Sep 18, 2007 Sep 20, 2007 Wednesday September 19, 2007
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NBC to offer content, DRM via NBC Direct
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Video, iTunesThe latest news in the NBC/Apple battle? NBC is going to make their own iTunes. With blackjack! And women! In fact, forget the blackjack and the women-- they're calling it "NBC Direct," and a brand new player (not available on Mac for a little while, go figure) will be used to download and play television shows just as soon as they finish airing on television.Sounds cool, right? What's the catch? The player is NBC only, and heavy DRM in there keeps it from playing anything else at all, including that scary "stolen copyrighted material." If you're going to use their player, you'll have to watch their shows, or else. I'd make a prediction that someone will hack it to play other stuff, but frankly, who cares. If NBC wants to go play in their own (non-Mac pool) let 'em, I say.They also say that, in the future, they may even offer download-to-own, rental, and subscription business models. If only there was a well-designed, very established and compatible, widespread piece of software out there that let them easily do that right now. Oh well. Good luck, NBC. Say hi to Tina Fey for me, and tell her I'll see her on bittorrent.[via MacRumors]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Development: Full Software List
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Turn your 2-D images into 3-D masterpieces!
On a recent appearance on The Lab with Leo Laporte, I showed Leo and the viewers how to make 3-D images out of common, everyday 2-D images taken with a digital camera. Now that the episode has aired, I've posted the show notes so that you can learn how to do it to!! And, no, these glasses are not for sale. ;)
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Madden, Tiger Woods '08 now available on Apple Store
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software As a couple of you astute readers have noticed (thanks!), Madden NFL '08 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08 are now available on the Apple Store, just a little over a month after they were released for PC and consoles last August. A month isn't too bad for Mac ports-- at least the football season is still going on.I haven't played this year's Madden yet, but I can wholeheartedly vouch for Tiger Woods-- I've been playing the Xbox 360 version of it, and it is some good (if sometimes very difficult, read: frustrating) golf. If you do pick up either game, however, make sure to check your innards first-- neither game will work on Intel's GMA950 graphics processors, found in the MacBook and the Mac mini. If you're boasting a MacBook Pro, a Mac Pro, or a new iMac, you're in the clear, as they use higher end video cards.So there's what EA's got. id, you're next.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Meizu M7 doesn't look familiar at all
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video Well, that didn't take long. Hot on the heels of the iPod touch starting to ship, spunky Chinese upstart Meizu has announce the M7, a curiously-familiar PMP featuring a 3-inch touchscreen. Meizu CEO Jack Wong announced the player on the company's forums, so details are a little sketchy, but it looks like the unit will feature a 16:9 480 x 288 screen and support H.264 playback. The picture is apparently a mockup, but we're hearing that the M7 will go on sale in late 2008 in 1GB, 2GB and 8GB versions for $100, $110, and $150. Of course, given how long it's taken the M8 to hit, that's all up in the air, but something tells us we'll be hearing a lot about this thing in the future.[Via PMP Today] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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Navizon "virtual GPS" comes to iPhone
Filed under: Internet Tools, iPhoneToday Navizon "virtual GPS" announced support for the iPhone via an application available through Installer.app. Navizon is an interesting concept for getting location information on mobile devices which lack GPS. It does this through a system that Navizon calls "peer-to-peer wireless positioning." Basically the way it works is that people with GPS devices record the location of wifi access points and cell towers. This information is then collated in a database so that when you use your iPhone to connect, it is able to triangulate your location to within a few hundred feet if you're in an area Navizon has data for ("most major metropolitan areas worldwide").The Navizon for iPhone application is $24.99 and a demo is available (get it through Installer.app or go here)Thanks to everyone who sent this in!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Vodafone claims iPhone subscriber loss only temporary
Vodafone is claiming that the iPhone isn't stealing Verizon's customers, but the company may just be trying to downplay the fact that the iPhone is being carried by someone else.Read More...
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MacBook WiFi hack to be published, sound of snoring overpowers announcement
Filed under: Laptops, Wireless You may remember good-old David Maynor, the infamous hacker who caused a stir in the Mac community by "exploiting" a "loophole" in a MacBook's WiFi that allowed an outside user to gain control of the system. Of course, the hack was then promptly disputed by all sorts of people, said to be a hoax, and generally made fun of. A little bit later on, Maynor and co. turned up in a nerd-tastic war of words on the internet over an OS X "worm," trading barbs, assuming fake names, creating counterfeit blogs, and eventually being reduced to death-threats and public "outings" of their online personalities. Now, according to reports, Maynor is "officially" publishing the details of his original exploit, freed from legal shackles (i.e., NDAs) which he claim prevented him from revealing the truth about his hack. The hot-blooded work is to be published in the September issue of Uninformed.org (an online hacking journal). Says Maynor, "Let them tear me apart all they want but at the end of the day the technical merit of the paper will stand on its own." To which we respond: your 15 minutes are up. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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Ed Burns premieres movie on iTunes, defends digital distribution for smaller features
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, Multimedia, Video, iTunes411Mania's got an interview up with actor and filmmaker Ed Burns, whose latest movie, Purple Violets, is going to be distributed exclusively through iTunes for four weeks. Apparently he says he had a couple of "half-assed theatrical offers" for it, but none of them panned out, so when iTunes promised to promote his movie (maybe we'll start seeing it at keynotes rather than The Office?), he decided to go for it.And lest you think the movie's stuck on the super small screen because it isn't any good, our friends at Cinematical rather liked it, calling it his best film since The Brothers McMullen. Still, even Burns admits that it's definitely a change. Movies are made for the big screen, and always will be-- just like the interviewer at 411, I have a real problem with someone seeing The Godfather, Jurassic Park, or even Star Wars on an iPod screen for the very first time.But this is the future, I suppose-- movie theaters aren't going anywhere, I'm sure, but the way we watch our movies is definitely diversifying. Burns likens it to digital media-- when it first came out, LP lovers said they would never listen to anything so cold and stiff, and yet iTunes now sells more songs digitally than anyone else who is selling analog recordings. Movies aren't necessary shrinking-- they're just, like everything else, changing.[via DF]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Navizon virtual GPS system now iPhone-friendly
Filed under: Cellphones, GPS It's been some time since we've heard anything from Mexens Technology, but now its virtual GPS system is finally available for the iPhone. Yeah, the program still utilizes "WiFi and cellular tower triangulation techniques," but according to the firm's CEO, "this is just as if the iPhone were equipped with a GPS chip." Of course, we're still doubtful that this peer-to-peer location approach works just as good as a bonafide GPS receiver, but considering that you won't be forced to pay the $24.99 purchase price until after 15 days are up, why not give it a go and find out?[Via Shareloc's Blog] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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Intel looking to delve into HDTV, mobile market
Filed under: HDTV, Home EntertainmentAs the news continues to flow from Intel's Developer Forum, we're now hearing that the chip maker could make "surprise moves into consumer electronics chips." More specifically, it seems that the outfit is looking to "roll out a system-on-a-chip code-named Canmore aimed at HDTVs and other products," as well as Silverthorne, which would apparently be reserved for handheld devices. 'Course, Intel has dabbled in these areas without notable success in the past, but analysts are suggesting that gaining traction this time around "could be big" for the firm. Ah Intel, why the tease? Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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NBC Brings the Most Popular Word to TV Downloads: Free
NBC is betting that free trumps fee with downloads of its prime-time shows.
