Tuesday, October 31, 2006
News
Slingbox For Mac Now Available In Beta
Apple's New iPod Nano Causes Waves Around The Web
Ringtones And iTunes Saving Australian Music Market
IBISWorld General Manager (Australia), Mr Jason Baker, said digital music distribution holds the key to the industry's future survival and success.
iTunes Code Hack No Hit For Music Sellers
FastMac Ships Higher-Capacity MacBook Pro Battery
Greek Mac Users Demand Support
MondoMouse: Gives your mouse super powers.
Speedflow Edit: PDF file modificationa nd prepress production.
Opinion
Ejecting Discs The Mac Way
The mystery of the missing Eject button.
Why Is It When You Go Mac, You Don't Go Back?
Echo Chamber Tars Apple
It's my impression that Apple's quality control is no better or worse than before — we're just hearing about it more.
Goodbye Windows Dev - Hello Apple!
Apple's API is as much a work of design-art as their OS and hardware.
Implications Of Adobe's Intel-Only Soundbooth
The point of Apple's developer push was not switching to Intel, it was cleaning out assumptions about the underlying chip. That's why the key word they use is Universal.
Macs Now Have Plenty Of Muscle For Serious Computer Users
iPod Etiquette
Here are some basic guidelines for enjoying your music without sacrificing your manners.
Review
iPod Hi-Fi Review
Verdict: It's a boom box done by Apple. Sure, it rocks.
Understanding Mac OS X's Login Passwords
For many of us, the login password is the password we're asked to supply most frequently, and it's one cause of significant confusion and grief among Mac users.
My Green Bundle Of Joy
I love this little green nano.
Razer ProClick V1.6: Precision Mice Aren't Just For Gaming Anymore
The Razer ProClick v1.6 is a tethered mouse that features terrific precision and software that lets you program both its sensitivity and its seven buttons.
Monday, October 30, 2006
News
Greenpeace Reaction To MacExpo Ejection
Greenpeace has responded to being ejected from the MacExpo in London saying it was "a totally over-the-top reaction".
Apple Has Maths Library Problem
It looks like Apple has a problem with its math libraries in OS X 10.4.8 on Intel.
A Bruised Apple
Computer maker is showing cracks in its product quality.
NovaMind: To conduct and record the outcomes of brainstorming sessions.
Opinion
My MacBook Pro, Week 1
There's definitely a learning curve.
Think Secret Foiled Again
It never ceases to amaze me how the Mac rumour site "Think Secret" can throw out a random rumour, call it fact and have everyone pick up on it.
Steven Levy Talks About His iPod Book
New Apple Patent Art I Show You Here May Point To iPod With Camera
Dear Apple, Please Don't Screw Up My iPhone!
Here's my humble list of requests for a smartphone.
I Like Macs. Why Don't You?
Mostly I like the way Macs pretty much just let me do what I need to do without demanding much in the way of maintenance or attention.
Lessons Learned From Nearly Twenty Years At Apple
The first thing I picked up at Apple is that you are your own best resource.
Does Apple Have A Blogging Policy?
If Apple really believes what Chuq says, they can relax a bunch, the blogosphere is smart enough to discern between a spokesperson and a plain old person.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
News
Call To Exempt iPod 'Rippers' From Prosecution
Small Dog Electronics Speaks Out On Theft-In-Transit, Credit Card Fraud And More
FairGame Strips iTunes DRM WIth iMovie
CleanApp: Thouroughly deletes programs.
Task List 4: Takin' care of homework.
Opinion
Why No PowerPC Support In Soundbooth?
At the end of the day, instead of supporting only Windows, Adobe is bringing a new app to the Mac. As a Mac user, I think that's great news.
Apple Gets What Sprint Doesn't
As a regular customer Apple has kept me totally informed about new services as they release them.
Objective-C: First Impressions
I still consider myself very new to the language and to Xcode, but I'm equally as impressed with what Apple offers developers here.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
News
The Case Of The Vanished iSight Indicator
The iSight indicator has now been integrated directly into the bezel.
Macs On The Rebound
Apple is now quickly expanding its presence at colleges and universities, ccording to experts who track both student purchasing and institutional trends.
NoteTaker: Organize your information lifestyle, your digital workstyle.
MediaCentral: Turns your Mac into the ultimate home theater system.
Opinion
Review
Inside The Mac pro: Hard Drives
With four easy-to-access hard drive bays, Mac Pro offers room to grow.
Friday, October 27, 2006
News
Apple Escapes Nasdaq De-Listing For Now
A company filing with the US Securities and exchange on 24 October reveals Apple has two months to resolve its current predicament regarding a number of dodgy options grants.
Apple Hides 802.11n In New MacBook Pros
Apple's Move To Intel Puts In The Spec War
For the first time, Apple's customers can now directly compare the specifications of the company's Macintosh computers — and their prices — with those offered by Dell or Hewlett-Packard.
Mac Expo London - End Of Day One
Wow, what a busy day.
Greenpeace Thrown Out Of MacExpo
security staff and event management forcibly ejected Greenpeace members and closed down their stand during the first day of the MacExpo in London.
Apple Bolsters Leopard Interface, Security
Apple's Mac OS X 10.5 operating system upgrade, code-named Leopard, will feature a new application performance measuring tool named Xray, new security enhancements and a long-rumored resolution-independent user interface.
The New, Improved .Mac Webmail Is Here
The Boss Puts The iPod To Work
Companies give the device to employees for business use.
MacBook Firmware Update Fixes Shutdown Issue
Apple on Thursday released a firmware update for its MacBook like of computers that fixes a problem that caused the MacBook to shutdown without warning.
iShowU: Capture and record anything you can see on your screen, along with audio from a compatible source (like a microphone).
