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Dan Moren, Macworld
Weighing in at 2.36MB, it requires Mac OS X 10.6.7 and it tackles Mac Defender from three angles.
Dan Moren, Macworld
More than a year after Apple released the iPad versions of its iWork productivity suite, the company has finally announced an update that brings Pages, Numbers, and Keynote to the iPhone and iPod touch. Now you can finally crunch numbers, prep your presentations, and update your family newsletter no matter where you go.
Dan Frakes, Macworld
Christopher Breen, Macworld
Apple
Apple® CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. At the keynote, Apple will unveil its next generation software - Lion, the eighth major release of Mac OS® X; iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s advanced mobile operating system which powers the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®; and iCloud®, Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering.
Tony Bradley, PCWorld
Josh Lowensohn, CNET
So why are Mac users still treated like second-class gamers? The simplest answer is that the Mac is still a smaller market, at less than a tenth of the size of machines running Microsoft's Windows. For a development house, putting resources into a Mac version may not bring back the kind of returns you get on the PC side, which itself now plays second fiddle to game consoles.
Josh Ong, AppleInsider
Apple has initiated a case replacement program for MacBooks shipped between October 2009 and April 2011 to resolve an issue where the rubber separates from the bottom of the case.
Peter Kirn, Macworld UK
Reason 5 is a must-have upgrade for anyone who uses audio inputs or samples, or wants to program beats. And Kong’s superior sound-design power coupled with elegant, efficient editing makes for one of the most accessible, fun-to-use drum machines in software yet.
Alphons Brookson, IT.Enquirer
Tim Moynihan, PCWorld
In our tests, the white iPhone 4 turned in better results for image sharpness and color vibrancy in low-light video, while the black iPhone 4 did a better job in terms of flash exposure and color accuracy. However, we can’t rule out the possibility that the discrepancies we saw were simply due to the fact that no two devices are built exactly the same, regardless of what color case they come in.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Once you're in the print queue, just double-click on an individual print job to open a Quick Look preview of the document being printed; since it's Quick Look, you could instead tap the spacebar to trigger the same effect.
Lukas Mathis, Ignore The Code
I don’t like Focus Mode, and some of the design decisions that were probably made as a result of having Focus Mode. But I do really like how the application looks and feels, and I completely love its Markdown implementation.
Brooke Crothers, CNET
The iPad trumps the Air in a surprising number of cases, which goes to show that a little extra convenience, i.e., a little less weight and a little more instant accessibility, can go a long way, because the Air is no slouch in either of those areas.
Ted Landau, Macworld
Being appropriately vigilant while recognizing that the risk of an “infection” is small are not inconsistent or mutually exclusive propositions.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
If you're facing printer frustration and don't have the time or inclination to resolve them, opening a PDF version of your file in Preview and then printing that can be a quick and functional workaround.
Mauricio Grijalva, Macworld
Instead of using the system installer disc that came with your Mac, create a system installer flash drive, like the one that comes with the MacBook Air. It's smaller than an optical disc, more reliable, and runs faster.
Neil Hughes, AppleInsider
Apple is the target of a new lawsuit that claims employees of the company's Upper West Side store in New York City told two black men they were not welcome there.
Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic
It turns out that I don't really care who got the book online or what reader I'm in -- availability is, by far, my number concern. This feels tenable for now, though I can imagine it getting out of control after a few more years of reading online.
Dan Moren, Macworld
Amazon on Thursday quietly unveiled its Mac Software Downloads, a selection of around 250 Mac applications and games that you can purchase and install without ever having to open a box. While Amazon has been selling downloadable Mac software for some time, grouping those together into a single section is new. The Internet retailer is also offering a $5-off coupon to celebrate the “launch” of its Mac download store.
Steven Sande, TUAW
Jared Newman, PCWorld
Can Apple continue to address every high-profile malware attack on a case-by-case basis, or will malware like Mac Defender and Mac Guard force Apple to act like Microsoft, creating a full-blown security center to address attacks?
Neil Bennett, Digital Arts
Barry Stead, Macworld
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Jason Snell, Dan Frakes, Chris Breen, And Lex Friedman, Macworld
These veteran travel tips can make traveling with your Apple gear much more fun.
Victor Agreda, Jr., TUAW
Molly Wood, CNET
So, when Apple--more than three weeks after this malicious software appeared in the wild--got around to posting a support forum on how to remove or avoid MacDefender, it was also nearly a week after Google reportedly killed a lot of the poison links that were infecting people in the first place, a week after CNET and others posted instructions on how to remove MacDefender, and at least one support memo too late to demonstrate a serious commitment to customer security.
From the perspective of, say, John Gruber at Daring Fireball, this approach represents a commitment to decisive action that leaves the customer hanging for a brief, uncomfortable period, then ultimately results in a satisfactory outcome. From my perspective, it represents a commitment first and foremost to not admitting fault, canny observation of which way the media winds are blowing, and action only after outcry has reached a sufficiently intolerable din.
