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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Dangerous High School Girls In Trouble

by Joseph Cadotte, Inside Mac Games

PhotoUpLink For iPhone Adds Wi-Fi Export For iPhone

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

PhotoUpLink enables iPhoto to work with FTP and SFTP sites, ODBC and Office exports, and in this latest update, lets iPhoto export photos over Wi-Fi to any iPhone or iPod touch also running PhotoUpLink.

Spinning Songs With iTunes DJ

by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

Auto-Enabling Safari's Private Browsing

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

If you're running Leopard you can automate the process of enabling the Private Browsing option with AppleScript. Like so.

MobileMe Evolves Into Integral Service

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Apple’s MobileMe certainly had its growing pains when it launched last summer, but the online collection of syncing services has matured since then. MobileMe has definitely become an integral part of my computing experience.

Toon Boom Animate Pro, Manager Debut

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Priced at $1800, Animate Pro incorporates content creation, animation and compositing tools in one package. The software lets you animate digitally or import content from paper, and combine the two with tweening and cleaning tools.

Skype On The iPhone

by Arik Hesseldahl, BusinessWeek

Last week, I got a few minutes to try out Skype’s new application for the iPhone, which my colleague Olga Kharif has written about today. I tried it out sitting in a Starbucks in Rockefeller Center, and made a short call to someone over the AT&T Wi-Fi network, and I have to say the sound quality was great.

The bad news? You’re limited to making Skype calls via Wi-Fi only, and not over the 3G network. The good news? It will work with the iPod touch provided you have the iPhone headphones with the microphone in them.

Library Of Congress Joins iTunes

by Jeff Gamet, The Mac Observer

The U.S. Library of Congress audio archives are becoming even more accessible now that the recordings are being added to Apple's iTunes Store. The move is part of an effort to bring some 15.3 million digital recordings to the public in an easy to access manner.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Macworld Expo Moving To February In 2010

by Philip Michaels, Macworld

Macworld Expo will shift its dates to February in 2010 and open its show floor to attendees on Saturday, as part of the first steps to remake the long-time Mac trade show after Apple’s decision to end its involvement.

Time Capsule

by Scott McNulty, Macworld

Apple’s latest Time Capsules are what any good networking and backup devices should be: easy to set up, manage, and forget about.

Review: iPhone Apps For Kids - Shapebuilder And More

by Daniel Donahoo, Wired

GraphicDesignerToolbox 1.0 Released

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

GraphicDesignerToolbox is a graphics editor that helps you generate textures, compose logos, manipulate photos, produce text effects or graphics for use on the Web and more.

Cook Book? Frying Eggs On A MacBook Pro

by Nicole Martinelli, Cult of Mac

Review: Pace For iPhone

by Jeff Merron, Macworld

Pace, a running journal app for the iPhone, may get me into the habit of keeping notes on my daily runs again.

Skype Announces Service For iPhone, BlackBerry

by Sinead Carew, Reuters

Skype, the Internet telephone unit of eBay Inc, is planning to launch its service for iPhone users on Tuesday and for BlackBerry in May as part of its effort to expand beyond desktop computers.

MonsterQuest Puzzle Game Debuts For Mac

by MacNN

When Memes Collide - Apple Is Expensive Vs. Windows Is Vulnerable

by Contemplating Code And Life

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Helping Parents Snoop On Kids' iPhone Habits

by Jenna Wortham, New York Times

Mobichp provides a free, kid-safe browser for iPhones and iPod Touches. The company's browser works exactly like Safari, but bars access to Web sites containing sexually explicit material, graphic violence, Web-based chat clients, e-commerce, social networks and games.

Apple's Mac Mini Upgrade Widens Its Entertainment Options

by Glenn Fleishman, Seattle Times

Before this month, the Mac mini was stuck in 2007; now it's a reasonable part of the iMac and Mac Pro family, while being a viable option as a home entertainment hub.

iPhone Dominates The World, Study Shows

by Sindya Bhanoo, The Industry Standard

Apple's iPhone and several Nokia and RIM devices dominate global smartphone traffic in many countries, according to a recent report by mobile ad serving company AdMob.

Polished Apple: Buying Used Macs

by DPA

Those looking to buy a computer from Apple, but unable to spare the extra couple of hundred dollars should consider a used model.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

iMovie '09 8.0.1 Update Brings More Than Just Bug Fixes

by Jeff Carlson, TidBITS

Smule CEO: iPhone Is The Only Game In Town

by Jessica Dolcourt, CNET

The folks at Smule, Pandora, Nokia, and BlueRun Ventures may not agree on everything, but during a Thursday night panel discussion on the business of mobile applications, their attention centered on a single device time and time again: the iPhone.

Apple Mac Pro (8-Core)

by Joel Santo Domingo, PC Magazine

Pricey? Yah. Impressive? Definitely. Is it for you? If you're part of a select group, maybe.

Apple's New No-Contract iPhone No Gift To Foreigners, Tourists

by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider

An Apple retail store rep tells us that, like the 2-year-contract iPhone 3G, you'll need a U.S. government-issued ID to get one. According to the Apple retail rep, foreign government IDs will not qualify.

Air Sharing For iPhone

by Brendan Wilhide, Macworld

Air Sharing lets you easily copy files between your iPhone and a wirelessly-connected Mac. By doing so, Avatron Software’s app addresses one of the most frequently lamented shortcomings of Apple’s mobile devices—their lack of storage space for documents and similar files. That makes Air Sharing a dream come true for mobile workers and productivity gurus.

Tethering And The iPhone: The Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship?

by Aayush Arya, Macworld

AirPort Extreme Base Station

by Scott McNulty, Macworld

The 2009 version of the AirPort Extreme Base Station packs in a ton of features, as well as speed, into a small, reasonably priced package.

iSubtitle Makes Your Videos Readable

by Dan Moren, Macworld

This $19 program from Bitfield can add soft subtitles—i.e. captions you can turn on or off—to your video files that you can then watch via iTunes or QuickTime Player, or on your iPhone, iPod touch, or Apple TV.

Going Deep Inside Xserve Apple Drive Modules

by Adam C. Engst, TidBITS

To sum up, there are multiple good reasons why ADMs cost more than bare retail drives of the same size, it's possible but not recommended to replace the drive in one, and Apple is in no way charging an unusual premium for ADMs.

eWorld

by Steven Frank

Next Tuesday is the 13th anniversary of the shuttering of eWorld, Apple’s answer to the AOL-style gated internet community. It didn’t survive to the end of its second year.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Has Apple Begun Clearing iPhone 3G Inventory?

by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune

How Science Fiction Found Religion

by Benjamin A. Plotinsky, City Journal

Once overtly political, the genre increasingly employs Christian allegory.

AccountEdge 2009

by Jefery Battersby, Macworld

AccountEdge has long been the best and most versatile business accounting package available for the Mac. While I’d still like to see better form customization tools, AccountEdge 2009 offers excellent new features for current users who are looking to upgrade, and a solid foundation for anyone who needs a business accounting app.

Ten iPhone Apps To Manage Your Job Search On The Go

by Dan Schawbel, Mashable

Here are ten apps that will help you own your online identity, build a strong database of professional contacts, and locate a job in your area in a flash.

Apple Stores Now Selling iPhone 3G Without A Contract

by Prince McLean, AppleInsider

Apple retail stores are now selling unrestricted quantities of the iPhone 3G at the full, non-subsidized price of $599 for the 8GB version and $699 for the 16GB models.

MarsEdit 2.3 Ties The Knot With Tumblr Support

by David Chartier, Ars Technica

Mac blogging client MarsEdit has emerged from beta with official support for Tumblr, a streamlined blogging service with ample style. Nearly all of Tumblr's features are available in the new version of MarsEdit, making it a solid option for those who cannot blog by bookmarklet alone.

Apple Updates iLife '09, iWork '09

by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

Apple Announces WWDC 2009 Dates

by Dan Moren, Macworld

This year’s program is likely to be a double threat for many programmers, as sessions will include information about both the forthcoming iPhone OS 3.0 update as well as the forthcoming Snow Leopard revision of Mac OS X.

Tips For Importing Existing Photos Into iPhoto

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

If you do a lot of importing into iPhoto using photos that are already on your Mac—perhaps you’re migrating from another photo management tool, or you just downloaded all 1,500 pictures taken by relatives at the last family reunion—here are a couple of tricks that you can use to control and ease the import process.

Pwn2Own Contest Winner: Macs Are Safer Than Windows

by Prince McLean, AppleInsider

Charlie Miller, the security expert who won both this and last year's CanSecWest Pwn2Own security contests by exploiting Macs running Safari, repeated in an interview that he'd recommend Macs to typical users as a safer alternative to Windows PCs.

The iPhone 3.0 OS Is Not Ready for Everyday Use; Here's How To Downgrade

by John mahoney, Gizmodo

Here's how to downgrade back to 2.2.1.

FishCo

by Jack Shiels, Inside Mac Games

FishCo has plenty to do, but unfortunately it doesn’t attempt to break the mould.

App Store Refunds: Much Ado About Nothing

by Tom Krazit, CNET

The section in the SDK agreement that mentions 90-day refunds seem to apply only if a purchaser brings a "notice or claim" against Apple in the process of trying to return the application. That's a legal term, not a request for a refund because you thought the fart application, for example, delivered six sounds when it has only five.

Apple iPhone 3G Review

by Kenny Sia

When’s the last time you see a telco company hiring out an entire convention centre just to sell one phone?

Thursday, March 26, 2009

The iPhone Excuse

by Sam Grobart, New York Times

For all its abilities and powers, the iPhone is a tremendous pocket computer, but a lousy phone.

Apple's iPhone App Refund Policies Could Bankrupt Developers

by Leena Rao, TechCrunch

The developer not only has to return the money for the sale, but also has to reimburse Apple for its commission.

MacHeist

by Lukas Mathis, Ignore The Code

Does MacHeist hurt the amount of money people are willing to pay for great Mac software? Does it hurt the market for indie software?

Dear Apple: How Will You Handle Death-By-Push-Notification?

by Rene Ritchie, The iPhone Blog

Suddenly Push Notification is trying to pop up 30 text boxes all at once — while you’re in the middle of an urgent phone call. How will you handle this, Apple?

Apple Australia's $300m iPhone Boom

by Liam Tung, ZDNet Australia

Apple's 2008 financial statements, submitted to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in March, details the company's rapid growth in a year that saw it open its flagship George Street store in Sydney, as well as in Chatswood and also Melbourne.

