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Sunday, May 31, 2009

Apple Now Charging To Re-Download Aps On The iPhone?

by Rene Ritchie, The iPhone Blog

Looks like Apple’s begun charging full price if you try to download an app you’ve already bought over the iPhone. This did not used to be the case — previously you’d be given a dialog stating you’d already bought it and you could go ahead and re-download it for free. Now the dialog says you can still re-download it for free on your computer (via iTunes), but if you want to download it again directly to your iPhone, you’ve got to buy it again.

Mophie Juice Pack Air

by Jon Fingas, Electronista

Shooting To Software Stardom On The iPhone

by Randall Stross, New York Times

“Apple doesn’t want the money. It’s a level playing field,” said Matt Murphy, a venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. If Apple likes the app, he added, “it doesn’t matter if you’re a one-person or a 10,000-person company; they’ll put it in ‘New’ or ‘What’s Hot.’ ”

Apple Extends Old MacBook Pro Graphics Warranty To Three Years

by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider

Illustrating the scope of a flaw in older NVIDIA graphics chipsets, Apple has extended its special warranty on the GeForce 8600M GT in certain MacBook Pros from two to three years.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

iPhone Applications Can Help The Autistic

by Greg Toppo, USA Today

ACU Students Pushing iPhone And iPod Technology To The Limits

by Brian Bethel, Abilene Reporter-News

Friday, May 29, 2009

First Look: Hulu Desktop

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

Much as I like Boxee and the service it provides to my Apple TV and Mac, Hulu Desktop is a pretty slick media player. Those who’ve depended on Boxee in the past for Hulu on the bigger screen have an attractive alternative—and one that Hulu isn’t determined to break.

Hands On With The Sims 3

by Chris Holt, Macworld

Winning The Clone Wars

by Ted Landau, Macworld

Maintaining a clone backup of your startup drive is a good idea. An essential idea, if you want to survive a potential hard drive disaster with a minimum of fuss. But even a great idea can occasionally result in frustration. With backups, the frustration can come if some software on your drive is unable to figure out that your startup drive and its clone are two different volumes.

New Company To Start Selling Mac Clones

by Dan Moren, Macworld

Zero Panic Migration To A New Mac, Part 1

by John Martellaro, The Mac Observer

Relaunch Creates Launchable Application Sets

by Deborah Shadovitz, Macworld

If you juggle work all day and find yourself switching from one set of apps to another, you can appreciate Relaunch.

Behind The iPhone-Created New Yorker Cover

by Lance Whitney, CNET

Exercise Diligence

by Straits Times

Members of Parliament were reminded on Friday to exercise due diligence when using unverified reports and to refrain from repeating unsubstantiated allegations in their speeches.

While they are entitled to be forthright and forceful, they should not abuse the parliamentary privilege and immunity they are being accorded and must remain accountable, said Mr Mah Bow Tan, leader of the house and government whip.

Leaf Trombone: World Stage For iPhone

by Jon Brandon, Macworld

Leaf Trombone is insanely addictive once you feel the lure of the World Stage and really want to compete note for note with other players. Sure, Leaf Trombone is hard and not perfectly stable, but it’s one of those games that uses an iPhone in a creative, compelling way.

New Yorker iPhone Cover Lifts Sales For Brushes App

by Jenna Wortham, New York Times

Artist Jorge Colombo may have drawn the dreamy, nocturnal cityscape of Manhattan on the June 1 cover, using his iPhone, but a software engineer named Steve Sprang built Brushes, the iPhone application that transformed Mr. Columbo’s swipes into digital strokes.

What's In Store For iPhone App Developers?

by Paul Brown, The Guardian

Whether you've got the skill to build a killer app, or just the idea for one, firms are fighting for the chance to get it into the App Store.

How To Reformat A New External Hard Disk

by Matt Neuburg, TidBITS

Reformat a new external hard disk? You wouldn't think this would constitute any challenge, would you? You start up Disk Utility, you select the external disk, you switch to the Erase panel, and you take a deep breath and click Erase, right? Wrong.

Apple Releases iWork '09 9.0.2 Update

by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

The release notes say that iWork 9.0.2 improves reliability when saving some iWork documents, and also when playing some presentations more than once during a single Keynote session.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

How Much Work Can You Do On An iPhone?

by Galen Gruman, InfoWorld

So in the spirit of finding out how far you can you go relying exclusively on an iPhone for work, I decided to spend a month using an iPhone 3G in place of my laptop wherever possible.

Economy Isn't Slowing Apple's Buidling Plans

by Jefferson Graham, USA Today

Apple said Wednesday that it plans to remodel 100 of its stores this year, to make more room for customer training and displayed products. Additionally, it will open 25 new stores, including a fourth location in New York City, and new ones in Paris, Italy and Germany.

Ramming The iPhone Into The Enterprise

by Randy George, InformationWeek

The iPhone is actually more enterprise ready than you may realize.

No Space: Mac Menu Bar Madness

by Kate MacKenzie, PixoBebo

It’s getting crowded and it’s getting ugly.

Apple Updates Shuffle 3G Software, VoiceOver Kit

by iPodnn

The software addresses a rare issue that occasionally caused playback to stop. A number of other bug fixes have been added, along with support for the new VoiceOver Kit.

International Distribution Of iPhone Apps Broken?

by iPodnn

The international distribution of iPhone applications is not being handled properly at the App Store, one developer tells MacNN.

Tweetie 1.2 Adds Video Support

by Jeff Gamet, The Mac Observer

Beyond The Genius Bar

by Ted Landau, Macworld

The Genius Bar is not the only place you can turn. Whether you don’t have an Apple Store in your town or you’re just not ready to jump in the car and go, you have option.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Apple Bumps White MacBook To 2.13GHz

by Electronista

Apple this morning quietly updated the plastic white MacBook to give it specifications that are at times better than the current aluminum model.

Destination: Treasure Island

by Ted Bade, Inside Mac Games

Destination: Treasure Island is an excellent graphical adventure game that offers a variety of challenging (but not impossible) puzzles to solve as you journey in this game set in the age of pirates and island adventures. The game offers great graphics, fun music, and a story line that had me hooked from the start.

FileBrowse Helps Organize Media Files

by Nathan Alderman, Macworld

FileBrowse is a beautiful, well-made media browser program, though how useful you find it will likely depend on what files you’re perusing. It can’t beat the Finder for everyday use, but it’s ideal for users with extensive photo or video collections.

Apple's Back-To-School Promo Offers Free 8GB iPod Touch

by AppleInsider

Apple on Wednesday officially kicked off its 2009 back-to-school promotion, which offers a free 8GB iPod touch to students and educational staffers who purchase a qualifying Mac.

Apple's Banner Ad Innovation

by Jeff Sexton, Futurenow

It appears as if Apple has figured out how to make animated banner ads un-ignorable AND enjoyable (rather than annoying).

Perfect Diet Tracker 3.0 Review

by Karl Hodge, Macworld UK

Eucalyptus For iPhone

by Ben Boychuk, Macworld

Stanza remains the most versatile and arguably the best of the e-readers for the iPhone, but Eucalyptus represents a glimpse of the next great leap forward for iPhone e-reader apps.

iPhone Luring More Customers To AT&T Than Ever - Report

by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider

Long considered a lure for carriers, Apple's iPhone is now believed to be attracting a full third of those switching providers towards AT&T — the highest ever percentage of converts since the iPhone was released.

Psystar's Bankruptcy Protection Filing Could Minimize Apple Suit

by Erica Ogg, CNET

Psystar, the controversial Florida company trying to sell so-called clones of Apple computers, says it doesn't have the money to fend off Apple's legal dogs. But with the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection petition filed last week, it looks like Psystar could have minimized the damages it may have to pay Apple.