Rich Mogull, Macworld
The bottom line: You should pay attention to Mac security. But you don't need to freak out about it.
John Paczkowski, All Things Digital
Karl Hodge, Macworld UK
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS
I think many of us in the press rather pooh-poohed MACDefender, since it seemed like there were too many places to short-circuit its nefarious plans. But we may have overestimated the security sophistication of many Mac users; as Apple’s star has risen, so too has the number of Mac users who have minimal security awareness.
John E. Dunn, IDG News Service
Having cracked Apple iPhone backups last year, Russian security company ElcomSoft appears to have found a reliable way to beat the layered encryption system used to secure data held on the smartphone itself.
Christopher Breen, Macworld
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Intego on Wednesday warned Mac users that a new variant of the Mac Defender Trojan horse doesn’t require that you provide an administrator password during the installation process. Like its predecessors, the latest version of the Trojan horse—which calls itself MacGuard—masquerades as virus detection software, in hopes that victims will key in their credit card details into the bogus interface.
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
Apple has decided to publicly acknowledge the Mac Defender malware that seems to be creeping onto Mac users' computers. The company posted an online support document Tuesday evening that outlines how to identify and get rid of the program, which attempts to trick users into handing over their credit card information. The company also promised to issue a software update soon that will specifically hunt out and remove Mac Defender and its variants.
Joe White, AppAdvice
Daniel Eran Dilger, AppleInsider
Apple has released an update to Logic Pro and Express that supports opening projects created with the GarageBand app for iPad, in addition to other minor bug fixes.
Topher Kessler, CNET
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Sapiens is an application launcher from developer Giovanni Donelli that offers plenty of keyboard control, but focuses on the mousing side of things.
James Galbraith, Macworld
If you're a MacBook Air user who needs a serious boost to the laptop’s storage capacity, the Mercury Aura Pro Express SSDs are worth a look. But if what you’re looking for is an overall speed boost, our tests suggest that these drives won't have much impact in everyday use.
Franklin Pride, Inside Mac Games
LEGO Indy 2 just seems like a stronger showing overall than the previous games in the series. The puzzles are stronger, the world is more interesting, the fourth movie makes a great addition to the LEGO versions of the trilogy, and the collectibles keep you coming back for more. Whether that's good enough to get you to play a LEGO game for the first time or not, it's definitely a great addition to your collection if you're even a minor fan of the series.
Alexis Kayhill, Mac360
Joe Kissell, Macworld
Guy English, Kickingbear
So, in the end, while I appreciate the thinking behind Copland 2010 I don’t believe it’s quite the issue Siracusa believes it is. Objective-C continues to evolve, and in directions I believe will be increasingly important in the future. I don’t believe we’re anywhere near the level of crisis that Apple hit with Classic Mac OS and I don’t believe that a total second-system re-write without a clear goal is the best prescription for the platform.
David Pogue, New York Times
Lex Friedman, Macworld
The trick takes advantage of the PDF drop-down in any OS X Print dialog box.
Serenity Caldwell, Macworld
Customers at the Apple Store can now take the purchasing process one step further and have an employee help them set up their new Mac, iPod, iPad, iPhone, or Apple TV, thanks to the company’s expanded Personal Setup program.
Josh Lowensohn, CNET
While Lodsys has not yet issued its own response, many developers are now breathing a sigh of relief based on Apple's stance, which states that developers are fully protected against any extra fees by the company's patent licensing terms.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
William Porter, TidBITS
And then, about a week ago, I blindly reached around to the side of the iMac and accidentally inserted an SD card into the optical drive bay.
Justin Lowery, Macgasm
Kenny Hemphill, MacUser
If you’re one of those who have just bought a new iPhone, iPod or iPad and can’t run iTunes 10 on your current set-up, here’s a guide to getting up and running.
Erik Vlietinck, IT.Enquirer
Shawn Blanc
Stephen Shankland, CNET
If MacPhun is willing to take the leap, perhaps others are?
Macworld
Paul Hontz, The Startup Foundry
Hype is an HTML5 Animation Builder for Mac OS X. It allows you to build interactive sites in HTML5 that rivals Flash. Hype launched last Friday and they are already the top grossing app on the mac app store.
John Gruber, Daring Fireball
Apple’s policy is to respond to a crisis with certainty, or at least as much certainty as can be mustered. Certainty takes time. No drip, drip, drip of vapid PR statements. Just silence, then an answer. Seems to be working out pretty well for them.
Michael E. Cohen, TidBITS
Yes, change happens, but no, I won’t just get over it.
Lex Friedman, Macworld Staff, Macworld
In a letter sent Monday (read the full text of the letter here) to patent-holder Lodsys and its CEO Mark Small, Apple says its existing license for patents covering in-app purchases applies to all iOS app makers as well.