ProfCast: Recording and publishing your live presentation.
Ishmael: Narrate over still photos or PDF files to create QuickTime video footage.
Audiobook Builder: Tool for moving your audiobook collection to your iPod.
Opinion
iTunes Movie Store? Thanks But No Thanks.
So thanks for the effort, Apple... but frankly, I'm hard-pressed to spot a gap in my regime that an iTunes Movie Store can truly spackle.
Review
First Look At .Mac Webmail
The new .Mac mail is an improvement — but a disappointing evolutionary one for a company that has been so revolutionary.
Omnidazzle
OmniDazzle makes a versatile addition to any presenter or teacher's arsenal.
Apple's New Xserve — Now With With Dual-Core Xeon Goodness
Design, performance improvements will make data center managers happy.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
News
Apple Releases iPod Shuffle Reset Utility
Apple iPod Will Dominatte For Next 12 To 18 Months
Apple's iPod will dominate the digital media device market in the next 12 to 18 months even as Microsoft introduces a competing music player, according to a JupiterResearch report.
Adobe Releases Public Beta Of Soundbooth Audio App
Adobe on Thursday will unveil the public beta of Soundbooth, a new audio application the company says is targeted to creative professionals that need to work with audio. Soundbooth will target the same professional market as Apple's SoundTrack Pro, but Adobe believes they will have an edge with Soundbooth.
From Your iPod To The Stereo With Bluetooth
Belkin's TuneStage II lets you beam music wirelessly to the stereo over a Bluetooth connection from as far as 30 feet away.
Unpatched Macs Face Blutetooth Root Exploit
My Money Minder: Keep track of all your expenses, income and bank account balances.
Quiz Press 1.5: Make your own quizzes that you can put on the web or print out for classroom use.
xTimeProject4: Tool for keeping track of the time you spend, related expenses, to do items for your daily tasks and projects.
MahJong Tradition: Think of it as a kind of Gin Rummy, but far less boring.
Opinion
Apple, Tear Down This Wall
As iPod turns five, it's time to rekindle the debate over music download formats and ask again whether iTunes is too restrictive.
Apple Chomper
How Nokia can knock the iPod from its perch.
The White Wonder
Has the iPod really sparked a revolution?
Glorious iPod Puts Personality In Pockets
Beyond its technical and commercial revolutions, the iPod succeeded wildly because, as Levy notes reportedly, the device transcends mere gizmodom through its unique bond with the user.
Review
Making iTunes More Social
Free add-on software displays listening habits of friends in real time.
The Missing Sync For Palm OS 5.1: HotSync Alternative Syncs iLife Apps With PDAs And Smart Phones
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
News
Apple's Intel Xserves Slip To Mid-Nov
Apple To Double OpenGL Performance On A Mac
Apple seems set to unleash much-improved OpenGL performance within Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.
Adobe Launches Flex Builder 2 For Mac
Flex 2 is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) used to create "Rich Internet Applications" based on the ubiquitous Flash technology.
More Thievery At Apple's Company Store
The fleecing at the Apple corporate store continued Monday with the theft of two more iPods and 10 software packages from the employee store inside the headquarters at 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino.
With Firefox 2, Mozilla Touts Security And Speed
Mozilla officially released Firefox 2 on Tuesday afternon, adding security features and a new interface.
MacBooks Driving Apple's Computer Sales
With its highest ever quarter for Mac shipments on the books and a rising computer market share, Apple executives said its portable computers are responsible for over 60 percent of the reported shipments.
Firefox 2: Faster, more secure, and fully customizable to your online life.
PDFpen: Fill out forms, split, combine, sign and search PDFs with ease.
Jotz 1.3: Fully featured notepad, light-duty database.
Opinion
Paul Vs Apple
Sigh.
The Role Of Accessories In The iPod's Success
My TV Has Its Own Computer
HD and Macs and cable, Bluteooth, RSS and TCP/IP. All these technologies come together in my home entertainment center.
Apple Upgrades Spoiled By Intel Roadmap
The times, they are a'changin'.
Review
Sidetrack
This iPod User Rocks
Google Earth spotters have discovered a strange rock formation in the prairies of central Canada that resembles a native American in headdress listening to an iPod.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
News
The Perfect Thing
Five years ago, Apple engineers used foam core and old fishing weights to craft a model of a new MP3 player. The age of the iPod was about to begin.
MacBook Pros Now Have Intel 2 Duo Processors
Apple has updated its entire 17- and 15-inch MacBook Pro range of notebooks to include new Intel Core 2 Duo processors.
Skype: Make video calls to anyone on Skype, great quality video that just works, all for free of course.
Blue Giant: Multitrack audio recording application.
Crossword Forge: Make your own interactive web puzzles.
Jack-O-Latern Screen Saver: No getting your hands dirty carving the real thing.
Why Vertical Integration Is All The Rage
In a marketplace that offers a bewildering array of hardware, software and services, the company that joins the dots stands a chance of winning, says Jack Schofield.
Apple Goes Back To Its Core In Touting Macs
Capitalizing on its iPod chic — and with a lineup of Macs transformed last spring with Intel chips to talk about — Apple again has been flexing its marketing muscle behind its computers.
The Apple iPod Turns Five
No other media player has come close to its success since its launch in 2001. Where will the iPod go in the next five years?
Apple's iPod Looks Great At 5 Years Old
Nothing even comes close to unseating the iPod as No. 1 portable media player.
Opinion
How Did We Ever Live Without The iPod?
It's love.
Happy Birthday, iPod: Top Ten Reasons Why I Hate You
To My Best Friend: Happy Birthday!