Ex-Hacker To Cut iPod's Wires

by Mark Prigg, London Evening Standard

Apple's iPod will soon be able to wirelessly sync music with your desktop computer - thanks to a Norwegian ex-hacker.

My New Mac: Why I'm Downgrading From A Mac Pro To A Mac Mini

by Kirk McElhearn, Kirville

The more I thought about the Mac mini, the more it made sense. It’s basically a MacBook in a brick, as Rob Griffiths pointed out. Fast enough for most everything I need, and with 4 GB RAM, the only time I’ll not have an ideal amount of RAM is when running Windows. But it’s smaller, quieter and cooler than my Mac Pro, and uses less electricity.

It's Time For The FTC To Investigate Mac Security

by Ira Winkler, Computerworld

How can Apple get away with this blatant disregard for security?

iTunes Still Not Available In Some EU Countries. Here's Why

by Nate Anderson, Ars Technica

Mac Clone Maker Psystar Files For Bankruptcy Protection

by Erica Ogg, CNET

The papers were filed in a Florida federal court Thursday. Psystar is more than $250,000 in debt, according to the bankruptcy petition, owed mostly to shipping companies, the IRS, and the law firm Carr & Farrell.

Apple Amenable To Idea Of Pan-European iTunes Store

by Dan Moren, Macworld

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Control iTunes In The Background

by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

Apple iWork '09

by James Sugrue, PCWorld

iWork may not have some of the features of the 900-pound-gorilla that is Microsoft Office – but if you’re a wordsmith, a presenter, or want to do a bit of budgeting, then iWork ’09 has everything you will ever need, and nothing you won’t. Steve likes it that way.

New Yorker Cover Drawn Entirely On An iPhone

by Cyrus Farivar, Macworld

The Incredible App Store Hype

by Stromcode

The app store isn’t a sane marketplace at all, any more than the lottery is.

Make The Most Of The Genius Bar

by Ted Landau, Macworld

Five ways to prepare yourself, and your broken Mac, for a trip to the Apple Store.

Iphone Apps Are Google's Biggest Threat In Mobile Search

by Jason Hiner, TechRepublic

In my tests with the iPhone, I discovered that Google is usually my last resort for finding information. In fact, I typically only use Google search 2-3 times per day from the iPhone.

Automating Twitter

by Benjamin Waldie, Macworld

Jason Snell recently explained how to use Applescript to automate the popular Twitter client Twitterific. But, with the help of some simple shell scripting, you can also send quick status updates directly to Twitter from within an Automator workflow.

Monday, May 25, 2009

MathTime: Hinsdale Kids Design Math App For iPhone

by Mick Swasko, Chicago Tribune

You might think of flash cards and work sheets when you think of grade-school math. But now, thanks to two young brothers from Hinsdale, there's an app for that.

Sonic The Hedgehog Races Onto The iPhone. But Do Its Fake Buttons Slow Him Down?

by Jason Kincaid, TechCrunch

Is App Store Rejection The New Acceptance?

by iPhone Savior

While hundreds of apps get launched into the App Store each week, virtually unnoticed, the ones getting rejected seem to be gaining significant press that would otherwise cost developers a fortune or never materialize at all.

Worst. Mistake. Ever.

by Kate MacKenzie, PixoBebo

I was home again, naturally. Within a few days I was cruising on my Mac like never before, comfortable, safe, secure. Instead of feeling victimized by Windows PC’s hardware and software shenanigans, I felt comfortable, relieved.

Watch Free TV On The iPhone

by Etan Horowitz, The Orlando Sentinel

Apple's iPhone is great for watching TV shows that you downloaded on your computer and loaded onto the device. But since the iPhone can't play Flash-based Web videos, there aren't that many ways to stream full episodes of popular TV shows for free. Here are some ways to do it.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Apple Changes It Mind, Accepts Eucalyptus App

by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

Apple Could Invest In N.C.

by Jonathan B. Cox, The News & Observer

State lawmakers, who in recent years have been dazzled by Dell and gone ga-ga for Google, have discovered an affection for Apple. They're on the verge of changing tax law to entice the California computer company to invest $1 billion in the western part of the state.

Re: Apple's iPhone Channels The Prudes -- "Pick A Little, Talk A Little!"

by Pamela Jones, IP

I think what Apple is doing makes good legal sense. If you saw the recent litigation by Cartier against Apple, you see that people won't sue the 3rd party apps authors; they'll sue deep pocket Apple.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

App Store Approval Process Is Like Stock Photography

by Thomas Fitzgerald

Something struck me recently while reading about the latest seemingly unreasonable app store rejection. The whole process is remarkably similar to stock photography, particularly micro-stock sites. Many of the arguments made about the unfairness of the App Store could equally be applied to Stock Photography.

Prosopagnosia Connects Contacts To iPhoto's Faces

by Stuart Gripman, Macworld

If you suffer from prosopagnosia , you literally can’t remember faces. Swedish companies desibelle and GraphicLife have adopted the term as the name for a program that simplifies integrating iPhoto ‘09’s Faces feature with contact information you already have.

Cartier Drops Lawsuit Against Apple Over iPhone App

by Computerworld

Boggle

by Richard Hallas, Inside Mac Games

Cartier Sues Apple For Trademark Infringement

by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

French jeweler and watchmaker Cartier sued Apple on Friday for infringing on its trademark, according to The Associated Press, Dow Jones, and others.

Expanding Password-Protected Archives

by Adam C. Engst, TidBITS

When iSync Goes Bad

by David Morgenstern, ZDNet

Friday, May 22, 2009

They're Fast, They're Cheap, And I'm Out Of Control

by Farhad Manjoo, Slate

I've never been much of a gamer, so I've never had a DS or any other handheld. How did Apple turn me into a gaming obsessive?

DIY Apps: Now Showing On An iPhone Near You

by Cherise Fong, CNN

Just as everyone can publish their own blog on the Web, now developers are making it possible for everyone to make their own applications for iPhones.

Apple's 11 Most Intriguing Computer Designs

by Ashley Laurel Wilson, CIO

From the first Apple to the MacBook Air, Macs have been regarded as technologically innovative, beautiful in product design and, over time, become just plain cool.

More App Store Stupidity - iPhone eBook App Rejected For Including Karma Sutra

by Craig Grannell, Cult Of Mac

It seems Apple, not content with plumbing the depths by rejecting Tweetie for a rude word being in the day’s Twitter trends, has now rejected an e-book reader, because you can potentially read ‘objectionable’ content on it.

AT&T CEO Confirms Cheaper iPhone Rate Plans Considered

by Arnold Kim, MacRumors.com

The cheaper rates, however, would come with limits on the amount of data that can be transfered.

Typing-Expansion Software

by David Pogue, New York Times

Typing-expansion programs are so fast and effortless that I can’t understand why everybody’s not using them.

Clipstart For Mac Organizes Video Sans Flashy Features

by Jeff Smykil, Ars Technica

If you have been searching for a solution for organizing those three-minute videos you've been shooting, then look no further: for $29, you can't really go wrong. I can't yet attest to its speed with thousands of movies, but it is quite snappy with the amount I have in my library. Although the software may not have all the features you want in an application like this, I have a good feeling that this won't be sitting at 1.0 for long.

Globs 1.1.2 For iPhone

by Chris Barylick, Macworld

There are a few certainties in this world; the sun will rise in the east, your neighbor’s yippy dog will keep yipping at two in the morning and there will always be someone working to put out a good platform-shooter video game. Enter Globs, a platform-based, arcade style shooter for the iPhone and iPod touch by Chad Towns in which you take control of Nerdman, a geeky biologist who must explore alien worlds, shooting creatures known as “boogers” with his blaster while collecting eyeballs for scientific research.