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Woz and D-Lister Engaged
It's wedding bells for Steve Wozniak and Kathy Griffin.
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Article: Reaction: Hieber on T-Mobile's German iPhone deal
Following today's announcement that T-Mobile will be the exclusive German vendor of Apple's iPhone, starting on November 9 at a price of 399 Euros, iLounge spoke with Christian Hieber, editor of leading German iPod and iPhone site iFun.de, to get a domestic take on the announcement. iLounge: So the announcement of iPhone availability in Germany was made today. How do you think the iPhone features (EDGE/8GB) will satisfy your needs?…
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What OSX App Would You Most like to See in the iPhone?
Sure, the iPhone has some great applications and widgets but I want iChat Preview, and Text Edit. What do you want built into the iPhone that you already get in OSX?
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★ An Important Public Service Announcement Regarding Marker Felt on the iPhone
Let’s say you’re like me, at least insofar as (a) you have an iPhone; (b) you despise the Marker Felt font used by the iPhone’s Notes app; and (c) you’ve installed the BSD subsystem, which allows you to access the iPhone’s underlying file system via SSH or SFTP. If that’s the case, I have a suggestion for how to use (c) to solve problem (b). If you delete these four files: /System/Library/Fonts/MarkerFeltThin.ttf /System/Library/Fonts/MarkerFeltWide.ttf /System/Library/Fonts/Cache/MarkerFeltThin.ttf /System/Library/Fonts/Cache/MarkerFeltWide.ttf and then restart your iPhone, you’ll be treated to a Notes app that looks like this: I.e. Marker Felt is gone, and Notes substitutes Arial in its stead. I’m fairly certain that Notes’s text view is really a customized WebKit view — in fact, I believe that to be the case for all text editing views on mobile OS X — and so rather than crashing when the requested font is not available, it simply handles the problem by substituting another font. It’d be nice if it substituted Helvetica rather than Arial, and perhaps that’s what would happen if one were to delete all traces of the Arial font, too. But I don’t know, because I haven’t tried it, because the iPhone’s arialuni.ttf font is 22.2 MB (megabytes!), and given its name, I suspect it contains many Unicode glyphs not present in the OS’s other default fonts. Also, if you’re like me, you wouldn’t consider trying this unless you’ve backed up everything on your iPhone, are quite comfortable at the command line, and are unafraid of screwing the system up such that you need to restore the iPhone OS via iTunes.
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Ask TUAW: Automounting a network drive, iPhone flash memory, XMP photo metadata and more
Filed under: Features, Tips and tricks, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAWLast week's Ask TUAW prompted an avalanche of questions, so we're going to have to pace ourselves. For this episode we'll tackle questions about auto-mounting a network drive, sending email across an internet sharing Mac, wearing out iPhone flash, using Adobe XMP photo metadata in Windows and OS X, monitoring bandwidth usage and more.We'll get to more questions in the near future, but please leave suggestions and new questions in the comments.Continue reading Ask TUAW: Automounting a network drive, iPhone flash memory, XMP photo metadata and moreRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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ReplayTV launches Personal HD tuner kit, plays nice with iPod / iPhone
Filed under: HDTV, Home EntertainmentWe've seen a number of USB tuners that make converting files for handheld viewing a lesson in simplicity, but ReplayTV is givin' you one more alternative. The Personal HD kit includes a USB 2.0 ATSC / NTSC hybrid tuner, an antenna, wireless remote (which fits nicely in a spare PCMCIA slot), a free year of ReplayTV Electronic Program Guide (EPG), and bundled software that features native iPod, Apple TV and iPhone support. This "all-in-one" solution for getting OTA content on your device of choice is set to ship this November for $99.95. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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Stephen Fry: ‘Device and Desires’
Actor and writer Stephen Fry is a gadget hound, and proves it in this extensive survey of the current state-of-the-art in the smartphone market. E.g., regarding the Sony-Ericsson P1i: The P1i is what happens when “oh, that’ll do� becomes the corporate motto. UIQ promised something, the actual GUI is reasonable, in fact quite delightful, but it needed refinement, it needed acceleration and it needed flair. Instead we’ve got a very, very slow device that eats power, is difficult to use in varying environments and frequently hangs and crashes. In a word unusable. And I can just hear them hiding behind the excuse of “price� and “sectors of the market� and other bullshit. What, Apple’s a bigger company than Sony? Got more muscle? What muscle it has got, it got from daring to be better. That was once true of Sony too. ★
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Review: NLU Products BodyGuardz for iPod nano 3G
Over the past year or two, we've become big fans of sticker-style iPod and iPhone protectors, as they enable users to protect their new devices against the most common types of damage—scratches and scuffs—without adding significant bulk, or preventing them from working with common docking accessories. BodyGuardz tend to be amongst the best of these stickers: they offer close to complete transparency, without the significant rippling…
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Apple Gazette Daily 121 - ReplayTV for Mac, iPhone Germany, and NBC downloads
ReplayTV for Macs, iPhone in Germany and NBC to offer free downloads soon! You can subscribe via iTunes, or by RSS feed, or… you can directly download the episode right here. In addition to that, you should be able to play every episode of the podcast directly in your browser by using the widget which is now located in the side column of the site. Just click on the headphones to play the podcast inside the widget with full audio controls.
