Nov 26, 2007 Nov 28, 2007 Tuesday November 27, 2007
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LaunchBar 4.3.3
Update to Objective Development’s launcher/miscellaneous utility. (I never know how to categorize LaunchBar and Quicksilver.) Interesting new features include support for .scptd AppleScript bundles (great for packing up AppleScripts with self-contained shell script resources for “do shell script” calls out the shell) and an “argument” parameter for custom x-launchbar:execute search templates that lets you pass in large strings as input without worrying about escaping them for the shell. ★
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New iTunes ad posted. Big list updated.
Apple's newest iTunes ad, featuring Mary J. Blige's "Work That" has been posted to Apple's web page. I thought it might be time to move our ever growing list of iTunes/iPod commercial songs closer... [read more at MacMerc.com]
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Yummy FTP, AppFresh gain Leopard-compatible status
Popular applications AppFresh and Yummy FTP have been updated, and are now compatible with Leopard.Read More...
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Free music Tuesday has nothing on this 34-song TuneCore promotion
A TuneCore promotion gives you 34 songs free through the iTunes Store. And some of them may not even suck!Read More...
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Do you find Leopard's folders ugly? Replace them! PART 2
Yesterday, I pointed you to a system icon replacement collection that was made by The Iconfactory with Leopard users in mind. I pointed out that a lot of people aren't impressed with Leopard's... [read more at MacMerc.com]
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Apple posts new iTunes ad
Filed under: iTS, Odds and ends, iTunes, AppleIf you've been watching TV during the last few days chances are you have already seen this: Apple has released a new iTunes commercial. The new commercial features Mary J. Blige singing 'Work That' out while those iconic silhouette dancers dance around with hip mounted iPods (not an iPhone in sight!).What do you think about these iPod/iTunes ads? Still cool, or is it time for Apple to come up with something fresh? Sound off in the comments.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Don't Discount Apple's Bid for a Blockbuster Holiday
The company barely offers any savings at all on Black Friday, yet bargain hunters storm the Apple Store in San Francisco. With a great lineup of iPods and MacBooks, it looks like it'll be a green Christmas in Cupertino. Commentary by Leander Kahney.
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Is the iPhone Too Feminine?
It is amazing what types of conversation can happen when you congregate with distant relatives for Thanksgiving. One minute you are talking nonsense small talk about sports, politics, and why you aren’t married yet and then the next thing you know, a bottle of…
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Inquisitor is updated for Leopard
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Internet Tools, Apple, Interviews, LeopardWell slap my Safari and call me Susan-- it seems that the rumors of Inquisitor's demise (like so many things nowadays) were greatly exaggerated. Apple Reporter points out that Inquisitor, the Safari search plugin that everyone likes so much, has been "repackaged" for Leopard. Originally, we were told that the fact that InputManagers were being discontinued in the new OS would kill off Inquisitor and other Safari plugins that used them, but Inquisitor works.Of course, as we've already noted, noone knows for how long. But it seems that instead of deleting them whole hog, Apple just reined InputManagers in, and Inquisitor was able to stay in business. Good news.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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OS X security just not there yet
David Maynor is back on his Apple security hobby horse and rocking it faster than a 5-year-old hopped up on pre-holiday candy canes. Despite his usual over-the-top Apple invective, he makes some valid points and provides some helpful information for people using QuickTime on Windows. Apple announced ASLR as a feature in their latest version of the operating system, Mac OS X 10.5 (TigerLeopard). However, Apple largely lied. You might be surprised to hear the Macalope agree with Maynor, but he's right. OK, maybe "lied" is too strong, but they certainly misrepresented it. Read the OS X Leopard Security Technology Brief (PDF). In Leopard, libraries are loaded into random addresses when the system is installed and at any time that library prebinding is updated on the system (typically after system software updates, though you can manually force an update by running the "update_dyld_shared_cache -force" command). Now read Thomas Ptacek's roundup of Leopard security features. The dynamic linker library (dyld) is not randomized. From what I can tell, ten different Leopard macs booted at ten different times will have the same offset to dyld. You care because dyld is full of useful functionality. Like, dynamically linking new libraries into memory, or recovering the base addresses for existing libraries. Clearly, not all libraries are randomized and it's hard to take Apple's documentation any other way than saying that all of them are. Microsoft has impressed the security community with its dedication to secure coding practice. The Macalope suspects that the free keggers the company throws for security professionals and, well, everyone and their alcoholic mother don't hurt, either. And it's great that after years of making their users take it in the shorts on security by making them easy victims to, you know, actual real-world malware, that Microsoft can make bygones be bygones with security pros by tossing them some free shrimp like the barking seals that they are and then delivering a new OS with some good security features that sadly not that many people are taking advantage of because the cost in time, effort and cold, hard cash to upgrade from XP still often comes out to a losing proposition. But the Macalope readily admits that Apple has rested on some comfortable security laurels and for every step forward they've made there's been a half a step back. Installing Apple code on a Microsoft Vista system will make that system unsafe. Since these QuickTime vulnerabilities are equally exploitable on both Vista and Mac OS X 10.5, the fans might conclude that both operating systems are equally safe. This is not true, Vista is vastly more secure than the Macintosh. "Vastly" is debatable. The structure is there, Apple just needs to implement it properly. Many of the items Ptacek points out are user-correctible. Apple's a dot release away from fixing them it it wants to. Apple's only advantage over Microsoft is their small market share, which means hackers are less interested in them. However, as hackers are having a harder time cracking Vista, they are getting more interested in the Mac, and we are seeing more exploits and more malware targeting Apple users. This isn't yet a problem thanks to the legacy installs of XP and previous versions of Windows, but it will become more true as more Windows users inevitably adopt Vista (or move to the Mac or Linux). The situation is helped along, of course, by so-called security "professionals" who -- either because they love those Microsoft-sponsored security conferences or because they just really, really hate that "I'm a Mac" guy! -- are all too willing to yell "Look over there!" Does the computer security industry ever strike you like a protection racket? "Nice operating system you have here. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to it." Apple seems to be making some of the right moves, but not in a comprehensive manner. The Macalope would rather 2008 were not the year of the great Mac security epidemic.