MacBook Pro Goes Up In Green Flames

by Charlie Sorrel, Wired

Apple Stores Hosting SUmmer Training Camps For Kids

by Jeff Gamet, The Mac Observer

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Add An OS 9-Like App Menu To OS X With ASM Or MultiXFinder

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

For those who miss the OS 8/9 approach, two programs aim to fill the void.

Apple Job Listing Reveals More Powerful ARM Processors And Video Processing For iPhone

by Arnold Kim, Mac Rumors

Papers For iPhone

by Flip Phillips, Macworld

If you need access to scholarly research on-the-go, then Papers is certainly the go-to application on the iPhone and iPod touch. Unfortunately, this early release is reminiscent of the initial release desktop cousin—a great start that falls flat in a few areas. If the trajectory of updates are similar, I’d expect to see a more solid, usable application very soon.

10 AppleScripts To Make You Love Your Mac (Even More)

by Sharon Machlis, Computerworld

Why, when people were trying to get me to switch from Windows to a Mac, did no one tell me about AppleScript?

Sure, a stable OS with Unix shell access and a sophisticated UI are nice. But a scripting language that lets me automate tedious tasks and hike my creativity-to-boredom ratio? How come I never heard about that?

Search New York City In 3D With UpNext For iPhone

by Jennifer Van Grove, Mashable

Apple iPod Shuffle

by Nik Fletcher, The Guardian

Wearable, and designed to be used without a screen, it seems to scream for use when you're exercising, except for the fact it is at the mercy of its own headphones – ones that refuse to stay in my ears when walking, let alone working out.

How Apple Killed Java

by Alex Blewitt, AlBlue's Weblog

So, Apple has managed to kill off Java on the Mac, mostly through incompetance, slightly through focussing on the 64-bit as an upcoming marketing strategy, and largely through promoting Objective-C via the iPhone.

Stanford's iPhone U: The Rise Of The Armchair Coder

by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune

So the idea that anyone with a Mac, half a brain, and some spare time could download these lectures, learn the elements of Objective-C, snap together the pieces of an iPhone application like so many Lego blocks, and make real money on the App Store had a certain appeal to me. And, apparently, to a couple hundred thousand others as well.

Russian Clone-Maker The Latest To Take On Apple

by Jim Dalrymple, CNET

RussianMac is the latest company to release a Mac clone and test Apple's resolve to stop companies from selling its operating system.

In The Apple Doghouse

by Elizabeth Woyke, Forbes

Last winter, Mike Browne had a great idea: create an iPhone app based on President Obama's new dog that would land in Apple's App Store well ahead of the pooch's arrival in the spring.

Instead, the cartoonist got caught up in several months of drama with Apple that delayed the launch of his app to early May—several weeks after Bo arrived at the White House.

Why I Bought (Another) Mac

by Mary Landesman, Mary's Antivirus Software Blog

Why the switch? It's not because Mac is immune to malware, despite what Apple might have us believe. In fact, the advertising claims that Macs are immune to malware actually annoyed me so much I almost didn't buy the iMac. Then I saw the ridiculous Microsoft ad claiming that a $699 Windows-based laptop was somehow comparable to the $999 entry level MacBook. That claim was so ludicrous, I decided the misleading marketing field was even.

iPhone Not Sweet On 'Neat'

by Peter Glaskowsky, CNET

I don't really understand all of the decisions built into the code.

Formatting A Flash Drive

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

Braid Jumps To The Mac

by Dan Moren, Macworld

At first glance, Braid might seem like your typical side-scroller, but it also incorporates a set of unique mechanics dealing with time.

What Apple Could Learn From Nokia And Google

by Josh Lowensolhn, CNET

On the iPhone, you have one profile, and one profile only. Even if you turn the ringer sound off by flipping the volume silencer switch, you will still receive alerts and vibrations for incoming calls, e-mails, text messages, etc. Worse, with iPhone OS 3.0, Apple has embedded some of the options to turn these things on and off a little deeper than they were in version 2.0.

The Art Of iPhone Photography

by Doug McLean, TidBITS

The iPhone camera's technical limitations haven't prevented some artists from making great art with it, much the way artists have long produced amazing images using old or unusual photographic equipment.

Close The Java Security Hole In Many Browsers

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

Until Apple sees fit to solve this problem, how can you protect yourself? The only real solution for now is to disable Java in your browser. Here’s how to do that in a handful of the most-popular OS X browsers.

Apple Lags On Java Security Fix In OS X

by Dan Moren, Macworld

A Java vulnerability first patched by Sun over six months ago that’s still open in Mac OS X. Despite the recent security fixes in 10.5.7, this issue has still not yet been fixed in OS X.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Trivial Pursuit For iPhone

by Omaha Sternberg, Macworld

Amazon Updates The Kindle App To Be MOre iPhone-ified

by MG Siegler, TechCrunch

Apple's iPhone Takes Slow Boat To China

by Eddie Chan, Reuters

Apple may be underestimating the Chinese government’s tendency to want to control content — especially mass consumer content — and its distribution.

Apple The Storekeeper

by CounterNotions

Combined with the Push Notification service, Apple’s In App Purchase gives the company a level of visibility into customer behavior, purchase patterns, social networks and dynamics of mobile marketplace that’s unprecedented in the technology business.

Should Amazon worry?

Are Those Anti-Apple Microsoft Ads Actually Working?

by Peter Kafka, Wall Street Journal

The real test, of course will be actual sales data, and we won’t see anything resembling official numbers for this period until several months from now.

Eight iPhone Apps And Services For System Admins

by John C. Welch, Macworld

Since its release, I've been on an iPhone, and since the introduction of the App Store, my iPhone has gone from merely handy to a really useful tool. So, in no particular order, here are the things I use to make my sysadmin life easier.

Organize Pages' Customized Templates

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

Applicaton Wizard Makes Program Switching Easy

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

If you find yourself wishing the Finder had a little more power for working with applications, Application Wizard may be just what you need.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Earbud Static: It's The Heat, Not The Humidity

by David Morgenstern, ZDNet

An Apple technical note appears to suggest that iPod users this summer might consider wearing cotton and avoiding hyper-air-conditioned rooms when exercising. If not, be prepared for a shock.

Why Is Apple Rejecting PhoneGap-Built iPhone Apps?

by Marshall Kirkpatrick, Read Write Web

All My Mail: A Smarter Inbox For Your iPhone

by Jason Kincaid, TechCrunch

Want To Fool Apple's App Store? Plant AN Easter Egg

by Brian X. Chen, Wired

Despite Apple’s reputation for being a notorious gatekeeper with its iPhone App Store, there’s a way to sneak in content such as porn, profanity or potentially malicious code, with no hacking required: Easter eggs.

Why China Won't Fall For The iPhone

by BusinessWeek

Perhaps the biggest hurdle for the iPhone is that the mobile market has transformed since it launched. Two years ago, the iPhone was the only truly elegant palm-sized internet platform. The competition is now catching up, with several touch-screen 3G phones set for launch this summer. Most will be cheaper than the iPhone and many will have better Chinese language support, SMS handling and support for widespread Windows Mobile, Java and Symbian applications.

Stanford's Free iPhone Course Hits 1 Million Downloads

by Jim Dalrymple, CNET

Stanford University on Monday said its free iPhone Application Programming course has been downloaded more than 1 million times since being uploaded to Apple's iTunes U—a learning-focused area of iTunes—seven weeks ago.