Some Favorite Apps That Make iPhone Worth The Price

by Walter S. Mossberg, Wall Street Journal

I am not saying these are the best apps on the iPhone, only that they do their jobs and make the device much more useful for me.

Apple Sued Over iPhone's Access To iTunes, Camera Chips

by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider

Apple has been targeted twice in lawsuits this week by companies that claim patent infringement in the iPhone, the App Store, and even the chips that power its camera.

Evernote Has Been Busy!

by Sarah Perez, Read Write Web

Evernote, the popular note-taking, cataloging, and bookmarking service has been busy over the past month, cranking out a number of updates

EA Mobile Bringing Madden, Wolfenstein To iPhone

by Tom Krazit, CNET

EA Mobile is making a big bet on the iPhone and iPod Touch, announcing plans this week to port more than a dozen of its most popular games to Apple's gadgets.

MacHeist 3 Bundle Revealed: $900+ For $39

by Jeff Smykil, Ars Technica

The collection of software can be purchased now via the MacHeist website and currently offers 10 pieces of Mac software with the possibility of three additional apps being unlocked if certain sales marks are met. Further, a free copy of Eventbox, the social everything app, is being given away to each visitor of the bundle site for an undisclosed period of time.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The Omni Group Unveils OmniGraphSketcher 1.0

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

According to the company, OmniGraphSketcher 1.0 is a tool that combines the data plotting power of charting applications with the ease of a basic drawing program. The application is designed for reports, presentations and problem sets where graphs need to be produced on the fly.

Apple Releases 17-Inch MacBook Pro Graphics Update

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

MacBook Pro Graphics Firmware Update 1.0 addresses the appearance of vertical lines or distorted graphics on the notebook display, according to notes provided by Apple with the update. It appears that is the only issue fixed in the firmware update.

Syncing iPhoto Libraries

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

TextExpander Update Adds New Expansion Options

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Copycats Causing Problems For iPhone App Developers

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

iPhone app developers are beginning to complain about other, less ethical individuals copying apps and selling them via the App Store. The affected developers believe Apple should help combat this problem, but so far, the company has reportedly been unresponsive.

I Dropped My iPhone On My Eye

by Sheylara

"You kena eye-phone!!!"

It's An iPod World

by Lance Ulanoff, PC Magazine

The transition is complete. My formerly heterogeneous home MP3 environment has transformed into a one-company, one-brand house. Everyone is using Apple iPods. If my home is a microcosm of the market, the MP3 industry has a major problem.

What I Learned From Having My Laptop Stolen

by David Blatner, TidBITS

Three things are lost with a computer’s theft: hardware, data, and privacy. I’ll let others deal with the emotional aspects of loss, and instead focus on the practical ones.

Apple Flips The Switch On Genius Sidebar For Movies/TV

by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

iTunes' Genius sidebar feature now works with TV shows and movies in addition to music. The feature will be able to provide you with video recommendations based on what other customers have bought, assuming it has enough data to work from.

Apple Opens Some International Online Store To US Buyers

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

A new online Apple Store option allows US customers to purchase and send gifts to friends and family in México, much of Europe, and select countries in Southeast Asia. Getting a real gift still trumps receiving a gift card, that's for sure.

Loving The iPod Shuffle

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

For me, the iPod shuffle is perfect in every way. The controls are easy; it’s very small and tucks away nicely; and features like VoiceOver means that I can listen to what I want, when I want.

Freeverse Releases Commander: Napoleon At War For Mac

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Director 11.5 Sports New Audio Engine, Leopard Support

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

The new 11.5 release features a new 5.1 channel surround sound audio engine that has real-time mixing capabilities. It now supports the H.264 (Advanced Video Codec) video encoding format and RTMP-based streaming, for delivering High Definition (HD) video content.

InstallerApp Is Like iTunes For Jailbreakers

by Dan Moren, Macworld

RipDev’s InstallerApp is an application for your Mac (soon to be available for Windows PCs as well) that allows you to download iPhone apps on your computer and transfer them to your device over a USB connection. If that sounds a bit like iTunes for jailbreak apps, well, that’s because it is.

iPhone Information Appears On China Unicom Website

by Sam Oliver, AppleInsider

Photos and specifications for the iPhone have been posted on the website of wireless carrier China Unicom, a sign that Apple may finally be ready to enter the world's largest cell phone market.

Apple Sued For Promoting iPhone As eBook Reader

by Katie Marsal, AppleInsider

An overseas communications firm is suing Apple for promoting its iPhone handset as a touchscreen digital book reader, a concept it claims to have patented over seven years ago.

Eight Years And COunting

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

In case you’ve lost track of time, Tuesday marks the eighth anniversary of the release of Mac OS X (version 10.0.0). In that time, there have been 52 different releases of OS X, counting the public beta as well as major and minor updates. So in honor of this eighth birthday, here are eight great things about OS X.

iPhone Needs Clock And Calendar APIs

by Neven Mrgan

For a simple app, this is mad. In addition to the app itself, the developer of my pill reminder would now have to maintain 1. a very busy server, 2. user accounts on the server, hopefully in a very safe way, and 3. some sort of (simple) server process to send notifications. I’m no expert, but this complicates the development tenfold, and it’s pretty ridiculous for a feature of such tiny scope.

Microsoft's Apple Deja Vu All Over Again

by David Morgenstern, ZDNet

Am I the only one who see’s Redmond’s continued rehashing of the PC vs. Mac wars as a sign of weakness?

Id Announces 'Wolfenstein 3D Classic' For iPhone

by TouchArcade

Id Software published a lengthy letter from John Carmack who describes the development of the iPhone version of Wolfenstein 3D Classic. This classic first person shooter has been submitted to the App Store with the source code released to the public.

Apple's Portable Game

by Brian Crecente, Kotaku.com

After years of being a punchline among hardcore gamers, Apple has gotten serious about gaming. They just happened to use a cell phone and not a computer to do it.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Espresso Streamlines Web Development Workflows

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Espresso streamlines the development of Web projects by combining coding, project management, publishing and synchronization features in one application.

When Apple Marches On

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

Topple 2 For iPhone

by Lex Friedman, Macworld

With great art, new modes, multiplayer options, and genuinely fun gameplay, Topple 2 is a worthy sequel to the first version and an easy game to recommend.

Paging Dr. iPhone: Tapping A Physician's Digital Reference

by Arik Hesseldahl, BusinessWeek

This family doctor is using Apple's smartphone and numerous medical mobile apps to save time, see more patients, and provide better care.

Apple Says Sorry For Mac Perl Breakage

by Cade Metz, The Register

Apple has apologized for breaking Perl with its latest Mac OS X security update, saying it will distribute a solution to the problem with a future update.

Why Even IT Pros Are Demanding Macs

by Mel Beckman, InfoWorld

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Ships For Mac

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Quad-Core And Eight-Core Mac Pros (2009 Editions)

by James Galbraith, Macworld

The new Mac Pros, with their cutting-edge Nehalem processor technology, are able to execute more tasks at a faster clip, despite lower processor speeds. And their new internal design makes adding hard drives, memory cards, and PCI Express 2.0 cards easier than ever. Apple’s most expandable Mac is the pro platform for power users.

17-Inch iMac Still Available To Education Institutions

by Dan Moren, Macworld

Reports over the weekend suggested that the 17-inch model still remains available, for some—specifically, the education market.

AT&T Execs Said Touting New, Faster iPhone For Mid-June

by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider

One or more of AT&T's more senior officials have reportedly slipped important details about the next iPhone, including a June unveiling and a continued emphasis on speed.

The Five Most Underused Finder Tools

by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

Looking for some quick time-savers? Chances are you don’t need to hunt down a new utility, you just need to take advantage of the tools OS X already offers.

Pocket God For iPhone: Sadistic Glee, Updated Weekly

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

If that were all there was to Pocket God, we would sum up the application by saying: "cute for five minutes, possibly worth the one-dollar price, no good long-term gameplay." However, there's far more to the whole Pocket God experience, and that's due to the designers behind the product.

Apple Aggressively Pursues 'Pod' Trademarks

by Brian X. Chen, Wired

What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but if its name ended in "pod," it might attract the ire of Apple's shark-like legal team.

Apple's obsession with the blockbuster success of its iPod has driven the corporation to chase down many companies attempting to use the media player's three-letter suffix in their product or business names.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Apple Discontinues iPhone Bluetooth Headset

by Slash Lane, AppleInsider

Apple this weekend appears to have discontinued its iPhone Bluetooth Headset, a possible sign that the company could be planning to introduce an updated model alongside new iPhones a bit later this year or cede the market segment to third parties.

Apple Features 'Your Business On A Mac' Seminars

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

iPod Shuffle Review: Where We're Going, We Don't Need Clicks

by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

The shuffle is a pretty good little device if you have a specific use for it. For me, that's running. I already have a 2G iPod shuffle that has, you know, buttons and no proprietary headphone requirements, but the 4GB of space is what's selling me on the new version.

New Yorker Cartoon App For iPhone

by Nicole Martinelli, Cult Of Mac

Interview: Meebo CEO On iPhone Chat App, Push Notifications

by David Chartier, Ars Technica

When asked why Meebo has waited until now to offer a native iPhone app (besides a Web-optimized iPhone app and Android app), Sternberg offered the obvious answer: Push Notifications.

No iPhone? No Problem

by Andrew Vanacore, Associated Press

Ars Reviews iWork '09: Fourth Time's A Charm?

by Iljitsch van Beijnum, Ars Technica

Microsoft Office may have more advanced features, and OpenOffice may be free, but neither of them is as polished, easy-to-use, or well-integrated with Mac OS X as iWork.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

It's Crap Like This THat Makes People Pirate

by Thomas Fitzgerald

People want to pay for content. I know the execs at NBC and every other major studio don’t believe that, but a lot of people are willing to pay for good high quality access to their favorite TV shows. But they don’t like being taken advantage of either. As many commenters on iTunes have pointed out, it’s crap like this that pushes people back to bit-torrent.

Streaming Video On The iPhone? It's Madness

by Philip Michaels, Macworld

I have seen the future, and, man, is it jumpy.

What Google Should Learn From Apple

by Chris Matyszczyk, CNET

Apple recognized this from the beginning. The company understood that technology had to recognize humanity's irrationality and emotionality, with all the risk and subjectivity that entailed.