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T-Mobile to Sell iPhone in Germany
Goes on sales November 9 for €399; plans to be announced later. Interesting stuff at the end of the story on iTunes song pricing in Europe. The European Commission is investigating charges that Apple is breaking the law by selling the same songs at different prices for different countries. Steve Jobs flatly lays the blame at the music labels’ feet: “We think the prices should be the same.”. “Anybody in Europe should be able to buy off of any store. I’ve been saying this from the start. But the music companies don’t permit us to resell their music that way. So it’s really an issue with the music companies.â€? ★
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David Maynor publishes details of MacBook WiFi hack
The MacBook WiFi exploit is back, but this time with some genuine closure. We think. The original hacker has finally been allowed to disclose details of the hack and (surprise!) he apparently wasn't lying.Read More...
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Treo developer leaves Palm
Something is bound to go right for Palm eventually. But when? Recently the smart phone company swung and missed badly with its announcement and subsequent cancellation of its Foleo device. That's in addition to increased competition in the smart phone space with a slew of well-received devices from Apple, ...
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Another piratical tool: Captain FTP
Filed under: Humor, SoftwareWe're all talking like pirates today, savvy? Best way to stay clear of Davy Jones' Locker is to have a sure way of gettin' ta yer treasure, like maybe a map, or a compass, or perhaps a shareware FTP client. We be downloading Captain FTP even now.The Captain keeps a pretty tight ship, despite all the plundering and pillaging; in fact, in version 5.0, he's got a handy local LAN version of FTP, extremely useful for transferring files 'tween the crow's nest and the poop deck. Built-in file viewers and easy transfer acceleration top off the treasure chest.Captain FTP be $25 doubloons, and ye have a fortnight of demo time before ye puts the cash on the barrel of grog.Thanks Tom.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple issues song credits as apology for iTunes Store problems
Last week many people had issues with not being able to download their songs from the iTunes Store despite the fact that their credit cards had been charged (I was included in that bunch). Today I received an email from iTunes Support with (among other things) the following note: Please accept the following Five Song Credits as an apology for the delay in receiving your purchase. These credits are good for five songs of your choice from the iTunes Store. I would assume I'm not the only person who will receive this but I also doubt Apple will do anything in regards to explaining what might have happened to cause the huge delays people experienced. If you experienced download delays, have you received this credit from Apple? credit, itunes
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I-O Data intros Navi Clip USB GPS device
Filed under: GPS While laptops with integrated GPS are still a somewhat rare breed, USB devices that add GPS capabilities to plain old laptops are definitely not, with I-O Data only the latest to offer a product that does just that. From the looks of it, the company's Navi Clip device should get the job done nicely, with a standard SiFR Star III chipset concealed in its tiny 2 x 1 x 0.4-inch casing. You'll also get a USB extension cable (apparently to let you position it for better reception), and some "Supper Mapple" mapping software, which we're guessing will be of little use anywhere outside of Japan (or outside of Windows). If that suits you just fine, you'll be able to pick one up early next month for ¥24,200, or just over $200.[Via Akihabara News] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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Engadget Gets Hands On With O2 iPhone
Yesterday’s announcement of the O2 iPhone was met with some “meh’s� and not much else but surely the iPhone wouldn’t be that different from it’s US counterpart on O2 right? Well, there are some OS changes which are visible in Engadget’s…
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Secure your Mac: strong passwords
Filed under: OS, Tips and tricks, SecurityIt is a sad fact of life that your Mac is only as secure as your password is strong. A good password is complex enough to thwart both idle hands ('I wonder if Scott is as dumb as he looks. I bet his password is 12345. Let me try it and find out') and dastardly hackers out to steal your personal information ('Ah, some fool has left his Mac unattended, let me try some brute force dictionary attacks in hopes that I will gain entrance into his digital domain and clear out his bank account AND delete all his iPhoto pictures'). Sadly, passwords that make security conscious paranoid freaks like myself happy are both difficult to remember and to type (it is all part of their charm). Luckily, Apple has included a small utility that can help you find a password both complex and memorable.Read on to learn how.Continue reading Secure your Mac: strong passwordsPermalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Matias adds iPhone model to Armor line
Matias has introduced its Armor for iPhone, the latest addition to its Armor line of hard shell aluminum cases. The Armor for iPhone features an aircraft-grade aluminum outer shell, neoprene interior lining for a secure hold, and access the phone's touch screen, home, volume, and sleep buttons, sensors, headphone jack, Dock connector, speaker, microphone, and ring/silent switch. In addition, the case includes both an optional neck strap…
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Updated: Live Interior 3D 1.3
Design your dream room for your home or office.
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iPhone US market share already exceeding other established vendors
If you live in the US and think you understand the mobile phone market and its operating systems, you should study this chart. It demonstrates just how much the mobile phone market varies by geography. The other amazing thing? Apple's market share in North America is not only visible, but exceeds that of Microsoft in other non-US geographies. That's fairly impressive since Windows Mobile has been around for six years and the iPhone is just coming up on 3 months. Perhaps Steve "iPhone has no chance" Ballmer can provide colorful commentary on how it happened.Technorati Tags:Apple, iPhone, Marketing, Mobile phones, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft
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News: DLO rolls out new PowerBug, Auto Charger for iPod
Digital Lifestyle Outfitters has introduced its new PowerBug wall charger for iPod, as well as the DLO Auto Charger for iPod. The DLO PowerBug is a USB charger that powers a variety of USB-based electronics via any AC wall outlet, and features a fold-away design as well as an Intelligent Status Light that glows red or green to indicate its power status. The PowerBug for iPod includes an iPod charging cable for charging all dockable iPods, including…
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25 million Led Zeppelin fans?