The crux of Apple’s letter, from senior vice president and general counsel Bruce Sewell, is right in its opening paragraph, which reads in part: “Apple is undisputedly licensed to these patents and the Apple App Makers are protected by that license. There is no basis for Lodsys’ infringement allegations against Apple’s App Makers. In addition to stating that Apple would share the letter with developers—which it has—the company also says that it “is fully prepared to defend Apple’s license rights.”
Jeff Bertolucci, PCWorld
Lesa Snider, Macworld
Getting your prints to match what you see on your monitor is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face when dealing with digital art or photography. This article explains how you can use printer- and paper-specific instructions—called profiles—to achieve more accurate results.
Thomas Fitzgerald, The Technology Geek
The lightness, battery life and speed have all changed the way I compute. Now, I have no qualms about throwing it into my bag whenever I go out, so I always have a laptop with me should inspiration strike. It’s so light and small that you don’t notice it, but unlike other subnotebooks out there, it’s as solid as a rock when it comes to build quality. It’s small and light, but it’s built like a tank. Kudos to Apple for such a great machine and I can’t wait to see where they go with this in the future.
Arnold Kim, MacRumors
We've heard the iPad gets its data via network connection so any price or spec updates get pushed directly to the iPad, no other syncing required.
Michael Grothaus, TUAW
Serenity Caldwell, Macworld
Unlike their shelf counterparts, these display iPads are designed to do one thing and one thing only: Showcase current information about the product on display. The home button has been disabled, turning the device essentially into a multitouch signboard. (Like the iPad itself, the whole thing has an air of 1960s science-fiction to it.) The iPad is elegantly sealed inside its stand, charged using a nifty almost-invisible dock connector ribbon and half-mirrored sides to mask the wires.
Reid Kanaley, Philadelphia Inquirer
Mac Prices Australia
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Why would Apple, which has rejected apps for all sorts of reasons, tacitly defend programs that let people avoid drunk driving checkpoints? I was certainly ready to jump up on my soapbox and toss around words like “complicit” and “turpitude.” But as I looked more closely at the apps under discussion, I discovered, to my surprise, that the situation was more complex than I’d originally thought.
Michael Grothaus, TUAW
Josh Lowensohn, CNET
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has called Apple out for not responding fast enough, or at all, to a developing legal situation that's got some iOS developers spooked.
Ina Fried, All Things Digital
“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at Foxconn’s plant in Chengdu, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Apple said in a statement provided to All Things D. “We are working closely with Foxconn to understand what caused this terrible event.”
Serenity Caldwell, Macworld
Tumult’s Hype offers creative professionals an easy-to-use WYSIWIG editor for creating interactive Websites, animations, and more, all encoded in HTML5.
Jason Snell, Macworld
Let me be clear: What follows is crazy stuff. Don’t do it if you’re not comfortable with cracking open a package and editing XML files. And make a backup copy of the app first. But if you’re curious about taking Twitterrific and modifying it, here’s how.
Ted Landau, Macworld
Sam Oliver, AppleInsider
Though Apple originally filed for ownership of the "Thunderbolt" trademark associated with its new high-speed data port, the rights will be transferred to Intel, the company with which it cooperatively developed the new standard.
Dan Frakes, Macworld
Fantastical doesn’t include every feature of every other calendaring add-on, but it’s a great package that handles—with an attractive interface and some impressive options—most of the things you use your “big” calendar program to do. And it makes it much easier and more convenient to quickly create new events.
Elinor Mills, CNET
Douglas MacMillan And Adam Satariano, BusinessWeek
A wave of star engineers has left to start mobile app companies.
Shawn Blanc
Sam Oliver, AppleInsider
A group calling itself the "Apple Retail Workers Union" is attempting to drum up support for its cause as Apple's retail business celebrates its first 10 years.
Marco Tabini, TidBITS
The new release includes several bug and stability fixes, provides better font rendering and improves support for PopOver-style tooltips.
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
Ars spoke with 14 different Mac support specialists—including several Apple Store Geniuses—in order to get a handle on whether things have changed when it comes to dealing with malware. Their experiences are all over the map, but the general consensus does seem to lean towards a low amount of malware problems—until you get to the Geniuses.
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
Apple is reportedly poised to finish signing licensing deals with all of the Big Four music labels in the near future, setting the stage for the introduction of a cloud music service at WWDC in June.
Joel Mathis, Macworld
Ten years, more than 300 stores, and nearly a billion visitors after Apple opened its first retail outlet in McLean, Virginia, the landscape has shifted radically for the independent stores that once served as Apple’s main bridge to consumers. Some independent stores have adapted and continued on. A few are simply hanging on. And a few others couldn’t compete and went under in a blaze of recrimination and lawsuits.