Apple Begins Stress Testing iPhone 3.0 Push Notifications

by Prince McLean, AppleInsider

Apple this week enlisted the services of the Associated Press and called upon many of its iPhone developers to help stress test its new Push Notification service slated for delivery in iPhone 3.0.

Let's hope there's no MobileMe-like problems when iPhone 3.0 launches Real Soon Now.

Mac Software: Stepchild To Windows Versions No More?

by Tom Kaneshige, CIO

It’s high time Windows enterprise developers get serious about the Mac, Mac engineers say. Like it or not, the Mac’s ranks are growing quickly inside corporations.

Bento For iPhone

by Jeffery Battersby, Macworld

Bento for the iPhone and iPod touch is an amazing, versatile, and powerful application, making it possible for you to create databases and manage a variety of information, all from your mobile device. Combined with Bento on your desktop, the Bento app is the best, easiest to use database application you’ll find on the iPhone or any other similar device.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Why Apple Succeeds, And Always Will

by Joe Wilcox

Simply put: Apple doesn't play by the rules. It reinvents them.

Understanding Apple, Part 2

by Tim Bajarin, PC Magazine

The iPhone is cool, and MacBooks are neat, but Apple's real genius lies in its software architecture, where the Mac magic lives. And that tells us a lot about future products.

App Review: Twittelator Pro Twitter Client For iPhone

by Leanna Lofte, The iPhone Blog

It is beautifully designed and feature packed to make your mobile twitter experience quick and enjoyable.

Thanks To Hundreds Of Sometimes Free Programs, Your Mobile Phones Just Got A Whole Lot Handier

by Stacy Downs, The Kansas City Star

Thanks to mobile phone applications, you can lighten the load around your tool-belt toting hips. That’s because now there’s an application — or app as it’s commonly called — for a multitude of household devices. So far there isn’t one that turns a phone into a hammer, but we predict that’s next.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

iPhone's Success: First As A Browser, Then Apps

by Joel West, Seeking Alpha

Apple To Great Recession: 'What, Me Worry?'

by Dan Turner, Computerworld

That's good design. And good design sells, even in a recession.

The Music Store Apple Forgot About

by Jason Kincaid, TechCrunch

Aside from releasing more artist lessons, Apple would do well to release a tool that let independent artists and teachers build lessons on the GarageBand platform.

Caution Urged After iPod Nano Sparks

by Kyodo News

The government has reported another case of an iPod Nano overheating and urged people who use the portable music players to be cautious.

iPhone Music Goes Viral At Volt Festival Sweden June 6

by Lonnie Lazar, Cult Of Mac

Saturday, May 16, 2009

iPhone 3.0 Betaphiles Upset The Apple Cart

by Tom Yager, InfoWorld

Carefree users who must be first to run the latest, beta-est, not-so-firmware spell trouble for mobile app marketplaces.

Apple Execs Disclose Options For Boosting iPhone Market Share

by Katie Marsal, AppleInsider

Apple executives said this week they believe the iPhone remains in its infancy and went on to -- somewhat uncharacteristically -- reveal a series of strategic measures they may employ in the near term to help grow the handset's share of the booming smartphone market.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Bugs & Fixes: OS X 10.5.7's Ups And Downs

by Ted Landau, Macworld

Cleopatra Adventure Game Released For Mac

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Twin 1.0 Backup App Debuts

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Twin helps you back up and archive files to a variety of Internet based servers - FTP, FTP and SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3 and MobileMe. It also lets you backup files to external drives.

10.5.7 Increases Hackintosh Battery Life

by Jason D. O'Grady, ZDnet

Mophie Juice Pack Air Packs More Power For Your iPhone

by Jim Rossman, The Dallas Morning News

If you're looking for an external battery that works as advertised and doesn't look awful, especially during use, go to the Apple store and look at the Juice Pack Air.

Mariner Releases Paperless File-Management App

by MacNN

Apple, AT&T Named In Music Recognition Lawsuit

by Electronista

Apple and AT&T are two of several companies being targeted in a new patent infringement lawsuit, court documents show. The case was initiated by Tune Hunter, a company which owns a patent titled Music identification system, granted in September of 2005.

Are we at the point where the only software that won't get sued are some form-filling Visual-Basic application?

Restoring Mac OS 9 Desktop Click Behavior

by Adam C. Engst, TidBITS

Although I understand and usually appreciate the way Mac OS X interleaves windows from different applications, the one application where that behavior bugs me is the Finder. Specifically, I want to be able to click on any visible part of the Desktop and have all Finder windows appear.

Is Apple Barking Up The Wrong Tree With Grand Central?

by Neil McAllister, InfoWorld

Despite years of research into grid processing and HPC (high-performance computing), efficient parallelization remains a tough nut to crack. The systems that do it well are mainly purpose-built environments that are poorly suited to the needs of your average PC user. So why not just have those systems do what they do best and leave our PCs to handle user experience and interactivity? In other words, why are we trying to re-create Google-style parallelism on our desktops when we could just have Google handle the heavy lifting for us?

Imeem: Store Music In The Cloud, Access It On The iPhone

by Eliot Van Buskirk, Wired

The iPhone can’t compare to the iPod when it comes to storing all your music, but imeem’s new streaming music app could change that by turning the smartphone into a quasi-iPod. How? By letting paid users store 80 GB of music on its servers.

MacSpeech Dictate Gets 20% More Accurate With Paid Upgrade

by Nate Anderson, Ars Technica

MacSpeech Dictate has received a new vocabulary editor, new voice profiles, better accuracy—and a $54.95 upgrade price. Still, with Dictate being the only game in town, it could be worth the price tag.

How Apple Profits From The App Store

by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune

Steve Jobs said when he opened the App Store that it was designed to merely break even — and he probably meant it. The apps, which can increase the utility of a mobile device exponentially, are there to bring in users. The profit for Apple — as usual — is in the high-margin hardware.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Maximizing Your Mac Mini

by Dan Frakes, Macworld

Upgrading your mini is easy enough, but does it produce performance dividends?

33 iPhone Games For Real Gamers

by Charlie Barratt, GamesRadar

No-name apps with good user ratings are tempting, but usually disappoint once you realize the developers are amateurs and the scores were given by a casual audience. Marquee titles aren’t much better, selling you a recognizable name without any recognizable gameplay.

Some high-profile publishers, however, treat iPhone customers with respect. Some recreate your console and PC favorites with care. The trick is knowing which games to trust, and which to click away from as quickly as possible.

Report: Apple Made Just $20-45 Million From App Store

by Andrew Nusca, ZDNet

Apple Hires Former OLPC Security Architect

by Erica Ogg, CNET

10.5.7 Breaks Hackintoshes

by Jason D. O'Grady, ZDNet

Researcher: Microsoft Puts Mac Users At Risk With Patch Policy

by Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

A security researcher has called foul on Microsoft for doing exactly what it has thrashed hackers over for years: revealing information that can be used to hijack computers before a patch is available.

Smart Scroll 3.0 Broadens Software Support

by MacNN

Wiki Tap For iPhone

by Zach Okkema, Macworld

The App Store is loaded with Wikipedia apps that let you search for and read articles from the online user-produced encyclopedia. One such client, the free Wiki Tap, not only lets you access Wikipedia articles but offers a host of other cool features as well.

Apple Now Selling iPhones Online In Bid To Clear Inventory

by AppleInsider

In the latest sign that iPhone season is rapidly approaching and inventories of existing models need a push out the door, Apple is now offering to sell customers an iPhone 3G through its website and ship it out for free.