Featured links from the CNET Blog Network 25 million Led Zeppelin fans?--How many of the 25 million reported inquiries for the Led Zeppelin reunion are automated robots sent out by scalpers? Can I see your iPhone?--One of the inherent risks of having an iPhone will necessarily mean that you will become a de facto sales rep for Apple. Infantry to lead the way with a new PDA--Military research and industrial design bring power-saving PDA to troops in the field. Ignorance (of open source), thy name is Microsoft--Microsoft wants open source to be non-threatening. Good luck.
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25 million Led Zeppelin fans?
Featured links from the CNET Blog Network 25 million Led Zeppelin fans?--How many of the 25 million reported inquiries for the Led Zeppelin reunion are automated robots sent out by scalpers? Can I see your iPhone?--One of the inherent risks of having an iPhone will necessarily mean that you will become a de facto sales rep for Apple. Infantry to lead the way with a new PDA--Military research and industrial design bring power-saving PDA to troops in the field. Ignorance (of open source), thy name is Microsoft--Microsoft wants open source to be non-threatening. Good luck.
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MailTags 2.1.1 available now
Filed under: Software, Cool tools, Productivity, Internet ToolsScott Morrison sends word that MailTags, the Mail plugin that lets you both tag your emails and connect them directly up to iCal, has hit 2.1.1. The 2.1 release came a few days ago, and introduced incoming reply tagging-- whenever you sent out a message with tags on it, the reply that came back automatically received the same tags-- and the 2.1.1 update improves that feature. You can now tag an outgoing message as "expect reply," and MailTags can notify you through Growl and with highlighting that the reply has arrived.The release also includes an example AppleScript that lets you use a "killed" tag to mark a message and any incoming replies to it as read-- if a thread has ceased to be important to you, you can ignore it completely. Bugfixes involving iCal interaction have also been implemented, and a column sizing interface improvement has been added.The 2.1.1 update is a maintenance update and available for free to MailTags users over at the website. If you haven't bought the plugin yet, you can get it here for $29.95.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Cult of Mac: The Perils of Taking the IPhone Mainstream
Apple may have failed to anticipate early adopters' anger over a $200 price cut, but the radical move reveals Steve Jobs' audacious plan to rocket the mobile device into the mainstream. Cult of Mac commentary by Leander Kahney.
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New: Compress Files 2.4
An easy-to-use tool for compressing, archiving, and encrypting files while omitting Mac-specific invisible files.
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Smartphone Market Shares Across the World
It’s fascinating how different the markets are in different regions of the world. Microsoft and RIM are huge in the U.S., but mere also-rans everywhere else. Linux is huge in Asia, but barely registers in Europe or North America. And Symbian dominates the entire world except for North America, where it’s behind even Apple, which only entered the market three months ago. ★
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First Looks: Vaja iVolution for iPhone
As Vaja's first true play-through case for the iPhone, Vaja's new iVolution for iPhone ($80) offers iPhone users the ability to customize two halves of a premium leather-covered hard shell with their choices of 39 different colors, ranging from bright to subtle colors, black, gray, or white. One belt clip option - the plastic Ultra Clip ($4) - is available as an option, and text and graphic personalization are also available at an additional charge.…
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Best Buy to expand in-store Apple stores
Third time's a charm: Apple and Best Buy are doing swimmingly together as of late, and Best Buy is looking to increase its in-store Apple presence to 270 stores by the end of 2007.Read More...
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Shure: A Nice Pair of Earphnes for Your iPhone
It is tough finding earphones that will fit the iPhone. Why Apple decided to make it so hard--who knows, but if there is a will, there is a way, right? I found some pretty nice earphones that fits the…
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The latest on Acorn
Filed under: Software, How-tos, Odds and ends, DeveloperJust about a week after its release, Acorn (Gus Mueller's sparkling little image editor) is looking a 1.0.1 release dead in the face. Mueller hasn't updated it officially yet, but he has released development builds of both VoodooPad and Acorn over on his site.The newest Acorn release will include a JPEG compression/quality slider when saving, as well as a number of bug fixes (everyone loves those, right?). If you want to try it out now, you can hit the dev build, but the rest of us will be happy waiting for an official release I'm sure.Mueller has also created a wiki just for Acorn, and it's got a few nice tips and tricks, a plugin section, and a writeup on the Acorn file format. It's pretty barebones at the moment. but hey, it's a wiki, and it just started. Give it some time (or some contributions of your own), and it'll likely soon be an invaluable guide to all the Acorn users out there.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: SwitchEasy launches Biscuits plastic cases for 3G nano
SwitchEasy has launched its new Biscuits hard cases for iPod nano (with video). Features include an ultrasonic welded polycarbonate screen-protecting window for Biscuits, a disappearing LCD screen effect for Black Biscuit, slide-in installation, duo tone logo and body construction, and notches on either side of the Click Wheel for easier access. In addition, Biscuits include static membrane guards for both the nano's back and Click Wheel, color…
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What do all the different video editing terms mean?
Don't drop frames when making a rough cut composed of lossy clips.
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iPhone Announced In Germany, Not Much Else New About It
So yesterday our friends across the pond got their iPhone action on O2 and will be getting them November 9th, but now it’s Germany’s turn and the announcement isn’t that different from the previous but some details are lacking such as possible plans. Press Release Below BERLIN—September…
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iPhone to Make Deutschland Debut in November
On the heels of announcing it will begin selling iPhones in the UK on Nov. 9, Apple said the phone's German debut will take place on the same day, but the device will be tied to a different carrier. The company said T-Mobile will be the exclusive German carrier for the iPhone. In the UK, Apple chose O2 as the exclusive carrier, a position held in the United States by AT&T. Apple sold its millionth iPhone just 74 days after it went on sale in the U.S. on June 29. Apple is "thrilled to be partnering with T-Mobile" for the endeavor, CEO Steve Jobs said.