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Video: Conture Design iPhone Showcase
Protect and carry your iPhone.
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Feral releases Tomb Raider Anniversary
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software Lara Croft is back on the Mac. Feral Interactive let us know that they have released Tomb Raider Anniversary for our favorite architecture.There are a few hitches-- it's Intel processors only at this point (though a Universal binary is due next year), and like most 3D games lately, GMA video cards are out. 10.4 is listed, there's no indication of whether the game works in Leopard or not. The good news is that while a lot of Tomb Raider games lately have been terrible, this one is supposed to be a nice return to the spelunking of old. The Windows version got reviewed favorably, but there's no word yet on exactly how the Mac version looks. We've heard good things about other Feral ports-- maybe this kind of release is just what Mac gaming needs a lot more of.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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First Looks: H2O Audio H3 Waterproof Headphones
An evolution of the company's earlier waterproof headphone designs, H2O Audio's new H3 Waterproof Headphones ($50) jump up in price, as well. Black rather than white and gray like their predecessors, H3 comes bundled with two sets of rubber earplugs that fit over the left and right speakers, then into your ears; the headphones are submersible to depths of up to 10 feet and work with H2O's current and 2006-2007 waterproof iPod cases....
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First Looks: H2O Audio iV6 Waterproof Case for the iPod classic
Based upon H2O Audio's earlier waterproof case for the fifth-generation iPod, iV6 ($100) is a deluxe submersible waterproof case for the iPod classic. Capable of being safely submerged to depths of up to 10 feet when paired with the company's waterproof headphones (not included), iV6 comes packaged with a screwdriver, screws, and rails to accommodate both the 80GB and 160GB thicknesses of iPod classic, as well as a neoprene armband. The case is a…
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What to do with 4,000 Newton modems
Filed under: Apple History When the cat's away, the mice will play.The cat being Steve Jobs (absent from Apple in 1996) and the mice a team of Newton developers who found themselves alone with 4,000 modems and a video camera. As you've undoubtedly surmised, they created an impressive domino-type arrangement of the modems in the halls of Apple.The video is longer than it needs to be, so skip ahead a bit. While you're at it, dig the 90's fashion statements. Flock Of Seagulls concert, anyone?[Via Macenstein]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Take a Photo Booth picture without the flash
If you hold the Shift key while taking a photo in Photo Booth, you'll disable the flash. This can be useful for photographing highly reflective objects. You can combine this with the Option key (see ">this hint) to avoid the three second delay and disable the flash.
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10.5: Mail.app and iCal CalDAV account name conflict
When attempting to save some changes to one of my Mail.app IMAP accounts in Leopard, it refused to save as I "already had an account" with that name. Great, of course I did -- it was the one I was editing. The error was no more helpful than that. Taking a look inside ~/Library/Mail to see if there was old garbage left behind causing conflicts, I noticed CalDAV accounts set up in the new version of iCal were also stored here. And, of course, one of them had the same name. Renaming the CalDAV account from within iCal's Accounts preferences then enabled me to save my settings within Mail.app without error. So it seems that, oddly, Mail.app and iCal share an account namespace for entirely different functionality. I haven't found any mentions of this anywhere else, so hope it's useful for somebody else's troubles...
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10.5: Send 'real' attachments in Mail messages
OK, this is totally out there in the semi-obvious open, but it's so nice to finally have it! If you'd rather send real attachments, instead of inline images, here's how. While not in the middle of sending an email from Mail, go to the Edit » Attachments menu, and revel in the new 'Always Insert Attachments at end of Message' option.
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10.5: Create even smarter Mail smart folders
I have rules that sort some mails (e.g. Forums) into a folder on my Mac. The problem: I wanted to set up a smart folder that shows all Mails in Forums that have either MacOSXhints or Macnn in their contents. So in 10.5's Mail, I set up a Smart folder with these rules: Message ... is in Mailbox ... Forums Entire Message ... Contains ... MacOSXhints OR Macnn Now this may sound obvious to some, but for me it was great to see that you can create more complex rules for smart folders. I guess it's related to the new Spotlight features in 10.5 that allows the use of AND and OR expressions. [robg adds: In 10.4, you had to create three smart mailboxes to pull off something like this; the fact that Mail uses the new Spotlight engine now makes it much simpler.]
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10.5: PPTP VPN and fully qualified domain names
Are you using PPTP to connect to a Microsoft ISA server for VPN? Do your internal machines on the VPN side of the connection no longer resolve except when you use a fully qualified domain name? The PPTP VPN settings under 10.5 provide some additional options, which you can reach via the Network System Preferences panel. Go to VPN, and click on Advanced, then view the Options tab. The setting is "Send all traffic over VPN connection." If this is unchecked, you will be unable to resolve internal hostnames without typing the fully qualified domain name. If you check it, you will be able to refer to your internal hostnames by the short name. This occurs no matter whether you have your VPN local DNS search domain typed in there or not. I think this may in fact be a bug in 10.5, since it presumably should work without have to force all the traffic over the VPN.
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10.5: Create Stacks from network shares
One thing that I really miss from Tiger is having a shortcut on my Desktop to my network shared volumes, so I don't have to open a Finder window, click on share, and then select the machine or AirPort Extreme entry, and then the volume I want to access. Leopard won't let you make an alias of a network shared volume, or create one by dragging it to your desktop. What I found out, however, is that you can drag a shared volume to the dock as a Stack folder, and there it is, a direct link to your shared volume. You have to drag it to the area next to the trash; it won't work in the applications zone of the dock. It also helps when the Shared option won't even appear, and you don't remember the direct link to get to the volume through finder's Go » Connect to Server option. This happens quite often with AirPort Extreme, and now I just have to click the shortcut on the dock...