Devin Coldewey, CrunchGear
Clickontyler
For the last twelve months I’ve been keeping detailed records regarding the number of users pirating my Mac apps and toying with different ways of converting those users into paying customers. I’m not foolish enough to ever think I could actually eliminate the piracy — especially since I believe there are a few legitimate reasons for pirating software — but I was genuinely curious as to what the actual numbers were, the motivations behind doing so, and if there were any way I could make a small dent in those numbers.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Mike Schramm, TUAW
Most notably, the new version updates the app's Forecast Mode, which streamlines all of your calendar events and tasks into an easy-to-read format.
Ed Bott, ZDNet
Dan Frakes, Macworld
Today’s Gem, TapeDeck, streamlines the process of making and organizing audio recordings—and does it with a user interface that will bring a smile to those of us who used an actual cassette deck back in the day.
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS
Now, instead of just dragging items out, you must either Command-drag them out or Control-click them and choose Remove from Sidebar.
Christopher Breen, Macworld
Katie Marsal, AppleInsider
Though in-app purchases were problematic for some developers for a week now, the issues in the system have reportedly been addressed, suggesting that any holdup was not related to the patent infringement suit.
Victor Agreda, Jr., TUAW
Sam Oliver, AppleInsider
The latest patent infringement lawsuit against Apple takes issue with Wi-Fi-enabled products, including the company's entire MacBook lineup.
Graham Cluley, Sophos
Put in simple terms, Apple seems to be falling short of the promise it makes in its promotion of the App Store that it "keeps track of your apps and tells you when an update is available" and that "you'll always have the latest version of every app you own."
Tony Bradley, PCWorld
Damon Darlin, New York Times
Michael Sinanian, The Humble Thought Peddler
Stephen Shankland, CNET
Sam Oliver, AppleInsider
Florian Mueller, FOSS Patents
Sharon Zardetto, Macworld
You’ve probably got the basics of the Application Switcher down pat by now: press Command-Tab to see a bar full of running-application icons and keep Command down as you tap the Tab key to quickly switch to the application of your choice. But, as with everything on the Mac, the Application Switcher can do more than you might guess.
Tony Bradley, Macworld
Dan Frakes, Macworld
iPhone or iPad folders gone after a restore? Try restoring twice.
Christine Chan, AppAdvice
Topher Kessler, CNET
This week there were updates to file recovery software, some drive monitoring utilities, and duplicate file management tools.
Patrick May, San Jose Mercury News
The other day at the Apple Store in San Francisco, team members offered this newspaper a sneak peek at some of the latest and coolest apps to come down the pike, including a few not yet released to the general public. Here are our favorite five.
Kirk Hiner, Appletell
Kirk Hiner, Appletell
It allows you to focus solely on writing when you want to, but also allows to keep everything organized and identified for when you drop into editing mode. It’s unfortunate that some of the features may be disabled by your preferred writing process, but that leaves more to discover as your familiarity with the program increases.
Yukari Iwatani Kane, Wall Street Journal
Neil Bennett, Digital Arts Online
Mel Martin, TUAW
Christopher Breen, Macworld
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Lodsys claims that Apple—along with Google and Microsoft—”is licensed for its nameplate products and services.” But that license does not extend to third-party developers.
Brett Terpstra, TUAW
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Mike Cane
So while I shouldn’t argue with success, I can’t help pointing out that the current stranglehold Apple maintains on its creations will ultimately leave it vulnerable to the same spirit that created the company to begin with: The desire of people to tinker and to dream dreams the original creator never had.
Warren Buckleitner, New York Times
If you’re lucky enough to cohabitate with kids and an iOS device, here are four things to do to make things work smoothly (assuming you’re already adept at removing applesauce from the screen).
James Galbraith, Macworld
Dan Frakes, Macworld
Michael Grothaus, TUAW
Jonathan Seff, Macworld
Despite some rough edges, Toast 11 is a very nice upgrade from Toast 10. The simplified interface makes the software easier to work with, and the Sparkle framework makes it more convenient to update. Upgrade prices are still a little steep—especially considering that you can get a new boxed copy online for not much more than the upgrade price—but if don’t mind spending the cash, you’ll be rewarded with a better app and more included functionality than before.
Dan Frakes, Macworld
Assuming my testing is roughly representative, the typical iPhone 4 case will fit both colors equally well, and if a case is too tight for the white model, it’s because it's an exceptionally tight case to begin with.
Dave Caolo, TUAW
Matt Tinsley, TUAW
I can't fathom why Apple would decide not to put a tab key on the iPad's keyboard, at least in Pages. But thank goodness it's there, even if it does require two taps to make a tab indentation instead of the single keyboard stroke required on a conventional keyboard.
Jason Snell, Macworld
We’re on the cutting edge with Thunderbolt. When we know more, we’ll let you know. But for now, Thunderbolt is just a promise and those ports on the iMacs and MacBook Pros are just Mini DisplayPorts with a different label.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Both developers say that they have reached out to Apple for legal advice. The two are also waiting to hear back from Apple before publicly naming the company, but Macworld has since confirmed that the company behind the legal threats is Lodsys. In a separate report, MacRumors also names Lodsys as the company behind a similar threat sent to developer Rob Gloess of Computer LogicX.