How The iPhone 3.0 Will Create A New Mobile Economy

by Ben Parr, Mashable

If the iPhone application store revolutionized the mobile as a platform, then the iPhone 3.0 OS may very well be the spark that revolutionizes the mobile as its own economy. iPhone apps no longer have to be one-hit wonders, but can make sustainable income from a smaller base of committed customers.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Context Menus And Sub-Menus

by Lukas Mathis, Ignore The Code

$500 More For A Logo, Huh?

by Arik Hesseldahl, BusinessWeek

You don’t think it’s okay to pay more for a computer because of its logo, Mr. Ballmer? Fine. Then how about paying more for one that works?

Friday, March 20, 2009

Apple TV's Missed Opportunity

by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

So why hasn’t Apple opened up the Apple TV to the outside world? The most obvious answer is that such a move would cut into iTunes Store sales. But perhaps considering that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has called the Apple TV a “hobby,” Apple just doesn’t care to invest too much time or effort into it.

Mophie Squeezes Out JuicePack For 2G iPod Touch

by Dan Frakes, Macworld

Accessory vendor Mophie has announced the Juice Pack - iPod touch 2nd Gen, a combination case and battery for the second-generation (2G) iPod touch.

iTunes HD Movies Won't Play On Older Non-HDCP Monitors

by Mat Buchanan, Gizmodo

If you dropped $20 on an HD movie from iTunes since they came out yesterday, but have a newer Mac and an older external display, you might not be able to watch it.

Apple, AT&T Sued For Slow 3G Speeds

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Apple and AT&T are being sued again for over-promising and under-delivering on their claims of fast Internet access of the iPhone 3G.

Apple Redraws World Map Again

by Stewart Meagher, The INquirer

Apple has decided that two Western European countries don't deserve to appear on the world map as they don't have access to the iPhone.

Review: Apple's Newest 24-In. iMac 'A Sight To Behold'

by Michael DeAgonia, Computerworld

With its sleek lines, thoughtful and minimalist design, large and beautiful screen, robust operating system, polished iLife suite of apps, and updated hardware, the new iMac is a great value for anyone looking for a desktop computer.

Apple Adds HD Movie Sales To iTunes Store

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

You can play the HD movies on a Mac, a PC, or on widescreen TV with an Apple TV, as well as in standard definition on the iPhone or iPod with video (previously Apple only offered HD movie rentals to Apple TV owners).

Another small step towards the death of Blu-Ray?

iPhone 3.0 To Offer MobileMe Users "Find My iPhone" Feature

by Prince McLean, AppleInsider

A new feature in the iPhone 3.0 firmware appears to let users remotely pinpoint a lost or stolen phone by securely requesting the device's location via Apple's MobileMe service.

I hope I can also use it even when my phone is not lost or stolen, but just as a location service.

Set Your Own Backup Schedule With TimeMachineEditor

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

This free download lets you set the backup frequency using a simple GUI. You can choose from calendar intervals or set the backup interval to a certain number of hours, such as every two or six hours.

This might be useful for those of us who don't have their time-machine external hard disk plugged in all the time.

More Evidence Arises For Future iPhone Models In Latest Beta

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

As developers begin downloading and installing the beta of the next-gen iPhone SDK, clues continue to surface about future iPhone and iPod touch models.

Why do I get this feeling that Apple is messing with our minds, and some or all of these references are 'easter eggs'-style fakes?

How To: Fake The iPhone 3.0 OS On Your iPhone Today

by John mahoney, Gizmodo

So start with jailbreaking, then get yourself downloading these apps to get that fresh 3.0 experience before the software even drops.

AT&T To Sell iPhone Without Contract For $599

by Associated Press

Spokesman Michael Coe said Dallas-based AT&T will sell the phones starting next Thursday for $599 or $699, depending on the storage capacity. The new phones will still be "locked" to AT&T and won't work with any other cellular carrier unless they're modified.

InternetWorld Sprint 1997

by Brent Simmons, INessential.com

I remember thinking: how weird it must be for him, to be interrupted by fans at random times at these things.

And I remember thinking it’s not something I would ever have to worry about in the future.

On the other hand, I still don't have to worry about this for my future. :-)

Syncopation Syncs Multiple iTunes Libraries

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

As the name hints, Syncopation tracks what’s in the iTunes libraries of the Macs on a local network it’s installed on and when you make a change to one library, Syncopation copies the new files to the other Macs’ libraries. This includes not only music files, but also videos and podcasts.

PlayFirst Announces Casual Role Playing Game

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

In Wandering Willows, you have been marooned on a strange land after your hot air balloon malfunctions, and you have to go on a series of adventures to get home.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Great Chocolate Chase

by Richard Hallas, Inside Mac Games

Analysis: Apple's iPhone Shows How Upgades Should Be Done

by Sascha Segan, PC Magazine

Why can't any other smart phone vendors do this? Apple's upgrade strategy helps their users and the company in a bunch of different ways. It lets users buy iPhones with some confidence, knowing that they're not going to get left behind next year. It lets developers aim at the latest platform, without having to worry about supporting the older versions of the iPhone OS. And it keeps users with Apple because they don't enter a new buying cycle, thinking of new choices and potentially churning off to the latest new thing.

Review Delays Doom Promising iPhone App

by Lonnie Lazar, Cult Of Mac

Newber, the FreedomVoice Systems app that sought to bring innovative calling functionality to the iPhone, has thrown in the towel after having had its app submission ignored by Apple for five months, according to an open letter (pdf) published Wednesday by FreedomVoice CEO, Eric Thomas.

The War On Buttons

by Dan Fletcher, Time

There's a war on buttons. No, not the clothing kind; bulging American waistlines are the biggest threat they face. This war is against buttons of the electronic variety, those tireless servants that dot elevators, cell phones, car dashboards and control panels the world around. They're the perfect antidote to baffling binary of a switch. One button, one function, press here to power/submit/self-destruct. Simple? Yes. Elegant? Apparently not.

Work Begins On iPhone OS 3.0 Jailbreak

by Jennifer Guevin, CNET

iPhone 3.0 Update Is About Much More Than Just Software

by Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times

Hardware accessories will move way, way beyond car chargers and headphones.

Can You Trust iTunes App Store Reviews?

by Jeff Bertolucci, PC World

Despite Apple's efforts, the iTunes App Store isn't immune from the problems that plague other user-review sites. But it doesn't appear to be overrun with fakes, either.

Pwn2Own 2009: Mac Falls In Seconds

by Jack Schofield, The Guardian

Last year, at least the Mac lasted a couple of minutes before it was hacked. This year, it lasted seconds…

What iPhone 3.0 Means For Mobile Games

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

One of the most sought-after features game developers have requested is what Apple calls In App Purchase. This lets developers create additional content for apps that users can buy after they’ve made their initial purchase.

Psystar Rolls Out New, Compact Mac Clone

by Dan Moren, Macworld

Even in the midst of a lengthy legal disagreement with Apple, Psystar still manages to find the time and the guts to release new models of its Open Computer line.

More On AppleWorks File Conversions

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

Skype Offers Mac Users Free Wi-Fi

by Cyrus Farivar, Macworld

Sticky News For iPhone

by Ben Boychuk, Macworld

Unconventional news ticker a little too unconventional.

Kung Fu Panda Game Now On Mac

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Developers Enthused About iPhone 3.0 SDK

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

The mood of iPhone developers is enthusiastic about the upcoming changes announced by Apple. Though there are still areas developers would like to see improved, the "over 1,000 new APIs" already have them champing at the bit to integrate new functionality into current and future projects.

Developer Shows Working iPhone 3.0 Tethering Over USB

by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider

Confirming what Apple had hinted at in its iPhone 3.0 presentation, a developer has successfully, if unintentionally, enabled data tethering on the new iPhone firmware.

Apple Intentionally Crippled Bluetooth In iPod Touch 2G, Wants $10 To Unlock It!

by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet

The issue isn’t that Bluetooth wasn’t on the spec sheet in the first place, it’s that everyone’s who has bought an iPod touch has already paid for the hardware, and is now having to pay again to unlock hardware that they’ve already paid for.

Five Ways Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 Upgrade Will Improve Your Mobile Life

by Jennifer Bosavage, ChannelWeb

While preventing you from doing things that will more liekly run down the battery before the end of the day.

All Is Not Peachy At Apple Store

by Christina Tynan-Wood, InfoWorld

An Apple store quotes a woman twice what they quote her husband — to fix the same computer.

The Steve Jobs Economy

by Duff McDonald and Julia Dennis, Portfolio

A back-of-the-envelope assessment of how much the ailing CEO has been worth to Apple and to the tech industry overall.

Music Apps Don't Get Much Help From iPhone 3.0

by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider

From what we've seen publicly, third-party music apps still can't play while you're using the phone for anything else, such as browsing the Web or reading e-mail.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Analysts: iPhone Software 3.0 'Impressive'

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Apple Asks Company To Stop Using 'Podium' Name

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Lawyers representing Apple’s intellectual property interests sent a cease and desist letter to Procreate over its use of the names Flypod and Podium for its products.

WeatherCal Adds Weather Forecasting To iCal

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

WeatherCal creates calendar objects which contain that day’s weather along with four days of forecasts. The information is presented in iCal as an all-day event which you can read at a glance. Calendars and events synch to other computers or the iPhone or iPod touch along with other iCal sync data, using MobileMe or local iTunes syncing.

iPhone Dev 3.0 SDK Ships With New Ducking NDA

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

This agreement is likely to remain in place until 3.0 is released to the public. And, like the previous NDA, it makes about as little sense. Yes, the agreement prevents most public discussion of the new iPhone features but it does nothing to protect Apple's intellectual property rights from being discovered by competitors. Anyone can walk off the street, download a copy, and take a look.

Latest Beta iPhone OS Includes References To Unknown Device

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

According to a reader with access to the latest iPhone OS 3.0 developer beta, there is a plist file for a new, unknown device.

Push Notifications On The iPhone: Once Bitten, Twice Shy?

by Dan Moren, Macworld

The real question is: are push notifications good enough to keep iPhone users happy until a more capable solution is possible? We’ll have to wait until this summer to find out—well, assuming it actually ships this time.

New iPhone Software Has Something For Businesses

by Nancy Gohring, Macworld

The new iPhone software announced Tuesday has some features that should make enterprise users happy, but it lacks others that could have made the iPhone far more enticing to businesses.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

iPhone SDK Focus: Bluetooth Enhancements

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

The new iPhone 3.0 SDK will offer ad-hoc connectivity built on Bonjour-powered data sharing. This means that developers can build games and utilities that communicate with nearby phones without having to be on the same network.

iPhone SDK Focus: Maps For Your Apps

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

Devs can now embed maps in applications and access many of the same GUI features found in the Google Maps application.

iPhone SDK Focus: Application-Based E-Mail Sheets

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

Having built-in e-mail support means developers can let users mail items directly from within their applications.

iPhone SDK Focus: Buying Content From Within Apps

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

Among Apple's announcements at today's SDK 3.0 event, Apple introduced several new business models, including subscription support and end-user purchases for expansion materials. If you own a game that ships for 10 levels, for example, users will be able to purchase additional levels directly from their game using their iTunes credentials.