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Create 'calling card' numbers for iPhone contacts
I use a another provider for international calls from my mobile: OneTel (although, this hint should work great with others). This service allows me to dial a local number, then, when prompted, enter the international number I wish to connect to and it connects me as usual. This works fine on the iPhone, in that I can use this plan as described. But my previous mobiles allowed me to set-up 'calling cards' which, when turned on, allowed me to dial the international number directly. The phone would then intercept this and dial the local number for me, then enter my destination number. This is, to me, indispensable on a mobile phone, because without it, you have to either memorize the destination number (or write it down again) so you can enter it after the prompt -- a cumbersome task while you're on the go. Until Apple starts to more properly support calling cards, I improvised by writing an AppleScript which will create 'onetel' versions of the numbers I am interested in. I f...
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One way to modify all instances of a given file name
Here's a great hint for changing all instances of one filename (or part thereof) to another throughout the entire hard drive in one fell swoop. Firest, you'll need some sort of renaming utility that can work within Finder windows; I use a simple one called File List. Now here's the trick. Create a find for the filename, as this will open a window containing all instance from every folder no matter how deep. File List will operate on all files within this find window, changing or serializing or whatever, without moving the files. This is especially great for projects which may use acronyms but be messed up with proper project names... [robg adds: This should work in both 10.4 and 10.5.]
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Mobile reseller offers rebate on unlocked German iPhones; bye T-Mobile!
German mobile service reseller Debitel has announced that it will offer a hefty rebate on those €999 unlocked iPhones from T-Mobile, as long as customers agree to switch over and start using its network instead. Read More...
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CandyBar 3 available now
Filed under: Software, Software Update, LeopardThis is going to sound sad, but the one application that I have missed the most in upgrading to Leopard is CandyBar 2. I've always been something of a customization addict, and being able to take advantage of some of the beautiful icons that artists have made over the years to make OS X look its best is something I can easily spend hours doing, productivity be damned Fortunately for me, Panic (the guys behind Transmit and Coda) have just released the Leopard-only CandyBar 3, meaning I can now resume wasting time making my desktop look its prettiest. CandyBar 3 adds more than just Leopard compatibility - it is a pretty substantial program overhaul. Not only can system icons be changed, the dock can be now be customized too (free Icon and Dock sets available from the geniuses at Iconfactory). Additionally, Panic and Iconfactory have merged the CandyBar and the Pixadex (kind of like iTunes for your icon sets) applications together, providing icon management and customization in one package, instead of two.From the CandyBar 3 release notes: Integrated CandyBar together with Pixadex with an entirely new interface Added large (512 x 512) icon support Leopard dock customization Additional system icons Quick Look integration More reliable system icon restoration, and much more The program can be downloaded for a 15-day/250-icon limit trial here. The program is $29 for new users. Owners of either CandyBar 2 or Pixadex 2 can upgrade for $24. Owners of both Pixadex and CandyBar 2 can upgrade for $19. Any user who bought CandyBar 2 or Pixadex 2 after October 1, 2007 qualifies for a free upgrade.Now, if we can only get a Leopard-version of Shapeshifter out - I can totally optimize my interface!Thanks, SebastianPermalink | Email this | Comments
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Some MacBook hard drives contain fatal defect, according to report
Filed under: LaptopsWe've been hearing vague rumblings about potentially flawed MacBook hard drives for a day or two now, but a report from UK data-recovery firm Retrodata finally backs up all the noise with some hard data -- according to the company, revision 7.0.1 Seagate drives manufactured in China have defective read / write heads that can become detached and slide across the surface of the platters, making recovery impossible. Apple says it's only received "a few reports" of the problem, but Retrodata says the issue is severe enough to warrant a recall. MacBook users will want to fire up Apple System Profiler ASAP and check under the Serial-ATA listing to see what kind of drive they have -- and probably start backing things up, just to be safe. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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Apple Gazette Daily 158 - T-Mobile news, Final Cut Express, More
T-Mobile's rivals even the playing field in Germany, Final Cut Express 4 Released, and more You can subscribe via iTunes, or by RSS feed, or… you can listen to the episode right here: In addition to that, you can also download the Apple Gazette Daily Widget and listen to every episode of the show right on your Dashboard. Click Here to download.
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Panic releases CandyBar 3 for Leopard, integrates Pixadex (Updated)
The new Leopard-only app gives more power and customization options to icon fanatics.Read More...
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Donate to Camino, it'll make you feel better
Filed under: Software, Internet ToolsWe Mac users take our web browsers seriously, which helps account for the fact that there are just so many of them to choose from. For my money the top browser on OS X is Camino (though Safari 3 is closing in fast). Camino, as you can see from the accompanying picture here, makes a big deal out of its 'Mac Style,' and it does feel much more at home on a Mac than Firefox does (though the Firefox team is working on that).Camino is free, as are most browsers these days (Ominweb, I'm looking at you), but that doesn't mean you can't chip in to support development. The Camino Project recently announced that they can now take donations. Working with the Mozilla Foundation the Camino Project has setup a way for you to donate money to support the app, and get the added bonus of writing it off on your taxes. Best of all, the Mozilla Foundation will offer a 2 for 1 match until the end of the year, or until the donations reach $10,000, whichever comes first.If you're a big Camino user be sure to head on over to their donation page and send 'em a few dollars.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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3D Illustration Tips, Secrets & Hardware Picks
Adam Benton blew us away with his 3D renderings of our Apple product fauxtotypes. Now he describes the ultimate Mac-based 3D workstation, and shares must-know info for 3D artists-in-training.