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Is A 3G iPhone Worth The Wait?
My temptation to plunk down the cash for an iPhone grows almost daily, especially after the recent price drop. But now rumors are surfacing that Apple will update the device to 3G network compatible chipsets (not to mention an addition of GPS) by very early 2008. Of course GPS is no small feature, but how much of a difference will the network really make? What do you guys think? Is it worth the wait? Has anyone with an iPhone had an unbearable experience due to the AT&T's EDGE network? Does anyone curse AT&T every time they make a call? 3g, iphone
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Firefox patches elusive QuickTime security flaw
Mozilla today fixed a vulnerability in how Apple QuickTime Media-Link files contain a qtnext attribute that could be used on Windows systems to launch the default browser with arbitrary command-line options. Although the problem appeared to be resolved earlier this year, researcher Petko D. Petkov and others found recently that ...
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Always wait for something better. ALWAYS.
ZDNet's David Borlind has a bug up his butt about 3G. If the report is true, this could be worse news for Apple given that the price drop had to have come so soon to stimulate demand. There's nothing that kills demand for the current generation of a product like an announcement that the next generation won?t be stillborn with obsolete networking technology the way the currently available generation was. Aarrrrrgh! And that's not the Macalope talking like a pirate! It's him wanting to stick pointy objects in his eyes to gouge out the offending sight of such claptrap! We've been over and over and over and OVER this a zillion times in the past nine months and people still refuse to accept the simple fact that there are tradeoffs with battery life and cost. And not one of the goofballs harping on EDGE will ever mention the iPhone feature that might just trump a slower connection speed - its interface, one the Macalope would argue is superior to that of any other cell phone. But, shhh. Don't mention that. It's all about 3G. Because it's faster. Whether you can find it or not. Sure, the next version of anything will always be better than the current one. But iPhone 2.0 will very likely get the things right that iPhone 1.0 got so wrong. Well, this ought to be good. For example, in addition to making it work on the faster of the two networks that most GSM-flavored providers like AT&T run (was this really that hard of a decision?), I?m guessing that it will have removable batteries as well. Ah! You mean just like when Apple put a removable battery on the iPod when a relatively small group of people clamored for one? Wait a minute... Perhaps iPhone 2.0 will also address the third most talked about iPhone flaw (in addition to missing 3G support and non-replaceable batteries): its soft keyboard. Hey, Dave, you know there's this guy that runs Apple -- his name is Steve Jobs -- and you should really consider looking at some of the things he's said and his track record in sticking to them. Because he's the kind of guy who usually sticks to his guns unless something is really obviously wrong and, well, this just isn't one of those cases. Might the new design have some sort of hardware-based keyboard... No. ...or will Apple do what it does with the touchpad on its notebooks... Huh? Now trackpads aren't big enough for you? Dave, if your fingers are ballooning up to sausage size you might want to see a doctor. You could have a circulation problem. ...and stick us with something that some segment of the market (like those of us with big fingers) simply can?t use? There seems to be this set of technology pundits running around dissing the iPhone's keyboard as too tiny for their big fingers, heh-heh-heh. And you know what they say. Big fingers... Dave, take a look at those keys. They aren't any smaller than the keys on a Treo so just man up. If the Macalope can operate them with his massive hooves, then you surely can with your apparently overly fleshy digits. The fourth most talked about flaw ? its total RAM ? will most definitely get a boost. WE INTERRUPT YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING TO BRING YOU THIS NEWS FLASH: DEVICES IN THE FUTURE WILL HAVE MORE RAM! FILM AT 11. ...if Apple's is smart, it will also add an SD slot: one that supports the high capacity version of SD known as SDHC. As long as in this context your definition of "smart" is "stupid". Again, there's this device called the iPod. To borrow a line from Fake Steve, maybe you've heard of it? Do you see any iPods that have upgradeable memory? No, you do not. It's not, as you claim, a "conspiracy theory" that Apple does not make all of its devices as upgradeable as its pro products. It's a business plan. And it works pretty well because -- guess, what? -- most people are going to upgrade these things in two years anyway. The Macalope has a 4 GB iPhone and, while you can never have too much RAM or hard drive space, it's fine. A well-selected playlist, some TV shows and a movie are all he needs for trolling around town or even a flight across the country. The iPhone with its Safari browser may get plenty of rich internet applications via Web sites built in AJAX. But I wonder if the next version will support one of the prevailing runtimes (Java or Flash, I don?t think there?s a chance in hell that Apple would go for Microsoft?s Silverlight) so as to increase the iPhone's appeal due to application availability (especially in overseas markets where mobile runtimes are getting more traction than they get here in the US). Meh. Maybe. It would certainly help gain some traction in the business market if the iPhone's Safari supported Java. But that's just not a market Apple competes in. And, again, have you heard of Steve Jobs? But it's that 3G support alone that should kill any desire for iPhone 1.0. Yes. The idea that something in the future might be better should always kill any desire to own something now. If you time it just right, you can buy that one killer device five minutes before you die and achieve optimal purchasing! Remember, Berlind is talking not just about Europe here, he's talking about sales of the iPhone everywhere. Maybe then, there'll be a shred of truth to the Apple TV advertisement that says "It's not the mobile Web, it's just the Web." Oh, fer... Have you used Safari on the iPhone? Even on EDGE it's the best web surfing experience on a cell phone money can buy. Meanwhile, so long as an iPhone is connecting to AT&T's network and not some WiFi network (the iPhone also has a WiFi radio), the browser experience is most definitely saddled with the sort of granny lane performance that has "mobile Web" written all over it. False advertising? You decide. Silly pundit zombie talking points that will not die. The iPhone will be in its fifth rev and we'll still be talking about the commercial where Apple showed it working faster than it might in suboptimal conditions. The Macalope has said this before, but pardon Apple for not showing the slowest possible speeds in its commercials. David, there are more and more WiFi hotspots every day. The sandwich shop down the street from the pointy one's office has one, the coffee shop has one, the waiting room in the auto dealer has one. New Yorkers like to say that the outdoors is something you have to go through to get to the cab. Well, EDGE is something you have to go through to get to WiFi. My god, people act like EDGE is some blight on the human condition like polio or something, as if there were no trade-offs to be made that 3G was simply better. It's not. It's faster, but it uses more power, the hardware is more expensive and it's not as ubiquitous as EDGE in the U.S. where the iPhone needed to be successful first. The Macalope knows that's not the case in Europe, hence the WiFi deal which -- hey! -- is a feature. Look, the horny one does not expect the iPhone to do as well in Europe as it has in the U.S. and for several of the reasons Berlind lists. The price and, yes, the lack of 3G. But Berlind refuses to look at the iPhone as a package and instead focuses on what he perceives to be deal killers. And the last two and a half months have proved that they're not. They may be for Berlind, but one of the biggest problems with the current state of punditry is to confuse what the public wants with what the pundit wants. The two are not necessarily the same.