Interact With Background Applications

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

Push Notifications Lead Changes For Third-Party Apps

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

The long-promised push notification feature will lead an assortment of changes to third-party apps in the upcoming iPhone 3.0 software, Apple revealed at a special event at the company’s Cupertino, Calif. campus on Tuesday.

Apple Touts iPhone And App Store Stats

by Aayush Arya, Macworld

Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPod and iPhone product marketing, announced that the iPhone is now available in 80 countries around the globe, and that Apple has sold a total of 17 million iPhones—that includes sales of both the original iPhone and iPhone 3G—thus far.

Summary: iPhone 3.0 Update To Offer 100 New Features

by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

Topping the list is the ability for users to copy and paste information. iPhone 3.0 will also bring Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) support.

Singapore Exports Tumble, Shipments To China Rebound

by Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters

Singapore's key exports fell for the 10th straight month in February due to the global slowdown, but shipments to China rebounded, offering signs that the world's third biggest economy may be headed for a recovery.

Apple Issues Mini DisplayPort To VGA Adapter Firmware Update

by Katie Marsal, AppleInsider

Apple appears to be distributing a new firmware update that will attempt to address flickering and blank video issues on the latest generation of MiniDisplay Port-equipped Macs connected to external displays using the company's Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter.

Google Earth 5

by Nathan Alderman, Macworld

Google Earth 5 offers a wealth of educational information in a fun package. Its nonexistent price also makes its minor inconveniences far more forgivable. If you don’t object to the updater, it’s well worth a download.

Adjust The Volume Of iTunes And iPod Tracks

by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

iTunes and the iPod can work together to help you balance these differences in volume using a feature called Sound Check.

Apple And The Expectations Game

by Philip Michaels, Macworld

Assess Apple on what it does, not on what someone says it should do.

Will Ads Be Key To Free iPhone Apps?

by David Needle, Internet News

Vdopia thinks its ad network can help keep the cost of iPhone apps low or free even as rumors of a 'Premium App Store' from Apple spread.

iPhone Cooking Mama: She's Heeeeeeeeere

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

Ten Surprising Uses Of BBEdit

by Matt Neuburg, TidBITS

Although BBEdit, from Bare Bones Software, is not my primary text editor, I've recently observed myself using it a great deal anyway for various tasks, some which don't have all that much to do with editing text. Here, in no particular order, are the ten primary things that I do with BBEdit.

Pocket God For iPhone

by Lex Friedman, Macworld

There are no points in Pocket God, and there's no real goal either. There's plenty to discover, and everything looks great—but once you've "done" it all, the game’s replay value suffers. The good news: Bolt Creative has been rolling out near-weekly upgrades, adding new features (read: godly powers) with each new iteration.

Apple, Vendors Confirm iPod Headphone-Chip Rumors

by Dan Frakes, Macworld

iPod-accessory vendors V-moda and Scosche, as well as other vendors speaking to Macworld anonymously, have confirmed these reports, though calling the circuitry a “control chip” rather than an authentication chip. As with Apple’s dock connector and—more recently—proprietary circuitry necessary for iPods to output video signals to third-party accessories, Apple will charge vendors a fee, via the Made for iPod program, to include this new control chip in headphones and other accessories.

Third-Generation iPod Shuffle

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

If you’re happy with Apple’s headphones and don’t care a lot about navigating your iPod, this could be the iPod for you. I, however, cherish my third-party headphones, find a controller that requires memorizing a series of button sequences an unwelcome burden, and don’t need an even smaller iPod shuffle. Like the MacBook Air and Mac mini, the 3G iPod shuffle is a product designed for a particular kind of user. You may be that user. Regrettably, I'm not.

Mariner Calc For iPhone

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

Mariner Calc is a potentially very good iPhone spreadsheet application that’s presently hobbled by a few issues. It doesn’t support functions you may find in intermediate or advanced Excel worksheets, you can’t organize your saved files, it was somewhat unstable in my use, and you can’t transfer a file via e-mail.

Backing Up And Restoring Mail Archives

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

Apple Time Capsule Review

by Brian Lam, Gizmodo

Mac Sales Fell 16% In February Ahead Of Desktop Refresh

by Sam Oliver, AppleInsider

Apple saw double-digit declines in Mac unit sales last month but is nonetheless seen in good shape to pull off a March quarter that's fairly in-line with current Street estimates thanks to accelerated shipments of new desktop models this month.

Darwine: Mac Wine In New Bottles

by Alan Zisman, Low End Mac

Darwine is a free and open source project to allow the use of Wine on Mac OS X installations.

Up And Downs Of The New Mac Mini, Long Live The New Mac Pro

by David Morgenstern, ZDNet

The Mac Pro will hold its value and offer useful performance for many many years. A keeper.

An Explorer Drawn To, And Eventually Swallowed By, The Amazon

by Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

“The Lost City of Z” is at once a biography, a detective story and a wonderfully vivid piece of travel writing that combines Bruce Chatwinesque powers of observation with a Waugh-like sense of the absurd.

Is Apple Losing The Plot?

by Nick Farrell, The Inquirer

Things keep exploding.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Official New York Times Crossword Puzzle Game Released

by Blake Patterson, Touch Arcade

Get The Most Out Of Finder Views

by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

You spend a lot of time in the Finder, so learning about its many possibilities can save you time and give you more power over your files and folders. Mastering Finder views is one of the first steps to becoming a real Mac power user.

Ars Reviews iLife '09: Laying Tracks With GarageBand

by Jeff Smykil, Ars Technica

Boxee Remote App For iPhone And iPod Touch Available On App Store

by Aron Trimble, The Unofficial Apple Weblog

SXSW To AT&T: Free Our iPhones

by Dan Fost, Los Angeles Times

With so many iPhone users descending on Austin, the convention center has become an almost impossible place to make a call or get a data connection — on AT&T, the only U.S. network providing service to iPhones. People with Sprint and Verizon Wireless won't stop gloating.

A Bunch Of Comments On Apple Adds Still More DRM To iPod Shuffle - The Value Chain Again

by David Farber

"There is zero confirmation of an authentication chip, only speculation."

eBay Mobile For iPhone

by James Savage, Macworld

Whether you’re a Power Seller or just an occasional eBay buyer or seller, eBay Mobile is an excellent way to keep track of auctions on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Hardware DRM: Has Apple Joined The Dark Side?

by Lonnie Lazar, Cult Of Mac

Consumers have the last vote and to the extent it may seem Apple products are stifling competition, raising prices and limiting choice, Apple’s tiny devices will go unsold.

Review: Sponge For Mac OS X

by Steven Sande, The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Sunday, March 15, 2009

The iPhone Needs A Native Gmail Application

by Jason Clarke, The Unofficial Apple Weblog

The iPhone needs a native Gmail application. There, I've said it.

Maine Expanding School Laptop Program With Apple

by David Sharp, Associated Press

Despite the economic turmoil, Maine is expanding its program to provide laptop computers to students.

iPod Shuffle For Those On The Go

by Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times

The new Shuffle is out there doing its own thing, filling its own role, solving its users’ peculiar set of peculiar problems.

iPhone Apps Can Now Plug Into Facebook

by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider

Apple iPhone app developers will be able to plug into Facebook the same way Web sites have been able to for months.

Hit iPhone Developer: Not Making Any More Mac Games

by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider

Pangea Software has been making software for Apple's computer platforms since 1987. No more.

Why not? Because the iPhone app store has been such a huge success, the company is only going to focus its efforts on Apple's portable gadgets from now on, founder Brian Greenstone said during a panel today at the South by Southwest conference in Austin.

Apple Sued Over Exploding iPod Touch, iMac Display Issues

by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider

Apple's build quality has been called into question as fresh lawsuits blame the company for an iPod touch that caught on fire as well as the widely-known vertical line defect on iMac displays.

Playfish Brings Social Gaming To Apple Mobile Users

by Lonnie Lazar, Cult Of Mac

The Curious Design Departures Of The New iPod Shuffle

by Thomas Fitzgerald

Perhaps even more surprising is the lack of the word iPod anywhere on the device.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Apple Adds Still More DRM To iPod Shuffle

by Fred von Lohmann, Electronic Frontier Foundation

According to the careful reviewers at iLounge, third-party headphone makers will have to use yet-another Apple "authentication chip" if they want to interoperate with the new Shuffle.

3G Phons Exposing Networks' Last-Gen Technology

by Matt Richtel, New York Times

iPod Shuffle Control Scheme

by Lukas Mathis, Ignore The Code

It’s important to remember that not everyone will use every feature of the Shuffle.

20- And 24-Inch Aluminum iMacs (2009 Edition)

by Roman Loyola, Macworld

The iMac continues to be a desktop Mac that’s powerful enough to please both general consumers and professionals.

iTunes Autofill Opens Up

by Dan Frakes, Macworld

Well, as of iTunes 8.1, Apple has finally—finally—made Autofill available to any iPod. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t made the feature easy to find if you don’t have a shuffle.

Here I Am For iPhone

by Jeffrey Hatton, Macworld

In essence, this app is really nothing than a macro that automates location finding in Google Maps and drafts an e-mail with the link—and it doesn’t pretend to anything more than that. But it does that one task consistently well.

Apple Extends Beta-Developer Memberships

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

After disappearing from view while developer memberships started to expire, Apple has now e-mailed iPhone developers to extend their memberships until July 11, 2009. A short-term solution to the problem is good, but it shows that Apple is still working out the longer-term details.

The Headphone Shuffle

by Dan Frakes, Macworld

Apple's latest iPod is so special it makes most headphones obsolete.

Nopali Medical Office Software Adds Media File Management

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Nopali features scheduling, electronic medical record tracking, insurance billing, photo archiving, patient tracking, quote management, patient billing, office ledger support, patient documents and reporting and statistics.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Benchmarks: New iMacs

by Roman Loyola, Macworld

John Kramer Shows Us Why You Can Never Trust An Apple Rumor

by Apple Gazette

Kramer actually tells the host of this video program how important it is to spread a rumor about Apple to help manipulate the stock.