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Fortune names Jobs most powerful in business
As if he needed any more ego fluffing, Fortune had to go and do it again. Read More...
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iPhone competition gets crazy in France
According to Dow Jones, French site phoneandphone.com has been selling iPhones since Monday in France, stealing French telecom provider Orange's exclusive launch scheduled for Thursday. To add insult to injury, they're selling their black market iPhones for €299 instead of the standard €399. There's no indication of the source of phoneandphone.com's iPhones in the article, but you can bet they aren't a certified Apple supplier.Of more interest to Apple watchers world-wide, though, is the fact that Orange expects to sell 100,000 iPhones before the end of 2007. Given reports of slow sales in the UK, that sounds optimistic, but then again, the French are perhaps the ideal customers for the iPhone's elegant design. My bet: they'll sell those easily in Paris.Technorati Tags: Apple, France, iPhone, Orange, phoneandphone.com
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Switched On: Rainforest fire (Part 1)
Filed under: Features, Misc. GadgetsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. Naming a product "Kindle" might be a bit unusual for a company named after a giant waterway. Did Amazon have visions of Farenheit 451 for its electronic book reader? Perhaps, at $399, the product is aimed at those who have the kind of paper to burn that is legal tender for all debts, public or private and not involving iPhones.Regardless, Kindle is far from the epilogue for paper-based books and won't materially alter the course of Amazon's river of reading revenue for some time. On the other hand, the grapheme-strewn box of Kindle notes the word can also mean to "inspire" or "stir up." And the oddly-shaped tablet's wireless commerce capabilities herald big changes for several related industries. Kindle, as Sony recording artist and pop chart fugitive Billy Joel might have said in 1989, didn't start the fire. Amazon has become the second player to enter the embryonic electronic ink-based book reader market in the U.S. after Sony's introduction of its Switchie award-winning Reader. Both products offer excellent readability using electronic ink display technology and are tied to stores controlled by their manufacturers.Continue reading Switched On: Rainforest fire (Part 1) Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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The mark of the beast = Google?
I don't know how I missed this sign of the apocalypse yesterday, but fortunately, Fake Steve Jobs was on the case. And I always thought it would be Steve Ballmer. And given that .00 stock price implies a bit of manipulation, who says that stock traders don't have a sense of humor?
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A half dozen fun undocumented iPhone preferences
Filed under: iPod Family, Cool tools, Hacks, How-tos, iPhone Not all preferences appear in your iPhone Settings application. As I discussed rather thoroughly in my Modding Mac OS X book, it's not that hard to dig through applications and discover undocumented--or in this case unpromoted--preferences that add spice to your Mac or iPhone. I decided to put the iPhone's SpringBoard to the test. That's the app that runs your main home page. This core application contained over a dozen user-settable preferences. I tested them all and selected my six favorites. If you have access to the command line, you can start having fun with these settings yourself. This post shows you how.Continue reading A half dozen fun undocumented iPhone preferencesRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Tunewear rolls out Icewear for iPod touch, classic, nano 3G
Tunewear has introduced its Icewear clear silicone cases for the iPod touch, iPod classic, and iPod nano (with video). All three Icewear cases are made from high-density silicone, feature patented rib technology for added grip, allow access to the iPod's screen, ports, and controls, are washable with soap and water, and include a Tunefilm clear film protector. Tunewear Icewear cases for iPod touch, iPod classic, and iPod nano (with video) sell…
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RIM is Barking Up the Wrong Tree with Rumored iPhone Rival
It looks like Research in Motion (RIM), the company that makes the popular Blackberry business line of smartphones is creating a 9000 series model to directly compete with the iPhone. This model will boast a touchscreen and will target consumers much like the Curve…
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The recording industry should thank Apple
In an interview with "Wired Magazine," Universal Music Group CEO Doug Morris claims that the record industry didn't know what to do about the burgeoning digital music explosion. But the historical record suggests otherwise.
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The recording industry should thank Apple
This month's Wired feature on Universal Music Group CEO Doug Morris--which was posted online--has received a lot of commentary, most of it damning Morris as representative of a clueless and mortally wounded industry. The following quote, in which Morris talks about the dawn of the MP3 era, has ...
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Tunecore gives away 34 songs in iTunes
Tunecore is one of those services that really could change the music world. They have a revolutionary service that gets anyone into iTunes, and lets them keep 100% of their music sale royalties. In a lot of ways its like a POD publisher for writers. They give you the means to get your work out there - but usually, it's up to you to do the promoting. Well, Tunecore is even scoring points in that area with this latest promotion. They are giving away 34 tracks from Tunecore artists including Public Enemy, Care Bears on Fire (you read that right), The Shakes, and more. While not all of the music is great, it's nice to have such a wide variety to sample. You can click here to check it out. Thanks to Matt for sending this in.
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Newton Dominos
You gotta do something with all those Newton modems.
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Tuesday's Options Report: C, Apple, YHOO, Staples, WMI, SMG
(C) – Shares in Citigroup Inc. rallied on news of a 4.9% stake thanks to the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, but it wasn’t long before the stock was once again trading in the gutter. The release of the news overnight had put a healthy bid beneath S&P index futures, but the tone continues to feel fragile. ADIA’s investment now out strips that held by Saudi prince Alwaleel bin Talal, who maintained his allegiance to recently departed CEO, Charles Prince. News stories report how much of a relative bargain Citi has become with its attractive dividend yield and record low price-to-book ratio. Seems that’s not appealing enough given the speculation that the dividend yield will become more attractive if Citi sees fit to conserve capital further by reducing its dividend. Options volume on the stock was the most active on the board by 10:45am with 237,000 contracts trading. By 12:15 volume was close to 350,000 lots.
