iPhoto, Aperture, and Safari all get updates

Wow, it's a busy day at Apple. First we had the iOS 6.0.1 release, then developers got the iOS 6.1 beta and a new version of Xcode, and now Apple's dropped iPhoto, Aperture, and Safari updates for the Mac.

iPhoto received a bump to version 9.4.2, with a surprising number of new features and fixes. Many of the changes have to do with shared Photo Streams, but the app has also been updated to improve stability, fix an issue when sending photos using Microsoft Outlook from iPhoto, and add more holidays for use on printed calendars.

[Source: TUAW - Click here to read more]

AT&T announces cloud-based storage, 5 GB free for iOS users

AT&T's apparently jumping into the cloud storage fray with a new program called AT&T Locker. The service will provide up to 5 GB of free storage via an app to iOS users, with extra charges for any storage above that. To get started, AT&T users can grab the app right now, and then upload and access photos or videos on the app, or then share them off to other networks like Facebook, Twitter or (it's back!) MySpace.

It's an interesting move by AT&T for sure. The idea, apparently, is that by getting you to invest your documents and photos on their servers, there will be more reason for you to stay with their network when the opportunity to switch comes around. I don't know how well that will work, but 5 GB of extra free storage is always appreciated.

[Source: TUAW]

Here's Apple's newly printed apology to Samsung, in case you understandably missed it

While Apple's still rewriting its online apology, the printed versions, detailing that Samsung's tablets did not infringe on Cupertino's iPad designs, have finally started to appear. Appearing on page five of The Guardian today, it doesn't look much like the Apple advertising we're used to -- we actually glossed over the admission when we first picked up the paper. Oh, and good luck typing up those links.

[Source: Engadget]

Sandy got you down? Comcast offering free WiFi to affected regions, iTunes allowing Red Cross donations

Hurricane Sandy's taken out more than the electricity of hundreds of thousands of Northeastern USers -- it's also pillaged the internet connections of many, leaving our Netflix and Hulu Plus subscriptions unused, and subsequently our Eddie Murphy '80s movie marathons unmarathoned. Comcast understands this to be the dire situation it is, and is offering its Xfinity WiFi service free of charge for folks living in Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Washington D.C., and West Virginia (sans New York City, as there aren't any hotspots in the Big Apple, sadly). Just select "Complimentary Trial" from the landing page and you're in like Flynn until November 7 (when the deal ends).

[Source: Engadget - Click here to read more]

Amazon brings Cloud Drive Photos app to Android, keeps your shots safe

Looks like releasing its first in-house-built mobile game for Android (and other platforms) wasn't quite enough for the online retail giant. Amazon announced earlier that its Cloud Drive Photos application is now available on Android for both handset and tablets, giving users of Google's OS a cloud-based hub to use for uploading, saving, sharing and viewing pictures -- of course this also includes the retailer's kind handout of 5G of free storage, though folks could easily upgrade to 20GB for a $10 per-year fee. The Cloud Drive Photos app is up for download now, so hit that Google Play link below if you're looking foryet another place to keep all those awesome shots you snap with your device.

[Source: Engadget]

Google Wallet update purportedly leaks plans for a real-world card, transfers and transit passes

Google Wallet hasn't had much uptake in the real world. When most of its use has revolved around one carrier, few payment points and even fewer phones, most of us have had to sit on the sidelines. If anAndroid Police source really did come across a leaked future build of Google Wallet as he claims, though, we may know how Google surmounts that problem: going old school with a real-world card. Screenshots in the app supposedly show a mail-in option for plastic that could completely replace credit and debit cards without turning to NFC. Any charges after a typical swipe of the magnetic strip would simply go to whatever payment source is set as Wallet's default, letting minimalists slim down their actual wallets while sharing in the same discounts as their phone-wielding counterparts. Digital-only purists would still get something out of the deal, as the update could also bring person-to-person money transfers and support for mass transit cards. How soon the as yet unconfirmed app would appear is still a mystery, but it dovetails with Google teasing a Wallet revamp that's rumored to take mobile use beyond its Android-only roots; we just didn't anticipate that the company might bypass our phones altogether.