Steve Jobs, what a proud dad you are today.
Analysis: iPod At 5 Is Still The Top Dog
Found: 1 Black 30 GB Video iPod. Is It Yours?
It's interesting to me how Apple actually makes it hard for me to be a good Samaritan in this case.
Review
Monday, October 23, 2006
News
How The iPod Changed Apple's Fortunes
Unlocking The iPod
Jon Johansen became a geek hero by breaking the DVD code. Now he's liberating iTunes — whether Apple likes it or not.
Five Years Of iPod
It's become a part of my everyday life as well as my personal history.
Timeline: iPodding Through The Years
The iPod began life modestly, getting trotted out before the press in a small theater at Apple's headquarters. These days, it's a major attraction, drawing hundreds of reporters to a media event last month in San Francisco that featured appearances by the CEO of Disney and R&B singer John Legend. Here's what happened in between to make the iPod the rock star it is today.
iPod Thrives, But So Does The Mac
The advent of the earbud nation has to some extend overshadowed Apple's more venerable stalwart product, the very one from which this publication takes it name and upon which Apple built an empire: the Mac.
iPod Has 68mn Users In 5 Years
The iPod Revolution
Five years ago Steve Jobs said his new music player would transform the world. He was right.
Apple Attacked Over Stock Scandal
Steve Wozniak has called for Apple to compensate shareholders hit by a scandal over stock options.
Opinion
So, This Guy At The Apple Store San Francisco Is A Jerk
Not Polite Conversation But Law Firms Should Follow Apple's Strategy
Five Years Hence
I thought that I, as an interested outside observer, might offer some ideas of what I'd like to see happen in the iPod world during the next five years.
Five Reasons The iPod Succeeded
From its interface to its DRM, Apple's device was destined for greatness.
Really Switching: Using A Mac Like A Mac
Someone Help Me I Am Becoming A Mac Zealot
The iPod As A Reflection Of You
Apple's music player is the best realization of our culture of self-construction.
Congratulations, Apple
Apple's strong results reinforces the notion that people at the Cupertino-based company understand things about human demand that others (myself included) don't.
iPod: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
Apple's ingenious music player is 5 years old — gorgeous, exciting, tempting. So why do I often wish it had never been invented?
Review
Sunday, October 22, 2006
News
A Little Byte Of Apple At The Core Of Microsoft
A small grop of Mac fans deep in Microsoft country have trouble expressing their allegiance. On the one hand, they are full-core Microsoft employees, but on the other hand they love Mac computers. Welcome to the Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit, MacBU (affectionately pronouned Macboo).
The Ubiquitous iPod Has Become A Form Of Expression For People
Five years is like 20 in digital entertainment, and the iPod has already left an Apple-shaped imprint on the world.
A Messy Age For Music
Confusion reigns in the expanding digital world.
Opinion
Changing Her Tune On Apple's iPod
I've bascially stopped buying music because I'm stuck at a digital music divide.
Once A Skeptic, Now Baptized Into The Mac
My conversion to iPod is like a proverb: You can't criticize something for being "too easy."
Digital, Our Song For The Ages
This is not to priase the iPod so much as to point out that the demand for such a thing was there in 2001.
Review
Some Eye-Openers From The iPod Line
Design Flaws With The New MacBook Pro Intel - My Personal Experience
I had to tame it and it frustrated me to have to spend that much time to make it works well enough to work with.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
News
UBS: Buy Into Apple Ahead Of Macworld
Analysts for UBS Investment Research are thrilled with what they're seeing from Apple in recent quarters and are urging investors to buy shares of the company ahead of January's insanity-induced Macworld trade show in San Francisco.
Apple's iPod Is Turning 5
The ubiquitous device has sparked frantic growth for Apple - and revolutionized the music business.
Opinion
iPod Turns 5. Competitors Turn Stomachs. And Apple's Just Gettin' Warmed Up
MacBook Shutdowns: Case (Finally) Closed?
My MacBook is working fine. But rather than being relieved and happy, I'm paranoid and suspicious — and probably will be until I get through, oh, about sixty days without a shutdown.
Apple And Its Customers
By not taking care of the problems quickly, as if the customers matter, Apple makes the customers stupid for having chosen the product. Sooner or later the smart people have to go elsewhere, even if they would prefer to use a Mac.
Review
Aracdrome
Ultimately, Aradrome is a trifle — there's not a lot of gameplay involved. But its "twitch factor" — the level of raw, kinetic action you'll find here — makes it a fun diversion worth checking out.
Sidetrack
Is this the world's most expensive yet most low-res Apple logo ever created? :-)
Friday, October 20, 2006
News
iPod At Five: The Little Gadget That Could
The Macintosh may be the soul of Apple Computer, but the iPod is its wallet.
Is Mac Growth In Business World Next For High-Flying Apple?
Microsoft: Excuses On iPod Virus Not Credible
Security professionals, including Microsoft's own product release virus scanning chief, called Apple's efforts to deflect blame onto Microsoft misleading and said the batch of factory-infected iPods reveals a lack of throughness in the company's manufacturing process.
Opinion
Why I Can't Stand iTunes As A Podcatcher - Don't Stop Updating Podcasts!
Note to Apple - don't take away my control like this!
Why I Love Apple (And Why I Hate Them Too)
Jackasses Of The Week: Gartner Analysts Mark Stahlman And Charles Smulders
Telling Apple to abandon their computer hardware business might just be the worst possible advice Gartner could plausibly offer.
Review
Manage iPhoto Libraries
iPhoto Library Manager is a must-have utility for those who love iPhoto but whose photo collections have outgrown iPhoto's practical capabilities.