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Quick Look and TextMate, sittin' in a tree
The powerful code editor for OS X, TextMate, gains some Quick Look goodness through a couple of new Leopard plug-ins.Read More...
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Greg Joswiak on iPhone applications
Filed under: iPod Family, Bad Apple, iPhoneFortune's Big Tech blog has posted an interview with Greg Joswiak, the head of iPod and iPhone marketing. In the interview, Joswiak talks about the evolution of new iPod features and how Apple has taken the device beyond just a simple music player. Of particular interest (at least to me) is Joswiak's mention of iPhone application development and sales. He talks about his excitement in bringing "legitimate" developers into the iPhone application space (heh) and promises digital application signatures. Although he spins this as a way to ensure the application on your iPhone is the correct application that the developers intended to ship, it's also pretty obviously a way to ensure that the application on your iPhone has been vetted by Apple. The apps will conform to a development environment that maintains "security and reliability" while offering "some really cool things", i.e. no unlocks and a possibly limited subset of the development space. One thing the article makes clear is that the SDK will not be invitation only. Joswiak says the SDK will bring in grassroots small developers as well as "legitimate" developers, a move he sees as "awesome".Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Orange's unlocked iPhone to cost "well below" 1,000 euros
Filed under: CellphonesWhile Orange seems to be holding out until the last minute to announce exactly how much its unlocked iPhone will cost, France Telecom CEO Didier Lombard has apparently dropped a few less-than-specific details on the matter in a recent interview, saying that it'll cost "over 500 euros, but well below 1,000 euros." Or, in US dollars, roughly somewhere between $740 and $1,500, but apparently closer to the former. A bit pricey to be sure, but it would certainly be cheaper than the €999 unlocked iPhone that T-Mobile is selling in Germany. As previously announced, a locked iPhone on Orange (complete with a two-year contract) will set you back €399. Look for things to get fleshed out further when Orange gets official with its iPhone offerings on Thursday.[Thanks, Holger] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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Firefox Vulnerable to New QuickTime Exploit
Apple has been presented with yet another security headache by an independent researcher. Krystian Kloskowski has posted a proof-of-concept exploit for a vulnerability in Apple's QuickTime multimedia software. The researcher said that a successful attack could enable the remote execution of malicious code. The exploit targets a flaw in the way QuickTime handles information for streaming media files. Malformed data could be hidden within a streaming media file to trigger a buffer overflow error, which could allow the attacker to access the system with the privileges of the current user.
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Steve's #1, Leopard Lemon and iPod touch is a Sell Out
Steve becomes the most powerful person in business, while Greenpeace gives Apple props for trying to love the environment.
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RUMOR: Some Developers getting Early iPhone SDKs
MacNN reports that according to its sources, some developers are getting early iPhone SDKs. Apparently, while still in the early stages the SDK resembles Google's Opensocial in that it mediates between the programmer and the iPhone. Exact details on what the kit allows are unknown at this time, but it is clear that writing an app for the iPhone won't be the same as writing an application for OSX. Those of you hoping to build homebrew emulators with the iPhone SDK can probably forget it at this point. Apple is going to keep a lock down on this as best they can, and my guess is none of the current “native” iPhone apps for hacked devices will be making their way over to the official iPhone release. Hopefully, we'll have some cool iPhone applications by Macworld…but that is purely speculation on my part.
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Greepeace posts latest Guide to Greener Electronics: Sony Ericsson first, Nintendo in dead last
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Greenpeace posted the latest edition of its "Guide to Greener Electronics" yesterday, which ranks the top 18 consumer electronics companies by their policies towards toxic chemicals and recycling, and it looks like the rankings have shifted slightly since last time -- Sony Ericsson and Samsung have tied for the lead with a 7.7 out of 10 rating (taking over from Nokia, which fell to number 9 with a 6.7) and Sony is sitting pretty at number 3 with a 7.2. Apple, which has taken some lumps in the past few months, is right in the middle of the pack with a 6, but most surprising is Nintendo, which came in absolutely dead last with a big ol' 0 -- looks like Mario's wasted a little too much water in Sunshine, eh? Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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News: Shimura Japan intros Metal Jacket for iPod nano
Shimura is now offering its Metal Jacket case for the iPod nano (with video). The hinged metal case features a protective front flap that folds back to double as a stand, and offers full-time access to the nano's Dock Connector, hold switch, and headphone jack, along with flip-up access to the device's screen and Click Wheel. The case's design also allows the nano to be docked when the front cover is folded back. The Shimura Metal…
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Data recovery firm: Some MacBook drives flawed
Leopard's Time Machine arrives just in time as MacBook hard drives may be losing their heads.Read More...
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Spaces ‘Application Assignments’ and AppleScript
Nifty AppleScripts from Jesse Newland for managing Spaces’s application assignments (e.g. “assign this app to space 2”). These scripts let you manage these assignments without going into the Spaces panel in System Prefs. ★
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34 Free Songs at iTunes
Filed under: iTS, DealsTuneCore is offering 34 free song downloads at the US iTunes store. No, it's not any 34 songs, it's 34 songs by artists who are TuneCore customers. TuneCore, as we've posted before, is an iTunes listing service that helps artists get their music on the iTunes Store. To get your free tracks, visit their free album page and generate a unique iTunes code. Artists on the free album include the Dandy Warhols (famous for the Veronica Mars intro) and Maureen McCormick, of the Brady Bunch. How is the actual music? The quality, er, varies. Let us know what you liked or disliked in the comments.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Macs that hate Adobe fonts, love Microsoft ones
First came Macs running Intel chips. Now, we find a Mac program that can't love a classic Postscript font.
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Has Leopard killed your Network speed?
