Loop Insight

Apple on Friday notified developers that it has begun accepting apps designed for the iPad. Apple also confirmed for The Loop that the iPad App Store will launch on April 3. The email from Apple said the company will review apps and give developers feedback on “its readiness for the grand opening.” Only apps submitted by March [...]

The Mac beta for StarCraft 2 is reportedly going to drop in April, following the appearance of a Windows beta which became available a few weeks ago. Few burrs under the saddle chafe a Mac user more than Windows gamers having more fun than them, so this will please a lot of people. Don’t get [...]

Now that it looks like the golden era of Halo is beginning to recede into the sunset, there’s some speculation – and evidence – that they may be planning a return to their roots … in the form of a new Marathon game. Apparently Bungie filed a new trademark application for “Marathon”; not exactly conclusive [...]

John Cook, Valve’s director of Steam development, recently took some questions about the company’s new foray into Mac support. Among his comments is that Valve considers Steam for the Mac “to be the biggest event in Steam’s history.” Impressive for a service that, by some estimations, owns 70 percent or more of the PC game [...]

Every year or two we seem to see an internet trend spike really fast; Facebook a few years back, “microblogging” in the 2006/2007 era, and now it seems like Apple is stepping into the ring with the latest: location-based social networking. Made popular by websites like Foursquare and Gowalla, the trend has been overtaking smartphones [...]

Among the most popular games for iPhone, racing games are consistently at or near the top of the list. I’m not personally a car guy (if you saw my car, you’d probably understand why), but there are some great examples of hardcore and casual racing games to be found. What’s nice is that not everything [...]

It seems that some iPhone app review sites are demanding money from developers in order to write a review of their app. One site, ThePhoneAppReview.com, is offering developers the chance to “expedite” reviews for a $25 charge, but developers have said the site threatened to shun their product altogether. AppCraver.com said developers could expedite a [...]

If you ever wondered what Web sites Apple CEO Steve Jobs reads on a regular basis, the answer is here. According to a source, Jobs like to read Engadget, Gizmodo, the New York Times tech section, and the Wall Street Journal. I’m sure The Loop and my articles on CNET were bookmarked too, right Steve? REVEALED: [...]

Apple on Thursday updated its professional audio application, Logic Pro. According to notes provided with the update, Logic Pro 9.1.1 improves the stability of the 32-Bit Audio Unit Bridge; adds compatibility with Novation’s Automap feature in 64-bit mode; and it adds compatibility with Euphonix Eucon protocol in 64-bit mode. The update is available using the software update [...]

Jim Cramer’s TheStreet.com financial Web site is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission because of “accounting woes.” Last summer, TheStreet.com announced there were “issues” related to how it had been recording revenue at Promotions.com, the marketing company it acquired in 2007. An internal probe ensued and resulted in several quarters of delayed earnings [...]

After being admitted to hospital on Tuesday night with a massive cerebral hemorrhage, Apple director, Jerome York, passed away on Thursday. “Jerry joined Apple’s Board in 1997 when most doubted the company’s future. He has been a pillar of financial and business expertise and insight on our Board for over a dozen years,” said Steve Jobs, [...]

Valve’s recent announcement that it’s bringing Steam to the Mac promises to fundamentally change the landscape of Mac gaming, which has been bleak for longer than many of us care to admit. Here’s a look at what this means for the platform. If you call yourself a gamer, odds are you probably owe Valve Software at [...]

Apple updated its Web site this week with plans for youth programs the company will put on for kids. Apple has three categories of programs: For Families; For Teachers; and For Kids. In the family category, Apple offers a variety of workshops to teach kids how to write a song in GarageBand or build a photo album [...]

I have a lot of respect for Rupert Murdoch. He’s a tough business man, a ruthless negotiator, and knows what he wants. I can’t imagine going up against him and luckily, I don’t have to. In a recent interview, Murdoch discusses Google and how the iPad is changing modern media delivery. It’s interesting to hear [...]

You’ve been able to read Kindle e-books for a long time on the PC and iPhone, but it’s only now that you can read Kindle content on the Mac. Amazon has very quietly released a Mac OS X application that provides you with access to Kindle content. No actual Kindle device is necessary for it [...]

I’m not a big fan of the Kindle, but some people do like it. Amazon already has an app for the iPhone, but now the company released an app for Mac OS X too. The app requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. The app allows you to download Kindle books you already own, and read [...]

Jerome York, 71, has been hospitalized in Michigan, after collapsing at his home on Tuesday night. According to his wife, he suffered a a massive cerebral hemorrhage. York has been a director at Apple since 1997. Jerome York, Apple Director, in Critical Condition [Bloomberg] Related posts:Apple director Jerome York passes away Tivo loss widens, but not as much [...]

Apple on Wednesday added a few new features to its iWork.com Web site, including the ability to share documents on social networking Web sites. With the enhancements, users of iWork.com can now share their documents on Web sites and social networking sites. Apple did this by giving users the ability to create a public link to [...]

Mac software tracking site, MacUpdate, launched its spring software bundle on Wednesday, offering users 10 apps for $49.99. The “MacUpdate Spring 2010 Bundle” works the same as previous bundles. MacUpdate works with developers to offer their apps in a bundle at a reduced cost for consumers. The end result is a big savings for users. This year [...]

If you’re one of the millions of people on a social networking Web site, you should be aware that the U.S. government may use the sites for undercover work. For most law abiding citizens, it won’t matter much, especially if you only add friends that you know. The Obama administration has considered sending federal police undercover [...]