Robert McMillan, IDG News Service
Adobe has released an important update to its Flash Player software that fixes critical security flaws and gives users a better way of controlling whether they are being tracked on the Web.
Christopher Breen, Macworld
David Alison
Karl Hodge, Macworld UK
Topher Kessler, CNET
Reuters
Apple Inc appears to be arming itself for a full-on assault on the $150 billion-plus world of multimedia content and distribution.
Weldon Dodd, GigaOM
Okay, so maybe adding easy hard drive access is too much of a design sacrifice, but now even if you manage to get at the hard drive, you can’t replace it.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Transferring and synchronizing files between the Mac and the tablet isn’t easy. There are several different ways to do it, but none are perfect, and each has its deficiencies. Frankly, this is one area where Apple could vastly improve the iPad experience. Until that happens, here are your choices when it comes to transferring files between your various devices.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS
First, if your Mac’s power light is flashing, reseating the RAM is the likely fix. And second, properly reseating the memory may require a little more effort than simply removing and reinstalling the DIMMs or other memory modules.
Dave Caolo, TUAW
The app is more of a collection of functions that allow you to gather, categorize and later reference a variety of information. In fact, you can use OmniOutliner for spreadsheets, documents and even photo management. Putting all of that power on the ultra-powerful iPad will appeal to many people.
Dave Caolo, TUAW
This version adds global hotkeys, sync options, custom terminal commands, improved iTunes DJ and more.
Megan Lavey-Heaton, TUAW
Lex Friedman, Macworld
It seems obvious, given all this evidence, that Apple is treating big publishers differently from other potential providers of App Store subscriptions—perhaps even taking them on a case-by-case basis.
G.f., The Economist
Apple has not created an expectation that its phones, handhelds and tablets have a period of time during which they work. They are sold on the implict assumption of futureproofing, at least for a few years. And by providing iOS 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2, but not 4.3, to iPhone 3G users, the company may have led its customers on.
Dan Moren, Macworld
iOS gaming social network shows promise, but needs tender love and care to prosper.
Ben Long, Macworld
Dave Caolo, TUAW
Greg Sandoval, CNET
The services offered by Amazon and Google are not all that they can be because those companies had to tippy-toe around copyright issues. Since neither company was either able or willing to obtain licenses from the four major labels, neither of them could deliver the same range of options that Apple will be able to offer with its upcoming cloud service, according to multiple music industry sources.
Mike Schramm, TUAW
The update is pretty thin -- it simply fixes an issue where split events could be merged back together.
Macworld
Jackie Dove, Macworld
Corel has released Painter 12, a new version of the company’s flagship painting software. The upgrade features new brushes and art tools, customizable workspaces, and a performance boost.
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
Microsoft yesterday told Mac Office users it doesn't yet have a fix for a PowerPoint bug that it patched for Windows customers. Tuesday was not the first time that Microsoft has released fixes for Office on Windows without corresponding patches for Mac users.
Christopher Breen, Macworld
Lex Friedman, Macworld
The update address issues where audio and video are occasionally missing when playing back certain content. A new audio output setting allows you to switch to 16-bit audio, for increased compatibility with some TVs and AV receivers. Fast-forwarding and rewinding of live events is improved, too.
Jay J. Nelson, Macworld
If you consider yourself creative, you've likely considered designing a fancy signature line for your e-mail messages. It's a terrific opportunity to express a bit of your personality without requiring any additional work when composing your message—and without adding extra file size to your e-mail. (Your recipients will appreciate that!) Plus, it makes the e-mail more distinctive, acting almost as a business card, if your recipient wants to print it out.
Sam Oliver, AppleInsider
Citing a lack of interest from advertisers, Apple has decided it will not display advertisements from its iAd network in applications for the iPhone and iPad that are meant for children, according to one developer.
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld
Dan Miller, Macworld
Topher Kessler, CNET
Josh Ong, AppleInsider
During a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Apple vice president of software technology Guy L. "Bud" Tribble told senators that the company is in the process of "looking into" the legality of apps that broadcast police DUI checkpoints.
Neil Hughes, AppleInsider
Apple Vice President of Software Technology Guy L. "Bud" Tribble spoke to members of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, and reiterated his company's position that it makes user privacy one of its highest priorities. He also revealed methods the company uses to ensure developers follow the rules, including random audits of App Store software.
James Galbraith, Macworld
The $1199 entry-level 21.5-inch 2.5GHz Core i5 iMac offers the most bang for the buck, keeping up with its more expensive siblings in most tasks. Its drawbacks include the lowest capacity hard drive, slower 3D game performance at higher resolutions, and a lack of customization options. The $1499 21.5-inch 2.7GHz Core i5 iMac offers a larger hard drive and modest processing and 3D game performance gains compared to the $1199 model. It’s the model you must choose if you want to customize your machine with a faster processor or different sotrage options.