Ever since upgrading to Leopard, I've been having a problem with my wireless network. I've tried switching to an Airport Extreme - and I switched back to my Netgear Router - I've tried everything I can think of - but it's still a problem. What happens is that the wireless connection just seems to stall or die momentarily - then it fires back to life. Sometimes it feels like I'm on dial-up. It sucks. Turns out I'm not alone as this, this, and this Apple support forum show. I find the whole thing incredibly frustrating, and I'm getting tired of waiting for a fix. I don't think it's too much to ask for something as essential as networking to function properly. There appears to be no solid connection of any kind from hardware to hardware to identify the problem…which I'm sure makes things more difficult…BUT COME ON APPLE - get this thing fixed already. Have any of you had this issue - if so, have you been able to get it resolved?
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UK iPhones having service / reception issues?
Filed under: CellphonesIt's not clear how widespread the problem is, but a number of iPhone users in the UK are reporting serious reception issues on O2's network. Our source in the UK has told us that his O2 iPhone currently has no service in the same room as other O2 phones with five bars and an unlocked iPhone on Vodafone with full service, and Apple's UK support forums are buzzing with similar reports. Users are also reporting that replacement iPhones don't exhibit the same problems, so the problem might be with the device itself -- but that would be strange, seeing as iPhones in other countries don't have the same issues. For its part, Apple appears to be replacing units as they're brought in, and hasn't made any official statement on the matter yet -- any UK iPhone users out there care to chime in?[Thanks, Wil]Read - InformationWeek articleRead - Apple Support thread about the issue Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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Orange discusses unlocked iPhones, sales goals for France
Orange's CEO is stirring up iPhone buzz on the eve of the device's launch in France. Read More...
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Quick Look Folder and Zip plugins
Filed under: OS, Freeware, LeopardQuick Look is a beautiful thing, and in my view practically itself worth the cost of admission to Leopard. Unfortunately, the more you get used to it, the more annoying it is when you get to a file format that Quick Look doesn't support. Fortunately, Apple was smart enough to design Quick Look with an open architecture that allows developers to write their own plugins and support more file formats, which Japanese developer Taiyo used to write two excellent plugins.The first addresses a serious annoyance with the default Quick Look implementation on folders. If you invoke Quick Look with a folder selected in the Finder you'll get...a picture of the folder icon. Frankly, that's pretty stupid. Taiyo's Folder Quick Look Plugin fixes this by displaying the folder's contents, which is how it should have been done in the first place. Likewise, Taiyo's Zip Quick Look Plugin displays the contents of zip files.I'm sure we'll be seeing more and more of these expansions of Quick Look in the days ahead, which will make this quintessential Leopard feature that much more useful. Both the Folder Quick Look Plugin and the Zip Quick Look Plugin are free downloads. Place them in your /Library/QuickLook/ or ~/Library/QuickLook/ folders and they should work immediately.[via Digg]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Clever marketing: Debitel launches €600 rebate for unlocked iPhone purchasers
T-Mobile competitor Debitel came up with a clever way to offer iPhones on its network. Simply offer a 600 euro sign-up bonus to customers and have them buy an unlocked iPhone from T-Mobile. Customers end up paying the same net €399 price for the iPhone and get to use it on Debitel's network.It's too bad unlocked iPhones aren't available in the US; otherwise, T-Mobile could use the same tactic to steal iPhone customers away from AT&T.Technorati Tags: Apple, iPhone, Debitel, T-Mobile
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Software Spotlight: More iChat Effects
iSmiley has a way to spice up your iChats if you're already getting bored with the handful of special effects that made their way into Leopard's iChat. More iChat Effects is a piece of software that does EXACTLY what it says - it gives you More iChat Effects. From the ever popular hologram effect previewed in Leopard, to stranger modifications like that creepy looking cowboy in the image above, there are lots of fun effects here. You can star in your own iPod commercial styled video, pretend to be a monkey, cover your video with holiday cheer - the possibilities are endless. As long as your version of endless is 24 effects. More iChat Effects is a free download that you can get by clicking right here.
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10.5: Resume printing on a chosen page number
When in a printer's panel, hitting the Option key changes the Resume button into a Resume on Page button. This will allow you resume printing of a document put on hold while letting you choose from which page onwards it should continue. So if you realize you're printing one page too many, you can always put the printing on hold and remove the page without even deleting the document from the printing queue.
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10.5: Peek inside zip files with a Quick Look plug-in
One thing I've longed for is the ability to quickly see the contents of zip files from the Finder. I've written a Quick Look plug-in that will display the contents of zip files (support for other archive formats is on the to do list). To install it (for the current user), copy the ZipQuickLook.qlgenerator file into ~/Library/QuickLook (you may need to create the QuickLook directory). Browse to a zip file in the Finder and press the Space Bar to try it out. [robg adds: Someone at Macworld also told me about xdd's mac.com page, which contains a number of Quick Look plug-ins, including one for zip file viewing. I tried them both, and personally prefer one from xdd, as it shows more detail on the files in the zip. While working on this hint, I was also referred...
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10.5: Use Spotlight's calculations with Quick Look
This might be very specific to me, but it's a solution to something that's been bugging me for some time, and is also a use for a feature that seemed to me to be "cool but pointless." It seems that Quick Look windows are tied to Finder, rather than being windows in their own right. That means that if you take the focus away from Finder, you no longer see the Quick Look. That's been a problem for me, as I often Quick Look at Excel workbooks and want to do a short calculation using some of the figures I see. Trouble is, as soon as I start or switch to Calculator, Finder loses focus and I can't see the Quick Look window any more. The solution is simple and obvious (once it dawns on you): bring up the Spotlight search box and type your calculation into that. That way, Finder doesn't lose focus, and so you can still see your "source document." It's almost as if Apple added c...