Aperture 1.5: Apple's Photo Workflow Application Gains Flexibility
Apple addressd most of the design shortcomings that have kept many photographers away from Aperture.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
News
Another Music Phone? Yawn...
What if Apple made a cell phone and no one cared? Talk of the elusive iPhone heats up again, but analysts see marketplace obstacles.
Apple's Big Mac
Record-breaking quarterly sales of the Mac are putting Apple into the running for a top computer-maker spot.
Bloggers Dismayed At Apple's Response To iPod Virus
Bloggers are not mincing words about Apple's iPod virus gaffe.
Apple's iPod Virus Response Draws Fire
Security and quality assurance experts reacted negatively to Apple's efforts Tuesday to blame manufacturing problems that resulted in iPods shipping with a virus that affects Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Gartner: Apple Should Quit Hardware Business
The future success of Apple, Dell and Intel lies with a licensing deal between Steve Jobs' company and the PC maker, according to analyst Gartner.
Laptop Makers Looking For Battery Alternatives
However, few alternatives to today's lithium ion batteries exist yet: Promised fuel cell technology for notebooks remains stuck in research labs.
Apple Reports $546 Million Profit
Posting a $546 million profit on $4.84 billion revenue, the companys aid the results are preliminary and may be subject to significant adjustment as a result of a likely restatement of historical results. Mac shipments were also the highest in the company's history, according to Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer.
Opinion
An Ongoing Saga Of Apple's Customer Neglect
I won't say that I'll stop using Macs, but I will continue to be a self-laothing Mac user for as long as Apple continues to treat me, and a growing majority of its customers and supporters like the enemy.
The End Of The Bunker Mentality
It's taken 22 years, but being a Mac user no longer carries the baggage it used to carry.
Apple Reports Record Revenues (Again) - But Is It Enough?
Apple's DVR Dilemma
Treating iTV as a television product disconnected from programming would repeat the mistakes of other PC digital bridges, increasing the complexity of the TV experience rather than simplifying it.
Review
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
News
Apple At Neuroscience 2006
Where can you meet a professor who figured out how to use 2 Mac optical mice and a ping-pong ball to record and measure the direction and velocity of insects as they respond, and don't respond, to sounds?
Apple Granted Three Patents: Speaker Equalization, Speech Recognition, More
Scientists Suggest iPod Safe Volume Levels
Estimation is that a typical person could safely listen to the iPod for 4.6 hours at 70 percent of full volume using the supplied earphones without greatly increasing the risk of hearing loss.
Is Steve Jobs Safe?
Apple's terse and vague disclosure left many unanswered questions about Jobs' role and the tainted options he received.
Some Video iPods Shipped With Windows Virus
Apple on Tuesday said that some video iPods that shipped after September 12, 2006 contained a known Windows virus. Apple recommends attaching the video iPod to your computer and running the anti-virus software and then restore the iPod using iTunes 7.
Opinion
The Art Of Business Vs. The Business Of Art
Why is Apple sitting on a problem that will surely launch the company's ass when it finally blows up in the mainstream media (which it surely will)?
New Battery Life For Old 5G iPods
One of the update's most unheralded features is actually the one that impresses me most: a huge improvement in iPod battery life.
Review
Hands On With Apple's Intel MacPro
The Intel MacPro is a great first-version of a new technology. We're excited to see where the lineup goes next.
Sidetrack
I will be really surprised if Apple didn't come out with a new iPod before Microsoft's Zune launches.
Steve Jobs, I believe, will like to steal Zune's thunder.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
News
Apple Filing For iPhone Trademarks Worldwide
To summarise, we can confirm that Apple has been filing for the iPhone trademarks in Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom. In addition, it looks like Apple is also, via a third party, applying for iPhone trademarks in Hong Kong and the United States.
Macs Ready For Marketshare Explosion, Researchers Claim
Universal Confirms Music Fans Want Rare Tracks Online
Universal Music has seen significant success in releasing back-catalogue and out-of-print music through digital music services, including iTunes.
Straight Dope On The iPod's Birth
Thanks to Apple's perchant for CIA-like secrecy, there are several myths concerning the birth of the iPod.
IBM/Lenovo, Apple Top Supprot Firm's Hardware Reliability Ratings
MacBook Owners Organize Against Apple On Sudden Shutdown Problem
Apple Files iPhone Trademark, Heads Explode
Gigabit Ethernet ExpressCard Comes To MacBook Pro
iBlue Turns Mac Into IP-Based PBX
Apple Acquires Silicon Color
Silicon Coor developed professional color finishing software for film and video editors working on Macs.
Opinion
Apple's Xserve Xeon: Built To Fall Apart
I was struck by perferctly Xserve Xeon was designed, and in particular by how easily it comes apart.
Will Leopard Get Buried By Vista Buzz?
If you were counting on Leopard gaining an advantage from shipping before Vista, it looks like you're out of luck.
Great Customer Service...
All in all, I spent about 30 minutes in the Apple store, and all I did was tell them my problem and they fixed it without a single question.
Et Tu, Tim Cook?
Read: He's already running the place.
Out Of One Little Typo, A Kerfuffle Was Born
You might think that sort of thing is okay on the internet, Larry — God knows there's enough precedent for believing so — but the web isn't the old west any more. These days, you shovel horse manure, folks gonna complain about the stink.
Losing Faith Of A New MacBook
I'm losing faith on Apple hardware.
Is Apple's Option's Scandal Over
The options issue at Apple is not over, no matter how much the company wants the market to think it is.
One Of Those Times I'm Glad I Have A Mac
What are the things that really make me happy to be a Mac user?
My Experience With ProCare
The question comes down to this: Is this proper treatment from Apple for simply buying a ProCare membership? Shouldn't all customers be treated equally, at least in certain politeness and level-of-service respects?