Rich Brown, CNET
We recommend Apple's new 27-inch iMac to digital media editors and others with serious performance needs on the strength of its impressive speed, its connected device potential, and its market-leading 27-inch display.
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
Ballmer was adamant that the new Microsoft Skype division would not ditch owners of iPhones, Android smartphones, Macs and more.
“A, I said it and I meant it,” said Ballmer when a reporter asked for assurances that Skype would continue to be available for operating systems and devices not sold by Microsoft. “B, we’re one of the few companies with a track record of doing this,” he added, citing Microsoft’s work on Mac OS X, where it develops and sells a Mac-specific version of its Office suite.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Dan Frakes, Macworld
This simple utility adds a systemwide menu for toggling between standard F-key functionality (“Function Mode”) and the special Apple functionality (“Apple Mode”).
Jackie Dove, Macworld
Karelia Software has released Sandvox 2.0, an upgrade to its visual Website design software. The new version includes more than 60 new features and enhancements designed to make the Website builder more flexible.
Topher Kessler, CNET
Jonny Evans, Computerworld
When it comes to the Mac, Apple has enjoyed 20 consecutive quarters of higher than marketshare growth. Mac unit sales grew by 28 percent year-on-year in Q1 2011. The PC market contracted by 3 percent.
Apple is no longer a niche player. Get over it.
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS
Although it’s understandable to wonder about the future of the Mac and iOS Skype clients (among many others), Microsoft says it will continue to invest in and support Skype clients for non-Microsoft platforms. If Microsoft really loves us, they’ll throw out the Skype 5 interface as an initial gesture of goodwill.
See also: What Microsoft's Skype purchase means for Mac, iOS users, by Lex Friedman, Macworld.
Chris Ward, TUAW
AppleInsider
Adobe's three Photoshop CS5 companion applications for iPad -- Adobe Ezel, Nav and Color Lava -- are now available for purchase on the App Store.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
With the right apps installed on your Android phone, you can then use DoubleTwist to send music or video to any Apple TV on the same Wi-Fi network.
Michael Rose, TUAW
As of today, there's a new hotfix (5.1.0.935) that is being provided for all Skype 5 users; it closes the security holes and also fixes a few bugs, including video issues on high-bandwidth networks. Skype recommends that all users update to the new build.
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
iPad users will soon be able to subscribe to a number of Condé Nast magazines via Apple's in-app subscription system, starting with The New Yorker. Condé Nast—parent company to Ars Technica—announced Monday that it would bring eight magazines to the device by the end of May, with existing print subscribers getting access to the iPad versions for free. The New Yorker's iPad app has already been updated to reflect the new subscription system, with new users being able to subscribe to the iPad version for $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
Christopher Breen, Macworld
With however-many-umpteen billions in the bank and an astonishing streak of successes, Apple hasn’t really had to worry about its Web strategy. I believe those days are coming to an end. And for two reasons: Syncing and media.
Marco Arment
So the next MacBook Air, presumably with both Thunderbolt and much faster CPUs, is going to be significantly more awesome. And that’s saying a lot, because the current Air is pretty great. And I can’t wait to see what happens to the 15” line next.
Dan Moren And Lex Friedman, Macworld
John Boudreau, San Jose Mercury News
While China has long been viewed as the outsourcer to the world, a growing number of startups here are using the App Store to become global companies almost overnight, without spending a small fortune on marketing and advertising. App developers in other countries are doing that as well, but the possibilities are liberating in China, where budding entrepreneurs have long been hobbled by government regulations and no access to venture capital.
MG Siegler, TechCrunch
If you visit Amazon’s Cloud Player through the Safari web browser on an iOS device, you’ll see that it does in fact now work. You’ll first hit a warning page telling you that your browser is not supported, but just ignore that. Click into the music in your drive and it will begin playing. It works flawlessly — even to the point where if you get a Push Notification or incoming call, the music will be paused.
Dan Goodin, The Register
“The long and the short of it is that an attacker needs only to send a victim a message and they can gain remote control of the victim's Mac,” Gordon Maddern of Australian security consultancy Pure Hacking blogged on Friday. “It is extremely wormable and dangerous.”
Ben Brooks, The Brooks Review
I am not saying that the 13″ MacBook Pro is an inherently bad computer — what I am saying is that it is a pretty bad buying decision given the current slate of Macs. I would be so bold to guess that if I plopped my MacBook Air in front of any current 13″ MacBook Pro owners and asked them to use it for an hour and tell which computer is faster — 98% would say the Air is faster. It’s not about performance specs, it about user experience and how people use their computers — most people just don’t do that many CPU intensive tasks on anything but an occasional basis.
Glenn Fleishman, Seattle Times
You would think the easiest thing in the world would be copying a file between two Macs. It's remarkably irritating. I can help.
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS
Lex Friedman, Macworld
My biggest grievance is that there’s just no perfect way to fold back the Smart Cover when you actually want to use your iPad in hand. The video shows iPads waking up, going to sleep, and being used on a tabletop. What about when I want to hold the dang thing?