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Apple announces T-Mobile as German iPhone Carrier
In a press release Apple announced today that they are launching iPhone in Germany on November 9: Apple and T-Mobile today announced that T-Mobile, the leading network operator in Germany, will be the exclusive German carrier of Apple’s revolutionary iPhone when it makes its debut in Germany on November 9. iPhone combines three devices into one—a [...]
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And you thought the US iPhone was expensive…
Well anyone who complained about the iPhone being expensive here in the US can officially shut it (myself included). An ad for the 8GB iPhone in Germany (pictured above) has the phone costing a whopping 899 Euros. Do some quick currency conversions and you find that 899 Euros is over $1,200 USD! Holy smokes! That puts it right around 3 times the cost of the US iPhone. Let's be honest, that price is just ridiculous. I don't care how much money you have or how bad you want an iPhone, it is in no way worth $1,200. UPDATE: Well looks like I stand corrected. It would seem that the ad above is either a hoax or a typo (or both). The official price in Germany is 399 Euros. Thanks Jonathan Marcialis for the tip (and article scan) cost, germany, iphone
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Why Starbucks/Apple Collab is so Interesting
Back when the Zune dropped (and kept dropping…) I was talking with a friend about the features - specifically the wifi that came built-in. While the product as a whole seemed like a brick, there was something interesting about having a media device with ad-hoc wifi enabled. He envisioned a new wave of advertising directed squarely at these Zune users. Had Microsoft had their heads on straight, this type of service should have been launched along with their “iPod Killer”. Fast forward a few months from then, and the iPhone is kicking butt and taking names. Then a wifi store is given us, along with an interesting feature collaboration with Starbucks: buy the music you hear in the coffee shop over their wifi! This feature hasn't gotten the attention I would have expected. But essentially, Apple has launched the type of initiative that Microsoft missed out on earlier in the year. It starts with Starbucks - hear a song you like while sipping a latte, connect your iPhone to their wifi, buy it. Take it a step further, and when you walk into a Target, Nordstroms, or Sephora (for example) and get targeted deals sent right to your promiscuous iPhone. Obviously you don't have to choose to view it, or use the wifi in such stores, but there's the model! Maybe this Starbucks collaboration will lead to essentially free (ad-driven) wifi in more places. This could really turn the tide as it seems more and more wifi is closing the doors to being offered up for free. I for one wouldn't mind seeing a targeted ad, sale-priced items, or a quick 30-second commercial if it meant I could grab some free wifi in most of the places I frequent. Obviously this doesn't apply just to the iPhone, but I think it's interesting that such a model of advertising could be around the corner because of it. advertising, ingenius, innovate, iphone, wifi
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Automagically Sync Your iPhone Without Connecting To iTunes
I’m not too keen on connecting and reconnecting my iPhone with my Mac every time I want to sync data no matter how easy it is, it all comes down to the lazy factor of using gadgets: I want my stuff…
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Other companies and Apple's iTunes price war
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTunes, AppleNBC has gotten all the press in their big fight with Apple, but a few other companies are currently considering their options about what to do with iTunes pricing.News Corp is apparently ready to draw a line in the sand. Their COO Peter Chernin says "negotiations will be prickly and dicey and contentious, like all negotiation are and like all negotiations should be." Interesting point of view there. He earlier promised that they wouldn't be pulling content from iTunes like NBC is (or at least says they are-- the content is still there for now, but on the way out soon), but says that they should be the ones determining prices for their products, not Apple. Which is true-- unless Apple believes otherwise. If Apple offers you $1 per song or nothing, Chernin, which one are you going to take?And CBS, on the other hand, is asking everyone to just chill, OK? CEO Les Moonves is the only one that actually sounds like he knows what's going on at the iTunes store: "We look at iTunes as much as a promotional vehicle for our shows as a financial vehicle." That's exactly how everyone should see it-- we can watch these shows for free (with advertising) on television, or pay a nominal fee to watch them later on iTunes.This doesn't help with NBC of course-- they're going to do what they want (including go to Amazon) no matter what CBS says. They are competitors, after all, but whether NBC pulls out or not, the Store isn't going anywhere-- there are lots of content providers still interested in it.[via MacBytes]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple taking a stand against iPod patent suit
Apple has been engaged in a legal battle with Burst.com for more than a year, and the time has finally come to take a stand against the patent troll in court.Read More...
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Is Steve Jobs really smarter than anyone else?
With another "exclusive" deal under his belt, Steve Jobs has proven one thing: he's smarter than anyone else.
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Is Steve Jobs really smarter than anyone else?
Mr. Genius(Credit: News.com) With Apple announcing its entry into the European cell phone market on Tuesday on the back of O2, the UK has officially rejoiced at the possibility of having the iPhone Americans have been coveting for so long. But amidst the excitement and hype, everyone seemed to gloss over one important fact from yesterday's announcement: Apple's iPhone business model is second to none and Steve Jobs really is smarter than the rest of the world. ...
