Facebook Now Lets You Block Quiz Makers In One Fell Swoop
Facebook has just announced the launch of a new Create Application API, which makes it easier than ever for users to build secondary apps based off of another app. It sounds like a good idea at first, but it comes with one nasty consequence: those viral and sometimes incredibly annoying quiz applications are going to become more popular than ever. Fortunately Facebook has had the foresight to release the new API with a complimentary new feature — you’ll now be able to block the parent application of any of these quizzes, which means you can hide many of them from your News Feed with one click of the ‘Hide’ button.
For those who haven’t tried out one of these quiz apps, here’s a refresher. There are a number of very popular quiz generators on Facebook that let people create their own, secondary applications that they can share with their friends. But actually going through the process has been a bit tricky — users had to deal with Facebook’s developer app and API keys, which is hardly familiar territory for the vast majority of Facebook users (though many made it through the process anyway). The new API eliminates much of this hassle, allowing quiz makers to automate the application creation process. And that means we’re going to be seeing lots more quizzes.
Of course, many of us aren’t exactly keen on seeing countless quizzes filling up our News Feed. This wouldn’t be a problem if they acted the same way as most applications do — after all, you can hide any application from your News Feed. But because each quiz is treated as a unique app, you have to manually hide each new quiz that one of your friends makes. At least, until now.
Now you’ll be able to block all quizzes from the parent Quiz Generator applications, which means you’ll be able to hide many of them at once without having to deal with them again. It will be interesting to se what the net effect on the quiz makers will be: they’ll be easier to use than ever, but it’s also much easier to ignore them.
Aside from its importance to Quiz Makers, the new API has plenty of other uses. Developers on Facebook will now more easily be able to offer self-serve custom app generators (for example, you could build an application that sports teams could use to build their own branded applications). The API can also be used by services like Disqus to further streamline integrating Facebook Connect on sites outside of Facebook.
Photo by alexanderdrachmann.
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The Unibody MacBook Goes Fully “Pro” — With Huge Battery Life
When it came time to deciding which Apple laptop to get a few months ago, the choice was pretty clear to me: The 13-inch MacBook. While I had previously had a last-generation MacBook Pro, the new MacBooks built with the sleek unibody process (carved out of one piece of aluminum) offered more than enough power for what I needed, in a smaller package. I didn’t really see an advantage is paying more just to get a “Pro” model — and now Apple apparently doesn’t either.
Today at its WWDC event, Apple has decided to rename its 13-inch unibody MacBook line, to MacBook Pros. Alongside this it and the other MacBook Pros have gained some new features. The biggest of these is the new built-in lithium polymer battery which can last for up to 7 hours. That’s a 2 hour increase over the current battery life — a 40% increase. This battery features 5 years of recharges before it starts losing its charge. Normal laptops get 300 recharges, this one gets 1,000.
Another new feature is a built-in SD card slot. Also, the 13-inch MacBook gains a Firewire 800 port. These new MacBooks can have up to 8 GB of RAM and the 15-inch one can get up to a 3.06 GHz dual core chip — meaning its the fastest laptop Apple has ever made. The laptops can also feature 256 GB SSD drives, as Apple continues to phase out the regular hard drive.
The 15-inch models will now start at $1699 while the 13-inch ones will be $1199. The white plastic MacBook will retain the “MacBook name. Apple has also dropped the price of the MacBook Air at the entry level to $1499.
Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.
Weekly App Store Picks: June 6, 2009
The week may be drawing to a close, but here at TheAppleBlog we’ve got an array of apps to get your through the weekend.
As ever, I’ve got four notable new iPhone releases from the App Store to tell you about. Before we jump into the apps, though, let’s take a look at the week that was with a quick news roundup.
The week kicked off with a bit of a downer as news broke that Apple will be charging for re-downloading premium apps that you’ve already purchased for iPhone. It’s not a big deal — it seems downloading via iTunes will still be free — but it’ll be an inconvenience to users who are prone to deleting and re-downloading apps while on the go.
Next up, Microsoft is well and truly on the warpath with its forthcoming Zune HD, and what’s more, it’s gunning for the iPod touch. The new device will have a touchscreen, web browser, Wi-Fi, HD radio and, I think, looks rather scrummy. Delicious-looking it may be, but I still don’t know if that makes it a true contender.
Our own Henry Balanon stepped up to the plate with a seriously impressive iPhone development resources article. He managed to squeeze in 43 different links to various resources around the ‘net. Coders should head on over to the article and bookmark it immediately; it’ll prove useful as a reference tool.
Another new feature coming to the iPhone has been doing the rumor-rounds: Apple is integrating geo-location within Mobile Safari. Are location-aware web sites the next big thing? Setting aside Google Latitude, I’m not entirely convinced. Hit up the article for Darrel Etherington’s take on the matter.
Pipping Apple’s new devices to the post, Palm’s Pre should be hitting the shelves today. Owners of the Pre will be pleased to hear that Palm’s new devices will sync seamlessly with iTunes.
To celebrate the recent release of Dave Matthews Band Revenge for iPhone and iPod touch, I’ve got three promo codes to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, leave me a comment explaining why you’d like to play this new game.
Moving on to the picks, this week I’ve been looking at Put Things Off, Jaman Free Movie Fridays, Pocket Alan, and Terminator Salvation Lite.
Put Things Off ($2.99)
My essential iPhone tool for staying organized is Evernote, however, sometimes I seriously consider switching; especially in the case of Put Things Off — an app that packs in the functionality I need, with great visual design, too. The app allows you to focus on the tasks you need to get done on a given day, filtering everything else out of your immediate to-do list. The aesthetic strikes the right balance between satisfyingly tangible, with office-esque paper trays, and functional. My favorite feature is the auto-nag mode: putting off a task for too long moves it to your “Today tray,” forcing you to complete a given item rather than endlessly procrastinating.
Jaman Free Movie Fridays (FREE)
Never turn down a free dinner, and never turn down a free movie, either. Free food almost always tastes scrumptious, and free movies can make for unexpected fun. In the case of this app, Jaman bring you a new movie to watch every Friday. There are a few big names in there, like the complete collection of classic Superman cartoons and black-and-white spook-fest Nosferatu, however, you won’t find the latest Transformers, Terminator, or Star Trek films on the list. Most notably, though, there’s a great selection of independent full-length features, alongside new short films.
Pocket Alan (99 cents)
It’s interesting that Apple seems to have no sort of process in place for protecting the intellectual property of copyright holders. Interesting but, in this case, lucky for us, as Alan Partridge has unofficially arrived on the iPhone in the shape of a handy soundboard. Essential classics such as, “Ahaa,” and, “Jurassic Park,” are there, alongside oft-forgotten, but no less amusing sound-bites, including my favorite, “Jackanackanory.” Plus, fans of Partridge with friends named Daniel will be be able to make good, repetitive use of the, “Dan,” button. Cheap and fun, nothing more than a novelty item, but a perfect toy for fans of the show.
Terminator Salvation Lite (Free)
Gameloft seems to have surpassed itself with its latest movie-based game. Terminator Salvation packs in convincing 3D environments, reminiscent of console games, alongside a well-designed control-system and game mechanic. Of course, the real joy is trudging through the distopyian, post-apocalyptic devastation, offing shiny silver terminators with a variety of weapons. TheAppleBlog’s David Appleyard checked out the iPhone version of Terminator Salvation a few weeks back. If you’re looking to try out the game without spending five bucks on the full version, download the Lite edition today.
That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with more news from the week and picks from the App Store.
In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?
