the guidelines are still unclear. For example, one clause in the guidelines reads apps will be rejected if they duplicate functionality of other apps, “particularly if there are too many of them.” Williams said it was unclear how many is “too many,” and such vagueness could discourage developers from competing with other apps in the App Store.

It also remains a question as to whether Apple’s App Store is now allowing Adobe to join the iOS scene. In addition to publishing guidelines, Apple said in a press release that it was “relaxing all restrictions on the development tools used to crease iOS apps, so long as the resulting apps do not download any code. This change was not detailed in Apple’s guidelines, but some are speculating that Adobe’s iPhone Packager, a tool to automatically convert Flash software into native iPhone apps, will be allowed — whereas before third-party app creation tools were banned. Wired.com’s Epicenter will have more to report soon on that aspect of Apple’s App Store revisions.

Brian X. Chen is author of an upcoming book about the always-connected mobile future titled Always On, due for publication Spring 2011. To keep up with his coverage in real time, follow @bxchen or @gadgetlab on Twitter.

See Also:

• A Call for Transparency in Apple’s App Store
• Apple App Store Takes Tiny Step Toward Transparency
• Apple Expels 1000 Apps From Store After Developer Scam
• Apple’s App Store Director Sells His Own Fart Apps

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Hands up if you’ve ever heard of BridgeCo. No? Us neither, but that’s about to change following a CNBC report detailing the company’s relationship with Apple. BridgeCo is in the business of embedding its network media processor and software stack into its partners’ audio equipment to enable wireless streaming. Now, according to a CNBC interview with BridgeCo CEO Gene Sheridan, Apple decided sometime last year to make BridgeCo an AirPlay launch partner. As such, any vendor that embeds BridgeCo’s newest tech will be able to accept streaming audio (and its metadata) from an iTunes library or handheld iOS 4.2 device — there’s no mention of video or picture streaming although AirPlay supports both. According to CNBC, audio gear should start arriving with the BridgeCo software in time for the holidays allowing iTunes users to “mix and match their favorite equipment with a common software.” What that means isn’t exactly clear, though BridgeCo does offer the ability to link systems into a distributed home audio network that includes a “party mode” where all speakers are synced to play from a common source. Importantly, according to Sheridan, this is the first time that Apple has opened up its iTunes software to a third party, giving it a glimpse at the source code. Exclusively? That’s the big question.

When Apple announced AirPlay, it listed Denon, Marantz, B&W, JBL, and iHome as “featured” partners. Coincidentally, in a blog post published two days after Apple’s fall music event, BridgeCo listed all of these brands, with the exception of Marantz, as partners of its own. If you’ll recall, the “Made for iPod” licensing program has provided a steady stream of revenue for Apple since 2005. And in the last few years, Apple has relied upon a proprietary authentication chip to authorize device compatibility and to unlock features such as video streaming. Apple undoubtedly seeks similar control over the expected rush of AirPlay-enabled devices in order to ensure a consistent user experience while making a few bucks on every third party accessory sold.

So is BridgeCo the new chip and software behind a “Made for AirPlay” accessory certification program? We can’t say for sure. Sheriden does let on that the Apple deal’s impact is “immense” and should provide more than half of the company’s revenues. Needless to say, the idea of combining systems from multiple brands into a unified whole-home audio network is certainly attractive. Sonos and Squeezebox, your approach to distributed wireless audio is officially on notice.

Update: Computerworld published a second interview with Sheridan this morning that digs a bit deeper into BridgeCo’s capabilities. For example, BridgeCo solutions support Pandora and Rhapsody streaming in addition to 12,000 streaming radio stations. BridgeCo also makes an SDK available to OEMs and developers. Now for the money quote: “The two companies spent the last year working together to develop AirPlay technology.” In other words, BridgeCo is not just an AirPlay licensee, it helped develop the tech. Computerworld also confirms that AirPlay will be licensed similar to “Made for iPod” systems. And with all the speculation and rumor about Apple getting ready to offer its own subscription streaming service once its data center is complete (and contracts signed), it’s easy to see how AirPlay could monetize Apple’s bid to dominate the connected home audio market.

Is BridgeCo the foundation for ‘Made for AirPlay’ Apple accessories? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With a blast from a heat gun and a quick twist of a plastic spudger, the iFixit team found themselves inside the new, slim iPod Touch. First, the question you’re all asking: how much RAM does it have? The new Touch has just 256MB, the same as the iPad and half that of the iPhone’s 512MB. That means a lot less can be held in memory at once, which in turn means that any apps running in the background will wink out of life much quicker.

The super-slim body is the reason the Touch has such a crappy camera: the iPhone’s 5MP cam is just too big to fit. There are some additions to the case, though: the Touch now has a real speaker-grill, presumably to make FaceTime calling possible, and it loses the little plastic RF window on the back which used to let the Wi-Fi in and out. Now the antenna is near the glass panel.

The vibrator, which was revealed in FCC photographs and also pimped as a FaceTime alert on Apple’s own site, has disappeared like an out-of-favor politician from a Stalin-era photo. My guess is that it was pulled to keep the price down to $229 in the base model.

The other big change is of course the retina-display, which quadruples the number of pixels on the screen. Right now it is unknown whether it shares IPS (in-plane-switching) tech with the other iDevices and recent iMacs. IPS is what gives a screen an almost 180-degree viewing-angle.

It looks like Apple has squeezed a lot inside, while simultaneously boosting battery-life and making the sliver of a iPod even thinner. I have a perfectly good last-gen Touch but, dammit, now I want one of these.

iPod Touch 4th Generation Teardown [iFixit]

See Also:

• Photos: iFixit Rips Open iPad 3G
• Punked: iFixit Tears Down 'Apple Tablet'
• Exclusive Gallery: 1983 Nintendo Family Computer Teardown
• iPod Shuffle Gets Naked, And It Wasn't Easy

Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter.

Apple on Wednesday morning released a minor update for its mobile operating system iOS 4, which includes bug fixes and a new photography mode.

Apple last week said iOS 4.1 would address a proximity-sensor issue in the iPhone 4 and sluggish performance on the iPhone 3G, among other flaws.

In terms of features, iOS 4.1 introduces Game Center, a social network for iOS gamers, as well as high dynamic range (HDR) photo processing, which Wired.com demonstrated last week.

The update is compatible with every iPhone and iPod Touch except for their first-generation models. A few iOS 4.1 features are not available on some of the older devices.

To download iOS 4.1, connect your iOS device to your computer’s USB port, then launch iTunes. Under the device menu, select your iPhone or iPod Touch and click “Check for Update” and follow the on-screen instructions to install the update. Make sure to back up your data first!

In the mean time, iPad owners can’t get iOS 4 just yet. Apple said it would release iOS 4.2 in November for the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone, unifying the devices into one tidy OS.

See Also:

• Live Blog: Apple's iPod, Music Event
• Apple Announces New Versions of iOS

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com