Imitation Is The Sincer...

Clearly there needs to be a workshop or CBT or something on trademark in Cupertino because Apple simply cannot stop infringing! As you see here, the handsome icon for the Messages app looks a lot like a reversed version of the icon for HipChat’s group chat service. HipChat CEO Pete Curley took it in stride, assuming that they would be the ones who would have to change their logo in order to appease the great Moloch of West Coast. “I doubt we’re on Apple’s radar, but it sucks that we’ll probably have to change our icon because of this,” he said. Knowing that I had a scoop on my hands, I pressed him for more information. “What are you guys going to do?” I asked. “I was thinking of releasing a new version of our app with this as the icon.” Chin up, Pete. We’ll keep using you until they sue you into oblivion.

Test Drive Apple’s New ...

Members of the general public will have to wait a few more months before they can play with Mountain Lion proper, but one of the update’s newest features is ready for a taste of the limelight. Apple has just made their revamped Messages app available for everyone to download, but don’t go looking for it in the OS X App Store. Since Messages is still in beta, interested users will have to download it from Apple’s website instead . Be warned though — Messages will only work if your Mac is running OSX Lion with all of the recent latest in place, so all of you still chugging along with Snow Leopard (like yours truly) will have to sit this one out. If you choose to take the plunge, you’ll find that Messages replaces iChat almost completely, though Apple notes that iChat services will continue to work. While Messages retains support for all the major messaging protocols, the biggest addition to the mix here is seamless support for iMessages. Conversations over iMessage that are initiated from a Mac carry over to any other iOS device that’s tied to the the same Apple ID, which makes for an easier transition as users bounce between their myriad Apple products. Messages also allows for dead-simple multimedia transfers between users on Macs and their iOS compatriots, as dragging images and video into a conversation sends it over to your buddy post-haste. FaceTime calls can also be initiated from within Messages, though The Verge notes that FaceTime will still exist as a separate application. If Apple could somehow fold SMS support into the app we could be looking at a real winner, but these are early days for Messages — hopefully the best is yet to come.

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iMessage Bug Traps Andr...

iMessage is awesome, right? Since iOS 5 came out I’ve been telling all my friends and family (who, ironically, aren’t what you’d call tech savvy) to update and start sending messages for free. It’s super fast, I tell them, and your messages will be blue! Thrilling, to say the least. There’s just one problem: If you switch to an Android device from an iPhone (with iMessage activated), anyone who’s previously been sending you iMessages will no longer be able to send you texts. This is because there is apparently a bug with the iMessage system that doesn’t deactivate iMessage, even after you’ve switched your phone number to another device. We first noticed the issue when a tipster sent us this thread from the Apple support forums . Until recently the only way that users could receive texts from iMessage users was if said iMessage users deactivated the service. Hardly what I’d deem a “fix.” However, a smart iPhowner by the handle Alphonsusjude has figured it all out. So if you’re having trouble, pay close attention. Instructions: Go to: https://supportprofile.apple.com/MySupportProfile.do Log in if not already logged in. Click on “edit products” Click on the “x” to the right of the product. Click “unregister” According to a few users on the thread, this was the best fix for the issue and solved the problem for everyone who tried it (or rather, those who tried it and responded). The larger question is why Apple is either unaware of this, or not fixing it. iMessage is a solid feature that’s been added to iOS with the introduction of the iPhone 4S, but trapping people’s personal conversations is… not cool.

The Grand Central Apple...

Apple’s largest retail store is under construction in Grand Central Terminal in New York City. It takes up an entire mezzanine level at one end of the grand hall where there used to be a restaurant. Currently, the construction site is boxed up and draped in black, but today they added a large digital sign with lettering that flips just like the signs showing the latest trains and tracks above the ticket booths. I took the picture above this morning, which says simply: “Apple Store, Grand Central. Arriving Soon.” It flipped through other messages as well, including one advertising the Store’s future personal pickup service. The store was supposed to open in time for Black Friday , but now it looks like it won’t be ready until December 9 . When it does open, it will be the largest Apple store in the world, with 23,000 square feet and 300 employees.