Drivetrain Rejection Highlights App Store Approval Flaws

by Dan Moren, Macworld

While previous experiences suggest that the application has a good chance of making it through the second time around, in some ways that’s just as worrying, since it displays the very lack of consistent rule application that makes the approval process such a nightmare for developers to navigate.

Memory Stick For iPhone

by Lex Friedman, Macworld

Because of Apple-imposed limitations, the iPhone can’t currently function as a true thumb drive. Memory Stick approximates something pretty similar, assuming you have wireless networks available to your device at each computer you want to move files between. The Web interface is saddled with issues, but with WebDAV allowing you to mount the iPhone right on your desktop, you don’t really need the Web at all. Once Memory Stick is more liberal in recognizing text files (and allows editing of them) and curbs that weird invisible file issue, it will become a more worthwhile tool.

Is The iPhone A Phone, A Computer? Or Both?

by Ed Sutherland, Salon

In explaining why SlingPlayer for the iPhone won’t include 3G support, AT&T broke new ground, equating the Apple device with PCs.

Personally, I use the iPhone much much much more as an internet communicator and iPod than a phone.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Steve Jobs Wins Approval To Raze His Old Mansion

by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune

Unless preservationists make a last-ditch effort to save it, a 14-bedroom house built by a copper millionaire during the Coolidge administration will be torn down by a computer billionaire in the age of Obama.

Apple iMac 3.06GHz Review

by PC Advisor

Pay the premium for this Apple iMac 3.06GHz if you need quiet operation, unparalleled build quality and elegant styling – in both hardware and the robust operating system it’s designed to run.

Apple Execs To Keynote WWDC, Issue Final Snow Leopard Preview

by Sam Oliver, AppleInsider

Apple said Wednesday that a team of its top executives lead by worldwide marketing chief Phil Schiller will kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next month with a keynote address on Monday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. that will showcase a final developer preview of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Apple And AT&T Playing Favorites With The App Store?

by Erica Ogg, CNET

There's a slight disconnect in what AT&T is saying and what it is doing: Other 3G smartphones that operate on AT&T's network can use the SlingPlayer.

Qu-s 1.2

by John Brandon, Macworld

Powerful notes application keeps you organized right from the desktop.

Vectorworks 2009

by Greg Miller, Macworld

CAD program gets major under-the-hood upgrade.

How The iPod Changed Everything

by Matt Hartley, The Globe And Mail

Digital media, and Apple's ability to provide it to consumers, has resulted in the company becoming one of the most famous turnaround stories in the history of business. Apple has consistently pushed the envelope with products and services that allowed customers access to digital media in new ways.

One can almost imagine Mr. Jobs having a sense of deja vu as he surveyed the smart phone landscape, baring striking similarities to the MP3 market in 2001. Sure there were entrenched leaders — RIM, Nokia and Microsoft with its Windows Mobile software — but Mr. Jobs believed, once again, that no one had the right “recipe.”

Apple's Latest Ad Takes Aim At Microsoft's 'Laptop Hunters' Campaign

by Arnold Kim, MacRumors.com

Apple's latest "Get a Mac" ads seem to be taking direct aim at Microsoft's recent "Laptop Hunters" ads in which a customer is given money to pick out a laptop that suits their needs.

What I like best in the latest ads by Apple is the single line: "And I'm a Megan." This, in my opinion, is the best response to Microsoft's "I'm a PC."

Review: Bento For iPhone

by Steven Sande, The Unofficial Apple Weblog

As a US$4.99 standalone personal database app for the iPhone, Bento stands alone as a professional and fast solution. It's even more outstanding when paired with the US$49 Mac version.

Do CEOs Matter?

by Harris Collingwood, The Atlantic

Steve Jobs, Apple’s ailing CEO, is scheduled to return to work this month after a six-month leave, but investors are feeling skittish. Every time he sneezes, shares of Apple catch a cold. Can a CEO—even one as talented and visionary as Jobs—really make or break a corporation? Many business scholars have grown skeptical of the idea of chief executive as superhero. Cutting-edge research reveals that while some CEOs clearly do make a big difference, many are merely the most visible cogs in complex machines.

Unofficial Software Incurs Apple's Wrath

by Jenna Wortham, New York Times

The growing popularity of jailbreaking has set up a legal battle between Apple, which says it has the right to regulate what can go on an iPhone, and the users and developers who want to customize their phones as they see fit.

Digging Into Apple's OS X 10.5.7 Update

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

Most of the changes here are below the surface, and as you’d expect with a nearly half-gigabyte update, widespread.

Request Denied. Is Apple Setting A Dangerous Precedent?

by Matthew Shaer, The Christian Science Monitor

The biggest danger, of course, is that Apple could cut down too heavily on new applications, thus threatening the very openness that made the applications store such a success in the first place.

iPhone's Database Not Worth Price Tag

by Mark A. Keliner, The Washington Times

I'd rather see the one of the most-touted uses of Bento for iPhone - the ability to have, manage and expand your Address Book more easily - fully synchronized.

AT&T Issues Official Statement On SlingPlayer's 3G Blackout For iPhone

by Chris Ziegler, Engadget

Look, AT&T, just tell it like it is: you're saying your 3G network would fold like a cheap suit if these apps took off.

Madison Avenue And The App Store

by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune

The two reports agree about one thing: Madison Avenue has latched onto what it believes is a hot new medium.

Entourage Is The Big Pothole On The Road To The Mac

by Cameron Sturdevant, eWeek

In my ongoing quest to “go Mac,” e-mail has been a real sticking point. I have found Entourage unusable for day-to-day work, and so have had to come up with some ways around it.

Apple Unleashes 10.5.7 Update Via Software Update

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

The 10.5.7 update addresses a number of issues, including some printing issues, iCal syncing with CalDAV and MobileMe, Mail syncing with Notes, and Parental Controls. It also addresses a number of general issues, including performance of NVIDIA-based graphics, Finder searching of network volumes that don't support Spotlight, syncing contacts with Yahoo, and logging into GMail.

Safari 3.2.3 Improves Security

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Apple indicates that the update is recommended for all Safari users, and includes the latest security updates. Specific changes have been made to libxml, Safari and WebKit files, according to Apple.

Hands On: SlingPlayer For iPhone

by Jason Snell, Macworld

ScriptPal 1.0.2

by Dan Frakes, Macworld

A solution to this menu mess can be found in Doug’s own ScriptPal, a nifty iTunes add-on that takes your iTunes scripts and puts them in an attractive, resizable window that floats above iTunes, disappearing when iTunes isn’t the frontmost program.

David Hockney Brings iPhone Art To Gallery

by Nicole Martinelli, Cult Of Mac

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Toddlers Turn To iPhones, Too

by Julian Guthrie, San Francisco Chronicle

Dan Frakes' 3-year-old daughter likes to play in the sand, finger paint and sing along to "The Wheels on the Bus."

The preschooler can do these things the good old-fashioned way. She can also do them in a decidedly new way: by using dad's iPhone.

Times Reader 2.0 Gets With The Times

by Scott McNulty, Macworld

'Peggle' First Impressions And Gameplay Video

by TouchArcade

Congratulations Michelle, It's A Mac

by Ed Oswald, Technologizer

Maybe us Mac users need to step back, let Microsoft make a fool of itself in its ads and never mention the platform itself, and watch as PC users still decide that the package overall is more important than the price. Apple tax be damned.

To App Or Not To App: A Report Offers Guidance

by Mark Walsh, Online Media Daily

Asking "Is An iPhone App Right For You?" the study from Forrester Research acknowledges the popularity of the iPhone and Apple's App Store-with more than 1 billion downloads so far — while highlighting factors brands should consider before racing off to launch the next Tap Tap Revenge.