Tricky Choices Face Apple Engineers Working On Netbook/Touch Device

by David Zeiler, Baltimore Sun

VirtualBox 2.1.4

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

With the addition of hardware virtualization, support for 64-bit guest operating systems, and OpenGL support, VirtualBox has become an even-better free solution.

Apple Logo Modded As Secondary LCD

by Thomas Ricker, Engadget

Apple Revamps iTunes Review System: Now Version Specific

by TouchArcade

Apple added a new feature to the App Store customer reviews that separates user reviews based on version number.

Mystery Of Missing iTunes Genius Feature Solved

by Dan Moren, Macworld

"The feature isn't live yet, but it will be in the coming days."

Third-Generation iPod Shuffle: What You Need To Know

by Jason Snell, Macworld

When you turn on the shuffle with anything plugged into the headphone jack, it will begin automatically playing. So a workaround, especially for car-stereo types, is to pick your playlist and volume on the stock Apple set of headphones, then unplug those headphones and plug in your own cord.

Create Clickable Links To Mail Messages In Stickies

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

Here’s a simple tip for those of you who rely on Stickies as a catch-all for reminders, to-dos, and other bits of trivia (text or graphics) that you like to keep handy.

Making Sense Of OS X's Folder Structure

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

"I’ve never understood about OS X is the multiple Library folders."

Apple Plans iPhone Software 3.0 Event

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Apple on Thursday sent out invitations to select media about an event the company will hold at its Cupertino, Calif. headquarters on March 17, 2009.

The event will focus on iPhone software 3.0, the next generation operating system for the device.

iPhone book readers: eReader, Bookshelf, iFlow

by Ben Boychuk, Macworld

Trio of apps have their pluses, but also flaws that keep them from out of the head of the class.

HP iPrint Photo For iPhone

by James Savage, Macworld

I tested iPrint Photo with several HP printers on my local network with excellent results.

Review: Oregon Trail For IPhone Is Tween Crack

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

Oregon Trail the iPhone game delivered the educational connection it promised: it's bringing that part of history to life for my kids, captivating their imagination, and helping them apply their critical thinking skills to solving problems along the way.

Remember That Great Hike? My iPhone Does

by David F. Gallagher, New York Times

CBS To Stream March Madness Games Live To The iPhone

by Zach Spear, AppleInsider

CBS Sports announced Thursday plans to stream NCAA March Madness basketball games live to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch through a new application, but with a WiFi-only requirement and price tag of $4.99, many fans may choose to watch tournament for free on their Mac, PC, or big TV.

iPhone Sales Grew 245% In 2008 - Gartner

by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune

Apple’s iPhone was the fastest-growing smartphone of 2008, despite end-of-year sales that failed to maintain the blistering pace set in July with the launch of the iPhone 3G, Gartner researchers reported Wednesday.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Pixie

by Franklin Pride, Inside Mac Games

Pixie is a clone that definitely does not measure up to its 1996 counterpart. It takes a few steps back on difficulty and has almost nothing tactical about it.

Mac Mini 2009 Edition

by Dan Frakes, Macworld

The new Mac mini models provide the most significant upgrades to the line yet, offering slightly better CPU performance, considerably improved video capabilities, increased expandability, and better wireless technology. The result is that for the first time, the Mac mini is a computer that’s truly capable of handling the iLife suite.

Hackintoshing Can Be Fun, But You Better Be Ready For It

by Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times

Boy, how things have changed. Installing Mac OS X on this Dell Mini 9 wasn’t as simple as installing it on a Mac, but it was far easier than many of my experiences installing Windows. The Hackintosh community has three years of experience under its belt. Specific machines (like the Mini 9) that can run Mac OS X graciously have been identified and the techniques and software to make it happen have become increasingly simple and sophisticated.

Playing To Win Big On The iTunes App Store

by Marie Boran, Silicon Republic

At just 20 years of age, Steven Troughton-Smith is a student of digital-media engineering at Dublin City University, and also a successful developer of iPhone applications for Apple’s iTunes App Store.

Review: Things For Mac And iPhone

by Jonathan Steele, Neowin.net

Apple's Silence Feeds Talk Of New Gadget

by Yukari Iwatani Kane, Wall Street Journal

With chief executive Steve Jobs out on medical leave, Apple Inc. hasn't announced a major new product this year. That has freed the rumor mill to churn about what new gadgets the company may be preparing to launch.

Apple Cuts Down "A Real Tree," Shuns Charity Apps

by Darrell Etherington, The Apple Blog

In the email, Mokugift’s representative describes how Apple called them a week ago to inform them that A Real Tree would need to be altered or would be removed from the App Store. The reason given was that a new policy was in place prohibiting apps from claiming to do anything beyond themselves, and that any and all applications related to charity were also no longer permitted.

New Apple iPod Shuffle: Don't Leave Work Early To Get It

by Ginny Mies, PC World

I am baffled as to why Apple would announce immediate in-store availability, but not actually deliver.

Apple Updates Front Row, Remote For iTunes 8.1

by Jim Dalymple, Macworld

Apple's War On Buttons

by The Killfile

The multi-function button on the new Shuffle is different. Playlists aren't a bonus feature (unless you're coming from an older Shuffle), but an essential part of the product for which there is no obvious path to discovery.

iTunes 8.1 Now Available For Download

by Eric Silvka, MacRumors.com

"iTunes 8.1 is now faster and more responsive. You will enjoy noticeable improvements when working with large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, preparing to sync with iPod or iPhone, and optimizing photos for syncing."

Apple Now Rejects iPhone Apps Because They 'Ridicule Public Figures'

by Jason Chen, Gizmodo

Ten Surprises - Good + Bad - In Apple's Third-Gen iPod Shuffle

by Jeremy Horwitz, iLounge

Though the prior-generation model was capable of playing individually synchronized podcasts, the new iPod shuffle supports sequential audio podcast synchronization—it can automatically synchronize a series of podcasts, rather than just specific episodes.

Welcome To The 1980s—App Store Game Compilation Appears

by Craig Grannell, Cult Of Mac

Compilations were the other thing that broke 1980s gaming in the UK, since almost every half-decent game ended up on a compilation eventually.

Another Take On Apple's New iPod Shuffle

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

I’m trying to apply old iPod rules—one where the iPod is as flexible as Apple can make it—to a device that is clearly directed at a specific user—one who accepts it for what it is and nothing more.

iSynth Brings Microsoft's Powerful 3D Photo Viewer Photosynth To The iPhone

by Jason Kincaid, TechCrunch

Photosynth stitches together user-submitted photos of the same subject, allowing users to ‘fly-through’ the area by clicking on each successive photo. The technology works best in places and events with many user-submitted photos (popular Synths include the Taj Mahal and President Obama’s inauguration).

Is Apple About To Shuffle The Headphone Industry Again?

by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider

Is Apple in the process of reinventing the way mainstream headphones are designed for the second time this decade?

New iPod Shuffle Requires Extra Adapter For Third-Party Headphones

by Nilay Patel, Engadget

Yes, Apple's cheapest iPod is now the most needlessly complex, and far from cost-effective if you want to use your own cans.

Apple iPod Shuffle Tag Line: Stretching The Truth A Little?

by Thomas Fitzgerald

Well, if the whole speaking tracks thing sounds familiar, it’s because Apple’s own iPod nano has a similar feature called “spoken menus”.

Apple's New iPod Shuffle Mistake

by Kirk McElhearn, Kirville

While this new shuffle may be right for some, I’m sure that many users are going to complain about it.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

15-Inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo/2.66GHz

by James Galbraith, Macworld

Subtle update returns subtle performance improvements.

iPhone's Zen Bound Offers Beautiful UI, Great Puzzles

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

Zen Bound offers an extremely playable, beautifully designed gaming experience for the iPhone. Between its compelling gameplay and interactive delights, it offers very good value for its five dollar price. It's fun, it's stable, it's beautiful, and it offers something unique and iPhone-like in its current App Store incarnation.

iTunes 8.1 Coming Soon With Speed Improvments, Says Apple

by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

Apple's iTunes page lists out a few things that users can expect from the upcoming update (scroll to the bottom). Speed improvements when loading large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, and syncing devices will be coming with iTunes 8.1, as well as Genius sidebar updates that will include recommendations for TV shows and movies (right now, Genius sidebar only recommends music).

The New iPod Shuffle: Button, Button, Who's Got The Button?

by Dan Moren, Macworld

If you ask me, the war on buttons has gone too far. The new iPod shuffle takes a step back in both the usability and compatibility departments.

Jobs For iPhone

by Dale Gardner, Macworld

Time-tracker offers simple, though functional way to log billable hours.

Apple Unveils New iPod Shuffle

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

The shuffle has always been Apple’s smallest iPod, but now it is nearly half the size of the previous model.

All of the controls for the Shuffle are located on the earphone chord, allow you to play, pause, adjust volume, switch playlists and hear the name of the song and artist.

Me thinks that Apple has really gone too far with the no-buttons idea. You can't use an ordinary piece of headphones with this new shuffle!

Feeds For iPhone

by Kate Dohe, Macworld

App’s options, Google Reader integration make it a powerful RSS tool.

Apple Erases Prototype iPhones From History

by Charlie Sorrel, Wired

Could this be one of those handsets "loaded with fake software"?

Apple: Was February The Bottom For Mac Sales?

by Eric Savitz, Barrons

iPhone, iPod Prototypes On eBay Bug Apple

by Jennifer Bosavage, ChannelWeb

Apple iPod and iPhone prototypes were on the loose on eBay recently — but they were yanked off before they could be sold, at least through the popular auction site.

Apple Backs Down: Tweetie With Swear Words For All!

by Mg Siegler, Venture Beat

At the end of the day, we have what we wanted: A new version of Tweetie in the App Store (it should be live tonight).

On The Renaming Of Xcode Projects

by Arustisha

What constitutes “renaming” or “cloning” may mean very different things to very different people, and depending on how thoroughly you’ve embedded the old name in source, filenames, build settings, string constants, etc. you may have a lot of manual work to do in order to achieve the results you want.

iPhone Developer Takes Measures To Combat Piracy

by Aayush Arya, Macworld

Is The Mac Mini Overpriced?

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

I understand everyone wants the lowest cost computer they can get—so do I. But I think there is a point when the lower price starts to affect the quality of the machine you are getting. I would rather see Apple stay on the quality side of that line.

Create Application-Specific Smart Folders In Leopard

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

TextSoap Adds New Actions, Automator Options

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

TextSoap helps you “clean” text while maintaining formatting. You can clean text based on its format or format based on text contents. More than 100 built-in cleaners are included, and custom cleaners are also available and can be created.