Review
NewsFire
NewsFire offers some unique extra features and still won't overwhelm users who want a simple news reader.
Photomatix: A Virtual Magic Wand
Pangea Arcade
All in all, Pangea Arcade is a competent and mostly fun reinterpretation of classic arcade games; Firefall left me wanting, though.
Monday, October 16, 2006
News
'Does Music Still Matter? Yes... And No!'
Mac Sales Climb In Q4, Analysts Say
Classroom Is An iPod?
Podcasts of class lectures may be a possibility in the near future thanks to an increased access to technology.
Apple's No. 2 Has Low Profile, High Impact
Timothy D. Cook's low profile notwithstanding, his contributions at Apple have earned him enough notice within technolgy circles that he is routinely solicited for CEO jobs, although the 45-year-old has voiced no near-term plans to leave Apple, say people who know him.
Marquette One Of The First Schools To Use iPod For Tours
Digital Rights In Question As Business Model
If the music industry truly wants to loosen Apple's iron grip on digital music sales, it should start allowing music to be sold without digital rights management protection. That's the theory posited by several music services these days in response to the whipping they're taking from the dominant iTunes Store.
'Good For The Soul'
With iPod's fifth birthday around the corner, Steve Jobs discusses the MP3 player's design, the cool factor and the imapct on how we listen to music.
Opinion
Apple More Secure Than Windows NT?
With exploit code for an OS X vulnerability released recently and a compromised Australian university Mac server caught hosting malware in August, it may be time Apple admitted its platform is no more secur ethan any other.
Apple And Microsoft; A Tale Of Two Piracy Fighters
A recent interview between Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Newsweek editor Steven Levy was most instructive with respect to the differences between Apple and Microsoft with respect to fighting piracy of music and software.
A Consultant Who LIes? Well Shut My Mouth
Larry Bodine: Attorney At Flaw
Flame: My Birthday Present To Me
In summary: you are fundamentally only interested in using Microsoft products, and you find that your experience o a Mac using nothing written by Apple and everything by Microsoft is sub-par. Wow! I am SHOCKED!
Why I Got A MacBook...
The main kicker of the Mac to me is OS X. The operating system is built upon FreeBSD which makes me like it even more. The GUI is far superior to any versions of Windows I have used.
Why I Switched
I discovered after a short time that I was no longer using my Windows desktop PC at all, but spending all my computing time on my iBook!
Review
Blackberry Pearl Review: A Mac User's Perspective
Overall, the Blackberry Pearl works well, but is still a little buggy for those who want to sync it with their Mac (pretty much everyone).
Sunday, October 15, 2006
News
The Power Of iPod
Apple's music player weighed six ounces. But it had tons of influence on culture, commerce and coolness.
Opinion
I Have An iPod Now, Which Means iCool, iBusy And iPoor
Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree
Consultant rebuts Mac lovers, describing how his G5 soured his home office.
Life With A Mac
Is life better with a Mac? In a word, YES! Why you might be wondering? Because it just works!
Review
Top Of Its Game
With music player iPod's sights set on video games, here are 3 of its best.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
News
Consumer Reports Picks The Mac With Caveats
Wikipod: Install Some (Possible All) Of Wikipedia To Your iPod's Notes Folder
Apple VP Explains (PRODUCT) RED iPod And iTunes Gift Card
Apple's and (RED)'s goals are to create a "sustaining revenue and increased awareness" through the (PRODUCT) RED Special Editionc ampaign, and Apple's has "not set any end date" for the product.
Sarajo Frieden: The Color Of Invention
"I try to use my Mac tools to stand on my head. They help me see the world differently, to not be bogged down with preconceived ideas."
Opinion
Open Apple
As other technology companies open up to the online community, Apple's isolationist stance will appear in increasingly stark contrast.
Microsoft Windows Vista Vs Apple OS X
Simply Red
About the name... That kind of looks like there was an explosion down at the typography factory.
Review
Script Debugger 4.0: Scripting Application Gets Ground-Up Rewrite
Late Night Software seems to have taken every opportunity to condense and simplify Script Debugger's interface, while providing easier access to powerful tools and better debugging information.
Emerson Research iTone iC200: Great Clock Functionality Is Undone By Poor Audio
You'd be better served buying a dedicated (and less expensive) alarm clock and looking elsewhere for iPod enjoyment.
Friday, October 13, 2006
News
Apple In Code Search Profanity Outrage
'Register the f**king window class'
(PRODUCT) RED iPod Nano Released Today
The nano is 4G and costs $199, and $10 of what you pay will go to (PRODUCT) RED, which donates money directly to the Global Fund to help AIDS relief in Africa.
Local Merchants See Red For Bono AIDS Cause
Inside Apple Store, Oprah Winfrey bought 10 new red iPod nanos, which Apple is introducing this week for Product Red. The sales of products bearing the label will go toward assisting African AIDS relief.
BART Awarded For iPod Friendliness
The BART program allows passengers to get trip-planning information through their iPod devices. Passengers can look up train departure times, general station information and a color version of the BART system map.
iPod Flashmobbers Dance In Their Hundreds At Station
Hundreds of people descneded on Liverpool Street station for the biggest ever turnout for the latest internet craze — mobile clubbing.
Apple MacBook Owners Organizing Class Action Lawsuit
Owners of Apple's new 13-inch MacBook notebooks, whose systems are plagued by intermittent shutdown issues, have become fed up with extended repair times and inadequate resolutions to the problem, and are now organizing a class action lawsuit against the Mac maker.
Opinion
Sometimes, Apple Gets It Exactly Right
Everything worked exactly as it should have.