[Source: Engadget]

Apple files anti-theft patent that uses accelerometers to detect theft-like movement

What kind of movement does a theft entail? Apple's in the process of figuring that out, today filing a patent application for a, "acceleration-based theft detection system for portable electronic devices." Apple pickers: you've just been put on watch. According to the patent filing, said device would activate an alarm of some form after determining, "whether a theft condition is present." It'll apparently figure that out based on the accelerometer built into many of Apple's mobile devices -- the same thing that figures out which way you're holding your phone. Beyond just the hardware, said theft protection system would work in concert with software to determine if the movement matches a pre-determined "profile characteristic of theft."

[Source: Engadget - Click here to read more]

Stanford researchers create 'world's first' all-carbon solar cell, do it on the cheap

Harnessing the awesome power of the Sun isn't just dependent on the efficiency of solar cells, but also on making them affordable. Current techniques aren't exactly cheap, but researchers from Stanford University think they've made a bit of a breakthrough by producing a relatively inexpensive photovoltaic cell using nothing but carbon. We're sure other scientists might disagree with the 'world's first' claim, but those at Stanford think it's a matter of language, and that these other pretenders are "referring to just the active layer in the middle, not the electrodes." The team selected a trio of carbon types to use in their cell: a mixture of nanotubes and buckyballs make up the light-absorbing layer, while graphene is being utilized for the electrodes.

[Source: Engadget - Click here to read more]

Google Wallet checkout gains support for mobile websites

It wasn't long ago that Google Wallet delved into the online payment sphere, but as of today, the Mountain View juggernaut has extended its checkout service to mobile websites. According to Google, 97 percent of mobile shoppers abandon their carts, which is primarily due to the litany of information that needs to be manually entered. Now, when you stumble upon a mobile website that supports Google Wallet checkouts, you'll merely need to click the buy button, enter your login credentials and then complete the order. The immediate downside is the paltry number of outlets that support the service: 1-800-Flowers, Rockport and Five Guys. Then again, we suppose you could have a pretty nice evening with flowers, new shoes and a couple of burgers.

[Source: Engadget]

Red gets Epic price cut, drops M, X and Scarlet brains by up to 45 percent

Competition is heating up in the high-end digital cinema market, and Red is responding with a slew of massive price cuts. According to CEO Jim Jannard, this "attitude adjustment" is simply a benefit of scaling up production, yielding a decrease in component and assembly costs, and an enormous reduction in assembly time -- the first Epic took 12 hours to build, while current models require just 13 minutes. As a result, the Epic-M has dropped to $24,000 (from $39,500), the Epic-X is now $19,000 (formerly $34,500), the Scarlet is $7,950 (from $9,700) and the EOL'd One MX is priced at $4,000 (once $25,000). The Dragon sensor upgrade will not be included with any new Epic models, and will remain priced at $6,000. Red customers who took the plunge on cameras with former pricing within the last month (on or after October 1st) will receive a discount off future accessory purchases of $4,000 for Epic and $1,000 for Scarlet. With this latest round of discounts, Red cameras are by no means inexpensive, but they're certainly more affordable. If you were already planning to pick one up, Christmas just came a couple months early.

[Source: Engadget]

Google Translate gets new features, makes sure you choose the right words

Google has added functionality to the web version of its Translate service, now making it even easier for us to use and understand foreign tongues. Instead of a single result, you'll be presented with a list of the most common translations, ordered and labeled by how frequently each one is used. What's more, synonyms are also displayed next to the assortment of results, but this particular feature only works when translating into English, although more languages are expected to be supported soon. We've had a quick play around with it, and suggest you head over to the Google Translate page and try out the new elements for yourself. Now, if only the website translator could make those Japanese pages a little easier to read.

[Source: Engadget]

iOS 6.0.1 released, brings myriad improvements and bug fixes

Been waiting for Apple to refresh its mobile operating system? Well, the wait is over, as Cupertino has just released iOS 6.0.1 with the promise of improvements and bug fixes. We just grabbed the update ourselves, and among the highlights are: a fix for the iPhone 5's inability to receive OTA software updates, problems with connecting to encrypted WiFi networks, and other cellular connectivity issues as well. There's also fixes for a passcode lock bug, a graphical keyboard glitch and a bug that prevented the 5's camera flash from firing. Sound good? Go grab the download and let us know how it's treating you in the comments.

[Source: Engadget]