Blocked For iPhone

by James Savage, Macworld

It is the perfect puzzle game for those quick moments during the day when you’ve got some time to kill and a puzzle to solve.

iTunes Store Gift Codes Fall Prey To Hackers

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

The secure algorithm that generates iTunes Store gift codes has apparently been duplicated by hackers. $200 iTunes gift cards are being sold in China for just a few dollars each, and the problem seems to be getting worse.

App Store Lessons: Navigating Apple Reviewer Pitfalls

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

When Apple's staff of application reviewers makes a blunder, what should you do? Sometimes, you should just roll over and take it. Agreeing to changes, no matter how inappropriate, is often the quickest path to getting your program into App Store.

Is Apple Lying About Layoffs?

by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider

Big picture, this means nothing to Apple's business. But it doesn't help us trust that Apple is telling us — or the public, or its investors — the truth.

Hands On With Elgato's EyeTV Hybrid

by Charlie Sorrel, Wired

The EyeTV has a ridiculous amount of functionality which I haven't even touched yet. As a straight up TV replacemant, though, it is outstanding —good quality and easy to use.

Apple Rejects Twitter App Because There's Swearing On The Internet

by Dan Moren, Macworld

Here’s the catch: the obscenity was in Tweetie’s Trends feature, shown at left, which scans the social networking to find the most popular keywords that people are talking about (and no, the obscenity in question was not "Kindle," smartypants). If there’s a naughty word in that section, it’s not because Tweetie’s developers put it there, but because people on Twitter were talking about it. It’s akin to rejecting the app because somebody was posting swears to their Twitter feed.

iTunes 8 Users Grapple With Missing Dolby Surround Sound

by Aidian Malley, AppleInsider

Viewers hoping to hear 5.1-channel Dolby audio from movies and TV shows on Apple's iTunes Store are being frustrated by a known bug that disables the surround feature in software.

Is Apple Turning Its Back On The Enterprise

by Erik Sherman, BNET

My guess is that Apple sees the writing on the wall and is deemphasizing even more the business market because it knows that is not the company’s strong suit.

Apple's Wozniak Using Twitter, Facebook To Survive Dancing

by Sharon Gaudin, Computerworld

Technology has long paid off for Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak and he's expecting nothing less now that he's on Dancing with the Stars.

Adobe Fixes Security Vulnerability With Acrobat 9, Reader 9

by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

Adobe on Tuesday fixed a critical security vulnerability in its Acrobat 9 and Reader 9 applications, which the company said "would cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system."

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Sid Meier's Pirates!

by David Allen, Inside Mac Games

Firaxis/Feral have done a very good job with taking modest-budget graphics and investing them with class and humor, adding that to a collection of rather simple but still engaging mini-games, and placing the whole thing in a large and vital world that you will want to keep exploring for many many hours. This game is very much more than the sum of its parts, and I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone looking for a great value in an immersive game, and who isn't too hung up on bleeding-edge graphics.

Pano For iPhone

by Tom Hesser, Macworld

Pano is an amazing app for creating on-the-spot panoramic photos without the need of desktop software to stitch the photos together. Developed by Debacle Software, Pano does a very simple thing in principle, but the results are incredible given that this is something created by a mobile application.

Tips For Making The Switch To Apple

by David Epstein, PC Magazine

Though it's become much easier to switch, old Windows hands can avoid feeling like rank Mac newbies with these useful tips.

Kindle For iPhone Not The Only E-Book Reader

by Suzanne Choney, MSNBC

Kindle for iPhone is not necessarily the program to have, but it’s a welcome addition to an already strong group of e-readers.

Apple Denies OS X Monopoly Claims In Clone Case

by Ryan Singel, Wired

Apple denies claims from a clone Mac maker that it is abusing copyright law in order to prevent other companies from making computers that can run its Mac OS X operating system.

The Case For—And Against—An Apple Netbook

by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

The rumor mill is churning once again after a Chinese newspaper says two companies are currently working on supplies for Apple's netbook. This seems to go against the Apple party line on netbooks, but we can think of two reasons for (and against) such a venture.

Jay Freeman Takes On Apple

by David Needle, Internet News

Jay Freeman stays plenty busy with his graduate studies in computer science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In his spare time he’s worked on applications for the iPhone, but now he’s competing against Apple itself.

Apple Retail Keeps It Green During Fire Sale

by Prince McLean, AppleInsider

In its latest effort to positively impact the environment, Apple's retail stores have initiated a new "no plastic bags" policy to cut back on the amount of unnecessary packaging it dumps in the hands of shoppers.

What Should Apple Do - Scale Down Mac OS X Or Scale Up iPhone OS?

by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet

Reminder: Why I Switched To Mac In 2005

by Dave Winer, Scripting News

I switched because I was Mired In Malware.

Sources Confirm Apple Laid Off Salespeople Last Week

by Tom Krazit, CNET

Despite public statements to the contrary, Apple did lay off around 50 enterprise salespeople last week, CNET News has learned.

Sources who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal confirmed reports by Valleywag and 9to5Mac.com that roughly 50 salespeople were let go by the company for "business and economic reasons," according to one source. An entire sales group based in Austin, Texas, was let go as well as workers in Cupertino, Calif., where Apple is headquartered.

Why I Think Apple's Touchscreen Netbook Is Real

by Om Malik, GigaOM

Just as it redefined the MP3 player experience and reinvented the iPhone, Apple is going to pursue the netbook opportunity. But it won’t be with anything like the cheap, anorexic laptops being sold as netbooks today.

App Store In Crisis As Apple Buckles Under The Weight Of New Apps And Developers

by Milo Yiannopoulos, Telegraph

Apple simply cannot handle the volume of developers and apps flooding to the iPhone.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Apple Shows Off Safari's HTML 5 Support

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Apple posted a page on its Web site showing how HTML 5 will change what we can do on the Web and how it will look in Safari.

A Personal Assistant Premium For iPhone

by Kate Dohe, Macworld

A Personal Assistant Premium is a helpful app, though not nearly as powerful as it could be.

iStudio Publisher 1.0.4

by Jay Nelson, Macworld

When iStudio Publisher 1.0.4 is updated to include a few more essential features, it will be perfect for people who want more power and freedom than Apple’s Pages ’09 offers. In the meantime, feel free to jump in and start using it now; the program is easy and fun, and the upgrade will be free.

Keep Working When You're Not Online

by Joe Kissell, Macworld

How to read e-mail, browse the web without net access.

A Gamer's Take On The New Mac Mini

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

I’m delighted to see Apple finally bring the Mac mini in line with the rest of the Mac product line, and make it, for the first time, something that users with gaming interests beyond basic casual titles will be able to enjoy.

Ars Reviews iLife '09: Publishing Online With iWeb

by David Chartier, Ars Technica

iWeb may not have received the majority of Apple's attention for iLife '09, but despite its drawbacks, it is finally the dead-simple Web design tool worthy of Apple's name. While iWeb still contains a number of irksome drawbacks and strange template design choices, the addition of choice via FTP publishing and fleshed-out widget support should turn a whole new set of heads toward giving iWeb a try.

My Trip To The Omaha Apple Store

by Jeremy Schoemaker, ShoeMoney

I left the Apple Store feeling more proud then ever to be an Apple user.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Did Apple OK Price Cut On Latest MacBook Air?

by Brooke Crothers, CNET

At major resellers, the latest version of the high-end MacBook Air is now selling for--hold your breath--$2,399 instead of the listed $2,499 on the Apple web site.

Dancing With The Woz

by Daniel Lyons, Newsweek

Jobs, his onetime partner, has spent the past 30 years battling with Microsoft over market share, flying around the world, haggling with business partners, screaming at engineers, introducing new products—basically living and breathing the daily battle of the business world. Woz has been out having fun. Which one would you rather be?

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Finally Made The Switch To The Other Side... (AKA: A Former Windows User That Moved To Mac OS X)

by Shannon McPherson's Web Log

It’s official. Apple’s Mac OS X is my favorite opperating system.

Loss Leader Not In Apple's Vocabulary

by John Paczkowski, Wall Street Journal

New Visions In Health. New Vision Family Health Team.

by Apple

Apple Mac Mini (Nvidia GeForce 9400M)

by Joel Santo Domingo, PC Magazine

Green and compact, the Apple Mac mini makes a good second PC in the house, or a great home base PC for someone with an iPod or iPhone.

Benchmarks: New Mac Minis

by James Galbraith, Macworld

Apple’s entry-level desktop benefit from new graphics chips.

Cydia Opens Unauthorized iPhone App Store

by Cyrus Farivar, Macworld

Kindle For iPhone

by Ben Boychuk, Macworld

The Kindle app is certainly impressive. But as e-book apps go for the iPhone and iPod Touch, it’s not the best. I wouldn’t “just say no,” but I wouldn’t fret getting hooked, either.

Nanny Mania 2 Game Released

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Gogii Games, Macgamestore.com and Mac Games Arcade have announced the release of Nanny Mania 2, a new casual task management game for the Mac.

TextTwist Turbo For iPhone

by Lex Friedman, Macworld

There’s room for a good version of TextTwist on the iPhone. TextTwist Turbo isn’t it.

Apple Has No Cluse What's Going On With Dev Contracts

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

Apple seems to be caught flat-footed and unprepared for the upcoming deluge of developer renewals for its iPhone program, Ars has learned. Here's what we found regarding the status of both ADC and iTunes Connect renewals.

May Or June? WWDC '09 Speculation Is Off And Running

by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

Speculation about the 2009 Worldwide Developers Conference has already gotten off to a good start, with two possible dates being thrown around. Will Apple schedule WWDC '09 in May or June? Only the Magic 8 Ball knows.

iPhone Beats Windows Mobil To 25,000 Applications

by Aayush Arya, Macworld

Public Radio Apps For iPhone

by Jeffrey Hatton, Macworld

The eclectic mix of news, talk, and music available over the airwaves courtesy of public radio stations throughout the U.S. would seem a perfect fit for the iPhone and iPod touch.

High App Spending Points To iPhone Lock-In

by Adam C. Engst and Doug McLean, TidBITS

With the iPhone, Apple is changing the game, because carrier lock-in helps AT&T, not Apple, and Apple isn't content to be just another mobile phone maker subject to the whims of the carriers. Instead, Apple is applying lessons learned from the Macintosh world to the mobile phone industry, and using the App Store and its applications as a way of generating platform lock-in on top of AT&T's contractual carrier lock-in.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Want All 25,000 iPhone Apps? That Will Be $71,442.69

by Mg Siegler, VentureBeat

The most popular price? While you might assume it would be free, it’s actually $0.99 — by a long shot.