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10.5: View binary plist files via Quick Look
As of 10.4, I think, Apple started making plists in a binary format instead of XML. Though they had their reasons, it was a real pain if you just wanted to get a very quick look (no pun intended) at the preference settings, because it meant that you either had to convert the file to XML using plutil, or open the file in Property List Editor, which is not well suited for browsing settings at all. But in 10.5, Quick Look displays binary plists in XML on the fly, so you can now select a bunch of plists, launch Quick Look, and view page after page of beautiful XML with all the navigation features that Quick Look offers. It's a very useful way of helping one assimilate or drill down into a system's configuration.
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Enable features on Microsoft keyboard and Logitech mouse
The problem: you have a Microsoft Keyboard (i.e. a keyboard with Microsoft special keys like Home, Browser, Mail, etc.) and a Logitech mouse with many buttons (in my case, a Logitech MX Revolution), and most of the buttons are plain unresponsive in OS X. I have written a complete tutorial on my blog on how to use ControllerMate and AppleScript to get all these buttons to work. Although the information to do this is scattered throughout the web and you can piece it together (it took me about five hours to get it all set up the first time), I've gathered it up in one spot. It does not go into "for Dummies" detail, but if you have questions, please ask (preferentially directly at the blog entry, but as you like). [robg adds: I haven't tested this one.]
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10.5: A note about Time Machine time zones
I've noticed one small oddity in Time Machine. If you try to completely restore your system from a Time Machine backup, it seems as if Time Machine has gone on holiday to California, rather than staying in wet London or cold Zurich: Your backups all have timestamps which are about nine hours prior to the actual local time at which they were saved. It's not really a problem, but it is a little disconcerting, especially since by the time you're having to do a full system restall, your nerves are probably a little frayed anyhow. [robg adds: As I'm located in California's time zone, I can't really test this one very easily. If you can confirm, please comment.]
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Force Spotlight to properly index a FileVault folder
With FileVault turned on and logged in as that user, Spotlight would not find all file matches in my search. I have two computers that hold sensitive medical information, so FileVault is a necessity if I want to use Macs. Symptom: Files located in the Documents folder, or any other standard folder that should be getting indexed by Spotlight, are not found in a typical search. It doesn't seem to matter if you search for exact file names or for text inside the documents. I found the error with Word files, but upon further research, it also affected PDFs and GIF files, and probably others. It seems to occur for files that were created prior to activating FileVault. Modifying files in some way will fix that particular file and allow Spotlight to index and find it. However, doing that to all your files may not make sense. In this case, you should reindex just your FileVault Home folder. Do not reindex the entire drive because this will not fix the error.
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10.5: Create new Stacks via drag and drop
I was heartbroken when I discovered a Stack was nothing more than a spiffed-down image of an existing folder, and I was even more irritated when I discovered you couldn't just drag a bunch of files to make a new Stack. I couldn't do much about the look, but I could at least make something that acted as I expected Stacks to: A convenient Dock icon that sits patiently waiting for a collection of files, and then magically turns them into a brand new Stack. It's a simple AppleScript that took way too long for my Perl-sized brain to write, but it seems to work. There's a compiled version [76KB download], and source is available (original site • Hints mirror). Place...
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10.5: See geotagging information in Preview
A new feature of Preview 4.0 that I have not yet seen documented is its native support for Geotagged photos. Now when you view a photo that has GPS coordinates in its EXIF data, and do a Command-I (Open Inspector), and select the center More Info tab, you will see a new tab called GPS that also shows the location of your picture on a flat globe. And even better, there is a Locate button to show where your photo maps onto Google Maps. This is a great and easy way to check if your photos are being Geotagged properly.
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iTunes: Free Tuesday
Filed under: iTS, Features, Deals Once again, TUAW is pleased to present you with a selection of free songs and videos from around the world. Many of these iTMS items won't be free for long, so grab your copies before the week is up. And don't forget: If you want to buy these on your iPhone or iPod touch, make sure to sign into your account in iTunes before you sync.Continue reading iTunes: Free TuesdayRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Verizon cracks open the locked gates of the US mobile phone business
I've claimed previously that Apple's iPhone and Google's Android phone software were going to transform the mobile phone industry here in the US. Well, today, we got some clear evidence of that effect: Verizon Wireless, the number two wireless vendor in the US, has announced that it will open its network to phones and software not sold by Verizon by the end of 2008.Now, in any European country, this announcement would be greeted by a yawn. But here, this is big news. Carriers here have traditionally been the gatekeepers for both handsets and software on the US networks, claiming that they required such control to guarantee the quality of service on those networks. Those claims have just been, to borrow a phrase, "rendered inoperative." Verizon saw that with Google bidding on the 700 MHz spectrum next year and offering open source software to power a wide variety of handsets, it was fighting the tide to open networks. And you know what they say: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Kudos to Verizon for going with the flow; unfortunately, we'll have to wait until 2009 to see if its actions match its press releases.Oh, one more thing: Don't expect Apple's iPhone to end up on Verizon's network in 2009. Apple's exclusive carrier deal with AT&T for the iPhone doesn't expire until summer of 2012. But at the same time, that deal doesn't prevent Apple from introducing a Verizon EVDO-powered tablet, either.Full disclosure: The author owns both Apple and Google stock.Technorati Tags: Android, Apple, Google, iPhone, Mobile phones, Verizon
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Debitel offering 600 euro "sign-up bonus" for 999 euro iPhone in Germany
Filed under: CellphonesYou know that unlocked iPhone T-Mobile has to sell in Germany? Right, the one that costs €999 instead of €399 with contract. Well, if you're Debitel, then you make a bid for the iPhone non-exclusive by offering a €600 sign-up bonus (to bring the cost back to €399) on a network of your very own. Of course, visual voice mail is a no-go and there's no mention of unlimited WiFi, but at least you've got the iPhone (and a fat Debitel contract, presumably). Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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Symantec warns of new QuickTime buffer overflow vulnerability
A new QuickTime vulnerability in its streaming protocol could allow for remote code execution. Guess Apple has yet more bug stompin' to do.Read More...