James Galbraith, Macworld
We’ve had the chance to finish testing the remaining three standard-configuration models, with our results showing a significant boost for the new iMacs over the models they replace. However, not much differentiates the performance of the four new iMacs among each other.
Kirk McElhearn, Kirkville
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica
Dan Frakes, Macworld
The upshot is that if you've got some iPhone- or iPad-hosted video you want to show to your family or friends using your Apple TV, you can save precious time—and avoid uncomfortable tech moments—by streaming that video before the entire family gathers around the TV. When the time comes to watch, the video will be ready to go.
Matt Neuburg, TidBITS
No bad thing is going to happen to your computer the day Lion goes final. Your current hardware won’t refuse to boot up. Your current system won’t stop working. Your favorite applications will still be your favorite applications. But suppose, just for the sake of argument, that you become interested in upgrading to Lion. And suppose, for the sake of even further argument, that Lion lacks Rosetta. What might the loss of Rosetta mean to you?
Ron McElfresh, Mac 360
Erica Sadun, TUAW
Stay from Cordless Dog allows you to store window configurations exactly as you like for each monitor configuration you use. Stay can automatically restore your windows as you attach and detach your monitors, and as your applications are launched.
Stephen Shankland, CNET
I mostly just want a better price-performance ratio and hard drive expansion. The iMac is the closest thing Apple's got short of an expensive Mac Pro. And now, the iMac is a strong contender.
Jason Snell, Macworld
Dan Moren, Macworld
Looking to show off your iOS device’s AirPlay functionality, but don’t have an Apple TV or AirPort Express? The no-frills AirServer turns your Mac into a AirPlay receiver, letting you stream audio, photos, and even videos to your computer, right over the air.
Weldon Dodd, GigaOM
Among those who have tried OS X Lion for the first time, there is near universal dismay at the “reverse scrolling” behavior in the Apple-provided applications. It feels strange to push your fingers up on the trackpad to see content that is further down in the document, when we have had years of practice moving our fingers down instead.
The difference is best understood as a change in the user’s point of view. Instead of pulling the scrollbar down, you push the content up. The change signals a huge shift not just in scroll direction, but in user interface design where gestures are used to manipulate content instead of on-screen interface controls like scrollbars and sliders.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Apple on Wednesday released a quartet of updates, aimed at owners of new MacBook Pros and its recently released iMacs.
Christopher Breen, Macworld
For many of us, the first application we open in the morning is our e-mail client. Hour after hour, day after day, we check our e-mail repeatedly. Given that we spend this kind of time with a single program, it’s important that it gives us as little trouble as possible. When it decides to act up, it’s just as important that we set it straight as quickly as possible. Here are some solutions to common problems.
Stuart Dredge, The Guardian
It's not so much the 30% revenue share taken by Apple that's the problem as it is the question of how data on subscribers is shared. Publishers used to having the names and addresses of their print subscribers balked at the idea of that data remaining with Apple.
New announcements from Hearst Magazines and Telegraph Media Group, who are both adopting the new subscription billing, hint that the answer may be less about browbeating Apple into sharing this data, and more about simply asking subscribers for it.
Topher Kessler, CNET
Topher Kessler, CNET
Michael Grothaus, TUAW
James Bleifus
Nick Bilton, New York Times
As you can see from the image below, there was clearly a discoloration on the first-run white iPhone that is visible between the home button and the phone’s exterior shell.
The new model also has a deeper proximity sensor near the ear piece.
Fuel Your Coding
One sign of a developer power tool hitting critical mass is when a wellspring of Graphical User Interfaces explode onto the scene. It looks like Git — the distributed version control system authored by Linus Torvalds — has arrived. It brings with it a bevy of Git clients for Mac OS X.
Katie Marsal, AppleInsider
The new iMac all-in-one desktops released this week include Intel's yet-to-be-released Z68 chipset, which could allow faster solid-state drive caching performance in the future.
Dan Moren, Macworld
As Apple promised in its location Q&A last week, iOS 4.3.3 addresses three bugs related to the database of location information on iOS devices. Firstly, it reduces the amount of the cached location information to a week’s worth, rather than relying on a size limit, as it previously did. Secondly, it no longer backs up the cache to your Mac or PC via iTunes upon syncing, so the information isn’t available to anyone with access to your computer. And finally, the cache is now deleted from the device when Location Services are disabled in iOS’s Settings app. Apple has also announced plans to encrypt the location information on iOS devices itself in the next major update to the operating system, which presumably refers to iOS 5.
Christopher Breen, Macworld
iFixit
Ryan Faas, Computerworld
Now we know that Lion Server will be built into Lion itself, meaning that Mac OS X Server's code, functionality and services will be bundled with the client OS. Lion Server as a separate entity is gone, but its inclusion in Lion means that a lot more users will get a chance to try it out -- either at home or in the office.