EazyDraw 3.0

by David Karlins, Macworld

Accessible, affordable drawing package appeals to all levels.

Apple Issues Key Software Update For Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme

by Slash Lane, AppleInsider

Apple on Thursday evening released a firmware update that resolves issues with the firmware shipping on its brand new Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme. It also adds Back to My Mac drive sharing support to the prior generation of the wireless products.

Apple Store's Windows Get Georgetown Board's Okay

by Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post

After ordering the computer company to revise its plans four previous times, an architectural review board embraced Apple's new design yesterday for a store it plans to open on Wisconsin Avenue.

Apple's glass storefront is to be broken into panels, echoing the bay windows and entrances that dominate Georgetown. "This is beautifully executed," Stephen J. Vanze, chairman of the Old Georgetown Board, told Karl Backus, Apple's architect. "We're very pleased."

Apple So Far Immune To PC Price "Collapse"

by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune

Apple is the exception to what one analyst describes as a “permanent and structural” collapse of PC pricing and revenue triggered by the onset of the recession and the rise of low-cost netbooks.

Local Programmers Bite Into Apple's App Store

by Lee Na-ri, Kim Chang-woo, JoongAng Daily

Lee Chan-jin, head of the local Internet search engine DreamWiz, couldn’t believe his eyes when he recently visited Apple Inc.’s online App Store. There, Lee found that the fifth-most downloaded game, “Heavy Mach,” was created by someone named Byun Hae-joon.

Review: Apple's New 17-In. MacBook Pro Rocks

by Ken Mingis, Computerworld

For most would-be owners, even the stock configuration will exceed their needs by orders of magnitude. Apple's newest laptop should handle anything thrown at it. If you've managed to avoid the belt-tightening that comes with a recession -- in other words, you've got the money and need to shave a few seconds off routine tasks -- go with the SSD, order the faster processor and double the RAM.

Test Driving The Kindle For iPhone

by Carolyn Kellog, Los Angeles Times

Connect Flow Offers Updated FlickrExport 3.0 For iPhoto

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

Developer Fraser Speirs has released a new version of his FlickrExport plug-in for iPhoto '09, which offers several features over the built-in Flickr integration. A version for Aperture is also available.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

AirPort Utility Update May Be Problematic

by Joe Kissell, TidBITS

So the evidence suggests there's a bug in AirPort Utility 5.4.1 that prevents it from reading the configuration of existing AirPort base stations and Time Capsules, even when directly connected via Ethernet.

Review: Shivering Kittens For iPhone Ideal For Puzzle Freaks

by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

If you have ever found yourself addicted to Tetris, Bejeweled, Lumines, or anything of the puzzle game ilk, Shivering Kittens for iPhone and iPod touch is for you. Rescuing kittens has never been so addictive.

Analysis: Green Data Now Front And Center For Apple Products

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Environmental impact now included on product information pages.

Streamline E-Mail With Gmail

by Joe Kissell, Macworld

If you have lots of e-mail accounts, you can often streamline things by routing them through one account. Even though Mail and Entourage can check numerous accounts, having just one can simplify checking mail and filing messages (particularly if you use IMAP). It also makes checking your e-mail while you’re on the road easier (because you log in to one account instead of several). And if you use an iPhone, having one e-mail account means less tapping—unlike Mail in OS X, the iPhone’s Mail program doesn’t consolidate your inboxes in a single view.

Password Generator 2.0 For iPhone

by George Sun, Macworld

Thinking up a strong password when you need one right away is not always easy. Password Generator 2.0 for the iPhone and iPod touch simplifies the task of creating difficult-to-crack passwords for you by randomly spawning strings of passcodes based on variables of your choosing.

'Diaper Dash' Game Latest In Task Management Craze

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

PlayFirst, publishers of the hugely successful casual game Diner Dash, have announced the latest game to round out the franchise: Diaper Dash, a game set in a daycare.

Perhaps If They Think Of Their Win Mobile Devices As Broken iPhones...

by John Paczkowski, Wall Street Journal

We’re doing our best? Not the answer the questioner was looking for, I’m sure.

For years, the iPod is the best-selling MP3 player on the Windows platform, and Microsoft -- as a platform owner -- failed to embrace (let alone extend) the device. Now, we are seeing the same mistake with iPhone, just because Microsoft happens to have a competing product.

New Safari Browser Succeeds At Speed, Flops On Features

by Walter S. Mossberg, Wall Street Journal

My verdict is that Safari 4 really is significantly faster than its rivals, but that its user-interface changes are a big disappointment. They either add relatively minor eye candy, are catch-ups to features introduced by rivals, or actually make the browser harder to use.

Five Fun Ways To Waste Time With Google Earth 5.0

by Diann Daniel, CIO

Analysts: Mac Buyers Still Pay More Than PC Buyers For Same Hardware 'Guts'

by Eric Lai, Computerworld

With most PC makers slashing prices or embracing cheaper models such as netbooks, Apple could be dangerously out of step.

An iPhone Remote For A Media-Center Mac

by Jason Brightman, Macworld

Between Air Mouse Pro and the Apple Remote, I’ve managed to banish that keyboard and mouse from my living room forever. Now I can watch movies on iTunes, web videos via a browser, and just about any other kind of content I can think of, all while sitting on my couch with my iPhone.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Hero Of Sparta For iPhone

by Chris Holt, Macworld

While the plot is clichéd, the soundtrack is thin, and the combat can’t compare to higher-end console games, Hero of Sparta is one of the most entertaining and well-developed games I’ve seen for the iPhone.

China Unicom Confirms iPhone Talks With Apple

by Sam Oliver, AppleInsider

Bolstering reports from last month, the chairman of China Unicom has confirmed negotiations with Apple to bring the iPhone 3G to China, but so far there's no indication that a deal is close to fruition.

Apple: Sales Layoffs Story Not True

by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider

An Apple (AAPL) spokesman says Gawker's report that 50 salespeople were laid off yesterday is not true.

The Mac Mini: Apple's Red-Headed Stepchild

by Brian X. Chen, Wired

Apple's shabby treatment of the device still leaves plenty of questions unanswered.

iDracula - Undead Awakening 1.0 For iPhone

by Chris Barylick, Macworld

iDracula is one of the most fun games I’ve had a chance to play on the iPhone and almost can’t be put down. The title stands on par with anything offered for the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, has incredible room to grow into something even better with a few updates and the inclusion of Wi-Fi-based co-op multiplayer gameplay and I can’t wait to see what happens in the future.

Observations, Complaints, Quibbles, And Suggestions Regarding The Safari 4 Public Beta Released One Week Ago, Roughly In Order Of Importance

by John Gruber, Daring Fireball

Safari started life in 2003 as a fast browser, at least by the then-low standards of Mac OS X web browsing, and it has gotten nothing but faster since.

Login Items Are Exactly That

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

If you’d like particular documents to open at startup, click the Login Items tab and drag those documents into the list.

Avoiding Mac Buyer's Remorse

by Scott McNulty, Macworld

Here’s a dirty little secret about computer buying, Mac or PC: as soon as you unbox your brand new computer, it's out of date.

Tap Tap Revenge 2 For iPhone Out With New Features, Music

by Justin Berka, Ars Technica

The game includes a new look, new music, and a number of new features. Best of all, the application is still free.

Are The New Apple iMacs A Better Deal Than Dell And HP Can Offer?

by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet

If Apple had done this a year or so ago, it might have been big news, but doing it now, in a market where desktops are tanking I really don’t think it’s that much of a big deal.

Adobe Updates Lightroom, Camera Raw

by Jim Darlymple, Macworld

Benchmarks: 17-Inch Unibody MacBook Pro 2.66GHz

by James Galbraith, Macworld

iPhone Apps That Foretell The Future

by Michael DeAgonia, Computerworld

With an eye on what's out there now in the App Store — and what that inventory indicates about what could be coming next — I've sorted through thousands of programs to pick a few apps that indicate the direction we could see the iPhone and other future mobile devices take.

Amazon Unveils Kindle Application For iPhone

by Rachel Metz, Associated Press

In a bid to increase its slice of the e-book market, the Seattle-based online retailer plans to roll out a free program Wednesday that brings several of the Kindle's functions to the iPod and iPhone's smaller screen.

The application does not connect to the Kindle store, however, so users must access the Web browser on their iPhone, iPod or computer to buy the content.

Apple Gets Greener - And It's Not About Money!

by Gene Steinberg, MacNightOwl

The Fastest-Growing Category In The iTunes App Store: Book

by Ben Lorica, O'Reilly Radar

Mac Mini Margins, Not So Mini

by Stephen Wildstrom, BusinessWeek

As Mobile Future Looms, Apple Milks iMac Margins

by Tom Krazit, CNET

The reality is that regardless of price, desktop computers have fallen out of favor with the public, and Apple's pitch for the new iMacs—with a heavy emphasis on old-fashioned speeds and feeds—suggests that it no longer views the iMac as a product that is driving its growth, said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis for NPD.

Apple's $1000 RAM Upgrade For iMacs Better Come With Free Diamonds

by Devin Coldewey, CrunchGear

The problem is just that the iMac’s board only has room for 2 DIMMs. 4GB DDR3 1066MHz costs at least a couple hundy a stick. If Apple had allowed iMacs the space to have 4 DIMMs, they could sell 4×2GB DIMMs instead of 2×4GB, saving probably around $700.

Three Nightmares When Managing Macs

by Tom Kaneshige, CIO

Even as Apple readies new computers, companies continue to face daunting challenges supporting popular MacBooks, iMacs and Mac Pros.

Six Things You Need To Know About Apple's New Desktops

by Nick Mediati, PC World

There are a few things to be aware of before you go out and plunk down money on a new Mac.

The Neverending Battle Of Apple Vs. Georgetown Continues

by Unbeige

After four rejections over the past two years, Apple is apparently hoping the fifth time is the charm, as they've already turned in the latest proposal for their retail store in the Georgetown area of Washington D.C., after their aforementioned fourth rejection by one of the neighborhood standards boards back in mid-January.

Apple's iMac Price Cut: Is It Enough?

by Peter Burrows, BusinessWeek

Apple can slash prices, or crank up the innovation. Unless there’s more to come from Apple, it doesn’t feel like it has achieved either with its desktop line.

Apple Mac Vs. Windows: The Apple Premium Is Gone

by David LaGesse, U.S. News

The Mac premium has disappeared for now, at least among well-equipped consumer PCs, as Apple today revamped its desktop PC offerings.