Windows Vista Home Edition: No VM For You!
The last thing Microsoft wants is for Mac sales to pick up because consumers figure out that they can run all of their Windows applications in virtualization.
The Alleged Rush To Beat Vista To Market
The Apple Calendar Conundrum
There's no easy way to transfer addresses and other data from Mac to PC to handheld and back — but there should be.
First 30 Days With A Mac
My MacBook is turning out to be a great machine.
An Apple Spreadsheet Does Not Mean Apple Are Trying To "Take On" Microsoft Office
It's a competitor for Microsoft Works.
Life After .Mac
After dumping .mac, it seems that a whole new world has opened up through what Google has to offer.
iTunes 7: All The Small Things
I'm really loving the new version of iTunes for all kinds of big and small reasons.
Review
Sidetrack
Rumor Today: Leopard Available On Macworld Expo?
I wish this is true: LoopRumors believes that Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) will be available at Macworld Expo San Francisco come Jan 07.
Wintel
Thursday, October 12, 2006
News
Gore Investigates Apple
The former US vice-president Al Gore has been asked to help uncover inconvenient truths at computer company Apple, which is embroiled in a Silicon Valley scandal over share options.
Opinion
An After Hype Look At iTunes Movies
Only Apple can offer us movies on both Mac and Windows right now, and they are off to a good start.
Office Delay? Ya Don't Say
We're hitting our milestones... In fact, for Office 12, we've not even officially announced a launch date.
iTunes 7 UI: The Bad And The Ugly
Apple iTunes Podcast Directory Is A Piece Of Crap!
Apple's Jobs Should Give Back The $85 Million
Jobs needs to say he's sorry with the one thing CEOs cherish most: Money.
What Nova's Price Tells Us About iTunes' Future
If Apple wants the iTunes Store to keep enjoying a position of prominence — and I'm guessing that the company does — it's going to have to constantly evolve. Right now, that means adapting its stance on pricing.
Review
Daylite 3
There is obvious care and craftsmanship in this product.
Sidetrack
Rumor Today: Lasso Spreadsheet Application In iWork '07
Will Apple finally puts a spreadsheet application into the iWork suite come Macworld Expo in Jan 07? Think Secret thinks so.
"While Lasso will lack the depth of Excel, Apple expects the softare to strike a chord with the many spreadsheet users who don't require extremely specialized functionality."
Both Pages (easier layout-ing) and Keynote (looks nicer) have their unique selling points over Microsoft Office's counterparts. What will Lasso's unique selling point be?
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
News
Torvalds Takes Bite Of Mac Mini
Linus Torvalds has picked up one of Apple's new Intel-based Mac minis to play with, but the Linux creator still prefers Apple's old PowerPC architecture for his primary desktop machine.
Eudora E-mail Client To Go Open Source
Qualcomm on Wednesday announced plans to release future versions of its Eudora e-mail client software as open source. The compay is collaborating with The Mozilla Foundation to base the next version of Eudora on Mozilla's Thunderbird e-mail software.
Analyst: No More Studios On iTunes Before Holidays
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster on Tuesday said that recent meetings with four of the six major film studios revealed that they likely won't be adding their movies to iTunes before the holidays because of fear over retaliation by big retailers, as well as issues with content protection and pricing.
Textbook Company Tries Putting Bonus Materials On iTunes
"The students were more engaged with the content served up in this platform."
Unwarranted Q1 Concerns Weigh On Apple Shares
Accounting Outside The Box
"I chose Mac because I saw it as a clear competitive advantage. Because I wanted to focus on accounting, not computing."
Opinion
One Monitor Or Two?
Difference of opinion may reflect differences between Mac OS X and Windows.
I Just Stole Music From Myself. And I'd Do It Again
For every software barrier there is a software tank.
Why Microsoft Can't Compete With iTunes
For Apple, Google Is A Better Dance Partner THan YouTube
My Personal Apple Truth
My biggest turn off, and issue with Apple, and the community... is in fact the community itself.
An Apple Or A Ring?
But really, ask any woman: "An Apple or a ring?" ... Isn't my wife one of a kind!
New Mac Ads: 1 Out Of 3 Ain't Bad
Intel Wants Its Cake Both Ways
Giving Apple a free pass while everyone else is supposed to get in line makes Intel look like a wishy-washy turncoat that doesn't really believe in its own product.
Review
File Vaults
Knox is a nifty utility that gives you many of the benefits of FileVault without the overhead, along with many of the benefits of individual encrypted disk images via an easier-to-use interface.
Sidetrack
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
News
Wait For New Office
First the good news: Microsoft Office 2007 for Mac will feature an all-new look and feel to match Mac OS X's interface evolution, and enhanced features, while running natively on the new Intel Macs. Now for the bad news: It won't be available till the latter half of 2007.
Apple Posts 3 New Get A Mac Ads
Opinion
Why Does Apple Mistrust Asia?
Start treating buyers here with the same respect that you give your customers elsewhere in the world. Stop redlining Asia with vague talk about piracy. If you have a piracy problem in this region, why not at least say so and level with us? Let's speak plainly.
Why Cha-Ching Is Everything Wrong With Mac Software
It's a real shame we're starting to see the simplicity pendulum swing too far to the no-features-for-$16.95 zone.
Review
iBiz 2.5.3: Billing And Invoicing App Keeps Track Of Your Time
A strong performer with a difficult learning curve, iBiz 2.5.3 achieves what it sets out to do by putting projects, clients and tasks in a logical order, allowing for easy billing and invoicing.
Vortex For iPod
Vortex adapts a proven arcade game concept to the iPod with great results, though it may prove too difficult to hold your attention indefinitely.