Myst iPhone Review

by Levi Buchanan, IGN

Myst is still a marvel of design and narrative — it remains one of my favorite adventure games, even after all of these years. Digging into the iPhone edition of the game was a treat because everything was exactly where I remembered it, even if it took some poking around to jog those memories. The game may look dated to some, but these scenes have been nicely up-scaled for the iPhone.

Apple: No Jesus On The Jesus Phone

by Bill Ray, The Register

Continuing their policy of random offence, Apple has rejected an application that places the user's face onto religious figures, while changing their mind on the Nine Inch Nails and allowing a test for manic depression.

Apple Freezes Snow Leopard API As Software Near Final Stretch

by Katie Marsal, AppleInsider

Apple this past weekend distributed a new beta of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard that altered the programming methods used to optimize code for multi-core Macs, telling developers they were the last programming-oriented changes planned ahead of the software's release.

Understanding Apple, Part One

by Tim Bajarin, PC Magazine

Apple has been, historically, a hardware company, but the company's real smarts are invested in its software and services.

Apple Harpoons An iPhone App Due To Fail Whale Sighting

by MG Siegler, TechCrunch

Apple has a lot of silly reasons for rejecting iPhone apps, but Twitter seems to bring out some of the best of them.

Apple, Dell, HP Laptop Owners Sue Nvidia Over Faulty Graphics

by Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

Owners of Apple, Dell and Hewlett-Packard laptops have combined their lawsuits against Nvidia in an attempt to force the graphics chip maker to replace allegedly flawed processors, according to court documents.

Open Fire Gold

by Ted Bade, Inside Mac Games

Open Fire Gold is a fast action game, with terrific graphics, great audio, and is quite fun to play. It would make a great addition to any game player's collection.

Apple Rejects Bittorrent Control App From App Store Because It Might Be Used To Infringe Copyrights

by Nilay Patel, Engadget

iPhone 3G Can't Take The Heat

by Aayush Arya, Macworld

To prevent the iPhone from being used constantly in high temperature areas, which might lead to it not working at all, Apple has put in place measures that kick in when the phone starts becoming too hot for its own good.

Add Enhanced Audio Track To iMovie

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

Monday, May 11, 2009

Is The Apple TV A Stealth Games Console?

by Nick Spence, Macworld UK

Apple 17-Inch MacBook Pro Is A Head-Turner

by Cameron Sturdevant, eWeekEurope.co.uk

Apple’s 17-inch MacBook Pro is appropriate for high-value content producers and executives who desire a highly capable desktop replacement that turns heads when it enters the room.

SHoveBox Mobile For iPhone

by John Fuller, Macworld

Citrix Demos Of A New Kind Of Virtual Machine For Mac

by Arnold Kim, Mac Rumors

Demands On Network Are An iPhone Hang-Up

by Martin Peers, Wall Street Journal

Web applications popular with iPhone customers are bandwidth hogs.

Should Apple Be Arbiter Of Taste For iPhone Apps?

by Rita Chang, Advertising Age

Yeah, they have an app for that. But should they?

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Should Apple Enable DVD Ripping In iTunes?

by Rene Ritchie, The iPhone Blog

Of course, savvy consumers are already doing this with free, third party programs, and perhaps Apple is happy enough with the status quo. It’s less expensive for them that way, and doesn’t offend the same media companies Apple has deals with for iTunes rentals and downloads.

Apple Wired Keyboard (Compact) Review

by TechRadar UK

A Million "Illegal" iPhones In China

by ChinaStakes.com

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Latest Mobile Phone Technology Gives Birdwatchers A Flying Start

by Roger Ratcliffe, Yorkshire Post

All the information you could possibly need to positively identify a bird – plumage, song, flight, feeding habits – fits easily onto the new generation of mobile phones and MP3 players.

Trio Of Programs Increase Usability Of Twitter

by Glenn Fleishman, Seattle Times

Apple's Popular Electronic Playground

by Seth Schiesel, New York Times

Apple hasn’t been this relevant in video games — and video games have not been so relevant to Apple — since the early 1980s, when the Apple II was a major platform for computer games.

It is about time.

Twitterific 2.0 Improves User Interface, Searches

by iPodNN

The v2.0 release has a redesigned user interface aimed at being more customizable, with new themes and timeline layouts. The timeline now also includes filtering, enabling users to more rapidly sort through updates.

Pro Tools 8 - A Solid Upgrade

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

The list of new features in Pro Tools 8 is very long, but the company did a great job putting it all together.

In Praise Of Directory

by John C. Welch, Macworld

Oft-overlooked application holds a ton of useful functionality for Mac networks.

Crash And Relaunch Doesn't Work As Expected

by Ted Landau, Macworld

When a program crashes (what Apple euphemistically describes as an “unexpected quit”), that’s enough trouble all by itself. The last thing you need is an Apple dialog that misinforms you about what will happen next. But this is apparently what occurs.

Apple Changes To App Store Review Policy Worry Developers

by Erica Sadun, Ars Technica

Apple has always stood behind its public APIs, guaranteeing that bug-free programs that ran under earlier firmware would continue to run in later releases. Developers worry, though, that solid 2.x applications may not run properly under 3.0, causing them to lose their place in App Store.

MacBook Users: Turn Off This Bluetooth Default Setting Now

by Brian X. Chen, Wired

Last night I discovered an incredibly dumb — and what I consider to be dangerous — setting enabled by default in my unibody MacBook Pro. In the Bluetooth preferences, it’s the box checkmarked “Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer.” Sounds innocent enough, but it could’ve killed my computer.

Friday, May 8, 2009

4 Ways To Stay In The Loop With Your iPhone

by Dan Moren, Macworld

Media-loving apps that connect you to news, radio, and your blog.

Apple's Pricey Notebooks: Time For A Change

by Stephen Wildstrom, BusinessWeek

The problem for Apple is that the company’s position in notebooks seems unsustainable if it wants to maintain or grow its market share and stay a significant player in the mainstream market.

CopyWrite For Writers Has The Write Stuff

by John Martellaro, The Mac Observer

Lightweight, simple, focused, and devoid of anxiety inducing complexities that can stymie the creative writing process.

BBEdit 9.2 Adds Sleep State, LassoScript

by MacNN

New to v9.2 is a Sleep option, which remembers the exact state of the application from when it was last used.

impossible2Possible: Inspirational Expeditions

by Dustin Driver, Apple

Nothing gets kids motivated like a grueling expedition across the frozen wastes of Antarctica. That’s what extreme-distance athletes Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and Richard Weber discovered during their 2008 South Pole Quest, a perilous 680-mile, 34-day trek to the South Pole — on foot.

Of course, the team didn’t actually bring any kids with them. They live-blogged the whole thing via MacBook Pro-equipped base camps, so kids throughout the world could join the expedition virtually.

Horror Game The Path Arrives For Mac

by Brad Cook, The Mac Observer

Google Confirms FTC 'Discussion' Pending Over Schmidt-Apple Relationship

by Tom Krazit, CNET

Google confirmed that the Federal Trade Commission plans to hold discussions with the company over a possible conflict of interest due to CEO Eric Schmidt's participation on both Google and Apple's board of directors.

App Store Submissions Now Being Reviewed For IPhone OS 3.0 Compatibility

by MacRumors

In an e-mail sent out to registered iPhone developers a short time ago, Apple announced that starting today, all applications submitted for App Store approval will be reviewed using iPhone OS 3.0 to ensure compatibility with the forthcoming operating system.

Mailplane 2.0.9

by Dan Frakes, Macworld

Mailplane gives you the unique features of Gmail in a standalone e-mail client.