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iPod games must be repurchased for new iPods
Filed under: Gaming It looks like those hoping to port their collection of iPod games over to their shiny new iPod nano or iPod classic are going to be out of luck, unless they fork over the cash for new "reformatted" versions of the games. Unfortunately, according to iLounge, only three iPod games have been updated for the latest-gen players, including EA's Tetris, Sudoku, and Namco's Ms. Pac-Man. On the upside, those three games have all received some changes of various degrees, including most notably an all new control scheme on Tetris that'll let you use the click wheel for block rotation. While there's no word on a timeline for upgraded versions of the remaining 15 games, the three that have been reformatted are apparently available for download now for $4.99 apiece.[Image courtesy of iLounge] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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World's most piratical Mac utility -- arRsync
Avast, me hearties, as Erica noted earlier, today be Talk Like a Pirate Day. We be scourin' the series of tubes makin' up this World Wide Web, hunting for buried software treasure in honor of the occasion, and here you'll find a prime piece of plunder: arRsync, a graphical front end for the UNIX rsync utility.arRsync is only at version 0.4.1, and may not have the polish and refinement of other rsync handlers like RipCord and RsyncX, but for simple and low-impact backups it may be worth a try. Besides, where else are you going to get an icon like that? Arrr.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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If there was an iToaster - this would be it
Does anyone remember when I made that joke about Apple making a Toaster? Yeah, I didn't think so - but I did - and Steve left a funny comment on the post. Anyway, this little gadget is NOT and Apple made toaster…but darn it, if Apple DID make a toaster, I think it would look just like this. The Transparent Toaster is a design concept that has not yet come to market, but if it does…I'm getting one. via uber gizmo
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Google Maps Application Obviates the Need for GPS
I was one of the many people who complained about the lack of GPS in the iPhone. The phone I used to use was a Motorola Razr from Verizon. One of the very cool features on the Razr was the Verizon Navigator that essentially turned the phone into a GPS…
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Gear4 launches iVak case for iPhone
I haven't been much on iPhone cases thus far. I just haven't found any that I thought would be all that useful because the device is so strong by itself, but this new case from Gear4 looks pretty good. It keeps the same styling as the iPhone, while adding a built-in screen protector with full touch sensitivity for full access to all vents and ports. Plus it has a movie kick stand on the back. That's something that I could really use. The iVak case will be available soon - no word yet on price. Gear4 Official Site.
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The iPhone: An Ordinary Name for An Extraordinary Product
Beyond a doubt, the easiest job at Apple is the person that names products. Here is a typical day for the Director of Product Naming (or whatever the position is called): “Hey Jim, we need a name for an Apple toilet. Get me 3 names in an hour.�…
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Life is Getting Tougher for the New Apple
Who remembers the good ol’ days of Apple? Us against them, the quest to stay in business. In those days, sure Apple took advantage of its loyal customers, but outside of that fan base, it wasn’t widely known—or if it was, who cared? I’ve always been cynically…
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iPod touch 101: Access playback controls during lock
Filed under: iPhone 101 Here's a nifty iPod touch-only feature that isn't yet implemented on the iPhone. When your touch is locked, double-tap the home button. iPod playback controls instantly appear. You can do the same thing from your home screen and get the bonus of a "Music" button that takes you instantly into the iPod application. Give it a try. I'd have taken a screenshot but Apple hasn't let us into the touch yet to install custom software like that. The best part? It looks like this feature will be coming to an iPhone near you soon(ish?).Permalink | Email this | Comments
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There's more to this month's pending iPhone software update
The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store on the iPhone will be cool and all, but there are some other new features coming in this month's software update according to photos of the pending 1.1.1 update.Read More...
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Das iPhone
Apple and T-Mobile announce exclusive partnership in Germany for the iPhone.
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Undercover
$49 theft-notification software for Mac OS X notebooks; if your machine is stolen, it sends you things like current screenshots, network settings, and, if there’s a built-in iSight, photos from the camera. (Via Jason Santa Maria.) ★
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A shell script to upload SSH keys to remote machines
This is a script that I initially found online and have modified to be a bit more useful. Basically it automates the process of uploading your SSH key to a remote host that you SSH into by doing the following:Creates a .ssh directory if there is not one already there, and sets the correct permissions on it.Puts your key in the authorized_keys file (and creates it if it was not there already), and changes the permissions on it.Here's the code:#!/bin/shKEY="$HOME/.ssh/id_dsa.pub"if [ ! -f ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub ];then echo "private key not found at $KEY" echo "* please create it with "ssh-keygen -t dsa" *" echo "* to login to the remote host without a password, don't give the key you create with ssh-keygen a password! *" exitfiif [ -z $1 ];then echo "Please specify ...
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A simple way to open files in X11 applications
Here is the easiest way, to my knowledge, to associate file extensions with X11 applications: just use the open source X11 Extension program. On the disk image, you'll find a new ExtManager System Preferences panel. Install it, then open it in System Preferences. The next step is to define file extensions and commands associated with them (e.g. /sw/bin/gv for EPS files).There might be a small problem if you're using applications from outside standard PATHs (e.g. from Fink); in that case, you have to pass the PATH environmental variable to the X11 window manager. For some reason, the Apple xterm fails to assign the proper values to PATH if they're included in the .xinitrc file, and it doesn't read the .bash_profile file either. As a workoround, I suggest creating a .bashrc file with a single line (assuming the paths are already defined in the .bash_profile file, which is a...
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Import Outlook invitations from different time zones
When you double-click Outlook invitation sent from a different time zone, the current version of iCal fails to identify your location and sets the calendar according to the time without respecting your time zone. You can get around this problem by first copying the meeting attachment and modifying the section labeled TZID. Then save the modified file and double-click it. It should now respect your time zone and set itself accordingly.