Monday, October 9, 2006
News
Despite Options Crisis, Apple Is An Opportunity - Analyst
Better Windows' Security Keeps Apple Safer: Gartner
Research group Gartner has said that Mac OS X Users are now safer from a mass attack — such as Blaster on Windows — than they were two years ago, partly because Microsoft has closed so many holes in its ubiquitous platform.
iPod Deal Rocked TV's World
Disney's Anne Sweeney tells how it happened, and how digital media changed the landscape.
Apple's Options Disclosures Fail To Resolve Questions
Apple moved last week to answer questions about its problems with stock options, but in the end it left plenty unaswered, including the role played by Fred D. Anderson, who resigned Wednesday from the company's board.
Their Crime: Playing iTunes On Devices Not Named iPod
In mounting their protest, members of the group in Paris saw themselves as foot soldiers of the digital generation battling against ever-tighter controls over songs, film and all digitized culture.
A Delicious Store For Macs And iPods
The Genius Bar is just one of the cool services being offered to Macintosh devotees at Rhode Island's first Apple Store, which opened late last month.
Opinion
Google: The Next (Free) .Mac?
Apple's .Mac offerings just aren't enough to go head-to-head with Google.
Review
Sidetrack
Sunday, October 8, 2006
News
Frans Lanting: A Journey Through Time
Dean Coleman: Cramming For The Party
MacAddict To Rebrand As Mac|Life
A recent post to the Bay Area Craigslist service shows that Future US, publishers of MacAddict magazine, plan to relaunch the publication next spring with a new name and new focus.
Review
Zuma For iPod: Marble-Matching Game Is OK, But Shows Limitations Of iPod Gaming
I just don't think that Zuma makes a great conversion for the iPod, unless your thumbs are a lot more dexterous than mine.
Friday, October 6, 2006
News
MacBook Shutdown Is Heat Sink?
Apple Not Out Of The Woods In Options Probe
Apple and Steve Jobs can expect sharp scrutiny by federal authortiies despite Apple's announcement that an internal review of stock option irregularities found "no misconduct" by Jobs and other members of the current management team, legal observers said Thursday.
Can Ignorance Put Apple's Jobs In Clear?
Ignorance can be bliss, but it's not a tight defense, lawyers say.
Apple Admits iPod Nano Colours May 'Change Over Time'
What's this I read at the end of the small print on the back after the battery charge and storage capacity caveats? "Like a fine pair of jeans, iPod Nano colours may vary and change over time."
Apple's Options Disclosure Raises Concerns About Earning sRestatements
Wall Street Unmoved By Apple Stock Troubles
Opinion
Apple Following In Dell's Hellish Footsteps
Mac And It's OS X - And My Problems With It
Mac users tend to explain that the transition is an easy one. This may be true for someone who simply uses their computer to send email. For an advanced user like myself however, this is simply not the case.
Backin' It Up With Customer Service And Care
Long story short, Amy was put on hold for close to a half an hour, finally spoke to a representative, and was sent a replacement iPod... that was also partially broken.
Apple: Rotten At The Core
Something other than a pain-free apology is in order.
Some Assembly Required
One of my favorite programming slogans is from Larry Wall, regarding his goals for Perl: "Easy things should be easy, and hard things should be possible."
Pimp My Code, Part 12: Frozen In Carbonite
I want youto take this to your manager, and say, "Look, see! We've got to get to Cocoa! This has got to be a priority! We can't keep slapping tar on a boart made out of milk cartons!"
Apple's Time Machine: Forward Into The Past?
All in all, there is a great deal of reason to be excited about Tme Machine.
Review
The Lockdown: The Targus iPod Lock, Or Modicum Of Security
The iPod owner may also do damage if he is not careful in the way he removes the insert, and more importantly a co-worker or someone who just wants to be malicious can easily do damage by remove and inserting the connector.
Redline
With its combination of reasonably realistic physics, beautiful graphics, enjoyable sound, and solid gameplay, this is the best racing Mac game I've ever played.
Bejeweled: Gem-Swapping Puzzler Is Sadly Not The Jewel In iPod's Gaming Crown
The fact is it simply doesn't suit the device. It seems daft to bring it to iPod when it clearly doesn't work well with the controls available.
Sidetrack
Things I Don't Understand: Why Bother Reverse-Engineer Apple's DRM
First Real. Now DVD Jon. Both have came up with... er... anti-anti-DRM workarounds that allows content providers to put "FairPlay-compatible" DRM around their content, so that the content is protected by DRM, will play on iTunes and iPod with DRM intact, and Apple will not get a cut in the sale.
By reverse-engineering Apple's FairPlay DRM, the point is that third-party can create DRM-protected content that is identical to DRM-protected content purchased from iTunes Store. And by virtual of being identical, Apple have no choice, technically, but to support both DRM-protected content purchased from iTunes Store and third parties. In newer versions of iTunes and iPods, Apple cannot simply modify its DRM and disable older content, the argument goes.
This reasoning breaks down, unfortunately, for one very simple fact: this is not PlayForSure. By that, what I mean is that there is only one place in the entire world that one can purchased FairPlay DRM-protected content: Apple. Simply put, Apple knows which piece of content is purchased from iTunes Store, and which piece of content is not purchased from iTunes Store, even when the DRM in place is totally identical. This is not advance crypto technology, simply good record keeping.
There is nothing to prevent the next version of iTunes to simply dial home to Apple, check which content is purchased from iTunes Store, upgrade the DRM to a newer version, and disable playback of content that is encoded with the older version of DRM. Boom!
(Sorry.)
Yes, Apple has locked everyone in. Either you sell your content through Apple or Audible, or you sell without DRM, or you negotiate with Apple. You cannot simply hack your way in.