Safe Sleep And The 'White Screen Of Death'

by Derik DeLong, Macworld

When your MacBook wakes and all it shows is a white screen, it may not always be a failed hard drive.

Nine Inch Nails IPhone App Update Approved, Reports Reznor

by Macworld

Apple has approved the update to Nine Inch Nails' iPhone app.

Speed Up IPhoto '09 Operations On Some Macs

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

A simple tip could speed up iPhoto operations for those with older hardware and/or large iPhoto libraries.

Heavy Reading Made Light

by Roy Furchgott, New York Times

The iPhone app “Classic” puts 20 great books on your phone for 99 cents.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

7 Surprising Uses For The iPhone's Camera

by Kelly Turner, Macworld

These days, a 2-megapixel camera may not seem like much. But add Web access, a pocket-size Mac, and third-party apps to the mix, and presto! That humble camera is now a personal assistant and digital artist in one. Here are just a few of the ways you can extend your camera.

Peggle Nights

by Michael Scarpelli, Inside Mac Games

A game this well-crafted with such a clear focus on provided an extended and extensible gameplay experience for the gamer is well worth purchasing.

iTunes: Prices Up, Revenue Down?

by Andrew Orlowski, The Register

Watching Hulu (And Much More) On Your Apple TV

by Ted Landau, The Mac Observer

Are Mobile Web Browsers Even Necessary?

by Brighthand

I mean, for all that we are using mobile devices to do, browsing actually seems to be the least pleasurable task. So why do we harp about with different mobile browsers? Are we missing the mobile paradigm of use completely?

T-Mobile Provides iPhone Support Despite Not Offering iPhone

by Alex Chasick, The Consumerist

Supporting a phone they don't offer and awarding a service credit? Well done, T-Mobile.

Quickoffice Brings Editing To iPhones, But Put It On Hold

by Walter S. Mossberg, Wall Street Journal

Quickoffice is an OK start, but it needs a lot of work.

Six Things I Learned From Losing My iPhone 3G

by Steven Sande, The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Prediction: Apple Will Recommend Security Software

by Jon Oitsik, CNET

As an analyst, it is my job to follow the industry, internalize trends, and then use this information to make predictions. OK, here goes: Within the next 18 months, Apple will begin recommending that Macintosh users install Internet security software on all systems.

Actually, if such a need arises, I expect Apple to build security into the operating system, and customers still do not need to install additional security software.

Wild West Pinball For iPhone

by Jeff Phillips, Macworld

Pinball wizzards and novices will enjoy this fun, eye-catching game.

Capturing Video Over HDMI

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

L.A. Times News Reader For iPhone

by Ben Boychuk, Macworld

Newspaper’s mobile app looks amateurish.

Totally agree, this app is not usable for someone who is standing in a bus reading on the iPhone on one hand while the other hand is holding on for his dear life.

Bank Of America Still Not Ready For iPhone

by Matt Hamblen, Computerworld

Bank of America runs a mobile banking application on the iPhone smartphone, but the bank does not allow its many employees to use it at work, a bank official said at the Go Mobile 2009 in San Francisco.

Their biggest concern is that the bank can’t centrally manage the iPhone as easily as it can BlackBerry devices from Research in Motion, said Jamie Young, vice president of enterprise technology for Bank of America.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Take Control Of Your Dock(s) With DragThing

by Chris Bowler, The Weekly Review

Dock usage is so varied from user to user that it’s inevitable that the default OS X Dock does not meet everyone’s needs and is often criticized. Your Dock needs may be completely different than what I’ve described above in my own setup. But with DragThing, you have the ability and customization available to create the Dock(s) that fits just right with the way you use your Mac.

Commander: Napoleon At War

by Chris Holt, Macworld

Commander: Napoleon at War is for dedicated strategy fans that have a passion for history, engrossing (and long) engagements and don’t mind seeing the exposed seams in the game’s fabric. The exceedingly stupid enemy AI and strange tactical limitations handicap what otherwise is a strong combination of historical accuracy and easy-to-learn strategic fun.

AT&T Finally Releases What Should Have Been The First iPhone App

by MG Siegler, MobileCrunch

It allows users to view and pay their wireless bills from the iPhone. You can also see your current usage and add or remove features from your plan.

10 iPhone Apps For Foodies

by Wendy Sheehan Donnell, PC Magazine

Hungry? We've scoured the App Store to bring you the most satisfying food-centric apps.

Apple Yanks Incriminating Advertisement

by Matthew Shaer, The Christian Science Monitor

Luxor 3 Adds 140 New Levels Of Gameplay

by MacNN

MumboJumbo has released an update to its Mac game, Luxor 3, which features 140 new levels of gameplay. The latest version also features a new reflector to bounce the game balls on.

PopCap Launches Plants Vs. Zombies On Macs

by Brad Cook, The Mac Observer

PopCap on Tuesday released Plants vs. Zombies, a humorous action-strategy game in the "tower defense" vein for Mac and PC. Players stop an army of marauding zombies from overwhelming their pristine front yards by purchasing and planting a wide range of flowers, vines, trees, and other flora with various types of zombie-fighting abilities.

Apple, Opera Slammed Over Browser Patch Regimes

by Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service

Apple and Opera lag behind Google and Mozilla when it comes to distributing Web browser updates due to how they've structured their patch programs, according to new research.

Big Kindle, Little Phone: Which Will It Be?

by Steve Outing

For me, the iPhone changed my life, and for the first time in my life I have an organization system that I regularly use and is always with me. The reason is simple enough: My iPhone is always with me (even on a mountain bike ride miles away from cell service).

Apple To Replace Water-Damaged iPhones For $199

by Slash Lane, AppleInsider

Careless iPhone owners who've submerged their handsets in some form of liquid can now take Apple up on an unadvertised policy that offers replacements for a flat fee of $199.

Apple Sued Over Reputed Fire Hazard Of MagSafe Power Adapter

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

A class action lawsuit filed last week claims Apple has been negligent in dealing with a known flaw in its MagSafe power adapters. A problem with fraying wires, says the suit, is a dangerous fire hazard.

The Future Of Internet TV (In America)

by I, Cringely

Follow the money.

Accessing Network Media With Boxee, Plex, And XBMC

by Christopher Breen, Macworld

Because playing networked content can be a head-scratcher I thought I’d run through the steps for configuring each of these applications.

Solve An Obscure Back To My Mac Issue

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Linking To A Remote Village, Via iPod

by Jaume Tapies and Joan Raymond, New York Times

Apparently, she had never seen an iPod, and once I explained what it was, she was absolutely fascinated and entranced by the technology. When I told her to place the buds in her ears, she broke out into a beautiful smile, just like a child on Christmas morning.

Take that, you music-sharing Zunes.

SousChef 1.2 Cooks Up Metric Conversions, Adds Recipes

by Kate Marshall, Macworld

Why Firefox Is My Preferred Browser

by Rob Griffiths, Macworld

For the way I use the Web, Firefox’s URL handling (along with its add-ons) makes it my preferred browser.

11 Ways To Sync Your Data With An iPhone

by Christopher Breen, Dan Frakes, Macworld

Can your data appear in two places at once? With a little sleight of hand and the help of some smart apps, you can access your calendar, your files, and even your Mac’s desktop from just about anywhere.

Companies Shed Initial Resistance To iPhone

by Rachael King, BusinessWeek

Despite such worries as data security, IT staffs are beginning to support Apple's device—especially if the CEO starts carrying one.

FileMaker Releases Bento For iPhone, Bento 2.0v4

by MacNN

Ahead of what is expected to be the official release later today, FileMaker has updated its Bento 2.0v4 software with stability fixes, performance enhancements, and other changes along with a iPhone version of its Bento database application.