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This Day: September 16, 1997: Steve Jobs Becomes Interim CEO
After Apple bought NeXT Steve Jobs agreed to stay around to offer advice. Less than a year later Gil Amelio was gone. This left Apple without a CEO, a position Steve had turned down with the ouster of Amelio. With the CEO search underway, Apple was in need of day-to-day direction.…
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Apple Announces iPhone in Germany also on Nov. 9th
Apple today announced that not only will the iPhone launch in the UK on Nov. 9th, but it will also launch in Germany on the 9th, via T-Mobile. T-Mobile Germany partnering with Apple on the iPhone is probably the worst kept secret in the world, since T-Mobile has seemed to slip up on more than one occasion, accidentally releasing this information several times before today's announcement. The price for the iPhone in Germany will be €399, and T-Mobile promises, “By the end of 2007, T-Mobile will be the only network operator in Germany to offer EDGE throughout its entire GSM network”. So, the world wide invasion of the iPhone continues…what country will be next? Will it be yours?!?! Bwahahahahahaha…. …sorry…I got very little sleep…
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iPhone coming to Germany, again on November 9th
Filed under: Other Events, Apple, iPhone The Guardian newspaper seems to have its sources right, as today sees Steve in Germany to announce the availability of the iPhone there. The 8Gb model will go on sale on 9th November (anyone want to bet against a November 9th launch for France being announced tomorrow?), cost €399 ($553 / £276) and will require a 2-year T-Mobile contract. T-Mobile also points out that "By the end of 2007, T-Mobile will be the only network operator in Germany to offer EDGE throughout its entire GSM network" - at least some European operators are ensuring the data technology is commonplace before offering the iPhone. There's currently no word on how much the monthly contract will cost, but I'm sure we'll hear about that shortly. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Carbon Copy Cloner 3 arrives with new UI, more control
A new version of backup software giant Carbon Copy Cloner has landed with a new UI and a lot more control over what you backup, clone, and synchronize.Read More...
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Tetris, Ms. PAC-MAN, Sudoku for new iPods released
As part of iTunes Tuesday, Apple has released a handful of games for the new iPods. Unfortunately, owners of older iPod games will need to pay again for new versions.Read More...
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Mac 101: Three Dock tips
Filed under: Switchers, Tips and tricks, Odds and ends, Mac 101 There's a lot to love about the Mac's user-friendly desktop and one of my favorites is the Dock, otherwise known as "that spot at the bottom of the screen where all the application icons line up." Here are a handful of nifty tricks for the dock that new users might like to know about, and long-time users may have forgotten. Continue reading Mac 101: Three Dock tipsPermalink | Email this | Comments
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iSuppli: new iPod nano costs Apple less than $83 in components
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video The iPod nano is the "most popular music player in history" according to Steve Jobs. So there's nothing like an iSuppli teardown of the new, 3rd gen device to get the ol' analyst juices flowing. So get this: iSuppli claims that for every $149 4GB nano and $199 8GB nano sold, Apple's components costs are just $58.85 and $82.85, respectively. That's an 18.5% lower direct materials cost than the previous nano. In other words, a substantial increase in margins for what should be a tidy boost in Apple profit after covering R&D costs. The teardown also indicates that Apple has once again opened the money trough to a whole new bevy of suppliers including Dialog Semiconductor, Intersil, and Synaptics. Micron is the big winner here as they supply the NAND flash storage whereas Toshiba provides it for the iPod touch. Could be that the effects of Samsung's NAND factory power outage are starting to show. Enjoy it while you can suppliers, chances are you'll be begging for Apple's business once the next round of product refreshes goes down. Bill of materials after the break.Continue reading iSuppli: new iPod nano costs Apple less than $83 in components Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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YouTube Find: Jobs Announces iPhone UK
Video of the UK only special event from yesterday has made its way onto YouTube. In it, you get a chance to see the first UK iPhone ads which are almost identical to the US ads, except they appear to feature different children in the email photos, a different site that I couldn't quite make out in the Safari demo, and - of course - a British voice actor.
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News: ezGear debuts ezArmor for iPod classic
ezGear has introduced its ezArmor classic, an aluminum case for the iPod classic. Features of the ezArmor classic include a clear screen protector, an aircraft grade scratch-resistant anodized aluminum body, neoprene interior lining, access to the headphone jack and Click Wheel, and an included removable belt clip and removable neck strap. Charlie Bernstein, President of ezGear, said, “This is the metal case iPod Classic users have been waiting…
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The Impact of Apple's iPhone on the UK Market
Apple's (AAPL) iPhone has nearly arrived on the UK shores and there are a few twists in the UK flavor compared to the US flavor.
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Intel's USB 3.0 and Wireless USB 1.1 target speeds announced: so long Firewire?
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals, Wireless Intel's announced USB 3.0 specification could push throughput beyond 4Gbps (300MBps) at the application level while introducing Quality of Service in support of HD video streams. Besides supplanting Firewire once and for all, a clear goal of the new "SuperSpeed USB" is to keep up with the transfer speeds of flash chips. "We don't want to be the bottleneck in the system," says Intel's Jeff Ravencraft who is overseeing the 3.0 initiative. Intel, HP, Microsoft, NEC, NXP, and TI will present the initial spec for a design review in November with first silicon to be stamped in "early 2009." While the new interconnect (pictured) will remain backward compatible with USB 2.0 and prior devices, new cables laced with an optical link and a max length of 2-meters will be required to take advantage of those high speeds acsirecording to a senior engineering manager with NEC. Meanwhile, a 1Gbps throughput is being targeted with Ravencraft's other baby: Wireless USB 1.1. Sounds great, but with existing 480Mbps Wireless USB silicon only achieving about 40Mbps in practice, Intel would be wise to focus on efficiency, not theory. Of course, it's all just a lot of smack-talk 'til they deliver, but with Apple running Intel inside now, Sony putting USB in their camcorders, and eSATA proliferating for external disks... well, Firewire's days sure seem numbered. [Via EETimes and The Inquirer] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!