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Handicapping Macworld Expo San Francisco ‘08
Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, that can only mean one thing. It’s time to start handicapping the SuperBowl of Macdom known as Macworld Expo San Francisco. Let me get me something off my chest: “Macworld” has a lowercase “w” (It’s not “MacWorld.”) And while we’re at it, it’s “Macworld Expo”… Macworld (minus the “Expo” part) [...]
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Mac 101: Drag and drop in the Application Switcher
Filed under: Leopard, Mac 101We've talked previously about the wonders of the Application Switcher, the translucent bar that comes up when you hit ⌘-Tab. However, thanks to Macworld I realized today that the Leopard version adds a great feature that should have been there a long time ago: drag and drop. In Leopard the application icons in the Application Switcher are live. This means you can grab a file in the Finder, hit ⌘-Tab, and drop the file on the running application of your choice. So, for instance, you can easily drop a plist on a text editor instead of using the default plist editor. In previous versions of OS X you needed LiteSwitch X ($14.95) to achieve the same thing (though it's true that LiteSwitch X still has a few tricks up its sleeve that the default Application Switcher is missing).Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple “puck� mouse named one of the worst Tech products of all time
The Apple hockey puck shaped mouse shipped with iMacs in 1998. It was hard to hold, uncomfortable, and cheap feeling. It was a terrible mouse. The guys at cNet UK think it was SO terrible that it's one of the worst tech products ever invented. I tend to agree that it was an absolutely horrible mouse. One silver lining, though. As is often the case with Apple products, even when they get something wrong - they get something right. The hockey puck mouse was the very first mouse to ever use USB as the standard for connectivity. The rest of the list is interesting as well…I don't recognize most of the products listed, but there is one that I am familiar with. It's name? Windows Vista.
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News: SuperSync 2.0 offers speed, setup, transfer improvements
SuperSync has announced the release of its SuperSync 2.0 personal music library synchronization software. SuperSync lets users synchronize their music libraries between multiple computers over the internet. The latest version of the software allows up to five simultaneous track uploads and downloads, making synchronization faster, and features a completely redesigned file transfer interface, support for automatic Universal Plug and Play router setup,…
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O2 continuing to hit bumps with iPhone in UK
The UK iPhone launch hasn't been as smooth as expected, with reception problems and a low number of activations being reported.Read More...
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Apple marks 30th November as worldwide Black Friday
Filed under: AppleThose looking to save on Apple gear post-Thanksgiving, but not living in the U.S. to take advantage of 'Black Friday' take note: Apple's worldwide stores are running 'Black Friday' promotions on Friday November 30th, both online and in Apple Retail Stores.Whilst the discounts are typically not huge (and exclude the iPhone, iPod touch, MacBookPro and Mac Pro), if you've got your eye on something from Apple this Christmas, you may want to see what the discounts are like this Friday.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Orange sees 100K iPhones sold by year's end
France Telecom's Orange unit has said that it expects to sell nearly 100,000 iPhones by the end of 2007. In an interview with Europe 1 radio, France Telecom chief Didier Lombard predicted sales of 100,000 units by year's end, while promising that Orange's unlocked iPhone offering will be priced “significantly lower” than the 999€ T-Mobile in Germany is charging for the unlocked hardware. Lombard also revealed some tariff…
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Four Retail Stocks for the Holidays
Well, we’ve zipped through the first weekend in this year’s Holiday shopping season, and retailers are pretty happy so far.
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IconGrabber: easy icon extraction
Filed under: Blogging, FreewareThis one is a little bit of inside (blogging) baseball, but I know a lot of our readers blog themselves and so might find this tip handy. Ankur Kothari (whose Quicksilver customizations we've mentioned before) has cooked up an excellent little Quicksilver plugin called IconGrabber that does exactly what it sounds like. It allows you to easily create an image of an application icon at an arbitrary resolution in one of several popular image formats. Using a few simple terminal commands to change the defaults you can select the default image size and format. So, for instance, here at TUAW we post lots of icons at 125px wide in the jpeg format. With IconGrabber I can now create those images in one step as you see above, where I'm saving the Time Machine icon to my TUAW pictures folder. If you're not a Quicksilver fiend, Ankur also has a stand-alone application to do the same thing. In any case, if you regularly need to extract icons as images, IconGrabber is a godsend.IconGrabber is a free download for either the Quicksilver plugin or the stand-alone application. The instructions for customizing are in the announcement post and the comments below.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Dell registers "Zingspot" trademark, content service on the way?
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable VideoWe hadn't heard much from Zing since Dell acquired the upstart streaming / DAP company back in August, but apparently that's about to change -- Dell has just filed to register the "Zingspot" trademark, and also registered the domain name, which either means it's about to launch a new content portal, or...nothing at all. Seriously, companies register marks and domains all the time, so this could turn out to be nothing more than a training exercise for some new lawyer -- but Dell has said that the Zing acquisition will be used to expand its "capability to provide great product experiences," so maybe this time next year we'll be trying to choose between Zings, Zunes, and iPods. Or, again, maybe not.[Via Trademork] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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The Apple Store's Holiday Makeover
Not a cash register is in sight. The electronics on display are all powered up and ready for use. Personal trainers, specialists and newly minted concierges in aqua blue shirts make the Apple Store feel part salon, part Internet cafe -- just without the espresso. Over the past year, Apple has revamped its 201 stores, changing the layout, adding services and increasing its staffing. The "concierge" service that Apple launched last week is only the latest initiative designed to draw more visitors and bolster already record-breaking sales.