AAC: Apple's Preferred Audio Codec

by Kirk McElhearn, Kirville

It’s worth noting that AAC is here to stay; it’s not Apple’s audio format, and more and more devices and software are supporting it. So if you haven’t understood this whole point, and still think that AAC is “owned by Apple”, think again.

Who Buys A Mac Mini?

by David Morgenstern, ZDNet

From what I’ve seen in the past couple of years is that the growth segments are Mac and Linux geeks who are using these inexpensive Macs as servers, virtualization machines and colocation boxes.

Of Course The Mac Mini Is Relevant!

by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet

While I’m ready to admit that the Mac mini is an odd nichcy bit of kit that looks a lot like a biscuit tin, I’ve had one in the lab for about 16 months now and the ownership experience has been a flawless one. The Mac mini is a nice, quiet system that just works.

Apple's Safari Will Fall First At Hacker Contest, Past Winner Predicts

by Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

"It's an easy target," said Charlie Miller, the vulnerability researcher who last year walked off with a $10,000 cash prize for breaking into an Apple laptop just a few minutes into the contest.

Ridiculous To Allow More Unsecured Personal Loans When Credit Card Debts And Delinquencies Are Ballooning

by Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net

Given this alarming rise in indebtedness and delinquency, I seriously question the wisdom of MAS and the Law Ministry in allowing banks to offer more unsecured credit facilities to all and sundry in such uncertain times.

With A Straight Face, Apple Charges $200 For 1GB Of RAM, 200GB Of HD Space In New Mac Minis

by Adam Frucci, Gizmodo

Now I hate to sound like a broken record here, but am I the only one mystified by the new Mac Mini pricing? Who's dropping $200 more for the higher end model?

Add-On Software Apps Make iPhone A Great Travel Partner

by Roger Yu, USA Today

Tech-savvy road warriors are enjoying a new era of handheld computing as more sophisticated smartphone software floods the market.

Apple's Desktop Refresh 'Underwhelming,' Says Analyst

by Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

Updates complete line, but Apple holds firm on entry prices for iMac, Mac mini.

Apple Updates iLife '09 Support, iPhoto '09

by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

Apple says the update improves oversall stability and addresses minor issues with internet connectivity, keyword import, and slideshow export.

Apple Jump-Starts Nehalem Launch For Intel

by Agam Shah, IDG News Service

Intel hasn’t officially announced the launch of its Xeon quad-core chips featuring the Nehalem microarchitecture, but Apple has started taking orders for new Mac Pro workstations that are powered by Xeon 3500 and 5500 processors.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Analysis: Inside Apple's AirPort Extreme, Time Capsule Updates

by Glenn Fleishman, Macworld

Apple Updates AirPort Client, AirPort Utility

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Use Smart Albums To Help Set iPhoto '09 Faces And Places

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

Djay 2.3.1

by Peter Kirn, Macworld

For beginners and music lovers, Djay is simply the friendliest way I’ve seen to have some fun with your music and start to explore DJing.

Peggle Nights Released For Mac

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Peggle plays as a cross between pinball and pachinko — your goal is to make pegs disappear by hitting them with steel ball shot from a cannon at the top of the screen.

Hey, Buddy, Where's The FireWire?

by Dan Moren, Macworld

Knowing the way Apple thinks, I bet there’s an engineer or two in the company who’s just bugged by the fact that the MacBook doesn’t have a FireWire port—it’s the kind of thing that irks the sort of people that the company hires.

FireWire 400 Reaches The End Of The Line

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

So clearly, this is evolution at work…but it’s still an evolutionary step that may cause some hiccups for upgraders.

New WIred Keyboard - Sans Numeric Keypad - Ships With iMac

by Aayush Arya, Macworld

It may not be as exciting as the new Mac Pros, Mac minis, or iMacs, but Apple also quietly added a new version of its wired USB keyboard on Tuesday, this one without the numeric keypad. Apple is so sure that this one is better, in fact, that it’s now the default keyboard that ships with the latest iMac models.

MacBook Pro Gets Small Speed Boost

by Macworld

Apple's New AirPort, Time Capsule Add Dual-Band Networking

by AppleInsider

Apple on Tuesday refreshed its AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule wireless products by adding a new Guest Network feature and support for simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz dual-band networking.

Apple Releases First Mac Pro Update In More Than A Year

by Philip Michaels, Macworld

In addition to updating its consumer line of desktops with new Mac mini and iMac models, Apple on Tuesday also gave its high-end desktop an overhaul. The revamped Mac Pro sports Nehalem versions of Intel’s Xeon processors and a new system architecture, along with a starting price tag that’s $300 cheaper than before.

Apple Releases New iMacs

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Apple on Tuesday refreshed its consumer iMac computer, with new 20-inch and 24-inch models.

New Mac Mini Gains Nvidia Graphics

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Apple on Tuesday introduced a new version of its low-priced Mac mini desktop computer, featuring faster graphics, faster memory and other enhancements, but still priced starting at $600.

Hooking Up While On The Go

by Michael J. Miller, PC Magazine

The Monday afternoon sessions at Demo 09 started with a session called "iLove My iPhone," which focused on mobile applications, including applications for sending voice messages over SMS, for connecting your address book with your social network, and for flirting over a mobile phone.

Mac Management For Windows IT Folks

by Ryan Faas, Computerworld

Tools and techniques for adding Macs to your network safely and effectively.

Apple Forbidden Fruit In Gates Household

by Asher Moses, The Sydney Morning Herald

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has banned iPods and iPhones from his household, the software billionaire's wife, Melinda, has revealed.

If PC Sales Are Down, Can Macs Go Up?

by Joe Wilcox, eWeek

During this global economic earthquake, PC companies will have to better manage production and distribution. Apple's in a strong position to manage costs and anticipate sales declines. Of course, that's not enough. Apple must also sell products, and that's going to be tougher with spending down but Mac prices still way up there above PCs.

Customer Refuses To Give Up, Convinces Apple To Give Him What He Paid For

by Chris Walters, The Consumerist

James almost got cheated out of CS4, the suite of graphics software sold by Adobe, when he bought a new Macbook Pro recently. He kept pressing the issue though, and his persistence and level-headedness finally, after several near misses, convinced Apple to do the right thing and send him what he paid for.

On hindsight, once the Apple manager figured out Apple is at fault but compensating the customer correctly is beyond her personal limits, she should have immediately escalated the matter upwards.

Apple Mac Growing Overseas But Facing Challenges

by Gabriel Madway, Reuters

As U.S. demand for personal computers craters, Apple Inc is getting a boost from overseas PC sales, where iPods are hugely popular but Macs have not been a major presence.

Although analysts see the international market as fertile ground for Macs, they say the growth momentum may be tough to maintain due to the spreading economic gloom, Mac's higher price point and smaller retail distribution network.

How To Manage Your iPhone Apps In iTunes

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

Here are the quick facts you need to know regarding where your applications are stored, how to delete (and restore) them, and what happens to your application data.

Dealing With The Madness Of Combo Ports

by David Morgenstern, ZDNet

If your Mac’s audio suddenly silences, it may likely be that your headphones port has been taken over by its hidden and usually silent partner. The solution requires a low-tech device: a wooden toothpick.

Apple Ready With New Time Capsules, AirPort Extremes

by AppleInsider

Apple is poised to introduce new versions of its Time Capsule wireless backup appliance and AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless routers, regulatory filings with the Federal Communications Commission reveal.

Apple Releases Battery Update 1.4 For All MacBook Models

by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

Apple on Monday released Battery Update 1.4, an update for all MacBook models designed to improve the ability of MacBook batteries to maintain a charge when shut down and not used for an extended period of time.

Apple Releases Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 2.5

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

The updated software adds support for two new cameras: Nikon’s D3X and Epson’s R-D1x. It also “addresses issues related to specific cameras and overall stability,” according to Apple.

Fortune Names Apple "Most Admired" Two Years In A Row

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

In an annual survey that asks business people to rank the top 50 companies they admire most, Fortune has bestowed the title of "Most Admired Company" to Apple for the second time in two years.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Cover Flow In Safari Is A Winner

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Having a visual way of seeing the sites I visit is a huge time saver, especially when you add in the ability to search your history.

Review: Painter 11

by Lesa Snider King, Macworld

Corel delivers 40 new brushes, tool enhancements, and a tidier interface.

Does Japan Really Hate The iPhone?

by Bobbie Johson, The Guardian

All that's clear is that while the iPhone might not be a strong player in Japan's mobile culture – and with no support for emoticons, no built-in TV, no multimedia messaging it's not a surprise - it seems that plenty of Japanese people like it well enough.

Not as exciting, but probably a bit more realistic.

Ars Reviews iLife '09: Making The Cut With iMovie And iPhoto

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

More demanding users will not likely be satisfied with the all the improvements. The new or casual user, however, will most likely be pretty impressed with the results they can achieve with a minimum of fuss, all with an interface that stresses results but allows for play and experimentation.

Apple Is Definitely "Thinking Ahead"

by Kim Cofino, Always Learning

If I wasn’t already convinced that Apple is the best choice for education, I certainly would be now.

Apple: Eight iPhone Annonyances

by Gerg Kumparak, Seeking Alpha

We’ve been using the iPhone for just a few months shy of two years now, and a few things that once seemed trivial have come to drive us up the wall. You’ll find no mention of the glaring faults (The lack of MMS, Copy and Paste, etc) in this list - we’re talking about the stuff that we just can’t believe made it through Apple’s user experience team.

iPhone's Misplaced Decline Button?

by Shawn Blanc

iPhone offers two different locations to touch in order to answer an incoming call. If answering from a locked-screen state, you touch the bottom-left corner and slide to the right; if answering from a non-locked-screen state you touch the bottom-right corner.

Local University Goes Green With Apple

by GottaBeMobile.com

Why I Switched From A BlackBerry Pearl To An iPhone

by Mike Elgan, Computerworld

Sure, the iPhone's battery life is still horrible. And many of the original flaws still exist. But the quality of apps, the user experience, from browsing the App Store to installing to using applications on the iPhone is so good that I was compelled to give up my Pearl.

Microsoft may have put a computer on every desk, but it is the iPhone that had put a computer in every pocket.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

In Past Month Apple Stock Has Outperformed Just About Everything

by David Zeiler, Baltimore Sun

AAPL’s continued above-average performance indicates fears over Jobs have indeed subsided (though any bad news or rumors could quickly reignite them).

I also think AAPL is benefiting from Wall Street’s consternation over where to put its money in such a dreadful market. It’s one of the few companies not going over the edge.

By Heng-Cheong Leong

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