Singapore Recalcitrant
SM Goh can say that this subject had been debated in Parliament but does he honestly believe that with the PAP dominance any useful outcome will come out of these parliamentary debates? The two opposition MPs and one NCMP were easily overwhelmed by the sheer force of the PAP MPs. Any arguments the three opposition MPs were able to put through were like voices in the wilderness. This incidentally could be one of the issues that acts as a catalyst for the electors to want to see more opposition MPs being voted into Parliament to provide more opposition voices as a check and balance to the PAP government.
On his shabby treatment of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) scholar candidate Tan Jee Say, SM Goh could have shown more civility. There was no justification for him and MM Lee to denigrate Tan on his civil service credentials especially when it was proved that the attacks were all misconceived.
Rich Brown, CNET
A fast new Intel CPU and an AMD graphics chip provide Apple's new 27-inch iMac with competitive performance for its price, and the advent of Thunderbolt offers the iMac the potential for exciting peripheral devices later this year. Apple seems less concerned with engaging family users than some of its Windows-based all-in-one competition, but for digital media professionals, or others in need of a fast, serious-minded all-in-one with a large display, we can make no other recommendation.
Michael Rose, TUAW
MacNews
If you've ever found yourself dealing with low audio output on a Mac (more common on laptops with their small speakers than desktops such as the iMac), Global Delight's Boom will boost the audio volume. Significantly, as in up to 400%.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
Plasq on Tuesday released Comic Life for iPad, a new incarnation of its software for turning your digital photos into comics.
Dan Moren, Macworld
Apple has confirmed to Macworld that the new iMacs can be used as external displays via their Thunderbolt ports. However, to do so, you’ll need a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac, such as one of the early 2011 models of MacBook Pros. Connecting the MacBook Pro to either the 21.5-inch or 27-inch Thunderbolt-equipped iMac will let you use the desktop as a display for the notebook.
David Chartier, Macworld
Richard Gaywood, TUAW
Cast your minds back to the launch of the 27" iMac in mid-2009. One of the new features was Target Display Mode, which introduced the ability to use the iMac as a pure external monitor, bypassing the built-in computer entirely. However, Apple has quietly dropped the feature on the latest iMacs, which were announced today.
Adam Berenstain, Macworld
Despite its occasionally inflexible tools, Realmac's RapidWeaver 5.1 strikes a winning balance between power and ease of use. It’s a compelling option for people looking to quickly create attractive Web sites with modern features.
Kelly Hodgkins, TUAW
Chris Ward, TUAW
Fluid, the neat little application that turns websites into standalone native Mac apps, has finally grown up into version 1.0 after three and a half years of development.
Chris Rawson, TUAW
Apple has refreshed its iMac all-in-one desktop line with upgraded CPUs and a few other new features. The key upgrades for the iMac refresh are the new quad-core Sandy Bridge processors and the Thunderbolt I/O port first introduced in the most recent MacBook Pro updates. Offering speeds of up to 10 Gbps, Thunderbolt provides a far faster connection than either USB 3.0 or Firewire. The iMac has also seen an upgrade to its GPUs, which are now three times faster than the previous model.
Lex Friedman, Macworld
The app, which works hand-in-hand with the Notificant Web service and the $5 companion Mac App Store app, focuses on making sure you don’t forget to do the things you want to do.
Ellis Hamburger, Business Insider
If you're browsing the web and stumble upon MAC Defender, an antivirus application, think again before downloading it.
Eric Blair, ATPM
It seems like an implementation of a fairly simple idea, but it’s very good at what it does. If you ever want to quickly move a Web page over to your iPad, you can’t really go wrong with spending $2 on such a seamless solution.
Michael Grothaus, TUAW
When you have an active download in progress, the button will show a blue progress bar, ala the progress bar found on app icons when you are downloading and installing them on an iOS device.
Consumer Reports
When we compared a white iPhone 4 with a black iPhone 4 in our Yonkers, NY, lab using high-quality calipers, we found they were both the same thickness (0.37 inches). This supports Apple's assertion that the devices are the same size.
J.d. Biersdorfer, New York Times
Josh Lowensohn, CNET
Steven Musil, CNET
Magazine publisher Time Inc. has reached a deal with Apple to make all of its iPad editions available for free to print subscribers, signaling a possible resolution to an impasse between Apple and publishers.
Josh Ong, AppleInsider
Early teardown images of Apple's white iPhone 4 appear to show a more recessed rear-facing camera lens and a slightly modified proximity sensor.
Matt Gallagher, Cocoa With Love
Objective-C remains an impediment for many programmers coming to the Mac or iPhone platforms — few programmers have ever experienced it before learning Cocoa, forcing two learning curves at once for new Cocoa developers. How did Apple end up with such a weird language? And for a company known to replace CPU architectures and their entire operating system, why does Apple persist with Objective-C? The answer lies in the methods.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.