Thursday, October 5, 2006
Stock Option Practices Investigation
Apple Comes Clean On Options
Apple finally disclosed details of the options irregularities announced in June, but observers want to know more.
Former Apple CFO Resigns From Board After Investigation
Apple announced Wednesday the results of a three-month investigation into the company's stock option practices, and former Apple Chief Financial Officer Fred Anderson announced that he "believes it is in Apple's best interests" for him to resign from the company's board of directors. "I apologize to Apple's shareholders and employees for these problems, which happened on my watch," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
Apple's Professional Handling Of Bad News
Moral to CEOs: Take responsibility; that's why they pay you the big bucks.
News
Blogging Tools Highlight Contribute 4 Release
Apple Looking For An iTunes Mobile Marketing Manager
An Apple job listing provides some potential insights into a push by Apple to sell iTunes content directly to mobile customers.
Opinion
Review
Keeping The College Student's Mac Secure
The New iPod: Ready For Battle?
The new iPods are more versatile and less costly than ever, but the new iTunes software is an even bigger improvement, although it has one big downside — its coolest new features is so graphically demanding that it doesn't work right on some older computers.
The Missing Sync For Windows Mobile 2.5.1: Sync Software Lets Your Mac Talks To Your Windows-Based Smart Phone
Although I hit a few initial snags, locating and fixing the problems were easy.
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
News
Apple Still Gaining Teen Inerest
Apple is still gaining ground in the MP3 player market and the online music market and the online music business, according to a new study conducted by analyst firm Piper Jaffray.
FSF Targets Apple Stores In Anti-DRM Protests
Members of DefectiveByDesign.org, a campaign by the Free Software Foundation, are set to descend on flagship Apple stores in New York and London to protest the company's embrace of digital rights management technology.
Steve Jobs To Keynote Macworld Expo
Apple today confirmed CEO Steve Jobs will deliver the keynote speech at Macworld Expo San Francisco in January 2007.
Opinion
Why Doesn't Mac OS X Support Bluetooth Headphones?
DRM May Mean Strange Anti-Apple Bedfellows
It's hunting season on Apple's iTunes and iPod juggernaut. That may make for some strange bedfellows.
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
News
Intel Praises Apple, But Calls For Open Standards
Exploit Released For Mac OS X Flaw
Computer code that exploits a flaw in Apple's Mac OS X was released over the weekend. The code takes advantage of a weakness in core parts of Mac OS X and coult let a user gain additional privileges. Apple provided a fix for the error-handling mechanism of the kernel last week, but the exploit appears to have been authored before then.
NJ To Start Charging iTunes Tax This Sunday
DVD Jon Fairplays Apple
DRM-buster DVD Jon has a new target in his sights, and it's a big piece of fruit. He has reverse-engineered Apple's Fairplay and is starting to license it to companies who want their media to play on Apple's devices.
Opinion
Apple Ain't Scoared O' No Zune
In the long run, Microsoft may yet create that superior product, but in the near term Zune is far from superior product, but it the near term Zune is far from superior, and it's hardly something for Apple to be scared of — concerned about, yes, but not scared of.
10 iPod Vs. Zune Myths
According to proponents of Ten iPod vs Zune Myths, the Zune is technically superior, with brillant wireless sharing features, and will be able to compete with Apple's iPod as a cheap loss leader. Ahem. They're wrong, here's why.
It's No Bother... It's Overkill!
Brand New
Lightroom is different than all existing Adobe applications — and in some ways it's different than all existing applications, period. Lightroom's marketing should reflect that.
Review
Montage 1.0: Screenwriting Software Misses The Mark
Seasoned screenwriters won't find the tools they need in this initial release, and it was rather buggy.
Sidetrack
Why I Would Like An iPod Phone
So that when I am commuting on the train, listening to podcasts, and my wife calls, I can actually hear the phone call and pick up the phone call, and have my iPod automatically pause the podcast, and my wife can actually tell me what to pick up at the store on my way home.
Oh, and a phone that can sync all my contacts and calendars and such with my Mac would be good too.
How long, oh Apple, should I wait for this phone? You do know I am putting off any purchases of new iPods until this phone, don't you?
Monday, October 2, 2006
News
Oct 2: Ahead Of The Bell: Apple Computer
Shares of Apple fell in premarket Monday trading after a Citigroup analyst downgraded the maker of the iPod and Macintoshc omputer, discouraged by the lack of new products before the peak holiday season.
iPod Music Players Take On The Role Of Museum Guide
It wasn't long ago that a vistor to an art museum caught listening to a personal music player in the galleries could expect a sharp rebuke from the guards. Now it's encouraged.
Opinion
Steve Jobs Vs Ballmer + Gates - New Cmment On Rebuilding Microsoft In Wired Magazine
Granted, Mr. Jobs is not perfect — he just seems so when compared to Ballmer, Gates, and their minions.
Why I've Had It Up To Here With Apple's .Mac
What Notebooks Are Entrepreneurs Carrying? - A Surprise
The brand that may be on the rise is Apple's MacBook Pro.
I'm A Changed Man!
I never thought I'd say it. I'm officially a Mac user!
Review
Sunday, October 1, 2006
News
Apple Plans Marketing Strategy In India
Apple has chalked out a new marketing strategy to expand its footprint in India and is looking for more channel partners to market its products.
Opinion
A Worm In The Apple
Yes, that's right. There's gonna be a phone call made to Apple about this lovely employee who had had one too many donuts, if you know what I mean.
On The Origins Of .DS_Store
Personally, I don't think it's a great name and I wish we had gone with something a bit more descriptive, but it's too late for that. :-)