Antitrust Investigation Of Apple And Google Connections Doesn't Add Up

by Pete Mortensen, Cult Of Mac

Out here, it’s only natural that you would simultaneously compete and collaborate. You share secrets and then try to use them against each other. It’s in the DNA here. But the law, as they, is blind.

Evidence Points To 3G Radios In MacBooks, Tablets?

by Seth Weintraub, Computerworld

What is clear is that Apple is testing 3G wireless hardware in new Apple CPU products in the Mac group. And if they are in hurry-up "time pressure and stress" software QA mode at this point, it means that we'll see some hardware relatively soon.

Apple And Google Ties Investigated

by Miguel Helft and Brad Stone, New York Times

The Federal Trade Commission has begun an inquiry into whether the close ties among the boards of two of technology’s most prominent companies, Apple and Google, amounts to a violation of antitrust laws, according to several people briefed on the inquiry.

Apple and Google share two directors, Eric E. Schmidt, the chief executive of Google, and Arthur Levinson, the former chief executive of Genentech. The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 prohibits a person’s presence on the board of two rival companies when it would reduce competition between them.

Apple Hints App Store Rules May Loosen With iPhone OS 3.0

by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider

Following the rejection of an iPhone app for content the developer didn't produce itself, Apple has given signs it may allow more risque software on the App Store once iPhone OS 3.0 and its enhanced parental locks become a reality.

Will there be a 'we-have-not-review-this use-at-your-own-risk' rating?

Apple's Cash Reserves Offer No Hint Of Future Plans

by Reuters

Apple Inc has nearly $29 billion of cash on hand, a pile of money exceeded at only one other tech company, but if the past is any guide stockholders aren't likely to share in the wealth any time soon.

Apple, spend some of it in searching and hiring good people.

A Closer Look At EA's 'Tiger Woods PGA Tour'

by Blake Patterson, TouchArcade

MacBooks Sweep Consumer Reports Laptop Ratings

by Dan Moren, Macworld

The MacBooks bested their competitors, despite the lower cost of many of the Windows machines rated.

Apple v. EFF: The iPhone Jailbreaking Showdown

by David Kravets, Wired

At stake for Apple is the very closed business model Apple has enjoyed since 2007, when the iPhone debuted.

On the other hand, Apple has never had its business plan rely on the argument that jailbreaking is illegal.

Debitinator 3 Debt Management App Adds Transaction Ledger

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Debitnator generates payment plans to help you deal with your debt in optimal fashion. New in version 3, Debtinator adds a transaction ledger to help you track financial activity you’ve already made.

Chinese iPhone Apps Expand As Apple Seeks Deal

by Owen Fletcher, IDG News Service

A growing number of Chinese iPhone applications let users trawl through maps, look up English words and check stock quotes, even though the smartphone has not been approved for use in China by the country’s telecommunications regulatory authority.

There are, of course, many iPhone-bearing people outside of China that read and speak and write Chinese. And some of them might also be interested in Chinese programming from CCTV.

Monday, May 4, 2009

How To Share Full-Quality Photos Via iPhoto

by Adam C. Engst, TidBITS

The practical upshot of all this is that if you want to send someone a full-quality photo without any additional compression being applied to it, don't use the Share > Email command (or the Email button in the toolbar, if you have that showing).

Trenr Reznor Responds To NIN App Denial

by Jason D. O'Grady, ZDNet

Song Bashing "Corporate Enablers" Used To Move iPhones

by Nate Anderson, Ars Technica

The song may resonate with a Jobsian "billionaire's detachment" from the material world that binds us to a cycle of suffering, but it stands in stark counterpoint to the product it's being used to sell.

App Developers Seek Right Formula To Cash In On iPhone

by Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe

Cyan's Classic 'Myst' Arrives In App Store

by Arnold Kim, MacRumors.com

While rather simplistic by today's standards, the game was both a critical and commercial success becoming the best selling computer game up until that time.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Apple Launches A Revolution - And Then Gets Overtaken

by Richard Wray and Bobbie Johnson, The Guardian

It happened when the Mac bought a mouse to every desktop. Now, with the iPhone, it's happening again.

Apple, EFF Square Over iPhone Jailbreaking

by Ronald O Carlson, Blorge

The notion that companies need protection from customers wielding the power of the devices that the companies themselves create, sell and/or profit from should be an immediate red flag.

Apple Offers Fix For iMac's Radeon HD 4850 Freezing Issues

by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider

Released on Saturday, iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.4 (1.7MB) specifically addresses the hard lock-ups that occur at random and leave iMac users with the custom-order graphics with no choice but to reboot their systems to regain a usable computer, regardless of whether they're using Mac OS X or running Windows in Boot Camp.

iTunes Now Funnels iPhone Crash Reports To Developers

by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

Users can now automatically send crash logs to developers via iTunes whenever an iPhone or iPod touch is synced. The increased access to these logs will aid developers in making better software.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Achieving Email Bliss With IMAP, Gmail, And Apple Mail

by Joe Kissell, TidBITS

Apple's Interest In Gaming Isn't Casual

by Brian Caulfield, Forbes

Apple appears to be preparing an all-out assault on the handheld gaming market, moving to snap up gaming industry insiders from Microsoft to go with its growing team of graphics-chip specialists.

8 Reasons Why A Mac Is Better Than A PC

by Harry McCracken, PC Advisor

There are hundreds of reasons why Macs are better than PCs - they're more reliable and more creative for a start. We've put together a definitive list of eight reasons as to why your next computer should be a Mac not a PC.

Apple Needs To Fine-Tune Its High-Def Downloads

by Kevin Hunt, Hartford Courant

Fastest Growing Category In Apple's App Store: eBooks

by Frederic Lardinois, ReadWriteWeb

Apple's Cash Stash Helps Means More Control In Tough Times

by Bryan Chaffin, The Mac Observer

Apple Accusing Psystar Of Withholding Information

by MacNN

Psystar is failing to follow proper legal procedure, Apple has claimed in a petition to a federal court judge. The Mac cloner is specifically accused of interfering with the discovery phase of a current lawsuit, by refusing to produce balance sheets, monthly statements and other financial documents, although it has provided some cost and revenue receipts.

Byline 2.5 News Reader Intros Progressive Sync

by iPodNN

Version 2.5 offers a new user interface, and progressive syncing with Google Reader.

iPhone Developers Focus On Quality After 'Anything Goes' Era

by Connie Guglielmo, Independent

iPhone developers, who flocked to Apple’s App Store in search of a quick profit, are finding it’s getting more difficult to come up with breakout hits.

Clipstart Lets You Organize, Upload Your Videos

by Dan Moren, Macworld

Apple: The Low-Price Leader?

by Jason Snell, Macworld

In a bad economy, should Apple cut prices or keep its quality high?

Fight To Legalize iPhone Jailbreaking Set For Friday

by Rob McMillan, IDG News Service

Apple’s iPhone marketing chief will square off against the Electronic Frontier Foundation and others Friday as the U.S. Copyright Office considers whether to allow an exemption to the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that would permit jailbreaking.

Friday, May 1, 2009

iPhone App Developers Threaten To Sue Apple Over Late Payments

by TechCrunch

Teversham Quits Xbox For Apple

by Tim Ingham, MCV

Microsoft's Xbox strategy boss Richard Teversham has quit the firm to join arch rival Apple, MCV can reveal.

Tiger Wodds PGA Tour Released For iPhone, iPod Touch

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

VetFM 3.0 Vet Practice Management Software Adds 150 Features

by Peter Cohen, Macworld

By Heng-Cheong Leong

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